Question

Which of the following most likely constitutes buzz marketing?

a. McDonald's used chalk to draw out a giant professional-looking drawing of French Fries complete with the McDonald's logo on the boardwalk of a big city.
b. McDonald's posts a sign outside of its restaurants advertising a new lunch special.
c. McDonald's partners with Farmville to feature a "McDonald's Farm" as part of the social media game for a limited time.
d. McDonald's engages in its annual "Monopoly" consumer game in which consumers receive monopoly board game stickers that come with the food they order.
e. McDonald's is considering updating its slogan to appeal to a younger demographic of consumers.

Answer 1

Buzz marketing is exemplified by McDonald's collaboration with Farmville to introduce a "McDonald's Farm," which uses social media to generate conversations and excitement. This type of marketing strategy aligns with creating buzz through interactivity, as opposed to traditional methods like advertising lunch specials or updating slogans.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the options provided, the one that most likely constitutes buzz marketing is McDonald's partnering with Farmville to feature a "McDonald's Farm" as part of the social media game for a limited time. Buzz marketing refers to a viral marketing technique that focuses on maximizing the word-of-mouth potential of a particular campaign or product, often through unconventional means or via interactive social platforms. This strategy assists in creating conversations and excitement among consumers about the brand.

The other options provided, such as advertising a new lunch special or updating a slogan, do not typically generate 'buzz' in the same way as interactive and engaging opportunities like partnership with popular games can do. Programs like the annual "Monopoly" game offer more traditional loyalty rewards; these campaigns can create excitement among customers but do not inherently involve the spontaneous consumer-led momentum that characterizes buzz marketing. In the current landscape of advertising, synergistic advertising practices and product advertising within the attention economy have evolved to encompass complex strategies involving multiple platforms and forms of engagement with the consumer, aligning with the principles of de-McDonaldization.