McDonald’s Offers a Powerful Master Class in Resilience With Its Next Move

It’s no secret that fast-food giant McDonald’s has had a challenging past year. There was the E. coli outbreak in late 2024 linked to slivered onions served in the company’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 14 states. There was the news that the global food chain’s traffic was down in 2024, resulting in a 1.4 percent decline in its U.S. revenue for the year. 

In the words of McDonald’s chairman and CEO Christopher Kempczinski, “If you look at the low-income consumer in the U.S.—I’m talking industry numbers right now—that low-income consumer in the U.S. in Q4 was still down double digits.” 

McDonald’s takes action 

Of course, McDonald’s isn’t taking these circumstances lying down. The company took quick action to remove slivered onions from the impacted restaurants and temporarily stopped sales of Quarter Pounders in the affected states until a new onion supplier could be identified. The decreased restaurant traffic spurred McDonald’s to focus on making its pricing more attractive to customers, and to introduce its new McValue menu in January 2025. 

Another boost to sales 

But there’s one more thing the company has done to goose sales. McDonald’s just unveiled a new nostalgic McDonaldland Meal—set to drop on August 12. It is meant to appeal to the adults who grew up with the company and its whimsical cast of characters, including Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, Grimace, Birdie, and Ronald McDonald himself. 

My kids pretty much lived on Happy Meals when they were growing up. They were quick and easy, and they made my kids happy. I’ll never forget that time when McDonald’s teamed up with the people behind Beanie Beanies to include a miniature Teenie Beanie with each Happy Meal. I ended up spending way too many late nights driving to every McDonald’s in the area trying to track down the elusive Patti the Platypus or Seamore the Seal. 

An appeal to nostalgia 

Instead of focusing on kids this time, McDonald’s hopes that adults nostalgic for McDonaldland characters will buy these unique meals. “For the first time in decades we are taking fans on a trip to McDonaldland with an immersive experience that taps into the past to create the future,” says Jennifer “JJ” Healan, McDonald’s VP, U.S. marketing, brand, content & culture, in a company press release. “It’s a chance for us to give fans a new, modern way to experience this magical world.” 

If the nostalgia for McDonaldland characters and the menu, which features a limited-edition Mt. McDonaldland Shake, aren’t enough, each McDonaldland Meal will feature one of six exclusive collectible tins. They include postcards, stickers, and more paraphanelia inspired by the different characters. This time, I definitely won’t be driving from restaurant to restaurant late at night, frantically trying to collect all six of the collectable tins. 

Lessons for leaders in any industry 

McDonald’s isn’t doing just one thing to boost sales. Instead, it’s doing a lot of things, including introducing its low-priced McValue menu and its McDonaldland Meal, playing off those Happy Meals my kids happily consumed. Sure, you must sell a great product to start with, but it’s marketing that puts the sizzle in all those burgers. 

If your business revenue is missing the mark, then consider taking a page from the McDonald’s marketing playbook. There’s a reason why this iconic business has been around since 1955 and why it will continue to thrive for decades—and maybe even centuries—to come. 

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