Put a smile on

Here’s a fun article on The Mysteries of Ronald McDonald.

McDonald’s keeps a roster of about 250 Ronalds world-wide, according to marketing experts familiar with the program, and franchisees, with some support from the company, pay for Ronalds as an advertising expense. Each major market in the U.S. has at least one Ronald, with large cities employing several.
Ronalds often have schedulers, chauffeurs and bodyguards. Thanks to McDonald’s franchisees, a Ronald in Nevada got a motor home so he could travel more easily. Bodyguards? “Kids would throw rocks from the parking lot. Sometimes you would get protesters,” explains Jeff McMullen, a former Ronald, of Appleton, Wis. “Ronald can’t handle that.”
Typically actors, or ex-Ringling Bros. clowns or teachers, Ronalds make about $40,000 a year on average. A Ronald busy handling 400 shows a year can make close to $100,000, while the highest-paying Ronald, who appears in national commercials, earns more than $300,000, according to former Ronalds. Asked about Ronald’s salary, McDonald’s ducks the question. “Ronald doesn’t go out to work,” says Amy Murray, a director in U.S. marketing. “He goes out to have fun.”

Hope so, because you couldn’t pay me enough …

(via GeekPress)