Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic - MAY 2021
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Big Food, Big Tech, and
the Global Childhood
Obesity Pandemic
AUTHORS:
Jeff Chester, MSW
Kathryn C. Montgomery, PhD M AY 2 0 2 1
Katharina Kopp, PhD
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
| 2
Acknowledgments
This report is part of a unique partnership of four
organizations—Berkeley Media Studies Group,
Color of Change, UnidosUS, and Center for Digital
Democracy—working together to promote policies
to ensure health equity for youth, communities
of color, and other at-risk populations. The
partnership is funded through a generous grant
from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which
has also supported CDD’s ongoing research to
investigate how contemporary digital marketing
and Big Data practices impact young people’s
health. We are very grateful to the Foundation’s
commitment to these efforts. We also want to thank
the following individuals and organizations who
helped us with the writing and publication of the
report: Jamie Bussel, Lori Dorfman, Gary O. Larson,
and Burness Communications.
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Introduction | 3
INTRODUCTION devastating. For decades, there has
been a steady and disturbing rise in
The coronavirus pandemic triggered a dramatic obesity among children and youth.
For example, obesity rates among
increase in online use. With tens of millions of families teens ages 12 to 19 have quadrupled
remaining in their homes, people turned to the internet since the 1980s. According to the
most recent public health data, 19.3
to order food, stay up with the fast-breaking news, percent of all youth between the ages
and engage with family and friends. Children and of 2 and 19 are obese. For Hispanic,
Black, and Native American youth,
teens whose schools have closed relied on YouTube
the rates are significantly higher.
for educational videos, attended virtual classes on Children growing up in low-income
Zoom and Google Classroom, and flocked to TikTok, households have disproportionately
greater levels of obesity.7 This is not
Snapchat, and Instagram for entertainment and social only a U.S. problem, but increasingly
interaction.1 Industry analysts also reported a sharp rise a global problem as well. Worldwide,
over 340 million children and
in video gaming.2 adolescents (aged 5 to 19 years)
were overweight or obese in 2016,
according to the World Health
Roblox, a popular 3D user-generated made digital media ground zero Organization.8 These children are at
gaming environment for children, for their youth promotion efforts, much greater risk for serious illness,
reported a jump of 35 percent employing a growing spectrum including Type 2 diabetes, high
in active players since February of new strategies and high-tech blood pressure, heart disease, and
2020, “reaching 164 million by tools to reach into every aspect of depression.9 Overweight and obesity
July, with around three quarters young peoples’ lives. Brands are are directly linked to changes in the
of American children ages 9 to 12 partnering with “influencers” on diets of children and youth, which
on the platform who collectively YouTube, Instagram, and other social are increasingly dominated by foods
spent 3 billion hours on the site.”3 media platforms, weaving their that are high in saturated fats, salt
“There are no movies to go to, no logos into the storylines of popular and/or free sugars, so-called “HFSS”
sports to watch, and no playdates videogames, and targeting children foods, as well as soda and other
to be had,” observed one trade with powerful, immersive video ads sugary drinks. It is widely known
publication. “Watching and playing that pop up on their mobile devices.6 that the overwhelming majority
video games provides them a safe These trends have contributed to of food and beverage marketing
entertainment alternative.”4 another critical pandemic. Though targeted to children and teens
it is unfolding at a slower pace, its promotes these unhealthy products.
But this constant immersion
progression is relentless, and its Research has repeatedly documented
in digital culture has exposed
impact on young people’s health is that marketing directly influences
children and teens to a steady
flow of marketing for fast foods,
soft drinks, and other unhealthy
products, much of it beneath the
Constant immersion in digital culture has exposed
visibility of parents and teachers.5 children and teens to a steady flow of marketing for
Food and beverage companies have fast foods, soft drinks, and other unhealthy products.
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Introduction | 4
between obesity and COVID,
particularly among children
and youth.14 “The evidence is
clear,” explained a scientific study
published in November 2020,
“childhood obesity and COVID-19
are international pandemics. The
clashing of the two diseases and
the subsequent changes in the
bioecological environment have
placed children and adolescents at
increased risk to develop obesity and
exacerbate obesity disease severity.”15
Youth of color have been
disproportionately affected by
serious illness, hospitalizations,
and death from COVID.16 “The
Coronavirus is killing Hispanic,
young peoples’ food and beverage but also its potential economic
Black and American Indian children
preferences, purchase requests, and trajectory,” with mortality rates
at much higher numbers than their
consumption. All of these trends rising by “more than 40% compared
White peers,” according to a CDC
have created what public health to Gen-Xers at the same age.”11 In
report. “Of those killed by covid-19,
researchers call a global “obesogenic many ways, these youth are the
the illness caused by the coronavirus,
environment.”10 “canary in the coal mine” for the
more than 75 percent have been
future of the nation’s health. Rather
In the U.S., we can already see how Hispanic, Black and American Indian
than reaching adulthood as the
young people who have come of age children even though they represent
most vital and healthy members of
in the midst of this obesity crisis are 41 percent of the U.S. population.”
society, they are burdened by a host
showing signs of its negative impact One of the key factors identified by
of chronic diseases, increasingly
on their health. In 2019, Blue Cross the agency is the “underlying health
compromised immune systems, and
Blue Shield issued a report on the disparities among minority children
shorter expected lifespans than
health of the millennial generation, and young adults. About 75 percent
earlier generations. Researchers
those born between 1981 and 1996, of those who died had at least one
at the Harvard School of Public
“the largest, most educated, and most underlying condition, and the most
Health are already projecting that by
connected generation the world frequent were asthma and obesity.”17
2030, unless current trends change
has ever seen.” As the researchers dramatically, “nearly one in two According to the Rudd Center for
explained, “Millennials are seeing adults will be obese, and nearly Food Policy and Obesity, food and
their health decline faster than the one in four will be severely obese,” beverage companies aggressively
previous generation as they age,” warning that “obesity will be the target African Americans, Latinos,
with greater levels of hypertension, new normal in this country.”12 Native Americans and Asian-Pacific
high cholesterol, and other chronic
Islanders with marketing for foods
physical illnesses, along with a Obesity has already been identified
and drinks (such as sugary drinks
rise in behavioral conditions like as a key underlying condition that
and foods low in nutrition and
depression and hyperactivity. “How makes individuals more vulnerable
high in sugars, salt, and fats) that
their health plays out in the years to contracting COVID-19, even
contribute to these diseases and
ahead will determine not only among young people.13 Numerous
harm health.18 Almost no marketing
the overall health of the country, studies have revealed strong links
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Introduction | 5
is for foods and beverages that people. These efforts have created a of the federal Children’s Online
families should eat more of, like powerful, pervasive, and immersive Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).20
fruits, vegetables or whole grains. digital obesogenic environment that is Over the years, we have closely
Youth of color get what researchers harming children’s health, furthering followed the incredible expansion
call a “double dose” of unhealthy health inequities, and contributing to of the technology industry and
food and sugary beverage marketing, increasingly higher levels of disease its increasingly sophisticated
because they are exposed both to in the population. advertising, data collection, and
mainstream advertising campaigns marketing apparatus. We have
We have been tracking the growth
and to targeted efforts specifically documented the increasingly
of the digital marketplace for more
aimed at them through digital media, complex and highly technical
than 25 years, beginning with the
which they use more often and nature of digital food marketing,
earliest commercial enterprises
more intensely than do their white underscoring how different it is from
on the World Wide Web in the 90s,
counterparts.19 more traditional forms of advertising,
when food and beverage companies and identifying the threats it poses
The COVID-19 pandemic were among the first marketers to children’s health and wellbeing.21
underscores the urgent need to to establish kid-friendly branded
address the childhood obesity crisis, websites on the internet. Using In this report, we explain how global
and particularly to reduce young “product spokescharacters” such as giants in the food and beverage
people’s exposure to unhealthy food Chester Cheetah and Snap, Crackle, industry are working together with
promotion. This report focuses on and Pop, major brands sought to leading tech companies to ensure
the role of both the food industry forge “one-to-one” relationships that unhealthy brands and products
and the technology industry in the with members of “the lucrative are woven into the media and
current global childhood obesity cyber-tot” category, engaging in cultural experiences that dominate
crisis. It documents how Big continuous data collection from the lives of young people. These
Food and Big Tech are working children who visited their websites. industries are now part of a large,
together to enhance and expand Because of our concerns over these integrated, data-driven digital
the promotion of unhealthy food practices, we spearheaded a national marketing system, fueled by Big Data,
brands and products to young campaign that led to the 1998 passage artificial intelligence, and machine
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Introduction | 6
learning. Our goal is to pull back the for Black and Brown youth. In have adopted policies to curb food
curtain on this complex system and Part 4, we provide an overview marketing to children and youth,
explain how it works, what it means of major regulatory and policy with increasing attention on the
for young people’s health, and what developments in the U.S. and abroad. role of digital technologies.24 These
should be done about it. In Part 1, Part 5 offers a set of principles and developments are part of a broad,
we describe the changing nature of recommendations to guide U.S. growing international movement,
the youth media marketplace, the policy making and develop corporate grounded in children’s fundamental
rise of sophisticated new advertising responsibility initiatives in order to rights to health.25 Yet, in the U.S.,
technologies, and the many ways build a healthier digital environment both the tech and food industries
that Big Data is continuing to for youth. have managed to circumvent,
transform both the technology and undermine, and coopt policy efforts
Scholars around the world have
the food and beverage industries. to reduce the relentless, aggressive
begun to examine digital food
Part 2 focuses on three digital promotion of unhealthy products.26
marketing and its effects on young
advertising markets that attract large Childhood obesity has largely fallen
people.22 A growing body of
numbers of young people, where off the national policy agenda. We
academic research has documented
food and beverage companies are argue that it is time to refocus public
deploying a variety of new and the increasing presence of attention on these two industries,
emerging techniques to reach and unhealthy food promotion, clear to develop policies for restricting
engage them. Part 3 considers patterns of youth engagement with marketing of unhealthy foods to
the implications of contemporary major brands, and influences on children, and to begin building a
food and beverage marketing on health behaviors.23 Public health healthier digital environment for
young people’s health, particularly authorities in Europe, the UK, Latin young people.
America, and many other regions
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Introduction | 7
Big Food and the obesity crisis
In 1969, when the White House held a conference on cost of food; the rise in fast food, convenience food, and
“Food, Nutrition, and Health,” its primary concerns eating outside of the home; and the increasing availability
were hunger and malnutrition, which were then causing of snacks and sodas in public schools.30 But one of the most
“tremendous suffering” among American families and fundamental changes is the disturbing shift in the overall
children around the country. Participants offered nutritional patterns among all children and adolescents,
a comprehensive set of policy recommendations— who now consume high levels of saturated fat, sugars, and
encompassing nutrition guidelines, nutrition salt, and low levels of fruit and vegetables.31 These patterns
education, consumer issues, and food distribution—to are a direct outcome of changes in the food industry’s
address the problems. These, in turn, eventually led production, distribution, and marketing systems. A number
to “major expansions of the Food Stamp Program of researchers have documented the rising power and
and School Lunch Program, authorization of the influence of the global food and beverage industry and its
Supplemental Feeding Program for Women Infants and role in shaping the food environment.32 Multinational food
Children, and improvements to nutrition labeling and and beverage companies, often referred to as “Big Food,”
ingredient labeling.”27 have established “huge and concentrated market power,”
explain David Stuckler and Marion Nestle. “Three-fourths
But in 2019, when health and nutrition experts held a 50- of world food sales involve processed foods, for which
year anniversary event celebrating the initial conference, the largest manufacturers hold over a third of the global
the nation faced a far different nutrition problem. “While market.”33 Observes Charlotte Elliott, “The food industry
calorie malnutrition in America has been largely eradicated, promotes a diet of highly processed, junk food and/or fast
changes to our food system, accompanied by persistent food,” and has “indisputably transformed what we eat,
poverty and increasing economic inequality have created how we eat it, and what we think of food.”34
a crisis of diet-related obesity, diabetes, and other chronic
diseases, and widened other disparities in the accessibility Beginning in the early 90s, food manufacturers launched
and affordability of nutritious foods,” the 50th-anniversary new product categories designed to take advantage of
report noted. “Poor diet is now the leading cause of children’s increased spending power and independence.35
poor health in the U.S., causing more than half a million According to the Institute of Medicine, between 1994 and
deaths per year.”28 In addition to documenting the sharp 2004 there were “3,936 new food products and 511 new
rise in childhood obesity, the report noted disturbing beverage products targeted to children and youth.” Most
changes in the media and advertising environment for of these child-oriented food and beverage products were
children. “Despite repeated efforts to limit the marketing “high in total calories, sugar, or fat and low in nutrients.”36
of unhealthy foods and beverages,” the authors noted, During that same decade, as children began flocking to
“children and adolescents continue to be subjected to an the internet, major brands such as Kellogg, Nabisco, Oscar
onslaught of targeted advertising for the unhealthiest Mayer, McDonald’s, and Frito-Lay were among the first
products across all media platforms.”29 to launch “advergames,” “branded environments,” and
other online venues to foster brand loyalty and promote
The aggressive marketing of unhealthy food and beverage a full range of fast foods, sugar-sweetened cereals, soft
products is one of a number of trends over the past several drinks, and snacks.37 These early forays into cyberspace
decades that have contributed to high obesity rates among quickly grew into a massive digital marketing enterprise,
young people. Other contributing trends include cutbacks as food brands moved swiftly onto websites, social media
in physical education programs; the relative decline in the platforms, interactive games, and mobile devices.38
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 8
PART 1: THE DATA-DRIVEN MEDIA & year-over-year increase in audience
volume, and data from market
MARKETING COMPLEX researcher Statista shows the eSports
category as a whole is likely to reach
Today’s youth are at the epicenter of an exploding digital US$1.79 billion in revenue by 2022.”47
As theaters closed and U.S. box-office
media and marketing landscape. Their deep connection to
receipts plummeted to almost zero,
technology and their influence on purchasing are fueling gaming industry revenue overall
the growth of new platforms, programs, and services, has risen dramatically, by more
than 50 percent, and was expected
and generating a multiplicity of marketing opportunities. to reach $160 billion by the end of
Google has created a global business offering videos 2020, which is “more than books,
music, or movies,” observed the
and channels that target children and other young New York Times.48 Viewership
people who are attracted by its entertainment and for video streaming has also risen.
According to research from Nielsen,
educational content.39
the cumulative weekly time viewers
spent with streaming video during
the second quarter of 2020 was 142.5
YouTube is now widely considered and young adults in 150 countries
billion minutes, which amounted to
the “number-one kids entertainment around the world.43 The popular
an almost 75 percent rise from the
brand,” a position it has held since video app is credited with helping
year before.49
2016. As one leading youth marketing to drive growth in children’s social
specialist noted, “the omnipresent app use by 100 percent in 2019 and The pandemic has also accelerated
platform plays a central role in 200 percent in 2020.44 There is a the growth of digital advertising,
shaping the evolving behavior frenzy of venture capital investment which witnessed “a historic shift
of kids.”40 Though Facebook in the youth media sector, fueled in market share,” according to
has seen some declines in teen by predictions that the generation reporting in The Financial Times,
users, the larger array of social growing up in today’s digital media which predicted that digital
media platforms—with dozens of environment will consume even advertising was poised to overtake
players such as Tumblr, Snapchat, more video content, much of it ad spending on traditional media for
YouTube, and Instagram (owned commercially driven, on TV, mobile the first time. “The digital revolution
by Facebook)—continues to attract phones, and other devices.45 in marketing under way since the
and engage young people, many of millennium, when the internet
Gaming and esports platforms
whom are accessing these services accounted for under 2 per cent of
are among the digital sectors
on their mobile devices.41 The spending, has transformed the ad
experiencing a dramatic uptick
children’s mobile app market is also market at a pace and scale that far
in users since the coronavirus
becoming an increasingly profitable outstrips the advent of television in
pandemic began.46 Twitch, for
medium for advertisers, according to the 20th century.”50
example, “has experienced a 10%
industry sources, with mobile usage
among children “soaring,” making
these devices the “#1 screen for fueled by predictions that the generation
kids.”42 TikTok has quickly captured
the interest of children, adolescents,
growing up in today’s digital media environment
will consume even more video content
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 9
AI, Machine Learning, and Virtual Reality: the New Frontier of Digital Marketing
Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Snickers bar was temporarily reduced at 7-Eleven stores to help
and virtual reality (VR) are among the technological drive purchases.55 This effort, which involved Google and MIT,
innovations that are transforming the nature and won multiple Cannes Lion Gold awards. KFC used AI to create
power of digital marketing. AI and machine learning a virtual “Col. Sanders,” who helped videogame players in
are driving the growth of personalization and predictive China receive “real-time predictions” about e-sports. Fans went
targeting. Specialized software can analyze large amounts “crazy” about the information it provided and KFC was able to
of consumer behavioral and demographic data to create achieve one of its key marketing goals—making its brand “an
and serve an advertising message tailored to a specific integral part of the game.” To receive the predictions, users had
individual.51 Major tech platforms offer their own to “log into the KFC app,” and during the game, the virtual Col.
personalization tools. For example, Facebook’s “dynamic Sanders also distributed coupons and invited “the audience to
creative” application enables advertisers to generate order KFC online.” The Colonel KI (KCF-AI) campaign won
multiple versions of various elements instantaneously— international marketing awards.56
including video, images, and ad copy—which can be
Chatbots are another tool that relies on artificial intelligence
tested in order to determine the correct combination that
to simulate conversations with users. For example, Ruffles
delivers the desired result.52 A key goal of this practice
potato chips won a social media marketing award in 2019 for
is “to inspire positive emotional resonance and reaction”
an effort based in Mexico, which was described as the “first-
about the product brand. Kellogg’s, Pepsi and McDonald’s
ever promotional campaign launched within the WhatsApp
have each taken advantage of Google’s “Director’s Mix,”
platform.” By sending a unique code found on the Ruffles
which “allows brands to dynamically embed text, audio
package directly to the company’s branded chatbot (“Ruffilio”),
or images within their videos to generate unlimited
one could enter a major sports-
variations of one video…. [B]rands
themed contest to win various
can customize their videos to
AI and machine learning prizes. In order to build a stronger
target specific audiences and
adopt hyper-targeting strategies in are driving the growth connection between the brand and
their video media plans,” Google of personalization and people entering the contest, Ruffles
created “Small Talk,” its own “neural
explained to advertisers. The tool predictive targeting. network that identifies intents from
facilitates “mass customization”
the consumers’ messages such as
by taking “one base video and
hobbies, favorite sports, favorite movies, relationships….” Four-
overlay[ing] different visuals and copy, creating thousands
and-a-half million messages were sent over a month, and the
of iterations automatically.” This is then connected to what
“average user spent 19 minutes per session registering codes and
a person may be doing or has done—such as searching for
talking with our bot,” according to the company.57 McDonald’s
something or watching a video. By working with YouTube,
says Google, marketers can use the online video platform has also used a chatbot connected to Facebook’s Messenger
to “create hundreds or thousands of versions to match application to create interactive experiences.58
your audience segments.” Kellogg’s used the tool to promote The latest versions of immersive marketing technology take
both Rice Krispies Treats and Pringles, reporting a positive advantage of recent developments in augmented and virtual
impact on sales.53 Market research has shown that these new reality, which deliberately blur the lines between the real
forms of “personalization” are effective at driving increased world and virtual worlds, making the experience even more
sales and brand loyalty.54 intense and realistic. Augmented reality (AR) is defined by the
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) as “an experience that
Food and beverage companies are incorporating AI strategies
utilizes a camera to change or enhance something in the user’s
into their campaigns in a variety of ways, with some earning
real world.” Virtual reality (VR) “allows a user to be completely
prestigious awards in the industry. For example, Snickers
immersed in an environment of the marketer’s choice.”59 A
developed an AI-based algorithm—called “Hungerithm”—to
number of the standardized ad formats developed by the IAB
monitor the “online mood” of social media users in Australia.
are designed to foster these kinds of immersive experiences,
When consumers were judged “hungry,” the price of the
such as 360-degree video and “fully branded 3-D scenes.”60 New
Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 10
measurement systems can document various impacts of AR consumer’s drink choices, process “contactless” payments,
and VR ads on individuals, identifying such behaviors as “Gaze- and gather valuable data in the process.66 Homes are being
Through” (“when a user views a VR advertisement and accepts automated through an array of personal digital assistants
a call to action”) and “VR Session Time” (“the amount of time and “smart speakers,” such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s
a user spent in the VR experience”).61 Other recent campaigns Nest, that monitor our activities and can prompt someone
illustrate how major food and beverage brands have embraced to order more soda or chips, for example. In the last few
AR and VR: years, a new generation of internet-connected toys has
come to market, designed to react to a child’s behavior
y Kellogg’s worked with the AR developer Blippar to in real time and “grow” with them as they become older,
produce millions of cereal boxes that transformed the using software to retool a device’s functionality in order to
packaging into a gaming experience, an “interactive correspond to a child’s developmental stage.67 Consumer
jungle island, filled with different mini games to groups have already raised concerns about how these
be unlocked.”62 “intelligent” playthings might be used to promote products
y McDonald’s created a tray liner that interacted with to a child. With this “ongoing digitization of childhood,”
mobile phones, integrated with Facebook Messenger, observes Professor Eva Lievens, “it can only be expected
and offered various digital board games.63 that such connected or smart toys and devices will
continue to be developed and marketed in coming years.”68
y Mountain Dew developed an AR app tied to the
Walking Dead TV series that overlaid “digital images of
zombies on the real world using a smartphone camera,”
letting “fans see zombies in real-world environments and
share the interactions on social media.”64
y Pepsi partnered with Facebook’s Instagram in the
summer of 2019 to produce 230 million bottles of soda
imprinted with mobile phone codes that triggered “full
screen immersion” AR effects, with a goal of influencing
“medium to heavy Cola drinkers,” including Hispanics, to
purchase 20-oz. sizes of Pepsi.65
Food and beverage companies are also among the venture
capitalists investing in the next generation of smart
devices and services. Soft-drink companies have already
installed “intelligent” vending machines that personalize aBig Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 11
ADTECH, KIDTECH, AND generation of AI and machine (See sidebar, “Redefining Contextual
learning, “customer-engagement Advertising in the Big Data Era.”) As
THE CHANGING DIGITAL
suites” and other forms of “business a consequence, many of the “kid-
ADVERTISING SYSTEM intelligence” software that can friendly” marketing operations do
Big Data has transformed the deliver highly personalized and not differ substantially from those
nature and power of contemporary optimized interactions with millions that are aimed at adults.74
marketing. Digital marketers are of consumers simultaneously.72
Marketing and advertising are also
able to access, analyze and act Paralleling these developments is driving the design and functionality
upon a wealth of data on individual a growing “KidTech” enterprise, of young people’s media experiences.
consumers and their families which uses many of these same Far from being neutral spaces for
gathered online and off, including advertising technologies, including social interaction, entertainment,
purchasing behaviors, social media Big Data analytics, artificial and expression, digital platforms are
communications, online interests, intelligence and computer-driven ad- structured to optimize engagement,
location and geographic movements, buying strategies. KidTech services foster habitual behaviors, and
financial status, health concerns, and other child-directed content maximize the impact of marketing
emotional states and much more. providers have experienced a digital messages on brand loyalty and
This data pipeline fuels a myriad “gold rush” worldwide, with eager product sales. The concept of
of marketing and advertising investors and advertisers flocking engagement has become a linchpin
techniques that are honed to deliver to support new start-ups as well as of tech industry Big Data strategy.
results—from brand awareness to already established youth media Its purpose is to ensure that users
direct sales.69 brands. A number of these services are continuously and seamlessly
The technology industry—led have made adjustments to how they interacting with digital media
principally by Google, Facebook, market to young people, in response platforms, responding to brands
and Amazon—has established a to children’s privacy laws and online and marketing, and generating data
complex, far-reaching, global media,
marketing, and sales apparatus.
Google and Facebook alone account Many of the “kid-friendly” marketing operations do not
for the majority (nearly 60 percent)
differ substantially from those that are aimed at adults.
of digital ad spending worldwide.70
While the most influential, they
are part of an integrated chain of
relationships, which includes ad safety concerns.73 They claim they points. With children’s content—and
agencies, data brokers, marketing are complying with privacy and attention—increasingly distributed
clouds, data-management platforms, data regulations by using so-called across tablets, smartphones,
ecommerce applications, artificial “contextual” marketing techniques streaming devices, and other
intelligence ad specialists, media that place ads related to the content platforms, programmers and
companies, measurement providers, being viewed, instead of the more advertisers are embracing new
and many other specialized intrusive data-driven behavioral or interactive storytelling technologies,
services.71 Many of these firms are programmatic practices that target including games, virtual reality
part of the burgeoning advertising the viewers themselves and trigger and augmented reality experiences,
and marketing technology privacy issues. However, contextual and creating advertising formats
sector—known as “AdTech” or advertising has been transformed that can be integrated directly
“MarTech”—that offers a growing through machine learning, natural into these powerful, immersive
spectrum of automated ad software language processing and other environments, and designed to
and tools, powered by the next advanced techniques, all of which trigger impulsive actions.75
use data to identify and target users.Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 12
Over the last ten years or so, there services are available throughout impressions are now only a tiny
has been an explosion of research the world, and are used by many part of a highly complex system that
focused on implicit persuasion companies to test ad techniques for includes detailed analytics covering
techniques, which tap into deep products marketed to both adults the full range of a consumer’s
emotional and subconscious and young people alike.80 Digital digital media interactions.83 New
responses.76 For example, Nielsen, marketers are also drawing on metrics can monitor not only how
which is a leader in the field of behavioral science to build features a viewer responds to an ad, but also
neuromarketing, uses a variety into online experiences aimed whether that same user purchased
of neuroscience techniques to at directing user behaviors and the product featured in the ad.84 The
maximize the impact of digital influencing decision making. The media and advertising industries
advertising on human behavior, tech industry uses the somewhat are exploring the creation of a new
including electroencephalography benign term of “persuasive design” measurement standard designed to
(EEG) to monitor brainwaves in to describe these practices.81 provide a “comprehensive view of
order to identify “three key measures However, many of these design cross-platform, digital and mobile
of engagement: attention, emotion, interfaces fall into the category measurement of content and ads
and memory”; “facial coding” to of dark patterns, especially when among children and teens aged
capture a variety of emotions; and they are intended to “benefit an two to 17.”85 This information is
eye-tracking technologies to measure online service by coercing, steering, used to develop effective models
how individuals engage with visual or deceiving users into making for targeting other young people.
content on screens.77 Using these and unintended and potentially harmful Measurement can follow users’
other methods, marketers can design decisions.”82 movements, communications, and
and refine advertising messages activities from moment to moment,
Measurement and analytics systems
so they can trigger “attention measuring their reactions to various
have also evolved considerably,
processing” and embed themselves advertising and sales appeals so
and are now altering the overall
solidly into an individual’s memory.78 the ads can be adjusted seamlessly
operation of digital marketing,
Through emotion analytics, marketers in real time. As a result, marketing
with increasing focus on children.
can determine how well a campaign techniques can be tested, refined,
Simple, one-dimensional measures
leverages unconscious processes and tailored for maximum effect.
such as “clicks,” “likes,” views, and
in consumers.79 “NeuromarketingBig Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 13
Redefining Contextual Advertising in the Big Data Era
When it was originally developed many years ago, Google is adopting such an approach, explaining in
contextual advertising in the online environment was the Fall of 2020 that “[a]dvanced contextual is the
a simple proposition. An ad would appear on a page next generation of contextual targeting on YouTube. It
that was connected to its content, often triggered by uses Google’s machine learning to better understand
identifying keywords. For example, a news report that each channel on YouTube, including analysis of video
discussed dining out would have an ad for restaurants or imagery, sound, speech and text.”87 Google plans to use
a sugar-sweetened beverage. However, since contextual contextual ad applications to reach children, since under
marketing did not facilitate the deep “engagement” and its recent settlement with the Federal Trade Commission
personalization possible with behavioral targeting and for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection
other data profiling techniques, contextual advertising Act, it announced it would no longer permit data-driven
soon fell out of favor in the digital marketing industry. marketing on YouTube channels or content that target
children 12 and under. SuperAwesome, now a division of
More recently, thanks to sophisticated algorithms and EPIC Games (Fortnite), is just one of the companies that
analysis, contextual advertising has become a much use contextual marketing to target kids.88
stronger—and potentially more intrusive—ad practice. It
has been reshaped by artificial intelligence and machine- Digital marketers and tech companies claim that because
learning technologies so that marketers can “now discern contextual advertising is not personalized or data-driven,
web page sentiment, understand the nuance of language, it is appropriate for targeting children, and an acceptable
ascertain the content and tone of images and video, and way of “monetizing” content. However, the role that
even automatically configure ad creative to complement sophisticated AI technologies play, including when they
context.” A person can be targeted based on what the are potentially combined with such data-dependent
industry calls “sentiment”—where an ad appears along approaches as behavioral targeting, suggests that regulators,
with content “whose mood or emotion resonates with a scholars, and public health experts need to examine this
product or brand’s values or ethos.” Such targeting can be practice closely to determine how it is being used, whether
driven through an analysis of the emotions “expressed in it functions as targeted or personalized marketing, and
images and videos,” as well as understanding the “meaning” what its potential harms may be.
of what is written, which makes it very effective with
today’s online video and visually driven social networks.86
RESEARCHING DIGITAL to observe the digital behaviors and candy products. For tweens 9-12
of young participants.90 Reports and teens 13-17, YouTube was in first
NATIVES
are routinely released that reveal place, with Oreo, Hershey’s, Cheetos
The food and tech industries the “Most Beloved Brands” and that and Doritos among the top ten.92
conduct detailed market research incorporate dozens of elements Google and Facebook have extensive
on so-called “digital natives,” to determine a “Kidfinity Score,” research divisions, where they
including monitoring young people’s a “proprietary measure of brand analyze young people’s interactions
behavior on social media, mobile awareness, appeal and popularity with marketing.93 Facebook IQ, the
and other platforms, and employing among six-to-12-year-olds.”91 In its social network’s market research
ethnographers, psychologists, and “Brand Love” study in 2020, youth arm, reported the results of a study
neuroscientists to probe the inner market researchers Smarty Pants it conducted with global parents to
workings of children’s psyches and found that for children 6-8, their better understand “pester power,”
brain processes.89 Marketing research number-one favorite brand was also known as the “nag factor.”94
firms are also creating private online McDonald’s, followed by YouTube, The study found that children have
communities where they are able Oreo, M&Ms and many other snack greater impact today on familyBig Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 14
purchasing decisions, including McDonald’s U.S. chief marketing (AT&T), Omnicom and Publicis—
“38% of parents’ decisions about officer explained, they “set have recently launched a new
quick service restaurants (QSR), 25% trends” and “set the tone for how initiative to “elevate multicultural
of decisions about non-alcoholic [companies] enter the marketplace.”98 marketing effectiveness” through
beverages, and 17% of decisions As a 2018 report entitled the Alliance for Inclusive and
about packaged foods.”95 “Descubrimiento Digital: The Multicultural Marketing (AIMM).103
Online Lives of Latinx Consumers” The alliance has developed a new
observed, “In a period of population metric—known as a “cultural
TARGET MARKETING shifts, fragmentation, and intense insights impact measure,” or
TO MULTICULTURAL competition for attention, Hispanics “CIIM”—to assess how effective
are using technology and social advertisers are with Asian
YOUTH media to rewrite the rulebook. Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, and
Minority youth—particularly African Their combination of relative youth, LGBTQ communities. The CIIM
Americans and Hispanics—are one demand for cultural connectivity score evaluates the “impact and
of the fastest growing demographic and nuanced content has placed effectiveness of cultural insights in
sectors in the U.S.96 As a consequence, Hispanics at the center of trendsetter ads and programming and how these
the United States is becoming a culture.”99 Another study urged have the potential to affect sales
“majority minority” country, where brands to target children in bilingual lift.” Variables include “inclusion
Black and Brown populations will households as “sherpas,” who can and acknowledgement, respect
be a numeric majority in just 25 “translate the language, interpret for culture, creates cultural pride
years. How well brands engage with brand and product purchases, and reflects cultural values, uses
these young people could determine and demystify new services and positive role models and provides
success or failure. Communities of technologies” for their families.100 for authentic cultural depictions.”
color already have “buying power” of Food and soft drink companies draw According to AIMM, those brands or
$3.9 trillion, and given their youth from an ongoing flood of market products with a suitable CIIM score
and life expectancy, these consumers research to design the most powerful experience significant increases
have a higher “lifetime value” than and effective target marketing in two key marketing industry
“White Non-Hispanics,” according campaigns for engaging with Black metrics—brand perception and ad
to industry studies. Nearly half of and Brown youth.101 These aggressive effectiveness. AIMM’s initial CIIM
Generation Z is made up of Black marketing efforts can shape the research assessed key segments of
and Brown youth.97 Marketers preferences for unhealthy food and consumer buying from these groups,
conduct intensive research to beverages, according to researchers, including foods and beverages (such
identify behaviors, values, popular and exacerbate existing health as “regular Cola drinks, [but] not
celebrities, music genres, and other disparities affecting communities diet,” and energy drinks). Among the
attributes of these “multicultural” of color.102 brands that had their ads reviewed
youth, who are in the forefront of to see whether they achieved the
Major food and beverage companies, objectives proposed by CIIM were
all the key digital behaviors—early
retailers, online platforms and Pepsi, General Mills, Kellogg’s,
and leading adopters of mobile
advertising agencies—including McDonald’s and Burger King.104
device use, social media, online
Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kellogg’s,
video, and gaming applications. As
McDonald’s, Walmart, Google, Xandr
Marketing efforts can shape the preferences for unhealthy
food and beverages, according to researchers, and exacerbate
existing health disparities affecting communities of color.Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 15
Food Insecurity, Racial Justice, and Industry Accountability
In a 2020 article in the journal Obesity, health researchers These concerns were echoed by a group of faith-based
reported on the food industry’s work to support investors who sent letters in December 2020 to 21
international relief efforts, noting that many major companies, including Coca-Cola, Kraft, Unilever, Pepsi,
companies—including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Burger Amazon, Dollar Tree and other food, beverage, restaurant
King, and KFC—have contributed money, donated and retail brands, as part of an initiative “meant to force
medical supplies, and distributed free food. While these a reckoning with how corporate policies and practices
corporations “have been applauded for their actions and may reinforce systemic racism through the development
have garnered massive public support,” the authors also and marketing of food and beverage products.” One of the
point out that the same companies “aggressively market investors working with the Interfaith Center on Corporate
ultra-processed foods and beverages” that are associated Responsibility (ICCR), which led the effort, explained that
with obesity and other related diseases. Moreover, the food “the economic and health distress caused by the pandemic
industry has repeatedly opposed attempts by the health only makes corporate responsibility around themes of
sector to regulate marketing. “If large-scale preventive nutrition and race more real and urgent.” The investors
measures to reduce obesity and chronic diseases had asked “companies to examine how their business models,
been taken earlier, COVID-19 complications would not operations, and value chains may directly or indirectly
be as severe among people with these conditions, and contribute” to health inequities, and urged them to commit
health disparities would not continue to be widened,” the to developing accessible and affordable nutritious foods.
authors argue. “If we wish to treat obesity seriously by ICCR and its allies, which represent more than $2 trillion
promoting healthier environments and societies that can in assets under management, urged the companies to
better respond to health challenges, such as the current curtail “manipulative and unfair marketing and promotion
COVID-19 pandemic, then there is no doubt that the food practices,” including through the use of data and digital
industry’s strategies are working against this goal and marketing.106
should be effectively regulated.”105
FOOD CORPORATIONS Science and Data Strategy Center behaviors.110 All of this information
of Excellence, which “analyzes all flows continuously into Coca-Cola’s
BECOME BIG DATA
data captured across Coke’s digital data center, where it is mined
COMPANIES ecosystem.”107 As the senior vice for insights. “We have more data
Some of the largest food and president of strategy, planning, and now than we have ever had in the
beverage corporations—including decision science explained, the past,” explained the company’s
Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and company, through its extensive decision science VP, noting that
Pepsi—have, in effect, transformed data operations, is “embracing a “the key is figuring out what data
themselves into Big Data full rethinking of how beverages you need and how to wrangle that
businesses, acquiring specialist are sold and delivered at every step data. This is where the real magic
firms, establishing large in-house of the supply chain.”108 Working happens, and where we see so much
operations, and hiring teams of data with Google, the beverage giant potential growth.”111
scientists and technology experts is deploying artificial intelligence
PepsiCo has made major investments
to direct these systems. With these to help drive its digital marketing
in its in-house consumer data
enhanced capabilities, they can more and loyalty programs.109 Coke also
operations for North America, which
effectively engage in ad targeting— operates over 40 interconnected
analyzes information on consumers
whether on the leading platforms or social media monitoring facilities
for its targeted marketing and media
through their own mobile apps. For worldwide, which use AI to follow
buying. A Pepsi executive explained
example, Coca-Cola North America customers, analyze their online
that the company is
has established its own Decision conversations, and track theirBig Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 1: The Data-Driven Media & Marketing Complex | 16
making a “significant change in how assortment, merchandising, tracking, predictive analytics and
we really market to our consumers marketing and other needs at modeling, algorithm-based targeting,
by building this direct, dynamic and the point-of-sale.” Pepsi has also and measurement.116 Powered
intimate one-to-one relationships developed a “cutting edge insights by all these Big Data capabilities,
with billions of people globally.”112 It platform,” known as CLEVr.113 McDonald’s global mobile app is able
has developed a “fully addressable to establish a direct link to each of its
McDonald’s data operations have
consumer database” (called customers, anticipating their menu
grown dramatically in the short time
“Consumer DNA”) that enables it requests based on past selections
since they were established, “laying
to “see a full 360 degree view of our and behaviors, targeting them with
the human capital foundation for
consumers.” With multiple data personalized offers, encouraging
the data-driven future,” according to
points on 110 million households instant responses through mobile
the company.114 Through its Silicon
in the U.S., Pepsi is able to develop payment systems, and conducting
Valley-based “McD Tech Labs,” the
personalized messages to reach in-store surveillance to document
fast-food giant is working on data-
people on all their devices and apps, the impact of the marketing on
science projects involving AI and
such as when they are viewing actual sales.117 In 2019, McDonald’s
machine-learning algorithms, natural
streaming video or watching online made a significant investment in
language processing, and Big Data
games. It has invested in machine Plexure, a “mobile engagement”
analytics to “transform the customer
learning, AI and other technologies company specializing in giving QSRs
experience.”115 Its purchase of AI-
designed to measure audience the ability “to build rich consumer
based technology company Dynamic
behaviors more effectively, such as profiles” and leverage the data “to
a new “ROI (return on investment) Yield expanded the fast-food giant’s provide deeply personalized offers
Engine.” One of PepsiCo’s Big Data data portfolio to include a real-time and content that increase average
platforms, called “Pep Worx,” is “personalization engine” that can transaction value” and help generate
a “cloud-based data and analytics identify individual customers “across other revenues. One of its specialties
solution that identifies valuable any channel, including web, mobile is designing personalized messaging
shoppers by location and develops web, email, advertising channels, that triggers the release of the brain
insights to help retailers make and apps,” utilizing a spectrum chemical, dopamine.118 (See sidebar,
decisions on things like product of powerful tools, including data “Tapping the Plexure Principle.”)Big Food, Big Tech, and the Global Childhood Obesity Pandemic
Part 2: Targeting Youth Across the Digital Media and Marketing Landscape | 17
PART 2: TARGETING YOUTH THE INFLUENCER
ECONOMY
ACROSS THE DIGITAL MEDIA AND
In the fall of 2020, as many
MARKETING LANDSCAPE restaurants continued to struggle
with financial hardships resulting
The food and beverage industry is drawing from a from the coronavirus pandemic,
growing arsenal of powerful tools in this vast digital McDonald’s partnered with a
popular rapper to launch a meal in
marketing and Big Data system to reach and engage his name and promote it to teens.
young people across the entire media landscape. In the The “Travis Scott Meal” combined
“all” of the music artist’s favorites
following pages, we focus on three major arenas of digital
—“a Quarter Pounder with cheese,
culture that are having particularly powerful impacts on bacon, onions and lettuce; medium
youth, commanding more of their attention, altering their fries with BBQ sauce; and a Sprite.”
The campaign was so successful
behaviors, and attracting huge amounts of advertising that within a week, there was a
dollars. Some of the largest purveyors of unhealthy shortage of ingredients for the meal
at some of the fast-food chain’s
beverages, fast foods, and snacks have moved aggressively locations. McDonald’s immediately
into all three of these areas. followed the celebrity-endorsed
meal promotion with another
one on a similar theme, this time
First, we investigate the lucrative explanation, we have written about
naming it after J. Balvin, the popular
“influencer economy,” which has each of these sectors of the industry
Reggaeton musician. The Big Mac,
become a highly profitable sector of separately, but, in fact, they work
fries and Oreo McFlurry combo
online marketing, with a growing together as a system, where the lines
was offered at a special discounted
number of entertainment celebrities, between them are often blurred or
price to make it more attractive
sports figures, and social media nonexistent. This is especially true
to young people, who were also
“stars” promoting junk food brands to for young people, who see all media
promised the McFlurry free of
their followers. Secondly, we explore as part of their fluid 24/7 digital
charge if they ordered through
the rapidly expanding online gaming world. As we will show, the food
the McDonald’s mobile app. Both
and esports sector, which has, in and beverage industry is inserting
campaigns included T-shirts and
many ways, subsumed and eclipsed its brands across this expanding,
other branded merchandise featuring
other digital media platforms and integrated system, seizing the
the musicians.120 The marketing
services, and is quickly becoming powerful symbols of youth
strategy paid off for McDonald’s, not
an important forum for teen and culture. Marketers are developing
only increasing fast-food sales, but
youth culture. Finally, we examine strategies and techniques designed
also helping to boost the company’s
the digital transformation of to harness the unique capabilities
stock price, generating a trove
television, which now encompasses of each platform and to tailor their
of valuable consumer data, and
not only conventional broadcast and efforts—and sometimes the products
sparking major press coverage and
cable, but also streaming (known themselves—to the demographic
social media publicity, including
as “OTT,” for “Over the Top”), as characteristics and behavioral
on Facebook’s Instagram and the
well as an expanding array of patterns of their young targets.119
TikTok app. Some observers noted
online video services. For clarity of
that the partnerships with the BlackYou can also read
