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

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING AVENUESAVENUES

Television and filmTelevision and film

Programme sponsorship

Product Placement

Internet – Viral MarketingInternet – Viral Marketing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVS1UfCfxlU&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

Internet advergamingInternet advergaming

Event sponsorshipEvent sponsorship

TELEVISION FOOD TELEVISION FOOD ADVERTISINGADVERTISINGThe nature and extent of children’s exposure

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

Promotional CharactersPromotional CharactersCelebrity

endorsementBrand equity characters

Promotional CharactersPromotional CharactersLicensed characters

Premium offers/giveawaysPremium offers/giveaways

THE FOOD ADVERTISING THE FOOD ADVERTISING REGULATIONSREGULATIONS

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.

EFFECTS OF FOOD EFFECTS OF FOOD ADVERTISINGADVERTISING

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: E.Boyland@liverpool.ac.uk