As an avid foodie, I love food of all forms; be it fast food, slow food, and everything in between…as long as it satisfies my taste buds. Coming across this article, which talks about how a man exposes Subway’s marketing mishap, it makes me question how powerful habitual decision making is.

I’m sure many consumers, including myself, are so accustomed to buying a $5 Footlong that they have never questioned the validity of the product’s name. Further, although I haven’t measured a Subway sandwich before,  the fact that consumers always had the option of accidentally exposing the Footlong’s flaw proves that this was a risky advertising strategy to begin with. To make things worse, the growth of social media platforms has allowed the picture shown above to become viral amongst Subway’s fans and critics alike. Due to this false advertising, Subway’s credibility is undeniably tarnished in the eyes of consumers.

Fortunately, the fact that Subway satisfies physiological needs prevents this mishap from damaging the company’s healthy image in the long run, and it is this aspect that the company should focus on stressing for their future marketing campaigns. I think that the monkey and Subway Eat Fresh campaigns related to healthy breakfasts and eating were very successful in portraying the company as a healthy choice for consumers. Moreover, Subway’s low prices, in comparison to competitors such as Quizno’s, has made it a go-to choice for thrifty consumers. Due to these aspects, and perhaps more promotions on Subway’s part to compensate for this mini crisis, it shouldn’t be long before the company bounces back. Something along the lines of the “Customer” appreciation month ($3 for a “6 inch” sandwich) would certainly be welcomed by consumers.