Educommunication 2.0 in food and physical activity. Study of mobile applications in the fast food sector

Abstract

This research article analyzes the educommunicative dimension of the mobile apps developed by the main franchise companies in the fast food sector from the perspective of CSR. The study follows an exploratory and descriptive research design that combines quantitative and qualitative methods, namely a descriptive analysis of a sample of apps belonging to eight leading fast-food companies and focus groups, respectively. For the focus groups, 25 students agreed to participate (n = 25). They were selected based on structural criteria established to guarantee internal homogeneity and heterogeneity. The results reveal an underutilization of the educommunicative potential of mobile applications and confirm millennials’ interest in the acquisition and practice of healthy habits and the use of mobile applications for this purpose. The study concludes that fast food companies must encourage and educate their publics about good eating habits and physical activity. Organizations, especially those that operate in sectors of social interest, must undertake mCSR actions to prevent and counteract social ills and meet the expectations of stakeholders. Mobile applications are excellent tools to support this endeavor. To overcome the main limitation of the study, it is necessary to complement it with quantitative research.