Q & A with Jill McDonald - June 2008
McDonald at McDonald’s - The Marketer of the Year 2008
Jill McDonald, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, McDonald’s has overseen a remarkable turnaround of the fast food chain. She talks to Elen Lewis about having confidence in your core business, sustaining momentum and listening to that nagging little voice inside.
What's the most valuable lesson you've picked up in your marketing career?
Make the right decisions about people. Bring together the best talent you can - the more senior you get, the more you need to rely on the people around you. Put the effort into picking the right team that encompasses a range of capabilities - not clones of you or each other.
What's the best decision you've ever made?
Joining McDonald's - I had a great time at British Airways and for many years there was always another challenge. However moving sectors and brands has made me realise how important it is to make sure you are in roles or businesses that will keep you learning, whatever stage of your career.
And the worst?
Ignoring that nagging little voice inside, that can sometimes give you an early alarm call that all is not right. Detail is important - you can have the cleverest strategies and ideas but if the execution isn't followed through to the customer then it can be wasted.
How would you describe McDonald's average customer, if they exist?
There really is no such thing, we serve over two million customers a day and over 70% of the British population choose to visit us at least once a year - so our customer base is as diverse as the UK population.
What's the biggest challenge facing you over the next year?
Sustaining the momentum we have created - the shifting economic climate and pressure on consumer wallets will mean we have to stay closer to customer needs and concerns than ever before. McDonald's is not recession proof but past experience shows we are recession resistant.
What achievement are you most proud of in your career?
Being part of the team at McDonald's who have created the turnaround in our business. We have looked right across the business at how we can improve the customer and employee experience and have moved on a number of fronts simultaneously. We have spent time fixing the fundamentals of our business, such as re-imaging over 170 restaurants in the past 18 months. McDonald's is a big, iconic, global brand yet it has been possible in a relatively short space of time, to make a real difference to how customers view the brand.
How did your career at BA inform your role at McDonalds?
Both are big, global brands and everyone has an opinion about them, so you get used to operating in a very public arena. They are also both service brands, so marketing need to work hand in hand with the operational teams to ensure that great ideas can actually be delivered to the customer.
How do you strike a balance between ensuring McDonalds remains relevant without losing historic strengths?
The starting point has to be confidence in your core business - we are a great burger business and for a number of years we shied away from being proud of what most customers love about us.