In the wake of all the sugar-tax chit-chat, we thought it was time we considered how our kids are influenced by both marketing and money.
It’s a popular belief that kid’s choices are strongly influenced by marketing and advertising. But a recent study published in Appetite journal, says that honing in on the importance of money may be the way to get kids to make healthier choices. So in light of the sugar-tax, do we need advertisment restrictions? Or, should we be teaching our kids to make smarter choices with their money? Perhaps both?
Countries are starting to make the move away from advertising targeted directly at children.
Put simply, kids are a marketers dream. Companies specifically target kids with advertising as not only do they often have a large disposable allowance (according to one study children spend a whopping $3.3 billion a year), but they also have a strong influence over what their parents will purchase (hello, pester power). Grabbing the attention of your little one’s early on can also build a foundation for lifelong brand awareness and loyalty.
But where junk food and health are concerned, the likes of the UK and parts of Europe, including Amsterdam, have begun restricting ads targeted directly at kids in an attempt to prevent and lower rates of childhood obesity.
There’s no doubt in our minds that ad restrictions are a positive step towards the health of our children.
But, does targeted advertising really impact the foods children choose?
A recent study of 118 kids aged between 8–11 investigated whether it was branding or, in fact, price that motivated kids to make healthier choices. Armed with just $2, the children had to choose from a variety of snack foods including cookies, apples and yoghurt, from varying brands and at prices ranging from $0.30 to $0.70.
Interestingly, the study found that brand awareness was not necessarily as influential when it came to the choices they made. Rather, it was their personal experience with money – the children who had experience handling money were more concerned about the price they paid for the snack, thus avoiding unhealthy snacks with a higher price.
What does this mean for us?
While this was a small study, it indicates that a sugar-tax may be effective as higher prices for unhealthy products was a deterrent for purchasing. One review of the study drew the following conclusion, “higher prices for unhealthy snacks might be helpful in motivating at least those children that have experience with money to choose healthier options”. The sugar-tax is built off the same model, as it hopes higher prices will act as a deterrent, slashing soft drink consumption to subsequently lower obesity rates.
While we’re certainly supportive of moves made to restrict adverts that target children, this study also highlights that perhaps in light of the sugar-tax debate, we also need to shift our focus to teaching children the value of money.
Do you think children should be taught about the value of the money when it comes to making healthy choices? Tell us in the comments below!
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