Food marketing
This new distribution system was led by meat processors such as Armour and Swift in midwestern cities and by companies such as Heinz, Quaker Oats, Campbell Soup, and Coca-Cola, which sold their brands nationally.
Money can be invested in brand building (through advertising and other forms of promotion) to increase either quantity demanded or the price consumers are willing to pay for a product.
Coca-Cola, for example, refused to apply the Coke name to a diet drink back when artificial sweeteners had a significantly less attractive taste.
[14] Place refers to the distribution and warehousing efforts necessary to move a food from the manufacturer to a location where a consumer can buy it.
It can also refer to where the product is located in a retail outlet (e.g., the end of an aisle; the top, bottom, or middle shelf; in a special display case, etc.)
Television and print media still stand as the traditional communication channels for food marketing, but other popular approaches are also more prevalent these days.
[23] Children are a fast expanding market segment, firstly because they yield influence over their parents buying, but also because they are future consumers themselves.
According to McGinnis et al. in 2006, by the time children are two years old, the majority can identify brands in supermarkets and demand them by name.
[27] Organisations achieve this through direct and indirect marketing tactics on television adverts, games, social media and food packaging.
[28] These tactics have an explicit effect on children's consumption patterns, diet-related health, nutritional knowledge, purchase behaviour and preferences.
[4] In order to prevent the current unhealthy food marketing culture, Sacks, Mialon, Vandevijvere, Trevena, Snowdon, Crino & Swinburn believe that there are methods and policies that should be put into place by governments.
[3] The World Health Organization published a report which highlights food marketing is especially prevalent where children are and what they watch on TV.
[31] The U.S. Food And Drug Administration redesigned the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act in 2016[39] which gave information to consumers about total calories, serving size, and nutrients.
[44] Demographics, values and attitudes, incentives, and price willingness to pay are all elements that drive buyer selection in the marketing of food.
For example, in terms of the green brand market, consumers will first be environmentally conscious and therefore intend to buy such products.
[44] In relation to knowledge and beliefs in variables affecting food marketing decisions, it has been suggested that someone's understanding of products helps anticipate their ecologically friendly actions.
[44] Signage conveys a lot about a brand, for example what type of food they sell, the ingredients, where it was made and the cost of the products.
[46] Studies have shown that consumers are prepared to spend more on an item if it is environmentally friendly and portrays them as having sustainable behavior in society.
[53] Sponsorships of sport from food or beverage companies that are perceived as unhealthy pose great health concern, often being cited as a contributing factor leading to an energy-dense and nutrient poor diet.
Food companies use unique marketing techniques designed to connect with the consumer such as running competitions, holding free giveaways and creating interactive games and apps.
The study also noted that India and The Philippines were the only countries analysed that advertised a vast majority of healthy foods over unhealthy options.
Vending machines and pop-up sample booths are model examples of product placement techniques used by food marketers.
Vending machines provide convenience to the consumer as they are usually stationed in areas with no larger food options nearby, such as university campuses and gyms.
[7] Many countries worldwide have created laws in order to limit food marketing towards children with the goal of reducing rising obesity levels.
[60] Following a 'call out' from the Worldwide Health Organisation in 2006, many countries adopted to change marketing laws and legislation in order to protect children from persuasive advertisements directly targeted at them.
[59] This law gives strict guidelines for food marketers, allowing no high in saturated fat, sodium and sugar products to be advertised to under 14 year olds or through television or websites with an audience or more than 20% children.
Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education has also prepared a document in 2015 containing 24 items in which they hope to prohibit the advertising of in future.
[59] Dibb and Lobstein acknowledge that traditional media outlets only account for approximately 20% of a food marketer's budget, therefore children are still highly exposed to influential advertising in shopping malls and grocery stores, vending machines, sponsored toys, contests etc.
[61] An example of the type of clauses in the legislation's include prohibiting the use of certain marketing techniques such as using cartoon characters, which can be used to access a child's mind and gain their attention.
Advertising to children at a young age is a well-established food marketing technique designed to encourage brand preference and holds many ethical dilemmas.
