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THE BRIEF – Q: Will McDonald’s new transparency campaign build or take a bite out business?
Wednesday June 27th 2012The new social media campaign from McDonald’s Canada, “OUR FOOD. YOUR QUESTIONS” lives on McDonald’s playful, interactive website, as well as Facebook and Twitter. It’s sort of an Ask.com for burgers, nuggets and fries. Customers can ask any questions about McDonald’s food, and everything, short of the profane, will be answered. The site even intuits questions and shares what other customers have asked on a similar topic. If you want to know how the Chicken McNuggets are made, or if the chicken is chicken or how the chickens are treated, just ask.
The best questions may merit an answer on The McDonalds Channel on YouTube. Questions like this one that Isabel M. asked:
“Why does your food in advertising look different than it does in the store?”
Marketing Director, Hope Bagozzi answers Isabel M. by buying a store bought McDonald’s burger and taking it straight to Watt International Photo Studios who have shot their food for seven years. Here she breaks it all down for Isabel M., showing her exactly why a burger may look just a little bit prettier than it does in person. Watch and come back.
The Brief wanted to dig deeper into this idea of forthright food, so I turned to Hope Bagozzi for a quick Q&A.
The Brief: Was there something at McDonald’s, vis-a-vis its customers that needed fixing? Was there some cynicism or lack of trust about your food?
Bagozzi: Through research and employees’ own anecdotal experience, we know there are a lot of myths about McDonald’s food. The aim of this platform – Our Food. Your Questions. - Is to be part of these conversations
The Brief: I thought your video showing how you shoot your burgers was very honest. You made the point that all the ingredients are the same from the pickles to the bun. How you build the burger on the bun for photography. Loved the syringe strategically putting in the ketchup. But basically this wasn’t a beauty shot. There was a lot of integrity to that piece down to why the warming boxes change the look of the buns.
Bagozzi: Yes. We did very little retouching to that burger we featured. We’ve found that the more authentic and true-to-life our products are portrayed (i.e. less “perfect”) the better and more appetizing they look. Making a product too “stagey” isn’t delicious.
The Brief: Does it concern you that some customers (on the website) have asked questions that could potentially turn people off your food?
Bagozzi: Not really. Our Food. Your Questions. Is all centered on transparency and our aim is to be open about our food, whether a question is about an ingredient or how we advertise our food. When it makes sense, we’ve created images or videos to bring some of the facts to life. For some things, seeing really is believing.
The Brief: The idea is very gutsy. Was this a corporate initiative or did your agency come to you with this?
Bagozzi: We approached this in partnership with our digital agency, Tribal DDB. We were both passionate about driving transparency for the brand and Tribal’s thought leadership brought us to the Our Food. Your Questions. platform.
The Brief: Can one be too transparent; can that be dangerous?
Bagozzi: My hope was that in showing the steps of how our food is advertised, that people would better understand. Of course we considered what the reaction would be, but our goal was to lift the veil on the process.
The Brief: And the response so far?
Bagozzi: The response has been very positive. We’re hearing that people appreciate the chance to engage with McDonald’s, to ask their questions and to get factual answers. Our aim is to reach as many Canadians as possible to engage them in a conversation about our food.
*************************************
Though The Brief thinks “Our Food. Your Questions.” is a big and bold idea; the jury is still out on whether this new social platform is risky business. Will all this transparency turn up the heat for McDonald’s Canada? Or, here’s some food for your thoughts: could so much information be too much information? Tell me what you think.
Sources:
* Hope Bagozzi, Marketing Director, McDonald’s Canada
hope.bagozzi@ca.mcd.com
* http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/
* See more McDonald’s Q&A videos on The McDonald’s Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/McDonaldsCanada
* The Globe and Mail, McDonald’s Marketing Tries a Transparent Approach, Susan Krashinsky http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mcdonalds-marketing-tries-a-transparent-approach/article4357943/
—–
Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter
Front Page, Industry News
THE BRIEF – Q: Will McDonald’s new transparency campaign build or take a bite out business?
Wednesday June 27th 2012The new social media campaign from McDonald’s Canada, “OUR FOOD. YOUR QUESTIONS” lives on McDonald’s playful, interactive website, as well as Facebook and Twitter. It’s sort of an Ask.com for burgers, nuggets and fries. Customers can ask any questions about McDonald’s food, and everything, short of the profane, will be answered. The site even intuits questions and shares what other customers have asked on a similar topic. If you want to know how the Chicken McNuggets are made, or if the chicken is chicken or how the chickens are treated, just ask.
The best questions may merit an answer on The McDonalds Channel on YouTube. Questions like this one that Isabel M. asked:
“Why does your food in advertising look different than it does in the store?”
Marketing Director, Hope Bagozzi answers Isabel M. by buying a store bought McDonald’s burger and taking it straight to Watt International Photo Studios who have shot their food for seven years. Here she breaks it all down for Isabel M., showing her exactly why a burger may look just a little bit prettier than it does in person. Watch and come back.
The Brief wanted to dig deeper into this idea of forthright food, so I turned to Hope Bagozzi for a quick Q&A.
The Brief: Was there something at McDonald’s, vis-a-vis its customers that needed fixing? Was there some cynicism or lack of trust about your food?
Bagozzi: Through research and employees’ own anecdotal experience, we know there are a lot of myths about McDonald’s food. The aim of this platform – Our Food. Your Questions. - Is to be part of these conversations
The Brief: I thought your video showing how you shoot your burgers was very honest. You made the point that all the ingredients are the same from the pickles to the bun. How you build the burger on the bun for photography. Loved the syringe strategically putting in the ketchup. But basically this wasn’t a beauty shot. There was a lot of integrity to that piece down to why the warming boxes change the look of the buns.
Bagozzi: Yes. We did very little retouching to that burger we featured. We’ve found that the more authentic and true-to-life our products are portrayed (i.e. less “perfect”) the better and more appetizing they look. Making a product too “stagey” isn’t delicious.
The Brief: Does it concern you that some customers (on the website) have asked questions that could potentially turn people off your food?
Bagozzi: Not really. Our Food. Your Questions. Is all centered on transparency and our aim is to be open about our food, whether a question is about an ingredient or how we advertise our food. When it makes sense, we’ve created images or videos to bring some of the facts to life. For some things, seeing really is believing.
The Brief: The idea is very gutsy. Was this a corporate initiative or did your agency come to you with this?
Bagozzi: We approached this in partnership with our digital agency, Tribal DDB. We were both passionate about driving transparency for the brand and Tribal’s thought leadership brought us to the Our Food. Your Questions. platform.
The Brief: Can one be too transparent; can that be dangerous?
Bagozzi: My hope was that in showing the steps of how our food is advertised, that people would better understand. Of course we considered what the reaction would be, but our goal was to lift the veil on the process.
The Brief: And the response so far?
Bagozzi: The response has been very positive. We’re hearing that people appreciate the chance to engage with McDonald’s, to ask their questions and to get factual answers. Our aim is to reach as many Canadians as possible to engage them in a conversation about our food.
*************************************
Though The Brief thinks “Our Food. Your Questions.” is a big and bold idea; the jury is still out on whether this new social platform is risky business. Will all this transparency turn up the heat for McDonald’s Canada? Or, here’s some food for your thoughts: could so much information be too much information? Tell me what you think.
Sources:
* Hope Bagozzi, Marketing Director, McDonald’s Canada
hope.bagozzi@ca.mcd.com
* http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/
* See more McDonald’s Q&A videos on The McDonald’s Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/McDonaldsCanada
* The Globe and Mail, McDonald’s Marketing Tries a Transparent Approach, Susan Krashinsky http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mcdonalds-marketing-tries-a-transparent-approach/article4357943/
—–
Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter
Leave a Reply
Front Page, Industry News
THE BRIEF – Q: Will McDonald’s new transparency campaign build or take a bite out business?
Wednesday June 27th 2012The new social media campaign from McDonald’s Canada, “OUR FOOD. YOUR QUESTIONS” lives on McDonald’s playful, interactive website, as well as Facebook and Twitter. It’s sort of an Ask.com for burgers, nuggets and fries. Customers can ask any questions about McDonald’s food, and everything, short of the profane, will be answered. The site even intuits questions and shares what other customers have asked on a similar topic. If you want to know how the Chicken McNuggets are made, or if the chicken is chicken or how the chickens are treated, just ask.
The best questions may merit an answer on The McDonalds Channel on YouTube. Questions like this one that Isabel M. asked:
“Why does your food in advertising look different than it does in the store?”
Marketing Director, Hope Bagozzi answers Isabel M. by buying a store bought McDonald’s burger and taking it straight to Watt International Photo Studios who have shot their food for seven years. Here she breaks it all down for Isabel M., showing her exactly why a burger may look just a little bit prettier than it does in person. Watch and come back.
The Brief wanted to dig deeper into this idea of forthright food, so I turned to Hope Bagozzi for a quick Q&A.
The Brief: Was there something at McDonald’s, vis-a-vis its customers that needed fixing? Was there some cynicism or lack of trust about your food?
Bagozzi: Through research and employees’ own anecdotal experience, we know there are a lot of myths about McDonald’s food. The aim of this platform – Our Food. Your Questions. - Is to be part of these conversations
The Brief: I thought your video showing how you shoot your burgers was very honest. You made the point that all the ingredients are the same from the pickles to the bun. How you build the burger on the bun for photography. Loved the syringe strategically putting in the ketchup. But basically this wasn’t a beauty shot. There was a lot of integrity to that piece down to why the warming boxes change the look of the buns.
Bagozzi: Yes. We did very little retouching to that burger we featured. We’ve found that the more authentic and true-to-life our products are portrayed (i.e. less “perfect”) the better and more appetizing they look. Making a product too “stagey” isn’t delicious.
The Brief: Does it concern you that some customers (on the website) have asked questions that could potentially turn people off your food?
Bagozzi: Not really. Our Food. Your Questions. Is all centered on transparency and our aim is to be open about our food, whether a question is about an ingredient or how we advertise our food. When it makes sense, we’ve created images or videos to bring some of the facts to life. For some things, seeing really is believing.
The Brief: The idea is very gutsy. Was this a corporate initiative or did your agency come to you with this?
Bagozzi: We approached this in partnership with our digital agency, Tribal DDB. We were both passionate about driving transparency for the brand and Tribal’s thought leadership brought us to the Our Food. Your Questions. platform.
The Brief: Can one be too transparent; can that be dangerous?
Bagozzi: My hope was that in showing the steps of how our food is advertised, that people would better understand. Of course we considered what the reaction would be, but our goal was to lift the veil on the process.
The Brief: And the response so far?
Bagozzi: The response has been very positive. We’re hearing that people appreciate the chance to engage with McDonald’s, to ask their questions and to get factual answers. Our aim is to reach as many Canadians as possible to engage them in a conversation about our food.
*************************************
Though The Brief thinks “Our Food. Your Questions.” is a big and bold idea; the jury is still out on whether this new social platform is risky business. Will all this transparency turn up the heat for McDonald’s Canada? Or, here’s some food for your thoughts: could so much information be too much information? Tell me what you think.
Sources:
* Hope Bagozzi, Marketing Director, McDonald’s Canada
hope.bagozzi@ca.mcd.com
* http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/
* See more McDonald’s Q&A videos on The McDonald’s Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/McDonaldsCanada
* The Globe and Mail, McDonald’s Marketing Tries a Transparent Approach, Susan Krashinsky http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mcdonalds-marketing-tries-a-transparent-approach/article4357943/
—–
Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
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