Marketing and the Fast Food Industry Essay

The ultimate depicted objects of firm feed chains be elevated visibility and world-wide course credit. The earliest establishments, ostentatiously designed in an take in charge to attract attention, were strategic totallyy placed alongside highway off-ramps in coif to draw in customers. Simplistic logos, such as the legendary specious arches, began to bring recognition to the prodigal sustenance chains. The fast fare manufactures ability to sell convenience and taste then allowed the popularity of fast food to gain momentum.Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, explores the various simulated military operation used by the industry in nightspot to hit global recognition, target children, and why it is more productive to distribute children than to target some other age groups. One method used to achieve global recognition was to apply the concept of synergy. Synergy can be defined as the cooperation among two or more organizations to produce results gr take iner than the sexual union of their separate effects. In simplistic terms, two or more companies trust forces in order to benefit themselves more than they could have done individually.deuce companies who have effectively utilized this concept ar the Walt Disney company and the McDonald corporation. They were satisfactory to propose marketing deals, provide giveaways, and swap executives amongst their companies. The cross promotion strengthen ties between Hollywood and the fast food industry, allowing the McDonald corporation to gain global recognition. Studies show that children have an easier time identifying characters such as Ronald McDonald than major governmental figures such as the president of the United States.Half of Australian cab bet and ten year olds thought that Ronald McDonald was an authority on what they should eat. In Beijing, all of the primary school children recognized Ronald McDonald, saying that he understood their police van. Germany has more tha n one thousand McDonalds, many popping up inside of Wal-Marts, because they know lots of children get lugged to Wal-Mart every day. (Schlosser 231). The McDonald corporation had accomplished its goals to reach global realization, and this achievement paved the way to pursue primaevalish targeting.Children became the target group within advert, the decade of the child consumer (Schlosser 43). In order to exploit children effectively, focus groups were created solely for the purpose of finding effecting means of targeting ads towards children and hoard demographic information. 89% requested personal information from kids through the cyberspace and most(prenominal) children supplied it with aside p bental consent (Schlosser 45). Soon, products such as Coca- Cola and Dr. zest were marketed to schools and fast food advertisements were littered throughout the education system.Advertisements were placed on school buses, in school newspapers, written on stadium banners, and announcem ents were do over the stadiums public-address system during games (Schlosser 51). Children were not only face up with these ads during their time period at school, but at home too. The media play a huge role in promoting fast food. Television commercials, the internet, and the intercommunicate were employed to get kids to hussy their parents and nag them well (Schlosser 43). The adults set out to prey on childrens immaturity and to exploit their present- mindedness (Schlosser 46).Unsurprisingly, fast food companies became recognizable household trademarks. Ronald McDonald, Mickey Mouse, and McDonalds renowned golden arches are a few of the most identifiable symbols today. Companies believed that by propagandizing children at an early age, they would influence the children to remain loyal customers to their company. This leads to ask why marketing to children is the most worthwhile tactic. Foremost, children are impressionable. According to Consumer Reports magazine, young childr en have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world.Children are still establishing their tastes and habits, making them ideal customers because they have many years of buying ahead of them (Schlosser 54). Americas fast food culture has obtain indistinguishable from the popular culture of its children (Schlosser 48). The coalition of the fast food and delight industry allowed fast food companies to market toys based on new trends in entertainment. The key to attracting kids is toys, toys, toys (Schlosser 47). In return, the entertainment industry promoted their current trend.Childrens identities should not be defined by their consumer habits. Yet, that is the main way their are portrayed in the media as consumers. Children were also described as substitute salesmen (Schlosser 43). Schlosser explains that children need to persuade others in order to get what they want which again, gets kids to nag their parents and nag them well (Schlosser 43). As an incentive to get children to want to eat at their restaurants, the McDonald corporation created playlands in their establishments based off of Disneys theme park, Disneyworld.Playlands bring in children, who bring in parents, who bring in specie (Schlosser 47). Since children need to be accompanied in order for them to get what they want, more customers, such as parents and siblings of the child, are brought into the company as well, thereby benefiting the company. Schlosser argues that the fast food industrys marketing tactics aim to achieve global recognition, victimize children, and explains the importance behind targeting children.He portrays children as open individuals who are drawn into fast food through the fast food industrys strategic efforts, and in most cases, they are. Children are bribed with playplaces, toys, cartoons, movies, and videos, and are reached through contests, sweepstakes, games, clubs, and the media. Schlosser questi ons the ethic and moral values of the advertisers in the fast food industry for feeding off of the childrens naivety. However, children, susceptible to the world of advertisement around them, continuously fall prey to the marketing industry.