A recent article in the New York Post has marketing minds curious. Is McDonald’s latest influencer partnership a bust or a disruptive experience driving sales? Undoubtedly a big win for Travis Scott, partnering with the international fast-food brand valued at 129 billion dollars, but what does McDonald’s marketing ROI look like? With a campaign targeting the rapper’s urban fan base, McDonald’s combo features the Travis Scott meal for $6 — Quarter Pounder With Cheese, fries with BBQ sauce, and Sprite. This collaboration is the first time in 30 years McDonald’s has featured a celebrity-inspired meal since Michael Jordan in 1992.
Skeptics and naysayers are astonished at how well the partnership has sparked sales of the meal, almost doubling the figures McDonald’s officials projected. So, what is so exclusive about the mashup? Why is their use of the web, video, and new media moving the needle? Besides hitting all the checkmarks in the integration framework, here are three reasons why Mickey D’s latest collab is another slam dunk in the books:
1: Heightened Brand Awareness
According to Forbes, digital marketers guess that most US citizens are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily. Even brands like McDonald’s deal with everyday challenges like competition, consistency, and message dilution. But it’s clear that their corporate strategists did their homework. Travis Scott is an endorsement savvy celeb well-known across the fashion, music, and entertainment industries. His following and influence resulted in him landing huge sponsorship deals with other high profile brands like Nike and Fornite. Scott has an active social media following of 45 million across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Scott’s presence in a curated creative post is enough to penetrate the ad blinders of millions of fans and followers.
2: Organic Social Engagement
The massive audience is only as good as its engagement. Whether in the name of fandom or criticism, this unique duo has drummed up quite the chatter on social media and traditional platforms. His debut post with the McDonald’s brand secured over 4.5 million like impressions and nearly 30 thousand comments. Google Trends also reports a surge in web searches for the burger brand by 28 points on its 100-point scale since the campaign launch. While not unappreciated by any means, user-generated content such as memes, hashtags, spoof accounts, and video pranks have furthered the campaign’s reach via word-of-mouth across major social platforms: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
3: Widened Cultural Reach
Like McDonald’s celebrity deal with Jordan in the 90s, partnering with Travis Scott gives the brand access to a burgeoning international platform, one that even Goldman Sachs is betting on to dominate. Goldman projects that the music industry revenue to more than double to $130 billion by 2030. McDonald’s cements its place in hip hop and urban culture with moves like a streetwear line with Scott, a global urban fashion icon. Black consumers and creators are American culture tastemakers and spending powerhouses despite the socio-economic disparities that plague the demographic.
What do these key points mean? McDonald’s can have any pick of celebrity endorsers, with a $414 million marketing budget, but being intentional about where they spend is what’s leading to their success. While in the age of social media, it’s easy to get in the mindset of “content is king.” However, to cut through the clutter, drive organic media, and align with popular culture, data must be king in the marketing world. The digital marketplace is crowded and growing exponentially, meaning those with platforms with the widest reach are becoming more and more valuable to brands. It’s apparent that McDonald’s analyzes that data to ensure they’re making intentional, strategic marketing decisions in the ever-evolving digital environment.
McDonald’s x Michael Jordan Celebrity Ad
6 Responses to McDonald’s Influencer Marketing: Back with Cactus Jack?