Live from the PMA: McDonald’s to Launch Global Casting Call
McDonald’s Corp. will launch a “global casting call” for consumers to submit stories about themselves with photographs to the company’s Web site. And the tales with the most cachet will be added on to the restaurant chain’s fast food bags.
“These [promotional activities] are all part of giving new experiences to consumers while enhancing our brand,” Senior VP-Global Marketing Dean Barrett, said yesterday during his keynote speech at the PMA Annual Conference 2006 in Chicago.
Barrett highlighted several marketing ploys the fast food chain undertook in recent years and hinted at others the company has up its sleeve.
One idea is to create specific areas within its restaurants called music zones for consumers to sample and download various songs. In some markets, customers can rent DVDs and return them at locations within the specific region, Barrett said.
“We’re also looking for ways so that consumers can change the type of music that’s played in our restaurants via their cell phones,” Barrett said.
McDonald’s has 31,000 restaurants worldwide.
In his presentation, Bill Engel, chairman and CEO of Simmons, a research company, envisioned a day when a motorist would be able to receive an offer from McDonald’s on their mobile device while in the vicinity of the McDonald’s running that particular promotion.
With engagement the latest industry buzzword, Engel coined the phrase “Return on Engagement” to signal where the marketing industry is heading.
