Okay... so here's a crazy thought. You're in marketing at McDonald's. What do you do to bring people to your store? Most people would focus on the food. New food products. Offer giveaways and discounts. Increase advertising. Ho hum. That's what everyone else might do, and it would typically increase expenses to achieve revenue and profits. You gotta spend money to make money. Yada yada. Or, you could focus on a different tack... what are people doing when they make the decision to visit a McDonald's? - Driving home from school activities.
- Driving to school activties.
- Driving to work.
- Driving home from work.
- Driving long distance - to see family or enjoy vacation.
See a theme?What do people do while driving? (Not just the driver, but the passengers too.) They listen to music. They snack. They talk on the cell phone. They play games. They watch movies- Stop right there. Parents love it when their kids watch movies while driving. The miles slip away more peacefully. Less fighting. Between the portable DVD player and the one that hangs from the ceiling in minivans, movies in the car are almost as indispensible as the cup holder. Hmm... what if McDonald's offered movies? Interesting idea, but as people drive around town, they rarely go back to the same McDonald's every time. Okay - so make it that you can return the movies to any McDonald's. Hmm... and what if it was only a dollar to rent? So imagine this scenario: you're driving across the country in your family minivan. The kids are tired of the three movies you brought with you and they're starting to pick at each other out of boredom. You have a choice between Burger King, Wendy's, and McDonald's at the next exit. Which do you choose? Why, the one that makes the trip easier, of course. Perhaps, the one with kiosked movies. What a beautiful concept. McDonald's new advertising just became a profit center. Redbox movies, per kiosk, averaged almost $40,000 in 2007. Don't just think of how to make your product more attractive. Think of why people come to your business and think of what they're doing at the time that they think of your business. Giveaways and promotions and advertising and discounts all cut into your profits. Is there a different way? Can you enhance your business through a symbiotic partnership? Think through the scenarios that bring people to your store and look for ways of greasing that wheel. | 
