mickey d on the move

Monday night’s network broadcast news included a feature on McDonald’s move to recruit in the know moms in two capacities: food tasters to the realm, and evangelistas to the masses. Two separate strategies, one common goal. And it seems as though it might just work, as the noose continues to tighten around Wendy’s continuing struggles.

Tuesday morning, my daily AdAge inbox brief ran the same news. Coincidence? So what do moms and burgers have to do with powersports?

The Golden Arches have turned — returned — to the source of all News That’s Good. Or at least that’s the gamble. By putting teams of moms in the kitchen and letting them pass review on the latest concoctions, they’re obviously hoping to break free of the tar and feathers rep bestowed by the fat kids epidemic plaguing the country. And if the product actually does turn out to be both better tasting and better for you, well ring-a-ding-ding, we’ve got a winner.

The second prong, though, is the more seductive. The moms — seen as a “person like yourself” to the alpha moms they hope to influence — will register their impressions using blogs, forums and other forms of internet savvy. What’s at stake? The spending power of the market is in the $2-trillion range, so go figure.

Conclusions: 1) I think it represents some pretty nifty thinking as gears grind to come up with a fresh approach to communicating the brand positives, and 2) I thought I could hear the champagne corks popping in whatever PR firm initiated the strategy and coordinated the release.

Because public relations is about changing opinion and communicating the client’s POV, this has winner stamped all over it — assuming, with crossed fingers, the moms involved have nice things to say, and do so in a manner that’s believed.