Durban — The Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) has called for food companies to stop using child-directed marketing (CDM) to increase sales.
In their statement, Heala said that CDM is targeted at children to influence them to want unhealthy food. Getting children hooked on unhealthy foods creates lifelong loyal fans.
Heala’s communications manager, Zukiswa Zimela, said that children are vulnerable and can be tricked by these groups, and that they are the perfect tool to get parents to spend money on unhealthy food.
“I don’t have kids, but as an aunt, I know what it’s like to have to resist the pressure from the little ones at the stores. It seems they have just what it takes to tug at my heartstrings, so I give in to their requests for unhealthy snacks with bright cartoon characters.”
She also said that most parents and full-time caregivers know how hard it is to resist the pleas for sweets, sugary cereal, and treats with their children’s favourite characters.
Zimela further said that industry players know the power children have in decision-making for household spend.
She cited the 2021 Paramount Insights report which showed that South African children are media-savvy. Seventy percent of parents said their children have an impact on household purchasing decisions.
“The main categories that kids influence are entertainment (97%), food and groceries (94%), restaurant (89%), vacations and day trips (80%), and electronics (75%). Additionally, 65% of kids participate in decisions about the gifts their family buys for others,” the study found.
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