Results are in, we have a champion… and a surprising loser

Summer 2023 is a wrap and we’re looking back on the biggest marketing wins and losses of the season.

Results are in, and we have a champion… and a loser.

McDonald’s wins the crown.

Pixar is left in the dust.

With the audience-fueled marketing win of the Grimace Shake, McDonald’s did something many companies are afraid to do — they handed off the power to their audience.

With a kick-off ad featuring a lovely 80s-esque portrait of the purple character, McDonald’s shared what looked like poorly edited text in the character's voice announcing a secret surprise, urging fans to text Grimace.

And the internet went wild. TikToks. Reels. Memes. Content good and bad circulated social from thousands of followers. Shakes sold out. Demand skyrocketed. Grimace became recognized in households all over the world yet again.

But Pixar committed the ultimate marketing taboo. They told their audience how they should feel.

With a clip of a movie theater, Pixar showed the crowd going wild for a character the general public had yet to meet.

The result?

Comments blew up with hostage jokes as people called out the brand for attempting to force love. The character was easily forgotten.

Here’s the difference: McDonald’s trusted their audience. Pixar didn’t.

This isn’t just limited to B2C. Your B2B audience is smart, capable, and can see a sales pitch from a mile away.

For a deeper take on this, check out this episode of B2B Growth:

Your turn: Your audience knows when you’re telling them what to do. Are you always selling to them? Or actively working on building affinity, connection, and resonance? Who were your winners and losers of the summer in marketing?