A new study shows that children in New Zealand are repeatedly exposed to marketing through multiple mediums and across all settings, suggesting that marketing privileges particular messages, for example, marketing of harmful commodities

Researchers used an objective method of wearable cameras, to determine the nature and extent of children’s exposure to marketing. Children wore cameras from when they woke up until they went to sleep for four consecutive days (Thursday–Sunday) that captured images at an angle of 136° every 7 s for exposure to marketing. 

Findings show that:

  • From June 21, 2014, to June 30, 2015 children in this study were exposed to a mean of 554 brands per 10 h day (95% CI 491–625), nearly a brand a minute.
  • Children were exposed through multiple mediums (predominantly brand labels [36% of exposures] and product packaging [22%]) and mostly in schools (43%) and at home (30%). 
  • Food and beverages (20% of exposures) were the dominant product category. The most pervasive marketing brands typically sold a range of products across more than one product category (e.g., children were exposed to Nike on average 20 exposures Children were exposed to more than twice as many harmful commodities (mean 76 per 10 h day [95% CI 55–105]) as core food and social marketing messages (32 [26–39]) per day.

This study suggests that there is an urgent need to reduce marketing to promote planetary health.

Citation: Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children’s exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kid’s Cam): a cross-sectional study. Lancet Planet Health, 1-7. 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4

Find more information on the study here: https://eucam.info/2022/01/20/an-objective-assessment-of-childrens-exposure-to-brand-marketing-in-new-zealand-kidscam-a-cross-sectional-study-2022/

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