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McDonald’s to release global TV ad in India by September end
NEW DELHI: As a part of its global initiative, McDonald’s India is gearing up to launch its new `I am loving it’ television commercial towards the end of September.
Though the company hasn’t announced any official date, the campaign is expected to break only after 25 September, going by what company executives in India opine.
“We can’t disclose anything at the moment. We are still working out a date to interact with media. That (media briefing) should be between 22 and 25 September. The interaction with media will be done three-four days before the formal launch of the campaign,” said a senior executive of McDonald India, who is part of the marketing team.
The ups and downs of everyday life are depicted in fun and relevant ways in McDonald’s new “i’m lovin’ it” campaign
To be launched in more than 100 countries, the campaign has been first released in Germany. The US launch is scheduled for 29 September.
According to information available with indiantelevision.com, partly provided by the company and its advertising agency Mudra Communications, the campaign will be “localised” (for India), but to what extent is not known.
“Yes, there will be inputs from the (Indian ad) agency. But what portion of global campaign would be retained cannot be shared at the moment,” a McDonald source said.
According to the industry estimates, McDonald’s advertising spend is estimated to be Rs 150 million a year.
It is still not clear the medium that would be used by McDonald in India predominately to carry across the message, as company executives are absolutely tightlipped about giving out any details.
The “i’m lovin’ it” commercials reflect the lifestyles and attitudes of today’s consumers
According to a Reuters report originating out of Chicago, the key to this campaign are five new cutting-edge, high-energy television commercials that reflect the lifestyles and attitudes of today’s customers and culture.
“We will communicate a consistent brand message while at the same time capturing the spirit, music and flavor of each local country,” Reuters quoted Larry Light, McDonald’s executive vice-president and global chief marketing officer, as saying.
Timberlake, reviews the vocals he recorded for the “i’m lovin’ it” commercials
Pop star Justin Timberlake who recently won the 2003 triple-MTV Video Music Award winner has been roped in by McDonalds for its “I’m lovin’ it” campaign because of his éclat reputation with the youth. Timberlake, a former member of the popular US band ‘N Sync who launched a solo career late last year, will record the vocals for several of McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” commercials according to a company statement.
The five new commercials have been shot in 12 languages and a variety of locations, including the Czech Republic, Brazil, South Africa and Malaysia. They depict what consumers from around the world feel about the brand and the way McDonald’s fits into their lives. The spots include three brand versions (young adult, families and general), one featuring McDonald’s World Famous Fries and one starring Ronald McDonald.
In the Indian context, the advertising professionals here feel that the competitors need to work on the timing of new campaigns and, if possible, should egg themselves on to target Indian consumers in a better manner through its offerings and communication strategies.
“Consumer don’t differentiate in terms of global or local campaigns. The idea is to be better than your competitors. Yes, the timing is important and sooner or later, one should come out with a better work to combat the competition,” says Lowe’s national creative director R Balakrishnan.
Maximise managing director Bashab Sarkar says, “For a category (fast food segment), which hasn’t got any history of reaction and counter-reaction, there shouldn’t be any immediate action. Also, against a global campaign, it is not advisable to react immediately.”
On the fast food category, Balakrishnan says, “Fast food as a category is completely different because one can’t replace Indian food altogether. Though fast food chains have started serving the Indian palate with so many variants, I would say it will take a long time for such brands to match their performance in the West.”
Balakrishnan further adds, “Also, more than anything else, you need to serve a quality product. If tomorrow Starbuck comes to India, it will have to match Barista in terms of offering and experience. That way McDonald’s positioning is different from Domino’s and Pizza Hut. So, such chains are still growing and not only communication, but overall offering needs to be analyzed.”
Buying family medical insurance online in India has become a common option for individuals who want to secure health coverage for multiple family members under a single policy. However, many buyers are unsure about the exact steps involved in selecting and purchasing the right plan online.
In this guide, you will know the step-by-step process of buying family medical insurance online in India, along with the key factors to review before purchasing a suitable policy.
Step 1: Assess Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
Before buying online health insurance, check the healthcare needs of all family members. Check age, existing illnesses, regular medicines, and the likely need for hospital care later. This helps in selecting a suitable sum insured, policy type, and level of cover. It also reduces the chance of buying a plan that appears suitable but does not meet actual medical needs.
Step 2: Visit the Insurance Company’s Official Website
After understanding the family’s needs, visit the insurer’s official website and read the plan details carefully. Use the official platform to review eligibility, policy wording, waiting periods, cover details, exclusions, and renewal terms.
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the policy works before payment is made. It also helps avoid confusion caused by incomplete summaries on other pages.
Step 3: Compare Available Family Health Insurance Plans
A family medical insurance policy should be compared on factors beyond the premium. Review the sum insured, hospital network, room rent limits, pre- and post-hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment coverage, and waiting periods. It is also important to check treatment sub-limits and specific policy conditions.
Careful comparison helps determine whether a plan provides balanced coverage and whether its terms are suitable for the healthcare needs of the entire family.
Step 4: Choose the Right Policy and Start the Online Purchase
Once the options have been compared, select the policy that best fits the family’s medical needs and budget. Before starting the application, review the covered members, policy term, benefits, and main conditions again. This is an important stage because errors here can lead to the wrong cover amount, an unsuitable variant, or missing details that create problems during policy use.
Step 5: Calculate the Premium Using an Online Calculator
Use the online premium calculator before making the final choice. Enter the correct details, including age, city, number of insured members, and selected cover amount. The result helps in understanding the expected premium and whether the policy fits the annual budget. This step is useful because it allows cost and coverage to be reviewed together, instead of choosing a plan only because the premium looks lower.
Step 6: Fill in Personal and Medical Details
When filling in the proposal form, provide accurate details for each insured member. This includes name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, ongoing treatment, and previous insurance information if required.
Every answer should be complete and truthful. Incorrect or missing details can create difficulty later. Before you submit the form, read every section again and correct any mistakes.
Step 7: Make Payment Through the Secure Payment Gateway
After checking the form, go to the payment page and complete the transaction through the secure payment gateway. Review the premium, policy term, and entered details once more before confirming payment.
After the transaction is completed, save the receipt, reference number, or confirmation message carefully. Keeping this record is useful if you need to track the purchase or follow up on policy issuance later.
Step 8: Download and Keep Your Policy Document Safely
Once the policy is issued, download the policy document, schedule, and any related papers without delay. Read them carefully to confirm member names, policy period, sum insured, and major terms. Save a digital copy in a secure folder and keep a printed copy if needed. Proper record keeping makes future renewals, document checks, and policy servicing easier and more organised when information is required quickly.
Conclusion
Buying health cover online becomes easier when you handle each step with attention. From checking your family’s needs to reading the final document, every stage helps you make an informed choice. A careful approach can reduce mistakes, improve your understanding of policy terms, and help you choose coverage that matches your household’s medical needs, financial capacity, and long-term healthcare planning in a reliable way for your family over the long term.
