Tuesday, November 16, 2004
If the adverts don't contribute to consumption, then why do junk food manufacturers buy them?
See BBC NEWS | Business | Food industry slams obesity plans
The government, it seems are doing something right. Although doubtless flawed in many ways, today's widely trailed White Paper on Public Health is a huge step forwards. As well as introducing a limited ban on smoking in some public places, the paper is to set forward a traffic light system for foods in supermarkets and propose the banning of junk-food adverts before the 9.00 pm watershed.
The manufacturers, of course, hate it. But the arguments they are advancing are a little - shall we say, undercooked?
Christine Fisk of the Food and Drinks Federation described the traffic light system as "simplistic". And she said that "banning adverts is not the way to go."
On Radio 4's PM programme, Monday, I distinctly heard an industry spokesman expounding the importance of these advertisements to the financial well being of the industry, while in the same paragraph claiming that they have very little impact on purchasing.
If this is the case, somebody ought to rewrite the marketing strategy. The most elementary content analysis which any A-level media studies student could do makes it absolutely clear that a great deal of junk food advertising is targetted at children. Did I say 'Content analysis'? Actually, the most cursory glance at the TV ads round tea-time should tell anyone that junk food companies are trying to get to the (in marketing jargon) purchasing decision maker (typically mum) through the kids.
If banning ads won't make any difference, then how can it be bad for the food industry? Actually, it would save them millions in wasted investment.
On the other hand, if (as every other piece of evidence in modern society would suggest) it 'pays to advertise', then the food and drinks industry needs to swallow its objections and face the future.
It's the most obvious kind of common sense to attempt to rein in the factors which are making us an increasingly obese nation. The fact that somebody was making money out of it is not a reason to hold back.
Rather than lobbying the government and complaining in the media, the instant-satisfaction brigade should think about making foodstuffs that are attractive, tasty and healthy. After all, the human race has been doing this for several thousand years. How hard can it actually be?
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