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Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Forget Grimace, McDonald's menu adds bizarre new shake
Some may remember when McDonald's Happy Meals and toys featured McDonaldland characters. In 1971, McDonald's introduced McDonaldland through commercials and marketing to further market its brand to kids. This fantasy world featured multiple fictional characters, including Grimace, Birdie, The Hamburger, Officer Big Mac, Mayor McCheese, the Fry Kids, McNugget Buddies, and the iconic Ronald McDonald. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter This cast became memorable for those who grew up during that era since they were seen at every McDonald's location, in Happy Meals, and on merchandise. Related: McDonald's brings back unexpected breakfast item after 6 years However, in the early 2000s, McDonald's changed its marketing strategy and began phasing out the characters to appeal more to adults. After all, they are the ones with credit cards. Although this might have seemed like the end of an era, this tactic worked in McDonald's favor, allowing the chain to grow immensely and become one of the largest fast food chains worldwide. Image source: Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images Over the last few years, McDonald's (MCD) has begun using nostalgic marketing to boost growth. This strategy creates a strong connection between a product and customers' emotions, promoting familiarity and creating a positive association, which, if managed correctly, could eventually develop a loyal customer base. The fast food giant brought back some of the most beloved McDonaldland characters in 2023, including the Hamburglar, to promote its burgers, and a purple Grimace Shake to celebrate Grimace's birthday. Related: Forget the Whopper, Burger King has a wild new burger This year, McDonald's also returned the seasonal Shamrock Shake to its menu, featuring O'Grimacey, Grimace's green Irish uncle. To kick off the beginning of June on another nostalgic note, the fast food giant has released another menu item that will take customers back to their childhood and remind them of "winning that big prize at every summer carnival you've ever been to," as stated on the McDonald's website. After teasing its debut on social media for a few days, McDonald's has finally unveiled its latest milkshake, the Cotton Candy Shake. This newest menu addition features vanilla soft serve mixed with cotton candy syrup. But there's a catch: Unfortunately for the U.S., this milkshake is only available at all participating locations in Canada, which once again excludes its home country's fans. McDonald's adapts its menu in different countries based on cultural preferences or conveniently available foods. The same goes for limited-time additions or seasonal items. More Food News: Walmart makes deal to open popular food chain in storesPopular fast-food burger chain to open first store in new marketPopular chicken chain brings back beloved menu item after 7 years However, just because McDonald's launches a new menu item in one country doesn't mean the chain can't launch it elsewhere. If the same ingredients are available in another country for around the same rate, and there's enough demand for it, the item can be brought to other markets. This is why exclusive menu items may overlap across some countries. McDonald's has neither confirmed nor denied that it will bring the Cotton Candy Shake to the U.S., but fans can only hope its debut is successful enough in Canada to potentially launch it in the States. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How restaurant chains are updating their marketing menus in tough economy
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Major restaurant brands frequently face stiff competition and low margins, a business reality that is even tougher to navigate during periods of consumer uncertainty. These concerns have been prevalent so far in 2025, as the Trump administration's fluctuating tariff plans have kept the economy on edge. Amidst the turmoil, a number of these businesses are leaning on their marketing organizations to buoy sales, including with big-swing creative campaigns, evolving loyalty strategies and investing in digital technology. 'With the rise in uncertainty and the possibility of rising prices because of tariffs, a lot of the chains are shifting the marketing strategy to be focused more on nostalgia or innovation, and moving away from price point,' said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at location analytics platform While earnings reports for most quick-service and fast-casual restaurants have shown few bright spots, a recent analysis by Marketing Dive reveals several trends around how marketers are doing their part to maintain positive relationships with consumers. QSR leader McDonald's has been a red-and-yellow canary in the coal mine for the restaurant industry's struggles, with U.S. same-store sales dropping 3.6% in Q1 2025, a stark contrast from the 12.6% increase notched in Q1 2023 and 2.5% in Q1 2024. 'We entered 2025 knowing that it would be a challenging time for the QSR industry due to macroeconomic uncertainty and pressures weighing on the consumer,' CEO Chris Kempczinski said on McDonald's most recent earnings call. 'We're not immune to the volatility in the industry or the pressures that our consumers are facing.' McDonald's continues to try to put its brand at the center of culture and replicate the success of its Famous Orders platform and activations like the viral Grimace birthday campaign of 2023. The chain this year tapped John Cena to promote its value menu and unveiled a Pokémon Happy Meal, but its biggest win could end up being a partnership with 'A Minecraft Movie.' Launched in March, the campaign around the record-breaking video game adaptation was the chain's largest global campaign yet and rolled out in more than 100 markets. 'We're encouraged by the consumer response to the 'Minecraft' movie campaign and by our overall performance in April, which illustrates the benefit of our value platforms working in conjunction with full-margin promotions and outstanding marketing execution,' Kempczinski said on the Q1 earnings call. McDonald's national linear TV ad spend was estimated to be $39.6 million in Q1, up nearly 75% year over year, with an emphasis on savings-focused ads and its partnership with WNBA star Angel Reese, per iSpot data shared with Marketing Dive. The chain saw a 19.5% lift in web traffic driven by linear TV advertising, surpassing other burger brands in a recent study by TV outcomes measurement company EDO. The findings suggest that McDonald's could see further gains by optimizing its TV ad spend, shifting away from underperforming dayparts like primetime towards the early morning. 'QSR brands are seeing strong consumer response to value meal deal ads during this period of budget tightening, where every dollar — both for consumers and advertisers — must work harder,' said Laura Grover, senior vice president and head of client solutions at EDO, in a statement. 'As marketers navigate this uncertain landscape, impression quality becomes the key to driving smarter allocation decisions and ensuring stronger returns within a brand's existing media footprint.' While McDonald's works to hitch its brand to pop culture, Starbucks is trying to reassert its brand identity as part of a turnaround plan that includes significant marketing investments. The cafe chain in Q1 saw U.S. comparable store sales decline 2%, with a 4% decline in comparable transactions partially offset by a 3% increase in average order cost. Launched around the Super Bowl, 'Hello Again' and 'Starbucks Monday' generated record-breaking customer engagement and drove the chain's second-highest Monday gross sales day ever, CEO Brian Niccol said on the company's most recent earnings call. The percentage of customers ranking Starbucks as their first choice is the highest it's been in two years, and TikTok engagement has increased by nearly three times quarter-over-quarter, the executive said. 'We saw stabilization in our non-Starbucks Rewards member traffic, indicating our broad-based marketing campaign to reintroduce Starbucks to the world is resonating with our customers,' Niccol said. 'I think we're going to continue to just get better from here as it relates to the marketing side of the business.' Like Starbucks, Papa Johns is also undertaking a transformation strategy that includes amplifying marketing messages as a key priority. To that end, the pizza chain in March launched 'Meet the Makers,' the first creative work under CMO Jenna Bromberg, who joined in November. The campaign delivered early positive results, helping to increase customer awareness and consideration among QSRs, according to CEO Todd Penegor. Papa Johns' North America comparable sales were down 3% year over year in Q1. Informed by consumer insights, the chain plans to evolve the campaign to focus on its use of simple, fresh ingredients. Papa Johns has also relied on incremental media investments to both reinforce the brand and improve transactions. 'As we amplify our marketing message, we are investing to win share of voice at both the national and regional levels, drive transactions, support continued testing of value propositions, and increase our agility,' Penegor said on the earnings call. Across the restaurant landscape, marketers are working to fine-tune and evolve their loyalty platforms and rewards programs to better meet the needs of cost-conscious consumers. McDonald's continues to see strong systemwide sales from loyalty members, notching $31 billion for the trailing 12-month period as it looks to secure $45 billion a year by 2027 in this area. While the loyalty sales are encouraging, McDonald is looking to strike a balance between its everyday value menu and limited-time digital offers. 'Until you get to a point where the usage of the app is the majority of your traffic, relying on that as the primary source of value, it just doesn't work because you're not reaching the majority of your consumers,' Kempczinski said on the earnings call. 'For that reason, having a broad platform like we have, McValue, that's available to everybody… it's an imperative that you have that, which is why we've spent the time and energy getting that launched properly.' Cava — one of the big winners of fast casual chains in Q1 with 10.8% year-over-year growth — has also made its loyalty program a focus. The purveyor of Mediterranean fare saw sales through the program increase 340 basis points as a percentage of total revenue since an October relaunch. Total membership in the program is approaching 8 million members, with more than 50,000 new registrations per week. The results speak to the chain's new strategy around loyalty. 'The original goal was moving from a more transaction-based 'spend X, get Y' to a 'earn and bank points' model that would drive greater engagement and participation in the program, and that's what we're seeing,' CEO Brett Schulman said on an earnings call. 'So, you looked at our lower frequency or mid-tier frequency users, and we lowered the entry reward hurdle, and that has gotten those users more engaged.' For Cava, bringing guests into its first-party ecosystem increases opportunities for personalization and fosters a test-and-learn environment for engagement. The chain plans to roll out the second phase of its loyalty program, introducing a tiered structure that adds increased benefits and rewards based on visit frequency, per the earnings call. "The level of insights we have with our guests today plays a big role in informing the executional elements of a loyalty program." Michael Skipworth CEO, Wingstop Like competitor and loyalty innovator Domino's before it, Papa Johns in November lowered the redemption threshold of Papa Rewards, a change that helped draw about 1 million more loyalty members into the loyalty program in Q1, for a total of more than 37 million. While the change also caused a slight overall decrease in the size of orders, it drove growth among medium- and high-frequency loyalty consumers and caused faster repeat purchases. As brands with mature loyalty programs tweak their offerings, new entrants continue to emerge. Wingstop will pilot a loyalty program in Q4, with plans for a system-wide launch in 2026. The loyalty program will draw on insights and membership from the 50 million-strong database of its MyWingstop digital ordering platform and offer Gen Z and millennial consumers experiential engagement opportunities. 'We believe our loyalty program will be distinctive in the industry because we're not taking the typical transactional approach within our design. The level of insights we have with our guests today plays a big role in informing the executional elements of a loyalty program,' CEO Michael Skipworth said on an earnings call. Along with the behind-the-scenes work of building loyalty programs and integrating customer relationship management data, restaurant chains are investing in technology to boost their mobile and digital ecosystems. In the app space, Starbucks will update its offering to allow scheduling of mobile order pickup and improved price transparency. Chipotle continues to work to reduce friction in its app and Wendy's in Q1 added gamification to encourage customers to engage with the brand beyond purchases. Artificial intelligence (AI) remains the buzziest tech in marketing, in restaurants and beyond. Papa Johns last month partnered with Google Cloud to leverage AI to enhance personalization and its ordering and delivery experience. 'It's largely been generative AI, to this point, to help out firms fine-tune their message to consumers, but we're starting to see other things behind the scenes — other AI platforms — to get better insights for their customers and use that for one-to-one engagement,' said Hottovy. "These advancements are driving smarter targeting, increased efficiency and stronger returns on our digital marketing investments." Chris Turner CFO, Yum Brands Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, has teamed with Nvidia to accelerate its deployment of AI. The company in February revealed a suite of proprietary software-as-a-service tools called Byte by Yum that integrates a variety of tech offerings for thousands of restaurants. The suite's solutions are already yielding results, helping Taco Bell push the bounds of its ad creative and use personalization to generate additional sales. Digital sales across the entire Yum portfolio increased 12% YoY in Q1, growth executives credited to the company's investment in tech. Overall, Yum's worldwide system sales grew 5%, driven in part by Taco Bell U.S. system sales growth of 11%. 'Our U.S. brands are harnessing our powerful data engine and first-of-its-kind cross-brand consumer data platform to deliver personalized marketing campaigns,' Yum CFO Chris Turner said on an earnings call. 'Since the end of last year, we've expanded AI-driven marketing use cases across our brands, further embedding intelligence into how we engage and convert consumers. These advancements are driving smarter targeting, increased efficiency and stronger returns on our digital marketing investments.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Mayor
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
McDonald's, Olipop, and Nissan Dish on Their Buzziest Brand Collabs
ADWEEK's Social Media Week has come to a close, but the social and influencer marketing conversation is here to stay. Brands big and small convened at the event in New York City this past week to discuss their social strategies, how they're forging creator partnerships, and everything in between. During a panel called 'How Brands Are Getting Social Right,' marketers from McDonald's, Olipop, and Nissan highlighted some of their biggest collaborations in the past year—and how they drove success. The Grimace effect In 2023, McDonald's reintroduced its fuzzy purple mascot, Grimace, by unveiling a purple milkshake to celebrate his birthday. Virality soon followed as people took to social media to mock the product with homemade horror skits. The QSR chain, with help from its agency Wieden+Kennedy, leaned into this moment by incorporating the rotund character into more campaigns and collabs, including with the New York Mets. After Grimace threw out the first pitch at a Mets game last summer, the moment coincidentally kicked off a win streak for the team. Fans then credited the character for the Mets' sudden success, leading to an ongoing partnership. 'It was completely fan-led,' said Amanda Mulligan, McDonald's head of social media and influencer marketing. '[They] coined it, 'The Grimace Effect.'' To maintain the momentum, McDonald's worked with the Mets to create a custom, purple stadium chair for Grimace. He also rode the 7 train in New York City, the purple subway line with a direct route to Citi Field, the team's home stadium. Barbie x Olipop Olipop also made a big splash through a collab with Barbie. Last year, the health soda brand partnered with the Mattel doll on a peaches and cream flavor to commemorate the toy's 65th birthday and the relaunch of its 1984 Peaches 'N Cream Barbie.
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Why the memories of this Knicks season are yet to be determined
The 2024 Mets season is still at the forefront of people's minds at Citi Field, even with the OMG signs gone and Grimace nowhere in sight. And one of the main reasons last year's campaign remains important is that it included a lengthy playoff run that featured a dramatic win over the Brewers in the wild card round and an NLDS win over longtime nemesis Philadelphia before a hard-fought loss to the Dodgers in the NLCS. Why is this relevant now? Advertisement Because how this Knicks' season is viewed is still in the balance.
Time Out Dubai
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
A Minecraft Movie takes over McDonald's UAE at JLT
Want to play your favourite game IRL? Swing by McDonald's at Jumeirah Lake Towers to do exactly that. You'll step inside the world of Minecraft – blocks, colours, chaos and all. With A Minecraft Movie now running in theatres, McDonald's is offering fans the opportunity to interact with their favourite characters and games in real life and immerse themselves in the Minecraft world until Sunday May 4. As part of the collaboration, the restaurant will turn into a pixel-packed playground and serve two limited edition Minecraft-inspired meals – one for the adults and one for the little ones. Expect vibrant block-style décor, interactive gaming zones and the chance to get stuck into real-life versions of classic Minecraft challenges. You can test your speed with Mine the Puzzle, a timed race to complete a Minecraft-themed puzzle, or steady your hands with Build & Break, basically real-life Jenga. There are plenty of fun photo ops with life-sized characters like Grimace, who will be around for a selfie or two. What's more, when you spend Dhs50 or more and you'll be able to play the Unlock the Block game, giving you a shot at winning prizes from the exclusive Merch Cabinet. As for the food, the limited-edition A Minecraft Movie Meal is available only during the takeover, featuring dishes like the Spicy Big Tasty, Spicy Magma Sauce and an A Minecraft Movie McFlurry®. Every meal comes with one of six special collectibles, each tucked alongside a matching card and a code that unlocks an exclusive Minecraft skin. Families visiting with younger fans can also pick up a special edition Happy Meal, filled with toys based on characters from the film – or, if you prefer, a storybook version of the adventure to bring home. Keen to take the little ones out for some fun? This is where to head. Order now:
