Quick-service chains from Taco Bell to Carl's Jr. touted their better-for-you offerings in January. But their marketing efforts weren't enough to convince consumers of the chains' healthy focus, according to a recent study. Subway, which has been marketing its healthy offerings for several years, remains the QSR leader in nutritional claims.
Decision Analyst, a global marketing research and analytical consulting firm, found in its study that more consumers trust Subway's nutritional claims, compared to all other popular QSRs. According to Decision Analyst, Subway is the leader in consumer trust with almost one-quarter (24.2 percent) of consumers saying they "completely trust" its nutritional claims.
The study finds that 42 percent of Subway customers choose this restaurant because it "has a good selection of healthy items," compared with only 3 percent of Taco Bell consumers who select this restaurant for its healthy menu.
"Subway owns the nutritional claim relative to its competition, as there is a significant gap between Subway and these other popular fast food/quick-service restaurants," said Diane Brewton, senior vice president of the Market Intelligence Division at Decision Analyst. "In fact, Subway is the only one of these restaurants with more people who 'completely trust' their nutritional claims than 'do not trust' them. This finding illustrates the challenges and opportunities facing restaurants in their quest to gain greater acceptance of their health and nutrition efforts."
Taco Bell is well aware of its low standing among consumers' perception of healthy menu offerings. The company said during its Yum! Brands annual investor update that those low scores prompted the new Drive-Thru Diet marketing promotion of its existing Fresco menu line.
Methodology
Decision Analyst tracks food and beverage consumption, restaurant behavior, health attitudes, and lifestyle management via continuous surveys. The food industry study is conducted online using Decision Analyst's American Consumer Opinion online panel. This data is based on a representative sample of 16,392 U.S. adult respondents. The survey results are accurate to one percentage point, plus or minus, at a 99% level of confidence.
