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BrandStack.ai is a brand intelligence platform trusted by leading global brands to drive brand growth across channels and markets. By delivering AI-powered brand insights and strategic market recommendations, BrandStack.ai helps brands strengthen brand performance across Search, Social, Video, Display, CTV / TV, Audio, and more.


Investment Recommendations

Targeted investment recommendations for McDonald's, aimed at boosting brand interest, strengthening market presence, and accelerating brand growth.
Category Description Markets
Growth Opportunity
Mid-size markets with positive brand interest trends
95 DMAs 23 States
High Growth Priority
Large markets showing strong consistent growth
76 DMAs 17 States
Maintain & Optimize
Stable markets with consistent performance
29 DMAs 10 States
Turnaround Priority
Markets requiring immediate attention / improvement
11 DMAs

Brand Insights

Brand Insights reveal McDonald's’s brand interest across U.S. regions, highlighting growth opportunities, market trends, and strategic focus areas.
McDonald's shows strong performance with 5.2% average growth across 51 markets (67.5% avg brand interest), with positive growth in 48 of 51 markets
Top performing markets for McDonald's demonstrate exceptional results in West Virginia (+17.5% growth, 67.0% brand interest, +10.0% change), Georgia (+12.7% growth, 62.0% brand interest, +7.0% change), and Kentucky (+11.5% growth, 68.0% brand interest, +7.0% change)
McDonald's has 1 market with high growth (>15%), 22 markets with moderate growth (5-15%), 28 stable markets (0-5%), and 0 declining markets
Notable high-growth markets for McDonald's include West Virginia (+17.5% growth, 67.0% brand interest)

Competitive Insights

Competitive Insights analyze vast market data to pinpoint high-competition regions in the Fast Food industry.

For McDonald's, our benchmarks and BrandStack's AI powered algorithms reveal key insights to refine marketing strategies and boost brand interest across channels.
Burger King demonstrates category leadership at state level with 7.7% average brand interest growth, showing exceptional performance in Florida (+17.6%, 20.0% brand interest), Hawaii (+15.4%, 15.0% brand interest), and Illinois (+21.4%, 17.0% brand interest)
In high-growth state markets, Burger King maintains an average brand interest of 16.7% with consistent performance across 7 markets
McDonald's shows strong momentum with 5.2% average brand interest growth across key state markets: West Virginia (+17.5% growth, +10.0% brand interest), Georgia (+12.7% growth, +7.0% brand interest), and Kentucky (+11.5% growth, +7.0% brand interest)
McDonald's captured additional brand interest in 22 state markets, averaging +5.0% brand interest growth in key growth state

Investment Recommendations

For Q1 2026

Strategic recommendations for McDonald's in the Fast Food category, highlighting market opportunities and potential growth areas.

Based on comprehensive analysis of market share, growth trends, and competitive positioning across different markets.

Growth Opportunity

Mid-size markets with positive brand interest trends
95 Markets
Market Approx.
Digital-First Households
Current Brand Interest QoQ Change YoY Change
Los Angeles CA 4,962,377 74.0% +4.2% +2.8%
Chicago IL 3,081,097 68.0% +3.0% +3.0%
Dallas-Ft. Worth TX 2,585,309 74.0% +4.2% +7.3%
Houston TX 2,266,381 71.0% +6.0% +1.4%
Washington DC (Hagerstown MD) 2,224,748 68.0% +3.0% +1.5%
Phoenix AZ 1,818,040 68.0% +4.6% +7.9%
Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) FL 1,758,412 63.0% +3.3% +3.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul MN 1,563,558 72.0% +4.4% +2.9%

High Growth Priority

Large markets showing strong consistent growth
76 Markets
Market Approx.
Digital-First Households
Current Brand Interest QoQ Change YoY Change
New York NY 6,567,593 66.0% +8.2% +6.5%
Atlanta GA 2,277,873 63.0% +8.6% +6.8%
Detroit MI 1,646,663 66.0% +6.5% +6.5%
Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne FL 1,508,869 67.0% +6.4% +3.1%
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA 1,276,768 72.0% +7.5% +7.5%
Nashville TN 993,259 68.0% +9.7% +7.9%
Baltimore MD 977,058 69.0% +6.2% +6.2%
Salt Lake City UT 975,902 70.0% +11.1% +9.4%

Maintain & Optimize

Stable markets with consistent performance
29 Markets
Market Approx.
Digital-First Households
Current Brand Interest QoQ Change YoY Change
Philadelphia PA 2,642,616 63.0% +3.3% -3.1%
Boston MA-Manchester NH 2,206,762 63.0% +1.6% +1.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA 2,204,229 71.0% +0.0% +1.4%
Seattle-Tacoma WA 1,798,974 67.0% +1.5% +3.1%
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale FL 1,462,825 61.0% +1.7% +3.4%
Portland OR 1,086,232 66.0% +1.5% +1.5%
Hartford & New Haven CT 862,036 65.0% +1.6% +1.6%
Milwaukee WI 765,170 74.0% +1.4% +4.2%

Turnaround Priority

Markets requiring immediate attention / improvement
11 Markets
Market Approx.
Digital-First Households
Current Brand Interest QoQ Change YoY Change
Honolulu HI 411,655 77.0% -1.3% +2.7%
Springfield-Holyoke MA 224,757 59.0% +0.0% -4.8%
Palm Springs CA 142,979 71.0% -1.4% +4.4%
Sherman TX-Ada OK 114,130 73.0% -1.4% +0.0%
Butte-Bozeman MT 69,267 61.0% -6.2% +3.4%
Meridian MS 55,267 59.0% -3.3% +0.0%
Greenwood-Greenville MS 52,998 52.0% +0.0% -7.1%
Mankato MN 47,507 75.0% -1.3% +1.4%

Brand Insights

Brand Insights for McDonald's in the Fast Food category provide in-depth analysis of the brand's performance, market positioning, and growth opportunities.

These insights are derived from comprehensive data analysis, covering areas such as market share, growth trends, and competitive dynamics.
McDonald's shows stable performance with 4.8% average growth across 210 markets (66.5% avg brand interest), with positive growth in 191 of 210 markets
Top performing markets for McDonald's demonstrate exceptional results in Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+22.0% growth, 72.0% brand interest, +13.0% change), Helena MT (+16.7% growth, 70.0% brand interest, +10.0% change), and Lafayette IN (+16.1% growth, 72.0% brand interest, +10.0% change)
McDonald's has 3 markets with high growth (>15%), 105 markets with moderate growth (5-15%), 92 stable markets (0-5%), and 10 declining markets
Notable high-growth markets for McDonald's include Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+22.0% growth, 72.0% brand interest), Helena MT (+16.7% growth, 70.0% brand interest), and Lafayette IN (+16.1% growth, 72.0% brand interest)
McDonald's demonstrates strong market momentum with combined growth and brand interest gains in key markets: Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+22.0% growth, +13.0% gain, 72.0% current brand interest), Helena MT (+16.7% growth, +10.0% gain, 70.0% current brand interest), and Lafayette IN (+16.1% growth, +10.0% gain, 72.0% current brand interest)
McDonald's successfully defends strong market positions while maintaining brand interest growth in Abilene-Sweetwater TX (maintained 72.0% brand interest, +22.0% growth), Helena MT (maintained 70.0% brand interest, +16.7% growth), and Lafayette IN (maintained 72.0% brand interest, +16.1% growth)
In large markets, McDonald's shows modest growth with high brand interest: Boston MA-Manchester NH (+1.6% growth, 63.0% brand interest) and Charlotte NC (+3.2% growth, 64.0% brand interest)
In medium markets, McDonald's shows strong growth with high brand interest: Albuquerque-Santa Fe NM (+1.5% growth, 68.0% brand interest) and Buffalo NY (+3.3% growth, 63.0% brand interest)
In small markets, McDonald's shows modest growth with high brand interest: Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+22.0% growth, 72.0% brand interest) and Helena MT (+16.7% growth, 70.0% brand interest)
McDonald's achieves significant brand interest gains in Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+13.0% brand interest growth, now at 72.0%), Helena MT (+10.0% brand interest growth, now at 70.0%), and Lafayette IN (+10.0% brand interest growth, now at 72.0%)
McDonald's shows accelerating brand interest growth in Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+22.0% growth, 72.0% brand interest) and Helena MT (+16.7% growth, 70.0% brand interest)
McDonald's maintains stable brand interest performance in mature markets: Honolulu HI (-1.3% growth, 77.0% brand interest) and Juneau AK (-1.1% growth, 91.0% brand interest)
McDonald's faces growth challenges in historically strong markets: Butte-Bozeman MT (-6.2% growth, 61.0% brand interest) and Honolulu HI (-1.3% growth, 77.0% brand interest)
McDonald's performance in major markets: Boston MA-Manchester NH (+1.6% growth, 63.0% brand interest, 2.6M TVHH), Charlotte NC (+3.2% growth, 64.0% brand interest, 1.3M TVHH), and Chicago IL (+3.0% growth, 68.0% brand interest, 3.6M TVHH)
McDonald's shows positive brand interest growth in markets representing 95.5% of total TVHH coverage
McDonald's maintains strong brand interest positions (>30% share) in key markets: Butte-Bozeman MT (61.0% brand interest, -4.0% change), Honolulu HI (77.0% brand interest, -1.0% change), and Juneau AK (91.0% brand interest, -1.0% change)

Competitive Insights

Competitive Insights showcase how McDonald's performs against competitors across different markets. These insights are generated by analyzing competitive performance data across hundreds of thousands of data points.

Each insight highlights specific market opportunities and challenges where McDonald's can focus its competitive strategy.
Burger King demonstrates category leadership at dma level with 7.5% average brand interest growth, showing exceptional performance in Abilene-Sweetwater TX (+25.0%, 15.0% brand interest), Amarillo TX (+15.4%, 15.0% brand interest), and Anchorage AK (+15.4%, 15.0% brand interest)
In high-growth dma markets, Burger King maintains an average brand interest of 16.9% with consistent performance across 43 markets
Burger King shows strong momentum with 7.5% average brand interest growth across key dma markets: Presque Isle ME (+71.4% growth, +5.0% brand interest), Sherman TX-Ada OK (+35.7% growth, +5.0% brand interest), and Butte-Bozeman MT (+30.0% growth, +3.0% brand interest)
Burger King captured additional brand interest in 136 dma markets, averaging +1.9% brand interest growth in key growth dma
In direct competition, Burger King outperforms McDonald's with 49.1 percentage point brand interest advantage across 210 shared markets: Alpena MI (gap: 61.0% brand interest, 21.5% growth), Baton Rouge LA (gap: 46.0% brand interest, 11.2% growth), and Birmingham AL (gap: 55.0% brand interest, 15.1% growth)
In select markets, McDonald's outperforms Burger King despite weaker overall growth (+4.8% vs +7.5% overall): Baton Rouge LA (McDonald's leads: 66.0% share, +6.5% growth vs Burger King: 20.0%, -4.8%) and Birmingham AL (McDonald's leads: 71.0% share, +9.2% growth vs Burger King: 16.0%, -5.9%)
In select markets, Wendy's outperforms Burger King despite weaker overall growth (-22.0% vs +7.5% overall): Alpena MI (Wendy's leads: 23.0% share, +4.5% growth vs Burger King: 8.0%, -20.0%)
McDonald's successfully defends market leadership positions while maintaining brand interest growth in Abilene-Sweetwater TX (maintained 72.0% brand interest, +22.0% growth), Helena MT (maintained 70.0% brand interest, +16.7% growth), and Lafayette IN (maintained 72.0% brand interest, +16.1% growth)
Burger King successfully defends market leadership positions while maintaining brand interest growth in Binghamton NY (maintained 22.0% brand interest, +15.8% growth), Elmira NY (maintained 23.0% brand interest, +21.1% growth), and Lima OH (maintained 21.0% brand interest, +16.7% growth)
Wendy's successfully defends market leadership positions while maintaining brand interest growth in Alpena MI (maintained 23.0% brand interest, +4.5% growth), Butte-Bozeman MT (maintained 26.0% brand interest, +4.0% growth), and Meridian MS (maintained 23.0% brand interest, +4.5% growth)
McDonald's maintains strong brand interest position in key markets: Boston MA-Manchester NH (63.0% brand interest, +1.6% growth), Charlotte NC (64.0% brand interest, +3.2% growth), and Chicago IL (68.0% brand interest, +3.0% growth)
Burger King maintains strong brand interest position in key markets: Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York PA (20.0% brand interest, +17.6% growth) and Miami-Ft. Lauderdale FL (22.0% brand interest, +10.0% growth)
McDonald's dominates head-to-head competition against Burger King in 209 of 209 shared DMA markets, with superior brand interest in key battlegrounds: Butte-Bozeman MT (61.0% vs 13.0% brand interest), Honolulu HI (77.0% vs 15.0% brand interest), and Juneau AK (91.0% vs 0.0% brand interest)
McDonald's dominates head-to-head competition against Wendy's in 209 of 209 shared DMA markets, with superior brand interest in key battlegrounds: Butte-Bozeman MT (61.0% vs 26.0% brand interest), Honolulu HI (77.0% vs 8.0% brand interest), and Juneau AK (91.0% vs 9.0% brand interest)
Burger King dominates head-to-head competition against Wendy's in 91 of 100 shared DMA markets, with superior brand interest in key battlegrounds: Laredo TX (22.0% vs 12.0% brand interest), Tyler-Longview(Lufkin & Nacogdoches) TX (18.0% vs 8.0% brand interest), and Abilene-Sweetwater TX (15.0% vs 13.0% brand interest)
McDonald's emerges as competitive threat to Wendy's with superior growth momentum (+4.8% vs -22.0%) across contested markets: Abilene-Sweetwater TX (McDonald's leads: 72.0% share, +22.0% growth vs Wendy's: 13.0%, -55.2%), Albany GA (McDonald's leads: 55.0% share, +10.0% growth vs Wendy's: 19.0%, -20.8%), and Albany-Schenectady-Troy NY (McDonald's leads: 66.0% share, +6.5% growth vs Wendy's: 15.0%, -21.1%)

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What You'll Get:

Market Performance Insights
Comprehensive brand insights for McDonald's to help you understand your current performance and uncover hidden opportunities.
Competitive Landscape
Detailed benchmarking against top competitors so you can spot gaps, trends, and areas to dominate.
Growth Opportunities
Tailored, data-backed strategies designed to drive faster, smarter expansion across key markets.
Multi-Channel Marketing Integration
Seamless support across 14+ digital channels - including Search, Social, Display, Email, Video, TV/CTV, Audio, and more - to unify and scale your campaigns effectively.
Actionable Recommendations
You won't just get data - you'll get clear next steps to improve ROI and outpace the competition.