Today is the era of fast food chains. These food service chains are everywhere and earn hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Americans for one, continue to show their affinity to fast food. According to Lawrence Scholer, a book reviewer from Darthmouth, Americans gulp down millions of pounds of French fries and hamburgers daily. Also, each American eats an average of three hamburgers and four orders of French fries per week. The American love for fast food even led to it being dubbed as the “Fast food Nation.” This affinity to fast food, serves true even for the rest of the world.
How exactly has fast food popularity gained its momentum? Much has to do with its selling point. Fast food chains sell convenience and taste. The other half of its success lies on the marketing strategy that fast food companies choose to embark on.
Fast Food Selling Point
Convenience is a major selling point for fast food chains. Literally, these companies serve their food over the counter. People choose from the menu, servers immediately place them on a tray, and off the customer goes. This coinciding with the faster pace of life in the modern world, places fast food on the regular dining choices for more and more people. Majority of fast food chains also offer drive-thru services. Driving to work or school in a hurry? Grabbing food is just as easy as driving thru a strip, ordering food and voila! Food is served.
Everyone is acquainted with the huge difference between the taste of a platter of green salad, and a serving of crispy fries. Fast food chains recognize this, and capitalize on their taste advantage. Yes, burgers, fries and other selections from fast foods are cooked in fat. This makes their food tastier and more attractive.
Fast Food Marketing
A big part of fast food success is marketing strategy. Ever wondered why fast food chains have branches practically everywhere? Answer is easy, because this is part of their marketing strategy. High visibility and global recognition is the ultimate theme of fast food chains.
According to a New York Times article, there are about three new McDonald’s opening everyday. The main goal is not to have any person more than four minutes away from a branch. Easily, there can be more than one branch in a town. Just as McDonald’s embarks on this marketing strategy, so does other fast food chains. To be able to compete with the biggest name in the industry, the competitor must be able to keep up. Therefore, just as a new McDonald’s opens nearby, a competitor is also opening in the same area or vice versa.
Fast food began after the Second World War. It has come a long way and has achieved unmatchable success and popularity. The success of the fast food chains rest on its marketing strategy and selling point. With their large signs, billboards and advertisements illuminating the city, the fast food chains are definitely here to stay.
