New media, same old tricks – junk food websites are getting kids hooked

Publication date: 15 Mar 2009

New media, same old tricks – junk food websites are getting kids hooked

• New report finds junk food companies still enticing children online

• Own-brand website promotions question industry commitments to reducing junk food marketing

• Small print warnings and ‘Hey Kids. This is advertising!’ - a poor attempt to meet parents’ concerns.

Multinational food and soft drink companies are using their own websites to promote unhealthy foods to children potentially as young as four, so says Consumers International (CI).

In the face of global criticism about traditional junk food advertising to kids, household names such as Kellogg’s, KFC, McDonald’s, and Nestlé are attracting children online with Internet clubs, interactive games, and MySpace-style sites. Parents are also targeted with reassuring messages about the educational value of online games, web safety information and promotional coupons.

Companies have paid lip service to their stated commitments to restrict marketing to children by including friendly warnings on some of their child-focused sites. McDonald’s, for instance, uses the term ‘Hey Kids. This is advertising!’ on some of its games pages. Others such as Mars and Kellogg’s have small print warnings.

The findings are published in a new CI report, New Media, Same Old Tricks, released for World Consumer Rights Day, 15 March. The study looked at the national and international websites of the top 10 food and drink companies by advertising spend to assess the methods used to promote unhealthy food and drink to children under 16. The key findings include:

Companies are using their own websites to market junk food

• Site design that clearly appeals to under 12s

• Free branded screensavers and wallpapers of popular characters and celebrities

• Branded games, competitions and profile avatars

• Capturing of kids details through registration for online clubs

Examples include:

• McDonald’s mcworld.com allows children as young as four to register for free games and promotions.

• Registration on pepsi.com requests detailed information about children’s soft-drink intake and other hobbies

• A nesquik.com ‘Kids section’ of branded games and downloads

• Nestlé’s milkybar.co.uk encourages parents to play its online games with their children

On 15 March, World Consumer Rights Day, consumer groups will be taking action as part of CI’s campaign against the marketing of junk food to children. CI has proposed an International code on the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children to the World Health Organization as part of the WHO public consultation, to commence later this month. CI’s recommendations for an international code target the marketing of foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt to children up to 16 years old. Its demands include:

• A ban on radio or TV adverts promoting unhealthy food between 06.00 and 21.00.

• No marketing of unhealthy food to children using new media (such as websites, social networking sites and text messaging).

• No promotion of unhealthy food in schools.

• No inclusion of free gifts, toys or collectible items, which appeal to children to promote unhealthy foods.

• No use of celebrities, cartoon characters, competitions or free gifts to market unhealthy food.

Justin Macmullan, Head of Campaigns at Consumers International, said:

“In many countries kids already spend more time on the internet than watching TV. That’s why it’s vital we have mandatory regulations that restrict junk food companies from using new media to perform the same old marketing tricks on our children. ”