McDonald’s Secret Ingredients to Fan-Driven Marketing

When it comes to marketing, McDonald’s reigns supreme. From its striking Jingle to its famous gold bows to iconic characters and mascots, a hamburger chain contains many elements of marked time.

But what is the secret ingredient of McDonald’s continuing marketing success? Director of the brand marketing, content and culture Anna Engel and the Director of Brand Marketing Nathaniel Gaynor say that the secret sauce is in her strategy aimed at fans.

Here’s what merchants need to take from a unique McDonalds strategy.

4 reasons McDonald’s marketing is iconic

1. See the importance of Gene Z.

It’s no secret that Gen z has a many purchasing powers. In fact, Zoos have the power to buy $ 860 billion and will probably reach $ 12 trillion by 2030. But the ability of Gen Z is not the only reason McDonald’s has the whole team dedicated to exploiting in generation.

“McDonald’s, as a brand, knows the importance of building long -term relationships with our fans,” says Engel. “If we build fundamental relationships with Gen Z early, we can continue to build on this relationship so that they become fans for life.”

Engel also says that McDonald’s wants to be a besties with gene z because Zuši triggers culture.

She explains: “Our ambition is still this cultural icon outside. Because gene z triggers that culture, they set a tone of what brands people need to consider, so it is really important that we are part of that consideration for them. “

In other words, McDonald’s sees that the power of the gen z is not only in their ability to consume, but also their ability to influence. Imagine gene Z as a popular child in high school that can increase the status of a classmate only sitting with them in a cafeteria.

2. The company uses insights aimed at a fan to start campaigns.

McDonald’s is proud of the knowledge of his audience from the inside and out, from habits to rituals to subculture.

Of course, this should be standard for any brand, but my jaw fell when I discovered McDonalds’s unique and personal way to engage in my fans’ mind.

Have you ever heard of the Fan Truth Trip? Not even before Gaynor gave an explanation.

“We go out and reveal new fans of truth about our brand to really understand who our fans are and why they connect with our Mark,” he says. “We look at the eyes of our fans and see them pulling our brand in so many different parts of culture, such as anime, fashion, art or playing.”

According to Engel and Gaynor, teams will visit college campuses, rural premises, shopping centers, parks and more to connect with McDonald’s lovers and understand them outside their favorite menu items.

“It is important for us to understand the universe in which they live and their interests to see better and understand our fans,” Engel says. “Let’s break in front of four McDonald’s walls to connect with our fans in the wild.”

The insights gathered from these road travels are triggered by the direction of their strategies and have launched unique campaigns.

For example, McDonalds’ marketing campaign with anime “Wcdonald’s” It is inspired by McDonald’s Saw fans between Anime and the company.

McDonald’s took advantage of these ventilation connections by creating a fictional restaurant “Wcdonald’s”, which included a special sauce, anime packaging and a series of shorts of shorts.

“We got involved in a true gene z Insight around Anime and found that he was also relevant to Anime and McDonalds fans,” Gaynor says. “We know that Anime fans put our brand in anime every day.”

And as proud anime nerdber, I can confirm that McDonald’s is the main in many anime series. For example, the main characters in one of my favorite Anime, “The devil is a fee,” Working on a place called “Mgronld’s”, a parody of fast food chains.

The popular Anime movie called “Time with You” is also McDonald’s in one of his most famous, healthy scenes,

And, as Gaynor said, it is quite common for Anime fans to connect McDonald’s with their favorite series. In the lower examples, a fan of the “Spy X Family” series has attracted the main characters who eat McDonald’s.

Source

By the way, if you told me 10 years ago, I would mention anime in a professional marketing post, I would call you a liar.

3. McDonald’s balances art and science in his marketing.

“Wcdonald’s” was a campaign that combined insights into fans and data (science) with Creative instinct (ART), Gaynor Formula and Engel say of successful campaigns.

“We say that it is a balance of art and science, so we use consumer insights to ensure that the subcultures we go after are large enough to follow to start a job,” Engel says. “At the end of the day, we need people to come in and visit McDonald’s and buy.”

Engel says the company must be intentional and selective in what the niche decides to use; However, after the niche arranges, it is time for art to take over.

“We created a full Anime book for the Wcdonald’s campaign,” she explains. “Our agencies have used data to understand the right ways and places to connect to get people back.”

4. Burger Giant creates divided “ingredients” for fans to make their own.

McDonald’s enables fans in creative fun throwing unique elements (or “ingredients) that fans can replace and make their own. Allows fans to actively participate and create with Mark, McDonald’s deepening engagement and enhances their brandy.

“We go out the ingredients in the world through our campaigns,” says Engel, “whether it is through food offer, a digital extension as part of a campaign or social content.”

Engel says fans convert the ingredients into fashion statements or new characters, posters and more.

“The pace that fans take on the brand ingredients and create something with them excites us and strengthens us,” she says. “And we always ask before the campaign is launching:” Do we have enough ingredients that fans can take and hope it will make their own? “