We noted in this chapter that consumers often use country-

of-origin as a heuristic to judge a product. Sometimes this tendency can backfire. While one study found that around the world ‘the Golden Arches are now more widely recognised than the Christian cross’,53 the strong link between McDonald’s and the USA has been a liability for the food chain in recent years. As anti-war protests in many countries give vent to raw anti-US sentiment, the familiarity of McDonald’s has made it a widespread target. In Quito, Ecuador, protesters burned a Ronald McDonald statue. In Paris, demonstrators smashed a McDonald’s window. South Korean activists calling for an end to the war sought attention by climbing up a McDonald’s sign. Other McDonald’s outlets – in Karachi, in Buenos Aires – have been ringed with police officers to stave off trouble. Should a company that takes credit for its association with its country-of-origin in good times have to take its blame in bad times? What steps can marketers take to avoid these problems?