 Food Marketing An analysis of food marking to the youth

What food is he the spokes character for? What is his slogan?

 Finger-lickin’ good!  What company uses this slogan?

What is food marketing?  Food advertisements that bring together the producer and consumer  Jingles, songs, “spokescharacters,” favorite food characters

What is the goal of marketing food to children?  The goal of food marketing is to influence children’s food choices  Food marketing to children works!

Harris, J., Schwartz, M., & Brownell, K. (2010). Evaluating fast food nutrition and marketing to youth.Fast Food F.a.c.t.s., Retrieved from

Racial Differences  In 2009, African American children viewed 56% more food advertisements on TV than White children  Why?  In 2009, African American children watch about 45% more TV than White children of the same age Harris, J., Schwartz, M., & Brownell, K. (2010). Evaluating fast food nutrition and marketing to youth. Fast FoodF.a.c.t.s., Retrieved from

“Current food and beverage marketing practices put children’s long-term health at risk” Fineberg, H. (2006). Changing the trends: Food marketing to children and youth. Medscape General Medicine, 8(2), Retrieved from

How do companies market to children?  TV commercials  Website ads  Radio  Internet  Magazines  In schools  Product packages  Clothing  A logo or product image can be shown almost anywhere  Companies use celebrities, spokes-characters, cartoons, and collectibles

How much money is spent on food marketing to children?  Nearly $10 billion a year  75 million children in the United States (age 0-17) How much money do food companies spend on each child? Math Instructions: 1. Type 10,000,000,000 into your calculator 2. Hit the divide symbol 3. Type 75,000,000 into your calculator 4. Hit enter should be your answer 10,000,000,000 / 75,000,000 = $133 per child McGinnis, M., Gootman, J., &, (2006). Food marketing to children: Threat or opportunity?. (p. 169). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from

What types of food are generally marketed/advertised?  Marketed foods typically are of poor nutritional quality  Negative effect on children’s well-being  What foods are the most heavily advertised on children’s television?  Fast-food and sugary cereals McGinnis, M., Gootman, J., &, (2006). Food marketing to children: Threat or opportunity?. (p. 169). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from

Can you name it?  “I’m lovin’ it”  “The taste you can see”  “Come hungry, leave happy”  “Taste the rainbow”  “Think outside the bun”  “I go cukoo for ___________”  “Have it your way”  “They’rrrre GR-R-REAT!”

Where are the parents?  Parents are responsible for feeding their children but... - Parents are outnumbered by aggressive food marketers -Parental authority is weakened -Parents have limited nutrition knowledge -Companies are experts in persuasive techniques -Companies have resources to influence children’s food choices Wootan, M. (2003). Pestering parents: How food companies market obesity to children. Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Retrieved from

Guidelines for food marketing to children  Food and beverage companies, retail stores, broadcasters, and schools should market foods responsibly to children Wootan, M. (2003). Pestering parents: How food companies market obesity to children. Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Retrieved from

Can you sort these foods?  Recognizing unhealthy vs. healthy food choices is the first step in living well!  10 great & 10 not-so-great kids’ foods: Skinless chicken breasts & drumsticks Whole milk Seasoned, air-popped popcorn Chocolate bars Skim or 1% milk Hamburgers Extra-lean ground beef or veggie burgers Low-fat hot dogs Ice cream Whole wheat or animal crackers Whole-grain, low-sugar cereals Hot dogs Soft drinks Cheesy, pepperoni pizza Fresh fruit & veggies Bologna French fries American cheese (slices) Fat- free corn or potato chips Non-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt

How accurate are your choices?  Check your answers with the correct list below! 10 Not-So-Great Foods: Soft Drinks Hamburgers Hot Dogs Whole Milk American Cheese (or cheeses with high fat content) French Fries Pizza (loaded with cheese & meat) Chocolate Bars Ice Cream Bologna 10 Great Foods: Fresh Fruits & Veggies (especially carrot sticks, cantaloupe, oranges, watermelon & strawberries) Chicken Breasts & Drumsticks (without skin or breading) Whole-grain, Low-sugar Cereals (like Cheerios or Wheaties) Skim or 1 percent Milk Extra-Lean Ground Beef (or vegetarian burgers) Low-fat Hot Dogs Fat-free Corn or Potato Chips Seasoned, Air-popped Popcorn Whole Wheat or Animal Crackers Non-fat Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt

Group Discussion  An analysis of food marketing: Food Advertisements Directions: -Take a minute to analyze the magazine ads on the next slide -When you are finished, as a class we will analyze the ads together

How do the products make you feel? What techniques are used to catch you attention? Do the advertisements make you want to buy the product? Why is it good for the manufacturers if their advertisements make you want their product?



What did you learn today?

 TV influences food choices: African American children watch more TV than White children  Nearly $10 billion a year is spent on marketing food to children  75 million children in the United States (age 6-11), $133 is spent on each child  Marketed foods typically are of poor nutritional quality: Negative effect on children’s well-being  Fast-food and sugary cereals are advertised the most on children’s TV Lessons Learned