McDonald’s uses direct mail as the milkshake that brings market share to the yard
Marketing campaign objective
Valpak partnered with a McDonald’s fast food chain franchise to create a marketing strategy that measured the effectiveness of a high-quality direct marketing campaign in reaching a target audience to drive traffic and in-store sales for McDonald’s store locations.
Direct mail blueprint for success
Valpak and McDonald’s franchise mailed 380,000 single-panel inserts in New Jersey to demographic-targeted households within a 5-mile radius of 7 New Jersey McDonald’s locations.
McDonald’s restaurant direct mail sales promotions
- 2 buy-one, get-one Big Mac® hamburger, Quarter Pounder® with Cheese or Filet-O-Fish®
- 2 buy-one, get-one breakfast sandwich
- 1 buy-one, get-one Premium Chicken Sandwich, Angus Third Pounder, or Cheddar Bacon Onion Sandwich
- 1 buy-one, get-one medium or large McCafé® drink
- 1 free medium fries with purchase of a Big Mac®
- 1 free Happy Meal® or with purchase of any extra value meal
McDonald’s marketing strategy results
After the mailing, McDonald’s saw it reached its target market with a 5.7% redemption rate, a 16% higher overall average ticket, and nearly $13 in gross sales and $6 in net sales for every $1 spent at the golden arches.
Initiatives conclusion
The McDonald’s marketing case study confirmed that the Valpak marketing mix drove brand awareness and traffic to McDonald’s fast-food restaurants, producing a higher average ticket that resulted in a positive return on the McDonald’s brand investment.
