McDonald’s Old Partnerships Make for New Electricity

Looking A Customer Ahead McDonald’s renews a successful platform.  Differentiation does not mean different it means familiar but with a twist as according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  There are very few foodservice companies that understand that as well as McDonald’s according to Johnson.

Success does leave clues and McDonald’s has in the past had outstanding success with a partnership with Disney the team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that this renewed relationship / partnership will be the new electricity  that will fuel incremental growth at McDonalds.

Happy customers equals Happy Meals and this renewed Happy Meal Deal with Disney  clearly creates new electricity to drive sales for both Disney and McDonald’s with a focus on customer relevance.

In the minds-eye of Johnson, there is one dominate element that will power success within retail and foodservice over the coming years and that is partnerships. Johnson calls it the new electricity that is partnerships specifically strategic partnerships.   

The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh food, grocerant Mix & Match bundling, foodservice consultants, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing.

Retailers the ilk of McDonald’s to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable in some form.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

This new multiyear agreement enables McDonald’s to promote movies on its meals, starting with "Incredibles 2."  The multiyear, “non-exclusive” deal enables McDonald’s to cross-promote Disney movies on its Happy Meals.

The deal will start with the Pixar Animations Studios movie “Incredibles 2,” which debuts in theaters on June 15. That will be followed by the Disney movie “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2,” which debuts on Nov. 21.

This agreement is important as it has improved the nutritional content and lower the calories in its Happy Meals it is those changes that paved the way for the chain’s first marketing relationship in more than a decade with a focus on kids.

McDonald’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley stated  “This relationship combines the ingenuity in food and entertainment to encourage more balanced meal selections in our Happy Meals and inspire families in fun and innovative ways,” McDonald’s and Disney had co-promotional deals for years, with movies such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Finding Nemo” on the burger chain’s Happy Meals. But Disney ended the relationship in 2006 over nutrition concerns.

Success does leave clues the consumer is dynamic not static according to Johnson.  How has your company evolved?  Who should you be partnering with to find your new electricity? Have you evolved to the point you need new partners or should you be rekindling previous relationships? 

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.