Digital Marketing, Supersized
Earlier this week, McDonald’s solidified their foothold in the digital realm with the announcement of the addition of Rick Wion to their TMT. Mr. Wion is the first Social-Media Chief for the global corporation, and will primarily direct the US social media efforts.
Less important than Mr. Wion’s credentials and title (all of which attest to his current role ) are his capabilities in the digital realm. As one of the largest brands on the planet, McDonald’s has a unique opportunity to immediately cut through the noise of the online space and begin creating brand ambassadorships and virtual relationships with their loyal followers. As something of a McDonald’s loyalist myself, I am excited for their move in this direction.
The corporate strategy involved in this maneuver has undoubtedly informed Mr. Wion’s movements; needless to say, McDonald’s has their work cut out for them. This space is theirs to lose, and it would not be difficult to do so. Mr. Wion’s instructions to his business segment include the mandatory ‘region identification’ on Twitter handles as well as the culling of the ever-influential mommy-blogger segment. As most active social media marketers can tell you, there are fewer segments more polarizing than the mommy-blogger, as evidenced by a few notable instances .
All in all, Mr. Wion has his work cut out for him – but in a good way. This is not a greenfield initiative, but rather an opportunity to solidify market share through an existing channel. The market is out there; McDonald’s has answered the call. What companies should follow McDonald’s lead? Do you think McDonald’s is really breaking ground, here, or just proving their size by being a late-stage adapter on this front?
