In the wake of WHO asking for curbs on marketing of junk foods, brand experts say companies need to proactively monitor advertising messages & media choices, and be clear in communication
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently issued an advisory asking countries to consider exercising mandatory curbs on marketing of foods with high saturated and trans-fats. With rising cases of obesity in children and prediabetes in adolescents, the Department of Consumer Affairs along with the Ministry of Women and Child Development have also been mulling curbs on junk food ads, especially those targeted towards children.
As per WHO, aggressive junk food advertising fuels the spread of non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The world body has urged the adoption of comprehensive laws that limit the promotion of unhealthy foods, encourage the consumption of healthier foods and foster circumstances where people may make wise dietary decisions.
In June 2022, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) released guidelines on advertising on kids’ channels. “An advertisement for junk foods, including chips, carbonated beverages, and such other snacks and drinks shall not be advertised during a program meant for children or on a channel meant exclusively for children.”
Time to take note?
Considering junk food or the snack category is a major contributor to the advertising and marketing space, we asked industry experts how they intended to communicate effectively while creating awareness among their target audience.
Samit Sinha, Managing Partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting said, “During most of the 20th century, tobacco brands advertised freely, till there was incontrovertible evidence of its health hazards. It was only then that increasingly stringent regulations in varying degrees began to be applied to tobacco advertising across the world.”
Brands should start self-regulating, Sinha noted. “With the growth in GDP as well as population, India is quite vulnerable to a large-scale health crisis that is inevitable with the increase in consumption of junk foods, especially among children, who are soft targets and are easily influenced by advertising.”
Agreeing that it is time to take note of the health alarms, Chandramouli Nilakantan, CEO, TRA Research, said, “The first regulations came about 15 years ago when advertisers started targeting kids since they have the pester power. It is high time to put a stop on misleading advertising. The fact of the matter is every brand should have clinical trials to prove that the food does what it claims. It is a welcoming move by the regulator and this is a necessary step.”
What should brands do?
According to Shradha Agarwal, CEO, Grapes, “If the brand is open to say that this is junk, as an audience I am fine because I know what I am feeding my children. But saying incorrect things is wrong. You keep clarity and advertise as much as you want. Cigarettes have warnings on their packets but it is the consumer’s choice the same way brands should also clarify things and let the consumers make a choice.”
“Before the inevitable crackdown, it’ll be a good idea for brands to begin to proactively self-regulate their advertising messages and media choices in a way that avoids targeting minors who tend to be the most impressionable consumers. This will also present them in a good light as responsible corporate citizens. However, that is easier said than done, as it is all about nuances. Also, there is a very fine line between what is safe and acceptable and what is unquestionably unhealthy.”
As for Chandramouli, “Brands should look out for function before form”.
Such measures will help the government, consumers and brands to tell a story without getting into trouble, remarked industry observers.
