How McDonald's can use newscraft to attract more birthday parties

McDonalds sells hamburgers and fries, right? So do a lot of restaurants. What makes Mickey D’s different is its appeal to young children.

When my daughter was a youngster, she would almost hyperventilate when she saw the Golden Arches. She wanted her Happy Meal, dammit, and she wanted it now.

But what she loved more than her Happy Meal was any birthday party thrown at a McDonald’s PlayPlace. When she was a pre-schooler, we used to hang out in the local Playland area on hot summer days. If there was a party going on, she’d find a way to get herself invited – even when she knew none of the kids.

So how could newscraft work for McDonald’s? One obvious way is to generate lots of How-Tos and Ways-To for parents on how to throw a great birthday party

McDonald’s could take a survey of kids and find out their favorite party themes. That could lead to a newscraft story, “Learn the 10 parties themes that today’s kids love most.”

The company could talk to parents and get tips on: “How to throw a great birthday party for your child on a tight budget.”

They could ask party planners to come with some ideas for a story called “The 10 most outrageous ideas for a child’s birthday party for less than $50.”

Each of these ideas would work as web copy or brochures that include a toll-free number to the McDonald’s Party-Planning Hotline or a stand-alone web site with even more ideas – plus, of course, a landing page for reserving party space at your local McDonald’s.

If well executed with strong visuals and props, these ideas could earn a spot on “Good Morning, America.”