McDonald's
Since becoming McDonald’s Denver PR firm of record, we have increased the national restaurant’s visibility in the region by over 250% and generated over 14 million impressions in 2006, 42 million impressions in 2007, 53 million impressions in 2008 and to-date over 60 million impressions this year with media outlets in Colorado and the region.
Our opportunities with McDonald’s have spanned large celebrity events like The Williams Sister national tour/exhibition match in Denver, with media coverage helping increase ticket sales and fill the Broomfield Events Center. We also executed a statewide media event for the groundbreaking of the new Ronald McDonald House near the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora last year, resulting in coverage from virtually every media outlet in the region.
Fitzgerald Petersen single-handedly managed the launch of McDonald’s Balance Active Lifestyle Communications plan, including the announcement of the new Smart Meals program in April 2007 with The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Fitzgerald Petersen managed the relationship with the state’s Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition (COPAN) program to spearhead McDonald’s launch of the Smart Meal Seal. We also launched the Smart Meals for Kids program in early 2010 and received significant national media attention about this effort.
Throughout the partnership, media coverage has included stories on the Dow Jones news wire, Colorado AP news wire, every local evening TV news show, all Denver newspapers and several community papers. Interest from a national level has continued to grow as states such as Arizona and Utah look to implement their own state supported Smart Meal program.
Fitzgerald Petersen also placed several stories about the debut of McDonald’s new R Gym PlayPlace in this market and we have successfully placed stories in virtually every local media outlet about McDonald’s product launches since we won the account.
Fitzgerald Petersen negotiated McDonald’s sponsorship of the Denver Marathon for five years in a row and was the signature sponsor of the Denver Marathon McDonald’s Kid’s Mile race which took place the day before the Denver Marathon. Over 1,500 kids raced in the McDonald’s Kid’s Mile each year and we handed out over 8,000 McDonald’s Apple Dippers to runners and their families during the event to get the word out about healthy menu items and balanced/active lifestyle initiatives.
Fitzgerald Petersen has played a key role in increasing brand awareness in the region about McDonald’s. In our efforts to reach moms across Colorado, Fitzgerald Petersen initiates local partnerships with organizations like the Colorado PTA and Colorado Dietetic Association into our key public relations efforts. We also manage all regional crisis communications programs and have handled several crisis issues in the past with media training, message development and media communications.
