Description
Introduction
Most food marketing features foods high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS). In low and middle-income countries like Kenya, children are a key target for food industry marketing. Growing access to digital technologies raises concerns about their exposure to food marketing. This pilot study aimed to establish the feasibility of identifying social media marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages by brands and influencers, their marketing strategies, and their appeal to children, including adolescents, in Kenya.
Methods
A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted to assess the viability of measuring food marketing on publicly available company and influencer social media accounts in Kenya, applying the World Health Organization (WHO) Internet Monitoring Guide protocols and templates. Brands and influencers likely to be popular with children or adolescents, were selected based on Kenya-specific data on social media use, brand sales, and marketing to children. A total of 137 posts were analyzed to explore the power food marketing and its appeal to children. The WHO-Afro nutrient profile model (NPM) and the 2022 draft Kenya NPM were used to determine whether HFSS foods and beverages advertised ‘may’ or ‘may not’ be marketed to children.
Results
Most high-sales food and beverages marketed on social media popular with Kenyan children in were classified as HFSS and thus ‘may not’ be marketed to children according to WHO-Afro and draft Kenya NPM. Emotional appeals such as family and fun were widely used. Exposure to such food marketing may influence children’s dietary preferences, purchases, and consumption behaviors.
Conclusion
This landscape analysis provides evidence of widespread marketing of HFSS foods to children by brands and influencers on Kenyan social media. This pilot study establishes the viability of this approach in Kenya, providing a foundation for further studies to support policy action on restricting food marketing to children in Kenya.
| Country | Kenya |
|---|---|
| Organization | Research Institution |
| Received a Grant? | No |
