Fast food brands and Facebook have come under fire for advertisers using social channels to get around regulations on marketing to children, in a report from Sydney University.
The report by Sydney University's School of Public Health called for tighter rules for brands on social media and said current health policy is too focused on TV and therefore misses the broader issue, including activity on social channels.
It found brands use simple games, quizzes, polls and promotions to attract children on social platforms, as well as encouraging fans to take photos of themselves eating the foods and share them.
Such activity and “aggressive marketing” is criticised for raising childhood obesity, and the report suggests further guidelines be put in place for how brands target young people on social channels.
The report looked at 27 brand's Facebook profiles, all of which were professionally moderated by agencies, and found that some fast food and junk food brands enabled children to order their products from within Facebook pages.
The report started: "By using the interactive and social aspects of Facebook to market products, energy-dense and nutrient-poor food brands capitalise on users' social networks and magnify the reach and personal relevance of their marketing messages.
“In terms of health policy, much of the current work to limit exposure to [energy-dense, nutrition-poor food] advertising is focused on restricting advertisements during children's television programs and viewing hours. Our study shows that this narrow focus is likely to miss large amounts of online advertising aimed at adolescents."
Advertisers sign up to the AANA's voluntary code of conduct to “develop and maintain a high sense of social responsibility in advertising and marketing to children in Australia” and ADMA has guidelines in place to help marketers when collecting, using and disclosing children’s personal information.
For instance, brands such as McDonald's are prohibited from advertising during programming or timeslots geared towards children.
Facebook said that it complies with all legislation concerning marketing to children in Australia, but declined to comment on the report.
The AANA also declined to comment on the report but said that the current regulations are “media and platform neutral and apply to social media just as they do traditional media”.
McDonald’s has come under fire recently for promotions targetting children with coupons at play parks.
More news on advertising regulation below:
Media Wrap: Media regulation scrapped? | Lewis to join Acquire
Australia 'one of the most transparent media markets' in the world
Alcohol brands and broadcasters unite on live TV booze ads threat
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