Kids and Obesity: Health issues and ethical food and drinks marketing to children under 16 years old

Published by: Business Insights

Published: Jul. 1, 2004 - 1299 Pages

Table of Contents

Introduction to the complex issues of targeting kids, health, obesity, food
and drinks

Marketing and promotion - the devil’s activity? 12

Case studies: companies working to change their marketing techniques
to children

Tackling the issues - the industry and consumers

Taking the pulse of the industry - Business Insights’ research

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Complex
Issues of Targeting Kids, Health,
Obesity, Food and Drinks

• Summary
  
• Introduction
  
• The state we, and our children, are in
  
• It’s not just Dad who’s putting on weight…
  
• The UK and United States are not alone
  
• Defining obesity
  
• The British perspective - the health implications of obesity
  
• The debate raging - how obesity in adults and children affects the global
  food and drinks industries
  
• Following in the footsteps of the United States
  
• Who is responsible?
  
• Are companies vulnerable or set to benefit?
  
• Labelling clarity expected
  
• Conclusions

Chapter 2 Marketing and Promotion - The
Devil’s Activity?

• Summary
  
• Introduction
  
• £1 advertising spend on healthy foods versus £800 on the ‘big four’
  
• The current regulatory situation - and changes afoot
  
• Self regulation?
  
• How much is spent marketing and advertising to children - and how
  effective is it?
  
• Product and brand licensing
  
• How much do children understand about adverts?
  
• Can marketing to children ever be responsible?
  
• Ramifications of banning advertising to children
  
• Marketing and advertising for good?
  
• Promotion in the playground
  
• Case study: What happens when “good marketing turns bad”
  
• Industry insider views

Chapter 3 Case Studies: Companies
Working to Change their
Marketing Techniques to Children

• Summary
  
• Introduction
  
• BBC Worldwide
  
• McDonald’s
  
• Walkers
  
• Kraft Foods
  
• Conclusions

Chapter 4 Tackling the Issues - The Industry
and Consumers

• Summary
  
• Introduction
  
• Background - the financial and branding implications of ignoring the issues
  Case study: Procter & Gamble and Sunny Delight - new lessons to be
  learned from an old story
  
• Tactics for reassuring parents and consumers
  
• Labelling
  
• A U.S. perspective
  
• Labelling solutions
  
• Pester power - effective in the past, but inappropriate now?
  
• Capitalising on expertise: using in-house nutritionists or panel of experts
  
• Case study: Changing the emphasis of marketing and promotion towards
  healthy eating and lifestyles - Kellogg’s and pedometers
  NPD activity
  
• Using NPD as an opportunity to create added value, healthier products in the
  UK
  
• Reducing salt levels
  
• Drinks innovations
  
• Analysis of U.S. product development aimed straight at kids
  
• Retailer activity - how are they tackling the issue?
  
• Case study: The Co-op
  
• Improved labelling, food composition and marketing are crucial

Chapter 5 Taking The Pulse of The Industry
- Business Insights’ Research

• Summary
  
• Introduction
  
• Who else is responsible for curbing child obesity apart from the food and
  drinks industry?
  
• The perception of negative media
  
• Can children be targeted in the same way as adults?
  
• Are children highly susceptible to television advertising?
  
• Is it OK to license products with pop stars?
  
• Do industry experts think childhood obesity is a global or a Western
  problem?
  
• Who agrees food and drinks companies should be more proactive in lowering
  child obesity levels?
  
• Food and drinks companies should be allowed to market directly to children
  
• Does your company target children with any of its products?
  
• Active marketing and techniques employed
  
• Plans afoot to include more healthy lifestyle messages in future marketing
  
• How seriously is the food and drinks industry taking the issue of child
  obesity?
  
• Plans for healthy NPD for kids
  
• Conclusions
  
• Index

List of Figures

• Figure 3.1: Teletubbies, Fimbles and Tweenies
  
• Figure 3.2: New additions to the mix and match children’s Happy Meals in the United States
  
• Figure 5.3: How far do you agree that other groups (outside of the food and drinks industry) such
  as the government and parents also have a role to play in curbing child obesity and
  encouraging children to make responsible food choices?
  
• Figure 5.4: Nearly half of respondents believe children should not be targeted by food and drinks
  companies in the same way as adults
  
• Figure 5.5: The majority of respondents admit children are highly susceptible to television
  advertising over any other type
  
• Figure 5.6: Eight out of 10 respondents believe licensing products is a valid marketing method
  
• Figure 5.7: Childhood obesity is regarded as a primarily U.S. and Western European problem
  than a global one
  
• Figure 5.8: 80% of industry executives believe food and drinks companies should be more
  proactive in lowering childhood obesity levels
  
• Figure 5.9: Food and drinks companies should not be allowed to market directly to children
  
• Figure 5.10: Does your company target children with any of its products?
  
• Figure 5.11: Most companies target children with less than 25% of its product range
  
• Figure 5.12: A third of industry respondents actively target children through their marketing
  activity 96
  
• Figure 5.13: A combination of advertising and promotion is the most popular activity for
  respondents
  
• Figure 5.14: A quarter of respondents are increasing its healthy marketing message further in light
  of recent media attention and government findings
  
• Figure 5.15: More than a quarter of industry executives are taking the issue of child obesity very
  seriously
  
• Figure 5.16: A quarter of respondents are increasing its healthy marketing message further in light
  of recent media attention and government findings

List of Tables

• Table 2.1: The health eating balance, according to the UK government’s National Food Guide
  
• Table 2.2: What is advertised to children in the UK (CITV, Saturday am and Big Breakfast)?
  
• Table 5.3: How aware are you of recent negative press and consumer pressure group coverage
  over the food and drinks companies who actively target children?
  
• Table 5.4: Children should not be targeted by food and drinks companies in the same way as
  adults
  
• Table 5.5: Children are highly susceptible to television advertising over any other type of
  advertising
  
• Table 5.6: Licensing products with Disney characters and pop stars is a valid marketing method
  
  
• Table 5.7: Childhood obesity is a global problem
  
• Table 5.8: Childhood obesity is primarily a U.S. and Western European problem
  
• Table 5.9: Food and drinks companies should be more proactive in lowering childhood obesity
  rates
  
• Table 5.10: Does your company target children with any of its products?
  
• Table 5.11: If so, what proportion of your company’s products are aimed at children?
  
• Table 5.12: Do you currently actively target children through your marketing activity?
  
• Table 5.13: If you do advertise to children, is this activity more likely to be above-the-line
  advertising or in-store promotional tactics. NOTE 162 respondents declined to answer
  
  
• Table 5.14: If you target children directly is your company planning to change the emphasis of
  your activity to include healthy lifestyle messages? NOTE 149 respondents declined to
  answer
  
• Table 5.15: How seriously is your company taking the issue of child obesity? NOTE 127
  respondents declined to answer
  
• Table 5.16: Are you exploring new product development opportunities for healthier options for
  children? NOTE 124 declined to answer

Abstract

About MarketResearch.com
MarketResearch.com is an online aggregator selling over 160,000 market research reports, company profiles and country profiles from over 600 research firms. Our reports will provide you with the critical business and competitive intelligence you need for strategic planning and marketing research. Coverage includes the US, UK, Europe, Asia and global markets.