Targeting Children in the Cereal Aisle: Promotional Techniques and Content Features on Ready-to-Eat Cereal Product Packaging

Background: Despite recent and heightened concern about the marketing of food to children as a health issue, there is little previous research describing the product packaging characteristics of specific products intensely marketed to children. Purpose: In order to better understand food marketing tactics targeting children, the purpose of this study was to examine the promotional techniques and content features of ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal packages. Methods: A content analysis of 122 cereal product packages assessed front panel characteristics, premium offers, cross-promotions, activity features, characters and celebrities, web sites, and other content features. Results: It was observed that cereal packaging contains a wide variety of features likely to enhance the impulsivity of children to choose a particular product at the point-of-sale (e.g., children's characters, appears ready-to-eat, games and other fun activities). Discussion: The product packaging practices of food companies selling high sugar products, including presweetened cereals, is one area that needs serious examination in setting forth public policy measures surrounding the issue of food marketing to children. Translation to Health Education Practice: These findings are useful in the context of the planning of health education and public policy interventions which aim to reduce children's (and their parents') susceptibility to aggressive food marketing tactics.