Have you ever been in the grocery store and saw a young child begging to buy a certain cereal? Food marketers know that children have an influence on what parents and adults buy and therefore often target children when marketing food products.  In fact, in 2009 food and beverage companies spent $1.8 billion dollars advertising food just to children and youth! Unfortunately many of the foods advertised are high in added sugar, fat, and calories.

Food marketing can take on many forms. Some of the more common forms include catchy jingles and fast paced television commercials, the use of licensed cartoon characters, such as Dora, on food packages, eye-catching food packages, and food companies having their own spokes character such as the Trix Bunny or Captain Crunch.

Newer forms of food marketing use technology.  Child focused websites often contain banner ads or pop-up ads for food companies. If the child clicks on the ad they are taken to the food site where they can play advergames, enter contests or watch videos about the food product. Advergames combine online games with a food product images. For example, a child might play an online game where points are earned by finding the hidden spokes character. Many food manufacturers are switching to internet advertising as it is less expensive than television advertising and children spend more time playing online games than watching a 15 to 30 second television commercial.

The good news is food companies are beginning to promote healthier foods too. Licensed cartoon characters are sometimes found on fresh fruits and vegetables. Some restaurants are promoting that their children’s meals come with fruit and milk. One frozen vegetable company recently increased sales through a marketing campaign aimed to get children to eat more vegetables.

As an early childhood educator or parent, it is good for you to be aware of how food is marketed to children. The USDA’s Choose MyPlate has helpful tips for coping with food marketing . Take some time this week and notice all the different ways food is marketed to children on television, in the store, online, and even at sporting events.

If you are interested in learning more about food marketing to children and youth, you may be interested in the online course Targeted Food Marketing to Youth offered by the University of Minnesota Extension. VISIT TOMORROW FOR A FREE GIVEAWAY!

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Mary Schroeder works for the University of Minnesota Extension which helps to connect community needs with University of Minnesota resources.  Specifically the Health and Nutrition programs and resources focus on disease & obesity prevention, healthy school environments, and continuing education for community professionals.  You can link to the Extension Health and Nutrition website at:  http://www.extension.umn.edu/health/