Introduction
The McDonald’s Corporation operates and franchises restaurants that serve locally relevant food and beverages. The organization operates in approximately 119 countries and has a total of 39, 198 restaurants across the world (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2021). The organization offers a standardized menu in most of its restaurants. However, there are variations in different geographical locations to suit local preferences. The main items served include cheeseburgers, hamburgers, fish, chicken sandwiches, wraps, fries, desserts, coffee, and soft drinks. While the company’s brand is fairly well known, there have been limited efforts to capitalize on social media spaces, where most of the company’s clients spend most of their time. It is worth noting that stiff competition from rival companies on the basis of price, service, convenience, and menu variety has impacted the organization’s profitability.
Background
McDonald’s is a valuable contender in the food and beverage industry. According to Euromonitor International, the global informal eating-out segment is made up of approximately 9 million outlets, and it is credited for generating 1.2 trillion dollars in annual sales of which McDonald’s accounts for 8.4% (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2021). A review of the business’s performance revealed that in 2020, the organization’s consolidated revenues declined by 10%, and systemwide sales declined by 7% (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2021). The company experienced a decline in growth that has necessitated the implementation of a new marketing strategy. The objective is to maximize marketing plans by investing in novel and culturally relevant approaches to effectively communicate the story of the organization’s brand, purpose, and food. The plan is designed to leverage enhanced digital capabilities in order to offer a personal connection to consumers. The marketing plan will also highlight the value of every tier of the menu with an emphasis on affordability.
The overall goal is to tap into consumer demand for the familiar and focus on providing delicious meals. Beef and chicken-based meals will be prioritized in view of the fact that they offer the highest growth potential. The offerings will be expanded by extending consumer favorites while introducing new menu items in high-value markets. The company also intends to amplify its digital offerings by allowing access to menus and the official website through social media pages. This is aimed at increasing access to its main consumer base.
Problem/Opportunity and Objectives
The modern marketing space is defined by a series of complex and intense interactions between organizations and their consumers on social media sites. These platforms are an effective means of expanding geographic reach to consumers, facilitating brand assessment, and building meaningful relationships with clientele (Li et al., 2020). The general population is becoming increasingly empowered which allows them to control social media marketing processes in hitherto unseen ways. While it is evident that social media has a significant impact on business performance, relatively few firms have taken the initiative to devise strategically sound approaches aimed at optimizing the use of social media platforms. The main problem the McDonald’s Corporation faces is not the initiation of social media campaigns but rather the integration of such initiatives with its marketing strategy to engage with consumers.
The opportunity lies in the fact that McDonald’s has a global reach and the digital capability to implement interactive programs designed to increase engagement with consumers. The company will implement the pull communication strategy in its quest to develop an effective marketing communication plan. The aforementioned strategy is an effective means through which the McDonald’s Corporation will reach its target audience while sending the required message and the appropriate time using the most appropriate medium. The objective is to direct its marketing activities to the final consumer in a bid to convince them to increase their purchases. The final goal is to stimulate demand from consumers and increase sales from retailers.
Social media marketing is among the fastest forms of direct marketing in the business environment. It allows organizations to connect to their consumers in ways they never could in the past. In addition, social media platforms have revolutionized the manner in which consumers and firms interact and influence each other (Li et al., 2020). This is relevant seeing as social interactions have a significant influence on purchasing decisions. It should be noted that the burgeoning of social media data has created an avenue for organizations to manage consumer relations effectively and improve their decision-making approaches. Social media is also an effective means through which the company can increase brand awareness and product loyalty through direct engagement. Modern information technology devices allow institutions to gather and assess vast quantities of data in a bid to identify trends and formulate strategies aimed at gaining a competitive edge and appealing to a wider demographic of consumers (Li et al., 2020). Social media sites are rich sources of information for the development of effective marketing strategies.
The McDonald’s Corporation will be in a position to produce personalized material that addresses the needs of specific market segments. This is relevant when one considers the fact that social media platforms are interactive and they promote immediate consumer participation. In addition, social media allows for real-time marketing which allows organizations to develop material that matches current trends (Li et al., 2020). Another of the numerous advantages presented by social media is the fact that the modality is cost-effective, which is essential given the high degree of competition in the business environment.
Platforms
Most consumers are well-informed individuals who are connected through a variety of digital device networks. Customer reliance on marketer-supplied information has declined significantly given the fact that people communicate with others to exchange brand-associated information. The heightened degree of consumer empowerment means that the McDonald’s Corporation must design its marketing plan around attraction rather than an intrusion. The creation of market offerings and messages that engage consumers is important. the McDonald’s Corporation’s marketing strategy will focus on interactive communication using social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Consumer Dynamics
The consumer market can be categorized on the basis of geographic, behavioral, psychological, and demographic characteristics. The division of the market into distinct groups with specific characteristics, needs, and behaviors is referred to as segmentation. The development of an effective communications plan depends on a comprehensive understanding of McDonald’s Corporation’s target audience. Its main audience is middle-class adults who are interested in cheap fast food. The company’s current initiative aims to target middle and upper-middle-class consumers who are acutely aware of artificial food additives and are determined to follow healthy food trends. In addition, the organization intended to target trendy youth and middle-aged adults. There is potential for the company to extend its reach to millennials aged between 18 and 25 years. This group is attractive because it comprises individuals with high purchasing power and who are in touch with social media trends. Therefore, it is necessary to create a clear and concise message that features engaging content.
Implementation and Planning: Communication Mix
The communication marketing mix refers to the number of tactical marketing components that can e used to elicit a specific response from the target market. The company’s current social media presence is low, which negatively impacts its ability to reach consumers. The most effective way of increasing brand recognition, loyalty, and awareness is by prioritizing the creation of effective messaging. The McDonald’s Corporation’s plan involves measures to foster regular interactions with consumers through the creation of engaging content, promotions, and social media trends. Financial constraints necessitate the adoption of a social media strategy, given its ability to reach a wide audience and provide real-time consumer feedback.
Twitter Strategy
The McDonald’s Corporation aims to grow its Twitter followers to 500,000. This will be achieved through the creation of unique hashtags that will be categorized based on product to facilitate easy access and identification by consumers. The focus on creating exciting and engaging content will be supplemented through paid advertisement campaigns. Twitter has a facility that allows organizations to develop advertisements that address key objectives. The plan includes a daily goal of 250 followers on the platform.
Weekly Giveaways
The weekly giveaway plan is designed to help grow the number of followers on various social media platforms. Participants will be required to post a selfie with the McDonald’s Corporation’s products on any of the social media platforms with the hashtag #McDonald’s, tag the company in the post, and explain why they love the company’s products. The three posts with the highest number of likes on each social media platform by the end of the week will be crowned the winners. Each of the winners will be offered a gift hamper featuring a variety of the company’s branded products.
Innovative Posts
The McDonald’s Corporation needs to interact with its consumers on a regular basis. The posts must be varied and include posts on various ways the company’s products are used, facts on the various items, promotions, and company updates presented in a visually attractive manner. The prioritization of visual appeal is intended to attract a younger audience. Innovation will go hand in hand with celebrity endorsement. The creation of sponsored social media posts by local celebrities is a vital strategy for enhancing brand awareness and loyalty. It is essential to tap into the relationships that influencers build with their followers to expand positive word-of-mouth advertisements. A direct link to the company website will be included in every celebrity endorsement to help consumers to purchase their desired products. Each of the chosen individuals will be provided with samples of the product to present to their followers.
Website Redesign
While the McDonald’s Corporation’s website provides consumers with the required information, it is not visually stimulating. The company’s products are versatile, interesting, and colorful and are typically associated with hedonistic consumption and indulgence. The addition of an online purchase option to facilitate direct access to the products is critical. The process will involve a high-level overhaul of the site’s code, structure, content, and visuals in order to serve consumers effectively. The new images and user interface will attract more consumers and increase the market’s interaction with the brand.
Evaluation
A comprehensive evaluation of the campaign’s effectiveness will be conducted every four weeks to ascertain whether or not the implemented strategies are on track to achieve the organization’s objectives. The assessment measures include tracking the number of followers gained on each social media platform and keeping track of competitors’ growth. The assessment of the degree of influence by analyzing the number of links to content created and the frequency with which stories are shared on various platforms is necessary. The tracking of engagement by analyzing the number of people that interact with the created content and checking website traffic using Google Analytics. The organization must prioritize the assessment of sales revenue after the implementation of the campaign and track exposure mentions and brand reach.
Conclusion
The McDonald’s Corporation’s integrated marketing communication plan is designed to increase the organization’s reach in its areas of operation. The pull strategy, which prioritizes the building of consumer demand for specific products, forms the basis of the proposal. The overall goal is to tap into consumer demand for the familiar and focus on providing delicious meals. The company’s main problem is the integration of social media initiatives with its marketing strategy to engage with consumers. The opportunity lies in the fact that the organization has the digital capacity to engage effectively with its clientele. The plan will include measures such as a website redesign, weekly giveaways, innovative posts, and celebrity endorsements that are aimed at growing the organization’s consumer base. The campaign will be evaluated to ensure that all the outlined goals and objectives are met.
References
Li, F., Larimo, J., & Leonidou, L. C. (2020). Social media marketing strategy: definition, conceptualization, taxonomy, validation, and future agenda. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 2020 49:1, 49(1), 51–70. Web.
United States Securities and Exchange Commission. (2021). The McDonald’s Corporation: Annual report pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. Web.