McDonald’s USA CMO Tariq Hassan steps down; Alyssa Buetikofer to take over

USA – McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger has announced that Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Tariq Hassan will step down, with Alyssa Buetikofer, currently CMO of McDonald’s Canada, set to take over as senior vice president, chief marketing and customer experience officer on February 15.

Hassan will continue to assist with the transition process through most of the first quarter.

He joined McDonald’s in September 2021 following a three-year tenure as Chief Marketing Officer at Petco and has been recognized for integrating the brand into mainstream culture with initiatives such as adult Happy Meals and Grimace’s birthday campaign.

According to Erlinger, Hassan played a key role in transforming McDonald’s into a digital, data-driven enterprise, fostering growth, and strengthening the brand’s long-term prospects.

Buetikofer, who has been with McDonald’s since 2011, has held various roles across three regions.

During her previous time on the U.S. marketing team, she was instrumental in launching the successful Famous Orders platform, which significantly boosted social media engagement and sales performance.

Erlinger highlighted Buetikofer’s leadership, describing her as a strong communicator with a deep understanding of marketing’s role in customer engagement, brand loyalty, and business expansion.

The quick-service restaurant sector has faced challenges as more consumers opt for home-cooked meals.

However, McDonald’s second-quarter 2024 earnings reflected a slight increase in same-store sales, indicating that its strategies to drive growth might be effective.

While McDonald’s guest counts remained negative by its internal metrics, data from Placer.ai suggested that year-over-year visits grew by 0.3% compared to the previous quarter.

This was an improvement from the 2.2% decline recorded in the second quarter, when McDonald’s reported its first U.S. same-store sales drop since 2020.

One of McDonald’s key strategies to boost traffic and revenue involved transitioning from localized promotions to a national value platform.

The introduction of a US$5 Meal Deal at the end of the second quarter contributed to a rise in customer visits, prompting the company to extend the promotion for the remainder of the year.

The brand’s marketing efforts also included launching a McValue campaign featuring ads with wrestler-actor John Cena and leveraging nostalgia with a limited-edition Pokémon Happy Meal.

Additionally, McDonald’s scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, aligning with a trend among major corporations.

Industry-wide, quick-service restaurant traffic remains under strain as budget-conscious consumers, particularly those from lower-income households, continue to dine at home more frequently, as noted by McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski during an earnings call.

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