Landing back in square one, the same problems occurred. Time constraints were getting tighter and tighter. Ideas were generated, but not developed since there was not enough substance behind them. It appeared as though the author had to settle for something of no interests to him. Nevertheless, he still endeavoured in seeking a research topic that would arouse his curiosity. After days and weeks of brainstorming to no avail, the answer to his question was finally discovered. Alas, this was not possible without help from the most unexpected source, his best friend.
As he walked through the author’s doorstep, clutching in his hand a sandwich of immense proportion, an ambience of mouth watering goodness intensified with every step that he took. A logo was visible through the transparent plastic bag. It said: [pic] This brings us to the topic at hand. The UK public is bombarded by media coverage of the obesity crisis. The fast food sector has acted as a driving factor for this, while becoming the media punching-bags in the process. Most of the major players within the industry can be seen on the news- for all the wrong reasons.
Strong brands have been weakened by negative public perceptions, resulting in flagging sales. This most certainly is the case for McDonald’s, the quintessential US fast-food chain, Burger King, and KFC. With that in mind, it is becoming increasingly significant that the Subway franchise aligned itself with the concept of healthy eating before any of its direct competitors. What remains to be seen though, is whether the ‘ Subway Diet’, as a ploy, influenced the strategic realignment of the company, the organisation’s growth in the UK, and if the ploy will have an impact on future strategic options.
