Advances in Communication Research to Reduce Childhood Obesity by Jerome D. Williams Keryn E. Pasch & Chiquita A. Collins

Author:Jerome D. Williams, Keryn E. Pasch & Chiquita A. Collins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer New York, New York, NY

The food marketing landscape in India appears to have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, when considered from the perspective of young people. The effect of globalization, or “westernization,” seems strong and can change the way that adolescents behave (Arnett, 2002). This study provides evidence to support that school-going youth in India engage with and enjoy food marketing initiatives that are geared towards Western products but are promoted in ways that are inherently Indian. The use of local language and local celebrities are especially effective strategies. This study suggests campaigns are changing food purchasing and consumption in Delhi, India, too.

Students recalled favorite advertisements in each of the “Big Five” frequently advertised categories of food—pre-sweetened breakfast cereals, soft drinks, savory snacks, confectionary, and fast food. Advertisements for noodles, which fall outside of the “Big Five,” were favorites, also. Compared to earlier studies in Maharashtra and Delhi, a wider range of products were represented here. Advertisements for soft drinks were especially preferred in past studies (Unnikrishnan & Bajpai, 1996; Vaipeyi, 2001), in addition to adverts for noodles and confectionary (e.g., biscuits, chocolate) (Radkar & Mundlay, 2001). In one of these past studies, children had higher levels of recall than parents for all products, except the noodles (Radkar & Mundlay). This, of course, cannot be directly compared here. Still, it is notable that, a decade later in Delhi, India, youth of the same age (10–14 years old) are reporting a larger repertoire of favorite food advertisements. It is unclear whether their exposure to these food advertisements has increased in breadth—or their receptivity to them has changed. Given the expansion of food marketing over the last decade, it may be a combination of both. Regardless, all of the food products recalled here, except fruit juices, were nutrient poor, energy dense.

Notably, youth recall of favorite advertisements was strongly linked to brand names. This is a departure from past research, where brand names for soft drinks, alone, were identified. In the late 1990’s, young adolescents were only aware of the “war” in advertising between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo (Vaipeyi, 2001), the two biggest soft-drink companies in India. Brand recognition in the present study extended across many food categories and was particularly strong for Western brands (e.g., McDonalds) and Western-style foods (e.g., pizza), although certain Indian brands (e.g., Thums Up) and Eastern-style foods (e.g., Maggi noodles) were prominent, as well. India appears to be geographically and metaphorically stuck in the middle between Western and Eastern food landscapes. The strongest influence at present seems to be from the West, as the large majority of advertisements are for Western-style foods and for Western brands. It is interesting to note that, for some students, the distinction between Western, Eastern, and Indian foods is increasingly blurred, as these new foods enter this market in India.

In earlier studies in India, young people were conscious of the use of celebrity endorsement to promote products (Vaipeyi, 2001). The use of this marketing strategy to promote food has expanded over time in developing countries (Cairns et al.

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