➕ They automated everything and sales plummeted

Picture this: A tired mom pulls up to a McDonald's drive-thru after soccer practice, three hungry kids in the back.

"Four Happy Meals, please," she says clearly into the speaker.

The AI responds confidently: "That's 260 Chicken McNuggets. Anything else?"

This wasn't a one-off glitch. It was the beginning of the end for McDonald's three-year, multi-million dollar AI drive-thru experiment.

Last year, McDonald's officially pulled the plug on their automated ordering system after years of investment.

The reason?

Their sophisticated AI completely missed the company's signature strength: reliable, human-guided ordering that gets the basics right, every time.

Every iconic brand has a signature offering.

Hermès has the Birkin. McDonald's has the Big Mac. Chanel has the No5 perfume.

These aren't just products — they're identity markers that do the selling without saying a word.

Your business has one too.

But I'd bet your AI marketing tools aren't leveraging it.

Here's the pattern I keep seeing:

Companies invest in sophisticated AI tools that optimize for volume and reach, while completely missing the emotional core of what makes customers choose them in the first place.

McDonald's AI system missed this too.

Beyond the 260 McNuggets fiasco, it added bacon to ice cream orders and consistently misheard simple requests for drinks.

Employees stood by, watching helplessly as customers grew increasingly frustrated.

Their signature value wasn't just fast food.

It was consistent, reliable service that meets basic expectations every single time.

After widespread customer complaints and embarrassing viral videos, McDonald's ended the program in June 2024.

Meanwhile, competitors like White Castle who focused their AI on enhancing their signature strengths rather than replacing them are seeing success.

The lesson?

Don’t let AI distract you from what you do best.

The smartest automation doesn’t just add more stuff—it supercharges your main thing.

What’s your “Big Mac”? That one product or service your customers instantly connect to your brand?

That’s where AI needs to go.

If you're unsure how to use AI without disrupting what works, I'm opening two spots this month for growing businesses ready to improve their main product or service with AI—no tech skills needed.

Hit reply with "SIGNATURE" if you want to be one of them.

To your success,

-Kofi (Founder, TheBrandSensei.com)