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Fast Food & Marketing Environmental Factors

The over-consumption of fast food products has been inextricably linked to successful marketing practices. The environment in which an individual lives significantly influences his or her dietary lifestyle and behavioral patterns. Obesity, a possible by-product of fast food marketing, is currently an imminent threat to society. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to fast food advertisements and the media's technological advancements have supplied marketing professionals with a multitude of novel techniques to further inundate society with fast food advertisements.

  1. U.S. Food Marketing System

    • Following the automobile industry, the U.S. food industry expends the second greatest amount of capital on advertisements. Television is the preferred medium for fast food marketing professionals and its use may be consequential to consumers, for a positive association has been discerned between television viewing and obesity. Product placement in movies, for example, is an additional technique often utilized in the realm of food advertising.

    Adolescence

    • Children are most vulnerable to the effects of fast food advertisements. Growth and development is markedly impacted by an adolescent's eating behaviors and the adolescent period of an individual's lifespan requires the largest amount of nutritional needs. Thus, the saturation of fast food advertisements in adolescents' media environment greatly impacts their food choices and, in turn, their health.

    Environmental Cues

    • The marketing of fast food often elicits certain emotions, such as pleasure and enjoyment, which may immediately cause an individual to crave a particular brand or type of food. This is intended to trigger spontaneous purchases. This is particularly successful among youths, who have a more difficult time distinguishing advertiser intent.

    Technological Advancement

    • Technology, which has been modified greatly in recent years, has provided marketing professionals with new platforms to promote fast food products --- the Internet and mobile phones. Fast food websites attract children and, effectively, enhance the name recognition of their brands. Researchers also identify that youth websites possess banner advertisements featuring fast food restaurants. Furthermore, these restaurants have availed themselves to social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Applications for mobile phones have also been created to facilitate menu viewing and orders for delivery.

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