Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

In a time when uncertainty is the predominant sentiment among Filipinos, brand trust and assurance of safety have become the key drivers of imagery and preference for players in the fast-food industry. In this campaign, we also featured no less than the President & CEO himself to assure the public that their safety is of utmost priority.

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.

Describe 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.

Describe the strategy (20% 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).

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

The simple addition of the word “safe” to the world-famous golden arches became a badge of the brand’s commitment to safety – imbued with new meaning, this icon has been strategically placed in various channels and touchpoints, both internal and external. It reinforces the assurance one should feel every time he or she is with McDonald’s because of how we keep our employees – and consequently, our customers, safe. Noting that every other brand adopted a tactical approach that simply enumerated safety procedures, McDonald’s elevated to a more substantial approach by once calling upon its President and CEO, Mr. Kenneth S. Yang, to visit a McDonald’s store and demonstrate all its enhanced safety protocols. From employee safety which includes providing them with safety care kits to customer omnichannel (dine-in, take-out, drive-thru and delivery), safety procedures were thorough and meticulous, leveraging on the brand’s global safety and cleanliness standards.

List the results (30% 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.