Some people believe that traditional advertising techniques and social media marketing are incompatible – the two different audiences so dissimilar that, to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling, ‘never the twain shall meet.’ Clearly, no-one told the marketing department at fast food chain McDonald’s.
A press release from the company revealed that McDonald’s’ 51-year-old marketing mascot Ronald McDonald will gain his own social media presence this year, ‘engaging customers’ via Twitter using the #RonaldMcDonald hashtag. The aging clown has even been treated to a makeover in preparation for his transition to the digital world.
Theatrical designer Ann Hould-Ward was put in charge of updating Ronald’s look, and the traditional clown’s overalls have made way for a tailored, embroidered blazer (still in Maccy D’s corporate yellow and red) alongside a sporty look comprised of the sort of windcheater gilet you’d spot on a bearded hiker atop a rain-soaked fell.
McDonald’s has clearly recognised the importance of social media marketing to 21st century audiences, but whether the company’s decision to combine traditional marketing methods with a more contemporary take is a sound one remains to be seen. Ronald McDonald has never been the most popular corporate mascot, and to us the #RonaldMcDonald hashtag seems ripe for ridicule – particularly with a sharp-tongued Twitter audience.
We’ve seen countless social media marketing fails before, some emanating from the marketing departments of large companies that should really know better. Will McDonald’s attempt fare just as badly? If you’d like to put across your company in an engaging, professional manner on social media or through content marketing, take a look at our content marketing packages or contact a member of the team today.