Food marketing on digital platforms: what do teens see?

OBJECTIVE: Given the aggressive marketing of foods and beverages to teenagers on digital platforms, and the paucity of research documenting teen engagement with food marketing and its persuasive content, the objective of this study is to examine what teenagers see as teen-targeted food marketing on four popular digital platforms and to provide insight into the persuasive power of that marketing. DESIGN: This is an exploratory, participatory research study, in which teenagers used a special mobile app to capture all teen-targeted food and beverage marketing they saw on digital media for 7 d. For each ad, participants identified the brand, product and specific appeals that made it teen-targeted, as well as the platform on which it was found. SETTING: Online (digital media) with teenagers in Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and seventy-eight teenagers, aged 13-17 years, were participated. Most participants were girls (63 %) and older teenagers (58 % aged 16-17 years). RESULTS: Participants captured 1392 teen-targeted food advertisements from Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. The greatest number of food marketing examples came from Instagram (46 %) (with no difference across genders or age), while beverages (28·7 %), fast food (25·1 %) and candy/chocolate were the top categories advertised. When it comes to persuasive power, visual style was the top choice across all platforms and participants, with other top techniques (special offer, theme and humour), ranking differently, depending on age, gender and platform. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into the nature of digital food marketing and its persuasive power for teenagers, highlighting considerations of selection and salience when it comes to examining food marketing and monitoring.

Food branding and young children's taste preferences: a reassessment.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the effects of branding and packaging on young children's taste preferences. METHODS: Preschool children aged 3 to 5 (n=65) tasted five pairs of identical foods in packaging from McDonald's and in matched packaging that was either plain, Starbucks-branded, or colourful (but unbranded). Children were asked if the foods tasted the same or if one tasted better. RESULTS: Children preferred the taste of foods wrapped in decorative wrappings, relying more on aesthetics than on familiar branding when making their choices. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the need to explore questions beyond commercial advertising (and brand promotion) on television and other media platforms. More attention should be directed at the important role of packaging in directing children's food preferences.

Toddler foods, children's foods: assessing sodium in packaged supermarket foods targeted at children.

OBJECTIVE: To critically examine child-oriented packaged food products sold in Canada for their sodium content, and to assess them light of intake recommendations, the current policy context and suggested targets. DESIGN: Baby/toddler foods (n 186) and child-oriented packaged foods (n 354) were coded for various attributes (including sodium). Summary statistics were created for sodium, then the children's food products were compared with the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) 'targets' for sodium in packaged foods. Also assessed were the products' per-serving sodium levels were assessed in light of the US Institute of Medicine's dietary reference intakes and Canada's Food Guide. SETTING: Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SUBJECTS: None. RESULTS: Twenty per cent of products could be classified as having high sodium levels. Certain sub-categories of food (i.e. toddler entrées, children's packaged lunches, soups and canned pastas) were problematic. Significantly, when scaled in according to Schedule M or viewed in light of the serving sizes on the Nutrition Facts table, the sodium level in various dry goods products generally fell within, and below, the Adequate Intake (AI)/Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) band for sodium. When scaled in accordance with the UK FSA targets, however, none of the (same) products met the targets. CONCLUSIONS: In light of AI/UL thresholds based on age and per-serving cut-offs, packaged foodstuffs for youngsters fare relatively well, with the exception of some problematic areas. 'Stealth sodium' and 'subtle sodium' are important considerations; so is use of the FSA's scaling method to evaluate sodium content, because it is highly sensitive to the difference between the reference amount and the actual real-world serving size for the product being considered.

Sweet and salty: nutritional content and analysis of baby and toddler foods.

BACKGROUND: To critically examine baby and toddler food products sold in Canada for their sugar and sodium content, and to assess these in light of current recommendations. METHODS: Baby and toddler foods (n = 186) were coded for various attributes, including 'Nutrition Facts' label data. Four 'categories' of baby/toddler foods were analyzed against their 'adult' counterparts for sugar and salt to reveal whether a 'halo effect' attributed to baby/toddler food is warranted. RESULTS: 63% of products have either high levels of sodium or an excessive proportion of calories coming from sugar. Over 12% of products had moderate or high levels of sodium; over 53% of products derive >20% of their calories from sugar. Baby and toddler foods were not found to be nutritionally superior-in terms of sodium or sugar-to their adult counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Baby and toddler foods are currently overlooked in the public, and public policy, discussions pertaining to dietary sodium and sugar. Yet these products are clearly of concern and should be closely monitored, since they promote a taste for 'sweet' and 'salty' in our youngest consumers.