The commercial synergy between BTS and McDonald’s is breaking it in Mexico. On June 1, the day of the launch of the special menus prepared by the K-Pop group, 136,000 units were sold nationwide.
This figure represents 60% of the total packages that the fast food chain estimated to market throughout the month, during which time the promotion will be available.
By June 4, 80% of The BTS Meal combos had been sold, which include 10 pieces of McNuggets, medium potatoes, medium sugar-free soda and a couple of sauces made in South Korea, sweet chili and cajun.
“It was total madness. We expected the reception to be very positive, but it far exceeded what we imagined ”, says Félix Ramírez, director of corporate communication for the Caribbean and North Latin America division of Arcos Dorados.
“Now the issue is sauces, in many countries they are over. We have already placed an additional order to avoid this situation and make sure that the sale continues throughout the month, not until stocks are exhausted, ”adds the executive who foresees a decrease in demand as the days go by.
The K-Pop phenomenon
K-Pop has become a trend in Latin America, so much so that brands have turned to see the most representative exponents of the genre to propose collaborations that are allowing them to approach an audience that is not part of their most active buyers.
Leonardo Vargas, leader of the influencer marketing department of the Band of Insiders agency, explains that with these alliances, brands seek to have connections with new generations that do not necessarily consume their product, but everything related to certain K-Pop groups.
“They want to enter communities that are already built and turn it into engagement for them. When they manage to introduce themselves and adopt an opinion leader or role model , the emotional connection that is generated between the followers and the brands is immediate ”, says the expert.
Here, he adds, the challenge is to keep the attention of these consumers once the collaborations with the K-Pop groups end. In the case of McDonald’s, although BTS fans are an audience that frequently follows the brand, the chain intends to implement a retention strategy that ensures their preference.
Félix Ramírez points out that they will maintain aggressive promotions at the digital level. “We are investing a lot of resources in these platforms, coupons, attractive offers for guys, all this accompanied by a line of limited edition merch inspired by some items on the BTS menu.”
Among the products to be marketed through the Weverse Shop mobile application are purple sweatshirts, bathrobes, socks and sandals, characteristic of the Korean group.
BTS, the benchmark in Latin America
The audience measurement firm and the digital behavior of consumers, Comscore, reports that the K-Pop genre is dominating mentions on social networks in Latin America. But it is the band BTS that is leading the comments.
In an analysis carried out between August and November 2020, the company found that 70 million mentions in Spanish were generated in the region, of which 85% referred to BTS, a significantly higher percentage than the second group with the most mentions reached. in social networks, BlackPink, with 7% of the total.
“When zooming in on the band’s names, Jimin and Jungkook are clearly the benchmarks: they reach 25.6% and 24.9% of the mentions, respectively, leaving RM far behind, with 13.6% and the other members not exceeding 11%. ”, Details Fernando Vega, social media manager of Comscore Latin America in his corporate blog.
By making a breakdown by country, the analysis firm identified that Mexico is the nation where most of the mentions are generated, with 16.20% of the total, followed by Argentina, Peru, Colombia and Chile.
“This phenomenon is here to stay, at least for a few more years, and is led by young people between 17 and 23 years old. This community has become profitable for brands, but reaching them requires more than just special collaborations. If it is done well, the brands will have a very high reach ”, adds Vargas.
