Marketing Happy Hour - How Ronald McDonald House Is Modernizing Storytelling for a New Generation

Starting point is 00:00:00 Storytelling, I think, is how we say, at least for our brand, you know, you're not alone. I think it's how we turn pain into purpose and isolation into connection. I think good storytelling is like lighting a lantern in the dark, not to be seen, but really to help someone else find their way. Welcome to Marketing Happy Hour. I'm Cassie, consultant, podcaster, and your host. Every Thursday, you'll hear episodes packed with insights from brand leaders on an array of topics from crafting effective marketing strategies and hitting career goals to building leadership skills

Starting point is 00:00:35 and launching your own business. Inspired by those unfiltered happy hour combos with peers, this show is all about practical, empowering chats to support your professional journey. So grab your favorite drink and let's get to the episode. All right, Joanna, welcome to the show. How are you doing today? So good, Cassie. Thanks so much for having me today.

Starting point is 00:00:57 Absolutely. You know, we have a lot to talk about today and you all just launched an incredible campaign, which we'll dive into, but also just wanting to hear today your career story as well and just how you got to Ronald McDonald House as well. So if you don't mind, let's kick off with a very famous marketing happy hour question. What's been in your glass lately? Okay, so I knew you were going to start the podcast by asking that first. Thank you for having me. Thanks for all the listeners for tuning in. What's my glass? Okay. Honestly, I have multiple glasses at the moment. I have a little bit of coffee. So caffeine, always hydration. And also in my glass, I think a lot lately is gratitude. So I mostly have water, maybe coffee, maybe McDonald's Diet Coke during nap time, but I would say

Starting point is 00:01:49 more than anything. My cup in glass are just filled with some really quiet moments, baby snuggles and the kind of joy that really makes you forget that this coffee has been cold like 25 times since 4 a.m. since I've been up. Oh my goodness. I love that so much. I too have multiple beverages on my desk. But yes, McDonald's Coke is always perfect. So that is one of my favorite things to grab as well. But Joanna, again, really appreciative that you are here today. Just excited to dive in. But if you don't mind first, I would love to hear more about your career journey. How did you land at Ronald McDonald's House? Yes, so maybe kind of like taking a step back for those of you who are not familiar with Ronald McDonald House, Cassie, we believe in an approach to health care

Starting point is 00:02:36 that considers the holistic needs of the family. And it's a really cool concept called family-centered care, which can contribute to better health outcomes for children. And so family-centered care means that the family's fully supported, engaged, and involved in their child's medical care. And research has confirmed that the value of proximity to children when you have a child who's hospitalized is really a key factor in enabling family-centered care. And we've been doing this and been at the forefront of the movement for over 50 years. And so kind of back to your original question, I have always been drawn to very purpose-driven work where storytelling and strategy intersect to create real.

Starting point is 00:03:19 impact. And so my career has spanned both the corporate side, the nonprofit sector, but I think the common thread has been building brands that matter. And joining Ronald McDonald House was such a natural evolution about eight years ago. It's an organization with deep emotional resonance. And I really saw an opportunity to elevate its voice in a way that honors our legacy while inviting in new audiences. And so today, I get to lead the marketing and communications for a brand that's not only globally recognized, but I think, you know, deeply personal to just millions and millions of families. Thank you for sharing that. I'm just curious to, you know, you kind of shared a little bit on this question, but what excites you personally the most about

Starting point is 00:04:07 leading marketing and strategy for an organization with such a longstanding global impact? Yeah, I think, Cassie, what excites me most about, you know, leading the strategy for Ronald McDonald House is, this is going to sound cheesy, but I think it's an opportunity to lead with heart, and let me tell you why. For over 50 years, this organization has been keeping families close to the care that children need, especially during super vulnerable moments. And today, that mission is more urgent than ever. So let me paint, if I can, just a kind of quick current landscape. The pediatric health care system is evolving rapidly. More families are needing our sport. In recent years, children's hospitals have undergone major

Starting point is 00:04:54 transformations, advancing technology, consolidating services, and really specializing care. And while these breakthroughs offer hope, it also means that families are having to travel further distances to access the right doctors and treatments for this children. And these shifts are impacting our work. And so right now, because of the shifts, we're only able to meet about a third of demand for our services. And we have a bold goal of doubling the number of families that we serve by 2030. And so I guess back to your question, what really excites me is that we're not just talking about change. We're showing it. We have a refreshed brand identity. We're inviting the world to see how we're evolving and growing and staying true to really what

Starting point is 00:05:42 matters most, which is families. And we're putting those families at the center of everything we do. not just in our programs, but also through our storytelling. And when I hear the families, the stories of families like Jules McBride, who describes, you know, being held by a community of support after a traumatic birth or a family like Carl who's in our new campaign who traveled hours for treatment and the moment that he ran into an ICU after his daughter went into cardiac arrest, I am reminded that this work isn't just strategic, it's really sacred, and that's what is making the role so meaningful. It's not just about campaigns or metrics. I think it's about honoring the

Starting point is 00:06:27 lived experiences of families who walk through our doors every day, and it's about building belonging, you know, one story at a time. And so I think, you know, that's what excites me about leading the marketing and strategy for this brand. It's really a chance to, you know, it's really a chance to do that and to lead with heart. I love that. So let's talk about the campaign a little bit more. Tell us about it. You know, what was the driving inspiration behind evolving the brand and launching this campaign? This is an interesting topic because I feel like there's a lot of listeners tuning in from legacy brands. And there's always this question of how do you evolve, but also stay true to, you know, your foundational values and who you are just as a brand in general and who you

Starting point is 00:07:14 have been since day one. So I'm just curious to hear about your perception of that shift, too. Yeah. So our new campaign is called Family Says. Check it out. We're going to share, I think, more about where you can find it on our website, on LinkedIn. But really, the campaign was inspired by families themselves. And I think we, with our agency partners, ask ourselves as simple, but I believe really powerful question. What if families who stayed with us could write letters to those who are just arriving. And so we invited alumni families to write letters to future families. People that never meet, but people who would walk through the same doors, face similar fears, and the similar need for support that they had just experienced. And what we

Starting point is 00:08:03 received were some of the most honest and emotional and deeply human stories. Honestly, I've ever been able to read. Two of those letters from the campaign came from Jules McBrill's. who I mentioned before. She's a mom at a really, really traumatic birth. And the other hero story is about a father named Carl. And again, his daughter went into cardiac arrest. And their words spoken in their own voices really became the heartbeat of our campaign. They're not actors. They're literally real parents who have lived through unimaginable circumstances. And they found comfort and community and care at the Ronald McDonald House. And here's a remarkable thing. I think since our founding 50 years ago, tens of millions of families like Carl's and like Jules

Starting point is 00:08:51 have stayed with us. And chances are, you know someone who stayed at a house or you know someone who knows someone. And so these stories aren't rare. They're everywhere and deeply personal. And so family stays, I think to us isn't a tagline or just a campaign. I really believe, we really believe it's a promise and it reflects our commitment to authentic storytelling and that goal of doubling the number of families that we serve by 2030. It's a new chapter and we think we're not just refreshing the brand. We're recreating it around the people who matter most. In each story we tell is really a reminder of why we exist and to keep those families supported and surrounded by care when they need it most. And so similarly to what we've already talked,

Starting point is 00:09:39 about, you know, there's this new generation stepping up right now. So it's not only evolving the brand, but it's evolving who you're speaking to, right? And whatever their needs are or what connects with them most. So how, again, are you balancing that true legacy, those key positioning points that you've always stood foundationally on while also evolving for this new generation and speaking to them in a way or through channels that resonate? Yeah, I think, you know, with the new campaign, we have an updated name and logo. It better reflects who we are today and where we're headed and it isn't just about kind of changing what we stand for. It's about showing it more clearly, more bold way in a way that resonates with those audiences today. I think it

Starting point is 00:10:25 reflects our core values, compassion, care, and community and really is built in a way that speaks to Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. We tested the campaign, the new verbal and visual identity. And we found that Ronald McDonald House and this campaign doesn't just communicate who we are. It really inspires trust, familiarity, and drives deeper support. And so I think, you know, it's important as we're targeting those new audiences, that we're not just evolving how we look, but we're also communicating how we are evolving who we're serving. Our mission delivery is expanding to meet the growing needs. Right now, we're meeting about, again, a third of demand, and campaigns like family stays

Starting point is 00:11:12 are really going to reflect the shift and our goal to serve more families. So I think, you know, this campaign is about balancing legacy and evolution by staying kind of rooted in who we are and what's always made us special and reimagining through, I think, our authentic storytelling, ways that we're speaking to, you know, those younger audiences. how we're showing up for families in the future. Yeah. Well, so let's dive into the three ad spots a little bit deeper. I'm so curious, you know, what was the story that you wanted to convey with each of those, what was maybe kind of the brainstorm process and the ideation behind those ad spots as well. Just so curious what that process looked like from a marketing and advertising standpoint.

Starting point is 00:12:01 Yeah. So again, family stays is all about, you know, it was again inspired by the families themselves. and what we really wanted to do is invite those families in who have stayed with us to write letters of encouragement to families who are just about to start. So the commercial spots are emotional snapshots of what it means to stay at a Ronald McDonald house. And I don't think they're just commercials. I see them. Cassie is like, they're beautiful love letters to resilience. I'll get a little emotional about them. There's a 90-second spot that captures the McBride story. It's about the chaos of a life-changing moment and the grace of arriving somewhere safe at a Ronald McDonald house. The 32nd is from the dad's point of view,

Starting point is 00:12:54 which is a new POV for us. And it's in the father's voice. His name is Carl. And it's the quiet strength of a father trying to really hold it all together. I think there's so much pressure that are put on, you know, parents to hold it all together during, you know, these moments of difficulty. And it's about his ability to find, I think, relief or finding a place where he didn't have, where he didn't have to do it alone and finding that comfort and others going through a similar experience staying at a Ronald McDonald house. And then we have a short form version of the film, which is, I think, you know, about telling the power of community. It features moms in one of our kitchens. You know, one of the things that we provide as part of our programs and services are meals to family. Those nutritious meals are so, so important during such vulnerable moments.

Starting point is 00:13:52 And those kitchens really become, you know, everyday magic for families. It's an opportunity, and through this 15 second, it shows how we're providing shared meals and hugs. I think, again, these ads are just beautiful love letters of resilience, and they're going live, or they are live, actually, across the U.S., Canada, Italy, and India. And I'd be remiss if I didn't plug where you can watch them, which is on our social media channels, as well as on Ronald McDonaldhouse.org. Yes, and we'll have all of those channels linked below. So feel free to, you know, pause this episode, go check out the campaigns and continue listening here in a moment. moment, but, you know, you already mentioned the authentic level of this campaign. You know, each ad is voiced by a family member. You wanted to not only share their stories, but include

Starting point is 00:14:48 them in the actual stories and ad spots as well. So how did that creative choice kind of shape the tone and authenticity of the campaign? I'm just really curious to hear more about that development process as well. Yeah. It changed everything. You know, when Jules reads her, letter, you can hear, you can feel the tremble in her voice. When Carl speaks, you feel the weight of his experience. Again, these aren't actors. They're literally parents who have lived through the unimaginable. And so, you know, when we paired their real letters, their voices with visual recreations, I think, you know, crafted by just really renowned directors and photographers to protect their privacy while honoring these families' truth. I think, you know, you, Cassie, as well as our

Starting point is 00:15:44 listeners will agree that the result is just deeply emotional and profoundly authentic. Yeah, I completely agree. And I love this notion of almost like a short film storytelling approach to this campaign. And I think just as marketers, it's figuring out how can we tell stories and a way that doesn't feel like an ad, right? It's something that connects with the audience. It's something that feels deeply emotional. And as we know, as marketers, emotion connects, right? And it's not an authentic emotion. It's real emotion. So how can you pull out some of those real stories and tell those of the consumer to where consumers can also connect with that family as well? And so I think that's a wonderful approach that you all have taken. In terms of objective,

Starting point is 00:16:36 wise, you know, how is success measured for a campaign like this? You know, obviously this just launched this week. And so I know it's kind of fresh and new, but just really curious as you were developing the campaign, you know, what are some of those parameters or metrics that you set in place in order to just track the success of everything that you're putting out there? When we talk about, you know, measuring success, I think we're looking at it beyond traditional metrics. I think one of the questions that we're really asking ourselves is, you know, did this campaign make someone feel seen? Success, I think to us is when someone, you know, watches the ad and says, that could be me. It's when a donor feels moved to give, not just because of a statistic

Starting point is 00:17:21 that we've included as part of the ad creative, but because when they hear Carl say, you know, you don't have to do this alone. It's when a family walks into a Ronald McDonald house and they literally see Jules's letter that's, you know, written hanging on one of our walls. And that family just feels a little less alone. And so I think, you know, for this campaign, we're measuring impact, yes, not just in impressions and clicks, but also in moments of connection. I think in the quiet personal reactions that maybe don't always show up on a dashboard. But we'll track engagement, we'll track reach, we'll track conversion, but we're also listening. And we listen to the stories that people will also share back with us. I think that's really important as part of the

Starting point is 00:18:06 campaign strategy. Our social team's paying really close attention to comments, emails that will be receiving handwritten notes that will continue to come in, we hope, from other families who have stayed. And we'll continue to ask ourselves, you know, did this story spark something? Did it build trust and did it make someone feel like they belong? Because I think, you know, at the end of the day, the most meaningful metric is, you know, did again, we move someone. And if the answer is yes, I don't think Cassidy, we just ran a campaign. I really think that we made an impact. Yeah. And I love this idea, too, of just noting all these other families that feel prompted to also share their stories. I think that's such a unique thing to look out for, but it's so true.

Starting point is 00:18:52 It's we as consumers, once we start to, again, connect with these stories that we're hearing. And those resonate with us, we also feel prompted to be. vulnerable and share how something has impacted us as well. So I can imagine from your team's angle how impactful that has to be, just hearing more of those stories come out and hearing how what your team is doing is helping so many people. And that impact alone is such a huge thing that you can't really quantify. It's just so priceless in a way. So that's incredible. Yeah. Totally. Yeah. So I'm also curious, you know, too, as we, as we kind of wrap up, we've talked a lot about story and the impact of storytelling. So if you could leave the listener just with one takeaway on the power of story and authenticity and vulnerability, you know, what would it be?

Starting point is 00:19:48 If I could leave the audience with a takeaway, I think it would be this. storytelling, I think, is how we say, at least for our brand, you know, you're not alone. I think it's how we turn pain into purpose and isolation into connection. And when someone, like Carl says, you can do this, he's not just offering hope. I think he's offering a piece of himself. And I think that's the magic of storytelling. It doesn't just inform it, like, it can literally transform if you do it well. And I think good storytelling, I'll use an analogy.

Starting point is 00:20:25 My team knows that I like to do this. I think good storytelling is like, it's like lighting a lantern in the dark, not to be seen, but really to help someone else find their way. And I think becoming a mom has really deepened my belief in the power of stories. It's made me think more intentionally about the world we're shaping, you know, the audiences that we're speaking to. And younger generations don't just want content. really want to feel that connection. They want to see themselves reflected in the stories that we

Starting point is 00:20:56 tell. And they want brands to stand for something real and for something human. And I think it's a privilege because at Ronald McDonald House, we see it literally every day. We see families walk through our doors carrying the unimaginable weight. And through their stories, we witness their resilience and their love and their hope and action. And when we share their stories, I think, with you know, honesty and heart, we're not just raising awareness. I think we're also building that belonging. So, you know, I think my call to all you marketers, future marketers, is to tell stories that matter, tell stories that move people. Because when we do, we're not just marketing. I think we have the power to make a difference. Oh, I could not agree more. Such a great reminder

Starting point is 00:21:47 are there. And again, I just want to remind you listening that all of the links to the Ronald McDonald House, social channels are below to check out the campaign. But Joanna, I want to kind of pass it over to you as well. What is the best place or best places to learn more about what you all are doing? And then also to get involved. How can we support what you all are doing and building and how you're helping so many families? And thank you for asking. So the easiest thing I would say just follow, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook. You can see the full Family Stay's campaign here, more powerful stories like Jules and Carl's and so many other family messages of hope.

Starting point is 00:22:28 If you're inspired, I hope you have left, learning a little bit more about who we are and what we do. And there are so many ways that you can get involved. You can donate, volunteer, start a fundraiser. Every act of support will help families stay together and close to the care and support they need. I think one of the easiest ways to support is through our largest fundraiser, rounding up your order at participating McDonald's restaurants. And if you'd like to connect with me personally, follow me on LinkedIn. I'll share thoughts on storytelling,

Starting point is 00:23:02 brand building, and of course, the incredible families who remind me every day just of why this work matters. Last minute, at least, go to Ronald McDonaldhouse.org. I better put that one in. amazing again we'll have everything linked below including joanna's channel so please go and check that out joanna thank you so much i just want to say congrats for everything that you all have done to build this campaign and i'm just excited to see it out there in the world finally and definitely please check it out if you're listening it's it's incredible and just again feeling and hearing the emotion of these stories and just really connecting with these families and seeing how much they've been impacted is just amazing to see. So thank you for all the work that you all put together

Starting point is 00:23:45 and building this and excited to see it out there. Thanks for the opportunity, Cassie. I'll talk to you later. Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode. If you enjoyed this conversation, I would love your feedback. And if you're ready to take things to the next level, sign up for my weekly newsletter in the show notes. You'll get weekly career and marketing insights straight to your inbox. And if you have an idea for a future marketing happy hour episode, shoot me an email. Hello at Marketing HappyHR.com. Thank you again, and I'll see you next Thursday.

Marketing Happy Hour - How Ronald McDonald House Is Modernizing Storytelling for a New Generation

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