Packaging of food for children has increasingly become a marketing vehicle since it is commonly displayed at point of sale locations.The changing nature of food marketing has also contributed to the medium of food packaging becoming the message to consumers. While packaging has a practical function in terms of extending shelf life, it also helps sell the product.
PART I: EFFECT ON CHILDREN
Commercial Elements of Packaging for Children
- price, size and shape
- product attributes
- public relations
- promotions
- cross-promotional contests
- cartoon imagery for memorable branding
How Children Respond to Packaging
Since most children are not taught consumer awareness at an early age, they tend to not question visual aspects of commercialism they encounter. They aren't taught to question the statements or images they see on TV. Nor are they taught by their parents or teachers that packaging is part of the persuasion to get people to buy products.
Children are attracted to colourful and creative imagery, as well as energy. Breakfast cereals capture all of these elements at once, especially the ones that use cartoon characters that associate with the product. Add in a fun promotion like a contest to win toys and the persuasion becomes even more powerful. Packaging technology also impacts children with how the package opens and closes and if it includes additions like straws.
While some food marketers who aim at children create original cartoon characters for their branding, others cross-promote familiar characters already popularized through big media. Animated TV or movie characters help sell products to children, particularly when there is an opportunity to win toys. The US Federal Trade Commission recently confirmed that cross-promotion is now a significant marketing strategy for targeting children and adolescents.
Visual Persuasion
The four dominant colours in food packaging are blue, yellow, red and green, according to a Canadian study mentioned in Can Public Policy by C Elliott. The study found that about 85% of observed food products used graphics and fonts that were associated with cartoon imagery. Over 60% of these products used nutritional claims on the front of the package.
While packaging has a dramatic effect on how consumers of all ages make purchasing decisions, different age groups respond to certain packaging differently. Younger children are more likely to respond positively to cross-promotions while older children are more affected by visual qualities, especially colour, of the package.
Brand names have a huge impact on children's food packaging as well. Food tests have revealed that young children are more likely to choose a familiar brand like McDonald's than an unknown brand that makes the same type of food. Furthermore, familiar brands can influence actual taste of the product.
PART 2: FAIR PLAY APPROACH
Health and Nutrition Research
Marketers and consumers can both learn about how food packaging for children is studied in the C Hawkins book Public Health Nutrition. One of the selling points for parents to buy food for their children is the nutritional claims on the packaging. Parents also look at how freshness is maintained and the durability of the product.
Hawkins found from research that 78% of food packages targeted at American children between 2006 and 2008 used cross-promotion. Over half of these cross-promoted products were designed to appeal to children between the ages of 6 and 12. At the same time only 18% of cross-promoted products met standards considered acceptable by expert nutritionists.
Nutritional information printed on children's food packaging serves as public relations to bridge the gap between between concerned parents and excited children. Health claims are made to help generate the impression that the food has nutritional value and is even "good" for children.
What Parents Should Focus On
Parents need to be aware that many foods targeting children include marketing designed to encourage kids to pester their parents to buy them, according to Hawkins. It's important for parents to keep in mind that nutritional claims on packaging can be misleading.
What has been the general view point of manufacturers so far?
Some companies have pledged to only target adults and not children under the age of 12 in their packaging. Unilever's approach presumes that buying decisions are always made by parents (even when accompanied by young children).
The business-ethics balance
By using a de-kidifying strategy, manufacturers can reposition the product. Each manufacturer needs to balance between ethics and addressing the parent/child issue in their sales goals. Another dimension to de-kidifying is for companies to voluntarily reduce the levels of salt, sugar and other controversial or questionable ingredients, which can change the entire essence of the product.
Conclusion
Even parents can fall for colourful packaging that lures them into buying food for their kids that appears to innocently capture imagination. Parents can also be misled by nutritional claims on packaging of food items targeted for children. In many ways the packaging has become the product, just as the medium is the message in mass media. It is important that manufacturers find the right balance between reaching sales goals and proper ethical conduct.
