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But can the burger king really be transformed?
Keywords:
Fast foods, Diet, Brand management
Fast food and obesity
According to a long running TV commercial, fresh cream cakes are naughty, but nice. Some people would argue that a portion of burger and fries warrants similar regard. Unfortunately, however, not everyone sees it that way and the fast food industry stands accused as being chiefly responsible for the US obesity crisis that is now also raising its ugly head in Europe. As a result, companies like McDonald's have come under increasing pressure to provide healthier alternatives to their standard fare.
You'd be forgiven for assuming that the task should pose few problems. Indeed, in an increasingly health-conscious society what could be simpler? Take out a few calories here, reduce the fat content there, chuck in some extra salads and then watch the stuff sell in heaps. The customers get what they want and everyone lives happily ever after.
What demand is there for healthy alternatives?
Others have discovered to their cost that it is not quite so easy. Take D'Lites, for example. In 1981, the Atlanta-based burger chain arrived on the scene armed with healthy ingredients and a grand business plan. And even though a fitness-obsessed America seemingly provided the ideal market in waiting, initial success soon petered out and the company went bust within six years.
The fast food big guns (McDonald's included) have experienced similarly harsh lessons when attempting to introduce healthy options of their own. Marketing products as being fat-free, light or low in sodium has so far cut little ice with punters and such initiatives have invariably sunk without trace.
One significant reason for this is the fact that the overwhelming majority of those visiting their local McDonald's don't actually want anything different. It's a Big Mac or nothing for them. Such people are clearly more than happy to leave any calorie-counting missions to someone else. And that's not all. Statistics reveal that even those who clamor loudest for a menu full of healthy alternatives are still more likely to order a conventional burger when they walk through the door. Leading a horse to water is one thing, but forcing it to drink is clearly a different matter altogether.
But...