What do anime, Ramadan, and potatoes have in common?

Hey there,

Let’s talk about something weird:

How the same company that sells burgers in Kansas…
also crushes it selling McAloo Tikkis in India, Teriyaki Burgers in Japan, and Chicken Maharajas in the UAE.

Yep, McDonald’s.
The most “corporate” brand in the world might be running one of the smartest localized marketing playbooks ever built.

They serve 70 million people a day in 100+ countries.

But the crazy part?

They don’t sell the same product anywhere.

Today, we’re breaking down how McDonald’s actually grew into a $100B+ global brand, not by forcing a “one size fits all” formula, but by building a system that lets them market like a local, everywhere.

Let’s break it down step by step, and how you can steal the strategy (even if you're solo):

Step 1: Don’t Just Translate. Actually fit in.

Most brands copy/paste their messaging across regions.
McDonald’s doesn’t even copy/paste the menu.

In India, 60% of the population is vegetarian.
So, no beef. No bacon. No Big Macs.

Instead? They launched:

• McAloo Tikki (potato-based burger)

• Paneer Wraps

• Masala Veg Nuggets

They didn’t just translate burgers into Hindi.
They reimagined the product to fit the culture.

What to steal:

You don’t need 100 products. You just need one thing your market feels like was made for them.

Ask this:

• What does your audience already eat, love, wear, scroll, or listen to?

• Can your product or message “bend” to fit that without breaking?

• Can you build marketing that sounds like it came from inside the culture?

You’re not imposing. You’re embedding.

Step 2: Give Local Teams the Keys

Here’s what most companies do:

• Central marketing team

• Global strategy

• Local teams just follow orders

McDonald’s flips that.

Every country has its own marketing department with freedom to run promos, design products, and launch ads that feel native.

Case in point:

In the Philippines, McDonald’s celebrated Valentine’s Day with “McDelivery Love Notes.”
In Egypt, they dropped a custom Ramadan Iftar menu.
In Japan, they created limited-edition anime-style packaging.

No corporate committee. No 12 week signoff.

They trust the teams on the ground.

Takeaway:

Even if you’re a one-person shop, act like a local team:

• Use slang your audience actually says

• Reference events they care about (not what’s trending on LinkedIn)

• Ship fast, tweak fast and don’t wait for “perfect”

Step 3: Global Brand, Local Vibe

McDonald’s is instantly recognizable. Golden arches. Red and yellow. Ronald.

But under the hood?

They change everything else.

• Japan ads feel like an anime short film

• South Africa’s “Mzansi for McDonald’s” campaign used 100% local creatives

• UAE’s influencer partnerships revolve around Halal conscious Gen Zs

Every market sees a different story, BUT the same logo.

That’s intentional.

You can do this too:

Keep the core brand consistent (logo, tone, name).
But change the story around it depending on who’s watching.

If you’re sending emails:

• Same product → write 3 versions for 3 different niches

• Same feature → describe it through 3 different pain points

• Same CTA → lead with 3 different emotional hooks (speed, security, status)

Step 4: Make Data Feel Like Intuition

This one’s sneaky.

McDonald’s isn’t guessing what people want.
They test the hell out of everything.

They run small pilots for new menu items in micro-markets.
They test limited run campaigns in 1 city before going national.

Even when launching a global product (like the BTS meal), they studied:

• BTS fan behavior by region

• Preferred meal sizes in different countries

• Sauce flavor profiles based on local taste data

Result?

The BTS meal added $50M+ in revenue in a single quarter.

What to steal:

You don’t need Big Mac money to run smart tests.

Here’s how to fake it at a small scale:

• A/B test subject lines on a 100-person segment before full blast

• Run a poll on Twitter to validate your next offer

• Launch a limited offer to your most active 5%, track results, expand what works

Start thinking: “How do I make the next thing 10% more native, not 10% more fancy?”

The Bottom Line

McDonald’s isn’t winning because they have the best burger.
They’re winning because they’re the best at making global feel local.

They don’t try to beat local culture.
They become part of it.

If you’re building anything, an app, a brand, a newsletter, here’s the cheat sheet:

The McDonald’s Playbook

✅ Don’t translate. Reimagine your offer for the market.
✅ Give local teams (or yourself) the power to ship fast and adapt.
✅ Keep the brand consistent, but tweak the story per audience.
✅ Test like crazy in small pockets. Go big only when it works.

Next time you want to grow?

Don’t try to shout louder.

Speak their language. Whisper where it counts.

Until next time,
Omar Waseem

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