Globalized Childhood?
Kentucky Fried Chicken in Being
Eriberto P. Lozada, Jr.
Background
Transnational organizations
 Provide support for movement
 Two perspectives
“concrete model of globalization ”(Marilyn Strathern )
culture implications of transnational processes
Chinese Children
 “Little king” and “little sun” (birth policy)
History
 1987 The first KFC opened in Qianmen area of
Beijing(2000 to 3000 customers a day)
 1988 It fried 2200 chickens a day
 1994 KFC had 7 restaurants in Beijing and 21 in other
cities
Strategy
 Recognizable symbol: Chicky (a cartoon character that
KFC hopes Chinese children will associate with KFC, also an
advertisement on children’s stuff)
 Playing place and big store for birthday party
 Toys and patient waitress
 Localization
Competition: KFC vs Glorious China Chicken
KFC
Glorious China Chicken
Big place, large window,
takeout window with full
menu
Bored waitress and
unpleasant manager, less
varieties, cheaper, more
Chinese
Worse bathroom
Good sanitary facilities
Clean constantly (different
from U.S.)
Clean constantly
Delivery services
No
Kids
Adults
Chicken frying and transnational politicking
 Local managers are given operational autonomy from
Louisville, Kentucky and Purchase, New York to
determine the relationship between KFC and Chinese
government, as long as they achieve “results with
integrity”-standards that are spelled out in the KFC Code
of Conduct.
 KFC launched its operations from the political power
center, Beijing
 Decentralization: chicken goes bad quickly and there is
little time for KFC staff to consult with superiors about
decisions.
“Cock Fight”: competing and learning
 Chinese companies in major cities sought to form jointventure operations with KFC
 Reducing prices(1990)
 Changing strategy: 1987,40 percent of the raw materials
for its menu were imported, 1991, only 3percent had to
be imported because the local development of the fastfood industry
 Chinese learning for essence, western learning for
utility
 In the late 1970s, increasing levels of individual
consumption. To have a taste of modernity, people have
desire to eat western food
 More varieties for choosing
 Localization
Localization
 Chinese culinary tradition
 Chinese taste( rise, vegetables)
 Launch new choices constantly
 Toys
Working with schools and finding young consumers
 KFC sponsors numerous children’s sporting events,
essay competitions, and other contests.
 International Children Day (June 1,1993)
 An important role in this stratification of Chinese
childhood. (enjoyable family event)
 One child policy: little king and little sun
 Television-Advertisement
 Habits
Conclusion
 Taste foreign( you can not make KFC at home,
modernity, have fun)
 Localization( something you cannot buy in
American, KFC have to ensure that people are
interested and supportive of their message )
 Uniqueness( there are so many fast-food
restaurants now)
Thank you !