Individual Report – McDonald’s UK

Executive Summary

This social media marketing plan seeks to help McDonald’s UK achieve its corporate objectives by focusing greatly on its rewards app. By conducting a situation analysis, stating objectives, gathering insights into the target audience, selecting social media zones and vehicles, creating an experience strategy, establishing an action plan, and measuring performance, this plan offers a roadmap for McDonald’s UK to enhance its digital presence and growth through social media marketing over the next six months.

Introduction

McDonald’s is a world fast-food chain with a strong base in the UK market. The company has an online presence but seeks practical suggestions on enhancing its digital growth in the UK through social media marketing over the next six months. This plan aims to analyze the market sector, set clear social media marketing objectives, select a target audience, offer strategies to achieve objectives, detail the action plans, and illustrate how to measure the plan’s success. This plan aims to increase brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales through effective social media strategies. The plan draws on academic theories and models to offer recommendations that will result in the continuous success of the McDonald’s My Rewards app and the company’s digital presence in the UK.

Part 1: Conduct a situation Analysis and Identify Key Opportunities

To establish a comprehensive social media marketing plan for McDonald’s My Rewards in the UK market, it is important to thoroughly analyze the company’s internal and external environment. This will foster a clear understanding of the current state of the organization and its position in the market, which will assist in identifying crucial opportunities and challenges for social media marketing (Bradley and McDonald, 2011).

Internal Environment

McDonald’s is a global fast-food chain boasting a strong brand identity and corporate culture focused on innovation, quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction. The company has a known history of embracing new technologies and has been a positive adopter of social media platforms (Rowley, 2004). The company’s corporate culture supports transparent and decentralized social media norms, which is crucial in implementing effective marketing plans (Rowley, 2004). The company has a strong online presence and uses various marketing activities that can be leveraged for social media marketing. These include an existing customer loyalty program, My McDonald’s Rewards, and email marketing that can be leveraged for social media marketing.

Additionally, the company has sufficient resources to allocate to social media activities. McDonald’s has hard-working teams for digital marketing, ready to support social media marketing activities. Furthermore, the company has already formulated policies and procedures to handle social media activities and use by its employees.

External Environment

McDonald’s boasts of its wide customer base in the UK, comprising both young and old demographics. According to a study by Alalwan et al. l. (2017), 66% of the UK are social media users. This allows the company to cover a wider audience through social media marketing. The company faces stiff competition from competitors like Burger King, Subway, and KFC. These competitors already have operational social media in their marketing and communication plans, highlighting the significance of incorporating social media marketing into the company’s overall marketing strategy (Cassidy et al. l., 2021). Regarding the macro environment, several key trends influence the company’s decisions regarding social media marketing. These key trends in the macro environment (PESTEL) include rising demand for delivery services, changing consumer behavior towards healthier food options because of the pandemic, increased environmental awareness and sustainability, and the effect of Brexit on the economy of the UK (Vrontis, and Pavlou, 2008).

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Based on the analysis, McDonald’s social media marketing strengths include its large customer base, established customer loyalty program, strong brand identity and recognition, a corporate culture that supports social media, strong online presence and established marketing activities, and dedicated digital teams that support marketing (Gascón et al. l. 2017).

Weaknesses

The company’s weaknesses include a lack of proper engagement and experience with its clients on social media and more dependence on traditional marketing channels (Gascón et al. l., 2017).

Opportunities

Opportunities for the fast-food company include increasing engagement with customers through social media because of the widespread usage of social media in the UK, leveraging the rewards program and increase in customer engagement through social media, wider audience through social media marketing, and the increasing trend towards health food options, which can be promoted through social media marketing (Gascón et al. l. 2017).

Threats

Threats include negative publicity and customer feedback on social media, stiff competition from other fast-food chains, negative impacts of Brexit on the UK economy, and shifting consumer preferences towards healthier food options (Gascón et al. l., 2017).

In short, conducting a rigorous analysis of the internal and external environment has offered valuable insight into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of McDonald’s My Rewards app in the UK market. This analysis will set out a foundation for recognizing key opportunities and challenges for social media marketing which will be detailed in the following sections of this plan (Wald, 2018).

Part 2: State Objectives

The TOWS analysis lays out a framework for analyzing the external and internal environment of the company, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The social media marketing plan should include objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).

Objectives

1. Increase adoption of the McDonald’s Rewards app rate by 20% in the next six months through social media marketing.
2. Increase customer engagement and loyalty by establishing and sharing valuable content on McDonald’s social media platforms, contributing to a 15% increase in customer retention over the next six months.
3. Improve brand awareness by reaching out to new audiences through influencer marketing, leading to a 10% increase in brand reach in the next six months.

Corporate Objectives

The company has corporate objectives that must be linked to its social media marketing objectives to ensure alignment.

1. To continue growing and expanding the brand worldwide
2. To increase customer satisfaction and experience
3. To become the globe’s most dominant brand
4. To increase revenue and profitability.

Linking Corporate Objectives to Social Media Marketing Objectives

1. The first social media marketing objective aligns with the company’s corporate objective of increasing revenues and profitability. By increasing the adoption rate of the McDonald’s Rewards app, the company can generate more revenues and increase customer loyalty, which aligns with its corporate objective (Shareef et al. l., 2019).
2. The second social media marketing objective aligns with McDonald’s corporate objective of improving customer satisfaction and experience. By creating valuable content and engaging with customers on social media platforms, the company can improve the customer experience and increase customer retention, which aligns with the corporate objective.
3. The third social media marketing objective aligns with McDonald’s corporate objective of becoming the world’s most dominant brand. By reaching out to new audiences through influencer marketing, the company can increase its brand awareness and reach, which aligns with the corporate objective (Coursaris, Van Osch, and Balogh, 2020).

Part 3: Gather Insights into Target Audience

Demographic Characteristics

McDonald’s target audience is diverse, combining both the young and the old, considering the brand’s popularity and its appeal to a wide range of people. The population of people who uses social media is huge and cuts across all age bracket (Chaffey et al. l., 2009). Therefore, the target audience for the company is diverse, with everyone who prefers fast food and convenience. The popular company targets families with young children seeking affordable fast-food options.

Psychographic Characteristics

The company is creating a social media marketing plan that understands its target audience’s values, interests, and lifestyles. The fast-food chain appeals to those looking for affordable and convenient food options, and who value speed and efficiency. It also appeals to persons who enjoy indulging in fast food as a treat and those who do not concern with healthy eating.

Behavioral Characteristics

McDonald’s has a high brand loyalty among its customers who visit the restaurant often and recommend it to their family and friends. The fast-food is also popular among people seeking quick and easy meal options and who are not concerned with trying new things (Miller et al. l. 2016).

Social Media Habits

Younger people in the UK are more active on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook (Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick, 2016). Families with young children are more likely to use Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Therefore, the social media platforms to be used for the marketing plan are Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Part 4: Select Social Media Zones and Vehicles

After identifying the target audience, the next step is to select the appropriate social media zones and vehicles that will be in use to achieve the social media marketing objectives for McDonald’s My Rewards app. Social media is categorized into four zones, including owned media (rewards app), paid media (social media advertising), shared media (user-generated content), and earned media (public relations) (De Vries, Gensler, and Leeflang, 2012). Each zone has distinct characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks that should be considered when selecting the most effective mix of zones and channels to reach the target audience.

Owned Media

Owned media involves the content and channels that a company has complete control over, such as its website and social media profiles (De Vries, Gensler, and Leeflang, 2012). In this case, McDonald’s My Rewards App will use its media to promote the app and its benefits to the target audience. The channels that will be used under this zone comprise of:

Facebook Page: The Facebook page for McDonald’s My Rewards App will promote the app, engage with the target audience, and share the latest news. McDonald’s will be able to use its Facebook page to run contests, giveaways, and pictures of food and promotions to ensure that the audience is well engaged (Hutter et al. l., 2013).

Twitter: Twitter is an excellent platform for sharing quick updates and interacting with clients. McDonald’s can use Twitter to respond to inquiries from customers, drive traffic to the company website and share its promotions (Hutter et all. 2013).

Instagram; Instagram is a visually-driven platform ideal for sharing food-related content (Hutter et al. l., 2013). McDonald’s can use its Instagram to share user-generated content, display its menu items and post behind-the-scenes content.

Paid Media

Paid media involves advertising a company pays for to promote its products and services. This zone allows McDonald’s to target a specific audience with precision and achieve results in a short span (Ardiansyah and Sarwoko, 2020). The channels that will be used under this zone comprise;

Facebook; Facebook provides various advertising options, including sponsored posts, carousel ads as well as video ads (Zailskaitė-Jakštė and Kuvykaitė, 2016). The company can use Facebook ads to target specific demographics such as individuals who have indicated an interest in fast food or those who have used McDonald’s app before.

Google Ads; Google Ads presents opportunities for companies to display their ads to people actively looking for specific keywords. McDonald’s can use Google Ads to target people looking for fast food or related keywords.

Earned Media

Earned media is the publicity that a company receives through word-of-mouth or social sharing (Plidtookpai and Yoopetch, 2021). This zone can be challenging to control, but it can also be very effective. The channels that will be used under this zone include;

User-generated content: Encouraging users to create content and share their experiences with the app on social media can create public publicity and word-of-mouth promotion. McDonald’s can incentivize users to create and share content using a branded hashtag or by offering rewards (Plidtookpai and Yoopetch, 2021).

Shared Media

Shared media is the content that users on social media platforms share. According to Poulis, Rizomyliotis, and Konstantoulaki (2019), this zone can be very effective because it permits companies to reach a wider audience than they could. The channels that will be used under this zone include;

Influencer marketing: McDonald’s can collaborate with social media influencers to promote the app and create buzz among their followers. Poulis, Rizomyliotis, and Konstantoulaki (2019) argue that the company can acquire a large audience and establish credibility by partnering with influencers with a similar target audience.

Measurement

To measure the success of the social media marketing plan, the company’s My Rewards App will have to track key metrics such as click-through, engagement, and conversion rates. Social media analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social can be used to track these metrics and offer insights into the effectiveness of the social media marketing plan (Dennhardt, 2006).

Part 5: Create and Experience Strategy Encompassing Selected Zones

McDonald’s has already established a communication strategy to promote its rewards app, which gives its clients discounts, promotions, and exclusive deals. To support and extend this communication strategy, the company will establish social media activities that further promote the rewards app (Aji, Nadhila, and Sanny, 2020). This will comprise running social media campaigns highlighting the app’s features, sharing the testimonials of customers and reviews, and partnering with social media influencers to showcase and promote the app’s benefits.

In addition to promoting the McDonald’s rewards app, the company will also use social media to respond to customer inquiries and complaints. By offering prompt and needed responses to clients on social media platforms, McDonald’s can increase customer satisfaction and establish stronger brand loyalty.

The key message for McDonald’s My Rewards app will be tailored to offer value and convenience to customers. The company has established brand equity; therefore, social media activities should focus on how the app can make it easier and more rewarding for clients to engage with the brand. Therefore, the key theme will focus on rewards, exclusive offers, personalized experiences, and customer satisfaction. By continually emphasizing these themes across all the social media channels, the company can establish a cohesive brand message that augurs well with its target audience (DÜLEK and Aydin, 2020).

To ensure that the social media marketing plan is effective, the company will align the zones used and other promotional tools to support each other (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). This explains why McDonald’s will be careful when selecting the social media zones that best align with the company objectives and harmoniously employ each zone to achieve its goals. For example, McDonald’s may use paid media to cover a large audience, owned media to engage with current customers, shared media to encourage user-generated content, and earned media to create credibility and trust.

The company will embrace social media reminders in advertising messages, in-store displays, and other venues to promote the rewards app and encourage clients to engage with the brand on social media. This could encompass showing social media handles and hashtags in store, including calls to action in advertising messages, and motivating customers to share their experiences on social media by providing exclusive discounts or promotions (Krasnova et all. 2019). McDonald’s will also use the data collected from the app to personalize the offers and rewards for each user making a more relevant and valuable experience for the clients. McDonald’s will also employ a gamification technique to motivate social media users to engage with the app on a frequent basis. This technique will encompass earning points, unlocking badges, and completing challenges.

Part 6: Establish an Action Plan, Manage and Measure

To come up with an action plan and manage and measure the success of the social media marketing plan for McDonald’s My Rewards app, the following steps will be considered.

Timing of Elements; The tactics for the six-month plan will be implemented in the following series.

• Month 1: Research and analysis of the market sector and competition. Developing the social media marketing plan and strategy.
• Month 2-3: Creating and designing social media content, visuals, and graphics for the Rewards app, promotions, and campaigns. Developing the social media calendar.
• Month 4-5: Launching social media marketing campaign across the selected channels and vehicles. Here there will be a thorough engagement with clients through social media platforms.
• Month 6: Analyzing results of the campaign and adjusting the social media marketing plan based on feedback and findings.

Responsibility: Responsibilities will be assigned to team members and clients in the following manner.

• Project Manager: Will be responsible for overall project management, effective communications, and ensuring effective collaborations between team members and customers.
• Social Media Specialist: Will be in charge of creating and executing the social media marketing plan, designing the contents of social media, and maintaining constant engagement with clients on social media platforms.
• Content Writer: Will be tasked to create engaging social media content like stories, posts, and captions.
• Client: Will be expected to give feedback and reviews on the social media marketing plan and collaborate well with the team.

Performance Measurement: To measure the actual performance of the social media marketing plan, the below metrics will be applied.

• Reach the number of social media users who have seen the social media content.
• Engagement rate: the number of comments, likes, shares, and clicks on social media content.
• Conversion: the number of people who download the rewards app, sign up for the rewards program or make a buy using the rewards app.
• Sentiment Analysis; checking and measuring the sentiment of social media mentions that relate to McDonald’s and the rewards app.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Calculating the financial returns based on the investment in social media marketing.

Social Media Monitoring and Response: The following tools will be used to help monitor and respond to social media mentions.

• Hootsuite: a social media management tool that permits the team to monitor and respond to mentions in social media and messages from a specific platform (Mangold and Faulds, 2019).
• Google Alerts: This is a free tool that sends email alerts to the team whenever specific keywords related to the company or the rewards app are mentioned on the website.
• Facebook Insights and YouTube Analytics: These tools will provide detailed metrics on social media content and campaign performance.

Key Takeaways

The key takeaways of the social media marketing plan for McDonald’s My Rewards App include:

• Focus on customer engagement and satisfaction by having a quick responses to inquiries and complaints on social media promptly. This will improve the loyalty of customers and the reputation of the brand.
• Establish a strong and consistent social media presence that advances the rewards app and provides special deals and discounts to clients. This will attract new clients and improve app downloads.
• Target millennials and Gen Z through social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter because they are most active on these platforms.
• Use social media analytics tools like YouTube analytics and Facebook Insights to measure the performance of the plan and track key performance indicators (KPIs) like app downloads, engagement rate, and ROI.
• Create an action plan with clear timelines and responsibilities to guarantee the successful implementation of the plan.
• Incorporate social reminders in advertising messages, in-store displays, gamification techniques, and other venues to reinforce the key message/theme of the rewards app and the satisfaction of the customer.

By implementing these key takeaways, the company, My Rewards App, can expect to realize an increase in customer engagement and loyalty, improve brand equity, more app downloads, and overall improvement in the performance of McDonald’s company.

Conclusion

This social media marketing plan for McDonald’s UK is a comprehensive roadmap that seeks to enhance the company’s digital presence and growth through effective social media marketing strategies. The plan is divided into six parts, each of which plays a significant role in realizing the overall goals and objectives of increasing brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales.

Part 1 provides an introduction to McDonald’s company and its goal for this social media marketing plan. McDonald’s is looking for practical suggestions on how to advance its digital growth in the UK market through social media marketing over the next six months.

Part 2 outlines the TOWS analysis framework used to analyze the internal and external environments of the company. This analysis presents valuable insight into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of McDonald’s My Rewards App in the UK market. The smart objectives highlighted in this part are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Part 3 suggests gathering insights into the target audience for McDonald’s. By developing an understanding of the needs and preferences of this target audience, McDonald’s can tailor its social media strategies and plans to engage them effectively.

Part 4 focuses on selecting social media zones and vehicles that are best appropriate for reaching the company’s target audience. This includes platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Part 5 establishes an experience strategy that highlights the manner in which the company will engage with its target audience through various social media channels. This includes creating engaging content like videos, images, polls, quizzes, and other interactive features.

Part 6 creates an action plan that details how every aspect of this social media marketing plan will be carried out over the next six months. It also highlights the measures of success using metrics like engagement rates on social media platforms.

In terms of cost, implications plan for this plan; it is key to consider that while some aspects may require additional resources of budget allocations, like hiring a competent social media team or investing in paid advertising, a good number of the strategies highlighted in this plan can be implemented with minimal costs.

Overall, McDonald’s plays a significant role in the success of this marketing plan. The company must have a proper commitment to executing every aspect of the plan through the provision of the required resources to guarantee success. By following this comprehensive roadmap to the latter, McDonald’s can advance its digital presence and growth through effective social media strategies over the next six months.

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