Marketing Sugary Cereals to Children in the Digital Age: A Content Analysis of 17 Child-Targeted Websites

Abstract

The Institute of Medicine has warned of the harm of food marketing to children from television to new media channels such as the Internet. The authors identified and analyzed the techniques used to engage children on websites from cereal companies--the third largest food marketer to children. The authors found that top breakfast cereal manufacturers maintain child-oriented websites, using strategies unique to the Internet to capture and maintain children's attention. These include branded engagement techniques such as advergames, videos, site registration, and viral marketing, including inviting friends to join the site. The authors found 3 progressive levels of telepresence on child-targeted cereal websites: sites with more than 1 engaging feature, multiple techniques present on individual pages, and the construction of a virtual world. Using Internet traffic data, the authors confirm that these techniques work: cereal marketers reach children online with lengthier and more sophisticated engagements than are possible with traditional, passive media such as television advertisements or product packaging. Despite the cereal manufacturer's self-regulatory pledge to improve their marketing to children, their marketing practices exploit children's susceptibility to advertising by almost exclusively promoting high-sugar cereals using deeply engaging techniques.

A conceptual classification of parents’ attributions of the role of food advertising in children’s diets

“…This outcome is in line with the continuing dominance of television in companies' food advertising repertoire [10], and is consistent with previous research [36], but is a cause for concern given the extent to which unhealthy foods are now promoted to children via numerous other methods [27][28][29]. Other forms of food promotion thus need to be made salient to parents so they can be aware of possible effects and make informed decisions about their children's exposure [53].…”

“…Over the last decade, food companies have increasingly invested in alternative forms of promotion such as those involving digital media and the sponsorship of sports and events [11,[27][28][29][30]. The recency of this phenomenon and the difficulties associated with monitoring and assessing the impacts of alternative media have resulted in a limited evidence base upon which to advance public policy relating to food marketing.…”

Young consumers’ brand communications literacy in a social networking site context

“…Earned media refers to the generation of word-of-mouth communications by external interests such as consumers or journalists (Stephen and Galak, 2012). An example of this would be child members of a given website being encouraged to invite their peers to join the site (Cheyne, Dorfman, Bukofzer and Harris, 2013) whereby the children essentially become the promoters of the site. A further example of earned media would relate to the online sharing and discussion of a given advertisement by consumers whereby they essentially become promoters for the brand in question.…”

Editorial: the impact of marketing on children’s well-being in a digital age

“…When children's well-being is considered, the challenge becomes even more salient because of the nature of much of the marketing aimed at this audience. Recently published research focusing on digital marketing and children has featured largely in health promotion and food journals (Boelsen-Robinson et al, 2015;Cheyne et al, 2013;Folkvord et al, 2013;Hudson and Elliott, 2013;Kelly et al, 2015). With this special section of the European Journal of Marketing devoted to the impact that the digital age might have on the well-being of children, we place the debate firmly within the marketing discipline.…”