Earlier this month TargetX hosted our Xpert Summit at the most inauthentic or least-real place on Earth; Las Vegas.  Every form of civilization (represented by some themed hotel) has gone to the desert to die out there. (But that’s a whole-other rant.)

I’m going to talk about a McDonald’s marketing effort that I like. I need to first qualify and say that growing up as a teen in Florida, McDonald’s was the hangout for my high school and church youth group. So I’ve consumed my fair share. But like Las Vegas, I’m now not a fan.

Let’s connect Las Vegas and McDonald’s. Both might be the symbol or poster child of everything wrong with America. Both are fabricated, processed versions of originals, both represent excess and tend to have obese clientele walking about.

And while it’s really all about choice, you can’t blame America’s health problems on McDonald’s. But our neighbors to the north in Canada have the means to have a fairly real and honest dialogue with McDonalds via their Our Food. Your Questions. website or www.yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca

Spend some time clicking through and around. It’s a fairly honest discussion.

Could not colleges and universities who proudly use terms like “truth”, “light”, “veritas”, “lux” and “wisdom” in their seals and crests take a lesson in transparency and authenticity from McDonald’s Canada?

Read more about our authors.  Jeff is the VP of the Consulting Division and also known as the “Apostle of Authenticity.” He crisscrosses the country speaking at conferences and working with our clients. He’s driven by a mission to inspire higher education executives and admissions offices to overthrow dead culture, embrace their authentic “DNA” and render engaging experiences.