Why is this work relevant for Creative Strategy?

Given the current pandemic context, brand trust and assurance of safety have become the key driver of imagery and preference for players in the food service industry. In order to build trust, we had to employ an integrated strategy on safety – as opposed to the tactical approach employed by other brands in the category, who simply enumerated protocols and procedures as if it was all about ticking the boxes.

Background

As the Philippines eased COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the fast-food industry has slowly opened its doors to customers, communicating “new normal” safety protocols. With so many brands having communications that are almost identical to one another, McDonald’s aims to reassure its customers of the safety of its food, its stores, and its people—across all of their channels—through a safety messaging that is clear and unique to the brand.

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

In a time when uncertainty and trepidation is the predominant sentiment among Filipinos, brand trust and assurance of safety have become the key driver of imagery and preference for players in the food service industry. As a result, many brands started communicating “new normal” health and safety protocols in compliance with government mandate. While these protocols are generally the same, there is differentiation with regard to the consistency with which these are implemented by McDonald’s compared to other brands. Quality, safety, and cleanliness have always been intrinsic to McDonald’s operating culture even before the pandemic came about. This steadfast and consistent commitment to health and safety has served as an opportunity or as a springboard for a unique and authentic point of view, as McDonald’s strives to become the benchmark of safety in the food industry.

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

The team talked to customers and found that the expectations and perceptions of safety were grounded on the very same people preparing and handling the food. And as employee well-being has always been intrinsic to the brand, this became the focal point of the ensuing pandemic response. The message of our campaign: at McDonald’s, we keep our customers safe by keeping our people safe. Digital channels became the top driver of awareness, as people spend most of their waking hours at home. And with quarantine restrictions precluding access to certain channels, the brand adopted an omnichannel approach, ensuring the message is reinforced at every relevant contact point (i.e. drive-thru, physical stores, delivery apps, website).

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

With virtually every restaurant claiming to put the safety of their customers first, a unique yet simple messaging approach was needed to stand out. “Safety does not start with the customers. It starts with the safety of people that handle, serve, and deliver food daily.” McDonald’s Philippines launched M SAFE, a branding campaign about employee safety, to ensure customer safety. “M” represents the brand’s commitment to its employees. “SAFE” represents the assurance of quality, safety, and cleanliness to its customers.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

The M Safe campaign was acknowledged as ‘best practice’ by the Department of Trade and Industry and commended by the Department of Health. Mr. Yang also become the face of the brand’s safety campaign, being invited in several interviews, features, and media events. Earned media amounted to PhP 34,200,604.96 (691,314 USD). Current and former employees also rallied behind the brand, with former crew members attesting to the truthfulness of the claims and even posting anecdotes on social media to bolster the credibility of M Safe. The campaign has effectively put the brand on top of the category, winning in brand imagery scores for safety, cleanliness and company trust. Key competitor, on the other hand, has experienced attribute score declines despite a noticeably higher amount of content. The brand has also seen an improvement in revenue and market share growth, with a bigger market share increase post campaign, especially among parents.