International Fast Food Chains Research Articles

Exploring the Successful Factors of Brand Collaborations Between KFC and Genshin Impact: A Case Study Analysis

In a post-pandemic era marked by a decline in consumer purchasing power, particularly in the restaurant industry, this paper delves into the successful collaboration between the international fast-food chain KFC and the popular open-world role-playing game, Genshin Impact. This collaboration, which occurred in 2021, generated extensive buzz and recognition on social media platforms. By analyzing this case, we explore the effective marketing strategies and communication methods that led to the success of this co-branding venture. The study uncovers the significance of cross-domain collaborations, emphasizes the impact of consumer groups, and delves into the role of social media and the fan effect in marketing strategies. It also sheds light on the social comparison effect, pivotal in influencing players' motivations and purchasing behavior. Furthermore, it examines KFC's hunger marketing approach and the integration of fast-food industry characteristics. The paper concludes with suggestions for addressing supply chain management, resource optimization, and service quality in co-branding campaigns. Despite these valuable insights, the study acknowledges certain limitations and points towards future research directions.

Exploring Motivations for Fast-Food Consumption at Global Chains in Sri Lanka: The Mediating Role of Social Influence

This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study examines the motives for dining at international fast-food restaurants in Sri Lanka, leveraging online data collection for both qualitative and quantitative phases. The initial qualitative phase, administered through an open-ended question online involving 356 participants, identified a range of motives informing the structured questionnaire that was used in the quantitative phase, which yielded 153 responses. The exploratory factor analysis highlighted four principal motives: Perceived Value and Quality, Personal Enjoyment and Variety, Social Influence, and Convenience, which align with the Consumption Value Theory to the greatest extent. The multiple regression analysis revealed the significant mediating role of social factors in determining the behavioral intention toward fast-food consumption. These findings show that in Sri Lanka's fast-food sector, consumer choices and preferences are multifacetedly shaped by a combination of personal preferences and social influences. The study's insights are crucial for international fast-food chains, underscoring the need to develop marketing strategies that align with the unique socio-cultural dynamics of the Sri Lankan market.

Linguistic Glocalization as a Promotional Strategy by Multi-National Fast-Food Chains: A Case Of Pakistan

This research discusses that how international fast food chains use glocal strategies for promoting and localizing their brands in Pakistan. The major source, that these fast food chains use, is advertisements, and their focus is on the language of the target country. The purpose is to investigate the language of advertisements and how they use local language in special events of Pakistan, and thus promote their products through local language in advertisements. Qualitative research approach has been used for the analysis of advertisements and to answer the research questions. The concepts of universalizing and particularizing tendencies by Ronald (1980) and the theory of ‘Cultural Glocality’ by Fernandez (2009) with some modifications, have been used as a theoretical framework. For this purpose, top three international fast food chains such as, McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut have been selected. All the advertisements fromJanuary 2021 to June 2021 have been collected for this research. Findings reveal that international fast food chains are more popular in Pakistan because of the language they use in their advertisements to attract and convey their message to their customers. After analyzing the data, it is concluded that the main glocal strategies are the use of the local language(s), code switching, use of location, use of cultural and religious events and language features, which they exhibit through their advertisements. By using local language, they promote their products and at the same time localize themselves in Pakistan.

The fast-food employees' usage intention of robots: A cross-cultural study

Robots are adopted in numerous tourism and hospitality segments, including restaurants. This study aims to empirically investigate the service robots' (SRs) acceptance among fast-food employees across two cultures – Egypt and Malaysia - and examines the moderating role of culture on usage intention. Extending the UTAUT model, Hofstede's culture dimensions, and relevant literature, a survey was developed for data collection from a convenient sample of employees in two international fast-food chains. Structural equation modelling was used for hypotheses-testing purposes. The results revealed that four UTAUT main constructs explain 62% and 44% of fast-food employees' behavioural intention to adopt robots in Egypt and Malaysia, respectively. The findings revealed that easiness-of-use, recommendations of trusted people to use robots, and knowledge and skills required to use robots affect the intention of usage by fast-food employees. This study extends the research of robotics' adoption in tourism and hospitality and consequently supports the planning for the post-Covid-19 resume. It provides several theoretical and operational implications for future research.

Improving Consumer-Based Green Brand Equity: The Role of Healthy Green Practices, Green Brand Attachment, and Green Skepticism

This study examines the effect of green practices on green brand equity, and it looks at the impact of green brand attachment and green skepticism as mediating variables on these relationships. We employed a dataset of 454 consumers from international fast-food restaurants. Our empirical results indicate that green practices enhance consumer-based green brand equity. Green skepticism has a significant negative effect on green brand attachment, and green brand attachment has a significant positive effect on green brand equity. Green brand attachment mediates the relationship between green practices and green brand equity and between green skepticism and green brand equity. The study findings provide consumer insights into green products and managerial implications for international fast-food chains.

Cause-related marketing and its impact on brand image and loyalty: Evidence from international fast-food chains

ABSTRACT The work described in this paper investigates the impact of cause-related marketing on brand image and loyalty from the perspective of international fast-food chains. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managers to assess the current use of cause-related marketing practices (CrM) in fast-food chain restaurants. From the results of the interviews and review of literature, a model was developed including four variables, these are as follows: CrM, customer loyalty, brand image, and price increase. A self-administered structured questionnaire was designed to collect data on managers perspective of CrM, impact on brand image, customer loyalty, and price increase. Seven hundred and four questionnaires were distributed. Results from the study indicate that there is a correlation between CrM and brand and that there is a positive and significant and relationship between CrM and customer loyalty, CrM was found to have more effect on attitudinal loyalty than on behavioral loyalty. In addition, results revealed that brand image and customer loyalty are correlated. Regression analysis signified that customer loyalty is affected by brand image as the relationship between them is significant and positive. The study also found that brand image acted as a partial mediator between CrM and customer loyalty.

Local vs. International Hamburger Foodservice in the Consumer’s Mind: An Exploratory Study

Fast-food chains are everywhere and every day millions of people choose to have a break in a fast-food outlet. However, in recent years some local hamburger foodservice chains outside of the well-known international fast-food chains have found success by leveraging products linked with their territory. How do consumers value the service received in an international, rather than a local, fast-food outlet? This aspect is under-investigated in the literature, but is relevant in order to capture the main and most important differences between the two systems. Through a structured survey, consumers’ perceptions of both international and local hamburger foodservice outlets in the Turin Metropolitan area (Italy) were measured and analysed. The results indicate that consumers generally have a break in an international fast-food restaurant, but the value assigned to local fast-food chains is higher than that assigned to international ones. Specifically, local fast-food chains are appreciated for particular aspects related to the supply chain (animal welfare, ethical and social aspects, the origin of the raw materials, and some other characteristics of the food). The findings contribute to a more in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour, and give an insight into the relevance of the local aspects as opposed to the international ones.

The moderating role of personal resources in the relationship between job demands and work engagement

This study aimed to examine the role of personal resources in the job demands?resources (JD?R) model of work engagement. We hypothesized that personal resources weaken the negative impact of job demands on work engagement. The hypothesis was examined using a sample of employees (N = 58) from multiple branches of four international fast-food chains based in Ireland and Taiwan who completed questionnaires focused on personal resources, job demands and work engagement over 7 consecutive workdays (N = 58*7 = 406 occasions). The results support the hypothesis. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Analytics for labor planning in systems with load-dependent service times

This paper presents a generalized framework for labor planning in systems with load-dependent service times. Our approach integrates customer arrival forecasting, service time estimation, and staffing into an end to end process. More specifically, (i) we propose a hybrid model to forecast customer arrivals, that combines a traditional time-series technique with a state-of-the-art machine learning algorithm, thereby allowing to incorporate a rich set of predictors; (ii) we develop a methodology to estimate the distribution of load-dependent service times from past transactions data; and (iii) we present a stochastic programming formulation to determine staffing levels under quality-of-service constraints. Finally, we develop a heuristic solution algorithm that utilizes an embedded discrete event simulation to evaluate system performance.To demonstrate the practical applicability of our approach, we conduct a case study at a franchisee of a major international fast food chain. Our data set includes the number of transactions, average order value, average service times, and staffing levels recorded at the restaurant on an hourly level, as well as information on marketing activities of the fast food chain on a daily level for nine consecutive years. We show that by applying our approach, the personnel expenses could be reduced by 4.4%, which would translate into an increase in earnings before interest and taxes by 13% at the collaborating restaurant.

Nutritional quality of foods and non-alcoholic beverages advertised on Brazilian free-to-air television: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEvidence shows that foods marketed on television are often low-nutrient-dense foods associated with poor nutritional diet quality, obesity and non-communicable diseases. However, little research has been undertaken in Brazil around this issue. This study assessed the nutritional profile of foods and non-alcoholic beverages advertised on Brazilian television by applying the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe) nutrient profiling models.MethodsCross-sectional study based on the International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) protocol. A total of 432 h on the three major Brazilian free-to-air TV channels was recorded from April 1st to 30th 2018. Recordings were done for eight non-consecutive and randomly selected days from 6 am to 12 am (midnight). All food-related ads were coded using a systematic approach and classified according to the PAHO and the WHO/Europe nutrient profile models as “eligible”/“not eligible” for marketing restrictions. Absolute and relative frequencies were used to describe absolute numbers and proportions of food and beverage advertisements. The nutritional profile of foods was compared by day, time of the day and types of TV program. For each advertisement, the parent company of promoted food products, supermarkets and restaurants was identified.ResultsA total of 1610 food and beverage ads were broadcast, representing 18.1% of the total ads shown on selected channels. Over 80.0% of all foods and beverages advertised on Brazilian TV channels did not meet the PAHO and the WHO/Europe nutritional quality standards and were considered eligible for marketing restrictions. The proportion of unhealthy food ads was significantly higher on weekends, in the afternoon, and during soap operas programming. Altogether, 10 transnational and local food and beverage companies, two large international fast food chains and two of Brazil’s largest supermarket retailers accounted for almost 90% of all unhealthy food ads shown.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study indicate a high exposure of the Brazilian population to unhealthy food marketing and an inefficient enforcement of existing regulations. Further research to monitor population exposure to unhealthy food marketing and understand the policy inertia that is preventing policy progress, is highly recommended.

How does corporate social responsibility transform brand reputation into brand equity? Economic and noneconomic perspectives of CSR

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been embedded across psychological and physical frontiers of organizations building up on philanthropy, ethics, regulation, and economy. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence that how CSR gears up various aspects of an organization. The major objective of the present study is to explain the multidimensional catalytic role of CSR in transforming brand equity from brand reputation in the fast-food industry. The study has been designed to get responses through a structured questionnaire to analyze the data through descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Sample size of 420 consumers and employees of international fast-food chains, located in Pakistan, with diverse demographical profiles have been involved for the survey. Three models were developed to understand the aforementioned phenomenon; the first model examines the impact of brand reputation on brand equity, and the second model reassesses the same relationship with moderating role of CSR, while the third model evaluates the associations with each dimension of CSR. The results indicate that brand reputation is a significant predictor of brand equity, and its predictive power boosts up in the presence of CSR activities. It was also ascertained that CSR initiatives related to ethics, economy, and philanthropy expedite the process of conversion from brand reputation to brand equity. The legal aspect of CSR in developing economies could not prove to be fruitful in this particular context. The research would provide great insight to the managers of fast-food retail chains to evaluate investments for CSR activities in raising equity of their organizations.

Sensory Triggers to Drive Sales- Creating Competitive Advantage Through Multisensory Consumption Experience in Restaurants

When foreign fast food restaurants enter the Indian market, their sensory marketing strategies change based on language, culture and taste preferences. Southern India is known for cultural diversity, different languages, spicy taste preferences and varied music; these components directly impact sensory strategies and consumer behaviour. The objective of this paper is to analyse the relationship between time spent in the restaurant and sensory strategies used, leading more consumption. The purpose of the study is to find out whether the sensory cues (colour, music, smell, touch and taste) have any significant role in having customers spend more time at the restaurant leading more consumption. Data was gathered from consumers of Four international fast-food chain restaurants (KFC, McDonald, Domino’s and Subway) across four cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) of India. Chi Square test rejected the null hypotheses; there was statistically significant evidence of an association between time spent in the restaurant leading to more consumption and sensory strategies (the colour used, music played and variety of cuisine offered). However, for scent and touch cues, the results were statically insignificant. This study result has important implications for the fast-food industry in understanding how to create and manage their sensory marketing strategies to attract people who love sitting and spending quality time at the restaurant which ultimately leads to more sales.

The extremes of franchising in a post-communist country

Purpose Franchising has become an increasingly popular overseas expansion strategy for companies in various industries. A successful development in a transition economy such as Serbia has been exclusively associated with McDonald’s, which raises concerns about the ability of other international franchises to penetrate the Serbian market. The purpose of this paper is to explore the customer-based constraints that may hamper the spread of franchising in a post-communist country. Specifically, factors such as country-of-origin (COO) effects, longevity and brand localness/globalness that may affect consumers’ preferences are considered. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses mixed methods, that is to say a combination of qualitative and semi-quantitative approaches. Primary data were collected using (45) semi-structured interviews with local customers. The (success) story of McDonald’s in Serbia serves as the reference point. Findings The findings suggest that COO and localness are both relevant in explaining consumer preferences. Longevity signals the ability to adhere to international standards as well as regular local engagement. The results also stress that, contrary to widespread belief, global franchise names do not have an advantage over local players. Research limitations/implications Further investigation is needed to empirically examine the relationships between several key variables identified in the present study (longevity, COO, tradition, patriotism, trust, emotional attachment, perceived quality, authenticity, satisfaction, behavioral intentions). These may influence franchise system penetration and, ultimately, its performance. Practical implications Although post-communist countries have become highly appealing for international fast-food and coffee-shop chains, these countries are hard-to-please environments for setting-up and operating a franchise business. These findings advocate franchises to find the right balance between their global name and a quick integration of indigenous attributes to compensate for their late entry. Franchise marketing managers must develop a brand narrative that includes both local brand associations and global/international standards to increase franchise brand awareness and generate a positive consumer attitude. Originality/value Despite the call for more studies on franchising in emerging markets and their realities, not much attention has been paid to (local) customer-related constraints. The inclusion of a temporal perspective appeared to be highly relevant in investigating the potential effect of longevity on the local development of the franchise system. Moreover, there is a scarcity of scholarly branding research in the franchising sector. Local competition, although a neglected dimension in prior studies, has been examined through consumer preferences toward global and local brands. The chosen research methodology responds to the recent call of scholars for more diverse approaches. Finally, as a post-communist, transition and emerging economy, Serbia serves as a stimulating and yet uncovered research setting, given its tumultuous history with Western countries, as well as the long successful history of the McDonald’s franchise.

Making Sense in Marketing–Sensory Strategies For International Quick Service Restaurants

"Given the importance of Sensory Marketing in the field of QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) industry, the objective of this paper is to identify the key sensory factors that influence customers’ selection of a fast food restaurant. The purpose is to find out the factors in order of influence to answer the question of whether sensory factors play any significant role in the choosing a fast food restaurant. For this quantitative study, data of 1600 respondents were collected through structured questionnaire from four international fast food chain restaurants (KFC, McDonald, Domino’s and Subway) across four cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) of India. To meet the research objective and to test the hypothesis statistical tools; Factor Analyses and Multiple regression were used. Factor analysis revealed three components, namely: Sensory influence, Promotional influence and Monetary influence, due to their high factor loadings. Further, multiple regression analysis results indicated that the Sensory factor contributed significantly to the model followed by Promotional factor and Monetary Factor. This study concludes that Sensory Factor is the most influencing factor for customers to select a fast food restaurant contrary to the belief of Promotional and Monetary factor. This study not only adds to theoretical insights of the literature of Sensory marketing but also recommends its practical implications to the marketing managers and practitioners of the QSR industry.

Trends in Own Revenue of Indian States: Is Special Status Justified?

"Given the importance of Sensory Marketing in the field of QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) industry, the objective of this paper is to identify the key sensory factors that influence customers’ selection of a fast food restaurant. The purpose is to find out the factors in order of influence to answer the question of whether sensory factors play any significant role in the choosing a fast food restaurant. For this quantitative study, data of 1600 respondents were collected through structured questionnaire from four international fast food chain restaurants (KFC, McDonald, Domino’s and Subway) across four cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) of India. To meet the research objective and to test the hypothesis statistical tools; Factor Analyses and Multiple regression were used. Factor analysis revealed three components, namely: Sensory influence, Promotional influence and Monetary influence, due to their high factor loadings. Further, multiple regression analysis results indicated that the Sensory factor contributed significantly to the model followed by Promotional factor and Monetary Factor. This study concludes that Sensory Factor is the most influencing factor for customers to select a fast food restaurant contrary to the belief of Promotional and Monetary factor. This study not only adds to theoretical insights of the literature of Sensory marketing but also recommends its practical implications to the marketing managers and practitioners of the QSR industry.

THE ACTIVITIES OF FOODSERVICE COMPANIES IN THE AREA OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – ON THE EXAMPLE OF INTERNATIONAL FAST FOOD CHAIN

The aim of this paper is presentation of the activities of food service companies in the area of social responsibility. In today’s business world, there are many strategies being used to run business. Interest of the topic of corporate social responsibility has growing rapidly. Many companies have started to engage in CSR as strategy in order to gain benefits that can give them an added advantage over their competitors. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the company’s strategy, based on the assumption that business is responsible for the society within which it operates. There have been increasing numbers of companies engaged in CSR. CSR is becoming an important issue in the food service business. Nowadays CSR can drive companies to succeed in business by increasing sales volume and brand awareness and also added advantage over their competitors. For this thesis was decided to choose McDonald’s corporation as a case study. This is one of the famous restaurants all over the world. McDonald’s has a good reputation in terms of social responsibility. Hence, the significance of this paper is not only to increase related stakeholders’ understanding of CSR, resulting in the achievement of long term sustainability, but also fill in the academic gap of CSR, especially for catering business in Poland. The main objective of the article will be to find out, how McDonald's implements CSR towards employees, customers, supply partners and the community.Purpose: The aim of this paper is presentation of the activities of food service companies in the area of social responsibility on example of international fast food chain – McDonald’s.Methodology: For this thesis was decided to choose McDonald’s corporation as a case study, empirical, qualitative research method.Findings: Since last year’s McDonald's has been seen to adopt a more proactive strategy on CSR. McDonald’s has set good examples of social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility McDonald’s takes part in: animal welfare, corporate giving/Ronald McDonald House Charities, education scholarships, employment practices for, environmental practices, work with Corporate Social Responsibility Suppliers, Corporate Responsibility McDonald’s Reports.The evidence presents a case that the corporation is implementing CSR policies as a means to greater profitability. It is promoting itself as a notable corporate citizen and has turned CSR around from a cost of doing business into a profitable enterprise and been commended for it. But, McDonalds CSR strategies mostly lay in the overlapping ethics/law area.Originality/value: Hence, the significance of this paper is not only to increase related stakeholders’ understanding of CSR, resulting in the achievement of long term sustainability, but also fill in the academic gap of CSR, especially for catering business in Poland. The demand for results is related to a poor adoption of CSR in small companies, especially in the gastronomy business. There is a possibility to improve performance with the example of McDonald’s as the role model.

How Differing Demographic Factors Impact upon Customer Loyalty Towards National or International Fast-Food Chains: A Comparative Study in Emerging Markets

ABSTRACTThe aim of this paper is to study differing demographic factors affecting fast-food customers loyalty towards national or international fast food chains. A variety of variables used to gain a holistic view, which includes factors such as quality, price, food and demographic profile of consumers affecting loyalty of fast food chains. The study adopts the theory and method of the trust-commitment-loyalty explanation chain and examines the consumer survey adapted from Fast food by Sahagun et.al (2014). The present analyses 542 filled questionnaires in which systematic sampling is used. Indians prefer global fast food chains compared to Indian fast food chains. Loyalty towards global brands is higher than that for Indian brands because they are found to be of better quality which leads to higher frequency of visit and recommendation of the brands to their friends and colleagues. There is ethnic variation towards global and Indian fast food chains.

A Comparative Analysis of the Distributions of KFC and McDonald’s Outlets in China

Mainland China has become one of the most important markets for international fast-food chains over the past decade. To study the regional spread of KFC and McDonald’s outlets in Chinese cities, the correlation of their distributions and degree of market expansion were explored and compared to analyze both the local and the global spatial autocorrelations. A geographically weighted Poisson regression model was also used to examine the influence of demographic, economic, and geographic factors on their spatial distributions. The findings of this comparative study reveal the site selection criteria at the city level by studying the differences and similarities in outlet distributions for KFC and McDonald’s. The presented results can guide other chains to enhance business location planning and formulate regional development policy.

Measuring service quality in international fast food chains in Ludhiana

The present study was undertaken to measure the service quality in International fast food chains in Ludhiana by selecting 200 customers on convenience basis. The primary data were collected with the help of a well structured schedule. An adopted SERVQUAL scale was used to assess the service quality. The study revealed that the service quality offered did not meet the customers' expectations on most aspects. The highest gap and poor internal consistency viz., 1.10 and 0.548, respectively, was found in the parameter, empathy. The lowest gap and good internal consistency viz., 0.71 and 0.886, respectively, was found in the parameter, reliability. The results further revealed that the reliability dimension was the most significant and tangibles dimension was the least significant amongst the five dimensions. Out of the five international fast food chains, the average scores for Pizza Hut were the highest on the three dimensions, namely, tangibles, reliability and empathy.

How differing demographic factors impact consumers’ loyalty towards national or international fast food chains

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study differing demographic factors affecting fast-food customers loyalty towards national or international fast food chains. It also compares the variation between global and local fast food chains as the products offered are culturally different. Design/methodology/approach – A variety of variables used to gain a holistic view, which includes factors such as quality, price, food and demographic profile of consumers affecting loyalty of fast food chains. The study adopts the theory and method of the trust-commitment-loyalty explanation chain and examines the consumer survey adapted from Fast food by Sahagun et al. (2014). The present analyses 542 filled questionnaires in which systematic sampling is used. Systematic sampling procedure is adopted. Findings – Indians prefer global fast food chains compared to Indian fast food chains. Loyalty towards global brands is higher than that for Indian brands because they are found to be of better quality which leads to higher frequency of visit and recommendation of the brands to their friends and colleagues. There are ethnic variations towards global and Indian fast food chains. Global brand of food chains generated more good word of mouth publicity compared to Indian food chains. Demographic factors play a role in the patronage of fast food chains. Research limitations/implications – One of the limitations of this research is the study adapts the theory and method of the trust-commitment-loyalty explanation chain and examines the consumer survey adapted from a study of Sahagun et al. (2014) on fast food for emerging markets. Only India is studied, but the addition of other countries like Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa can add value. Practical implications – Fast food managers had to illustrate the satisfaction on affective response, such as quality of food, convenient location, variety, service and value for money. Demographic variables like gender, age, education, income and ethnicity, global and local Brand will affect the perceptions. Originality/value – This is the first attempt to study the loyalty of consumers in emerging markets, which is witnessing the entry of many fast food global chains. It studies the demographic variables effect on the loyalty and the behaviour of consumers and compares to local and global brand fast food chains. The research will be use to global managers who are planning to expand in emerging markets like India.