How can McDonald’s convince its consumers to not only download the McDelivery app but to keep it on their phone and keep ordering from it?

Change something simple to do something big

Instead of keep pushing notifications or changing the whole app platform, we created a giveaway promotion removing all obstacles to happiness by changing something simple, easy to understand and also fun to experience: the app icon. We called it "The Promoticon" - Happiness at your fingerprint, literally.

By updating the McDelivery app icon design, people could easily discover what bites of happiness McDonald's was giving away with each order. If the icon is a Big Mac, people get a free Big Mac, if it is fries, free fries, same with Mcnuggets and many more iconic products.

No need to redeem points, enter codes or exchange coupons, whatever the app looks like you get for free with your order.

The Promoticon campaign launched across 6 markets in the GCC region for a 7 weeks period.

The first step was to create awareness around the McDelivery app and convince active McDelivery users to shift from call centers to download the mobile app. Knowing that the regional culture revolves around driving and mall related activities, we first launched the Promoticon campaign by going outside of people’s phone, on billboards and radio waves.

We then started to get people excited by revealing the great Promoticon news and the first “Free McNuggets” offer on the most popular social media channels in the region: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The ultimate step was for us to get people to not only keep the app but also encourage others to download it in order to grow the McDelivery app community. We invited people to share the news and tag their friends to enjoy the promotion together.

Downloads through the roof

Consumers all around the GCC quickly adopted the Promoticon with a total of 65% increase in App downloads from the previous month, making it the top pick on the App store in the region.

Ordering like there is no tomorrow

Not only people downloaded the app but they fell in love with it. With an average of 200% increase in app ordering across the GCC and a skyrocketing number of 459% in Kuwait within the first week the Promoticon became an immediate sensation.

Promotion turned phenomenon

Within the first week of our campaign our Promoticon social content received more than 125,000 social interactions across the GCC region. Not only people started to share the good news they also started to lobby for the next giveaway item, suggesting new icons. McDelivery loyalty exponentially increased with 25% of our active app users coming back on a regular basis.