McDonald's Success in the Middle East 

Founded in California in 1940, the golden arches of McDonald's is one of the most instantly recognisable brands in the world. Boasting over 35,000 stores in 122 countries, it sits as the seventh-largest employer in the US. 
It’s undoubtedly a goliath in the global restaurant/ fast food market, with 600 of their stores located in the nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council—the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
McDonald’s was the official restaurant of the 2018 World Cup, they used this association to their advantage in the hope to increase the number of app downloads. With the primary aim of increasing app engagement which would lead to more sales and in-store purchases.
In order to drive more users to their app, Mcdonalds created a campaign that featured daily discounts available only through the app. The decision was made to target men and women aged 18-35 years before, during and after the World Cup 2018 - covering a 45-day window. 
The World Cup is often full of surprises, that’s what makes it so exciting. Mcdonald’s used this to their advantage by offering discounts that changed daily - which was termed “45 Days of Surprises”. The most appealing daily offers were advertised using Facebook mobile app install ads. McDonald’s used their own customer data to target and retarget their ads to people who had previously purchased or interacted with the brand and also lookalike audiences.
McDonald's patiently released the campaign in 3 waves. Firstly, a teaser phase built anticipation on the run-up towards the start of the World Cup 2018. This was followed by a “Time to Cheer” phase where users could redeem the offers during the competition. The final phase came in after the competition had finished, where people were able to download and redeem offers for a couple more weeks after the final World Cup match. 
Mcdonald’s successfully utilised the happiness associated with the World Cup to increase their app usage numbers. The results from this 2-month campaign speak for themselves:

• 1.4X increase in app downloads

• 2.3X increase in offer redemptions through the app

• 1.9X increase in incremental sales through the app

• 20% of total app downloads were via Facebook ads

• 820,000 total discount redemptions

If your business needs a boost through social media, Gather Social is here to help. We specialise in helping businesses see results through their social media campaigns and adverts. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.