For more than 60 years, McDonald’s has held strong as an icon of America’s post-war boom. As the world’s largest fast food chain — a concept it pioneered — it influences how people around the world eat and live while maintaining a sizable lead over its competitors in number of locations, annual revenue and advertising spend.
McDonald’s success has opened the doors to countless competitors that have tried to eat into its dominance by differentiating their products, value proposition or brand identity. For half a century, its main rival — in the public consciousness, at least — has been Burger King.
