... TheStanMarkprojectbringstogetherresearchers and policy‐makers to developasetofstandards for marketingfoods and beveragesconsistentwiththeresolutionoftheWorldHealthAssembly.ObjectivesConveneaseriesofmeetingsinEurope and theUSA to bringtogetherkeymembersofthescientificresearchcommunity and policy‐makingcommunity to considerhowmarketingfood and beveragesmayaffectchildren’shealth.Identifycurrent‘bestpractice’approaches to thecontrolofmarketing,includingmeasuresnotspecificallyaddressingfood and beveragemarketing,ornotspecificallydirected to theprotectionofchildren.Exploretheuseofstandards and marketingcodes to influencecommercialactivity,includingstandardsfromotherindustrialsectors.Proposeasetofstandards to formthebasis for across‐bordercodeofmarketingoffoods and beverages.Developweb‐basedresources for policydevelopmentconcerningfood and beveragemarketing to children and relatedmaterials to supportpolicydevelopment.Projectpartners ... YesFurthergapsincompany‐ledself‐regulationThissectionprovidessomeexamplesofadditionalconcernsraisedduringthisinvestigation.Theexamplespicturedaretakenfromwebsitesactive and availableduringtheperiodJanuary‐June2011.Company‐ownedwebsitesWhilemostcompaniesacknowledgetheneed to controladvertising to childrenusingpaid‐ for advertisingonthird‐partysites,companiesdonotusuallyincludetheirownweb‐sites,whichtheyseeaseditorialratherthanadvertising.Althoughsomegovernment‐approvedcodes(e.g.theUKCAPCode)includecompany‐ownedsites,mostindustry‐wideadvertisingregulationsinEuropeancountriesdonot, and industry‐ledpledgesgenerallydonotorareambiguousaboutwhattheyconsider‘advertising’ontheirownwebsites.Manycompaniesusetheirownsites to attractchildrenwithgames,puzzles,clubs and downloadablegifts,orofferbrandedproductswhichchildrenmaypestertheirparents to buy.ExamplesbelowshowNesquikchildren’sgamesonacompany‐ownedsite and anexampleofM&Mspromotions(someareasofthesiteaskiftheviewer‘sageisabove12years).10SocialnetworkingsitesThereisalsoa‘grey’areaconcerningtheusebycompaniesofthird‐partysocialnetworkingsitessuchasFacebook to promotechild‐attractiveactivitieswithfood‐relatedbranding.AnexampleoftheuseofFacebookisshownbelow:11GeneralisedbrandingCompaniesdonotusuallyincludeintheirself‐regulationanycontrolsonthebrandingofnon‐foodproductswithfood‐relatedbrandidentities.Althoughcarryingnospecificmarketingmessage,theassociativeeffectcanbeapowerfulmarketingtool.Theexamplebelowshowsaproductlikely to appeal to childrenbrandedwithanimagestronglyassociatedwithsweetenedbreakfastcereal(Kellogg’sFrosties) and licensedbyowner for useontheproduct.12Schools and otherchildren’ssettingsCompaniesmayallowthemselves to marketinschools and otherplaceswherechildrengather.Thiscantaketheformofbrandedgoods and equipmentortheactivepromotionofsamples and brandedgiftsinschoolsettings.IndirectuseofschoolssettingsmaybefoundwhenTVadvertisementsuseschoolsaslocations for filmingtheiradvertising.Theexamplebelowshowsaplayarea for childrensponsoredbyachocolatecompanyownedbyNestléinGenevaairport(whichthecompanyhassinceacknowledgediscounter to Nestlépolicies) and theuseofclassroomsettings for TVadvertisinglocations(notinEurope).13Characterlicensing and brandequitycharactersAlthoughsomecompanieshaveagreed to reducetheuseoflicensedcharacters(e.g.filmtie‐inssuchasShrek and ToyStory)otherscontinue to usesuchmarketingdevices.Examplesbelowshowlicensedcharactersfromfilms(Rio,Thor,KungFuPanda)used to promoteproductshighinsugarsorfats.NotethatKungFuPandaisbeingusedbyMcDonald’s,acompanythathasnotjoinedtheEUpledgescheme.14Inaddition,mostcompaniesstillpermitthemselves to usecharacterswhichtheyown and havedevelopedwiththeirbrands(knownasbrand‐equitycharacters),suchasQuikythebunny(Nesquik) and TonytheTiger(Frosties).OthersincludeUnileverWalls‘Maxthelion’(seepicturebelow).15Productdesign and packagingSelf‐regulationgenerallydoesnotincludepackagingorproductdesign and thesecanbepowerfulmarketingtools to attractpurchases.Theexamplebelowshowsaproductshaped,flavoured and textured to appeal to childreninaboxwithatie‐ingamelaunchedbyKellogg’sonFacebook and featuringtheKraveKrusader(whomustovercomechallenges and obstacles to reachchocolate).26ShopdisplaysRetaildisplaysarerarelyincludedincompany‐ledself‐regulation.Aisle‐enddisplays and check‐outdisplaysarepremiumsites and canbeamajorinfluenceonspontaneouspurchases and, especiallyinthecaseofcheck‐outdisplays,thepurchaseofanitemforceduponaparentbychildrentakingtheproductintheirhandswhilewaitinginline.Child to childmarketingPeerrecommendationisastrongmotivatoramongchildren and adolescents.Marketersareusinganumberofmethods for encouragingchild to childmarketing,includingpayments to youngpeople to makerecommendations and encouragementofchildren to maketheirown26Seehttp://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/food and drink/kellogg%E2%80%99s‐moves‐into‐gaming/3026796.article16promotionalmaterials for distribution,e.g.onsocialmedianetworks.Self‐regulationgenerallydoesnotcoverchild to childmarketing.Examplesbelowshowbrand‐owned,child‐attractivewebsitesaskingchildren to sendemailmessages to theirfriendsaboutthewebsite.NotethatHaribohasnotjoinedtheEUpledgescheme.NewtechnologyMethods for marketing to childrenarerapidlyevolving, and manyaredesigned to by‐passparentsorenhancechild to childmarketing.In2007KFC’sadvertisingagencyengineeredaTVcommercialcontaininghigh‐pitchednoiseswhichonlyyoungpeoplearelikely to hear–Ajunk‐freechildhood:Responsiblestandards for marketingfoods and beverages to childrenAbriefingpaperfromTheStanMarkProjectoftheInternationalAssociation for theStudyofObesityPreparedbyTimLobstein,TriinParn and AngeAikenheadStanMark ... Themarketingoffoods and non‐alcoholicbeverageswithahighcontentoffat,sugarorsaltreacheschildrenthroughouttheworld.Effortsmustbemade to ensurethatchildreneverywhereareprotectedagainsttheimpactofsuchmarketing and giventheopportunity to grow and developinanenablingfoodenvironment—onethatfosters and encourageshealthydietarychoices and promotesthemaintenanceofhealthyweight.DrAlaAlwan,AssistantDirectorGeneral,WorldHealthOrganization17 and followedthisupwithawebsiteofferingfreemealvouchers to thosewhocanidentifythepointintheadvertisementwhenthenoiseoccurred.27Morerecently,Microsoftannouncedtechnology to allowX‐Boxplayers to usevoicecontrolsduringgamingwhichwouldforwardadvertisingmessages to theirfriend’sphoneswhenevermarketingpromotionswerepresentinthegame.2827EBlasshttp://www.engadget.com/2007/04/11/kfc‐ad‐agency‐strikes‐again‐with‐mosquito‐tone‐commercial/28TVega,NewYorkTimes20June2011.Seehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/business/media/21xbox.html?_r=2&ref=media18ProposedstandardsAsnotedearlier,theobjectiveofuniversalstandardsis to instituteruleswhichachievemaximumprotectionwhileremainingpractical and economicalinapplication.Althoughitcouldbeproposedthatchildrenshouldnotbeexposed to anymarketing,thepresentdocumenttakesa‘risk‐based’approach to reducingexposure to themarketingoffood and beverageproductswhoseregularconsumptionisliable to increasetheriskofnon‐communicablediseases.Furthermore,itisimportant to identifyexamplesofhighstandards for cross‐bordermarketingwhichhavebeenproposedasaresultofconsensus‐buildingbyreputableagencies,thusindicatingthatsuchstandardsarefeasible,practical and economical.Inthissectionweproposestandardsbasedonaresponsibleapproach to marketingontheunderstandingthatchildrenshouldnotbesubjected to inducements to consumeproductswhich,ifconsumedroutinely,arelikely to bedetrimental to theirhealth.Whereavailableweshowexamplesoftheuseofsimilarstandardsinothersectors.Standard1:Specifyingthefoods and beveragesIssue:Thepromotionofsomefoods and beveragescanunderminechildren’sdietaryhealth.Proposal:Riskreductionmeanspromotingonlythosefood and beverageproductswhichconform to nationaldietaryguidelines and internationalstandardssupportingtheWHOGlobalStrategyonDiet,PhysicalActivity and Health29.Ahighstandard:Food and beveragesshouldbecategorisedaccording to avalidatednutrientprofilingsystem.ExamplesmayincludetheUKOfcommodelused to regulateadvertisingontelevision,30theNordicKeyholefoodcategorisationmodel,31ortheproposalsfromtheUSInteragencyWorkingGroup32.Standard2:AgegroupsIssue:Somemarketingworksbelowconsciouscontrol.Evenwhenchildren and adolescentsareawareofmarketing,theymaybetrusting and uncriticalofthemessages.Medialiteracydoesnotreducemarketingmessageimpact.Proposal:Riskreductionmeanspromotingonly to thosepersonswhohavereachedanagewhentheyarelegallyconsidered to becompetentenough to protecttheirownwelfare.29WorldHealthOrganization,2004Seehttp://www.who.int/entity/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf30UKOfficeofCommunications(Ofcom)2007.Seehttp://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/foodads_new/statement/ and seehttp://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20100927130941/http://food.gov.uk/healthiereating/advertisingtochildren/nutlab/nutprofmod31Seehttp://www.slv.se/en‐gb/Group1/Food and Nutrition/Keyhole‐symbol/32FederalTradesCommission(2011)InteragencyWorkingGroupSeeksInputonProposedVoluntaryPrinciples for MarketingFood to Children.Seehttp://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/04/foodmarket.shtm19Permittedtargetagegroupsshouldbesignificantlyolderthanthisinor...