On 28 March the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released a major study entitled ‘Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising to Children in the United States’ which combines a content analysis of TV ads with detailed data about children’s viewing habits to provide an estimate of the number and type of TV ads seen by children of various ages. KFF state that it is the largest study of its kind, covering more than 1,600 hours of programming.

 

It is intended to provide an analysis of “current state of food advertising to children on TV and to help educate relevant stakeholders in politics and the food and media industries as well as provide a benchmark facility to monitor future developments”. The study covers all genres of programming viewed by children.

 

Key findings:

 

Exposure to advertising

“Given the amount of time they spend watching TV each day and the mix in programming and networks that they view, children ages 2–7 see an average of 17 minutes of advertising a day (17:32 min, 38 ads) for all products (toys, food, media, and so on).

For 8–12-year-olds, the comparable figure is 37 minutes a day of advertising (37:44 min, 83 ads).

For 13–17- year-olds, it’s 35 minutes a day of advertising (35:47 min, 79 ads).”

“From an annual perspective, children ages 2–7 are exposed to an average of 13,904 TV ads a year for all products, while the comparable figures are 30,155 ads for 8–12-year-olds, and 28,655 ads for teens ages 13–17. This represents more than 106 hours (106:39 hr) a year of advertising for the 2–7-year-olds, nearly 230 hours (229:31 hr) a year for the 8–12-year-olds, and 217 hours (217:37 hr) a year for the 13–17-year-olds.”

 

Exposure to food advertising

Children ages 2–7 see an average of 12 food ads a day on TV. Over the course of a year, this translates into an average of more than 4,400 food ads—nearly 30 hours (29:31 hr) of food advertising.

Children ages 8–12 see an average of 21 food ads a day on TV. Over the course of a year, this translates into an average of more than 7,600 food ads—over 50 hours (50:48 hr) of food advertising.

Teenagers ages 13–17 see an average of 17 food ads a day on TV. Over the course of a year, this translates into an average of more than 6,000 food ads—over 40 hours (40:50 hr) of food advertising.

Half (50%) of all ad time on children’s shows is for food.

Among all ads children see, food is the largest product category for all ages (32% for 2–7-year-olds, 25% for 8–12-year-olds, and 22% for 13–17-year-olds), followed by media and travel/entertainment.

 

34% are for candy and snacks, 28% are for cereal, and 10% are for fast food.

4% are for dairy products, 1% is for fruit juices, and none are for fruits or vegetables.

 

Among all food ads targeting children and teens, the most common primary appeal is taste (34% of all ads), followed by fun (18%), the inclusion of premiums or contests (16%), and the fact that a product is unique or new (10%).

 

Two percent of all food ads targeting children or teens use claims about health or nutrition as a primary or secondary appeal in the ad, while 5% use pep or energy as a primary or secondary appeal.

 

- 22% include a disclaimer (e.g., “part of a balanced diet”)

- 20% promote a website

- 19% offer a premium

- 15% portray an active lifestyle

- 13% include at least one specific health claim

- 11% use a children’s TV or movie character

- 7% feature a contest or sweepstakes

 

Children ages 2–7 see an average of one PSA on fitness or nutrition every 2-3 days. Over the course of a year, this translates into an average of 164 PSAs on fitness or nutrition, or 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Children ages 8–12 see an average of one PSA on fitness or nutrition every 2-3 days. Over the course of a year, this translates into an average of 158 PSAs on fitness or nutrition, or 1 hour and 15 minutes worth of such messages.

Teenagers ages 13–17 see less than one PSA on fitness or nutrition per week. Over the course of a year, this translates into an average of 47 PSAs on fitness or nutrition, or 25 minutes of such content.

 

The following conclusions were drawn from these findings:

 

“Children of all ages are exposed to a substantial amount of advertising for food and beverages, but their exposure varies significantly by age. Because children 8–12 watch so much television, and therefore see so many food ads, they may be the group most affected by food marketing. This is also likely to be an especially important age for the development of children’s food habits, since they are likely to have more time away from their parents, have their own money, and have more opportunity to make their own food choices. Therefore, policymakers and industry leaders may want to pay special attention to advertising seen by tweens.”

 

“It is clear that food and beverages continue to dominate the television advertising landscape, particularly for children. Food is the most widely advertised product on the networks in the study, and among children’s shows, fully half (50%) of all ad time is for food. Therefore, policies that impact food advertising are likely to impact the children’s television world as well.”

 

“Most of the food ads that children and teens see on TV are for foods that nutritionists, watchdog groups, and government agencies argue should be consumed either in moderation, occasionally, or in small portions. Of the 8,854 food ads reviewed in the study, there were no ads for fruits or vegetables targeted at children or teens. As the food industry moves ahead with the commitment to shift the balance of products advertised to children, it will be important to have independent research to track changes.”

 

“Among all food ads targeting children, only a relatively small proportion (15%) currently depict a physically active lifestyle. Both the IOM and the FTC/HHS reports recommended that food advertisers include more such depictions in their ads, and the food industry initiative promises change in this area. This study will provide a useful benchmark against which to measure progress.”

 

“Some ads appeal to young people with enticements such as free gifts or sweepstakes (19%) that they can win by purchasing the product, an issue that has been a concern to policymakers in other countries, such as Great Britain, where such practices were recently prohibited (see Alert ). A relatively small proportion—just over 1 in 10—use a children’s character from TV or movies, another practice that has drawn concern from advocates and was recently banned in food advertising to children in Great Britain.”

“The study underscores the limited expectations that policymakers should place on public service campaigns on fitness and nutrition. Given these campaigns’ reliance on donated ad space (or limited campaign budgets), it is not surprising that children see very few such messages.”

 

The report’s overriding conclusion is that food marketing is a predominant part of the television advertising landscape for children, and that young people’s exposure to such messages is substantial, while their exposure to countervailing health messages on TV is minimal.

 

Source: The Advertising Education Forum

 

WFA will continue to follow developments related to the Kaiser Family Foundations’s study. All relevant updates will be fed back to members through the Responsible Advertising and Children Programme. For more information please contact w.gilroy@wfanet.org