The Psychology of Selling - to Toddlers

[Fred123]

Edit: New readers to the topic can join it as of December 2023 by clicking here.

An article advising not to feed unhealthy food products to toddlers.

Health warning over toddler milks, yoghurts and snacks

[grahroll]

Another article describing the foods as “junk”. Sad to think there is no specific regulation about these toddler foods. A parent might think they are doing the right thing but in fact are making for bad habits in their children later in life.

‘Specially formulated’ foods for toddlers? Most of it is junk food

[phb]

@grahroll

Another article

This is a link to the synopsis of the paper referred to in the article:

Nutrition and packaging characteristics of toddler foods and milks in...

The results are disturbing:

A total of 154 foods and thirty-two milks were identified. Eighty percentage of foods were snacks, and 60 % of foods were classified as core foods, while 85 % were ultraprocessed (UP). Per 100 g, discretionary foods provided significantly more energy, protein, total and saturated fat, carbohydrate, total sugar and Na (P < 0·001) than core foods. Total sugars were significantly higher (P < 0·001) and Na significantly lower (P < 0·001) in minimally processed foods than in UP foods. All toddler milks (n 32) were found to have higher energy, carbohydrate and total sugar levels than full-fat cow’s milk per 100 ml. Claims and messages were present on 99 % of foods and all milks.

Toddlers should be eating everything that adults should be eating…namely homemade meals from fresh produce rather than fast or ultra-processed foods.

[PhilT]

An old topic with an updated title to reflect how clever marketeers have become over the decades. ‘Get them while they are young’ is a long standing tried and true concept.

‘It's not right’: Babies and toddlers targeted by food marketing

[isopeda]

@PhilT

‘Get them while they are young’ is a long standing tried and true concept.

Yes, unfortunately it works all too well.

But it succeeds largely because too many parents know too little about nutrition; don’t know what they should and shouldn’t be feeding to babies and toddlers; and/or don’t actually know how to prepare and cook food from scratch - and it doesn’t help that ready-made food of all types often is (or seems) cheaper than the fresh components.

https://blogs.rch.org.au/news/2017/12/05/aussie-parents-struggle-to-make-healthy-food-choices-for-their-kids/

The latest RCH National Child Health Poll has revealed Aussie kids aren’t getting enough vegetables in their diet, and many Australian parents believe fruit drinks may be healthier than water.

[PhilT]

@isopeda

largely because too many parents know too little about nutrition

I’ll punt nutrition is irrelevant to the marketing psychology because enough parents are inclined to buy the pretty pictures and characters their little ones want to avoid dealing with tantrums or unhappy little ones. Claims on the boxes about this or that notwithstanding.

[isopeda]

@PhilT

enough parents are inclined to buy the pretty pictures and characters their little ones want to avoid dealing with tantrums

… which means parents also need educating about dealing with tantrums!

[syncretic]

@PhilT

I’ll punt nutrition is irrelevant to the marketing psychology

I think psychology applies to both, every aspect of the packaging and presentation is very carefully worked out and structured so that each part supports the rest.

The cartoons are to attract the children and the claims of health and wellness are to assuage the guilt of the adults for giving in to them. In that sense the adults don’t want to know or understand the details as everybody is already happy.