Musings: How to make an Iconic Brand: McDonald's Recipe

Whether its your smart phone that wakes you up every morning or the Colgate that lies on you bathroom sink, brands are ubiquitous and to say that they form an integral part of our daily lives would be an understatement. These brands have ceased to exist as mere products that we consume but instead assume a heightened role in our lives. A particular brand of hair oil that a young Indian girl uses at home isn't just any other product, it's an heirloom of sorts that has been passed down to her from her mother, and her mother before her. These brands we consume day in day out weave themselves into our culture and consciousness and before we know it, assume iconic status.

Iconic brands enjoy mass appeal and are instantly recognizable. When a product begins to be recognized for what it symbolizes and not just what it does, it truly becomes an icon. McDonald's, with its golden arches and red fry box, is but an iconic brand that is enjoyed and loved by children & adults alike. McDonald's products are celebrated world over and the masses have developed a emotional connect of sorts with the brand they've grown up with.

McDonald's, like other iconic brands, enjoys immense Top of the Mind Recall within its category which has also been built through the extensive use of Mass Media. Peripheral Cues are often useful in engagement as they are easier to interpret and reach out to a more varied audience. McDonald's too is widely known for it's brilliant advertisements which helped elevate it's appeal. The powerful visual cues employed by McD have proved advantageous and given the brand an edge over other less-engaging ones. Whether it be an an Ad celebrating Pop Culture, a festival or it's flagship Big Mac, McDonald's ads cater to a wide audience and are almost always instantly likable. `

Iconic Brands are also responsive & adaptive to cultural and regional differences; McDonald's does this brilliantly; they've been careful to steer clear of ethnocentrism and adapt their offerings & communication according to the geography they're in. For instance, one can get McArabia in the Middle East, McShawarma in Isreal and McAloo Tikki in India.

Therefore, to sum up, iconic brands typically possess the following core attributes:

Strong Symbolism that makes them instantly recognizable.

Adaptation is at the core of their practices; they tap into the cultural roots of the regions they service and customize their offerings whilst remaining true to their core values.

Iconic brands are Story tellers; there’s always a compelling message that draws in the masses.

I leave you with some of my favorite McDonald's Ads.. :)