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 . meals. 4 FAST FOOD MARKETING Targeting teens Overview • The majority of fast food advertising use messages that appeal to teens. • Fast foods ads targeted. Youth Hispanic Youth Sources FAST FOOD MARKETING Targeting children Advertising targeted to children directly • Some fast food advertising appeals specifically