Born to buy: How advertising Born to buy: How advertising targets young consumerstargets young consumers
Dr Emma Boyland
Biopsychology Research Group Liverpool Obesity Research
Network
University of Liverpool
Internet – Viral MarketingInternet – Viral Marketing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVS1UfCfxlU&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM
Current picture – extent and nature of Current picture – extent and nature of food advertising on UK TV in 2008food advertising on UK TV in 2008
•14 most popular commercial channels chosen:
• ITV• Channel Four• Five• Nickelodeon• Cartoon Network• Jetix• CiTV• 4 Music (formerly The Hits)• Smash Hits• MTV• Sky One• Sky Sports 1• E4• Boomerang
Categorising the foodsCore foodsBread (inc. rice, pasta, noodles)Low sugar and high fibre breakfast cerealsFruit and fruit products (no added sugar)Vegetables and vegetable products (no added
sugar)Low fat/reduced fat milk, yoghurt, cheese,
meat and meat alternatives (not crumbed or battered)
Core foods combined (inc frozen meals and sandwiches if less than 10g fat per serving)
Baby foods (excl. milk formulae) Bottled water
Non-core foodsHigh sugar/low fibre breakfast cereals Crumbed/battered meat and meat
alternativesCakes and biscuitsSnack foods (e.g. crisps, cereal bars)Fruit juice and fruit drinks, frozen/fried
potato productsFull cream milk, yoghurt, dairy desserts,
cheese, ice cream, chocolate and confectionery
Fast food restaurants,High sugar/fat/salt spreadsSugar sweetened drinks and alcohol
Miscellaneous = vitamins and supplements, tea and coffee, supermarkets advertising core foods/non-core foods/non-specified e.g. for non food items or not clearly core or non-core, baby
and toddler milk formulae.
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
Tota
l num
ber
of a
dver
ts
19.6%
17.9%
12.8%
8.4% 8.2%
6.1%4.7%
3.7% 3.4%2.4%2.4%
1.9% 1.6% 1.5% 1.4% 1.4% 1.1% 0.8% 0.5% 0.0%
Key findings – proportion of ads for Key findings – proportion of ads for foodfood
Key findings – types of foods Key findings – types of foods advertisedadvertised
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Tota
l num
ber of ad
vert
isem
ents
12.3%11.9%
9.4%
8.4% 8.3%
6.6%6.0%
4.3% 4.0%3.8%
3.5% 3.3%2.8% 2.7%
2.0%1.5% 1.5% 1.5%
1.1% 0.9% 0.9% 0.7% 0.7%0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.2% 0.1%
Key findings – categories of foods Key findings – categories of foods advertisedadvertised
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Core Non-core Misc.
Pro
port
ion
of fo
od a
dve
rts
Examples of inter-channel variationExamples of inter-channel variationITV Cartoon Network
Sky Sports One Nickelodeon
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
% of food ads
% core % non-core % misc
Mean
pro
port
ion o
f ad
s (%
)
Peak
Non-peak
Differences between peak and non-Differences between peak and non-peak children’s viewing periodspeak children’s viewing periods
PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES USED TO ADVERTISE TO USED TO ADVERTISE TO
CHILDRENCHILDREN
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
% o
f ad
vert
isem
ents
Persuasive appeals used in food Persuasive appeals used in food adverts aimed at childrenadverts aimed at children
The New LegislationThe New Legislation• Ofcom Television Advertising of Food and Drink
Products to Children: Final Statement (22nd February 2007):
• PHASE 1 (April 2007): Comprised a total ban on HFSS adverts around programmes aimed at children 4-9 years. Children’s channels required to scale back HFSS advertising to 75% of 2005 levels.
• PHASE 2 (January 2008): The ban extended to children aged 4-15 years and HFSS advertising on children’s channels scaled back to 50% of 2005 levels.
• PHASE 3 (January 2009): Will ban all HFSS advertising on dedicated children’s channels.
Determining Who Programmes Are Determining Who Programmes Are Specifically Aimed AtSpecifically Aimed At
• Use of the BARB 120 Index to determine:• ‘...programmes of particular appeal to children under
16’
Which? Consultation Response (2006)
BARB 120 index is based on the proportion of children in the audience rather than actual viewing figures, so if a programme is also popular with adults it is unlikely to reach 120 on the index even if over a million children are watching!
Loopholes in the lawLoopholes in the law
• Brand advertising is not included in the legislation because of the practical difficulties of doing so.
• Use of brand equity characters is not regulated.
• Use of celebrities to promote foods only prohibited if the celebrity ‘is of particular appeal to children’.
• Representation of Happy Meal altered to pass nutritional profiling model.
Television and energy intakeTelevision and energy intake
• Television viewing has been associated with:
• Increased meal frequency (Stroebele & Castro, 2004).
• Fast food consumption (Taveras et al., 2006).
• Snacking (Snoek et al., 2006; Thomson et al., 2006).
• Increased intake of dietary fat (Epstein et al., 2005; Miller et al., 2008).
• Lower intake of fruit and vegetables (Boynton-Jarrett et al., 2003).
• Recent studies – brand preference (Robinson et al., 2007)
• Children tasted 5 pairs of identical foods and beverages, one item was in packaging from McDonalds and the other
item was in matched but non-branded packaging
• They were asked if the two foods tasted the same or if one of the foods tasted better than the other
• Children preferred the taste of food and drink items if they thought they were from McDonalds
What effects do adverts have?What effects do adverts have?
Our studies at the University of Our studies at the University of Liverpool – food advertising and actual Liverpool – food advertising and actual
intakeintakeCondition One
10 food adverts + cartoon
Condition Two
10 non-food adverts + cartoon
Advert recall/recognition test
Ad libitum Food Intake Measured
Height and weight measured at final visit
Low Fat High Fat Low Fat High Fat Low Energy
Savoury Savoury Sweet Sweet Density
Key findings: Halford Key findings: Halford et alet al., 2004 ., 2004 AppetiteAppetite
• All children increased intake of SW and HFSAV foods after food ads.
• OW and OB children recognised more FA than TA, and more FA than NW children.
• Recognition of food ads correlated with amount eaten after those ads.
Creating Brand Preference in Children Creating Brand Preference in Children (Consumer International, 2004)(Consumer International, 2004)
6 months: Forming mental images of corporate logos and mascots.
2 years: Children may already have beliefs about specific brands.
3 years: Already making specific requests for brand name products. Can identify brand names & logos especially with cartoon characters.
Lifetime: A lifetime consumer in the US is worth an estimated $100,000 to a retailer.
Children start to express self-care activities including food choicebetween ages of 3-8 and these are stable by 9-11 years (Kennedy, 2000).
Brand-building must therefore start in toddler-hood (Story & French, 2004).
Find out more
To find out more about this research or any of the issues discussed contact:
Emma Boyland
Kissileff Human Ingestive Behaviour Laboratory, University of Liverpool
Telephone: 0151 794 1455
Email: [email protected]
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