FAST FOOD TARGETED MARKETING pptx

FAST FOOD TARGETED MARKETING
Fast food marketers target specific groups with
advertising. In particular, children, teens, African-
American youth and Hispanic youth. Each of these
groups are targeted with marketing containing content
that appeals to them specifically. Some of these groups
are exposed to more fast food advertising overall.
Click on the links below to find out how fast food
restaurants target these groups and the impact it is
having on their purchasing behavior.
Children
Teens
African American Youth
Hispanic Youth
Sources
FAST FOOD MARKETING
Targeting children
Advertising targeted to children directly
•  Some fast food advertising appeals specifically to children.
Characteristics of these ads include fun messages, movie
tie-ins, kids’ meal promotions and licensed characters. On
the internet, characteristics include advergames and virtual
worlds.
•  Branding is prominent in child-targeted ads, while food is
not. When food is shown, most restaurants feature their
healthy options.
•  McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway and Dairy Queen target
children directly with their TV and/or internet advertising.
•  McDonald’s and Burger King target children the most. On
TV, children see one of their child-targeted ads each day.
1

On the internet, their child-targeted sites are visited most
often.
2

•  McDonald’s advertises to children as young as age 2. It
even has a website for preschoolers: Ronald.com.
“Second-hand” exposure
•  The majority of fast food ads children see are intended for
an older audience.
•  Children see more than two ads per day promoting the
same unhealthy menu items and value messages that
appear in general audience advertising.
•  Children frequently visit fast food restaurant main websites
(i.e., those intended for general audience). PizzaHut.com
and Dominos.com are visited the most, each with
430,000+ youth visitors monthly.
2
Outcomes
•  Children most frequently request to go to the restaurants
that engage in the most child-targeted advertising.
•  McDonald’s ranks #1 in child requests to go to the
restaurant, followed by Burger King.
•  Children prefer and order unhealthy items such as french
fries and soft drinks over healthier options.
3
•  Older children are more likely to order from the value menu
or combo meals instead of kids’ meals.
4
FAST FOOD MARKETING

Targeting teens
Overview
•  The majority of fast food advertising use messages that
appeal to teens.
•  Fast foods ads targeted to teens often use humor,
celebrities and entertainment tie-ins.
•  Snack items (the least healthy items at fast food
restaurants) are commonly promoted to this group.
1
On television
•  In 2009, teens saw 5 fast food ads each day,
1
totaling
2,144 calories from advertised menu items.
•  For most restaurants, adolescents view the same
number or more of fast food ads compared to adults.
1
•  Teens view more Taco Bell and Burger King TV ads than
adults view. They also view more Dairy Queen, Sonic
and Domino’s ads for snack items and Sonic and
Subway ads for lunch/dinner items.
1
On the Internet
•  Teens visit Dominos.com, PizzaHut.com and
McDonalds.com most frequently; each site averaged
160,000+ unique teen visitors each month in 2009.
2
•  Banner ads for Domino’s, Sonic, McDonald’s McCafe,
Wendy’s burgers/sandwiches and specific YUM! Brands
products are disproportionately placed on youth

websites.
5
•  Most fast food restaurants use social media extensively,
a venue that most teens frequent.
6
Outcomes
3,4

•  Teens order many of the high-calorie, nutrient-poor items
at fast food restaurants (only 5% of visits include the
purchase of healthier options).
•  Teens purchase more snack items (a product frequently
marketed to them) than any other age group.
•  Approximately 25% of teens order large or extra-large
soft drinks and french fries; more than 75% order the
larger-sized hamburgers.
FAST FOOD MARKETING
Targeting African American youth
Overview
African American youth are exposed to significantly more fast
food marketing compared to white youth. Some fast food
restaurants target this group with advertising specifically
designed to appeal to them.
On television in 2009
1
…
•  African American children viewed 4.1 fast food TV ads each
day on national TV, totaling 2,000+ calories in advertised
menu items.
•  African American youth viewed 50% more fast food ads on

TV than white youth.
•  African American teens viewed 75% more advertising for
McDonald’s and KFC than white teens.
•  McDonald’s used African American characters in 23% of its
ads, followed by Dairy Queen, Subway and KFC.
On the Internet in 2009…
•  About one-half of restaurant websites for the top 12 fast food
chains were visited more often by African American youth,
than by all youth, including four websites for children.
2

•  McDonald’s website, 365Black.com, targeted African
Americans specifically through content celebrating their
culture.
•  KFC had two websites targeted to African Americans:
KFCHitmaker.com and another promoting its Pride 360
campaign to support Historically Black Colleges and
Universities.
Outcomes
3,4

•  African American youth order more items and are more likely
to purchase larger-sized, less healthy options, as compared
to white youth.
•  At some restaurants, African American youth order as much
as 10% more calories compared to white youth, and sodium
and saturated fat levels in their fast food meals are
dangerously high.
FAST FOOD MARKETING
Targeting Hispanic youth

On television
•  In 2009, Hispanic children and teens were
exposed to approximately one ad per day on
Spanish-language TV in addition to ads they
viewed on English-language TV.
1
•  Nine fast food restaurants advertise on Spanish-
language TV. McDonald’s is the most frequent
advertiser, accounting for one-quarter of youth
exposure to Spanish-language fast food ads.
1

•  Some products are more frequently advertised on
Spanish language TV including Domino’s, Burger
King, McDonald’s and Sonic’s lunch and dinner
menu items.
•  Similar messaging is used in ads on Spanish and
English language TV; however, Spanish language
ads more frequently feature physical activity, low-
fat/low-cal, and helping the community messages.
On the internet
•  McDonald’s has a website targeted to Hispanics,
MeEncanta.com.
•  McDonald’s also uses Spanish-language banner
advertisements placed on third-party websites.
Fast Food Targeted Marketing Sources
1.  © The Nielsen Company (January-December 2009)
2.  comScore Media Metrix Key Measures Report (January-
December 2009)
3.  The NPD Group/CREST®/2 Years Ending December 2009

4.  The NPD Group/CREST®/Year Ending December 2009
5.  comScore Ad Metrix Advertiser Report (June 2009-March
2010)
6.  Pew Internet (2010, February 3). Social Media & Mobile
Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults. Retrieved from
www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-
Adults.aspx