In the world of innovative restaurant concepts, David Ehrlich stands out. As the Brand Experience Lead for CosMc’s, McDonald’s new small-format restaurant, David has earned a coveted spot on our 2024 Marketers to Watch list, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal.
In his role, David shapes the CosMc’s brand identity, creating both in-store and digital customer experiences, while leading go-to-market strategies and campaigns from concept announcement to market entry. This includes everything from new store openings to brand building.
Prior to CosMc’s, David led the development and launch of high-impact programs for McDonald’s core business, including MyMcDonald’s Rewards and in-app delivery. His track record also includes managing integrated campaigns, such as the value category and the 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign for the U.S. market. Before joining McDonald’s, David honed his skills at sponsorship and experiential agencies, where he helped brands strategize, negotiate, activate, and measure sports and entertainment sponsorships.
We recently asked David to share his thoughts on a range of marketing topics:
What book or podcast would you most recommend to marketing leaders today?ike you are most excited about?
While it’s been around for some time, “How I Built This” with Guy Raz remains a go-to for me. The podcast offers valuable insights from leaders who have scaled brands and overcome challenges, providing both inspiration and practical lessons. I have been able to apply several examples from other business leaders into my day-to-day work creating and growing CosMc’s for McDonald’s.
What’s a prediction you have for brand marketing in the next few years?
I see AI becoming even more influential in brand marketing. As AI technology evolves, it could help brands be quicker and more agile in many ways, but it also poses a real challenge for consumers to distinguish between what is real and what is AI-generated. For marketers, this means we’ll need to be very focused on protecting our brand’s integrity. Balancing innovation with transparency will be essential to building and maintaining trust.
Can you share a recent marketing insight you’ve learned and why it excites you?
More and more Gen-Z consumers are using TikTok as their primary search engine, signaling a continued shift toward visual and personalized content discovery. This trend presents a valuable opportunity for content creators and micro-influencers to play a key role in brand campaign strategies. For those content creators and influencers who are seen as authentic, their influence will continue to matter. Within our go-to-market strategies for CosMc’s, we are utilizing market-specific influencers on TikTok to drive both brand awareness and menu education to reach our desired Gen-Z audience.
What’s an innovative or exciting project you’re currently working on?
Every day is innovative and exciting as my team and I workshop new approaches for this unique concept. For example, as we developed the CosMc’s brand and experience, we adopted a fresh approach to concept development. We tested in both low-fidelity and high-fidelity environments, involving potential customers in the process much earlier than usual. Their feedback was essential at every stage, enabling us to learn quickly and pivot when necessary. One outcome of this process was the creation of “guided exploration,” a method designed to help customers navigate our menu and customize their beverages more easily, ensuring they get the perfect drink. We now feed this approach into aspects across the business from restaurant team training to digital design.
What’s the most pressing business challenge you’ve faced in the last year and what have you done to solve it?
Rapidly bringing CosMc’s from concept to launch in just under 12 months. As a pilot test, accelerating learnings and swiftly acting on insights were critical. Operating with a startup mentality, team members took ownership beyond our functional roles, focusing on what was best for CosMc’s as a whole. This required stepping out of comfort zones, taking on cross-functional responsibilities, and embracing constant change.
To maintain momentum, we fully embraced McDonald’s “discuss, don’t present” culture. We adopted an agile mindset, accepting that 80% often had to be good enough to move forward. By leaning into this entrepreneurial approach, we launched CosMc’s at an unprecedented pace while staying adaptable and future-focused.
What leadership muscle is most important for marketers?
In today’s landscape, both customers and employees are drawn to brands that embody strong values. Good values such as authenticity, transparency, and putting people first act as powerful magnets. It’s essential for leaders to not only articulate these values clearly but also demonstrate them consistently through actions and decisions. The values you champion shape the culture of your organization. Be a leader that others want to work for and with.
What’s the most game-changing career advice you‘ve received?
Think of your career like a jungle gym: bouncing around to gain diverse experiences helps you become a more well-rounded marketer and a better business leader. Understanding all aspects of the business, not just one, gives you a powerful edge. Oftentimes, the roles that seem the most uncomfortable end up being the most rewarding.
Building and launching the CosMc’s brand has been an exciting journey. This role has allowed me to combine all the experiences I’ve gained throughout my career — brand strategy, content campaigns, experiential activations, digital programs, and operational leadership — into one dynamic challenge. I would not be in this role today if I hadn’t sought out new and challenging opportunities that, in turn, helped me get to where I am now.
Marketers to Watch is a recognition series to spotlight highly innovative and forward-thinking marketing leaders in the community. Make a nomination.
