Data on the Facebook marketing strategies used by fast-food chains in four Latin American countries during the COVID-19 lockdowns

Exposure and power of TV food advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: a content analysis

BACKGROUND

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the Brazilian population has increased the time spent at home and watching television (TV). Since food advertising exposure is a key driver of food choices, this study described the content of food advertisements (ads) on Brazilian TV during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This is an exploratory study. A total of 684 h of TV programming comprised of three free-to-air channels and two pay-per-view channels was recorded from 06 a.m. to 12 a.m. for eight non-consecutive days in June 2020. A content analysis of all the food-related ads was carried out. The data collection process followed INFORMAS Protocol for TV food advertising monitoring.

RESULTS

The sample was composed of 7,083 ads, 752 (10.6%) of which were food-related and 487 (6.9%) were promoting ultra-processed foods. The content analysis indicated seven thematic categories, all of them with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic: brand and product differentials (79.8%); visual and sound effects (70.2%); thematic campaigns (56.0%); digitization (22.9%); convenience (16.5%); economic benefits (11.9%); and commensality and social interaction (6.1%). Ads content varied according to the day of the week, the time of the day, the length of the ad, and the channel type.

CONCLUSIONS

The thematic of food advertising on Brazilian TV during the COVID-19 pandemic is aligned with the country's health crisis context and varied during the programming.

Segmentation of Consumer Preferences for Vegetables Produced in Areas Depressed by Drought

The megadrought in Chile’s north and central zones has impacted the horticultural production of family farming. One way to mitigate these effects is by adding value to vegetables. However, no studies show the main attributes consumers value of vegetables produced in the megadrought zone. The study’s objective was to evaluate consumer preferences and identify segments based on the extrinsic attributes of vegetables grown in areas depressed by drought. We surveyed 946 vegetable buyers from the Antofagasta, Valparaiso, and Maule regions. Through the conjoint analysis technique, we identified that the main attributes preferred by consumers were presentation (45.3%) and type of vegetables (21.8%), followed by labeling (15.9%), producers (10.3%), and origin (6.7%). The cluster analysis revealed the existence of three segments. The largest segment is motivated by the way vegetables are presented (49.7%), followed by a second segment that values multi-attributes (31.9%) and a smaller segment that is interested in labeling (18.4%). These findings can help position these products in the market and raise awareness of family farming and the economic and production problems that they currently face.