A case study on the Digital

Marketing Strategies By
Mcdonalds in India”
BY VARNIKA KAUSHIK

McDonald’s has been one of the leading food chains for many years in terms of the quick-service
segment. They are a company with a broad understanding of the needs of its customers.
Today, McDonald’s is the industry’s leader not only in sales volumes but also in profit rates and
market valuation. But how did they manage to gain such a strong position? The answer lies in its
well-thought-out strategic marketing moves as well as other internal factors.
That’s why in this case study, we’ll dig deeper into McDonald’s Marketing Strategy from a
marketing perspective by going through its marketing strategies, marketing mix, marketing
campaigns, and SWOT analysis.
So let us start by first learning more about the business model and brand history of McDonald’s.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation, or simply McDonald’s, is the world’s largest chain of fast-food

restaurants, serving around 69 million customers per day. Headquartered in the United States, the
company began in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
In 1948, they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand but later in 1955, businessman Ray
Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent who subsequently purchased the chain from the
McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth.
The mission of the company is, “To create delicious feel-good moments for everyone”.
McDonald’s offers its customers a wide variety of its menu items, along with drinks and other
merchandise. It is known for its employee satisfaction, innovation, and commitment to quality.
 The business model of McDonald’s is intensive, but in short, it is a franchise-based model. It
shares the rights of the business with its franchise partners who later operate McDonald’s in select
regions.

What’s new with McDonalds?

Here’s everything that was buzzing around McDonalds recently:
 McD introduced the new “KARTIK AARYAN Meal” inspired by the actor’s personality. We will
discuss this in detail below in the marketing strategies.

 McDonalds in India dropped tomatoes in August of 2023 because of rising prices.

 Mcdonald’s giving away free NFTs in Singapore. Details in this news article by Decrypt.

 In July 2023, McDonald’s announced that they are coming up with a new concept called CosMc –
a spinoff restaurant.
 McDonald’s opened their first fully automated restaurant in Texas.
Sounds like McDonald’s was quite the talk of the town all this year and rightfully so. Let’s now
move on and discuss the buyer persona of McDonalds.

Buyer Persona of McDonald’s

A buyer persona generally refers to the detailed information of an ideal customer of a company.
When it comes to Mcdonald’s, people from all countries, ages, and genders enjoy their juicy
burgers and fries. Hence, we have focused on the attributes of an ideal buyer at Mcdonald’s.

Marketing Mix of Mcdonald’s

A marketing mix is a model that an organization uses to advance its interest in its image or
product. The main components of this model are the 4Ps: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. So
let us look at McDonald’s marketing mix strategy in the coming section.
We have written a separate blog taking a deeper dive into the marketing mix of McDonald’s if
you wish to learn more.
Product Strategy of McDonald’s
Being a fast-food company, it primarily sells burgers, french fries, breakfast items, soft drinks,
milkshakes and desserts.
McDonald’s menus are known around the globe, although there are geographic variations to suit
the local preferences & tastes of customers. The company continuously improves its products and
services based on the changing needs and tastes of consumers.
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Price Strategy of McDonald’s

The pricing strategy of McDonald’s has always been to offer food at low prices. This is what has
allowed the restaurant to be successful for many years.
This also has primarily helped McDonald’s build its reputation as one of the top fast-food brands
in the world. However, with the costs of living continuing to rise, McDonald’s has begun offering
combos and specials in an effort to entice customers and churn out profits through economies of
scale.
In India, the brand came up with a punchy line – “Aap Ke Zamane Mein, Baap Ke Zamane Ke
Daam”.
Place and Distribution Strategy of McDonald’s
McDonald’s is one of the world’s leading quick-service restaurants (QSR) with over 38,000
restaurants in 100+ countries. It recently opened nearly 1,000 new restaurants globally & also
modernized another 900 restaurants in the US.
It has opened different restaurant formats as well as drive-ins, online ordering, and tying with food
delivery partners. These new formats allow the customers to get the desired food at a particular
time and place which also helps them to have a better experience overall.
Promotion Strategy of McDonald’s
McDonald’s uses a lot of promotional techniques as promotional activities help build brand loyalty
and interest. It gives people who may not normally go to McDonald’s a reason to go there.
Just like any other company, McDonald’s also sponsors various promotion campaigns to push
their brand. Promotions help in creating a sense of community and association between the
company and its customers.

Marketing Strategy of McDonald’s

With an innovative approach to marketing and consumption patterns through value-added menu
improvements, McDonald’s aims to significantly improve market share in key markets through
continually improving customer satisfaction and attracting new customers through cost savings,
operational efficiencies and improving brand awareness.

McDonald’s – I’m Lovin’ It…. Para Pap Pap Paa:

“I’m Lovin’ It… Para Pap Pap Paa” is a very well-known jingle that has been used by
McDonald’s for a very long time now.
This jingle highlights the positive experience one can have while dining at McDonald’s. The jingle
is memorable because it speaks about how happy consumers are during their meals there, and how
helpful and friendly the employees are.

Brand Mascot of McDonald’s

What is the best McDonald’s brand mascot? A funny clown character that McDonald’s can
successfully market to both children and adults. The brand mascot strategy was first implemented
by McDonald’s in 1963 and since then this mascot has become an integral part of the company’s
legacy.

Collaborations with McDonald’s

McDonald’s has been having a long history of collaboration with various companies and artists.
The motive behind these collaborations is to maintain its brand reinforcement in the minds of its
customers. This goes beyond simply creating advertising campaigns that promote the value of its
products.
It very recently collaborated with BTS – the very popular South Korean Music band where it
introduced a special McDonald’s meal called the BTS Meal. Likewise, it has collaborated with
artists like Travis Scott, and J Balvin as well as Companies like Coca-Cola.
Marketing & Advertising Campaigns of McDonald’s
India
A marketing campaign can have many goals, but at the core, they are all about getting more
customers. An effective and well-timed campaign will create a demand which then supports the
product or service.
When it comes to McDonald’s, it has a very strong strategy in place. Right from showcasing its
delicious burgers along with bringing out the positive “McDonald’s vibe” to ending the
commercials with slogans like, “I’m Lovin’ It… Para Pap Pap Paa”.
So let us look at some of the popular campaigns of McDonald’s.
Kartik Aaryan Meal by Mcdonald’s India
Mcdonald’s India introduced the new Kartik Aaryan Meal including burger, fries, and a pizza puff
with a different packaging than unusual. The meal also features a QR Code, which upon scanning,
fans can take a selfie with him virtually.

There’s A McCafe for Every Moment – A Marketing Campaign

of McDonald’s India
McDonald’s India came up with this campaign to highlight its beverage range, McCafe and how
they are there for all the good, bad and neutral moments of life.
This campaign was released back in 2017, showcasing all the minute elements of life through a
catchy theme song.
Family time means McDonald’s #Mealsmakefamilies – A
Marketing Campaign gaining lots of love
McDonald’s India came up with this campaign to highlight how meals bring families together.
This campaign which was launched recently showcases some relatable moments people share with
families while having a McDonald’s meal.

Marketing & Advertising Campaigns of McDonald’s during the

Covid-19 Pandemic:
McDonald’s released a series of advertising commercials showcasing how so many things have
changed since the pandemic. The basic idea behind the campaign was to highlight how life has
changed but McDonald’s is still there, offering the same positive experience with extra hygiene
and safety measures.

#MatchedByYou – A Marketing Campaign of McDonald’s India

McDonald’s introduced an exciting campaign #MatchedByYou. It shows a love triangle between
burgers, fries, and cola. This campaign showcased the offering of food combos for a price as low
as ₹45.