Day 048 - 08 Nov 94 - Page 44

     
     1        the tweens.
     2
     3   Q.   Did you read the transcripts or hear about the evidence of
     4        Mr. Green?
     5        A.  No.
     6
     7   Q.   Well, from memory -- and I will be corrected if I am
     8        wrong -- the tweens were a substantial section of the
     9        customers at McDonald's?
    10        A.  Absolutely.  I am sure they are here.
    11
    12   Q.   And they did not disappear off the figures when they
    13        magically became teenagers or 11 year-olds or 14 year-olds.
    14        Would that roughly be the same in this country?
    15        A.  I am sure we get the usage of that age group.
    16
    17   Q.   So, however difficult they are, really, in reality, in
    18        terms of McDonald's making profits out of that particular
    19        section of customers, it is something that would be of
    20        equal concern to you, that that is a market at this very
         moment; and not only that, it would be a market about to
    22        become an adult future, mature market which you have got to
    23        win over; yes?
    24        A.  Of course we would like to look after all of the
    25        customers that come to us.
    26
    27   MR. MORRIS:   But I am talking about that particular section.
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  Mr. Morris, I think we are just going
    30        round and round in circles.  If I may say so, you are
    31        asking questions of the witness as if you know more about
    32        marketing and what would benefit McDonald's than he does.
    33
    34        You may say that his answers must be totally wrong because
    35        we just cannot accept that they would ignore the tweens.
    36        He says, "We would like everyone to come in.  Yes, they
    37        would be valuable customers but, as it happens, our
    38        priorities are families which involves young children and
    39        young adults."
    40
         Now, if you have got figures or some hard fact, put to him
    42        that that is nonsense, "Look what you are doing about the
    43        tweens"; put it to him.  But I do not think, if I may say
    44        so, that arguing with him about what they ought to be doing
    45        is producing anything.
    46
    47   MR. MORRIS:  (To the witness)  Well, I will put it to you that
    48        when people reach a certain age, tween age, and as they
    49        become older to become an adult, they actually watch adult
    50        programmes, do they not? 
    51        A.  They do more so, yes. 
    52 
    53   Q.   So, in fact, the tweens are watching, or a lot of them,
    54        programmes for adults that you claim are geared to adults?
    55        A.  I am sure tweens watch adult television, yes.
    56
    57   Q.   And they watch a lot of sporting events, for example?
    58        A.  They can watch sporting events.
    59
    60   Q.   In McDonald's adult advertising, there are a lot of family