Since the time McDonald’s made a killing with an association with G.O.A.T. basketball player Michael Jordan to offer its first co-branded meal in the US back in 1992, such tie-ups have become a common tactic for the brand to lure younger audiences in many markets. For the cheese-paring consumer, they are a relatively cheap and easy way to connect with their favourite celebrities.
Such associations are a relatively new import to India though. McDonald’s India (North and East) is currently selling a Kartik Aaryan Meal that includes the actor’s go-to menu items from McDonald’s — a McAloo Tikki Burger, Cheesy Fries, a Pizza McPuff and a regular beverage — at Rs 179. The meal is presented in a special actor-themed pack with a QR code that allows fans to virtually capture a selfie with Aaryan.
Although McDonald’s is the largest burger brand in India with 501 stores as of March 2023, as per a May 2023 report by investment banking firm Kennis Ventures, it has had quite a few celebrity meals since their introduction a couple of years back. It had put together a BTS Meal in 2021; a Chicken Big Mac Burger in association with former cricketer Virender Sehwag for the markets of south and west; in 2021 it had a special meal in partnership with Telugu and Kannada actor Rashmika Mandanna, and a McSpicy Chicken Sharers with Telugu actor NTR Jr earlier this year.
These meals offer both an immediate spike in sales and some longer term benefits, say analysts. Arvind RP, CMO, McDonald’s India (west & south), says celebrity associations have consistently helped the company beat internal ROI benchmarks. “We have seen consistent growth with brand associations — especially in terms of brand trust and affinity, market share, and sales uplift. Typically, the return on such investment is in the ratio of 3:1.”
In 2012, Ebay said it sold one bottle of the McJordan BBQ Sauce for a whopping $9,995.
Such partnerships have helped attract newer audiences to the brand’s social media accounts. For instance, the average daily addition in Instagram followers for the brand stood at 1,517 in early 2021; after its BTS collaboration, the number grew to 29,885. While the brand’s average growth in Twitter followers was 4,306 per day before the collaboration, the number grew to 72,914 following the collaboration.
Analysts say that for some chains, the celebs are a powerful enticement for customers to download brand apps or join their loyalty programmes to get discounts or even free food. These also help companies gain valuable insights into the behaviour of young consumers by tracking their activities on the app.
“Our celebrity meals are more than just a unique food combination,” says Arvind. “With features like pre-ordering through the McDelivery app, our aim is to build anticipation and excitement around each launch. For instance, with the introduction of Rashmika’s Famous Order and the Chicken Big Mac endorsed by Virender Sehwag, we offered customers an exclusive opportunity to pre-book their meals ahead of the official launch. This elevates the experience for our fans.”
Apart from pre-booking, McDonald’s India offers no other privileges/discounts for ordering celeb meals from the app.
A friendly match
Not every celebrity collaboration will be a winner. When McDonald’s introduced a meal curated by rapper Cardi B and Offset, it faced immense push-back from some franchise owners who said the lyrics of the couple did not sit well with the “friendly” brand image they sought to portray. In the end, these associations have to result in more guest counts and sales — the ultimate yardstick for a good campaign launch.
“The success of such collaborations depends on managing consumer expectations well due to the fleeting nature of these collaborations and because the novelty and initial enthusiasm may wear off after the promotional period is over. The celebrity’s performance and buzz-generating abilities also affect how well the collaboration works,” notes Ashish Karnad, head, media & digital, Hansa Research.
So the trick? Let the product speak for itself. “The more creative you are, the less you need a celebrity unless you’re taking a celebrity and bringing back relevance. Brand love is a longer play, you cannot get it in just one campaign, so your products have to speak for themselves,” summed up Vaibhav Gupta, co-founder & CPO, KlugKlug.