The rise of delivery services and apps has been a significant trend, driven by increased smartphone penetration, cheap and fast data connectivity and a growing youth population. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend as movement restrictions and safety concerns put a dampener on eating out.

But, even with stiff competition breeding innovations in delivery times and user experience, including billions spent on food photography, there was one blind spot. 10% of people who order food online in our markets are colourblind and they have been experiencing a lesser version. (Source: TGI 2023)

While brands champion initiatives for visual impairment, colour blindness remains overlooked. We needed to address this problem as a step towards actualising our mission.

Our Goal

1. Expand McDelivery App user base to include the colour-blind community and achieve widespread feature adoption.

2. Improve brand perception scores of ‘Brand for someone like me’ metric

We Eat with Our Eyes First

Studies show that sight is the first judgement factor when it comes to food.

Food paints us a picture and it is this picture that induces cravings and builds anticipation. This is why visual representation is one of the most important parts of the customer journey when it comes to food.

But for the colourblind, the magic fades.

Imagine juicy red tomatoes, a symbol of deliciousness, turning a dull grey. The excitement vanishes. We believe that choosing food shouldn't be a guessing game and that everyone deserves to savour the mouth-watering excitement and promise of a McDonald’s meal.

McDelivery:India’s First Colour-Blind Friendly Delivery App

Introducing the 'Colour-Blind Friendly' tech feature on McDelivery on World Sight Day -12th October, 2023.The feature helps users select from three colour enhancement options that allow colour-blind people to see the real colour of their food and drinks. 

The PR strategy was a comprehensive 360-degree digital and social media campaign that focused on three objectives: Educating People, Engaging Customers, and Enhancing Experiences. By educating people about the widespread yet often overlooked prevalence of colour blindness, the campaign closed the perception gap and created a more accepting society. Engaging customers through relatable and interactive content was pivotal, making the initiative not just informative but also personally resonant.

World Sight Day was carefully chosen as the launch date to maximise significance. Identifying stand-up comedian Kenny Sebastian to share his experiences as a colour-blind individual delivered the message harnessing humour as a powerful tool to convey and humanise the campaign. Collaborating with ophthalmologist provided professional validation, giving the initiative legitimacy and confidence. This strategy ensured a well-rounded approach wherein all the elements were carefully chosen to reach out to the ‘right’ audience and make an impact that truly matters to them.

Launched on World Sight Day, EatQual Colours initiative harnessed the power of social media, press releases, and influencer partnerships to generate immediate buzz. Kenny Sebastian, leveraging his personal journey with colour blindness, engaged audiences on Instagram through compelling storytelling, making the subject relatable and enlightening. His candid narration transformed the campaign into an engaging conversation rather than a static message, profoundly resonating with viewers.

The YouTube panel discussion further amplified this engagement, featuring experts including the Ophthalmologist, McDonald's CMO, and a photographer who was colour-blind. This curated mix of experts, talking about their experiences and the genuine impact of the new colourblind feature, facilitated thoughtful discussions and leveraged YouTube’s broad reach to connect with a wider audience effectively. This honest integration of personal narratives and expert insights, along with a Press Release ensured the campaign was informative and impactful, achieving a remarkable 25 million PR reach within just 5 days.

Launch of colour blind friendly feature on McDelivery app garnered significant media attention: Organic PR WORTH ₹3.1 MILLION AND REACHING OVER 25 MILLION PEOPLE WITHIN JUST FIVE DAYS.

OVER 30 MEDIA STORIES BY MEDIA HOUSES LIKE FINANCIAL EXPRESS, BRAND EQUITY, BRANDING IN ASIA, ALJAZEERA, etc and collaboration with stand-up comedian KENNY SEBASTIAN, WHO GARNERED OVER 160,000 VIEWS AND 10,000 ENGAGEMENTS, using humour to increase the message's resonance and reach.

REACHED 7% OF THE ADDRESSABLE COLOUR-BLIND POPULATION WITHIN SIX MONTHS and achieved a significant 7-POINT INCREASE IN THE "BRAND FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME" SCORE.

The feature's immediate adoption by 54% OF NEW USERS DEMONSTRATED ITS VALUE AND APPEAL, signalling a change in the colour-blind community’s perceptions of McDonald’s as an all-encompassing brand.

The implementation of the colour-blind friendly feature had an important impact on McDonald's financial metrics when viewed through a business lens.

THIS FEATURE REPRESENTED 16% OF ALL MCDELIVERY ORDERS, LEADING TO A DIRECT CONTRIBUTION OF 100 MILLION INR TO REVENUE.

Furthermore, the McDelivery app experienced a 20% increase in organic downloads, driven by the campaign's digital content.

The content achieved a 48% view-through rate, significantly exceeding the industry standard of 15% and engaging almost 10 million users.

These evident achievements in terms of media coverage, audience outcomes, and business impacts highlight not only the strategic effectiveness of the EatQual Colours campaign but also its ability to enhance brand perception, inclusivity, and ultimately, business growth.