Food and beverage marketing on websites popular with children

Background: Children are spending more time online, and more websites are now designed to appeal to them directly. Food and beverage marketers are innovators in the new online digital marketing ecosystem. Previous research examined branded food and beverage websites; to date no studies have analyzed food and beverage marketing on the sites most popular with children. Method: A content analysis of 28 of the most popular children's websites as of October 2006. Sites included Cartoon Network, Millsberry, Disney's Toontown Online, Postopia, Barbie, and 23 others. Sites were assessed for presence of branded food or beverage products and for techniques designed to engage children with the online content, such as memberships, sweepstakes, media tie-ins, and advergames. Results: Well over half (64%) of the websites had branded food or beverage products. Cereals, gum, fast food and quick service restaurants, including McDonalds, Burger King, and Red Robin, comprised the majority of the advertised products. Based on the recent IOM school nutrition standards, more than half of the products would not be allowed in schools. While food and beverage marketing was not always visible on the homepage, one click on a link revealed food and beverage marketing on sites as diverse as Neopets, PBS Kids, and Disney Online. Implications: Food and beverage marketers will follow children wherever they are. Public health advocates and policy makers need to address digital marketing as well as traditional marketing if they want to reduce the impact of the target marketing of foods and beverages to children.