This paper analyzes the duplicitous nature of advertising in the fastfood industry, focusing on the advertisements of three multinational fastfood companies, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Long John Silver.
Abstract Fastfood advertising has been allowed to profess anything, from the "healthy quality" of their food to the food company's contribution to homeless kids. While fastfood giants are quick to take any of their detractors to court for any erroneous allegations made by members of the public, it doesn?t stop these same companies from committing libel themselves through their promotions. However, most fastfood companies steer clear of making outrageous claims such any health benefits, preferring to concentrate on marketing their service's convenience, economy and perceived lifestyle. This paper endeavors to highlight this discrepancy in the industry and showcases three fastfood companies and their advertising efforts in that regard.
From the Paper "Fast food outlets have become the messiah for the millions of people out there who don"t have more than five minutes to spare in grabbing a bite to eat or for the millions of mothers desperate for one night of not cooking dinner for the family. There is certainly a lot to choose from. All one has to do is switch on the television, turn on the radio, go to the cinemas or even walk down the street. People from all walks of life are bombarded each and every day with jingles and gimmicks and catchcries, inviting the consumer to partake of their fried or greasy menu. Some appeal to the consumer's need for convenience, others appeal to the consumer's economic constraints, and others appeal to the consumer's perceived utopian lifestyle. Some even go so far as to appeal to the consumer's interest in healthy eating. But are these appeals from fast food conglomerates based on truth or are they just trying to beef up their profits duplicitously" This paper endeavors to explore some claims that fast food companies have made in the past through their advertising. Three fast food giants will also be held under the microscope and studied for any evidence of duplicity through their advertising."
Abstract This paper describes why Americans enjoy fastfood so much, despite the many problems associated with its consumption. The author reviews Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary "Supersize Me" to illustrate the popularity of fastfood restaurants. The paper gives several reasons why fastfood is so popular, which include its tastiness convenience, and low cost. The paper concludes by discussing some of the health risks associated with a diet based on fastfood.
From the Paper " The convenience factor of fast food is also an undeniable selling point. According to Eric Schlosser: "Women entered the work force in record numbers," in the 1970s, "often motivated less by feminism than by a need to help pay the bills....the entry of women into the nation's work force has greatly increased demand for the types of services that housewives traditionally performed: cooking, cleaning and child care," as families have less time to devote to the domestic arts (Schlosser, 1998). After a hard day at work, a mother can provide her family with a hot meal from a fast food chain, guilt-free. She can also assuage some of her children's incessant nagging, given the amount of fast food advertising that is targeted towards children. "
Abstract A critique of the fastfood industry that discusses Eric Schlosser's book, "FastFood Nation" and Morgan Spurlock's documentary film, "Supersize Me". It contends that both present ample evidence that the health and longevity of the American people are being severely damaged by the fastfood industry.
From the Paper "Eric Schlosser's, "Fast Food Nation" uses the truth to persuade his readers of the reality of the facts and opinions presented in his book. Unlike the devious deceptive and manipulative methods used by the fast food industry to stimulate sales on ..."
Abstract This paper reviews Eric Scholosser's 2002 book "FastFood Nation" and its portrayal of the dehumanization of the fast-food industry and losses to the American consumer. The author presents many aspects of the fastfood culture.
From the Paper "We've all heard and most likely dismissed the adage that we are what we eat. Usually if we spend any time at all bothering to think about this, we have some vague idea that it means if we eat unhealthy things than our own health will suffer. While that's certainly ..."
Abstract This paper reviews and critiques the Eric Schlosser book "FastFood Nation." The paper discusses Schlosser's contention that what a nation eats reveals its social, economic and technological values. The paper also lauds Schlosser's success in demonstrating that the business practices of fastfood companies are neither communal nor wholesome.
From the Paper "Eric Schlosser announces early on that his book Fast Food Nation is about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made. He believes that what a nation eats tells you more about its social, economic and technological values than..."
Abstract This paper firstly discusses how Eric Schlosser's "FastFood Nation" is subjected to a semiotic analysis. Secondly, the general conditions of the corporate state are enumerated with some historical context. The marketing of fastfood to children is considered, criticized. In conclusion a solution is mentioned.
From the Paper "I will begin with some general observations in order to provide a background and context for the semiotic analysis of "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser. Next, I will discuss some of the major problems for which the fast food industry is ..."
Tags:fast, food, television, advertising, corporate, America
Abstract This paper is a study of five fastfood restaurants. It examines the way food is prepared, how customers are queued for service, and the quality and the price of the food being served. It discusses how the selected restaurants try to differentiate themselves and how successful they are in doing so and in gaining market share.
From the Paper "The restaurants were Burger King, Wendy's, Baja Fresh, MacDonald's and Taco Bell. At Taco Bell, Baja Fresh, Burger King and Wendy's in store patrons were required to enter one queue from which they were served in consecutive order. At MacDonald's patrons selected a register and lined up for service. I noted a certain amount of line hopping at MacDonald's as one line move slower or more quickly than the other based on the experience of the employee working at the register combined with ..."
Tags:Fastfood, speed, quality, registers, customer service, special orders, price, taste, market share, in store service, food preparation, advanced preparation, heat lamps, microwaves
Abstract This paper examines a 2004 Wall Street Journal article on mad cow disease, and how companies, especially fastfood companies, are responding to the possibility of tainted meat. It uses the example of McDonald's.
Abstract This paper examines the current and future market situation for the leading fastfood restaurants in America. The paper begins with a thorough assessment of the financial and marketing considerations for the industry. Next the paper examines how traditional growth engines, such as R&D and technology investment can be utilized to help grow the fastfood business. The paper concludes with recommendations for the future, and then offers an appendix on statistical trends in food consumption -- particularly as it relates to fastfood.
Outline:
Financial Analysis
Stock/Investment Outlook
Potential/Prospective for Growth
Competitive Structure
Role of Research and Development
Technological Investment and Analysis
Recommendation for the Future
New Trends In Food Preparation and Eating
From the Paper "In today's market the state of the fast food industry can be summed up in two words: "fiercely competitive." McDonald's and Burger King, two fast food giants, dominate the industry but many smaller companies such as Checkers, Subway, and Taco Bell are starting to make a large dent in fast food sales. The number of fast food restaurants increased by 5% in 1995 adding more competition to an already staggering number of restaurants. Fast food continues to be very popular helping to ease the competition for customers. Americans are working longer hours leaving less time to cook at home. With less time on their hands consumers are turning towards fast food. Of the total number of people dining out 66% go to a fast food restaurant. Americans spent 93 billion dollars on fast food in 1995 accounting for 49% of total eat out food expenditures. Value pricing and larger portions are popular trends to meet consumer demand for cheap, plentiful food. Companies stay competitive by attracting customers through advertising and movie sponsorship. Marketing expenditures are gigantic in the fast food industry with many companies spending up to 25% of total expenses on advertising. Aggressive global expansion has increased fast food sales and promises to provide strong future growth. Large, untapped marketplaces exist for fast food in both industrialized and developing nations."
A research paper on the primary factors that affect choice of fastfood among individuals of different countries, highlighting the differentiations in health perspectives related to consumption of fastfood.
Abstract This paper presents a research paper that discusses the the impact that culture has on the consumption of fastfood and compares the difference in buying behavior in different countries. The paper investigates the major factors that affect customer's choice in fastfood and comments on the relationship between food consumptions and health. The paper includes tables and figures.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Background of the Study
Methodology
Introduction
Research Questions
Literature Review
From the Paper "Globalization is greatly changing society and culture all around the globe in terms of consumer choices, lifestyle, individual preferences, socialization and custom and at the same time all of these factors are individualizing and changing specific aspects of marketing for fast food restaurants such as McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and others. In short, understanding factors affecting consumer choices regarding fast food is a complex focus of research because many diverse and various factors must be taken into consideration in terms of fast food and indeed the non-foodness' of fast food must be examined. 'Non-foodness' is a term coined in the work of Kwan which is a term used to refer to other reasons that fast food is chosen for consumption among consumers internationally."
Tags: consumption, countries, non-food, related, factors, nutritional, value
Abstract The writer explores Eric Schlosser's book "FastFood Nation" by first offering a summary of the work, then providing a discussion and analysis of the work. The writer paints a picture of the corruption, greed, exploitation and lack of concern for health and workers inherent in the fastfood industry and concludes that this book couldn't be more compelling because of its true and real nature.
Outline:
Introduction
Summary of the Book
Discussion and Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper "The fast food industry has gained enormous amount of press over the years. It has become accessible to millions of peoples in world. A McDonald's ad once displayed, "... 6.5 Billion people served" stating the enormous amount of appeal that it has on society. Many people eat at fast food restaurants for convenience and for budget. In a society where time is as precious as money, being able to get an order within 90 seconds of ordering definitely speaks for itself. The business strategy and marketing schemes behind the fast food industry is even more complicated and sophisticated. The franchising system allows retailers to franchise names and get continuous supplies of finished products. This has led to the creation of global based fast food companies that meet the needs of customers around the world."
Abstract This paper summarizes the main points of Eric Schlosser's book on the eating habits of many Americans. The paper reports on Schlosser's depiction of the french fry as ubiquitous in the American diet of fastfood and how the french fry came to occupy this position. he paper also covers the effect of globalization and the changes in consumers' nutritional demands. The articles cited in the bibliography are appended to the paper.
Factory Farming
Globalization
Changes in Consumer Nutritional Demands
Financing Issue
From the Paper "Considering all the news about the problems with the American diet, it isn?t surprising that Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation became a best seller. The chapters about how cattle become hamburgers are truly frightening reading, with graphic detail about little calves figuring out what happens at the end of the chute and trying to run, and the human toll, where cumulative trauma injury is ?almost 35 times higher than the rate in any other American industry.? (Schlosser, p. 173.) That sort of information is enough to put one off beef entirely, even without the new possibility of Mad Cow Disease. But Schlosser takes on the entire fast food industry, and arguably the most prevalent single item"or at least the best known"is the french fry. "Do you want fries with that"? has become something of a national anthem of dining. The impact of the french fry on the American diet, culture and economy is both a success story of major proportions and a quietly cooking national scandal."
Abstract This paper examines the fastfood industry, a rather controversial industry within the United States and on an international basis. The paper maintains that it is useful to understand some major tenets of its operations and to use these as comparative measures to see if the strategic objectives of the industry are different or similar to that of other industries. It adds that it is also useful to understand the business management aspects of the fastfood industry model. The paper chooses three criteria - automation, uniformity, and low prices - and provides a critical review of these criteria in the fastfood industry. These are then compared to other industries for a crucial review of the overall fastfood industry model. The paper includes graphs and charts.
Outline:
Introduction
Automation: FastFood Industry Technological Advancements
Insurance and FastFood: Comparison of Automation Criteria
Uniformity in the FastFood Industry
Exploring the Uniform Criteria: Comparing the FastFood and Coffee Shop Chains
Low Prices in the FastFood Industry: Is that Necessarily a Negative Criterion?
Low Pricing Model: Comparison of Wal-Mart and FastFood Companies
Conclusion
From the Paper "Automation within the industry has been noted to optimize efficiency, enhance physical and financial assets, and to minimize waste, all of which increases the profit margin for many companies within the industry. Automation in the fast food industry is primarily driven by consumers increased demand. For example, McDonald's has utilized a mobile point of sale software at some locations to increase sales by serving more drive-thru customers faster, increasing accuracy for orders, and decreasing the standard wait time in the store."
Abstract This paper explains that the fastfood industry is a lucrative and dominant market. The author points out that the powerhouse fastfood chains, such as KFC, match the desire of their fast-paced customers for meals-on-the-go. The paper relates that KFC is a restaurant chain based in Louisville, Kentucky and owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. The author reports that KFC is a major global competitor in the fastfood industry, renown for its fried chicken and other fastfood offerings. The paper also relates that the recent demand for healthier living has been trumpeted by some of the fastfood industry, such as Subway, a company that prides itself on healthier fastfood alternatives. The author stresses that this health trend is not good news for KFC, a company that is famous for its unhealthy fried chicken --- and little else. The paper includes graphs.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Competitors
Corporate Governance
Trends Affecting the FastFood Industry
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Stakeholders
External Environment
Internal Strengths and Weaknesses
External Opportunity and Threats
Issue Priority Matrix
Mapping Strategic Groups
Industry Matrix
Conclusion
From the Paper "The impact of the economy, culture, globalization, and legislation on KFC and the fast food industry at large has already been examined. However, the industry is impacted not only by political and societal influences, such as environmental responsibility and healthy eating, but also by technological advancements over recent years. In recent decades, the increased focus on technology, such as television, the Internet and advertising through these mediums, has proven beneficial for the industry. Fast food companies put a lot of money into television advertising, resulting in something of a "warring" atmosphere when it comes to producing the more effective commercial."
Abstract This paper explains that a faster-paced lifestyle with more women joining the workforce results in the detriment of "traditional" American family meals, but it is an enormous advantage to the fastfood industry; virtually everyone loves fastfood, even though there are concerns about health, and the industry is firmly established around the world. The author points out that the multi-billion dollar fastfood industry today is said to have been started in 1936 by Maria del Gray, who named the original McDonald's after her fiancee who was killed in a vehicular accident; Ray Kroc later founded the McDonald's franchise system based on del Gray's McDonald's. The paper concludes the process of "McDonaldization" continues to spread the inexorable forces of capitalism and standardized food products around the world; everyone is eating fastfoods, even if they are protesting it as soon as they are finished with their burgers and fries.
Table of Contents
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Social Effects
Structural Changes in the FastFood Industry
Figure: Franchise Percentages Owned by Parent Company as of 1991
Current and Future Trends
"McDonaldization"
FastFood's Impact on Health
Focus on Service
Conclusion
From the Paper "Today, the fast food industry has evolved in a number of important ways from the early days of Maria del Gray's McDonalds. The fast food industry is highly competitive, but remains fairly homogeneous and nonunion; however, some restaurant outlets are owned and operated by parent companies while others are owned and operated by individual franchisees. In a typical franchise agreement, the franchisor (known as the parent company) grants the franchisee a license to operate a standardized restaurant with a specified technology and widely recognized trademark; in exchange, the franchisee pays the parent company a fixed fee and a monthly royalty on gross sales (Krueger says this is generally 8 percent). In some instances, the franchisee will be required to post an explicit performance bond as well. The total start-up cost of a franchised restaurant in a major chain is ordinarily between $400,000 and $600,000."
