By Ron Chen, Correspondent ASEAN Region

Fast food giant McDonald’s has recently launched a unique collection of ‘Minions’ toys with 36 different designs across the North and East India restaurants to offer its clients a bit of sensory experience during the unsettling COVID-19 pandemic times, says GlobalData.

With every purchase of a McDonald’s ‘Happy Meal’, customers will receive a ‘Minion’ collectible packed in a blind capsule. Customers can order the newly launched products in-store through the McDonald’s App, at the Drive-Thru’s or via McDelivery.

Consumer Insights Analyst at GlobalData, Namrata Sain says: “The move comes after the company announced last month that its restaurants in North and East India will offer special deals to those who are vaccinated. This is in line with consumer companies globally trying to incentivize shoppers who are vaccinated. As conversations around the pandemic and the inoculation take over social media and occupy consumer mind space, marketeers are getting a chance to build promotions around the same.”

This bodes well with 47 per cent Indians, who opt for food daily/ a few times a week/ once a week in quick service restaurants (QSR), and 57 per cent Indians, who ordered takeaway/delivery from restaurants in the last three months due to COVID-19, according to GlobalData Consumer Survey Q1 2021*.

Ms. Namrata adds: “McDonald’s realized that desserts can also offer some comfort to the consumers and provide a bit of ‘normal atmosphere’ and pleasure during these tough times. Therefore, the brand is offering variety of banana- flavored Minions-special desserts in Soft Serve cones and brownies, to entice the consumers and thereby increase the sales and brand loyalty in hindsight.”

Moreover, on the occasion of World Environment Day, QSR chain McDonald’s India took to social media to announce some of the green initiatives they have taken in the interest of environmental conservation and sustainability, from minimizing how much packaging they use to investing in renewable energy and collaborating to advance sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices. This has helped them cater to 47 per cent Indians, who would like information about the brand’s sustainability initiatives, according to GlobalData Consumer Survey Q1 2021*, connecting with customers through social media strategy.

Ms. Namrata concludes: “Familiarity and nostalgia can often translate to a ‘perceived’ better quality and trust-worthiness, and this will drive the sales for McDonalds, despite having a comparatively limited menu to what consumers may be used to. Additionally, customers like the minions and most significantly, they are pertinent enough considering their global mass outreach, and hence can attract more customers and boost the profit pool.”

* The consumer survey was carried out in February 2021 in 42 countries globally, with a sample size of 500 respondents per country.