Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...

V. Conclusion
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Conclusion
The food and beverage companies surveyed for this Report spent more than $1.6 billion
marketing their products to children and adolescents in 2006. The companies employed myriad
techniques, including traditional measured media, the Internet and other “new” media, as well
as product packaging, in-store advertising, and event promotions, to name just a few. Integrated
advertising campaigns that combined several of these techniques, often involving cross-
promotions, were prevalent.
Whether there is a link between food marketing to children and childhood obesity is a
question not addressed by this Report. Regardless, the Commission believes the food and
entertainment and media industries can take action to market healthier foods and encourage
positive changes in children’s diet and health. Indeed, since 2006, many food and beverage
companies, media and entertainment companies, and other entities, have taken steps to
implement the recommendations from the 2006 Report. The Commission is pleased to recognize
these significant efforts, and encourages their continuation and expansion, as set forth in the
recommendations in Section IV of this Report.
In addition, based on the findings in Sections II and III regarding expenditures and activities
in marketing food to children and adolescents, the Commission makes the following additional
general recommendations:
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All companies that market food or beverage products to children should adopt and
adhere to meaningful nutrition-based standards for marketing their products to
children under 12. A useful first step would be to join the CBBB Initiative.
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Companies should broadly construe “marketing” to include all forms of
advertising and promotional techniques.
In cases where a product line contains some product varieties that meet the
nutrition-based standard and others that do not, companies should strictly limit
all components of a promotion or advertising campaign directed to children
under 12 to those varieties that meet the standard. Thus, for example, television
or print advertisements promoting a sweepstakes would feature only the “better
for you” varieties of the product, and licensed characters would appear only on
packages of the “better for you” varieties.
Companies should consider limiting branded merchandise intended for children to
products or brand lines meeting meaningful nutrition-based standards.
The Commission is hopeful that continued efforts by all relevant entities will yield more
progress in addressing the issue of childhood obesity. Going forward, the Commission will
continue to monitor future developments in this area and, after allowing a reasonable time for