Identifying food marketing to teenagers: a scoping review

Abstract

Background Teenagers are aggressively targeted by food marketing messages (primarily for unhealthy foods) and susceptible to this messaging due to developmental vulnerabilities and peer-group influence. Yet limited research exists on the exposure and power of food marketing specifically to teenage populations. Research studies often collapse “teenagers” under the umbrella of children or do not recognize the uniqueness of teen-targeted appeals. Child- and teen-targeted marketing strategies are not the same, and this study aims to advance understanding of teen-targeted food marketing by identifying the teen-specific promotion platforms, techniques and indicators detailed in existing literature. Methods A systematic scoping review collected all available literature on food marketing/advertising with the term “teenager” or “adolescent” from nine databases, as well as Google Scholar for grey literature, and a hand search of relevant institutional websites. Included were all peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and grey literature in which food marketing to youth was the central topic of the article, of any study type (i.e., original research, reviews, commentaries and reports), and including any part of the 12–17 age range. Results The 122 articles reviewed define the scope of existing literature on food marketing to young people age 17 and under, identifying leading trends in countries studied (United States, 52%), populations identified (children and teens studied concurrently, 36%), outcomes measured (advertising exposure, 54%), study type (cross-sectional, 58%) and methods used (content analysis, 46%). The promotion platforms and techniques used by food marketers to appeal to young people (as reported in the literature) are also identified and classified. Few studies (7%) use indicators to identify teen-targeted food marketing. Conclusions Unique treatments of teen populations are limited in food marketing literature, as is the application of clear indicators to identify and differentiate teen-targeted food marketing from child- or adult-targeted content. Given the need to better measure the presence and power of teen food marketing, this is a significant oversight in existing literature. The indicators identified will help researchers to develop more accurate strategies for researching and monitoring teen-targeted food promotion.

Food and Beverage Advertising to Children and Adolescents on Television: A Baseline Study

“…Our results found the rates of food advertising during adolescent-targeted programming to be alarmingly similar to rates during adult-targeted programming. This is concerning as adolescents are not immune to the effects of food marketing [53]. In fact, not only are adolescents less likely to be critical of food advertising than adults, but this age group is also highly targeted due to their purchasing power [17,53].…”

“…This is concerning as adolescents are not immune to the effects of food marketing [53]. In fact, not only are adolescents less likely to be critical of food advertising than adults, but this age group is also highly targeted due to their purchasing power [17,53]. Food companies strategically advertise to adolescents, as evidenced by the elevated rate of food advertising during adolescent-programming in July 2018 (i.e., summer vacation); the time during which they are more likely to be watching television.…”

An accountability evaluation for the responsible use of celebrity endorsement by the food and beverage industry to promote healthy food environments for young Americans: A narrative review to inform obesity prevention policy

“…In the United States (US), 25.4% of children and 21.0% of adolescents had obesity in 2017, and 26.3% and 24.2% of children and adolescents may be affected by obesity by 2030 2 . Robust evidence suggests that food and beverage marketing practices (e.g., print and broadcast media, celebrity endorsement, or interactive social media) negatively influence the dietary behaviors of children (0–11 years), adolescents (12–18 years), and young adults (19–35 years), which increases their risk of obesity and diet‐related noncommunicable diseases (NCD) 3–7 …”

Adolescents’ Reactions to Adverts for Fast-Food and Confectionery Brands That are High in Fat, Salt, and/or Sugar (HFSS), and Possible Implications for Future Research and Regulation: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey of 11–19 Year Olds in the United Kingdom

“…Content analysis research, which focuses on the marketing output as the unit of analysis, highlights at least three ways in which the marketing of HFSS foods may elicit positive emotional responses or shape product and/or brand perceptions among children and adolescents. First, studies have shown that marketing for HFSS foods often uses attractive, fun, and engaging design features, such as visually stimulating graphics, branded characters, auditory cues, and immersive advergames [4,[21][22][23][24]. Second, marketing also reportedly features content which may resonate with, or create a positive emotional response among, children and adolescents.…”

“…Second, marketing also reportedly features content which may resonate with, or create a positive emotional response among, children and adolescents. This includes references to celebrities and popular culture, featuring brand equity characters (e.g., cartoon brand mascots), linking the brand to attractive and desirable identities or lifestyles, or featuring humorous content [21][22][23][24]. Third, marketing may place a greater emphasis on the sensory or emotive benefits of a product (e.g., taste or texture), as opposed to presenting objective information about nutrition and health, or may use ambiguous language that implies greater nutritional benefit than is actually present (e.g., fruit-flavored) [25][26][27].…”