Did Trump's Mcdonald's Stunt Hurt Mcdonald's Sentiment?

30 Oct 2024 · 7 min

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In short

Podcast Episode Summary: Did Trump's McDonald's Stunt Hurt McDonald's Sentiment?

Podcast Details

  • Title: Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips
  • Hosts: Neil Patel and Eric Siu
  • Episode Number: #2852
  • Episode Description: The hosts discuss McDonald's branding strategies in response to a political event involving former President Trump and the company's commitment to political neutrality.

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Key Themes and Discussions

  1. The Political Landscape of Fast Food
  2. Political Neutrality:
  3. McDonald's positions itself as a non-political brand despite its visibility in political discussions.
  4. The company aims to avoid alienating any segment of its customer base, which is roughly divided between Democrats and Republicans.
  1. McDonald's PR Strategy
  2. Response to Trump’s Visit:
  3. Following Trump's visit to a McDonald’s location, the company released a statement reinforcing its stance on neutrality and inclusion.
  4. McDonald's emphasized that it does not endorse any political candidates and is open to everyone.
  • Effective Communication:
  • The PR message highlighted the brand's historical resonance with Americans and maintained a focus on its core business—fast food.
  1. Trump's Marketing Tactics
  2. Engagement through Humor:
  3. Trump’s antics at McDonald's were framed as a marketing move, generating media attention and public discourse.
  4. His comments and actions during the visit produced memes and social media content, boosting visibility.
  • Awareness and Brand Building:
  • The hosts noted that Trump excels in creating awareness and leveraging situations for marketing opportunities.
  1. The Impact of Political Stunts on Brand Sentiment
  2. Risks of Political Engagement:
  3. Engaging in political matters can risk alienating customers; thus, McDonald's focused on maintaining its brand's non-partisan image.
  4. The hosts discussed the implications of mixing fast food with political personas, particularly around the divisive nature of American politics.

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Key Takeaways

  • Neutral Brand Positioning:
  • Brands like McDonald's can thrive by maintaining a neutral stance in politically charged environments, ensuring they do not offend any significant portion of their customer base.
  • Crisis Management:
  • Proactive communication and swift responses are crucial for managing public relations during politically sensitive situations.
  • Viral Marketing Techniques:
  • Leveraging humor and relatability in political stunts can enhance brand visibility and engagement, as seen through Trump's actions at McDonald’s.

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Closing Remarks

  • Final Thoughts: The episode highlights the delicate balance between marketing and politics, underlining the importance of maintaining brand integrity while navigating complex social landscapes.
  • Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to rate and subscribe to the podcast for more insights on marketing strategies.

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For further information and resources, visit [Marketing School](https://www.marketingschool.io).

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Transcript

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0:00McDonald's tells his restaurant that it's not a political brand. this guy's a good instructor trump went to a mcdonald's i don't know in what state and he started serving people their food through a drive-thru now if you look at the united states i'm giving you rough percentages here based on past political voting but it's roughly half america votes democrat half votes republican would you agree with this is somewhere in that range yep and i get there's some independence but the last thing a corporation wants to do, no matter what they believe in, if you end up saying, hey, look, here's President Trump or potential President Trump, ex-President Trump here at McDonald's, you're pretty much saying, look, check this out, Republican.

0:48And all you're going to do is potentially alienate 50 % of your customers. And right away, McDonald's releases statements saying, hey, we're not to be used for any political type of campaigns. They're telling their franchisors or franchisees and saying, hey, our restaurant shouldn't be a place for anything that's related to politics. Okay, so your internet sucks and I cannot pull up the actual tweet. Mandarin Oriental, no? Okay, here. Oh, sorry, I just gave it away. But anyway, so okay. Here's what it says. It says McDonald's USA. This is the PR thing. So this is McDonald's PR masterclass. So this message is intended for the McDonald's USA system.

1:29Earlier today, former President Trump visited a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania following a request made to our local franchisee. As we've seen, our brand has been a fixture of conversation this election cycle. While we've not sought this, it is a testament to how much McDonald's resonates with so many Americans. McDonald's does not endorse candidates for elected office, and that remains true in this race for the next president. We are not red or blue. We are golden. That's a good one, right? Because golden fries, right? Golden arches. Though we are not a political brand, we've been proud to hear former president Trump's love for McDonald's and vice president Harris fond memories working under the arches while we and our franchisees don't have records for all positions dating back to by the early eighties.

2:09What makes one in eight so powerful is a shared experiences. So many Americans have had, let me just go all the way down here. Um, so upon learning of the former president's request, we approach it through the lens of one of our core values. We open our doors to everyone. So this is just a very, it's a very, um, inclusive, I should say, very open PR message and they're just staying neutral. And, you know, they kind of spun in a way where it's like, Hey, like we're opening to everyone, you know, vice president Harris is welcome as well, but we're just going to stay focused on, you know, doing what we do best selling fast food.

2:41Oh dude, totally. And, you know, I think McDonald's was smart for getting in front of it, uh, right after it happened and just start putting, pushing out statements. It doesn't matter what they believe in politically, you know, their business, so many families and kids eat at McDonald's. There's chicken nuggets and stuff like that. Dude, I was at a baby shower a week ago. Flew back into town, went to a baby shower, flew right back out of town. And one of my kids joined me on the baby shower. There wasn't food. And before we rolled up into baby shower, I was telling Emma, I was just like, hey, if you don't find anything at this place that you like to eat, don't worry.

3:19Don't get upset, all right? Because a little kid, they're gonna get hungry. I'm like, I'll get you some food on the way home or we'll leave quickly. And one of the parents in there, who my wife was a friend with, she brought McDonald's Happy Meals for the kids because she knew that they probably wouldn't like to eat the fancy adult food. And spot on. Okay, love McDonald's. You don't want to start alienating people by just pushing people politically. Yep. All right. Well, so there's that. I mean, and then obviously, Trump's McDonald's marketing play. He got a lot of shorts recorded as well, where he was just like, you know, he's kind of attacking, you know, Vice President Harris, like she's never worked here.

3:58I worked here for 15 minutes. I worked here 15 minutes longer than her. Right. It's kind of funny. Right. I love McDonald's. I love jobs. I like to see good jobs. And I think it's inappropriate when somebody puts down all over the place that she worked at McDonald's. It was a big part of her resume that she worked at McDonald's, how tough a job it was. She specifically worked at the French fry where they make the French fries. and she talked about the heat. It was so tough. She never worked at McDonald's. Agency owners, if you want to grow faster, my partner, Neil Patel, and I, we are hosting live agency owner workshops in Beverly Hills, and you're going to learn how to get more clients.

4:34You're going to learn how to take yourself out of the day-to-day. You're going to learn how to recruit the right people, and you're going to be hanging out with like-minded people such as yourself. So if you want to learn more, just go to marketingschool.io slash agency. Again, it's marketingschool.io slash agency, and we'll see you on the other side. And then it's really, it's interesting thing because they showed the people walking through or coming through the drive-thru. Did you see the Indian couple? The Indian couple were like, I don't know how to do the accent. You know how to do the accent.

5:00A lot of people were very supportive. It's funny because he'll point over, he's like, oh look, over there is fake news. He just kept it very light, very funny. There were a lot of memes that were created from it too. I think this was a nice marketing play for him. I saw a meme where it's like, when you've completed all the levels in life and you go on side quest just for fun. It shows him like making fries. And so I think he got a lot more impressions from that. And so if it's one thing Trump's really good at, I would say it's awareness, it's marketing, it's brandy. By the way, we're not saying we endorse either candidate.

5:32So, and that is it for today. Please don't forget to rate, view, subscribe, and we will see you tomorrow.

From the publisher
In episode #2852, Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss McDonald's response to political events and the branding strategies employed by both the company and former President Trump. They highlight McDonald's commitment to neutrality in political matters, their effective PR strategy, and the marketing implications of Trump's recent visit to a McDonald's restaurant.  Don’t forget to help us grow by subscribing and liking on YouTube! Check out more of Eric’s content (Leveling UP YT) and Neil’s videos (Neil Patel YT)  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: (00:00) The Political Landscape of Fast Food (02:56) McDonald's PR Strategy and Brand Neutrality (05:21) Trump's Marketing Play and Memes (05:33) That’s it for today! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe! Go to https://www.marketingschool.io to learn more!   Leave Some Feedback: What should we talk about next?  Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.   Connect with Us:    Single Grain << Eric’s ad agency NP Digital << Neil’s ad agency X @neilpatel X @ericosiu

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