Liberty is a quote that appeals to immigrants and citizens alike: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. ” Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation outlines the reality that the American way of life is now largely influenced by the power of money and success. Carl N. Karcher is one of the fast food industry’s pioneers. He is a great example of a man starting with little and going on to achieve the American dream. His father always told him “The harder you work, the luckier you become. Carl dropped out of 8th grade to work 12 to 14 hours a day on the family farm, harvesting with a team of horses, bailing hay, and milking and feeding cows. In 1937, when Carl was 20 years old, he decided to leave upper Ohio where he was born, to work with his uncle in California at the family feed and seed store. He worked 67 hour weeks in the feed store until he had enough money to start a family of his own. In 1939 he married Margaret Heinz in west L. A. Carl decided to take a leap of faith and took out a loan for $311, using his car for collateral to buy a hotdog cart.

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Within the next 5 years Carl owned 4 hotdog carts. In 1945 he bought a recently closed restaurant, fixed it up, and opened the first Carl’s Drive-In Barbeque restaurant. Carl thought his future was secure with his drive-in restaurant; but he was worried when he heard about McDonald’s Famous Hamburgers that sold for 15 cents each, which was 20 cents less than what Carl charged. Richard and Maurice McDonald left New Hampshire for southern California at the start of the depression, hoping to find jobs in Hollywood. They worked as set builders, saved their money, and bought a movie theatre in Glendale.

The theatre wasn’t a success so they opened a drive-in restaurant in Pasadena, trying to cash in on the drive-in craze. They hired 3 carhops and mainly sold hotdogs. A few years later they moved to a larger building that was located near a high school. They employed 20 carhops which promptly made the brothers rich. The McDonald brothers grew tired of looking for new carhops and short-order cooks. All of the carhops and short-order cooks were fired because they were not needed in this radical new method of selling burgers. This new method was designed to increase the speed, lower prices, and raise the volume of sales.

They eliminated almost two-thirds of the items on their old menu. Everything that was eaten on a plate or with a knife, spoon, or fork was thrown out and replaced with foods that could be eaten with hands to eliminate the need to wash and re-use these items. All of the burgers were sold with the same condiments: ketchup, onions, mustard, and two pickles. Efficiency was the key to their success. McDonalds and Disney were the first businesses that discovered a demographic that would result in the highest revenues. Children. Children are big consumers in the fast food business.

They are the ones that can use “leverage”, “the nudge factor”, or “pester power” to eventually persuade their parents to take them to a restaurant. Statistically, there is a higher chance that the whole family will go out to eat, instead of just one person. The quantity of product purchased is multiplied resulting in a much higher income for the restaurant. Making the place of business a place where the consumer is content and happy is very important. They will want to keep coming back. In the brain, a place can be associated with feelings interpreted from a certain location.

Psychologically that will keep customers coming back for a lifetime. Strategies like this are called “cradle to grave” advertising strategies. This is the reason McDonalds started building play places in their restaurants. Today, as a result of the success in marketing to children, more children are over-weight and don’t have fun playing in the play-place. To adapt to this change in what kids think are fun, McDonalds has taken down lots of play-places, and replaced them with videogames that require little to no physical activity to play.

This is what appeals to American kids today. A person’s “brand loyalty” may begin as early as the age of two. Market research has found that children often recognize a brand logo before they can recognize their own name! The mascot of a franchise is very important. The idea as a clown being the McDonalds mascot came into existence when Bozo the clown, from a children’s TV show called Bozo’s Circus, made a live appearance at a McDonalds restaurant. The appearance drew large crowds which also drew large profits for McDonalds.

The McDonald Corporation came up with Ronald McDonald to use in a major ad campaign. So they hired Willard Scott, the original “Bozo the Clown” to be in commercials and make more appearances in restaurants across the country. Willard Scott was fired because he was deemed too overweight to sell McDonalds burgers, fries, and shakes to kids. A thinner mascot was hired to be more energetic. The original Bozo costume was changed by McDonalds to be more stimulating in advertisements. Bozo originally had a blue outfit with a white collar and red hair.

The blue was replaced with much more yellow and red. Red symbolizes energy, power, and vitality. It is the first color babies can see, and is extremely popular among children. The color red can actually stimulate the appetite which makes it an excellent tool in advertising food products. Yellow is the most eye-catching color. People tend to associate yellow with sunshine and happiness. Richard and Maurice McDonald worked hard their entire life. They created enough money, power, and success to influence most Americans from small children to the elderly. They truly achieved the American Dream

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