McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Returns

McDonald’s “midnight drop” on social media heralding the rebirth of its elusive Szechuan Sauce this morning serves as a test of the brand’s other secret sauce: its social media and loyalty marketing strategy. The last time fans could get McDonald’s version of the peppery and tangy flavoring was in 2018. But showing up at the drive-thru or in line won’t be enough to get the McNuggets condiment this time around. The only way consumers can order Szechuan Sauce during this “limited time promotion” is via the fast-food chain’s branded mobile app (which, of course, allows for home delivery or pick-up at a McDonald's drive-thru or walk-in at the counter). McDonald’s may once have been seen as a laggard in digital, but the company appears to have caught up, if app downloads are a sign of interactive attraction. The Golden Arches netted 2.2 million app downloads in February, the highest of any fast-food chain, according to a QSR Magazine report. If it can top that number in March, it will likely be due to Szechuan Sauce’s availability. The move to solely in-app ordering for the Szechuan Sauce, when it becomes available on March 31, reflects McDonald’s recognition that consumers’ habits have changed. It’s the desire for immediate, unmediated conversations that get a customer what they want with as few touch points as possible. For one thing, a crackly intercom at the drive-thru doesn’t cut it anymore. And standing in line to place an order at the counter is not where anyone wants to be these days either. Rather than find the humor in the causes of customer dissatisfaction, McDonald’s hopes to take dead aim at the obstacles between it and its regular customers. Limited time means no time to waste McDonald’s may have had some fun with customers’ moments of indecision in its recent Super Bowl pre-game spot, titled “Can I Get Uhhhhhhh…,” but the brand knows there’s a real-life frustration associated with passing the time behind someone who can’t make up their mind at the menu kiosk. Plus, consumers who’ve waited four years for the return of Szechuan Sauce don’t want to waste a second. (There’s no firm date for when the special dip will disappear; McDonald’s would only say availability of Szechuan Sauce would last until it’s sold out.) Impatience is one attribute McDonald’s is trying to appeal to with this current rollout. When it comes to younger consumers, McDonald’s knows major media’s reach and influence is limited. The hope is that word of the Szechuan Sauce’s availability at “participating U.S. McDonald’s” will spread quickly on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. From there, a click to either download or open McDonald’s app will spur orders. Aside from sales, McDonald’s marketing team will be watching social engagement and app downloads closely. On top of usual social media management, McDonald’s is also partnering with text messaging platform Community.com for the first time. McDonald’s use of Community.com’s texting platform is another reflection consumers’ expectations when it comes to setting the terms for interacting with a marketer. McDonald’s can either blast out messages or provide one-to-one responses to consumers who’ve agreed to share their mobile phone numbers with the brand. McDonald’s is partnering with text messaging platform Community.com for the first time. A new loyalty drive On Monday morning, McDonald's social media team had some more fun with the sauce announcement. On Twitter, the brand's official account posted an image with a phone number and invited followers to text to get the details on the "next sauce drop." https://twitter.com/McDonalds/status/1505182820125323274?s=20&t=_5CUOIpFAsrtpw55BF5ATw McDonald’s considers Community.com’s text connection as a complement to the more open and public conversations the brand attempts to foster on Twitter and TikTok. With Community.com, the discussions are simply more direct. There’s also a greater chance of inspiring ongoing dialogues with customers. In an analyst call in October, president and CEO Chris Kempczinski said digital orders accounted for 20% of sales in McDonald’s top six markets, with app-based orders being the primary driver for pick-ups and delivery. “Our loyalty program has been an instant fan-favorite and delivers great value to our most loyal customers,” Kempczinski said at the time. “It also creates another touch point to increase engagement and take our relationship with customers to more responsive, more personalized places. We're already seeing increased customer satisfaction and a higher frequency among digital customers compared to non-digital.” Infectious adoration McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce has attracted a cult following over the years. Part of that has to do with the fact fans don’t know when or if the brand will bring it back. It first debuted on the McDonald’s menu in 1998 as part of a promotion for Disney’s animated classic Mulan. But the condiment gained even greater cultural cache when it returned for a limited time in 2017 after the Adult Swim cartoon series Rick & Morty referenced the menu item. As Adweek reported at the time, the cartoon’s Season 3 debut episode featured a particularly deranged Rick raving for his favorite saucy treat. (These days, the animated duo's allegiance appears to have shifted to Wendy's, but that's more of a marketing arrangement as opposed to a spontaneous declaration within a TV show.) If the zeal for Szechuan Sauce is anything like what it was in past years, McDonald’s will face another set of customer satisfaction questions: Should it make the dip permanent, or should Szechuan Sauce’s availability simply remain mysterious and episodic?

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McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Returns, but Only Golden Arches App Users Can Order It

Is the devotion for the tangy condiment great enough to drive mobile engagement?

David Kaplan

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David Kaplan