My Reflective Journal

Week 1 aim: Tracking my fast-food consumption

Situation

I’ve recently been concerned about my fitness and mental health, and I believe the main reason for that is because of my rising consumption of fast food. In saying this, my overall objective for the next four weeks will be to decrease my fast-food consumption and this reflection will be a guide as to how I am going to achieve it.

My identity as a consumer

It is said that the differentiation in consumers values have a great impact on the consumption behavior of fast food due to one’s values (Khalid and Lodhi, 2018). My fast-food consumption behavior is because of the choices that I have made in my life and the certain values inherited resulting in fast-food always turning into a favorable outcome in my lifestyle. These values include having a strong passion for food and also being a price sensitive person who prefers convenience over difficulty which has played a part into my consumption patterns as a consumer.

Understanding my consumer identity makes it easier for me to track which particular points in my life do I consume fast-food. So, I’ve decided to construct a general timetable to find out when and where do I consume fast-food the most. I will also be using this timetable to track my consumption progression each week.

General Timetable:

Marketing and consumer culture

The whole culture of marketing has impacted the way I spend my money as a consumer. For e.g., the never-ending displays of new products on social media or billboards such as a new McFlurry from McDonalds where it ‘typically focuses on the immediate sensory gratifications of consumption, making resistance to these messages even more difficult’ (Harris and Bargh, 2009). This draws my attention which creates a “want” for myself to try, therefore, spending more money as a consumer.

Price is also another marketing strategy that comes into play. I’ve always been a price sensitive person but when it comes to fast-food, price isn’t really a concern for me because almost everything on the menu is cheap.

Empowerment or Vulnerability?

I would describe myself as an irrational consumer; a section where ‘perfectly rational behavior of consumers cannot be achieved only can realize in some certain limits’ (Xinhui and Han, 2016). This lack of control in making my own purchase decisions has made me feel less empowered to engage in my behavior because when you engage in a behavior where you don’t think too much about the consequences beforehand, it’s difficult to resist.

Given that I am in my early 20s and my social status isn’t that high, I would describe myself as an individual that fast-food marketers would be targeting in their marketing tactics. It doesn’t make me feel vulnerable but rather pleased to receive opportunities of exposure.

Week 2 aim: Reduce my fast-food spending from $90 to $45 a week.

Week 1 reflection:

After tracking my timetable for the last week, these were my results:

Based on my findings, I consume fast food 6 days a week on average. Most of the consumption occurs when I spend time with my friends along with work and university after that. Also, the fact that I spent a total amount of $90 guides me in choosing my next goal.

Brand consumption

McDonalds and Hungry Jacks are usually the types of brands I consume. It’s two fast-food chains that I have grown up eating ever since I was young where my parents always took me after school which has certainly influenced my eating habits to this day.

Fast-food has become embedded into my lifestyle due to various reasons:

· Working at McDonalds.

· Having a strong passion for food.

· Having friends who consume fast food.

· Possessing a fast metabolism.

These factors in my life have directed me to a fast-food route that has become embedded into my lifestyle.

Societal Impact

The societal impact of this consumption is that it saves consumers time and makes their lives easier. To support this, (DeVoe and House, 2013) claims that ‘Fast-food restaurants are designed and structured to save time in delivering food’ as well as ‘selected for the ease and speed of preparation’.

Young people of today including university students just like myself have limited interest in saving. But rather prefer to spend money on fast food, movies and shopping (Thobejane and

Speaking of money, I will refer to the cheaper menu range and focus on purchasing only single items rather than full set meals. For e.g., purchasing a BBQ cheeseburger for $2 instead of a large whopper meal for $11.60.

Hidden Costs and Responsibility

The hidden costs for fast-food restaurants include the expensive equipment required to produce and assemble the food, the crew members on shift and the fixed fees that keep the business open and running.

They have a responsibility to bring its customers joy and to fulfill their needs on having an enjoyable experience because the way a customer perceives a business is critical for the success of a firm and is linked with how satisfied they are through their experience with the brand (Etemad-Sajadi, 2013).

Documentation of Marketing

I’ve noticed that the endless displays of posters and promotions around university and advertisements on social media whenever I use my phone really influences my behavior in consumption.

It plants an unforgettable image in my head and reminds me that fast-food is always an alternative I can choose to take. Rather than focusing too much on the product offered itself, businesses aim to create a brand identity and value for current and potential fast-food lovers like myself that will eventually become infused into our lifestyles.

I try to resist the pressure by considering other food options that are healthier and this will lead into my next target towards achieving my objective.

Week 3 aim: Explore healthier food options when I spend time with my friends.

Week 2 reflection:

I’ve managed to achieve my goal due to having a better understanding of my behavior and the marketing tactics that lead to it as well as being aware of cheaper choices, consuming 4 days a week and only spending a total of $40.

Updated table:

Deception & Manipulation

One major tactic that fast-food companies engage in that can be seen as deceptive and manipulative involves tricking the audiences through the display of “appealing” and “perfectly-looking” images and videos of their food in advertisements compared to what they actually receive in reality. It is stated that “During shoots, stylists use tweezers, toothpicks, scissors, small blowtorches, paper, tape, glue, pins, paint, oil and glycerine to manipulate and enhance food” (Little, 2014), which is a key focus especially for fast-food companies to tempt the target audience to purchase more food from their stores.

Vulnerable groups targeted

“Companies spend millions on advertising, promotions and sponsorships and they do it because it leads to more kids and teenagers eating their unhealthy products.” (Lane, 2020). Fast food companies spend loads of money in their advertisements to deliberately target vulnerable young children who tend to be hopeful and optimistic. The aim in their marketing scheme; is to entice the minds of children with food that makes their mouth water as they believe that children fail to understand that advertisements aren’t always true because they are still young and naïve which makes it “challenging for adolescents to defend themselves against the negative effects of food marketing” (Lane, 2020).

Personally, I did sometimes get mislead by the commercials when I was young but now already knowing that “fake” products are produced specifically for the advertisements doesn’t make me too vulnerable towards it as other groups may be.

By attempting to explore healthier food options for my goal this week. I will be encouraging my friends along with myself to use an app called Healthy Recipes. This app will enable me and my friends to study many different sorts recipes that are considered low in calories because what better way is there to decrease my fast-food consumption than to adapt to another consumption behaviour; or in other words consuming something that is not fast-food.

Marketing Communications

An example of a fast-food marketing communication creating fear is this advertisement by Subway.

Jared Fogle was an American who partnered up with Subway that allowed him to tell his weight-loss story which attracts people who are overweight. Falsely encouraging people that if they eat subway on a regular basis then they lose weight just like Jared which can create fear if consumers find out the truth. See the image below.

These types of marketing communications also include a whole heap of cluttering. From posters in public train stations to billboards on busy highways, companies use this technique to fight for the attention of consumers over specific messages so to create ‘noise’ in the communication process (Preuss, 2008).

Week 4 aim: Reduce my fast-food spending from $25 to $10 a week.

Week 3 reflection:

Updated table:

After using Healthy Recipes, it has brought down my fast-food consumption from 4 days to 3 days a week, including consuming with my friends to only 2 times a week.

Ethical consumption

My decrease in fast-food consumption is an attempt to use my power as a consumer to bring about the social change by improving the health and well-being of others especially those who are socially conscious and is easily affected by fast-food. This includes tackling the mental state after consuming fast food and avoiding obesity towards those who don’t have a fast-metabolism.

Activists in social change

Michael Pollan, a food activist who has opened millions of eyes about our food and where it comes from. Pollan’s determination to bring about social change through food is an inspiration to myself and many others. Pollan tell us that the food system has the ability to tackle issues such as climate change, health care costs, and the economy (Michael Pollan on the Food Movement, 2010).

He communicates this through many forms of media such as books, documentaries and online articles. This encourages me inspire others with my story by sharing my fast-food development online.

I will be creating my own website where I can post my own content including my personal reflection. By doing this, it will further motivate me to achieve my weekly aim and overall objective knowing that my progression is unveiled for everyone to read.

Final consumption timetable:

Despite not achieving my weekly aim of spending $10; I still managed to only spend $11 on fast-food, consuming only twice for the week.

Final Conclusion:

By undertaking different strategies, I’ve managed to make tremendous progress in decreasing my fast-food consumption behavior throughout these past 4 weeks.

I started off by consuming fast-food 8 times to now reducing it to twice a week which includes only once with my friends. As for my spending, I was able reduce my fast-food spending from $90 to $11 a week which I would say is a huge achievement.

This behavioral change has transformed my lifestyle in a way where my mind is more positive, my body is feeling healthier than ever before and there is less money coming out of my pocket.

Some key challenges were the marketing strategies involved such as advertising, promotions and social media that tried to persuade me in further consumption. Also, putting in the effort into changing a lifestyle that I was so used to was another obstacle that wasn’t easy to undertake.

From this experience, I’ve learnt that it is a step-by-step process that takes time to achieve rather than happening overnight. It has shown me that any type of consumption behavioral modification is doable as long as you have the right plan are willing to put in the hard work.