McDonald's Making Mighty Push With Its Failed Mighty Wings

Jeremie Bohbot

Jeremie Bohbot

LOS ANGELES , March 12, 2014 () – When McDonald’s came out last year with its “Mighty Wings,” the name for the burger chain’s new bone-in fried chicken wings, I had zero interest in trying them. I was perfectly happy with its McNuggets and McChicken sandwiches.

Besides, at around $1 a wing, the Mighty Wings were too expensive. Why spend $5 for five wings when I could go somewhere like Wingstop—whose primary product is its wings—and get more wings for less?

As I write this blog, I currently have a five-piece order of Mighty Wings by my side (and they’re not half bad, I might add).

What changed?

The price.

McDonald’s recent decision to unload its 10 million lbs. of wings by lowering the price is both simple and genius. It’s the simplest sales concept in the world: The best way to get someone to try a new, unproven product is to make it cheap.

I didn’t drive to McDonald’s planning to buy Mighty Wings. But as I waited in the drive thru and saw that the price was lowered to 60 cents a wing, that was enough to entice me to try them.

Now to be fair: I don’t know what McDonald’s profit margin will be if it sells all these wings at the reduced price. Perhaps it won’t be enough to keep them on the menu or bring them back for special promotions. Regardless, the lower price got a fast-food consumer like me to buy them.

And the price is low enough to get me to buy them again.

Nevin Barich is the Food and Beverage Analyst for Industry Intelligence. Email him here or follow him on Twitter here.

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