We’re lovin’ how this burger-eating experience is “EatQually” awesome for ALL Indians! Here’s why. [Thursdays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing]
Miles Everson’s Business Builder Daily speaks to the heart of what great marketers, business leaders, and other professionals need to succeed in advertising, communications, managing their investments, career strategy, and more.
A Note from Miles Everson:
Happy Thursday!
We’re excited to share with you our guerrilla marketing feature for today.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it yet, guerrilla marketing is an unconventional marketing strategy. Campaigns of this type work most of the time because they’re easy to appreciate and execute.
Ready to know more about today’s topic?
Continue reading below.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing
McDonald’s has been present in India for around 25 years now. It has become a household name and go-to destination for creating happy memories that Indians cherish for a lifetime.
In fact, millions of Indians report having their first burger at a McDonald’s store. With various products catering to the country’s taste palette, such as the McAloo Tikki and the Maharaja Mac, McDonald’s delivers on its promise to “Make Delicious Feel-Good Moments Easy for Everyone.”
… but is this experience truly EASY for EVERYONE?
According to statistics from a Spikes Asia case study, India faces several challenges on the diversity, inclusivity, and social exclusion front, one of which is the topic of disability.
Based on the report, the number of specially abled people in the country is nearly 27 million—more than the total population of Australia.
For a brand that has always positioned itself positively in providing access to people across different genders, races, and backgrounds, how could McDonald’s cater to those with disabilities?
How could it help these people experience and enjoy its burgers like normal people would?
How could it truly “Make Delicious Feel-Good Moments Easy for Everyone?”
Sure, the McDonald’s stores in India have ramps and separate washrooms to cater to these types of customers. However, the brand hasn’t focused much on the eating experience itself, especially for those with upper limb disabilities.
Enter the McDonald’s “EatQual” campaign…
It takes two able hands to hold a McDonald’s burger and bite into that delicious, juicy goodness. Sadly, for people with upper limb disabilities, eating their favorite burger often means loss of dignity and independence.
Biting into a burger using two hands is something people usually take for granted until they realize it’s a privilege not everyone has.
Thankfully, McDonald’s believes EVERYONE should be able to enjoy eating a burger equally. So, on December 3, 2020—the International Day of Disabled Persons—the brand launched its “EatQual” campaign in India with the help of advertising agency DDB Mudra Group.
At the start of the campaign, McDonald’s invited people with limited upper limb mobility to collaborate on a new packaging solution for burgers. These people had all expressed frustration at the lack of a proper mechanism to lock in all the ingredients.
Think about this: Instead of simply focusing on the taste of their food, these customers also had to worry about the ingredients falling out or looking clumsy to other customers at the store. Many of those invited even confessed to not having eaten out in public for years due to the looks of pity they get in restaurants.
Clearly, something had to be done to address this problem!
After talking to people with upper limb disabilities, McDonald’s partnered with non-government organization National Society For Equal Opportunities For the Handicapped (NASEOH) India to create something that would make the burger-eating experience for the specially abled better.
A month later, the prototype solution—an ergonomic burger case—was introduced to the same group. The case was designed to hold the burger for the customer, so he or she can eat it even with one hand.
The impact of the solution was monumental! Not only were the participants able to enjoy their burgers without fussing over the ingredients, but they also said that for the first time, they were able to focus on the taste and enjoy the experience.
Once the prototype was finalized, McDonald’s released the “EatQual” campaign to the public via a press release and social media post. The brand also organized an in-store event where children with disabilities from NGOs in India were invited to enjoy McDonald’s burgers in the new packaging.
What else?
McDonald’s collaborated with influencers from the disabled community in India like Deepa Malik (a Paralympic silver medalist), Suyash Jadhav (a Paralympic swimmer), and Dhaval Khatri (a disabled painter). These individuals’ social media posts helped bring more credibility to the new burger packaging and the campaign in general.
McDonald’s also amplified the campaign through above-the-line advertising like print ads, in-store merchandising, activities with NGOs and schools for the disabled in key cities across India, and a campaign video that was posted online.
Was McDonald’s “EatQual” campaign effective?
Until today, the “EatQual” campaign continues to make a positive difference in the lives of customers with upper limb disabilities in India.
In fact, McDonald’s is in the process of opening up the design of the packaging to competitors in the fast food industry so that even if customers decide to purchase from other brands, they will still enjoy the same inclusive packaging.
How heartwarming! It’s not every day that you see brands willing to set aside the competition for the sake of helping consumers experience TRUE convenience and inclusion.
Thank you, McDonald’s India, for doing the extra mile to ensure feel-good moments become truly easy for EVERYONE!
Here are the results of the campaign so far:
- In the first month, the campaign garnered over 13 million social media impressions and reached more than 11 million people in India and across the globe.
- The “EatQual” campaign video gained over 300,000 organic views in just 10 days and became the most shared video of the year across fast food retail brands on Facebook in 2020.
- The campaign garnered a total of INR 7.2 million in earned PR by the end of December 2020.
- McDonald’s India’s return on investment (ROI) from December 2020 to March 2021 increased by 35 times.
- The brand saw a 2.5 times growth in the “EatQual” packaging usage between December 2020 and January 2021.
- McDonald’s India’s brand interest and brand trust increased by 67% and 33% respectively in Q1 2021.
- The “EatQual” campaign bagged 2 nominations at the EMVIES India 2021, 4 awards at the Kyoorius Creative Awards 2021, 4 awards at the Effies India 2021, 2 awards at the London International Awards 2021, 3 shortlists at the Cannes Lions 2021, 6 awards at the Spikes Asia 2022, and 5 shortlists at the AdFest INNOVA Lotus 2022.
Kudos, McDonald’s India and DDB Mudra Group! These results show the “EatQual” campaign successfully captured the attention and earned the support of people across India and in different parts of the world.
Woohoo!
—
The human experience is full of different kinds of memories… and it is the little moments of joy that add up to an incredible life.
Dancing in the rain…
Eating ice cream on a sunny day…
Drinking a hot cup of joe on a chilly morning…
Sharing inside jokes with friends…
Don’t these scenarios paint a beautiful picture in your mind as you look back on them?
McDonald’s India promises happy times like these… and more! The brand also promises inclusivity for ALL its customers.
That’s why over the last 3 years, the “EatQual” campaign has been in full swing to give customers with upper limb disabilities the same access to delicious burgers as everyone else.
As what Arvind RP, McDonald’s India’s Senior Director for Marketing and Communications, said:
“‘EatQual’ will always remain the key inclusivity platform of McDonald’s India. With this new brand film, we wanted to emphasize that each individual has their own unique way of living life, irrespective of their special abilities.
McDonald’s has always been a feel-good brand wherein we continue to spread happiness and promote inclusivity. With ‘EatQual,’ we are constantly working towards strengthening our commitment to making McDonald’s India a brand that is truly inclusive.”
We hope you enjoyed reading today’s guerrilla marketing feature!
Get inspired with McDonald’s “EatQual” campaign… and remember: Sometimes, it’s the little things that make your target audience feel equal yet special.
Have a great day ahead!
(This article is from The Business Builder Daily, a newsletter by The I Institute in collaboration with MBO Partners.)
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers, and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing can be inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Thursday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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