Food and beverage manufacturers in the US are facing fresh calls to change the way they market their products to children after a government report revealed how much the sector spends on advertising to kids.
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Over 40 of the largest food and drink companies in the US spent a combined US$1.6bn on promoting their products to children under 12 and adolescents between 12 and 17 in 2006, according to figures published by the Federal Trade Commission.
The report said companies were using integrated advertising campaigns that embraced the Internet as well as television and were launching “cross-promotion” activities with a new movie release or TV programme.
In its report, the FTC said some $870m had been spent on “child-directed marketing” and, while TV remained the most used medium – accounting for 46% of expenditure – companies were using the “full spectrum” of media to promote their products.
The FTC, which obtained the data from the companies using compulsory process orders, said some $208m had been spent on cross-promotional campaigns. For some food categories, including restaurant food and fruits and vegetables, cross-promotion accounted for almost half of the expenditure on child-directed marketing, the FTC said.
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By GlobalDataThe report will add further fuel to claims that US food and drink manufacturers should be doing more to market healthier products to children.
The FTC acknowledged industry schemes, including the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative launched in 2006, that are encourgaing “better nutrition and fitness among the nation’s children”. Last year, 11 of the biggest firms adopted fresh rules on advertising to children under the age of 12.
However, the FTC said more needed to be done. “Most large food marketers are beginning to take their self-regulatory obligations seriously, and for that they deserve recognition,” FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz said. “Yet some companies still need to step up to the plate and others need to strengthen their voluntary measures, not only because it is in the public interest, but also because it is in their self-interest.”
