McDonald's taps ex-Obama spokesman to be grilled about image makeover

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/09/robert-gibbs-mcdonalds-chief-communications-officer

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Former White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is headed to McDonald’s – not for a burger, for a job.

Gibbs was appointed as McDonald’s global chief communications officer on Tuesday, charged with helping the troubled fast-food giant improve its image amid an escalating row over pay and conditions and a year-long sales slide.

Gibbs will also handle the company’s government affairs.

McDonald’s also announced that it had hired Silvia Lagnado, formerly global chief marketing officer, as its executive vice-president and global chief marketing officer. Both Gibbs and Lagnado will report to Steve Easterbrook, who took over as president and CEO in March.

“Returning excitement to our business proposition and brand is foundational to our turnaround plan, and Robert and Silvia – with their respective teams – will play critical roles in bringing this strategy to life,” Easterbrook said in a press release. He reiterated that the goal of the turnaround plan is to make McDonald’s into a “more modern, progressive burger company”.

Gibbs will replace Bridget Coffing, who announced her retirement earlier this year.

After leaving the White House, Gibbs co-founded the Incite Agency, a strategic communications advisory firm.

Lagnado, named as one of the 100 most influential women in advertising by Ad Age in 2012, will be responsible for McDonald’s global brand management, including marketing, menu and consumer insights.

What the new appointments mean for the end of the recently revived Hamburglar is unclear. Hipster Hamburglar, delivery and an all-day breakfast menu are all part of the company’s attempts to reverse decline in sales. Yet despite a series of changes, consumers are still not lovin’ it.

Tuesday’s announcement comes just a day after McDonald’s reported that its global sales fell for a 12th straight month. The sales slump has coincided with McDonald’s employees taking to the streets on multiple occasions to protest for better wages and the right to unionize. As Fight for $15, as the movement is known, has grown into one of the largest protests by US low-wage workers, McDonald’s pay has come under scrutiny.

The issue of low wages is also quickly becoming one of the key issues of the 2016 presidential campaign.

“All of you should not have to march in the streets to get a living wage, but thank you for marching in the streets to get that living wage,” Hillary Clinton, a 2016 presidential candidate, told an audience in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday. “I want to be your champion. I want to fight with you every day.”

Related: Washington revolving door speeds up as Obama officials head for lobbying jobs

It’s now up to Gibbs to oversee McDonald’s image in this particular debate.

Gibbs is not the only person to leave the Obama White House for the better-paying private sector. The revolving door has been spinning faster in the past few years.

Jay Carney, who took over from Gibbs as the White House press secretary, joined Amazon as its head of global corporate affairs in March, where he reports directly to founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. David Plouffe, Obama’s former campaign manager and senior White House adviser, joined Uber as senior vice-president of policy and strategy in 2014. And Alyssa Mastromonaco, former deputy chief of staff for operations, joined Vice Media as chief operating officer earlier this year.