McDonald’s on the next stage of its digital transformation
In the latest episode of Digital Decoded, we test McDonald’s mobile ordering app and speak to the brand’s digital director to find out what the future holds.
https://vimeo.com/225123969
McDonald’s has been on a radical journey of transformation over the last couple of years. Its marketing campaigns have shifted to focus on debunking myths around its food, as well as pushing a message of quality.
Meanwhile, its restaurants have had an upgrade as part of its ‘Experience of the Future’ programme, with most of McDonald’s outlets now featuring in-store touchscreen kiosks, mobile charging docks and table service.
Now, the fast food brand is shifting its focus towards its digital capabilities. Last month McDonald’s announced a trial partnership with UberEats in the UK, making its menu available for home delivery in London, Nottingham and Leeds.
Its mobile app has also seen an overhaul. McDonald’s launched its mobile ordering app in the US in 2015, with the brand’s CEO Steve Easterbrook claiming it has now been downloaded 18 million times, with 11 million registered users. It is undoubtedly looking to replicate this success in the UK.
At the moment, the brand allows British customers to order using the app in select restaurants. People can choose their meal, check-in to the restaurant by scanning one of the QR codes, quickly pay and pick up their food.
Marketing Week’s Leonie Roderick decided to test the tech out in person, and speak to the brand’s digital director Marc Cooper about McDonald’s digital transformation journey and what we might be able to expect next.
It’s all good except…you can’t actually place the order until you’re in the restaurant, so you don’t save much/any time. Don’t customers want to be able to order remotely and then just drive up to collect their food, or is it just not practical/possible to synchronise fast- food preparation and customer arrival times? In which case I’m doubting the app will get much usage once the novelty has worn off.
I agree with Paul. Home delivery will no doubt be popular. But allowing customers to order via app, within restaurants, doesn’t really add a great deal of value to the customer experience.
I visited a Mcdonalds last weekend and was in and out in under 4-5 minutes… But never the less, let’s see how things pan out.