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<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-mcdonalds-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2720737#most-recent-stories">McDonald’s</a> claimed the number one spot on this year’s “<a href="https://dcdx.co/gen-zs-top-25-most-magnetic-brands-2023?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-earns-title-of-most-magnetic-brand-among-gen-z-consumers-2724389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Most Magnetic Brands” report</a> from research and consulting firm dcdx. And it looks like it has none other than Grimace to thank.&nbsp;The firm defined&nbsp;<a href="https://dcdx.co/the-study-of-brand-magnetism?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-earns-title-of-most-magnetic-brand-among-gen-z-consumers-2724389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">brand magnetism</a> as a measure of “the ability of a brand to attract popular and consistent user-generated content” on a zero to 100 scale. The numbers on this scale represented the brand’s “Gen Z score,” which was a measure of how magnetic a brand is with that generation. McDonald’s, the only franchise to make the list, earned a nearly perfect score of 99.3.&nbsp;This year, the fast-food franchise jumped six spots, largely due to the reintroduction of Grimace, the purple monster that took social media by storm. The Grimace Birthday Meal, which featured a vibrant purple milkshake, led to a significant increase in restaurant traffic and sales. Gen Zers took the campaign and ran with it, spotlighting the shake on TikTok, with the trend garnering 1.4 billion views in a short two weeks.&nbsp;The report noted that McDonald’s “built a legacy with Gen Z over the past few years on collaborations.” That included a slew of campaigns with celebrity meals featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/the-travis-scott-meal-by-mcdonalds-is-the-franchises-first-celebrity-branded-meal-since-the-mcjordan-2713824">Travis Scott</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mcdonalds-partners-with-reggaetons-j-balvin-for-another-celebrity-branded-meal-2714037#stories">J Balvin</a>. Additionally, the brand introduced the “<a href="https://www.nrn.com/marketing/mcdonald-s-goes-global-its-latest-famous-order-campaign?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-earns-title-of-most-magnetic-brand-among-gen-z-consumers-2724389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">As Featured In</a>” meals this summer, which featured a collection of menu items that made appearances throughout film, television and music over the years.&nbsp;Following the success of Grimace, the franchise is banking on the success of another one of its nostalgic mascots: a part-alien, part-robot named CosMc. The brand is launching the new restaurant spinoff&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mcdonalds-franchise-creates-cosmcs-spinoff-fast-food-concept-2723161#stories">CosMc’s</a>, which will be a small format concept with all the DNA of McDonald’s but its own personality, according to CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Kempczinski?utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp%3Butm_medium=article&amp%3Butm_campaign=mcdonalds-franchise-creates-cosmcs-spinoff-fast-food-concept-2723161&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-earns-title-of-most-magnetic-brand-among-gen-z-consumers-2724389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chris Kempczinski</a>.&nbsp;The success of these campaigns by McDonald’s emphasizes how the franchise industry can utilize&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/the-role-of-social-media-integration-in-franchise-success-2724061#industry">social media-friendly tactics</a> to get in Gen Z’s good graces.&nbsp;Read the full report&nbsp;<a href="https://dcdx.co/gen-zs-top-25-most-magnetic-brands-2023?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-earns-title-of-most-magnetic-brand-among-gen-z-consumers-2724389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>.&nbsp;Related Articles:&nbsp;<ul><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/mcdonalds-franchise-creates-cosmcs-spinoff-fast-food-concept-2723161#stories">McDonald's Franchise Creates 'CosMc's' Spinoff Fast Food Concept</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/mcdonalds-to-hike-royalty-fees-for-new-franchisees-marking-first-increase-in-30-years-2723700#most-recent-stories">McDonald's to Hike Royalty Fees for New Franchisees, Marking First Increase in 30 Years</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-do-you-open-a-mcdonalds-franchise-2721882#most-recent-stories">How Do You Open a McDonald’s Franchise?</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-mcdonalds-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2720737#most-recent-stories">Franchise Deep Dive: McDonald’s Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data</a></li></ul>

McDonald’s Earns Title of Most Magnetic Brand Among Gen Z Consumers

1851 Franchise

From the Grimace shake to celebrity meals, McDonald’s has it down when it comes to attracting 11-to-26-year-old consumers. 

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