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FAST FOOD TARGETED MARKETING

Fast food marketers target specific groups withadvertising. In particular, children, teens, African-

American youth and Hispanic youth. Each of thesegroups are targeted with marketing containing content

that appeals to them specifically. Some of these groupsare exposed to more fast food advertising overall.

Click on the links below to find out how fast foodrestaurants target these groups and the impact it is

having on their purchasing behavior.

Children

Teens

African American Youth

Hispanic Youth

Sources

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FAST FOOD MARKETING

Targeting children

Advertising targeted to children directly

Some fast food advertising appeals specifically to childreCharacteristics of these ads include fun messages, movie

tie-ins, kids meal promotions and licensed characters. Othe internet, characteristics include advergames and virtuworlds.

Branding is prominent in child-targeted ads, while food isnot. When food is shown, most restaurants feature their

healthy options.

McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Dairy Queen targchildren directly with their TV and/or internet advertising. McDonalds and Burger King target children the most. On

TV, children see one of their child-targeted ads each day.

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

McDonalds advertises to children as young as age 2. Iteven has a website for preschoolers: Ronald.com.

Second-hand exposure

The majority of fast food ads children see are intended foan older audience.

Children see more than two ads per day promoting thesame unhealthy menu items and value messages thatappear in general audience advertising.

Children frequently visit fast food restaurant main website(i.e., those intended for general audience). PizzaHut.comand Dominos.com are visited the most, each with

430,000+ youth visitors monthly.2

Outcomes

Children most frequently request to go to the restaurantsthat engage in the most child-targeted advertising.

McDonalds ranks #1 in child requests to go to therestaurant, followed by Burger King.

Children prefer and order unhealthy items such as frenchfries and soft drinks over healthier options. 3

Older children are more likely to order from the value meor combo meals instead of kids meals.4

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FAST FOOD MARKETING

Targeting African American youth

Overview

African American youth are exposed to significantly more fasfood marketing compared to white youth. Some fast food

restaurants target this group with advertising specificallydesigned to appeal to them.

On television in 20091

African American children viewed 4.1 fast food TV ads eacday on national TV, totaling 2,000+ calories in advertisedmenu items.

African American youth viewed 50% more fast food ads onTV than white youth.

African American teens viewed 75% more advertising forMcDonalds and KFC than white teens.

McDonalds used African American characters in 23% of itads, followed by Dairy Queen, Subway and KFC.

On the Internet in 2009

About one-half of restaurant websites for the top 12 fast fochains were visited more often by African American youth,than by all youth, including four websites for children.2

McDonalds website, 365Black.com, targeted AfricanAmericans specifically through content celebrating theirculture.

KFC had two websites targeted to African Americans:KFCHitmaker.com and another promoting its Pride 360

campaign to support Historically Black Colleges andUniversities.

Outcomes3,4

African American youth order more items and are more likto purchase larger-sized, less healthy options, as compareto white youth.

At some restaurants, African American youth order as mucas 10% more calories compared to white youth, and sodiu

and saturated fat levels in their fast food meals aredangerously high.

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FAST FOOD MARKETING

Targeting Hispanic youth

On television

In 2009, Hispanic children and teens wereexposed to approximately one ad per day on

Spanish-language TV in addition to ads theyviewed on English-language TV.1

Nine fast food restaurants advertise on Spanish-language TV. McDonalds is the most frequentadvertiser, accounting for one-quarter of youth

exposure to Spanish-language fast food ads.

1

Some products are more frequently advertised onSpanish language TV including Dominos, Burger

King, McDonalds and Sonics lunch and dinnermenu items.

Similar messaging is used in ads on Spanish andEnglish language TV; however, Spanish languageads more frequently feature physical activity, low-

fat/low-cal, and helping the community messages.

On the internet

McDonalds has a website targeted to Hispanics,MeEncanta.com.

McDonalds also uses Spanish-language banneradvertisements placed on third-party websites.

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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 20094. The NPD Group/CREST/Year Ending December 20095. comScore Ad Metrix Advertiser Report (June 2009-March

2010)

6. Pew Internet (2010, February 3). Social Media & MobileInternet Use Among Teens and Young Adults. Retrieved from

www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-

Adults.aspx