REED was hired to be the PR agency of record for the 300+ McDonald’s restaurants in the Bluegrass Operators Association and the Greater Tennessee Valley Operators Association. We partnered with Trozzolo, an agency out of Kansas City, on this effort and collectively supported nearly 1,000 restaurants.
Global impact starts locally.
Show consumers that at McDonald’s, happiness is served locally…with a side of fries.
Our work included social media, media relations, influencer relations and community outreach. Specific campaigns included promoting community events, partnerships with Ronald McDonald House Charities, articulating the food journey stories of ingredients like fresh beef, introducing new products like Donut Sticks and localizing our efforts to be relevant in all of our communities.
One example: During the Kentucky Derby we made fascinators out of fry boxes and sent them to local news anchors. The anchors ended up wearing the fascinators on air while discussing a McDonald’s delivery service that just launched. Win-win!
Another fun one: To introduce McDonald’s latest drink promotion, we constructed a giant misting station that highlighted a new large cup. The activation traveled to a series of fairs and events across Nashville, Chattanooga, Bowling Green and Huntsville.
Our work reinforced the local impact of a global brand, consistently highlighting the goodwill of owner-operators and the brand’s involvement in the communities it serves.