The Triumph of Corporate America Essay

The Triumph of Corporate America Essay The Triumph of Corporate America Essay The Triumph of Corporate America Some of the largest corporations in America are connected to each other in more ways than one, like the fast food industry. It purchases their products from large companies that are in the food marketing business such as meat or potato production. That’s no big surprise since the fast food business makes food and in order to make food they have to obtain it from somewhere else. But there is more common ground than just buying products from one another, â€Å"[those industries] were started by door-to-door salesmen, short-order cooks, orphans, and dropouts, by eternal optimists looking for a piece of the next big thing† (22). They were the next door neighbor who had a crazy, wonderful idea that would change America and its culture. The fast food industry has become a national icon of the American culture that is known throughout the world. The reason it has become widely known can be narrowed down to one corporation, the McDonalds Corpora tion. Over the years its mass marketing techniques have been able to makes its golden arches recognized by kids all over the world and even more so in the U.S. â€Å"A survey of American school children found that 96 percent could identify Ronald McDonald. The only fictional character with a higher degree of recognition was Santa Claus† (4). The way the company has been able to become acknowledged by so many people, both adult and children, is by advertising. They use all sort of commercials to try and lure in potential customers, but the best way, as they have learned, to get a new client is to get them when they are young. They believe that a â€Å"persons ‘brand loyalty’ may begin as early as the age of two† (43). In order to do that, most of the commercial they do are designed to catch the attention of young kids watching T.V. on a Saturday morning. Isn’t it just lovely that the McDonald Corporation targets children to become their client, mak ing them think that their food is great and trying to win their hearts with the help of a happy clown? Not to mention that they study children in order to see what they like and then proceed to put it in their advertisements. It is wonderful to see the industry take an interest in children, isn’t it? One of the ways the large corporations have been able to be at the top for so long is by â€Å"helping† other smaller companies join their large industry or by using other methods. Just â€Å"imagine how the New York Stock Exchange would function if large investors could keep the terms of all their stock trades secret. Ordinary investors would have no idea what their own stocks [are] really worth – a fact that wealthy traders could easily exploit† (138). This is how the top meat corporations do business with other smaller groups that are in the same line of work as them. They monopolize the meatpacking industry and then buy cattle from local ranchers at price s extremely low, which ultimately lead many ranchers into bankruptcy. But the great thing about the large meatpacking enterprises is that they are so kind and nice they will buy the cattle farm, and all its territory, from the bankrupt rancher and let him work for them. What a deal, to let that man become part of their company. But sadly some of those men don’t take that deal and they move away, get a different job, and try to repay the debt that they accumulated over the years by trying to keep their farm alive. Anyways, those big companies sure do know do to make a deal. Another way the top industries of fast food and meat packaging save money is by employing people that are in need of money. It is really nice of them to give jobs to people who really need the extra cash like migrants and teenagers. They also