Multinational Fast Food Chains’ “Global Think, Local Act Strategy” and Consumer Preferences in Turkey

Abstract

In global competitive environment, to move one step forward fast-food companies turn to different methods of international marketing. Foremost among these international marketing methods is “Think global, act local”. There are lots of differences among the nations’ cultures and it may affect the cooking or preparing the food and beverage. In this context, to adapt their selves to local communities, global fast-food chains have to take into consideration about the economic, cultural and religious properties of the consumers who live all over the world. The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ perceptions and behaviors regarding the multinational fast-food chains’ glocal activities in Turkey. The paper also addresses a research question that Turkish consumers pay attention to multinational fast-food chains’ strategy or not. The results of individual surveys show that marital status and age of the consumers have positive impacts on preferring and perceiving glocal menus of the multinational fast-food chains. Also, it is found that the advertisements regarding the multinational fast-food chains have positive effect on perception and they increase the perception level of the fast food chains’ glocal menus. Mc Donald’s restaurants’ and Domino’s Pizza restaurants’ customers have the highest perception possibility regarding the glocalized menus. This result indicates that marketing managers of fast-food chains should take a glocalized approach via advertisements to success in the local markets. In regards, by theoretical and empirical analysis at our study it is aimed to contribute literature on the subject.