A Study on Food Advertisement and Online Marketing Strategies
Understanding the Impact of Food Advertisements
This descriptive study focuses on food advertisement and aims to explore product promotion within online marketing strategies. Food and beverage corporations significantly influence dietary choices in both developed and developing nations. A gap between nutrition and health may stem from the elaborate online marketing tactics employed by these companies, which adapt their sales strategies to cater to varying economic contexts.
Research Overview
An international research team recently published findings in the journal Globalization and Health, analyzing marketing techniques utilized by international food and beverage company websites. The study involved selecting pairs of countries representing different income brackets: the United States and Germany (high income), China and Mexico (upper-middle income), and India and the Philippines (lower-middle income). These nations were chosen due to their substantial global market presence and the growth of international brands.
Methodology
To conduct the analysis, the researchers developed a codebook focused on marketing content for three prominent companies: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). This codebook facilitated the examination of marketing strategies on these companies’ websites, looking for visual representations of food and beverages, references to charitable activities, endorsements of physical activity, and branding aimed at children. To eliminate bias, research assistants, who were not involved in creating the codebook, analyzed 406 screenshots of company websites for qualitative indicators.
Findings on Healthier Options
The results indicated that healthier product choices, as assessed by the Nutrient Profile Model, were more prominently displayed on websites of high and upper-middle income countries. In contrast, philanthropic associations were more frequently highlighted on sites targeting lower-middle income regions. Notably, nutritional information was present on less than 40% of websites across all income classifications.
Implications for Chronic Diseases
These findings suggest that the limited exposure to healthier products in lower-income countries may be exacerbating the global epidemic of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Although the selected countries represent significant global market shares, the scope of this study could be expanded to draw broader conclusions about the international marketing approaches of Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and KFC.
Future Research Directions
Further studies are necessary to understand how younger generations engage with these brands through social media. The insights from this research could help shape future policies aimed at fostering fairer and more ethical branding practices in emerging markets across varying income levels.
Responsibility of Food Marketers
The researchers emphasize that food and beverage marketers hold a degree of responsibility for the impact their products have on targeted populations. The authors recommend that policymakers consider restricting specific online marketing strategies within their regions and promote healthier product options in lower-middle income countries.
References
Bragg, M., Eby, M., Arshonsky, J., Bragg, A., & Ogedegbe, G. (2017). Comparison of online marketing techniques on food and beverage companies’ websites in six countries. Globalization and Health, 13(79). Retrieved from https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-017-0303-z