Fast food for thought

American Demographics, May, 1996 by Pamela Kasdan

"You deserve a break today!" "Have it your way!" "Run for the border!" The fast-food industry spends over a billion dollars a year on catchy slogans to lure consumers past the doors of the competition. But a restaurant's location may be the biggest factor in fast-food purchase decisions, according to a new survey. And the importance of other factors depends on who's buying the burger.

Marketing experts have all kinds of theories about what makes fast food sell. Chris Muller, professor of food and beverage management at Cornell University, says that the three most influential attributes are low price, speed of service, and consistency. Taco Bell incorporates what it believes to be the most significant factors into the acronym FACT - Fast food, Accurate orders, Cleanliness, and food served at the right Temperature. Some believe that price is the deciding factor. "People are only brand loyal to who's got the best deal going that week," says Stuart Elliot of The New York Times. But David Lynch, vice president of Wendy's International, thinks the situation is more complex. "The most important factor depends on the mood and amount of time you have [devoted to the ad campaign]."

Speed is of the essence to customers, but it's not necessarily the speed with which they get their burger once they're in the restaurant. Consumers claim that fast service is less important than the convenience of getting to the restaurant in the first-place. Twenty-six percent of adults surveyed by Maritz Marketing Research of Fenton, Missouri, say that a convenient location is the most influential factor in their choice of fast-food restaurants. Men are more likely than women to value convenience, at 31 percent versus 23 percent, and those aged 65 and older value it less than younger adults.

The thing average Americans value most highly after location is the fast food itself. Twenty-five percent of respondents say that quality of food is the deciding factor in their choice of restaurant. This may mean they consider the food superior, but it could also mean that they appreciate the consistency of knowing they'll get the same thing every time, every place. Women, young adults, and seniors are more likely than average to claim that quality is the key ingredient.

Only 12 percent of adults say they make fast-food choices based on speed of service, and just 8 percent say price is the key. Adults under age 25 have lower-than-average incomes, and they are more likely than average to cite price as the most important reason for their restaurant choices. But the opposite is true of seniors, who also have relatively low incomes. Four percent of people aged 65 and older say reasonable prices most influence their fast-food selections, compared with 13 percent of those under age 25. Even so, many fast-food companies continue to focus on prices in advertising campaigns.

The elderly are the group most likely to be influenced by menu selections, which is no surprise considering that age often brings dietary restrictions. One in four seniors says selection is the most influential element of their choice, compared with 10 percent of those aged 35 to 44. The elderly are also more likely than average to perceive that fast-food restaurants serve healthier food than they did five years ago, at 77 percent compared with 71 percent of all adults. They may pay more attention to ad campaigns touting less fat, or they may be more likely to believe them.

Middle-aged adults worry less about menu selection, maybe because they are often accompanied by kids who tend to want the same thing every time. Just 3 percent of those aged 35 to 44 claim that their choice is most influenced by children's preferences, yet the presence of offspring may explain why they are less likely than any other age group to care about selection and food quality. They do care about money and time. This age group ranks second after young adults in valuing reasonable prices, and second after 55-to-64-year-olds in caring about fast service.

The middle-aged are also most likely to make decisions based on brand names, again possibly because of their children. Even so, only about 5 percent of those aged 35 to 44 and 55 to 64 say this is the main reason they choose the restaurants they do, compared with less than 3 percent of all adults.

This doesn't necessarily mean that fast-food chains are wasting the estimated $4 million-plus a day they spend peddling their wares on TV. People don't always know or admit the underlying reasons for their brand choices. But they seem to know what they like. The average American adult visits a fast-food restaurant six times a month.

Maritz AmeriPolls are regularly conducted telephone surveys of a nationally representative sample of approximately 1,000 adults. For more information, call (800) 446-1690; or see Maritz Marketing Research's Internet site at http://www. maritz.com/apoll/.