McDonald’s Local PR Agency Certification Assets
Brand Storytelling
Since we began working with McDonald’s nearly a decade ago, our brand storytelling has largely centered on localizing McDonald’s by positioning owner/operators as local entrepreneurs deeply invested in their communities. Through this lens, we’ve done extensive brand storytelling to establish McDonald’s as an employer of choice, an innovator in the QSR space, and a committed partner to community leaders and government officials. This Houston Chronicle profile of Nelly Quijano, a longtime owner/operator, exemplifies CKP’s approach to brand storytelling. Timed to Hispanic Heritage Month, the feature article highlighted Quijano’s decades of experience as a franchisee and her role in establishing the HACER Scholarships. CKP coordinated the opportunity and interview preparation, aligning with our approach to localized brand storytelling that highlights contributions of owner/operators within their communities.
Media Relations
In December 2019, prior to the national debut of the crispy chicken sandwich, Houston was selected as a test market for the product. With zero advertising support for the test, CKP was permitted to promote the sandwich through earned media. Following a tweet from MHQ teasing the sandwich, CKP’s first order was clarifying to the local market that the sandwich was limited to a third of the co-op restaurants (the tweet did not specify). Using only local earned media and locally produced photography, CKP generated significant coverage for the test resulting in over $700,000 of ad value equivalency and many stores selling out completely, far earlier than operations expected to exhaust product supply. Our campaign for the crispy chicken sandwich was recognized with a Crystal Award from AMA Houston and an Excalibur Award from PRSA Houston.
Crisis & Issues Management
In 2017, Houston faced the trauma of Hurricane Harvey. CKP led a real-time crisis response from the ground, engaging with local, regional, national, and international media to put the owner/operators’ response and community support front and center, yielding coverage from CNN International, CNBC, Fox News, and countless others. In addition to coordinating with the Red Cross and many local charitable organizations, CKP also requested and coordinated the McRig to serve evacuees in the George R. Brown Convention Center, the first time (to our knowledge) the McRig was used for disaster relief. In 24 hours, CKP also shot and packaged a community-focused message featuring McDonald’s owner/operators from across the city to replace all local TV advertising. CKP produced this summary video at the request of McDonald’s Corporation to summarize disaster relief efforts. The response was recognized with a PRSA Houston award for crisis communications.
Stakeholder Engagement
As agency of record for the Houston Downtown Management District, CKP developed and executed the communications strategy for Plan Downtown, a long-range visioning project created in anticipation of Houston’s bicentennial in 2036. Shaped by input from civic organizations, community leaders, elected officials, and other downtown stakeholders, the plan outlined strategies for sustaining and enhancing downtown’s economic and cultural vitality over the next two decades. CKP supported the initiative from public engagement through plan launch, combining traditional media relations with a content marketing program that included social media messaging, blog content, and a video interview series to keep stakeholders informed. This multifaceted approach helped generate strong community engagement and widespread media coverage, resulting in more than $5.7 million in ad value equivalency and 481 million earned media impressions.
Influencer Relations
To promote the 2024 production of And Then There Were None as part of Alley Theatre’s “Summer Chills” series, CKP launched an influencer campaign designed to reignite audience interest post-COVID and overcome competition from summer distractions and evolving media habits. Focusing on authenticity, CKP partnered with local content creators who resonated with theater-goers, mystery lovers, and younger social audiences. A behind-the-scenes influencer event offered immersive access to the production and inspired rich storytelling, and CKP tracked efficacy through custom tracking links, discount codes, and calls to action. The campaign drove measurable business outcomes, with the Alley exceeding its revenue goal by 24 percent. And Then There Were None broke multiple records including best-selling Summer Chills production in Alley history and the theatre welcomed its highest number of new-to-file ticket buyers ever. The campaign was recognized with a Crystal Award from AMA Houston.
Social Media
In 2023, the McDonald’s Houston co-op entrusted CKP (with permission from McDonald’s headquarters) to activate an emerging platform: TikTok. CKP’s intention was to leverage TikTok to deepen connections with Gen Z and Millennial audiences in the Houston area, and from the start, we’ve leaned into trending sounds, hyperlocal references, and iconic Houston-area visuals, always featuring real McDonald’s crew members as the stars of the content. In August 2023, less than a year into the effort, CKP struck gold with a viral moment: a video featuring the co-op’s beloved Ronald McDonald Shoe Car set to an instantly recognizable track from legendary Houston rapper Mike Jones. To date, the video has garnered more than 3 million views and almost half a million likes, a clear signal of cultural relevance and local pride.
Paid Media
One important way we leverage paid media is to extend the impact of earned media efforts. When a television station in Bryan-College Station, TX, covered the inspiring story of Archways to Opportunity graduates from the Colorado Technical University program, we saw an opportunity to amplify it further. Timed to the program’s 10th anniversary, we developed a complementary video series and strategically supported it with paid media across Meta platforms targeted to jobseekers and individuals seeking scholarship assistance. By leveraging paid media, we gave the story renewed visibility and ensured it reached audiences across the McDonald’s South Central Texas Syndicate co-op footprint, reinforcing brand values and deepening community connection.
Over a seven-day period on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), the paid campaign yielded nearly 270,000 impressions and more than 10,000 clicks to the McDonald’s of South and Central Texas hiring microsite, with an engagement rate of 38.33 percent — exponentially higher than the food and beverage industry average benchmark of 0.12 percent.
Special Events & Local Activations
CKP leads strategy, management, and execution for a robust slate of events and activations for McDonald’s Houston, all aimed at celebrating local stories and deepening community ties. Since 2018, we’ve rolled out more than 1,000 events for local owner/operators — from grand openings and McTeacher’s Nights to large-scale public celebrations like the McDonald’s Houston Children’s Festival and the McDonald’s All American Games — many with a strong philanthropic focus. When COVID hit, we didn’t pause, we pivoted. Our team crafted safe, creative ways to stay connected, including a drive-in movie night for Houston’s Hispanic community (complete with McDonald’s snacks and a screening of Selena), drive-through holiday meal giveaways with nonprofit partners, and back-to-school events like bike and backpack distributions across the Houston DMA.
Community Affairs & Government Relations
In collaboration with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, local McDonald’s owner/operators — with leadership and strong participation from the BMOA and MHOA — stepped up as lead sponsors and organizers of a citywide summer hiring initiative aimed at supporting Houston’s youth. These events went beyond job placement. They included workshops on interview skills, free access to public transportation, and direct connections to employers — McDonald’s and otherwise. By offering structured opportunities tied to skill-building and employment, the program reinforced McDonald’s long-standing commitment to family, opportunity, and community impact. CKP led both earned and paid media efforts to promote the program — not just on behalf of McDonald’s, but in collaboration with the City of Houston, with the full support and encouragement of the operators. The result was a high-visibility campaign that showcased the brand’s values in action and strengthened its role as a trusted community partner.
Monitoring & Reporting
For McDonald’s, we deliver monthly media coverage and performance reports to the PR Committee, provide a co-op-wide monthly newsletter summarizing high-level activity and insights, and present quarterly to boards, co-ops, and business unit teams to align on results and recalibrate goals.
Specialized Services & Cross-Functional Integration
At CKP, we believe clarity is a powerful differentiator — and it starts with a foundation of research and data. For new clients, we often kick off work with our 90-Day Navigator: a strategic sprint that cuts through complexity and aligns teams with purpose. We begin by auditing communications, reviewing existing data, and understanding internal dynamics. From there, we clarify audience segments and sharpen messaging through a targeted positioning sprint. The result is a custom strategic roadmap grounded in insight and ready for immediate action, whether clients are launching a campaign, repositioning a brand, or driving organizational change.