Rank | 2010 Rank | Region/Country | Sector | Brand Value ($m) | Change in Brand Value |
6 | 6 | United States | Restaurants | 35,593 | 6% |
A master of consistency, quality, and in recent years, consumer responsiveness, the long-time fast food leader drives innovation in the category it dominates—from McCafé, its higher quality coffee (with sales challenging Starbucks) to a healthier Happy Meal, which it plans to roll out in in the early fall. In terms of environmental sustainability, the brand is embarking on an ambitious program that requires all of its suppliers over time to source their products entirely from sustainably managed land. Additionally, it is making moves to ensure that vegetable oil from McDonald's restaurants is converted into 100 percent biodiesel to fuel its logistics fleet. You may have noticed in our 2011 Best Global Green Brands report there is a gap between consumer perception and corporate performance relative to sustainability. Closing this gap will be critical for future growth. This year, the brand experienced a high-profile conflict over social media due to its Ronald McDonald mascot, whom a group of health advocates and activist physicians wanted to see fired. Holding his ground, CEO Jim Skinner announced the McDonald's brand ambassador would not be retiring.