Blog 5

           The fast food industry, a book known as the "Fast Food Nation" was written by Eric Schlosser. Everything in this book tells us how it started and what was behind it. Advertising to kids and having teens to work was a major blowout in the fast food companies. A lot of time and hard work was spent in putting the company out there.

            Kids advertising was the target in American companies, putting their markets on them, McDonald and Disney would be the one.(p.42) Every advertising there is, it's based on the children. In 1980s knowing that the kids will see it and nag their parents to either giving or bringing them what they want. I used to do that all the time as a child, whenever there's a new plush toy in McDonalds I was so annoying to my parents when I would beg or plead to get me the happy meal. That year experts in the marketing business called it " the decade of the child consumer". (p.43) Parents tend to feel guilty not having enough time spent with their kids, so buying them something was the only option they had in mind. Schlosser mastered presenting ways in advertising, mostly all children spend their time watching T.V. especially at the starting age of two months. Which persuades the children to tell their parents because of the "Playland" in McDonalds. (p.47)

            Fast food companies usually have teens working, about 30% are at the age of 16-19. Schlosser explained how teens back then especially girls would work to attract guys. Teens workers were have no kind of skill including operating the equipment that were used, they had no training necessary and basically had teens working minimum wage and no benefits. I used to work in a fast food industry called Johnny Rockets, one week of working I already quit, and that week was just training. Luckily for those back then didn't need training to get a job.

            Another good advertisement to kids was Disney. Since McDonalds was already in its high standard with franchising, Ray Kroc made an inquiry to Disney in having his restaurant in the new park. Both Kroc and Disney were born in Illinois, a year apart from each other. They both dropped out of high school, also was serving together in World War I and later on they became known experts in marketing their products to children. Disney had developed marketing strategies such as sponsoring and making the atmosphere for visitors to feel free from the outside world and coining the "synergy" strategy. (p40)

            So the fast food industry had sets of ways in publishing their company and was worth it and their plans had worked. Schlosser is smart in finding the secrets to advertising. Now McDonald has a high percentage and is a big franchising company today and all over the world. Big props to Mcdonalds.