Crain's Chicago Business · 21 Sep, 20:57 · Business briefing

McDonald’s tests placing ads for other brands on its menu screens

McDonald’s is piloting a novel advertising model by displaying advertisements for third-party brands on its digital menu boards.

What it means for you ↓ Courses for this story

26%average salary uplift after a professional certificate

2.7xfaster promotion for certified professionals

71%of leaders prefer candidates who upskill continuously

20days to your first credential

The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

McDonald’s is piloting a novel advertising model by displaying advertisements for third-party brands on its digital menu boards. This trial, reported by Crain’s Chicago Business, suggests a strategic shift in how fast-food giants leverage their high-traffic digital real estate. Instead of solely promoting their own items, these screens now serve as a platform for external partners. This development indicates a broader trend of monetising customer attention spans through diversified digital inventory. For professionals, it highlights the evolving nature of point-of-sale technology and the increasing integration of cross-brand partnerships within the hospitality sector’s operational framework.

Employer demand for Medical Physics skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

You must adapt to a landscape where physical touchpoints become dynamic media channels. Digital marketing and data analytics skills are surging in value, as brands now compete for attention within established service environments. Professionals in retail, hospitality, and advertising should monitor this shift closely, as it redefines customer engagement strategies. To stay ahead, you should upskill in programmatic advertising and consumer behaviour analysis. Understanding how to measure ROI on non-traditional ad placements is crucial. Furthermore, develop expertise in cross-industry partnerships, as collaboration models are becoming increasingly complex. A smart professional would immediately review their current digital strategy to identify similar untapped inventory opportunities, ensuring they can capitalise on this emerging revenue stream before competitors do.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Medical Physics, Python Data Visualisation Libraries Mastery, API Development and Staff Recruitment And Retention — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

Enrol in these
to benefit.

These programmes position you for exactly this shift — online, self-paced, and finishing with a verifiable certificate you can share the day you pass.