Tuesday, October 12, 2010

KFC and McDonald's



I have seen four McDonald's restaurants since I arrived in America, but the times for KFC is zero. Then I realized that McDonald's has more market share than KFC in American.

I was really surprised at the beginning because I expected to see an empire of KFC dominating fast food sector. That was what I always saw in China. In my home city, there are a chain of about 20 KFC restaurants. By contrast, McDonald's owns only a half of the stores. On a street where a KFC and a McDonald's are open next to each other, you can see Chinese people are more willing to enter the KFC's door. KFC really has a great influence in China. It's like the symbol of fast food. Therefore I would naturally suppose that KFC had a dominant position as well in America, its original country. However, American roles of KFC and McDonald's are changed.

What made KFC so successful in China? With curiosity I did some research. One reason makes KFC at an advantage is that Chinese people like eating chicken more than beef. Nearly everything in KFC is based on chicken while McDonald uses more beef in its food. What's more, according to Chinese actual conditions, KFC has developed many new flavors catering Chinese taste like spicy chicken and snackers. Also, the breakfast specially designed for Chinese in KFC contains lots of Chinese traditional food. In a word, KFC is always renovating and developing new styles and flavors for Chinese. Meanwhile McDonald's is doing nothing.

From my perspective, KFC is more than a business in China, it has a tight relation with people and society. When I was about 10, KFC came to my primary school and taught us aerobic; and when I was in high school, KFC organized basketball competition for us every year. It is no longer news that KFC donates money and helps build schools for poor children. I think participating as if a part of Chinese society is an important reason that Chinese people like KFC and the image of the kind old man.

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