NielsenIQ BASES Collaborates with McDonald’s USA to Introduce Cultural Resonance Module - Transforming Inclusive Advertising Testing

March 25, 2024 at 09:01 AM EDT

NIQ, a global leader in consumer intelligence, proudly announces the integration of its new, industry-leading NIQ BASES Cultural Resonance module into BASES renowned ad testing portfolio, built in thought-partnership with McDonald’s USA. This module offers a validated set of cultural resonance metrics, to guide creative optimization discussions to help marketers produce more impactful and inclusive advertising.

This add-on assesses the role of cultural factors in ads, and how those factors impact comprehension and relatability to the ad content. The tool provides indicators for content that isn’t landing as intended and offers insight into the type of cultural signals that help ads create meaningful, lasting connections with consumers.

“In a rapidly evolving landscape where diversity and inclusion are paramount, the BASES Cultural Resonance module, developed in collaboration with McDonald’s, equips advertisers with the tools they need to create content that authentically connects,” said Megan Belden, VP, Global Advertising Lead at NIQ BASES. “By focusing the conversation on cultural factors, the insights from this module are set to change the conversation around representation and relatability in advertising.”

In an age where companies increasingly strive to engage with a wide array of audiences, the importance of inclusive advertising strategies cannot be overstated. NIQ’s BASES Cultural Resonance module serves as a dynamic solution to address this need, helping advertisers connect with their customers authentically and meaningfully. Key benefits of the BASES Cultural Resonance module include:

Identifying Red Flags: Allows advertisers to spot moments within their content (i.e., they may be interpreted as offensive or inadvertently limit perceived relevance) that contain implicit bias. Advertisers can avoid perpetuating damaging stereotypes by actively identifying and addressing these red flags.
Assessing Content Through a Cultural Lens: Enables advertisers to assess their advertising content through a cultural lens, ensuring it encompasses an inclusive landscape and represents their entire audience. It goes beyond merely assessing diverse casting and assessing executional factors around how an ad is telling a story (authenticity, setting, portrayal of diversity) to ensure consumers can relate to and resonate with the content.
Actionable Insights: With a deep understanding of their content's inclusivity, advertisers can optimize their advertising for all audiences. The module is integrated with neuroscience methodology, linking survey-based metrics to EEG Emotion, Memory, and Attention measures for nuanced interpretation and guidance.

“At McDonald’s, we’re intentional about the role culture plays in the stories we tell, and we’re excited to be collaborating with NIQ and other valued partners to improve the capabilities in building authentic cultural connections with our fans through our advertising,” said Jen Larkin, Director, US Consumer Insights with McDonald’s. “With processes like second-by-second feedback, this tool allows us to make real-time optimizations – making us smarter creative reviewers.”

The BASES Cultural Resonance module is a quantitative module built from extensive explicit and implicit human insight, validated with neuroscience metrics. It delivers a proprietary composite measure benchmarked to a database, enabling businesses to gauge their performance against industry standards.

For more information on NIQ’s Ad360 tool and the BASES Cultural Resonance module, please visit NIQ’s website.

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View^TM.

NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit NIQ.com.

About McDonald’s USA:

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on X @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.