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

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Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents ads contained hyperlinks to the food product websites, and often linked directly to promotional features of the site, such as advergames. Some companies that advertised their food brands on third-party websites, such as Nick.com, imported games from those sites onto their own food product websites. Food and beverage companies and restaurants made available to children and teens a wide variety of free, downloadable and printable content, including coloring pages, stickers, iron- ons, activity books, mazes, tic tac toe, and other games. These frequently, but not always, incorporated food product branding. Free downloadable content for teens included screensavers, wallpapers, ringtones, digital music files, and layouts for MySpace pages. Many companies offered email newsletters. 67 Through newsletters and “kids’ clubs,” companies kept children and teens apprised of new products and new promotional offers available through their websites. Some beverage companies reported contacting teens by text message to alert them to new promotions, while one packaged food company had a policy not to engage in cell phone-based promotional or marketing activity targeting children under 12. A few companies utilized podcasts – downloadable audio files, often similar to radio programs – and “webisodes” – online video episodes resembling television shows – to reach children and teens through their websites. One candy brand’s website featured weekly podcasts of Ryan Seacrest’s American Top 40 radio show, incorporating ads for the brand spoken by Mr. Seacrest. Another candy brand developed original content for a series of webisodes featuring musical group the Black-Eyed Peas, in a fictional storyline relating to the candy brand. One child-directed website for a snack cracker brand had a series of webisodes centered on the product’s animated spokescharacters. Cereal companies also featured webisodes starring animated spokescharacters on their product websites. 68 b. wo R d-o f-mo u T h a n d vi R a l ma R k e T i n g Word-of-mouth and viral marketing encompass a variety of promotional techniques that aim to increase discussion of a food product or brand among consumers, and to encourage consumers to share branded messages with one another. Many companies reported their viral marketing efforts together with their other online promotions, such as their company websites. These efforts typically consisted of e-cards and “send-to-a-friend” emails children and teens could send from food product websites that displayed product branding and, frequently, hyperlinks back to the website; companies also provided branded instant message icons that children and teens could use when sending messages to friends. 69 E-cards were sometimes tied to a particular holiday or occasion, such as a birthday. One company website had “tell-a-friend” messages that could be sent by email or instant messenger, and also provided code that could be copied onto 42
Food Marketing Activities Directed to Children and Adolescents relevant online message boards. In one case, a company allowed children to send an email to friends challenging them to play a game on one of the company’s food brand websites, despite having a policy of not engaging in Internet communications or activities, including websites, blogs, or games, targeting children under 12. Other viral promotional tools directed to teens and used by a few companies included company-sponsored blogs and social networking profiles. 70 One flavored milk brand had a website dedicated to a mock political campaign that incorporated a blog. The same brand sponsored a user-generated video contest, inviting consumers ages 14 and older to submit videos and vote for their favorites at MySpace.com; the grand prize was a trip to New York to watch the winning video being screened in Times Square, while people voting on videos could win an iPod. As discussed above, one milk marketer sponsored a MySpace.com profile page for its teen-targeted online promotional campaign. Word-of-mouth activities frequently involved the recruitment of a group of consumers who could share promotional messages about brands with their peers; these consumers were referred to as “ambassadors” or “connectors.” For example, one candy brand hired a group of snowboarders as ambassadors to hand out promotional DVDs and product samples at snowboarding venues. A flavored milk brand had an online brand ambassador program with a dedicated website featuring member profiles, message boards, and activity reports. Members earned points by engaging in online and offline promotional activities for the brand; points could then be redeemed on the website for gift cards, branded apparel, and other merchandise. Members also provided feedback on surveys and research questions. For example, a dairy group recruited “teen connectors” to provide feedback on materials for a new promotional campaign and to talk to others about the campaign and its messages. All reported word-of-mouth activities appeared to be teen directed; one candy company reported having a company policy prohibiting word-of-mouth marketing to children under age 13. c. in-s T o R e PR o m o T i o n s a n d Pa c k a g i n g Food marketers used a variety of point-of-sale materials to attract the attention of shoppers and their children, including teens. Examples of in-store marketing at grocery stores included product-specific bins, racks, or display cases picturing animated children and other characters designed to appeal to children, or extreme sports, major sporting events, or catchy slogans to appeal to teens; “shelf-talkers” (small hanging shelf signs), tear pads, hanging signs, and floor ads; signs advertising free professional sports-related paraphernalia or discounts on theme park admission; holiday-themed packaging and displays; and signs promoting chances to win toys, school supplies, athletic equipment or training, ringtones, electronics, trips, and equipment for 43
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Marketing
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Report Contributors Bureau of Consu
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Appendices 2. Athletic and Other Ev
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List of Figures Figure II.1: Report
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Marketing Food to Children and Adol
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