Survey of emotional themes used in marketing of commercial baby foods in the UK—implications for nutrition promotion in early childhood

Garcia, A. L. , Chee, N., Vargas-García, E. J. and Parrett, A. (2024) Survey of emotional themes used in marketing of commercial baby foods in the UK—implications for nutrition promotion in early childhood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(3), 258. (doi: 10.3390/ijerph21030258) (PMID:38541260) (PMCID:PMC10969795)

Abstract

Claims used in the marketing of commercial baby foods are often misleading, and there are concerns that they exploit parental anxieties. We adapted a hierarchical consumer emotions model to explore the emotional themes used in the marketing of commercial baby foods sold in the UK market. A survey administered in three large UK supermarkets collected in-store data on commercial baby food characteristics and the marketing claims used on commercial baby food packaging. The keywords found in these claims were entered in N-Vivo and allocated to four preexisting emotional themes: contentment, happiness, love, and pride. The prevalence of each theme was compared by age suitability (4+, 6+, 9+, and 12+ months) and taste (sweet/savoury) profile. A total of 1666 marketing claims (median 5, IQR 3) and 1003 emotional keywords (median 3, IQR 3) were identified on the packaging of 341 commercial baby foods. Foods suitable for infants aged 6+ months displayed more claims (50%, p < 0.05) and emotional keywords (56%, p = 0.07). Savoury foods displayed more emotional keywords (63%, p < 0.001). The keywords “little”, “encourage”, “love(ly)”, and “tiny” were the most frequently used words under the theme of love (36% total contribution). The emotional connotations of the keywords under the theme “love” are extensively used in the marketing claims on commercial baby food packaging. These might exploit parental vulnerabilities and influence their purchasing of commercial baby foods.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Garcia, Dr Ada and Parrett, Dr Alison

Creator Roles

Garcia, A.: Conceptualization, Writing – review and editing, Supervision
Parrett, A.: Writing – review and editing, Supervision

• Authors: Garcia, A. L., Chee, N., Vargas-García, E. J., and Parrett, A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1661-7827
• ISSN (Online): 1660-4601
• Published Online: 23 February 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 by the authors
• First Published: First published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 21(3):258
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence