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Cassidy O, Bragg M, Elbel B. Virtual Reality-Based Food and Beverage Marketing: Potential Implications for Young People of Color, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Research Directions. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024; 10:e62807. [PMID: 39417788 DOI: 10.2196/62807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Unlabelled Exposure to unhealthy food and beverage marketing is a major contributor to excessive weight gain among young people and it may disproportionately affect Black and Latinx communities. Appropriate and comprehensive regulations on food and beverage companies are essential, particularly as companies expand their reach and leverage the latest technologies to create marketing experiences using immersive virtual reality (VR). Although immersive VR technology is in its infancy, the potential effects of immersive VR food and beverage marketing on consumption, coupled with the history of racially targeted marketing by food and beverage corporations toward Black and Latinx communities, and the heightened burden of diet-related illnesses in Black and Latinx communities underscore a critical need to investigate immersive VR marketing targeting young people of color. This viewpoint will provide a brief description of VR food and beverage marketing as the newest food and beverage marketing frontier, highlight key concerns and knowledge gaps, and underscore future directions in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omni Cassidy
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 3rd Floor, 180 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States, 1 6465013546
| | - Marie Bragg
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 3rd Floor, 180 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States, 1 6465013546
- Marketing Department, NYU Stern School of Business, New York, NY, United States
| | - Brian Elbel
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 3rd Floor, 180 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States, 1 6465013546
- NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York, NY, United States
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Truman E, Elliott C. Perceptions of Food Marketing and Media Use among Canadian Teenagers: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Nutrients 2024; 16:2987. [PMID: 39275302 PMCID: PMC11397117 DOI: 10.3390/nu16172987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the prevalence of digital food marketing to teenagers and its potential impact on food preferences and consumption, little is known about the specific food advertisements teenagers see in Canada and how they perceive them. Further, few studies consult teenagers directly about their perceptions of teen-specific food marketing content. To shed light on such issues, this study examines perceptions of food marketing and self-reported media use of Canadian teenagers via an online survey. Four hundred and sixty-four teenagers (ages 13-17) participated. Overall, teenagers identified Instagram and TikTok as the most popular social media platforms. The top food or beverage brands that teens felt specifically targeted them were McDonald's, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Tim Hortons, while Instagram was deemed the most important media platform when it comes to teen-targeted food marketing. Teens deemed "celebrity" and "visual style" as the most important (food and beverage) advertising techniques when it comes to persuading teenagers to buy. Overall, the study provides insights into teen media use and brand preference, including the brands teens feel target them most directly and what they consider to be salient in terms of the food advertising they see. It also provides valuable details for researchers seeking to further identify and measure elements of teen-targeted food marketing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Truman
- Department of Communication, Media and Film, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Charlene Elliott
- Department of Communication, Media and Film, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
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Boyland E, Backholer K, Potvin Kent M, Bragg MA, Sing F, Karupaiah T, Kelly B. Unhealthy Food and Beverage Marketing to Children in the Digital Age: Global Research and Policy Challenges and Priorities. Annu Rev Nutr 2024; 44:471-497. [PMID: 38631811 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-062322-014102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Food and nonalcoholic beverage marketing is implicated in poor diet and obesity in children. The rapid growth and proliferation of digital marketing has resulted in dramatic changes to advertising practices and children's exposure. The constantly evolving and data-driven nature of digital food marketing presents substantial challenges for researchers seeking to quantify the impact on children and for policymakers tasked with designing and implementing restrictive policies. We outline the latest evidence on children's experience of the contemporary digital food marketing ecosystem, conceptual frameworks guiding digital food marketing research, the impact of digital food marketing on dietary outcomes, and the methods used to determine impact, and we consider the key research and policy challenges and priorities for the field. Recent methodological and policy developments represent opportunities to apply novel and innovative solutions to address this complex issue, which could drive meaningful improvements in children's dietary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Boyland
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom;
| | - Kathryn Backholer
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Monique Potvin Kent
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie A Bragg
- Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, and School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fiona Sing
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tilakavati Karupaiah
- Food Security and Nutrition Impact Lab, School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Bridget Kelly
- Early Start, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
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Ares G, Antúnez L, Alcaire F, Natero V, Otterbring T. Is this advertisement designed to appeal to you? Adolescents' views about Instagram advertisements promoting ultra-processed products. Public Health Nutr 2024; 27:e96. [PMID: 38449441 PMCID: PMC10993065 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980024000533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Examine the key elements that characterise social media advertisements targeted at adolescents by asking adolescents which features of Instagram ads promoting ultra-processed products make them designed to appeal to adolescents. DESIGN Instagram ads promoting ultra-processed products and brands were selected from a database in which ads had been classified regarding whether they were primarily targeted at adolescents from an adult perspective. Adolescents completed a sorting task in small groups and were requested to reach a consensus through discussions and sticky notes regarding whether sixty ads were designed to appeal to them. The sorting task was analysed using content analysis based on inductive coding. SETTING One private secondary school and two after-school clubs. PARTICIPANTS Convenience sample of 105 Uruguayan adolescents aged 11-17 years. RESULTS Ten categories were identified regarding the reasons for sorting ads as (not) designed to appeal to adolescents: product type, graphic design, explicit references to age groups, language, activities or themes, memes, celebrities, characters, promotions and novelty. Product type emerged as a key element, with adolescents perceiving ads as designed to appeal to them simply because they promoted specific products. CONCLUSIONS This research contributes to the validation of criteria defined in previous studies and can be used for the development of tools to monitor the prevalence and power of adolescent-targeted digital marketing. However, the importance attributed to type of product suggests that regulations should not exclusively focus on exposure to digital marketing specifically targeted at adolescents but also on exposure to marketing in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gastón Ares
- Sensometrics & Consumer Science, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando,
Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, By Pass de
Rutas 8 y 101 s/n, Pando, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología,
Universidad de la República, Tristán Narvaja 1674,
Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Antúnez
- Sensometrics & Consumer Science, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando,
Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, By Pass de
Rutas 8 y 101 s/n, Pando, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Florencia Alcaire
- Sensometrics & Consumer Science, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando,
Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, By Pass de
Rutas 8 y 101 s/n, Pando, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Virginia Natero
- Escuela de Nutrición, Universidad de la
República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Tobias Otterbring
- School of Business and Law, Department of Management,
University of Agder, Universitetsveien 17,
Kristiansand, Norway
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Elliott CD, Truman E. Food marketing on digital platforms: what do teens see? Public Health Nutr 2024; 27:e48. [PMID: 38269541 PMCID: PMC10882529 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980024000235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene D Elliott
- University of Calgary, Communication, Media and Film, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Emily Truman
- University of Calgary, Communication, Media and Film, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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Chen J, Du Y, Rui JR. How Foods and Beverages Are Promoted Online: A Content Analysis of the Digital Food Environment in China. Nutrients 2023; 15:5067. [PMID: 38140326 PMCID: PMC10745472 DOI: 10.3390/nu15245067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Digital platforms such as social media and e-commerce platforms have become a major space where foods and beverages (F&B) are promoted. Prior research has found that online, unhealthy F&B receive more presence than healthy F&B. This obesogenic food environment may increase the obesity rate. Therefore, it is critical to understand how healthy and unhealthy F&B are promoted online. A content analysis of 2906 posts related to F&B via five digital platforms was conducted in China, where the obesity rate has increased in recent years. Firstly, the results show that unhealthy F&B received more presence on digital platforms than healthy F&B. Secondly, healthy F&B posts tended to highlight the healthiness of the products, whereas unhealthy F&B posts leveraged a wide range of promotional strategies, specifically use cues, food cues, chewing sounds, sensory descriptions, friend cues, local cultural appeal, nostalgia appeal, price information, discount information, and trending hashtags or topics. Next, use cues, chewing sounds, sensory descriptions, family cues, and friend cues increased the quantity of audience feedback, whereas price information and using trending hashtags or topics lowered the quantity of audience feedback. Moreover, local cultural appeal and social proof exhibited the opposite impact on audience feedback. Finally, health benefit statements lowered audience feedback for healthy F&B posts, whereas brand visibility and purchase links inhibited audience feedback for unhealthy F&B posts. In addition to describing the digital food environment in China, the present research provides implications on how to promote healthy F&B. Particularly, we suggest that healthy F&B businesses and healthy eating campaigns should leverage the strategies unhealthy F&B use to receive more consumer attention, in order to increase their own products' public visibility and attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jian Raymond Rui
- Center for Public Health Risk Surveillance and Information Communication in Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, 382 Waihuan East Rd, Guangzhou 510006, China; (J.C.); (Y.D.)
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Lianbiaklal S, Rehman V. Revisiting 42 Years of literature on food marketing to children: A morphological analysis. Appetite 2023; 190:106989. [PMID: 37524244 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite the preventive measures taken by the WHO, childhood obesity is still on the rise and is expected to increase by 100% between 2020 and 2035. Food marketing continues to permeate children's environments in numerous ways and influence the food behaviour of children, thus significantly contributing to the rise of obesity. Studies suggest that the literature on the effects of food marketing on children is complex and multidimensional. To fully understand these effects, a comprehensive and systematic approach is required. Nonetheless, existing reviews have focused only on specific aspects and have not comprehensively covered the literature on food marketing to children. Therefore, this review aims to navigate potential research gaps in the existing literature through a comprehensive examination of the literature by using morphological analysis (MA) methodology, the first time in this domain. Using PRISMA, 202 papers were considered eligible for inclusion and further analysed using MA. The articles were categorised into three dimensions to develop the MA framework: Stimuli (Food well-being), Organism, and Response, and 34 variants. The review has presented future research prospects by identifying at least 218 research gaps. With these findings, researchers can further explore the gaps and develop new research questions that could foster an understanding of the multifarious literature. Moreover, these findings can also provide marketers and practitioners with a better comprehension of the current state of the literature and develop more effective strategies for responsible marketing practices and policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lianbiaklal
- Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India.
| | - Varisha Rehman
- Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India.
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