Children as consumers in the food market

Abstract

In modern society, children have emerged as an important consumer demographic in the food market as they hold considerable purchasing power resulting from both their influence on family expenditures and their autonomous purchasing decisions. The food industry employs various marketing strategies to attract children’s attention and increase sales. However, due to their limited cognitive abilities, children are less capable to recognize the underlying purpose of such promotional activities, making them particularly vulnerable to these marketing strategies. Food-related marketing focuses primarily on highly processed food and beverage products that contain high levels of saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, added sugars, or salt (HFSS), potentially contributing to an obesogenic environment and childhood obesity. <br /> Based on the conceptual framework derived within this dissertation by synthesizing theoretical perspectives on consumer behavior, four empirical analyses are conducted, each focusing on selected aspects and determinants. The research aims to improve the understanding of children as independent consumers in the food market and determine behavioral, environmental, and personal factors that influence children’s responses to HFSS food marketing. This knowledge is essential for the development of policy interventions and consumer protection measures that promote healthier dietary choices among children. <br /> The first contribution of this dissertation investigates the effectiveness of the EU Pledge, a self-regulatory initiative launched by leading food and beverage companies in the EU. By focusing on Germany, it analyzes the impact on reducing children’s exposure to HFSS food and beverage television advertising. The results indicate limited effectiveness of the commitment due to the Pledges’s restriction on children’s programming and the relatively lenient nutritional criteria agreed on by signatory companies. <br /> The second study determines the impact of child-oriented on-product communication on children’s product preferences and investigates whether child-oriented food cues on packaging create a halo effect, improving the overall impression of taste and leading to a preference for the associated product. The findings suggest that positive impressions of packaging can support taste perception and product preference. <br /> The third research paper investigates primary school children’s autonomous snack purchasing decisions, considering the role of price and brand in influencing their spending on (un)healthy snacks by accounting for child-specific characteristics. The study findings highlight the heterogeneity of children as autonomous consumers in the snack market, with implications for their snack choice and price responsiveness. <br /> The fourth contribution focuses on the role of peer models on children’s independent snack purchasing decisions. The results emphasize that children tend to conform to their peer’s decisions, revealing the significant relevance of social influence in shaping children’s decision-making processes. <br /> Overall, the findings of the dissertation provide valuable insights that enhance the understanding of children as consumers in the food market and highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to improving the food environment of children. The dissertation draws revealing conclusions and implications for consumer policy aimed at promoting healthier food choices among children, and offers suggestions for future research in this domain.