McDonald's announced a new strategic plan on Monday called "McDonald's > NEXT," aimed at boosting growth and productivity for the fast-food giant. Although McDonald's has posted four consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, it still faces intensifying competition and ongoing economic pressures. In addition to menu innovation, restaurant reinvention, and hospitality upgrades, the company is committed to strengthening connections with consumers by adjusting its marketing strategy and prioritizing investments in activities that have effectively driven sales.

"Today's customers don't just want to see the brand—they want to be part of it," said Morgan Flatley, McDonald's Executive Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer, and Head of New Business Ventures, in a statement. "We are creating brand-led content and co-creating with fans to reach consumers in relevant and personalized ways."

Over the past few years, social media marketing has been a strength for McDonald's. The company's birthday promotion around its brand mascot "Grimace" garnered billions of views on TikTok; it leveraged consumer social posts to build buzz for the return of the Snack Wrap; and it honored employees through a campaign inspired by reality TV.

McDonald's has also found success in fan culture spaces such as the film "A Minecraft Movie," music groups like BTS, classic characters like the Grinch, gaming, anime, sneakers, and more. As part of the new strategic plan, the company wants to "continue to double down in these cultural circles," explained Amanda Mulligan, McDonald's Director of Social Media and Creators.

"We're not showing up just to show up; we're not doing celebrity partnerships or launching another 'celebrity order' just for cultural clout. We really do view these as creative," Mulligan said of McDonald's social strategy. "What's the core? It's rooted in genuine fan sentiment, shared rituals, behaviors, or memories—things that unite all fans."

As the strategic plan progresses, social listening remains a key strategy for McDonald's in responding to shifts in consumer behavior. The marketing team works hard to go deep into fan circles and subcultures.

"All this attention to detail is what makes our work so great. This level of investment will continue going forward, not just at specific moments on the marketing calendar," Mulligan said. "We're not just observers of culture—we're the ones driving it."

Cultural activation case studies

One example of McDonald's activating around "cultural circles" is its latest collaboration with Nike and NBA star Devin Booker. The Phoenix Suns player designed his newest signature sneaker, the Nike Book 2 McDonald's, inspired by his experience playing in the McDonald's All-American Game in high school and his fondness for the McDonald's in Sedona, Arizona, where the Golden Arches are turquoise instead of yellow. Booker reached out about the collaboration last year, and for McDonald's, it was an "obvious yes."

"He's so deeply connected to the brand that it felt like a natural partnership, and it also surfaced one of our favorite fan truths," Mulligan said. "No matter who you are—celebrity or athlete—everyone has some connection to McDonald's."

Beyond the sneaker design, the collaboration also included a scavenger hunt that embedded real-world clues into social content, as well as a sweepstakes driving traffic to the app during the promotion of a new beverage. For the scavenger hunt, McDonald's worked closely with Booker, who had previously given away sneakers through similar social-driven campaigns. The activation launched in May with a mysterious, mockumentary-style video showing a statue of Ronald McDonald on a bench, but with the statue's red shoes swapped for turquoise sneakers. Eventually, the brand released a video of Booker hiking to the bench, revealing the sneaker's details.

"These beats told a really compelling story, and sneakerheads were going crazy speculating—'Is it a sneaker drop? Is it a global release?'" Mulligan said.

The culmination of the collaboration was an early-access pop-up at the Sedona McDonald's on May 29, where some die-hard fans even camped overnight for a chance to purchase. Additionally, a limited "friends and family" version was available on the McDonald's app from May 22 to 28. The public release on June 2 sold out in about 10 minutes, and as consumers began receiving their sneakers, the brand expected user-generated content to continue extending the story.

"We integrated the brand into sneaker culture in a very authentic way, and now we're letting the fans who got the Book 2 do the rest of the storytelling for us," Mulligan said.

Surprisingly, the Booker collaboration teaser video wasn't the only recent McDonald's campaign to adopt a mockumentary aesthetic. Last Friday, the brand released a two-minute video styled after "The Backrooms"—an internet phenomenon that later became a box-office hit. Since McDonald's was already part of The Backrooms lore, the brand had time to craft the video carefully and plant Easter eggs for die-hard fans.

"This is us being proactive, understanding what's emerging in culture, knowing what will resonate with audiences, and being able to show up authentically," Mulligan said. "Being reactive is also important. We can't predict the future, but we need to be ready to assess what's happening and determine whether there's a conversation worth joining."