What Is the Secret Behind McDonald’s Longest Campaign?

McDonald’s longest campaign, “I’m Lovin’ It,” has been running for more than a decade. Why? Because its message came from true customer insight and was strategically implemented. The message represented – and still represents – the way customers feel about the brand. This kind of authenticity is key to building great and enduring marketing campaigns.

Above all this, the use of sonic branding was one of the most valuable elements of the campaign’s strategy.

Sonic branding represents the strategic use of music and sound to build brands, and it generally falls into two categories: identities and brand experiences. Before actually creating any music or sounds for your brand, you first need to answer the question “What should the brand sound like?” Think of the answer in terms of what will allow you to uniquely and emotionally connect to all of your audiences, thereby helping them feel your brand’s promise and gain attribution and awareness in the marketplace. (Check out more about sonic branding here)

So what does McDonald’s sonic logo transmit? Is it in line with the feeling of “happiness” that the brand conveys in all of its communications?

The “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign was a bet on an increasingly fragmented society of consumers and – judging by the measure of success valued by the advertising industry – it was a winning one. Previous McDonald’s campaigns were all about “you”: You deserve a break today. We do it all for you. We love to see you smile. The company’s executives realized that that wasn’t going to work anymore; people wanted to feel like they were choosing for themselves, whether that meant a Justin Timberlake music video or a McDonald’s experience. This “I’ll decide for myself” attitude, unsurprisingly, resonates even more with today’s Millennial audience. Perhaps the attitudes of youngsters have not changed that much, after all…

What is certain though is that McDonald’s approach to sonic branding was brilliant. The sonic slogan was created by Heye & Partner, a small agency in Munich, together with music house Mona Davis Music. They commissioned a song to be performed by iconic artist Justin Timberlake, promoted it months before the McDonald’s campaign launched, and (at the same time) started promoting the marketing slogan. Just like marketing a movie. (You can learn more about the jingle’s creation here)

Throughout the years, the campaign was constantly revisited to find new ways of making it stronger and more meaningful.

You can find out more about this campaign and how it can apply to making your brand stronger from our RULER speaker Matt Biespiel – McDonald’s Senior Director of Global Brand Development for over 11 years.

Hurry and get your ticket here: rebelsrulers.com/tickets.

“If you go to a bank, you can trust that all employees have a common understanding of what ‘money’ means. If you go to a hospital, you strongly hope that all doctors will have an aligned understanding of what ‘disease’ means. In general, we expect professionals to share a common view of the fundamentals of their trade.

This is not true in branding. Experts do not share a common view of what ‘brand’ means. They call it everything from a gut feeling, a living memory, or an interface, to an intangible sum of attributes, or a business asset. To confuse matters further, many are using ‘brand’ when they actually mean something else (e.g., ‘company’ or ‘image’).

There is one definition for ‘profit’ and at least 30 for ‘brand’ (or ‘branding’). Leading economists have been getting it wrong for decades – yet people still trust them. ‘Brand fluff people’ have been intuitively getting it right for decades – yet people still don’t trust them.

Us branding professionals can take part of the blame. Instead of defining the fundamental term of our profession in a straight-forward way, we each create our own individual metaphors when talking about brand, often mistaking a description for a definition. The lack of a commonly accepted foundation for our profession makes the discourse imprecise at best and illogical at worst, which is a barrier to gaining trust with senior management in many companies.

But what do—or rather, what should—the terms ‘brand’ and ‘branding’ mean?

That’s it. Not more, not less. A definition does not have to inspire or guide. The definition of life doesn’t provide guidance how to live it. The definition of football is quite dull, but what wealth of emotion is triggered by playing and watching it!”

Courtesy of Calin Hertioga, our RULER speaker and brand valuation director at Interbrand, together with Johannes Christensen in their article on branding fundamentals

Continue reading here.

Yes, it was our RULER speaker Michael Johnson and his team that rebranded Virgin Atlantic, a true pioneer of the skies.

Why did they need a rebrand, you might ask? Well, because even though the company was top of mind, its words and visuals lagged behind. The perception of its brand was higher than its presentation.

The rebranding process is complex, we all know that. But have you ever wondered what it would be like, as an agency, to have to consider how your ideas and work will affect a plane’s fuel consumption? Well, Johnson Banks faced this challenge. The team had this environmental aspect in mind as they prepared the revamped Virgin Atlantic brand for many applications: they adapted core elements and lighter uniforms, and then moved on to other (equally as critical) aspects of the project.

“For many applications within airports and advertising, a ‘landscape’ logo (i.e., long, wide and thin) is of paramount importance. But we also knew that if we could carefully craft the typography to allow a two-line (or stacked) version of the logo, this would also be very useful. In fact, the requirements of a modern airline brand identity are myriad and cover all shapes and sizes, from full colour fuselage, to screen-printed catering packs, to tiny logos on travel ‘aggregator’ sites.”

Another aspect of Johnson’s approach worth mentioning is collaboration with the brand communication team or agency to ensure that the brand looks and feels coherent in all instances. For this, Johnson Banks collaborated with RKCR/Y&R London.

Read (and see) more from this amazing project here.

Are you building – or do you plan on building – a startup or personal brand? If yes, then you probably understand the need for a logo, but it’s also much more than that. You must create a brand, as well. This is truly a complex task, but when it is done properly and strategically, it helps define your business in a manner that makes it both recognisable and sustainable.

Once you have achieved the establishment of your brand’s purpose, you arrive at the need for a logo. For this, we suggest that you take the advice of RULER Michael Johnson, Founder and Creative Director at Johnson Banks:

“You could try designing a logo yourself, and there are many examples that haven’t changed much since inception. Virgin’s was allegedly scribbled on the back of a napkin (quite who scribbled it remains unclear). In the late 90s, Google was just one of a squillion silly-name startups who picked a typeface, chose some colours, and went for it themselves. Nearly twenty years later, the type’s been on a bit of a diet, but the colours remain.

Alternatively, a keen design student might be the answer, but judging what’s in front of you may prove troublesome. When presented with the Nike logo by then design student Carolyn Davidson, Phil Knight’s reaction was (allegedly) ‘I don’t love it but maybe it will grow on me’ and duly paid her $35 dollars for her time. To be fair, she was later given a clutch of Nike shares worth well over half a million dollars,” Michael mentions in one of his articles.

But when is it imperative to work with the experts?

“When a great result needs to be guaranteed, or when there are so many voices demanding attention that outsiders are necessary. Making logos work across a myriad of applications is another reason help is called upon. When designing an airline livery, it began to dawn on me that how it worked in miniature on price comparison websites was as important to the client as how it worked 30 metres wide on a plane fuselage.

Despite how hard they are to design – and approve – the power of a logo is undeniable. IBM’s stripes have become synonymous with technology. Apple and Shell? They’ve done away with writing their names altogether. That truly is the power of a great logo.”

Want to learn more about what Johnson Banks took into consideration when rebranding the beloved Virgin Atlantic brand? Find out here: rebelsrulers.com/rebranding-virgin/.

“Your brand is your reputation. It’s your calling card. It’s what you’re known for and how people experience you. It’s about bringing who you are to what you do and how you do it. Delivering your brand clearly and consistently will create a memorable experience in the minds of those you interact with and can open doors to new opportunities.

If you’re able to pursue activities and interests that are in line with your values and what’s important to you at a core level, you will be less stressed. You’ll also save energy and lower conflict—internally and with others. Your values can point your decision making in the right direction so you can spend your time in the ‘right’ areas for you. There’s nothing more powerful than aligning who you are with what you do and how you do it and spending your time on pursuits that have meaning to you.

Everyone has weaknesses. Even Superman had his Kryptonite. Weaknesses might simply be things that don’t interest you, or areas where you haven’t focused your energies. After all, there is only so much time in the day.

Weaknesses can range anywhere between benign to toxic to your dreams. They can be a sign of:

1. Lack of interest: It’s just not your thing.
2. Lack of education or training: You decided to skip ‘Invented Languages: Klingon and Beyond.’
3. Lack of capacity: The job requires an 800 lb. gorilla and you are human.
4. Overused strengths: You may be overusing your ‘go to’ strengths to the point where they serve as a detractor. (Example: You pride yourself on being flexible, but it’s coming across as wishy-washy and indecisive.)

You’ve probably heard the expression, ‘keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.’ The same is true of strengths and weaknesses. It is really important to know both. That way you can say ‘yes’ to those things that employ your greatest strengths, and you can say ‘no’ to activities that aren’t going to serve your deeper purpose.”

PwC’s workbook guides you through a series of revealing activities that can help you define your personal brand. Highlight your unique characteristics by following the advice here.

Did you know that our RULER Laura Ries and her father (Al Ries) are the pioneers of brand positioning? They have written several best-selling books – their The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding being in the top 3 most important marketing books of all time – and have consulted valuable brands such as Microsoft, Samsung, Disney, and Ford on their positioning.

“Brand positioning is the process of creating a position for your brand in your consumers’ minds. It is like creating a key for a lock, a bolt for a nut, or even a button for a buttonhole. In this case, you are offering a solution for your consumers’ pain point in a way that no competitor ever has. You think about your consumers, understand their difficulties, and represent them through your brand.

WHY DO YOU NEED IT?

Brand positioning connects you with your target audience.

Through brand positioning, you can understand your target audience and connect with them in the best way possible. By perfectly catering to people’s requirements, you will establish yourself as a brand that cares while your consumers start trusting you. This trust is what makes it easier for them to make purchase decisions that improve your conversions.

Brand positioning highlights your value proposition.

Positioning your brand essentially means standing up for something. No matter how rigorous or not your competition is, you have to fight your way into the minds of your consumers. Fail to do this and you give competitors the opportunity to snatch away the position that your brand deserves.

Brand positioning differentiates you from the rest.

Anyone can manufacture a product, but only passionate entrepreneurs can create brands. And with good positioning, you can help your brand stand out as something different from the usual.

Brand positioning might sound easy; but it actually involves a lot of thinking on the part of your core team. Not only will you have to identify and cater to your consumers’ unmet needs, but you will also have to make sure your brand resonates and remains with your consumers whenever they make their purchases.”

Find out more about the importance of brand positioning and some very good examples of companies that may inspire you: http://bit.ly/brandingmag-positioning.

PS. Don’t miss your chance to meet Laura and access her know-how this Fall, on October 25 & 26, in Bucharest at REBELS AND RULERS! Reserve your ticket here: www.rebelsrulers.com/tickets

“Why is participation so increasingly important these days?

It is because content is exploding and constantly fighting for people’s attention. But once you can encourage someone to actively participate in an event, a product innovation, a purpose driven cause – then we’re talking. That’s when messaging turns into experiencing. And that is so much more powerful and memorable.

Remember the old formula (first developed by Edgar Dale in the 40’s) that you’ve heard in school: People remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear – but 90% of what they do. That’s exactly why participation matters.

Participation is the ultimate and most deeply effective way to interact with people. Let’s agree to stop referring to a brand’s audience as consumers, which is one-way and passé, and start calling them participants. This infers that the relationship we build with people needs to be less transaction-focused and more interaction-based. More than semantics, this is a fundamental shift in the way we look at and approach branding and marketing.”

Dominik Prinz, partner at cg42 and also one of our RULERS, reveals and elaborates on the 3 P’s that brands must embrace – People, Purpose, and Participation. Read the full article here.

It is a tremendous thing to target an entire country for change. As it has been done in the past – whether for technological change, governmental change, or even spiritual change – the mere scale of such an action invokes an immense amount of effort. Like when the British brought the technology of ships and trains to Japan or when Napoleon spread the Civil Code throughout Europe. Armies and armadas moved knowledge to make it happen.

But today, because of the speed of information, many people have come to falsely believe that distance is no longer an issue when it comes to understanding the progressive ways of other cultures. They assume that if someone has achieved something amazing in an industry and has commenced the success of a lifetime, then automatically all people in that industry should hear about it. Assumption born, of course, out of the process of globalization that pleads “business is business“ no matter the culture.

But what happens when that industry is branding – the industry that helps propel all other industries?

One can argue that you can only measure its success, really, by the success of other industries.

The truth, however, is that something can happen here which many did not foresee. Brand leaders from many different industries coming together in one country and opening their knowledge to an unexpecting population – could this be a way to change entire nations? When, for example, the only thing standing between an Eastern European producer and an international market is his/her understanding of quality branding, yet no one around jumps to offer their experience because they are too busy figuring out their own strategy…

The situation becomes rather peculiar when branding becomes a sort of patented, secret technology that no one wants to share in fear of increasing their competition. Though understandable in a saturated market, this mindset is the enemy of startup nations. Take, for instance, the brand that the Queen of England and her son are so fond of: Transylvanian honey. According to a report published by Forbes magazine in 2017, Romania is the largest exporter of honey in the whole European Union, with 80% of those exports taken as raw material by German brands.

Now, the question is: Is it possible to show Romanian producers that Romanian brands could directly open their businesses to foreign markets?

The answer is yes!

Many complain about the dominion of foreign brands over local businesses, but how businesses act and present themselves to the world is entirely in their own hands. If they want the responsibility of distributing their products worldwide without going through others to do so, then they must apply the subtleties of good branding to earn the trust of their consumers. Which is the same as earning the trust of their community – something impossible to do without understanding it, interacting with it, and showing it honesty and sincerity through transparency. The technology of our time makes all of this possible, even for the individual. And, while it’s easy to assume that the trust already built between brands and people somehow offers newcomers the benefit of the doubt, the fact is that it doesn’t.

You must establish your own, and branding can show you how.

Read more from our founder, Flavia Anghel, here.