McDonald's, Bumble, YouGov: This Week's Top Five Stories

FNB South Africa Appoints Linda Kachingwe-Sisya as CMO

First National Bank has appointed Linda Kachingwe-Sisya as its new CMO, following the departure of Faye Mfikwe, who held the role for 19 years and shaped FNB into one of South Africa’s most distinguished and customer-centralised brands. 

As CMO, Linda will oversee the brand strategy, marketing and corporate affairs of FNB as it enters its next phase of growth. The new CMO says: “I am privileged to take on this role and to work alongside talented teams who are passionate about delivering meaningful help to the customers and communities we serve.”

In her new role, Linda will be focusing on strengthening FNB’s market position, deepening customer engagement and ensuring the brand continues to evolve with a customer-focused strategy.

McDonald's New Beef Lead to Build on 'Iconic' Product Legacy​​​​​​​

McDonald's has appointed Beth Hart as Vice President Global Category Lead for Beef after two years as Chief Sustainability Officer. Suheily Natal Davis will take over the sustainability role.

Restaurants that promote sustainability credentials typically prioritise reducing beef on menus. Other common measures include ethical ingredient sourcing, seasonal produce, minimising food waste and cutting single-use plastics.

According to industry data, beef has some of the highest greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water pollution per unit of protein of any food. This makes it a target for reduction in sustainability strategies.

McDonald's operates more than 43,000 restaurants worldwide, and holds considerable influence in the beef supply chain as one of the largest food outlets globally.

Bumble's Lidiane Jones Named CEO of Integral Ad Science

How do you keep digital advertising honest when AI can fabricate almost anything? Much of every digital ad budget is lost to impressions no human ever sees, or placements no brand would choose. Integral Ad Science is the company marketers pay to stop both, and it has just named a new CEO.

IAS has named Lidiane Jones its CEO, effective immediately, poaching a leader fresh from running Bumble and Slack.

"When Lisa reached out to me, she started with, 'Take a look at our tech.' I was hooked," Lidiane says of the courtship. "I was amazed at the level of sophistication, quality and depth of the technology."

YouGov: Consumers Still Rely on Traditional Search

Is AI changing the buyer journey – or is traditional search here to stay? 

According to research from YouGov, while AI has emerged as an increasingly important tool for product discovery and finding information, traditional search engines remain the primary way Americans search for information. 

The ‘Searching for Answers: How AI is Changing Online Discovery in 2026’ report finds that more than eight out of 10 online searchers have used a traditional search engine in the past 30 days, compared to just a quarter of respondents who used AI assistants in the same timeframe. 

When it comes to researching products and looking for information, the report suggests that the biggest challenge for AI is not usefulness but trust – with consumers continuing to verify AI-generated answers using source links and official websites, among other trusted sources. 

McDonald’s Releases ‘Here for the Sauce’ Campaign

Launched 14 July, McDonald’s has partnered with creative agency Leo Burnett UK to create its ‘Here for the Sauce’ campaign to invite fans to participate in their shared love of McDonald’s sauces and celebrate the release of three new flavours.

The three new flavours (Hot Honey, Korean BBQ and Ranch) are the key focus of this campaign and are advertised in an obsessive angle as a playful way to refer to the fan truth that for many McDonald’s customers, the sauce is not merely an afterthought or a side addition – it is the main event. 

The brand new Hot Honey sauce heroes the campaign with its own limited-time range and can now be found alongside popular menu items such as: Hot Honey McCrispy, Hot Honey Sausage & Egg McMuffin and Hot Honey Mini McFlurry.