Food Firms Will Still Target Children
By Tom Whitehead, PA
A ban on junk food adverts on early evening television will simply see firms target children in other ways, a branding expert warned tonight.
The millions of pounds companies spend urging youngsters to buy their products will still be directed towards them, just not on television, Stephen Cheliotis said.
Mr Cheliotis, chairman of the independent Superbrands Council, said the move could see a rise in sponsored children’s events or other activities that ram home their brands.
He told PA: “At the end of the day, they are all businesses and will put money in to places where they will get the best return from their marketing.
“They will ask ‘should we sponsor this?’ or ‘should be spend on PR here?’ for what will maximise their profits and keep the government off their backs for a while.
“They have to be profitable because that is what they care about. It is up to the Government to promote healthy living while their purpose is to maximise their returns on profits for shareholders.”
Television adverts involving junk food are set to be banned before the 9pm watershed in a Government white paper due out this week.
Products high in fat, salt or sugar are the subject of the crackdown which would affect far more than the likes of burgers, chocolate, crisps and sugary drinks.
Salty soup, breakfast cereal and even fish fingers could be caught up in the ban.
Mr Cheliotis said it was not the duty of companies making such products to promote healthy living.
That should lie with the Government, parents, schools and the wider society, he said.
And he predicted the restrictions would not see the funds normally allocated for that advertising being redirected in to other fields or used to sponsor healthy initiatives.
He accepted some companies have gone down that route but said, in the main, they will just look at other ways to market their brands to children.
Fast food chain McDonalds has sponsored sports events while chocolate giant Cadbury launched a scheme to encourage children to swap wrappers for schools sports equipment.
But the Cadbury Get Active scheme, which was later dropped, sparked anger among some politicians. It emerged a total of 5,440 wrappers would be needed to secure a football net.
Mr Cheliotis said: “It is absolutely incorrect that the Government is trying to force this legislation (to ban the TV adverts).
“If they cannot advertise on television they will just look elsewhere.
“They will have other brand building initiatives and spend money in areas where they are still impacting on their audience.
“In one way it might even be good for them and give them new challenges.”