Exposure, Power and Impact of Food Marketing on Children: Evidence Supports Strong Restrictions

• Published in: European journal of risk regulation 2017-06, Vol.8 (2), p.224-236
• Main Authors: BOYLAND, Emma, TATLOW-GOLDEN, Mimi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advertising; Advertising restrictions; Behavior; Body weight; Brands; Caloric intake; Childhood; Digital broadcasting; Digital marketing; Food; Food consumption; Food marketing; Games; Healthy food; Individual differences; Marketing; Obesity; Older children; Only children; Outdoor advertising; Power; Public policy; Scientific evidence; Social media; Social networks; Sponsorship; Teenagers; Television advertising; Television viewing; Tracking; Vegetables
• ISSN: 1867-299X; 2190-8249
• DOI: 10.1017/err.2017.21

4 It should be noted, however, that the practice of TV viewing has changed somewhat in recent years, with tablets rather than TV sets being increasingly used, particularly among younger children. 5 Weekly TV viewing duration has only dipped slightly in the 8–11 and 12–15 year groups since 2007 (remaining at around 15 hours per week), despite large concurrent growths in digital media use. 6 Therefore, although many other forms of advertising exposure clearly exist (including digital (see below), event sponsorship, outdoor advertising, magazines, and point of sale in retail environments), research into food advertising prevalence has tended to focus on traditional broadcast media, primarily television, as the chief medium for food and drink advertising globally. 7 A 2010 global study of television food advertising on the commercial channels most watched by children featured several European countries (the UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, Sweden, and Spain).[...]a major omission is that COPPA does not protect children 13 years and over from tracking and targeting, despite the Federal Trade Commission’s stated concern about this issue. 29 Assessing the extent of digital HFSS marketing viewed by children of all ages is a major challenge for researchers external to digital platforms because proprietary data are not published, and other currently available methods do not readily allow access to these data. 30 However, early indications are that substantial HFSS advertising reaches children in digital media.In the UK, 73% of 1000 13–17-year-olds reported following brands they like in social media, with 62% clicking on ads and 57% making in-app or in-game purchases. 60 Nielsen data suggest that over half of adolescents in the USA “always” or “sometimes” look at mobile ads, 61 and a qualitative study of ad avoidance by Australian adolescents on the MySpace social media site found that some ads, perceived as annoying, were avoided but ads involving interaction (e.g., games) or receiving (e.g., ring tones) were positively received. 62 IV Marketing impact 1 The impact of non-digital marketing An increasing body of scientific evidence demonstrates the effects of exposure to non-digital food advertising on children’s food preferences, 63 brand preferences, 64 product requests, 65 food consumption, 66 overall caloric intake, 67 reduced intake of fruits and vegetables longitudinally 68 and modelled higher rates of obesity. 69 There is also robust evidence that persuasive techni