Since becoming McDonald’s Denver Co-op PR agency of record more than a decade ago, Fitzgerald Petersen has increased the national restaurant’s positive visibility by over 250%.
Our opportunities with McDonald’s have spanned large celebrity events like The Williams Sister national tour/exhibition match in Denver and executing a statewide media event for the groundbreaking and opening of the Ronald McDonald House near the Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora. We single-handedly managed the launch of McDonald’s Balance Active Lifestyle Communications plan and all media aspects of McDonald’s product launches in the market. Fitzgerald Petersen conducted a campaign for McDonald’s Fruit & Maple Oatmeal launch in the market with an original event, which included sampling and media coverage from virtually every Denver market main TV, radio and print outlet. We also launched the entire new McCafe beverage menu for McDonald’s with many positive reviews in broadcast and print throughout the state. Fitzgerald Petersen launched McDonald’s ‘Favorites Under 400 Calories’ menu resulting in the education of Colorado residents about McDonald’s wholesome menu items through stellar positive media coverage.
FPC manages McDonald’s partnership with the One Book 4 Colorado program through Governor Hickenlooper and the Lt. Governor’s office. With FPC’s government and influencer contacts, this program has been a successful community relations program for McDonald’s over 5+ years. With McDonald’s sponsorship, One Book 4 Colorado has distributed approximately 350,000 books over the past four years to preschoolers throughout the State of Colorado. The program educates families about the importance of early childhood literacy. Through FPC’s strategic vision, McDonald’s hosts ‘reading hours’ with the Lt. Governor at McDonald’s locations across Colorado, bringing local government officials, media and influencers into the restaurants for additional education around McDonald’s efforts in sustainability, nutrition, employee relations, etc.
Fitzgerald Petersen is tied in to the local celebrity and entertainment influencers in Colorado and has played a key role in changing negative perceptions in the region about McDonald’s. We handle all regional crisis communications programs and have worked on several crisis issues in the past with media training, message development and media communications. We also have developed an incredibly strong 11-year partnership (as illustrated in the left McDonald’s ‘trayliner’ that was used in 240 Colorado restaurants in April) with the Colorado PTA through an ongoing sponsorship and our McTeacher’s Nights fundraising programs, as well as ongoing education surrounding balanced/ active lifestyles and healthy food options.
In addition to McDonald’s Denver Co-op, which reaches most of Colorado, parts of Wyoming and Nebraska and includes 200 restaurants, Fitzgerald Petersen is also the Agency of Record for McDonald’s Southern Colorado Co-op, with another 40 locations. FPC has successful launched McCafe in Southern Colorado with media hits on local television and radio stations and stories in both the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Pueblo Chieftain. Currently, we are conducting media and community outreach in all of Colorado for McDonald’s for several ongoing programs, including our Free Backpack/school supply giveaway program and Free Back-to-School Breakfast Event for all Colorado students in K-8th grade. Positive media coverage resulting from these programs provides the opportunities for local owner/operators throughout the entire region to tell their personal small business stories. FPC launched and currently implements social media strategy for 240 McDonald’s restaurants with creative content, contests and engagement programs.
In addition to the above work, Fitzgerald Petersen was retained in June 2016 to be the Agency of Record for the McDonald’s New Mexico Co-op with an additional 93 restaurants. Already the owner/operators are thrilled with FPC’s creative, effective approach to public relations, community relations and social media and has hired FPC for the entirety of 2017.
FPC has been also been awarded with a separate budget for two years in a row to work with McDonald’s Corporation Communication team in Oakbrook, IL to implement a regional ‘reputation management’ program. FPC has successfully changed the conversation about McDonald’s in the region through our reputation management program FPC branded Our People. Our Communities. This crucial education program – both inside AND outside the organization – incudes influencing third-party stakeholders who have now become our ‘defenders’ in markets throughout the region and informing employees and consumers about McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity education program that provides tuition assistance, free English classes and a free GED/High School graduation program.