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Marketing to Children and Youth:
A Public Health Primer
Department of Health and Wellness
1.Introduction
In today’s world of hyper-connectivity and consumer culture, children and youthi are being
targeted by and exposed to more marketing messages than ever before.
For example each year, Canadian children and youth are potentially exposed to more than 300,000
alcohol ads in places such as sporting and community events, billboards, Internet sites, magazines,
TV and radio.1 A US study found that the average preschooler saw 2.7 television fast food ads per
day while teens saw 4.8 ads per day.2 Similarly, Canadian children, like their counterparts in many
countries, are exposed to high volumes of television advertising for unhealthy foods, using childtargeted persuasive marketing techniques.70
Fast food restaurants sponsor youth sport teams. Beer tents and alcohol logos have become
customary décor at family and community events. Children’s clothing and toys feature sexy
characters. New fruit flavoured tobacco products bear a striking resemblance to bubble gum,
candy, and lip gloss.
Whether through incidental exposure or direct targeting by corporations, young people’s
increasing exposure to marketing messages has negative consequences for the physical and
emotional well-being of children, youth, and communities.
This primer has been created to:
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increase understanding of the impacts of marketing on children and youth
identify common marketing strategies
support efforts to address marketing to children and youth in communities.
The primer begins by outlining why and when marketing can be harmful, provides a rationale for
what marketing actually is and why companies do it and outlines the specific harms for children.
It provides a public health perspective on marketing to children and youth, gives an overview
on what steps are being taken in Nova Scotia and throughout the world, and ends with some
suggested next steps. The terms “marketing” and “advertising” are often used interchangeably, but
they are different. In this primer, the term “marketing” is primarily used to refer to the broad array
of strategies used to influence consumers. However, the term “advertising” is used if that was what
was referred to in the original source of evidence.
i
For the purposes of this primer, “children and youth” are under the age of 19.
MARKETING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIMER
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2. Marketing harms – an overview
From bathroom stall posters to public transit billboards, from TV and radio ads to advergames
and viral YouTube videos, marketing messages are everywhere. Our public and private spaces are
saturated.
Many of these marketing messages are linked to serious negative consequences for our physical,
emotional and psychological health. Here are some specific ways in which marketing can be
harmful to our health.
Marketing can normalize unhealthy behaviour and
encourage unhealthy consumption of unhealthy products.
Research shows that exposure to certain images and messages over time results in observers
perceiving them as normal and expected.3 Specifically, the marketing practices of the highly
profitable alcohol, tobacco, processed food and sugar-sweetened beverage industries play a
significant role in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases4 and injuries, because they
normalize unhealthy behaviour (e.g. heavy alcohol or fast food consumption) and encourage
unhealthy consumption.4, 5, 6, 7
Marketing campaigns from these industries promote products linked with negative health
outcomes.8 For example, research shows the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a key
factor in the rising rates of diabetes, obesity, and poor nutrition, especially among children and
youth.9, 10, 11. Alcohol is causally linked with injury and disease.12
Marketing also perpetuates our consumer-driven society. This has implications for public health and
environmental sustainability.8
Marketing tactics can negatively impact mental
and emotional health and well-being.
In addition to promoting unhealthy products, marketing techniques themselves are associated with
harms. Sex is used to sell a wide variety of products. Many industries use hypersexualized images
and messages, which negatively impact mental and emotional health.15 In recent years, there has
been an increase in hypersexualized images and messages in our environment.15 The use of sex to
sell is also a tactic employed by industries that manufacture products targeted to children such as
toys and clothing.
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Hypersexualization implies that our value comes from our sex appeal and sexual behaviour.
Hypersexualized messages include the sexual objectification of people, the blurring of the lines
between adult and child sexuality, the mainstreaming of pornography and the exploitation of sex
and sexuality for marketing purposes.13 While hypersexualization is not unique to women and girls,
it disproportionally affects the way that they are represented in the media.14 There is evidence to
show that hypersexualization contributes to a wide variety of harms, including.15
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Body dissatisfaction
Eating disorders
Low self-esteem
Depressive affect
Reduced levels of physical activity
Intimate partner and sexual violence
Poor sexual health outcomes
Marketing can limit our freedom of choice.
Many individuals underestimate the power that marketing has to influence their choices, and
believe they are resistant to the effects of marketing.45 However, big corporations have large
marketing budgets and use psychological research to develop persuasive marketing techniques
to influence our spending decisions. Our choices as consumers are limited to the choices we are
presented with, and these choices are highly curated by industries.
MARKETING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIMER
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3. How marketing works and why
corporations market products that
are harmful to our health.
Marketing refers to the strategies businesses use to get their products noticed. And it’s the process
by which these companies influence a consumer’s decision, specifically by:
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stimulating demand for a product or service,
encouraging people to buy the product or service more frequently,
building brand awareness and brand loyalty,
encouraging potential or existing customers to try a new product or service.16
Marketing is broader than advertising. Advertising is the visible form of marketing. Marketing
includes promotion, product packaging, price and placement. Almost all businesses engage in
some form of marketing. In some cases, marketing messages can be useful — especially when they
come from local businesses that contribute directly to the community. For instance, if you walk by
a bulletin board in a community centre, you’ll find reams of posters promoting everything from fire
wood delivery and fundraisers to yard sales and yoga classes.
MARKETING16
• Broader than advertising
vs.
ADVERTISING16
• The most visible form of marketing
that helps bring a product to the
attention of consumers
• A process in which a variety of
strategies are used to stimulate
consumer demand, promote
frequency of purchases, build brand
awareness and brand loyalty and
encourage potential or existing
customers to try new products
• May be delivered through a variety of
media such as television, radio, print,
billboards and the Internet
• Components of marketing are known
as the “4Ps”: the Product (e.g. features,
packaging), Place (e.g. location,
distribution points used to reach
target market), Price, and Promotion
(advertising is a type of promotion)
• Creates perceived value by persuading
consumers that they are getting more
than the product itself
• Contributes to the success of other
marketing strategies
But marketing becomes harmful when, as described above, either the tactics being used or the
products being promoted, are harmful to our health.
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
You might ask yourself why a corporation would promote a product linked to negative health
outcomes, or use tactics that are shown to negatively impact health.
The reason: Because under corporate law, corporations are, in effect, legally obligated to make
profits for their shareholders — even when the products they manufacture and the techniques they
use to promote those products are linked to negative health outcomes.17
Corporation — defined
A corporation is a large company or group of companies authorized to act as a single entity
and recognized as such in law. Ownership of corporations is broken down into “shares” and the
people or companies who own one or more of these shares are called “shareholders.” When the
corporations earn profits, shareholders each get a cut of these profits – this is known as “shareholder
return.”
Common marketing strategies
Corporations use a number of strategies to market their products.
Marketing techniques are not limited to traditional forms, such as newspaper ads, billboards, or
television commercials. While these kinds of promotional strategies are obvious, companies also
invest a significant amount of time and money to develop techniques to deliver messages about
their products that are intentionally subtle.
For instance, companies invest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives designed to
demonstrate concern about the welfare of society or the environment. This is especially important
for industries whose products have been shown to have negative health impacts, such as tobacco,
alcohol, or processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages. However many corporations engage
in CSR campaigns because they create a positive association with a brand or a product. While
CSR initiatives appear altruistic, they serve an underlying purpose of enhancing profitability for
shareholders.18
Corporate social responsibility initiatives include tactics such as education or awareness campaigns,
responsible messaging materials, and sponsorships of community groups.
Self-regulation initiatives such as the Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative
(CAI) are also a form of corporate social responsibility. With this initiative, leading processed food
and sugar sweetened beverage corporations have committed to address childhood obesity by
either not advertising to children under 12 or by only advertising products that meet industrydefined nutrient criteria. Critiques of CAI have found that it is ineffective and not making a
difference to the children’s food marketing environment.71, 73
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Here are some other forms of marketing
to children and youth:
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Advergaming (e.g. online video games)
Social media (Facebook fan pages, company Twitter accounts)
Advertising on mobile devices
Display ads on children’s websites
Facility sponsorship and naming rights
Event sponsorship
Team sponsorship
Product placements in movies and music videos
Celebrity endorsements
Point-of-sale merchandising (Displays of sugar-sweetened beverages, foods high in sugar/salt,
etc… in retail outlets/grocery stores)
• Contests and giveaways
• Cross-promotions (e.g. television and movie-related toy premiums associated with fast food
restaurant kids’ meals)
•Coupons
• Promotional campaigns that resemble health promotion programs
• Gifts with purchase, “buy-one-get-one” promotions
• Peer-to-peer marketing (tell-a-friend promotions)
From L to R: Alcohol logos on the waterfront, candy cigarettes, processed food-sponsored literacy program from an
NS school library, hypersexualized alcohol marketing at Tall Ships Family Festival.
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
4. Why and how corporations
market to children and youth
Why do corporations target children?
Today more than ever, we are seeing potentially harmful marketing campaigns that target children
and youth — despite the fact that marketing to children has been described by the Supreme Court
of Canada as manipulative.19
Corporations directly or indirectly target children and youth because, from the perspective of
maximizing shareholder return, it is an effective strategy.
Targeting children and youth is an effective way of reaching current adults. Although children
and youth do have some disposable income, a big part of the appeal of this demographic for
marketers is that children and youth influence family spending decisions. Youth-targeted marketing
has been shown to influence their buying habits and brand preferences — and by extension the
purchasing habits of their parents. The process by which marketers target family spending through
children and youth-oriented marketing is known as “pester power”. Pester power (also known as
the nag factor, or kidfluence) refers to techniques that appeal specifically to children and youth that
encourage them to request certain products by “nagging” their parents or guardians.20
Targeting children and youth is a way to reach future adults. One of the other appeals of
marketing to children and youth is that it is a way of creating lifelong brand loyalty and developing
a customer for life.
How corporations market to children and youth
Many of the techniques that corporations use to make their products more attractive to consumers
encourage unhealthy consumption behaviours, such as alcohol and tobacco marketing that uses
glamour and sex appeal to specifically target youth.23, 24, 25 Food and beverage corporations often
use cartoon mascots and fun colored packaging to attract children and youth to processed foods
that are high in fat, sugar, and salt.26
Some of the strategies marketing companies use
to appeal to children and youth include:
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On-line games and interactive websites
Mascots, cartoon characters
Comical voices
Bright colors
Quick animations and editing
Lively music
Fantasy/fun storylines
Promotional websites
Contests and premiums
Toy with purchase
On-line children’s advergame for fast-food restaurant.
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These tactics are not limited to just television
commercials. The design of product packaging has
been shown to be influential in the development
of children and youth’s preferences. For example,
it is not uncommon for marketers to display a
cartoon character on a product’s package in order
to attract young consumers.27 Research shows
that 13% of the costs associated with marketing
processed food products to children and youth
(approximately $208 million US) is spent on the
licensing of cartoon characters.27 The use of a
vibrant cartoon characters on processed foods
such as breakfast cereals has certainly proven to
be an effective marketing strategy for promoting
processed, high sugar, high fat, and high salt foods
to children, and the consumption of products like
these is known to be a contributing factor in the
rising rates of obesity.26,28,29
Children and youth are easy to access through a
variety of modern communication channels, such
as smartphones and computers, and they spread
the word for free. And given that the average
amount of daily screen time for NS youth ranges
from 5.2 hours per day for Grade 3 students to 7.19
hours per day for Grade 11 students,21 children and
youth are becoming easier than ever for marketers
to reach. Screen time is advertising time.22
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Eye-level sugary cereal display at NS grocery store.
5. Why children and youth are
especially vulnerable to
marketing.
When it comes to marketing, children and youth are especially vulnerable. They haven’t reached
the stage of cognitive development where they are able to distinguish between marketing and
entertainment. What’s more, they aren’t yet able to assess the long-term health risks associated
with the unhealthy products that are being marketed directly to them. Below the age of 4, children
perceive advertisements as entertainment and they are not able to consistently differentiate
between regular television programs and commercials.30 Most children below the age of 8 are
unable to comprehend the persuasive intent of advertisements and believe they are intended to
share information and tell the truth.16,30 Children over the age of 8 may have the ability to recognize
persuasive intent; however that skill may not be consistently applied until later years.16 Much of the
research on children’s cognitive capacity to recognize and evaluate marketing has been done with
traditional forms of advertising.16 The lines between commercial and non-commercial content on
the internet are more blurred and children’s abilities to recognize advertising on the internet may be
delayed.16 It is also important to consider that, even when children reach cognitive maturity, they are
still susceptible to marketing. Modern marketing is grounded in psychological approaches that are
designed to appeal to our emotions. For example, techniques such as celebrity endorsements and
social media marketing appeal to the unique developmental needs of youth to establish their own
identity.72 Modern marketing tactics are so sophisticated that, even if we are not paying attention,
emotional marketing can still have an impact.72
Research shows that exposure to certain images and messages over time results in observers
perceiving them as normal and expected.31 There is a significant body of evidence that illustrates
not only why the consumption of certain products marketed to children and youth is harmful, but
also how the strategies used to target them are negatively impacting their health. Here are some
facts.
Alcohol
Alcohol marketing is causally linked with injury
and disease.12 Early exposure to alcohol marketing
strategies is positively correlated with early
initiation of alcohol consumption.43 There is a link
between exposure to alcohol advertising and
the age of first drink, increased drinking and over
consumption among youth.12 Youth who see more
alcohol advertising drink more.33 Research in Nova
Scotia has demonstrated that the “good times”
represented in alcohol advertising influences
people, including youth to consume alcohol.1
Meanwhile, the harms associated with alcohol are
rarely depicted in alcohol advertising.1
Colourful bottles of alcohol and non-alcoholic pop.
MARKETING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIMER
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Processed Food and Sugar
Sweetened Beverages
Marketing influences children’s food and
beverage preferences and their patterns of
consumption.34 Evidence suggests that there
is an association between childhood obesity
and TV food and beverage advertising, as well
as a direct relationship between TV viewing
and the consumption of advertised food,
which is high in sugar, salt and fat.34, 22 The
processed foods that are marketed to children
are typically energy dense, high in sugar and
salt, and low in nutritional value.
TV character toy premium with fast food
restaurant kid’s meal.
Energy Drinks
Youth are heavily targeted by the energy
drink industry.35 Children, although
not necessarily intentionally targeted,
are exposed to a great deal of energy
drink ads that are intended for youth.35
Child and youth exposure to energy
drink advertising is contributing to
the high levels of youth energy drink
consumption.36 Adolescents are the
most targeted age group by industry
marketing and have the highest rates
of consumption of any age group.36
Energy drink consumption among youth
is particularly concerning because of
the high levels of caffeine and other
stimulants and the cross-promotion with
alcohol.
Energy drink logos on restaurant patio tables.
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Hypersexualization
Children and youth are exposed
to hypersexualized marketing
which is a feature of our social
environment. Some marketing
sexualizes children. Various
products intended for children
such as toys, games and clothing
feature sexy images and slogans.
There are a variety of harms
associated with hypersexualized
images and messages.
Hypersexualization is linked
with poor mental and emotional
health, body dissatisfaction, eating
disorders and disordered eating,
depression, lower self-esteem,
poor sexual health outcomes,
and greater acceptance of dating
violence, rape myths and violence
against women.15
Hypersexualized advertising in teen targeted magazine.
Tobacco
Exposure to tobacco marketing puts youth at
more than twice the risk to begin smoking.37 Point
of sale tobacco advertising is positively associated
with smoking initiation38 and normalizes tobacco
consumption. Nova Scotia has had a ban on point
of sale tobacco advertising in place since 2007.
A new area of concern has arisen in the tobacco
control community around flavoured tobacco
— such as grape or vanilla cigars — which could
entice children and youth to smoke or act as a
gateway to other tobacco products. E-cigarette
marketing and their use among youth is also an
area of growing concern.
Colours and flavours: Lip gloss, glitter glue, flavoured
tobacco and an e-cigarette.
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How do these marketing trends affect the health of
children and youth in Nova Scotia?
Alcohol
In Nova Scotia, the average age of first consumption of alcohol is approximately 13 years, with 27%
of youth consuming alcohol more than once per month.39
Tobacco
The average age of first cigarette use in Nova Scotia is approximately 13.7 years, with the
prevalence of cigarette smoking among youth being 13.2%.39 Nova Scotia has seen a decrease
in smoking rates in 15-19 year olds in recent years. The point of sale advertising ban which has
been an important component of the comprehensive tobacco strategy has been part of this
success. However, emerging concerns related to modern tobacco marketing are manifesting in
our province. Forty-nine percent of high school students who smoked tobacco in the last 30 days
smoked flavoured tobacco.40
Healthy Eating
In Nova Scotia, approximately 80% of youth are not meeting the minimum recommendations for
fruit and vegetable consumption,41 and 1 in 3 children and youth ages 2 to 17 are now overweight
or obese.42
Hypersexualization
Children in youth in Nova Scotia are growing up in an environment in which hypersexualization
(including the mainstreaming of pornography) is normalized. This has contributed to the
following:13
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Pornography is viewed by youth as a source of sexuality education.
The real or perceived threat of sexual violence is a normal part of being a girl or woman.
Some girls are consuming alcohol to lower their sexual inhibitions and meet their own and
partners’ sexual expectations to act like porn stars. Youth are under a tremendous amount of
pressure and are experiencing challenges navigating the hypersexualized environment.
Energy Drinks
More than two thirds of youth (64.3%) reported using energy drinks in 2012.39 In addition to the
negative health effects associated with the use of energy drinks, youth tend to use these drinks
mixed with alcohol. The combination of these two substances is associated with increased harms.39
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
6. A public health perspective
on marketing to children
and youth
Due to their vulnerability and their right to healthy growth and development — which is
undermined by marketing — the rights of children and youth to grow up in a supportive
environment without being targeted by marketing needs to be protected.43 In working to
reduce children’s exposure to harmful marketing, advocates can encounter a number of
common arguments that challenge their efforts. Here are some of these arguments, followed
by an explanation of a Public Health approach to the issue.
Challenge #1: It is the responsibility of the parent or caregiver to
teach their children about the effects of marketing.
PH Approach: While parents and caregivers play an essential role in helping their children
develop resiliency and media literacy, their efforts alone aren’t enough. Marketing saturates our
environment, from the more obvious ways such as television commercials and magazine ads, to
strategies that do not seem like they are marketing at all, such as advergames and smartphone
applications.44 This saturation not only affects how children and youth perceive marketing, but
parents and caregivers as well.34 Therefore, parents need the help of a supportive environment
in which to raise their children34 where their children are not constantly targeted by marketing
messages.
While it is important to teach children and youth to have a critical eye, the fact is that children
are targeted from a very young age, and are developmentally incapable of critically assessing
marketing messages.
Many parents lack the time or resources to compete with the money and research that the
processed food and beverage, alcohol, and tobacco, industries are able to invest in trying to
influence the choices of children and youth. It is impossible for parents to compete with these
marketing messages or to completely control their children’s exposure to marketing. In addition,
most parents are likely not aware of how much marketing their children are exposed to, or the
degree to which marketing undermines parental authority.
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Challenge #2: Industry self-regulation is enough to protect children from marketing.
PH Approach: With the exception of Quebec, advertising and marketing to children in Canada is
largely controlled by industry self-regulation. Although self-regulation is a commonly-relied upon
approach to address marketing to children and youth, there is no evidence of its effectiveness.69
Industry self-regulation is not enough to protect children and youth from the harms associated
with marketing.34 While self-regulation does set forth guidelines for responsible advertising to
children and youth, these guidelines are voluntary, often ambiguous and industry developed.34
This gives industry the ability to create, interpret and apply guidelines at their own discretion.34
What’s more, a corporation’s legal obligation to maximize shareholder return takes precedence
over voluntary guidelines to reduce marketing to children and youth. This is a fundamental conflict
of interest — profit versus health-protection.
Self-regulation is also problematic because it is not uncommon for industry to violate their own
guidelines.66, 67,71 Any complaints about violations of self-regulations often go to the industry itself.
As well, voluntary guidelines do not regulate the other ways that industries market products to
children and youth, such as through product/package design, online promotions, sponsorships,
character licensing, viral marketing, etc31 or the residual influences of adult directed marketing.
Self-regulation has been in place for many years, but we continue to see the harmful effects of
marketing to children and youth. There is little impartial evidence to show that self-regulation is
effective in curtailing marketing harms to the public’s health and there is a need to enact evidence
based approaches to this issue, such as legislation.32
It is hard “for industries that profit from marketing to children to act
on behalf of children’s health”.
William Dietz22
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Challenge #3: Policy impedes the public’s right to freedom of choice.
PH Approach: The argument that public health policy limits choices is a tactic that has been used
by the alcohol, tobacco, and food and beverage industries to distract the public from the broader,
social harms that are associated with their products and how they are marketed.
The choices we have are limited to the choices that are presented to us. Many individuals
underestimate the power marketing has on their lives and believe they are resistant to the effects of
persuasive communication.45 What they may not realize is that marketing companies have invested
a significant amount of resources into studying consumers’ wants, needs, and demands in order
to develop products and campaigns that will appeal specifically to them.46 For example, according
to one report in the US, in 2009 the processed food industry spent $1.79 billion dollars developing
ways to specifically target children and youth in their marketing campaigns.26
The intention of policy development in public health is to help create supportive environments
where healthier choices are easier to make. This is very different from the mandate of corporations
who market to children and youth in order to increase profits.
PUBLIC HEALTH’S RESPONSIBILITY
CORPORATIONS’ RESPONSIBILITY
• Protect the health of populations
• Legally obligated to maximize
shareholder profits
• Promote health and well-being
• Accountable to the public
• Create upstream/preventative
approaches to health that can
reduce long-term health care
expenditures
• Profit from marketing to children and youth
• Accountable to shareholders
• Act on behalf of the health of NS
children and youth
MARKETING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIMER
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Challenge #4: Industry should have a say in
policy development.
PH Approach: Given that the processed food and sugar-sweetened beverage, alcohol, and
tobacco industries are comprised of corporations and corporations are legally obligated to
prioritize the profits of their shareholders over the health of the public,17 there is a significant
conflict of interest when industry is involved in public policy development. These industries are
known to actively lobby against public health policies, representing a clear conflict of interest.32
Further, industries stand to gain financially from a lack of public policy or from policy which is weak
or narrow in scope.
Challenge #5: Individuals should act responsibly and make healthy decisions.
PH Approach: Industry messages often focus at the individual level in an attempt to deflect
attention from the harms associated with the marketing of harmful products and from policy
approaches designed to address those harms. These individual level messages are often part
of corporate social responsibility campaigns. For instance the common industry message of
“Calories in, calories out” attempts to shift the focus from processed food and sugar-sweetened
beverage consumption to an individual’s need to exercise. However, a focus on physical activity is
inadequate to offset the excess energy consumption associated with the marketing of unhealthy
foods.47 In fact, several studies have found that reducing exposure to TV advertising can reduce
weight without any increases in rates of physical activity.22
The message “drink responsibly” builds credibility and trust in alcohol brands but does nothing to
reduce alcohol-related harms.48 These messages put the onus on individuals to protect against
harms without putting any onus on corporations to act responsibly.
In contrast, an upstream public health approach looks beyond the individual level and focuses on
building supportive environments through healthy public policy, emphasizes the importance of
changing social norms and mobilizes communities to be agents of social change.
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Challenge #6: Education and media literacy training is enough
to curb the effects of marketing.
PH Approach: Education and media literacy can certainly be valuable in helping children and
youth build resiliency against the harmful effects of advertising,49 but education alone is not
sufficient for sustainable behaviour change. While media literacy training is intended to build
youth capacity, empowering them to be able to critically evaluate media messages,49 this strategy
addresses the issue at the individual level but does nothing to change the social environment that
surround children, youth and parents. For example, many of us know we need to eat healthy, but
Canadians are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Instead, we eat diets comprised of processed
food that are high in sugar, salt, fat, because those are the choices presented to us. Focusing on
education and media literacy alone puts the onus on the individual to prevent corporate borne
harms.
In order to have the greatest impact, there is a need for comprehensive interventions, including
media literacy in conjunction with public health policy, that address this issue from a broader social
context.
Challenge #7: Tobacco and alcohol marketing do not
target children and youth.
PH Approach: While these industries may argue that their marketing strategies do not target
children and youth, the marketing tactics they are using are intended to generate youth appeal,
attract new consumers, and create early brand loyalty.24, 25 These industries do not need to
explicitly target children and youth for their marketing strategies to reach youth and cause harm.
Repeated exposure by youth to these marketing messages in the environment creates the belief
that behaviours associated with those products are normal and expected.25 33 These tactics may
not target children and youth per se, but they are still influencing young people and having a
negative impact.
Challenge #8: The tobacco and alcohol industries provide
the province with revenue.
PH Approach: In fact, the direct social and economic costs of alcohol and tobacco exceed the
return the province sees from revenue from these industries.
In 2006, fiscal revenue from the sale of alcohol in Nova Scotia was $224.2 million, while the direct
social costs to government (health and justice costs) from alcohol was $242.9 million.51 The cost of
tobacco use to the Nova Scotia healthcare system was $625 million (or 50.3% of all substance abuse
costs).52 Tobacco sales tax revenue in 2012 was approximately $213.5 million.53
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7. What is being done?
Other countries, provinces and municipalities recognize the harms associated with marketing to
children and youth and have taken action to prevent those harms. Below are just some examples
of jurisdictions that have taken action to limit not only children and youth’s exposure to marketing,
but the general population as well.
Quebec
Based on a policy recommendation made by the American Psychological Association30 to protect
children and youth from the harms associated with advertising, the province of Quebec was
among the first in the world to create laws banning commercial advertising to anyone under the
age of thirteen.54 The Quebec Consumer Protection Act was established in 1980, and prohibits all
commercial advertisements of toys, certain foods, and other commercial products designed to
attract children and youth, on children’s television programs, newspapers, or magazines.55 This law
was developed in the 80’s and technology and marketing methods have changed a great deal since
then. While the law does not cover other forms of marketing, such as product packaging or product
displays in retail outlets, they have had some success in addressing on-line violations of their
provincial marketing ban, charging companies for on-line violations and achieving guilty pleas.55
In a recent study to determine the effectiveness of the Quebec ban in terms of fast-food
consumption rates, it was found that prohibiting fast food advertising to children and youth in
that province has contributed to a 13% decrease in fast-food consumption in the francophone
population, with 13 to 18 billion fewer fast-food calories being consumed each year.56 It is also
worth noting that Quebec boasts one of the lowest childhood obesity rates in the country.54
Incidentally, the rate of consumption of processed snacks and soft drinks in Quebec is the lowest
in Canada, while their fruit and vegetable consumption rates are the highest in the country.34 While
this is not solely attributable to the ban, children in Quebec are likely benefitting from the less
commercialized food environment.34
Norway
Since 1992, Norway has prohibited all advertising directed towards children under the age of
twelve before, after, and during children’s television programs.57 Norway has also mandated that no
advertisements will be aired 10 minutes before, and 10 minutes immediately following a program
intended for a child audience.58 Further, all advertising must take into consideration that there is a
chance a child may be exposed to its message, and must be sensitive to children’s vulnerability.58
However, as in Quebec, the current ban only prohibits advertising, and does not place limitations on
other forms of marketing.
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Sweden
Recognizing that children and youth are vulnerable, and need to have “protection from undue
influence”, the Swedish government prohibits all commercial advertising aimed at children under
the age of 12.59 Also, all forms of advertising are banned from airing before and after children’s
television programming.57 In this country, the removal of industry influence is considered to be an
act of protecting human rights. Swedish youth still have the potential to be exposed to television
advertising signals that originate from neighboring countries.59 This ban has been in place since
1991 and does not cover other forms of marketing.57 As with Quebec’s law, technology and
marketing methods have changed a great deal since the Swedish law was developed.
United Kingdom
The Office of Communications (OfCom), which oversees all media communications in the UK,
prohibits all advertising of food and beverages that are high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) targeted
to children under the age of 16, on all cable and satellite television channels.57 After review
of restriction in 2008, OfCom reported that children were exposed to 34% less advertising for
HFSS foods than in 2005, and this is argued to have reduced the influence that HFSS advertising
techniques have on children.
The UK has also developed an online portal for parents and caregivers to register complaints and
find out more information about how to protect children and youth from sexually provocative
media and marketing content.60 ParentPort was developed as a result of the Bailey Review, which
was a government commissioned review conducted to explore the commercialization and
sexualization of childhood.
What is currently being done in Nova Scotia?
Nova Scotia has already taken steps towards reducing the influence of marketing on children and
youth in the province:
•
•
•
•
•
In March of 2007, Nova Scotia implemented a ban on all point of sale tobacco advertising.61
Attention to the food environment in schools and the marketing and advertising of processed
food and sugar-sweetened beverages are part of the Food and Nutrition Policy for Nova Scotia
Schools.62
Regulated childcare settings are prohibited from using branded or promotional products to
serve meals and snacks and play food are to fit within the four food groups in Canada’s Food
Guide.63
In 2013, the province released Guidelines on Government Advertising which specify
that advertising originating from the Nova Scotia government will not perpetuate the
objectification of people, or include hypersexualized images and messages.68
Reducing the influence of marketing to children and youth is part of Thrive!, the province’s plan
for a healthier Nova Scotia.41
MARKETING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIMER
19
8. What public health can do next
While there is no shortage of evidence available to demonstrate a relationship between exposure
to marketing and harms to public health, it can be difficult to establish a clear line of cause and
effect.64 Despite this lack of evidence of causation, the World Health Organization (WHO) argues
that it is important for those working in public health to be proactive in their attempts to protect
the health of children and youth.64 This includes instituting protective and preventative action
where there is the potential for children’s health to be negatively affected by areas of “emerging
concern”, such as the harms associated with exposure to marketing.64 The precautionary principle is
a recommendation that is often applied to developing issues that have the potential to negatively
affect public health, and suggests that causation need not be established in order to justify actions
to protect the public from potential harms.65 Given that there is evidence to support that exposure
to marketing has a detrimental effect on the healthy development of children and youth23,25,28,29,33,54,
it is imperative that public health applies the precautionary principle to this issue, and begins to
take the steps necessary to develop strategies that will help minimize these harms.
Here are some specific steps public health can take to address the harms of child-and youthoriented marketing:
•
•
•
Raise the profile of marketing to children and youth as a key public health issue
Incorporate the issue of marketing to children and youth into health promotion and
prevention efforts
Seek to influence the establishment and implementation of healthy public policies to reduce
marketing related harms
Include reference to reducing the influence of marketing to children and youth in local
strategies and policies
Support the development of position statements on the issue of marketing to children and
youth
Collaborate with others working to address harms associated with marketing (e.g. healthy
eating stakeholders, community organizations concerned about hypersexualized marketing
and sexual violence, addictions staff, etc)
Mobilize parents, youth and communities to support policy efforts to protect children and
youth from marketing related harms
Support community based efforts to address the issue across settings (e.g. schools, childcare,
hospitals, recreation facilities)
Disseminate knowledge on marketing to children and youth
Raise awareness of and advocate on the issue in communities, among municipal leaders,
schools, and university and college campuses
Respond to harmful marketing and promotions when they appear in communities
20
NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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