... salt. StanMark Standards for marketing to children TheStanMarkprojectbringstogetherresearchers and policy‐makers to develop a setof standards for marketing foods and beverages consistentwiththeresolutionoftheWorldHealthAssembly.ObjectivesConvene a seriesofmeetingsinEurope and theUSA to bringtogetherkeymembersofthescientificresearchcommunity and policy‐makingcommunity to considerhow marketing food and beverages mayaffect children shealth.Identifycurrent‘bestpractice’approaches to thecontrolof marketing, includingmeasuresnotspecificallyaddressingfood and beverage marketing, ornotspecificallydirected to theprotectionof children. Exploretheuseof standards and marketing codes to influencecommercialactivity,including standards fromotherindustrialsectors.Propose a setof standards to formthebasis for a cross‐bordercodeof marketing of foods and beverages. Developweb‐basedresources for policydevelopmentconcerningfood and beverage marketing to children and relatedmaterials to supportpolicydevelopment.Projectpartners ... der to avoidappealing to youngerages. A highstandard:Theageorlegalmajorityisdeterminedbylocallegislation.Permittedtargetagegroupsshouldbesignificantlyabovetheminimumlegalage:anexampleisthebanontargetingalcoholic beverages to peopleunderage25requiredbyFacebookinIndia and Sweden.33 For food and beverages, theUKOfcomregulationsapplyduringtelevisionprogrammeswhichappeal to children underage16.Standard3:Mediaused for marketing messagesIssue: Children haveaccess to a widerangeofmedia.Inaddition,cross‐bordermediaservicesarenoteasilycontrolledbythejurisdictionintheterritorywherethemessageisreceived.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansincludingallmediawhichcarry marketing messagesaswellasthosewhichcrossnationalborders(e.g.Internet,satellite and cableTV, and exportedTVprogrammes,films,games,toys and otherproducts).Foodpackaging,formulation and presentationareincluded,asaresponsoredsportsevents and productplacements. A highstandard: A comprehensiveapproachassumesallmediaunlessspecificallyexempted.Mediabroadcastacrossseveraltimezonesshouldbeassumed to reach children and adolescents.ExamplesfromothersectorsincludeFacebook,whichprohibitstobacco and gambling marketing and restrictsalcohol marketing. 34 For tobacco,theFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControlprovides a comprehensivedefinition:‘allformsofcommercialcommunication,recommendationoraction and anyformofcontribution to anevent,activityorindividual’.35Standard4: Marketing methodsIssue:Most marketing worksbelowconsciousawareness, and children inparticularmaybevulnerable to marketing messagesofspecialappeal to them.Many marketing methodsfalloutsidecurrentadvertisingregulations.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansexcludingtechniqueswithspecialappeal to children and adolescents.Thisincludestheuseofcartooncharacters,animation,celebrities,sportspersonalities, and thecolouring,shaping and designofproducts and packaginglikely to have a particularappeal to children and adolescents. A highstandard: A comprehensiveapproachacknowledgesthat children and adolescentsareexposed to many marketing messages,includingthosedesigned to attractthem and thosedesigned to targetnon‐childaudiences. For tobacco,theFrameworkConvention36coversactionswhichhavethe‘aim,effect,orlikelyeffectofpromoting a tobaccoproductor33http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/10/08/alcohol‐advertisement‐guidelines/34http://www.facebook.com/ad_guidelines.php35http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_13.pdf36http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_13.pdf20tobaccouseeitherdirectlyorindirectly’.Itspecifiesall‘advertising,promotion and sponsorship’. For breast‐milksubstitutes,theInternationalCode37specifiesthatcontrolsapply to ‘productpromotion,distribution,selling,advertising,productpublicrelations, and informationservices’.Thesephrasescanbeadaptedwiththeadditionof‘able to influence a child’.Standard5:UseofbrandsIssue:Products and mediamaycarry a brandidentity for a companylinked to foodorbeverageproductswithoutspecifying a foodorbeverageorgivinganexplicit marketing message.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansbrandswithrecognisablelinks to food and beverageproductsneed to betreatedasiftheywerepromotingthefoodorbeverage to whichtheyareassociated. A highstandard: A comprehensiveapproachrestrictstheuseofbrandpromotionlikely to influence children whenthatbrandhas a recognisableassociationwithfood and drinkproductssubject to marketing restrictions.Wherebrandslink to multipleproducts,theassumptionshouldbethatthebrandispromotingthemostfamiliarorhighestsellingofitsproducts.ProposalsfromtheAustralianObesityPolicyCoalitionsuggestthatbrandsshouldberestrictedunlesstheyarebeingusedin a promotion for a healthyfoodproductorrange.38‘Brand’meansthenameof a foodorbeverageproductorrangeofproducts,orthemanufacturerordistributorthereof,oranyotherwords,designsorimagesthatarecloselyassociatedwithsuchproducts.Standard6:Settings and locationsIssue:Authorities responsible for standards where children aregathered,suchasschools and childcarefacilities,have a duty to ensurethatnothingprejudices a child’swellbeing.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansthatallsettingswhere children gathershouldbefreefromthepromotionofspecifiedfood and beverages, includingbrands,logos,vouchers and giftsassociatedwithsuchproducts. A highstandard: A comprehensiveapproachavoidstheneed to specifyeverypossiblesetting.TheWHORecommendationsstate“settingsinclude,butarenotlimited to, nurseries,schools,schoolgrounds and pre‐schoolcentres,playgrounds,family and childclinics and paediatricservices, and duringanysporting and culturalactivitiesthatareheldonthesepremises”.39 For alcohol,theCityofSanDiego,California,adoptedanordinanceinOctober2000whichprohibitsadvertisingalcoholonanybillboardwithin1,000feetofany37http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf38http://www.opc.org.au/downloads/positionpapers/Protecting children email1_FINAL_13.04.11.pdf39http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity /marketing food to children/ en/index.html21school,playground,recreationcentreorfacility,childcarecentre,arcade,orlibrary.40Therearealsomanyexamplesoflocation‐basedtobaccocontrols.41Standard7:AccountabilityIssue: Marketing messagesareproduced and distributedbydiversestakeholdersincludingfoodproducers,manufacturers,importersorsellers,advertisingagencies,mediacompanies,mediadistributors and retailers,webcontenthosts,webaccessproviders and websearchengines.Proposal:Riskreductionrequiresthat a dutyofcare and attention to theprotectionof children and adolescentsshouldbeexercisedbyallpartiesinthedisseminationof marketing messages. A highstandard: A comprehensiveapproachwouldholdallpartiesinvolvedinconveying a marketing message to beaccountable. For sponsorshipmediathisincludessportseventhosts. For promotionaltechniquesembodiedin a foodproductthisincludesimporters,retailers and caterers.Cross‐border marketing standards need to beenforceablethroughinternationalagreementswithsanctions.Examplesofpossiblestandard‐settingmechanismsincludeWHOhealthregulations,ISO standards and CodexAlimentarius standards. 40http://business.highbeam.com/410209/article‐1G1‐204543912/alcohol‐advertising‐billboards‐transit‐shelters and 41http://tobaccodocuments.org/women/2080811374‐1392.html.22AppendixWorldHealthOrganizationSetofRecommendationsonthe Marketing of Foods and Non‐alcoholic Beverages to Children 42 ... The marketing of foods and non‐alcoholic beverages with a highcontentoffat,sugarorsaltreaches children throughouttheworld.Effortsmustbemade to ensurethat children everywhereareprotectedagainsttheimpactofsuch marketing and giventheopportunity to grow and developinanenablingfoodenvironment—onethatfosters and encourageshealthydietarychoices and promotesthemaintenanceofhealthyweight.DrAlaAlwan,AssistantDirectorGeneral,WorldHealthOrganization17 and followedthisupwith a websiteofferingfreemealvouchers to thosewhocanidentifythepointintheadvertisementwhenthenoiseoccurred.27Morerecently,Microsoftannouncedtechnology to allowX‐Boxplayers to usevoicecontrolsduringgamingwhichwouldforwardadvertisingmessages to theirfriend’sphoneswhenever marketing promotionswerepresentinthegame.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=media18Proposed standards Asnotedearlier,theobjectiveofuniversal standards is to instituteruleswhichachievemaximumprotectionwhileremainingpractical and economicalinapplication.Althoughitcouldbeproposedthat children shouldnotbeexposed to any marketing, thepresentdocumenttakes a ‘risk‐based’approach to reducingexposure to the marketing offood and beverageproductswhoseregularconsumptionisliable to increasetheriskofnon‐communicablediseases.Furthermore,itisimportant to identifyexamplesofhigh standards for cross‐border marketing whichhavebeenproposedas a resultofconsensus‐buildingbyreputableagencies,thusindicatingthatsuch standards arefeasible,practical and economical.Inthissectionwepropose standards basedon a responsible approach to marketing ontheunderstandingthat children shouldnotbesubjected to inducements to consumeproductswhich,ifconsumedroutinely,arelikely to bedetrimental to theirhealth.Whereavailableweshowexamplesoftheuseofsimilar standards inothersectors.Standard1:Specifyingthe foods and beverages Issue:Thepromotionofsome foods and beverages canundermine children sdietaryhealth.Proposal:Riskreductionmeanspromotingonlythosefood and beverageproductswhichconform to nationaldietaryguidelines and international standards supportingtheWHOGlobalStrategyonDiet,PhysicalActivity and Health29. A highstandard:Food and beverages shouldbecategorisedaccording to a validatednutrientprofilingsystem.ExamplesmayincludetheUKOfcommodelused to regulateadvertisingontelevision,30theNordicKeyholefoodcategorisationmodel,31ortheproposalsfromtheUSInteragencyWorkingGroup32.Standard2:AgegroupsIssue:Some marketing worksbelowconsciouscontrol.Evenwhen children and adolescentsareawareof marketing, theymaybetrusting and uncriticalofthemessages.Medialiteracydoesnotreduce marketing messageimpact.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 Marketing Food to Children. Seehttp://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/04/foodmarket.shtm19Permittedtargetagegroupsshouldbesignificantlyolderthanthisinor...