July 13, 2010 - McDonald's announces it will offer customers a free sample of its new McCafe Real Fruit Smoothies on July 22 - 24.
July 16 - McDonald's decides to skip the free smoothie offer.
In a statement to the Chicago Tribune, McDonald's offered an explanation for canceling the sampling event. "The McCafe Real Fruit Smoothies are an absolute hit with our customers and we're experiencing unprecedented demand for this delicious new choice on our menu. Due to the overwhelming popularity and to ensure continued supply to meet our customers' needs, we will not be executing the national in-restaurant sampling event of McCafe Real Fruit Smoothies on July 22-24, as previously communicated."
So, McDonald's canceled the smoothie promotion because it was afraid it was going to run out of samples. Really?
Discussion Questions: What is your take on McDonald's handling of the McCafe Real Fruit Smoothies sampling event? Will the withdrawal of the event after publicly announcing it, affect how consumers view the fast food chain?