Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

From CNN Money.com:

After flopping in a previous run for the border 15 years ago, Taco Bell tries again, opening an outlet in Mexico City. This time the company takes out half-page newspaper ads announcing, “It is a fast-food alternative that does not pretend to be Mexican food.“

Does not pretend? Wow, great marketing. Seems to me it’d be much easier and more profitable to adjust to the customers, versus doing a disclaimer. How appetizing is “fast-food alternative?” Not very.

I grew up eating all kinds of “Mex” - Tex-Mex, New Mexican, Cali-Mex and even on the rare occasion Mex-Mex. I’ve eaten Mexican in London, Germany, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and New York…loved pretty much all of it - even the baby corn in the fajitas served in London and the NH enchiladas (think pizza with corn tortillas and a big puddle of pasta sauce.) Still tasty, just not what I was used to back in New Mexico. Much of what we consider Mexican food in this country started out as simple low-cost peasant food. Beans, tortillas, onion, tomato, chile, some cilantro, a little cheese - done right, it’s food fit for the comfort of both kings and us common folk.

Here’s what I’d do if I were Taco Bell:

1. Source local. Defrosting mass-produced stuff just isn’t the same as fresh. I admit I occasionally eat a Taco Bell burrito - even like the sauce, but it just doesn’t compare to the real thing (that I make at home all the time - so I know how easy it is to do right. I also worked in a Mom & Pop fast food Tex-Mex cafe in high school…where we made everything, including sauce, from scratch.)

2. Adjust the recipes. McDonald’s does it with burgers the world over. Seems Taco Bell could do the same for Mexico.

3. Give franchisees some freedom to do things differently. Cut back on the stuff packed at Corporate, simplify the menu (no more taco shells stuffed into flour tortillas and such), use local ingredients and offer what customers will buy.

P.S. I’m lucky - New Mexico is chock full of locally-owned tasty “fast food alternatives.” However, in the chain category, Taco Cabana (home office in San Antonio) is very good. I even eat there sometimes here in Albuquerque. Love the fresh jalapeno salsa and tortillas. Food can be both fast and good.

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