America as a brand is hurting overseas. Indeed if the United States had an ad agency, that shop would be fired, observed Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide, during a session at the recently concluded Advertising Week in New York. To come up with means to improve our country’s image abroad, Reinhard chaired two discussions–one with agency creatives asked to come up with viable campaigns; and the other to pick the brains of clients whose brands enjoy success in foreign nations.
In the latter session Mary Dillon, executive VP/global chief marketing officer for McDonald’s, identified three guiding principles for McDonald’s in foreign markets: being local; acting responsibly; and giving back. She related that being local is “not just about appreciating local culture and giving a nod to it.” Instead McDonald’s is viewed as a local restaurant in other countries because it is committed to having its local franchisees becoming “part of the local culture. The management teams of our restaurants are from that country.”
Dillon noted that franchisees embrace local customs. In Saudi Arabia, for example, McDonald’s closes five times a day for prayers. In China–which is very much a face-to-face culture–there are no drive-through orders forcing customers to talk to an audio speaker box.
For the Advertising Week gathering, Dillon screened a McDonald’s spot in which kids in different countries run about excitedly and say in their native languages that dad is making dinner tonight. Finally we hear that message in English as fathers of different nationalities and cultures bring home bags of McDonald’s food. Dillon described it as a global ad with local insight.
In terms of acting responsibly, Dillon defined this as understanding what perceptions of the brand aren’t positive and addressing them “head on.” For McDonald’s this principle primarily entails caring for its employees and for children. The latter involves taking on childhood obesity through alternative Happy Meals and marketing them in a responsible manner. While the notion of tying into Shrek the Third this year got some initial bad press, once the details of that campaign were disclosed, the media coverage turned positive. For example, getting kids to check on Shrek online led them to messages encouraging them to be active offline, getting out of the house, playing sports and having fun. And the Shrek campaign promoted Happy Meals with apple dippers, milk and proper portions.
As for employees, McDonald’s advances its workers to the point where 70,000 store managers today started out on restaurant crew. And every McDonald’s employee is found to drive the employment of someone else in jobs ranging from construction to transport, farming and ranching, positively influencing the local economy.
The third principle figuring in brand success outside the U.S. is “giving back” to local communities. For example, there are 270 Ronald McDonald Houses around the world providing accommodations for families of children who are seriously ill.
These three principles outlined by Dillon, said Reinhard, offer lessons for branding America globally. Reinhard should know; he founded Business for Diplomatic Action, which enlists U.S. business to help improve the perception of America around the world.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Reach Divorce Settlement After 8 Years
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history but not every legal issue between the two.
Jolie and Pitt signed off on a default declaration filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, saying they have entered into a written agreement on their marital and property rights. The settlement was first reported by People magazine.
"More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt," Jolie's attorney, James Simon, said in a statement. "She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over."
The filing says they give up the right to any future spousal financial support, but gives no other details. A judge will need to sign off on the agreement. An email late Monday night to Pitt's attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, were among Hollywood's most prominent pairings for 12 years, two of them as a married couple. The Oscar winners have six children together.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, after a private jet flight from Europe during which she said Pitt physically abused her and their children. The FBI and child services officials investigated Pitt's actions on the flight. Two months later, the FBI released a statement saying it would not investigate further, and the U.S. attorney did not bring charges.
A heavily redacted FBI report obtained by The Associated Press in 2022 said that an agent provided a probable cause... Read More