If we review recent trend reports, marketing blogs and social research studies, we are sure to find a multitude of articles related to the generation of the moment: generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012.

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When McDonald's set us the challenge of looking for truly relevant cultural insights that would allow them to dig deeper and really get to know Generation Z to refine their brand and business proposition, it was clear to us that the objective was not to throw more literature about this generation in vain, to generate more noise, confirm old clichés or generate new stereotypes.

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The goal was to deeply reflect on the role that this generation may play in the future of the company and how the organization should engage with them when developing its strategic plans for the coming years.

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Much of what had been published to date was laden with clichés, so our task was to understand those aspects that were less well known and to question much of what had been published.

• A generation of disengaged young people who shy away from responsibility in their lives, or is it the ‘media noise’ that makes them believe that?
• Is it a highly sedentary generation because of gaming and screen use, or is it just a small part of their lives?
• Are they highly frustrated or is it the rebelliousness of the years in which they live, and which has affected all generations of humanity at that point in life?

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Many of these clichés are generated from the biased perspective of the Boomer or Generation X generation. Therefore, it was clear to us that the McDonald's brand had to approach the generation from a very different perspective.

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How did we do it?

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We can't give you too many details, but we can tell you that our team of Z's consultants were key to being able to press the right cultural research keys, as well as the use of multidisciplinary techniques where the analogue and the digital were perfectly integrated.

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The result:

• An exhaustive knowledge of the GenZ that has allowed McDonald's value proposition to evolve with this target, which will mark the future of its business
• A Brand Play Book that will guide the brand and establish strategic territories for McDonald's communication.
• 'Dos and don'ts' of how the brand should express itself with GenZ in everything it does.

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And this is starting to show in the brand's day-to-day business:

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A brand present in key GenZ territories, through a unique experience not only around the product, at festivals such as MadCool or Bombastic.

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A brand that encourages the musical collaboration of the two artists of the moment, Saiko and Manuel Turizo, not only through a sponsorship of their personal menus, but also as a brand facilitator for the launch of a new music track together, custom-made for McDonald's Spain.

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A brand focused on leveraging ad hoc channels to reach this target and build a more emotional relationship with them.

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A new approach to recruiting talent to build its employer brand image with this target audience.

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