AntZ
06-13-2011, 09:47 PM
McDonald's Says Offensive Twitter Picture a 'Hoax'
By Matt Egan
Published June 13, 2011 | FOXBusiness
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) appears to be the victim of a Twitter hoax over the weekend as an image of a sign claiming African-American customers are required to pay a $1.50 transaction fee made the rounds in the blogosphere.
The picture, which had been posted under the hashtag of #seriouslymcdonalds and has since been removed from Twitter, displayed a sign taped to a window outside of what appears to be a McDonald’s restaurant.
The sign claimed the world’s largest fast-food chain is charging African-American customers an additional fee “as an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies.”
“It’s a completely senseless, ignorant hoax by some pranksters,” Heidi Barker, a McDonald’s spokesperson, told FOX Business.
Barker said she had “no idea” who had carried out the hoax.
The sign included an 800-number that connected callers to the customer satisfaction hotline of rival KFC, which is owned by Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM).
On its official Twitter account Saturday, McDonald's said, "that pic is a senseless & ignorant hoax McD’s values ALL our customers. Diversity runs deep in our culture on both sides of the counter."
Despite the official denials, the hoax gained momentum over the weekend as "Seriously McDonald's" ranked on Twitter's "Trends" list, according to tech blog Gizmodo.
Shares of McDonald’s, which were inactive ahead of Monday’s open, have increased almost 5% year-to-date.
By Matt Egan
Published June 13, 2011 | FOXBusiness
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) appears to be the victim of a Twitter hoax over the weekend as an image of a sign claiming African-American customers are required to pay a $1.50 transaction fee made the rounds in the blogosphere.
The picture, which had been posted under the hashtag of #seriouslymcdonalds and has since been removed from Twitter, displayed a sign taped to a window outside of what appears to be a McDonald’s restaurant.
The sign claimed the world’s largest fast-food chain is charging African-American customers an additional fee “as an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies.”
“It’s a completely senseless, ignorant hoax by some pranksters,” Heidi Barker, a McDonald’s spokesperson, told FOX Business.
Barker said she had “no idea” who had carried out the hoax.
The sign included an 800-number that connected callers to the customer satisfaction hotline of rival KFC, which is owned by Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM).
On its official Twitter account Saturday, McDonald's said, "that pic is a senseless & ignorant hoax McD’s values ALL our customers. Diversity runs deep in our culture on both sides of the counter."
Despite the official denials, the hoax gained momentum over the weekend as "Seriously McDonald's" ranked on Twitter's "Trends" list, according to tech blog Gizmodo.
Shares of McDonald’s, which were inactive ahead of Monday’s open, have increased almost 5% year-to-date.