Strategic food marketing and public relations by American fast-food retailers in China: implications on China's obesity crisis

2011-07-29Counterbalancing the huge economic gains in recent years, scholars indicate that China is in the midst of a looming healthcare crisis caused largely by obesity (Chen, 2008; French & Crabbe, 2010; Ji & Cheng, 2008; Levine, 2007; Popkin, 2008; Wu, 2006). A problem primarily in industrialized nations and often epitomized by heavyweight America, health and nutrition scientists (Jeffery, Baxter, McGuire & Linde, 2006; Prentice & Jebb, 2003; Rosenheck, 2008) have linked the obesity crisis with increased consumption of U.S. fast foods. With 33.2 billion fast-food transactions recorded in 2006 (French & Crabbe, 2010), and with a new Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise opening its doors in China every 18 hours as of March 2011 (Hatton, 2011), Chinese residents are eating fattening, energy-dense foods with increasing ease and intensity. Among those most affected, children are prime targets of the fast food industry and literature shows a link between fast food marketing practices and childhood obesity. ❧ In contextualizing the obesity crisis, this study explores the effects of food marketing and public relations by American fast food retailers in promoting products to key Chinese publics, including consumers and the government. A literature review examines the relationship between obesity, fast food and China. A second body of literature surveys Chinese public relations from a historical, political and socio-cultural lens, and incorporates case study analysis on KFC. In addition, a quantitative study was designed to ascertain perceptions of 44 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students attending American universities regarding the influence and practices of U.S. fast food companies in China. Finally, survey findings inform a proposal for food marketing and public relations best practices in China