I actually think this is a good idea. We all know that employees are a very important part of a brand - they interact directly with the customer and, in the case of McDonald's, many of them work at McDonald's in their teens before going onto become influencers in the community in their adulthood.

As far as buzz goes, the decision has caused a tidal wave of discussion online. Will it sell more burgers? Maybe. I don't know. I think that all of us have a certain 'comfort level' with McDonald's, but the problem we have with going there is that the image of it is so bad. New uniforms for the employees doesn't change the fact that my Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese is terribly greasy and gives me heartburn, but it may, at least temporarily, stop hiding the fact that I still go there to chow on the McValue Menu a couple of times per month. (Oops, out of the closet)

I don't think hip, new uniforms is where they should stop, though. Their employment package needs to be desirable as well. A commenter on the Fast Company post suggested automating the unskilled labour so that employees could become more like customer service specialists (my interpretation) than an assembly line. Instilling pride and fun into their work will spread outwards to the public: guaranteed.

In Toronto, we have this amazing indy burger chain called Lick's. Their employees, whether they are or not, truly appear like they are having a good time. It baffles me. They sing silly songs, have 'code words' for items that they yell from cash register to line cook (I've figured out that Onion Rings are 'Ring a Ding Ding'), goof around with one another, and have fun with the customers. I pay the same for a burger meal there as I would a sit-down restaurant and the experience is amazing. My 12-year old son adores Lick's and is easily bribed into anything with the promise of a visit. From what I hear, they offer their employees great wages and benefits, have morale boosting sessions and get-togethers, give bonuses for their enthusiasm and treat them with respect and dignity. I guess that's what they are singing about.

But the thing about Lick's as with many great indy burger places (you probably have one in your city that always has an enormous cue) is that they don't seek mass market saturation. They are generally pretty satisfied with their immediate geography. They focus on good, steady, longterm but not millions of dollars of profit.

McDonald's can never be an indy burger joint, but it can learn from the success of these localized businesses. Number one: customer experience is crucial. How do you ensure great customer experience? Great staff. How do you obtain and retain great staff? Treat them great. Allow them input into their uniforms, their jobs (not just a suggestion box, either, give them the opportunity to suggest improvements and implement them when they are good), pay them fairly, offer other benefits, treat them with dignity, allow them to be human, etc. Happy employees will create great customer experiences.

And, for the record, I vote for P. Diddy on the uniform design. Hilfiger is too starchy & preppy. Russell Simmons' Phat Farm is pretty hip, but a little too sporty. P. Diddy...now that man knows how to 'bring on da bling'. I'd actually like to see Snoop Dogg get a shot at it, too. Then they could add special 'code' to their orders, "McSizzle my Fridizzle, Dawg!"