The 2017 Szechuan Sauce shortage at McDonald's serves as a case study in the volatile intersection of cult fandom and corporate supply chain limitations. Triggered by a mention in a popular animated series, the initial release of only 4,000 sauce cups across 200 locations resulted in nationwide protests and a public relations crisis. Hanno Cabrera, Senior VP of Corporate Relations, clarifies that the fiasco was a genuine miscalculation of demand rather than a manufactured scarcity tactic, noting that even a fifty-fold increase in supply would have failed to meet the unexpected surge. To rectify the disappointment, McDonald's coordinated a massive logistical effort involving multiple suppliers to produce 20 million cups for a nationwide relaunch on February 26th. This investigative look at the "post-sauce world" highlights the immense power of internet-driven subcultures and the humbling challenges brands face when attempting to engage with powerful cult classics.
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