Marketing to kids

Here is a link that provided in the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group by Big Apple that speaks to the magical power of the Golden Arches. From the "Raising Kids" Web site in the UK:

Such is the power of advertising that children find food wrapped in McDonald's packaging up to six times tastier that the same food in plan packaging. That's the result of a survey carried on in America by Stanford University.
Researchers wrapped identical snacks in plain wrappers and in McDonald's packaging and asked a group of children to rate the food. The 'McDonald's' french fries were considered six times more tasty than the french fries in plain packaging. Similarly carrot sticks and milk in the golden arch wrapping was considered to be superior by the pint-sized tasters.
'These results add evidence to support recommendations to regulate or ban advertising of the marketing of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages, or all marketing that is directed to young children,' said researchers.

Here is more coverage of this issue:
The research abstract states the conclusion:
Branding of foods and beverages influences young children's taste perceptions. The findings are consistent with recommendations to regulate marketing to young children and also suggest that branding may be a useful strategy for improving young children's eating behaviors.

From Live Science

From ABC news Sixty-one percent of the children in the study preferred the taste of carrots and 54 percent preferred the taste of milk if they were reminded by the packaging that it came from McDonald's.
Study author Dr. Thomas Robinson, professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford University, said he was somewhat surprised by the findings.
"I expected we would find some effects of branding in this age group, but not this strong, especially for the carrots and milk," he said.


TK: The door is clearly open to cloak fresh produce in the packaging of McDonald's, and for McDonald's to switch out advertising of fries and burgers with more responsible messages promoting fruits and vegetables to small children. It's not that simple, but clearly, both the industry and fast food chains like McDonald's stand to gain if fresh produce is promoted in advertising to children. The whole issue of marketing to kids alludes to the power of kid-friendly brands (Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, others) in the produce department. The economic value of those produce brands figures to increase with advertising. The quiet presence of an attractive brand in the produce department may only go so far without reinforcement in the media.