Day 045 - 03 Nov 94 - Page 11

     
     1        appropriate, he can hold their hand or, in fact, pick them
     2        up.
     3
     4   Q.   Why did it previously say, then, that he should not pick
     5        them up?
     6        A.  Well, I think that the overall aspect was about
     7        children and strangers, from the perspective of excessive
     8        touching with children, or the relationship with children
     9        should not be a touching relationship; it should be, in
    10        fact, a discussion or emotional relationship.
    11
    12   Q.   He is a stranger, is he not?
    13        A.  No, I do not think he is a stranger; obviously, to
    14        children, he is a friend.
    15
    16   Q.   Strangers might often portray themselves as friends, might
    17        they not?
    18        A.  I do not know.  I cannot comment on that.  Obviously,
    19        people know who ronald mcdonald is; he is not a stranger.
    20        He is-----
    21
    22   Q.   So why should it matter if he picks children up, then?
    23        A.  Because parents, even parents who have friends, do not
    24        like to have excessive touching of their children; and that
    25        is why we try to stay away from it.
    26
    27   Q.   I do not think you dealt with that part.  Why should the
    28        relationship of Ronald be emotional?
    29        A.  Because he is a friend.  It is a friendly, emotional
    30        relationship.  Kids like him; they like what he does; they
    31        like the kinds of actions that he has; and they do have an
    32        emotional relationship with him.  Obviously, liking someone
    33        is an emotional relationship.
    34
    35        Again, from emotions, he makes children laugh, he makes
    36        them have a pleasant time.  Children enjoy his amazement or
    37        his magic.  I believe that those are central to emotions,
    38        as well.
    39
    40   Q.   Why should McDonald's want children to have an emotional
         relationship with him?
    42        A.  Because McDonald's would like, obviously, children to
    43        enjoy ronald mcdonald and enjoy the interaction with him
    44        when they watch him on television.
    45
    46   Q.   Why does McDonald's want them to enjoy the interaction?
    47        A.  Because the more they like ronald mcdonald, the more
    48        they will enjoy and enjoy the fun experience at
    49        McDonald's.  He represents the fun experience that a child
    50        can have at McDonald's and he represents, essentially, the 
    51        fun experience of McDonald's overall. 
    52 
    53        I think that is a viewpoint that is shared in any research
    54        we have done with parents.  The vast majority, if not
    55        almost all, the parents think Ronald has a very good
    56        persona, that he stands for those things that are basic
    57        human values.  They enjoy him.  In fact, we get a lot of
    58        letters; we even get letters from parents that indicate
    59        that Ronald has saved their child's life because of a
    60        school show where he talked about how to get out of a home