Welcome back to another episode of The Barber’s Brief. A segment where we cover news that caught our eye, a marketing moment where we highlight a case study, and our ad of the week.

We hope you enjoy the show!

Our Hosts: Follow our updates here: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/⁠⁠ Get in touch with our hosts: Marc Binkley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/ Vassilis Douros: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/⁠ In the News

In the News

Meteoric Rise & Fall of Prime:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/meteoric-rise-stunning-fall-prime-130900275.html

Adweek: Google Delays Cookie Deprication a Third Time

https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/google-delays-cookie-deprecation-for-the-third-time/

Why most launches fail to grow your brand?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-most-launches-fail-grow-your-brand-prof-dr-koen-pauwels-wwsfe/

lobal social media ad spend to approach £200bn in 2024

https://www.marketingweek.com/social-media-spend-200bn/

Marketing Moment: McDonald’s: A 15-Year Brand-Building Triumph

Background

In the early 2000s, McDonald’s faced significant challenges in the UK. Cultural outrage and negative perceptions threatened its very existence. However, the brand’s resilience and innovative approach helped them turn the tide.

The Crisis

Context: McDonald’s was once a beloved part of British life but had lost its luster.

Crisis: A series of events damaged brand perception, putting the business at risk.

Abuse claims - https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66231131

McDonald's runs out of milkshakes in England, Scotland and Wales - https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58315152

The Unique Approach

Emotional Brand-Building: McDonald’s focused on emotional connections rather than just transactions.

Target Audience: Instead of narrow segmentation, they aimed to reach the entire nation.

TV Advertising: TV remained their primary medium, allowing broad reach and emotional storytelling.

Results

Commercial Growth: Despite PR crises, market fragmentation, and Covid-19 disruption, McDonald’s thrived.

£4.7 Billion Net Revenue: Their brand-building efforts contributed significantly.

Case Study Gold: Recognized as the most effective restaurant brand case study by IPA.

References:

Mcdonald’s Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study: https://thebigmarketing.com/mcdonalds-marketing-strategy/ 

McDonald’s: Keeping customers Lovin It for 15 year
https://www.thinkbox.tv/case-studies/brand-films/mcdonalds-keeping-customers-lovin-it-for-15-years

Ad of the Week

Trucker Napp VW Meteor

Link: https://youtu.be/5RBayTVBUlQ?si=CxGSUuaH9nyJmErN

• 42% of auto accidents are related to lack of sleep
• In Brazil, truck drivers suffer the highest # of fatal accidents while on the job
• Pressure to get deliveries to a location often forces them to not sleep
• VW & Livelo (Brazil's largest reward program) created the Trucker Napp app
• Connect smartwatch to the Trucker Napp app
• Earn points for sleeping
• Better sleep quality = more points
• The more points a company fleet earns, the more discount the company gets from VW

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

0:45 - In The News

0:50 - Prime Energy (The Rise and Fall)

5:40 - Google's Cookie Deprication Delayed. Again.

9:04 - Why Most Launches Fail to Grow Your Business

14:00 - Social Media Has Now Overtaken All Media Channels in Spend

17:00 - The Marketing Moment - McDonald’s: A 15-Year Brand-Building Triumph

23:00 - Audience Q/A

27:00 - Ad of the week