When you think of the word research, what pops out in your mind? Is it something you think you do every day when you go onto a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. Yes, that is of course a type of research that is definitely the most obvious. However, in the world of PR, research takes on a whole different level. Research is one of the most essential tools of the PR field. It is a necessary component to maintaining your company. If you haven‘t heard, research tactics help companies save money, adapt to change and have a gain on competitors. So when starting this week’s blog and doing my “Google research” one question came to mind. How do fast food chains contribute to the research world in order to keep their businesses afloat?
As I was perusing articles on a website called Fast Food News I came across something that actually made me laugh. This must have been the most hypocritical move that any of these fast food chains could have pulled, and of course it was the one and only, McDonalds. So instead of funding research that can help their own products prosper, McDonalds is taking the sympathetic approach towards research methods. This article probably will make you shake your head due to this ridiculous attempt for McDonalds to basically save their butts. For years McDonalds has been getting backlash for contributing to childhood obesity. HELLO! Of course you are, you are serving children foods that contain so much saturated and trans fat that kids walk in normal size and walk out obese in the matter of minutes! Okay exaggeration, but seriously this isn’t so absurd to think that McDonald’s and other fast food chains are getting the heat for this growing epidemic. So now the hero’s, also known as McDonalds, have been contributing money to scientific studies on the causes of childhood obesity. “McDonald’s has donated $2 million to the Scripps Institute for a collaboration regarding research and educational initiatives to drive progress toward a solution to childhood obesity and Type-2 diabetes.” What it really should say is “2 million dollars has been donated to get McDonald’s out of the spotlight of causing childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes.” If McDonalds really wanted to stop this epidemic they would stop advertising and marketing their fatty foods towards children. This funding is just a way for them to feel that they are off the hook.
So now that you heard that ridiculous story, let’s move on to another article I’ve come across that actually describes a food chain that researches their own products in a successful and helpful way. When the New Crunchwrap Supreme came out, Taco Bell tried to target the product toward America’s growing habit of eating on the go. So one of the main research studies that was conducted was to find out how convenient this product was compared to other competitor's quick and easy meals. The survey studied the rate of messiness, convenience and portability of these products at leading fast food restaurants. Participants were randomly selected at drive-thrus and surveyed after eating. 85% of the passengers agreed that they could eat the Crunchwrap Supreme with only one hand and that it was the perfect “on-the-go” meal. When fast food chains conduct studies like this they actually can gain results that can either show them they are on the right track or allow them to know what changes are needed. This study concluded that this product targets the perfect audience.
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