McDonald's Just Made a Brilliant Announcement, and Taught a Master Class in Emotional Intelligence!

Can a company demonstrate emotional intelligence? Ask your grandma.

Can I?ask you to think about your Grandma ?

Maybe you call her something else: Nana, Abuela, Nonna, Gram. Maybe you're old enough that your mom is a grandma to your children .

It can be a wonderful relationship, don't you think? I mean, I know this firsthand.

Now, can I ask you to think about McDonald's?

Actually, let me revise that a bit: It's McDonald's that hopes you will think about Grandma and then connect that feeling, just a little bit, to the idea of getting a treat at McDonald's.

I'm quite certain that this is what's going on with the ad campaign McDonald's just launched for the Grandma McFlurry, available at McDonald's starting May 21 for a limited time.

Here, I'm going to quote directly from the McDonald's marketing materials, not because I'm trying to get you to go to McDonald's--that's up to you--but because I think that once you realize what's going on with this campaign, it's almost impossible to stop seeing it:

McDonald's is the place where lifelong memories are made with grandma.

"Grandmas have always held a special place in our hearts, and today they're having a major moment influencing culture -- inspiring trends in fashion, decor, and now, even food with our newest McFlurry," said Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald's. "The Grandma McFlurry tastes like a trip down memory lane, and we're excited to give our fans that experience while honoring the grandma-figure in all our lives."

Longtime readers will know that I think I'm on to what McDonald's is going for recently, with promotion after promotion tapping directly into the power of nostalgia -- which is one of the most powerful and leverageable of all human emotions.

It's what I'm sure was behind things like:

• the McDonald's adult Happy Meal a little while back,
• the campaigns bringing back McDonaldland characters like Grimace and the Hamburglar, and?
• the launching an entire new McDonald's affiliated chain, CosMc, named after yet another bygone McDonald's character.

This time? Attempting to link McDonald's emotionally with the fond memories and bonds that Americans have with their grandmothers?

Chef's kiss.

It's even more powerful because it's unexpected. Some brands might have been tempted to launch a grandma-themed campaign around Mother's Day (which just passed), or maybe the less-celebrated-but-still-legit Grandparents' Day (September 8).

But doing it now, out of the blue, celebrating grandma for no obvious reason whatsoever -- and then linking that emotional celebration quickly to your brand -- is much more powerful.

Look, I write a lot about emotional intelligence. I even have a free e-book on the subject: 9 Smart Habits of People With Very High Emotional Intelligence .

But can an organization can develop emotional intelligence -- and then use that aptitude in order to achieve success? I think the answer is yes, because organizations are made up of people, and people understand human emotions. ??

That means you can leverage them -- both your emotions and other people's -- in order to make it more likely you'll achieve your goals. ??

McDonald's clearly understands this. And, I think it can work for your business.

Maybe your grandma would find it interesting, too.

INC Magazine | EXPERT OPINION BY BILL MURPHY JR.

Article republished by Greg Herrera: Silicon Valley CEO Group; Helping leaders benefit their companies, families and society...