The influence of social media advertisements on fast-food consumption

Abstract

This study examines the influence of social media advertisements on fast-food consumption in Arusha city. The researchers adopted a  case study research design with both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Questionnaires and interviews collected data from fast- food restaurants and customers. In data analysis, the study employed descriptive analysis for quantitative data, while content analysis was employed for qualitative data. The study used 92 samples from 1118 fast-food restaurants as representatives of the population  selected randomly and customers frequenting the restaurants. Findings revealed that social media advertising influenced the majority of  customers to consume fast foods. Moreover, the findings showed that fast-food businesses that do not use social media advertising lag  far behind and struggle in the competitive industry. Therefore, this study recommends that all fast-food business owners use social  media to advertise their products and communicate with potential customers to boost their sales and growth. Future researchers need to  study other advertising strategies that influence fast-food consumption in Arusha and other parts of Tanzania.