During spring 2017 a nation-wide debate rose regarding the decision to reintroduce mandatory military service in Sweden. Historically an opportunity to unite women and men from different paths of life working together as a team.

We decided to test the similarities between what you learn by working at McDonald’s and by participating in the mandatory military service by copying the Swedish Armed Forces internal survey. The results showed that self-discipline, responsibility and ability to cooperate are almost identical in extent. It also showed that the employees see the diversity of their workplace as a major strength.

When the Swedish armed forces sent out first draft cards we sent out we published the result from the survey in the report “We’re already pretty diverse – an inspirational report on cohesion, jobs and integration”.

The campaign encompassed media outreach, public affairs, digital, SoMe, always on and influencer marketing and all parts led to the campaign site gordonken.se where visitors could learn about McDonald’s and the advantages with people from different paths of life working together as a team. You could also apply for a job instantly on the site.

In order to increase the internal pride, all the participants in the campaign (except the guests) were true McDonald’s employees.

The campaign Serving your Country” went live on May 22 2017:

• Media: National and local opinion pieces on McDonald’s role, signed by McDonald’s franchisees.

o National-wide media: Press release with launch of the digital report “We’re already pretty diverse – an inspirational report on cohesion, jobs and integration” at gordonken.se.

o Local media: Success stories with employees at McDonald’s.

• Public Affairs: A round table in Parliament with 25 politicians.

The “Serve Your Country” campaign helped raise awareness of the growing polarization on the Swedish labor market by making information, otherwise mostly available as statistics, accessible and relatable to a wider target audience. The initiative highlighted how having a job is crucial in order to be a part of the society and how McDonald’s is a part of the solution by providing jobs and on-the-job-training. The initiative also helped establish McDonald’s position as Sweden’s biggest youth employer and showed how McDonald’s work with recruitment, feedback and leadership in order to turn challenges with diversity and language barriers into a success (the “McDonald’s Model”).

A key objective for the campaign was to inspire more companies to embrace our way of leading and educating young people for a more integrated workplace. In the debate that followed the campaign, it was clear that McDonald’s is best in class.

Reaching all the way up to parliament, our voice was heard in the debate regarding how employers can work with integration. This has also built relations for the future.

Results in numbers:

Earned media: +4,5 million in reach

Social media: +10 million in reach (Sweden has 10 million inhabitants)

Applicants to McDonald’s: +40%

Applicants under 18 years old: +320%

May 22-July 31 2017 compared to the same period 2016

Perception of McDonald’s as a good employer: +29%

Perception of McDonald’s as an ethical and responsible company: +33%

Brand preference: +27%

Source: HOT from May to July 2017 (McDonald’s tracking)