Thirty years and “I'm still Lovin’ it!”: brand perceptions of McDonald's among generation Y and generation Z consumers in China

Purpose: Recognizing the differences between generations Y and Z, this exploratory study uses generational cohort theory as a framework to examine the brand perception of McDonald's, an international brand which has grown up with consumers for over 30 years in China. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Measures of brand perception was built based on Aaker's brand personality model. A total 1,103 valid questionnaires were collected through an online survey platform. Factor analysis is the primary method to analysis the data. Findings: The findings of this study reveal a favourable brand perception of McDonald's among young Chinese consumers which is consistent with Aaker's brand personality model and support the use of generational cohort theory as a market segmentation tool for brand perception. The differences between the two generational cohorts are not shown to be significant. Originality/value: The most important contribution of this study is the evaluation of the personality of a major brand in China for Gen Z, a topic with very little existing research. Also, this research suggests future in-depth research into generational cohort theory in a Chinese context by recognizing homogeneity and heterogeneity exist simultaneously between generational cohorts.