Food Marketing

Family Influence on Food Choices• Family is the major influence on the food choices and

habits of its members. • Starting as children due to being fed the same food as

the family• As children grow older they develop likes and dislikes –

therefore will show preferences for some foods and refuse others.

• People outside the family unit will introduce them to new foods

• Family members use food to celebrate special occasions during their lives

• The influence of your family on your food habits and eating practices will last a lifetime.

Influences of Peers

• As children age, peers will begin to have a greater influence on both their food choices and their food habits.

• The more time that is spent with peers, the more influence they will have

• This will start when children go to day care or play school

• The more children are exposed to different food habits and practices, the more thy are influenced by them

• In the teen years, peers begin to exert a greater influence on their lives, such as food habits, practices, and beliefs about food.

Media Influence

• Media has a large influence on all our lives because it is all around us, even though we may or may not be aware of it.

• Advertisers use the media to sell their products; TV, radio, internet, newspapers, magazines, outdoor ads, direct mail, the Yellow Pages, etc…

• Advertisers are also looking for different ways of advertising their products. Products are often used in movies and television shows to get extra exposure.

• Advertising during sporting events increases consumer awareness of a product, as well as giving the product a positive image.

Advertising Techniques

• Advertising can be informative and entertaining

• Different techniques are used to entice consumers to purchase their products

• Food advertisers use these same techniques to convince people that they want to eat their products.

• Limited information – generally only the facts that will encourage you to buy are told to the consumer.

Advertising Techniques Cont’• Positive images – an ad may

use images of things that people feel positively about , such as friendship or a good appearance. Advertisers hope that these images will be associated with feelings about a product.

• Celebrity endorsement – some ads show popular performers or athletes promoting the product. These celebrities may or may not use the products in real life.

• Appeal to basic needs – advertisers may focus on ways the product meets a need for security or self-esteem. They try to convince you that the product will make you look or feel better.

Advertising Techniques Cont’• Scare tactics –

advertisers may play on people’s fears of aging or developing a medical condition by claiming that their product prevent or relieve the symptoms or provide essential nutrients.

• False claims – ads may make claims that are not true, such as fast or guaranteed results. If a claim sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Advertising Techniques Cont’• Infomercials – these are tv ads

made to look like regular consumers programs or televised news reports.

• Besides advertising, companies use other techniques to promote their products. Such as, lending their product name for a sporting event, a movie.

• Coupons and eye-catching store displays encourage consumers to buy.

• Product packages are even a form of advertising.

• Food: Ads vs. Reality• Food Ad Tricks• How Subliminal Advertising Tries To Make You Fat• Persuasion or Manipulation: Thinking About

Advertising • Advertising - What psychological tricks do they use? • The Corporation - Advertisements Targeting Children • Supermarket Psychology • Overweight kids in America