Marketing to Kids – Baseline Survey and Focus Groups on Recall of Food and Beverage Marketing – Final report

HC POR – 108-18
Prepared for Health Canada
For more information on this report, please email HC.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.SC@canada.ca

Supplier name: The Strategic Counsel
Contract #: HT372-184037/001/CY
Contract Award Date: January 18, 2019
Delivery Date: May 10, 2019
Contract Value: $99,343.95

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Marketing to Kids – Baseline Survey and Focus Groups on Recall of Food and Beverage Marketing
Final Report

Prepared for: Health Canada
Supplier Name: The Strategic Counsel
May 2019

This public opinion research report presents the results of an online survey conducted by The Strategic Counsel on behalf of Health Canada. The research study was conducted with 3,000 Canadian parents in March 2019.

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre: La publicité destinée aux enfants : enquête de référence et groupes de discussion sur le souvenir de la publicité d'aliments et de boissons

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Health Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Health Canada at: HC.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.SC@canada.ca or at:

Communications Branch and Public Affairs Branch
Health Canada
1576 Jeanne Mance Building
200 Eglantine Driveway
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9

Catalogue Number:
H164-283/2019E-PDF

International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
978-0-660-31720-5

Related publications (registration number: POR # 108-18):
Catalogue Number: H164-283/2019F-PDF (Final Report, French)
ISBN: 978-0-660-31721-2

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health Canada 2019

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary
   1. Overview of Methodology
   2. Key Findings
   3. Conclusions
2. Detailed Findings: Quantitative Research
   1. Respondent Profile
      1. Gender
      2. Age of Parent
      3. Age and Number of Children
      4. Size of Household
      5. Marital Status
      6. Employment Status
      7. Parent's Role in Household
      8. Frequency Child Accompanies Parent Grocery Shopping
   2. Food Skills and Eating Habits
      1. Food Preparation
      2. Eating Habits
      3. Familiarity with Canada's Food Guide
   3. Concern about Food and Beverage Marketing to Children
      1. Concern about Frequency of Child's/Children's Exposure
      2. General Attitudes about Food & Beverage Advertising to Children
   4. Exposure of Children and Parents to Food and Beverage Marketing
      1. Media Habits of Children
      2. Brand Recognition
      3. Extent of Influence of Various Media
      4. Exposure to Food & Beverage Marketing within the Last 30 Days
      5. Participation in Activities Sponsored by Food and Beverage Companies
      6. Purchase of Branded Items and Other Interactions with Food & Beverage Companies
   5. Extent and Impact of Pester Power
      1. Frequency of Child Pestering and Response by Parents
      2. Purchases in Response to Child's Request
      3. Perceived Impact of Food & Beverage Marketing on Child
3. Detailed Findings: Qualitative Research
   1. Overview of Focus Groups
   2. Concerns about Food and Beverage Marketing to Children
      1. Degree and Nature of Concern
      2. Perceived Vulnerability of Children Relative to Others
      3. Age at Which Children Begin to Become More Attuned to Marketing
   3. Views on Food and Beverage Marketing Tactics Aimed at Children
      1. Food and Beverage Categories Perceived to Market More Directly to Children
      2. Dominant Marketing Tactics
   4. Brand and Packaging Elements That Attract Children's Attention
      1. Logos
      2. Product Packaging
      3. Movie Concession Items
   5. The Impact of Grocery Store Displays
      1. Grocery Shopping Habits
      2. Regular Store Displays
      3. Seasonal Store Displays
   6. Screen Time and Other Relevant Feedback
4. Detailed Methodology
   1. Quantitative Component
      1. Sample Design
      2. Pre-test
      3. Response Rates/Completion Rates
      4. Indices and New Variables
      5. Respondent Profile – Additional Details
   2. Qualitative Component
5. Appendix A – Surveys (English and French)
6. Appendix B – Recruiting Scripts (English and French)
7. Appendix C – Moderator's Guides (English and French)

I. Executive Summary

Evidence shows that, during their formative years, children are highly susceptible to marketing efforts. Research also shows that lifelong dietary habits are established during the early childhood years and that, despite many parents' interest and efforts in developing healthy eating habits, children (especially those over age six) wield a considerable amount of influence and purchasing power. In the food and beverage sector, aggressive marketing of products that are high in salt, fat, or sugar has been identified as a major contributor to trends showing an increase in the rate of overweight and obesity among Canadian children.

This research study was designed to provide Health Canada with further insights on the issue of food and beverage marketing to children from the perspective of both parents and children, by assessing:

• Children's and parents' awareness of advertising, including whether parents think their children have seen advertisements for certain foods, and if so, where and for which categories of foods.
• Children's interest in and desire for advertised foods, based on parents' response to questions about the extent and nature of requests for certain foods made by their children, otherwise known as Pester Power.¹
• How parents respond to food requests (action), particularly whether their food purchasing is influenced by children's requests for certain foods, and if so, for what foods.
• Parents' concern over advertising of certain foods and whether the level of concern is trending up or down.

A. Overview of Methodology

A two-phased approach was implemented to address the above-noted research objectives, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In the first phase, an online survey was conducted among parents in households where at least one children was between the ages of 2 and 12 years. The survey was in field between March 8th and 20th, 2019 yielding a total sample of 3,000 respondents. Following completion of the survey, a series of eight focus groups were held, four in Toronto and four in Montreal (in French), on April 27, 2019. In each center, two focus groups were held with parents while, simultaneously, two focus groups were also held with children. The groups with children were segmented by age and grade level (6-8 years and 9-12 years). These discussions provided an opportunity to further explore and elaborate on the survey. Results from the survey are reported on in Section II, while the qualitative findings are covered in Section III.

Additional details on the methodology can be found in Section IV.

B. Key Findings

Parents are concerned about food and beverage marketing to children, but feel somewhat powerless in an era of hyper commercialization and heavy consumerism, and in the face of ubiquitous marketing to children, many of whom are online at an early age.

• Most parents (67%) are at least modestly, if not strongly, concerned about their child's exposure to food and beverage marketing (48% somewhat concerned; 19% very concerned). Similar numbers agree that their children are exposed to too much food and beverage advertising (65%) and specifically that much of the advertising is focused on products that are unhealthy for children.
• While parents feel a sense of responsibility to protect their children, they also find it challenging. 65% say it's difficult for parents to monitor and control the food and beverage advertising to which their children are exposed and 53% agree that advertising of foods and beverages makes it more difficult for parents to raise healthy children. In focus groups, the majority of parents, including those who initially exhibited less concern about this issue, felt overwhelmed and challenged by the pervasive nature of marketing. Many simply don't know what they can do to mitigate or counter its impact on their children.

Some parents are also of the view that, relative to when they were growing up, marketing aimed at children today is more pervasive but also more subtle. This is a reflection of the increasingly integrated marketing communications strategies utilized by food and beverage companies. The embedded nature of the marketing (i.e., tie-ins or promotions with movies and online games, product placements, etc.) makes it 'feel' less invasive or intrusive. It is seen as a more natural and accepted extension of the child's activity.

• In focus groups parents commented that they believe their children are less exposed to what they describe as 'random' marketing than they were at the same age. What has changed is how and what children are viewing. Specifically, children today are not 'appointment viewing' in the same way that their parents were and, as a result, their view is that they are not bombarded with unrelated or irrelevant advertising and marketing.
• Parents do, however, acknowledge that exposure is more pervasive online. But, the advertising is typically accepted as integral to the activity the child is undertaking online. While parents believe their children are vulnerable, their comments also suggest a sense of helplessness and perhaps some degree of desensitization (both parents and children) to the current volume and impact of marketing.
• At the same time, after completing the survey or participating in a 90-minute discussion on the topic, we did note an uptick in expressed concern as parents become more aware of the many, mostly non-traditional, ways in which food and beverage companies now market their products to children.

Parents believe that children are highly 'brand aware,' and particularly so for specific brands within the fast-food, cookie and cereal categories.

• Parents say their children are readily able to identify many brands across various food and beverage categories. Survey responses show that recognition rates do vary across categories – highest for McDonald's, but also reasonably strong for products such as Oreo cookies, Cheerios and Froot Loops. Brand recognition within the candy/chocolates category is much lower, although some products (Kit Kat, Smarties and Kinder Eggs) do stand out.
• In focus groups, we noted stronger evidence of widespread brand recognition beginning at an early age. Most parents said their children were familiar with many of the brands tested in the groups, and children themselves confirmed this.

Brand awareness appears to begin at a young age, and develops rapidly.

• While older children are more likely to be familiar with a wider array of brands across categories, parents of younger children also indicate they demonstrate fairly high levels of brand awareness.
• Survey findings indicate that many children have access to many devices which would increase their exposure, in particular to online marketing. Access to devices such as iPads, tablets, video game consoles, portable music devices and cell phones with data plans tends to be higher in households with older children, aged 7 to 12. However, in some cases, a quarter of households with children aged 2 to 6 only also indicated their children had access to a number of these devices.

Parents are of the view that children are attracted to a combination of elements in terms of logo and package design, particularly anthropomorphic characters, play elements, playful font style, and colourful design.

• Cartoon-style characters with anthropomorphic features, playful aspects (i.e., something on the packaging which suggests playful ways in which the product can be consumed such as dipping crackers, etc.), and colourful package design. Each of these elements works effectively on its own, but they are most powerful when applied in combination.
• Animated characters incorporating attributes associated with youthfulness, more so than human figures. Characters or imagery reflecting an older demographic (Aunt Jemima or Paul Newman) are automatically viewed as targeting an adult audience.
• Expressive characters, exuding a friendly, welcoming style or tone (i.e., wide eyes, bright smiles).
• A bright colour palette, typically employing a range of primary colours (red, yellow and blue) and in particular, use of rainbow colouring signals quite clearly to children that the product is intended for them.
• Packaging which illustrates the product itself and gives them a sense of what it might taste like (i.e., a half-eaten cookie). While other design elements might be lacking on these packages, children are understandably drawn to products that look delicious and illustrate recognizable ingredients which they associate with a pleasurable or fun eating experience (i.e., chocolate, marshmallow filling, etc.).

Parents feel that their children are highly susceptible to many of the standard marketing tactics employed by food and beverage companies, including collectibles, tie-ins and promotional activities associated with movies and child-specific menu items.

• Any type of packaging which in itself incorporates a play element or some type of collectible toy, as is often the case in beverage and popcorn containers at movie concessions as well as in many fast-food outlets, has strong appeal among children.
• Tie-ins with movies and certain movie characters are highly effective marketing tools. Collectibles in particular are keenly desired by children and acknowledged by both parents and children alike as an important part of the movie experience.

Children are exposed to food and beverage advertising across a wide range of media – traditional, in-location, and online – although the format varies to some extent by the age of the child.

• TV and in-store exposure are the most prevalent ways in which children are exposed to food and beverage marketing, according to their parents, along with fast-food or take-out restaurants.
• The power of the Internet, particularly YouTube, as a marketing channel is also quite evident. Although falling outside the top 5 marketing tactics identified by respondents to the survey, the influence of online activity, and YouTube specifically, was evident in comments by both parents and children in focus groups. In the survey, a slightly higher percentage of parents identified YouTube as having a great deal or a lot of influence on their children when it comes to food and beverage marketing compared to the proportion citing the Internet in general (46% versus 38% respectively), although there is likely a bit of overlap between these two categories. The impact of YouTube was also clear from results on a question about children's media habits. Even in households with children aged 2 to 6 years only, almost one-third of parents indicated that their children were spending at least one hour a day on YouTube. This percentage increases in households with children spanning the younger and older age groups (38%) and is higher still for those households with children in the older age group, aged 7 to 12 only (46%).
• In general, parents with older children only in their household are more likely to report exposure of their children to food and beverage marketing via the Internet, movie theatres, vending machines, social media, radio and online games, compared to those in households with younger children only.

In general, parents are somewhat reluctant to admit that food and beverage advertising affects the choices of products they buy, although it is evident from this study that a high degree of Pester Power is in play. This links to the earlier finding that parents are unsure of exactly what they can do to minimize or counter aggressive marketing tactics.

• Ultimately, parents see themselves as the final arbiter of what their children eat. While many parents (79%) agree that advertising by the food and beverage industry affects the choices or requests that children make, vastly fewer (58%) agree that it influences what parents buy. This 21-point gap suggests that parents may be downplaying or understating the extent to which they do give in to children's requests for specific foods and beverages based on marketing to which they have been exposed.
• This phenomenon was more clearly evident in the focus groups where parents stressed their role as 'gatekeepers,' but also clearly identified logos, foods and product packaging which their children would readily recognize and which they acknowledged having purchased, often under some pressure.

Consistent with other research on this topic, respondents from Quebec were less likely to express concerns about the exposure of their children to food and beverage marketing.

• The province of Quebec has had legislation in place since the early 1980s to protect children from advertising. Under Quebec law companies are not permitted to advertise to children under age 13. Data from this survey shows the legislation has had some impact in that Francophone parents are generally less concerned about food and beverage marketing to their children and indicate their children are less exposed to it. Over 40 percent of Francophone respondents fall into the 'low exposure' category.
• Similarly, Pester Power is felt less by Francophone parents who were less likely to say their children requested products and, even when they did, these parents were less likely to purchase them.
• At the same time, the one area where they do feel their children are more exposed is via in-store displays. This makes sense given the efforts to restrict TV advertising do not extend to restrictions on packaging or to other marketing tools and tactics which are becoming more effectively utilized by companies and increasingly integrated into their marketing strategies.

C. Conclusions

Combined, the survey results and findings from the focus groups underscore wide and pervasive exposure of children in the 2 to 12 age range to food and beverage marketing. While TV remains a key channel, children are also exposed via in-store displays and product packaging, in addition to a plethora of online marketing techniques which may appear as pop-ups but are often now increasingly central to or indistinguishable from the online activities in which the children are engaged.

As a result, while parents express some concern about this issue, and more so once they have completed a survey or participated in a two-hour discussion on the topic, they lack a strong sense of agency to address the issue. In some respects they also feel that their own food and beverage preferences, and purchasing patterns, may be contributing to increased brand recognition and affinity by their children.

Survey results show clear evidence of Pester Power and the extent to which parents acquiesce, although they do their utmost to make wise choices when it comes to their children's diets. In many respects, parents feel quite helpless against the tide of advertising and marketing. And, many parents who express some concern are unsure what can be done to adequately address this issue.

MORE INFORMATION
Supplier Name: The Strategic Counsel
PWGSC Contract Number: HT372-184037/001/CY
Contract Award Date: 2019-01-18
Contract Budget: $99,343.95

To obtain more information on this study, please e-mail HC.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.SC@canada.ca

Statement of Political Neutrality

I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of The Strategic Counsel that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Signed: ___________________________________
Donna Nixon, Partner

II. Detailed Findings: Quantitative Research

A. Respondent Profile

For the quantitative phase of this research, a non-probability sampling approach was undertaken to gather the opinions of parents with children between the ages of 2 to 12 years old. Because the survey was intended to target a more narrowly defined sub-group of the general population, no hard quotas (outside of region) were set for this study (i.e., age, gender, educational attainment). We aimed to get a reasonable cross-section of respondents by age, gender and educational attainment and monitored these variables throughout the period this survey was in field.

In order to interpret the findings within the report, the profile information below offers a snapshot of the parents who participated in the survey in terms of standard demographics (such as gender, age, marital status, employment status and household composition) and other key analytical variables (such as the number and age of children, the parents role within the household, and frequency of grocery shopping).

1. Gender

The final sample comprised a relatively equal split of men (47%) and women (53%). Less than 1% of respondent's identified as a member of the LGBTQ community.

Q1. Please indicate your gender.

Looking at gender and age of a parent, it's interesting to note that a larger proportion of men were 45 years of age or older (65%) whereas a larger proportion of women were between the age of 18 and 34 (74%). Age and gender differences described throughout this report reflect the skew to older men and younger women in the final sample.

2. Age of Parent

Not surprisingly, when it comes to age, almost half of parents surveyed (49%) were between the ages of 35 and 44. A smaller, but still significant, proportion of respondents belong to Generation X, age 45-54 (26%). Young parents (aged 18-34) account for one-in-five (20%) respondents within the overall sample.

Q2. What is your age?

3. Age and Number of Children

Overall, the age of children is quite evenly distributed. Each individual age, between 2 and 12 years old, makes up between 12-18% of the total sample. However, there is a slight skew towards children aged 7-12 (73%) versus children aged 2-6 (50%) in the overall sample.

In terms of the number of children aged 2 to 12 in each household, the vast majority of parents surveyed (89%) report having either one (49%) or two (40%). Only one-in-ten (12%) parents report having 3 or more children.

Throughout the report, the findings suggest that the age of children (younger versus older) has an influence on many parents attitudes and behaviours, including but not limited to the use of Canada's Food Guide, whether children accompany their parents to the grocery store, parents concerns around particular aspects of food and beverage marketing as well as where and what types of food/beverages they are exposed to in advertising.

Q2. Please indicate how many children you are responsible for who are between the 2 and 12 years of age. [Multi-mention]

When looking at age and number of children in combination, interestingly half of respondents (50%) only have older children (aged 7 to 12). Meanwhile, about one quarter (27%) have only young children (between the ages of 2 and 6) and another quarter (23%) have children that fit into both age categories.

Not unexpectedly, the children of younger parents (aged 18-34) are more likely to be in the younger age range, 2-6 years of age (84%, compared to 50% overall), whereas older parents tend to have children in the older age cohort, aged 7-12 (91%, compared to 73% overall).

4. Size of Household

In order to gain a better understanding of household demographics, respondents were asked about the number of people in their household and whether or not they had other children outside of the 2-12 age range.

Number in Household

The plurality of parents surveyed (45%) have a family of 4 residing in their household. Another one in five respondents report having either three (22%) or five (19%) people residing in their household. Only 5% or fewer are single parents.

Q7. Including yourself, how many people reside in your household?

These findings are fairly consistent across key analytical variables.

Other Children

The majority of respondents (59%) report not having any other children younger than 2 or older than 12. Among parents with younger/older children, most have older teenagers (28% over the age of 12), while another one in six (16%) have a newborn or toddler under the age of 2.

Q6. Are you responsible for any other children, either younger than 2 of age or older than 12, who live with you?

Not unexpectedly, there is a correlation between the parent's ages, the age of their children who are between 2 and 12, and whether or not they have other children who are younger than 2 or older than 12. Notably:

• Younger parents are more likely to have other children under the age of 2, whereas older parents, over 45 years of age, are more likely to have additional children older than 12 years of age.

5. Marital Status

The vast majority of respondents report their marital status as married or in a common-law relationship (85%). Another one-in-seven (14%) identify as single - either divorced (7%), never married (6%) or widowed (1%).

Q37. What is your marital status?

6. Employment Status

A large proportion of parents surveyed (83%) are currently active in the workforce. While the majority are working full time (67%), some are working part time (10%) or are self-employed (7%). Only a small proportion are not working (14%) and this is primarily parents who are at home full-time with their children (9%).

Q36. Which of the following describes your current employment status?

• Men are more likely to be working (93%) than women (75%). Women, who are not working, are more likely to be full time homemakers compared to men (16% versus 2%).
• Younger parents, aged 18-34, are less likely to be in the workforce (50%), compared to parents over the age of 35 (70-71%).

7. Parent's Role in Household

The survey collected data about the parent's responsibility among four specific food based roles including grocery shopping, meal planning, preparing family meals, and decision making when eating meals outside of the home. The chart below shows an aggregate of the findings from responses to each of these four household tasks. Details on how this index was created can be found in Section VI.

Generally speaking, most parents play an active role in their household overall. Three quarters of respondents (75%) report having a shared responsibility, while another one quarter say they hold the primary role in their household.

Q33. Which statement best describes your role in your household in each of the following areas?

Of note, women are more likely to take on a primary role (34%) compared to men (14%).

A clear pattern emerges across four specific food based tasks. An almost even split, with about half of parents having the primary responsibility and the other half shared, is evident for tasks like shopping for groceries (52%, 43% respectively), planning and prepping meals and/or grocery lists (50%, 42%) and preparing meals (48%, 52%).

Looking at key demographics, women and younger parents aged 18-34 are more likely to have the primary responsibility for any of these tasks. Conversely, men and older parents over 45 years of age, are more likely to report having shared or no responsibility for these tasks.

Interestingly, this pattern shifts slightly when parents are deciding on where to go for meals eaten outside of the home, such as at a fast-food or sit-down restaurant. The majority of parents (65%) report having a shared responsibility for this decision, while just under one third say they primarily make the decision.

Again, women (40%) and younger parents (36%) are more likely to have the primary responsibility for this decision.

8. Frequency Child Accompanies Parent Grocery Shopping

Overall, children generally accompany parents when they are doing their grocery shopping. A slim majority of respondents (54%) say their child either 'frequently' or 'very frequently' accompanies them while grocery shopping. One third (33%) of parents say they are accompanied occasionally by their children at the grocery store.

Q26d. About how often does your child/do your children do each of the following – Go grocery shopping with you or another member of your household?

Younger parents (65%), with younger children (65%) and women (56%) are more likely to say that their child frequently accompanies them to the grocery store.

One in five parents in Quebec (18%) say they are 'rarely' or 'never' accompanied by their children to the grocery store.

B. Food Skills and Eating Habits

At the beginning of the survey, respondents were asked a series of questions to determine their food skills and their overall eating habits. The results suggest that respondents are generally well versed in preparing and cooking healthy meals for their household and have fairly good eating habits.

1. Food Preparation

As shown in the table below, the majority of parents (61%) use mostly whole basic foods to prepare the main meal of the day for their family, closely following the guidelines from Canada's Food Guide. Another one third (34%), report being slightly more lenient in their food preparation, reporting that their main meal consists of a mix of whole basic foods and easy to prepare foods. Only 5% of parents indicated that they primarily use easy to prepare foods (4%) or order take-out/delivery (1%).

Q9. When preparing the MAIN meal at home, which one of the following does your family do most often? By main meal we mean the meal of the day that requires the most preparation.

There are some notable differences between sub-groups in terms of meal preparation.

• Those more likely to prepare a main meal with whole basic foods are those with excellent or very good eating habits (79%) and those who have a high level of cooking skill (65%). Comparatively, those with poorer eating habits and food skills are more likely to choose easy to prepare meals (9%) or take-out options (6%).
• Those who were not born in Canada (75%) and those who identify as Latin American (77%), Middle Eastern and African (70%), South Asian (73%) or East Asian (67%) are more likely to prepare their main meal using whole basic foods.
• When compared to other age cohorts, younger parents, aged 18-34, are more likely to practice limited food preparation, predominately ordering take-out/delivery or opting for easy to prepare meals (8%).
• The likelihood of cooking with whole basic foods increases with the number of people in a household. Those with four (62%), five (63%), or six or more (68%) people in a household are more likely to prepare healthy meals. Comparatively, households with two or three people are more likely to make easy to prepare foods (10%, 5% respectively) or order take-out/ delivery (5%, 2%).

In order to gauge respondent's competence to cook a meal from basic ingredients, respondents were asked to self-rate their cooking ability. The vast majority – just over eight-in-ten parents (81%) state that they can cook most dishes either on their own (38%), with a recipe (34%), or that they frequently prepare sophisticated dishes (10%).

Q10. Which one of the following best describes your ability to cook from basic ingredients?

Results are generally consistent across the key variables, however, women report having higher cooking expertise (85%), when compared to men (77%). Findings also vary by other standard demographics.

• Parents older than 55 years of age (90%) are more likely to exhibit higher cooking abilities, compared to those under 54 who are more likely to say that they can prepare simple meals.
• Those with higher educational attainment, such as a college diploma (83%) or university degree (82%), are more skilled in their food preparation indicating that they are able to cook most meals, including sophisticated dishes.

2. Eating Habits

As readers will note throughout the detailed findings of the report, positive eating habits have an influence on a variety of factors including how concerned parents are about their children's exposure to food and beverage marketing and the impact of Pester Power. With that in mind, respondents were asked to self-identify, on a scale of 'excellent' to 'poor', their current eating habits.

Overall, parents eating practices are generally healthy, with the majority (88%) stating that their habits are at least 'good'. However, only one third (36%) say their eating habits are 'very good' while 6% say 'excellent'. This suggests that many parents believe there is still room for improvement when it comes to eating properly.

Q8. In general, would you say that your eating habits are...?

Upon review of key demographics, those more likely to self-report excellent or very good eating habits include:

• Respondents with higher socioeconomic status – university educated (52%) or an annual household income over $100K (48%)
• Men (47%, versus 39% of women)
• Older adults aged 45+ (46%), and more specifically adults over the age of 55 (55%)

Parents who report having fair or poor eating habits tend to be:

• Those with a lower socioeconomic status, who have attained high school or less education (20%) and are making less than $60K per year in household income (18%)
• Younger parents, aged 18-34 (16%)

Most parents are in the habit of purchasing food from take-out or fast-food restaurants at least once per month. Over three quarters (79%) say they purchase it routinely while just over half (54%) state that they purchase take-out/fast-food between 1-3 times per month. A quarter of parents (25%) frequently purchase fast food or take-out, at four or more times per month.

Q27. About how often do you purchase food or beverages at fast-food or take-out restaurants?

Interestingly, Francophones are less likely to order take-out compared to the rest of the parent population. Over a quarter (28%) say they only order take out less than once a month.

3. Familiarity with Canada's Food Guide

Respondents were asked about their familiarity with and use of Canada's Food Guide, both the old and new 2019 version. The responses to these questions provide contextual data which help us to understand the extent to which parents are at least aware of healthy eating habits and attempting to follow these practices.

Unprompted, less than half of parents (46%) say that they have used Canada's Food Guide, while the greatest proportion (54%) have not.

Q11. Have you ever used Canada's Food Guide?

Notably, those who are more likely to use the Guide are:

• Residents of the Atlantic region of Canada (66%)
• Younger parents, aged 18-34 (57%)
• Females (55%, versus 38% of men)
• Those who only have young children between the ages of 2-6 (50%)
• Those who were born in Canada (50%, versus 37% born outside of Canada)

In terms of attitudes towards food and beverage marketing and Pester Power, those who are more likely to use Canada's Food Guide are also more likely to be parents who:

• Frequently purchase products/brands requested by their children (53%)
• Are more concerned about their child's exposure to food and beverage marketing (52%)
• Agree that their children have been exposed to too much food and beverage marketing (51%)
• Believe that advertising influences parent's (50%) and children's choices (49%)

Those who reported using the guide, were then asked a follow up question to indicate which version they had used. Respondents were prompted with images (as per below) of the new Canada Food Guide (2019) and the old Canada Food Guide in order to assist with recall.

Text description: Figure 1. The pictures above depict the visual representations of Canada’s Food Guide. On the left is Canada’s Food Guide Snapshot released in 2019. The Snapshot provides a summary of Health Canada’s healthy eating recommendations and can be accessed online via a mobile friendly web application. On the right is the front cover of the previous version of Canada’s Food Guide which was released in 2007.

Among parents who report using Canada's Food Guide, over three quarters (77%) say they have used the old version. Women (80%) and those over 45 years of age (80%) were more likely to say they have used the old Guide.

Interestingly, one third of parents (33%) say they have used the new guide, released in 2019. Given that the newer version of Canada's Food Guide was launched two months prior to the fieldwork, it appears to have received good uptake from parents. Specifically among younger parents, between 18-34 years of age (40%) and parents who only have children between the ages of 2 and 6 (38%).

Q12. Please indicate which of the Guides you have used. [Multi-mention]

Parents primarily use Canada's Food Guide in order to assess how well (45%) and how much (39%) members of their household are eating. Approximately four-in-ten (38%) use it to plan meals or assist with grocery shopping.

Among those who have used the guide(s), a smaller but still significant proportion report using it to make healthy choices when eating outside of the home (29%), to choose foods for themselves (27%) or to manage their weight (22%). 6% state a variety of others uses for the Guide.

Q13. How have you used the Guide? [Multi-mention]

Not unexpectedly, the use of the guide varies by subgroups. Of note:

• Women are more likely to use the guide to determine the amount of food each person should be eating daily (42%).
• Young parents, under 34 years of age, are more likely to use the guide to determine the amount needed for daily consumption (41%) and to choose food for themselves (30%).

C. Concern about Food and Beverage Marketing to Children

This section of questioning was intended to gauge the level of concern from parents about the frequency with which their child or children are exposed to food and beverage marketing, while also understanding which aspects of the marketing they find most concerning.

1. Concern about Frequency of Child's/Children's Exposure

As the table below highlights, the majority of parents (67%) are concerned about their child's exposure to food and beverage marketing, rating their concern as either somewhat concerned (48%) or very concerned (19%). Overall, one third of parents (33%) say they have little to no concern about such marketing.

Q14. How concerned are you about the frequency with which your child is/children are exposed to food and beverage marketing in Canada?

Across the key analytical variables and standard demographics there are limited differences in terms of who is more/less concerned, with the exception of language. More Francophones are not concerned (45%) about the frequency in which their child or children are exposed to food and beverage marketing.

Concern also varies significantly across parent's food habits. Notably, those who have higher concern:

• Tend to make easy to prepare meals or order take-out for their main meal of the day (74%)
• Have used Canada's Food Guide (74%)
• Say their eating habits are very good or excellent (69%)

In an open-ended, unprompted question, respondents who said they were concerned about the frequency in which their child/children were exposed to food and beverage marketing were asked to identify their top reasons. Two main concerns dominate the responses. The first is that the advertising promotes food and beverage options that contribute to excess intakes of nutrients of concern to their children (59%), including foods that are high in sugar and fat with little nutritional value. Examples mentioned include pop, sugary drinks, and junk food such as snacks, chips, and candies. Additionally, over half of parents (52%) are concerned that food and beverage advertising provides misleading information to children, manipulating them and glamorizing said unhealthy food and beverages to be more appealing to children.

Q15. What particular aspects of food and beverage marketing to your child/children most concern you? [Open-end]

Notably:

• Parents who only have children between the ages of 7-12 were more likely to report their concerns with regards to advertising which promotes food and beverage products that contribute to excess intakes of nutrients of concern.
• Parents over the age of 45 were more likely to have concerns about misleading advertising (55%), compared to other age cohorts.
• Francophones were more likely to have concerns that packaging glamorizes food and beverages that contribute to excess intakes of nutrients of concern to children (22%)

2. General Attitudes about Food & Beverage Advertising to Children

Respondents were taken through a series of agree/disagree statements to assess their views on various aspects of food and beverage marketing.

Exposure and Control of Food and Beverage Advertising

As reflected in the findings around exposure above, two thirds of parents surveyed (65%) feel that their children are overexposed to food and beverage advertising. A majority of parents (65%) also feel limited in their ability to monitor and control the food and beverage advertising their children see. As a result the large majority feel that it is important to safeguard their children from such advertising (69%).

Q16. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

• Women (67%) and those who only have children aged 7-12 (67%) are more likely to believe that their child/children are overexposed.
• Older parents, over 45 years of age, are more likely to find it important to protect their children from food and beverage advertising (73%) but that it's also difficult for them to monitor and control this (70%).

Advertising Promotes Certain Food/Beverage Products

Similar to parent's concerns about food and beverage marketing in the open-ended question above, the survey found that over three quarters of respondents (76%) believe food and beverage marketing to children primarily promotes products that are not healthy.

In terms of overall health, parents believe this advertising contributes to overweight and obesity among children, leading to other health issues in the long-term (69%). While parents feel this advertising may promote products that meet certain nutrient criteria and poor nutrition, they are more split as to whether it makes it more difficult to raise healthy children (53%).

Q16. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

• Women (78%) are more likely to believe that food and beverage marketing mostly promotes products that are not healthy.
• Older parents, aged 45 and older, are more likely to agree that this advertising contributes to child obesity and other health problems later in life (73%) and that it makes it more difficult to raise healthy children (56%).
• Francophones are less likely to agree with the statement that food and beverage advertising makes it more difficult to raise healthy children (42% - an 11 point gap from the average).

Influence on Requests and Purchases

Findings show that most parents believe that food and beverage advertising influences both their children's requests and ultimately their purchases. The vast majority of parents agree that advertising does affect the requests or choices children make (79%) while a smaller, but still significant portion of parents say that advertising also affects their purchasing decisions (58%).

Q16. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

• Older parents (over 45 years of age) are more likely to say that advertising affects the choices and requests children make (82%).
• Francophones are less likely to agree that food and beverage marketing affects the requests children make (70%) or the purchases made by parents (42%).

D. Exposure of Children and Parents to Food and Beverage Marketing

This section examines, from the parent's perspective, how and to what extent children are exposed to and influenced by food and beverage advertising. In particular, we examine the various devices children have access to within the home, their general media habits and screen time. The survey also collected data on brand recognition and exposure to food and beverage marketing within the last 30 days, including the types of products to which they have been exposed as well as where or how they were exposed to them.

1. Media Habits of Children

Access to Various Devices

Children, regardless of their age, have access to a wide range of devices (just 4% do not have access to any). Many of these are shared family devices, but some are the child's own device. This is particularly the case for iPads or Tablets, especially among older children, aged 7 to 12. When considering 'net' overall access to devices (i.e., either as a shared family device or one that is the child's own device), children most commonly have access to the following: iPads or Tablets (net 81% access), video game consoles (66%), personal computers or laptops (65%), and Smart TVs (64%). It is much less common for children to have access to: a cell phone with a data plan (40%) or an iPod or other portable music device (38%).

As the tables below highlight, children are more likely to have shared access to many of these devices with other members of the household. Smart TVs and iPads or Tablets are commonly accessible regardless of the age of the child/children. But, perhaps not surprisingly, households with older children, aged 7-12, are more likely to indicate that their child has access, as a shared device, to a personal computer or laptop as well as to a video game console. Over half of those with children in the 7 to 12 age range (58% of those who only have children aged 7 to 12; 53% of those who have a mix of children from 2 to 6 and 7 to 12) say their children have access to a personal computer or laptop. This compares with just one-third (32%) of families who have a child or children who are aged 2 to 6 only (i.e., no children in the older 7 to 12 age group). A similar pattern is apparent with respect to access to video game consoles. Whereas, just under one-third (31%) of those with children in the younger age group only have shared access to a video game console, this proportion jumps to almost half or slightly more in households with children aged 7 to 12 only (46%) or with children spanning both age groups, 2 to 6 and 7 to 12 (52%).

Q28. Does your child/do any of your children have access to the following devices?

While Smart TVs and personal computers or laptops tend to be shared family devices, it is more common that children have access to devices such as iPads or Tablets on their own. Just over two-in-five respondents (43%) say that their child or children have access to their own iPad or Tablet, and this varies both by the age of the parent and, relatedly, the age of the children.

Just over half of parents who have children in the 7 to 12 age range only say their child/children have their own access to an iPad or Tablet (53% vs. 25% among those with children in the 2 to 6 age range only). Between one-quarter and one-third of those parents also say their child/children have their own access to: a video game console (35% vs. 11%), an iPod or other portable music device (33% vs. 6%), a personal computer or laptop (27% vs. 7%), or a cell phone with a data plan (27% vs. 6%). The age of children in the household has little bearing on access to their own Smart TV. Very few have their own access to a Smart TV, ranging from just over one-in-ten (13%) among those households with children aged 7 to 12 only, to just under that (8%) in households with children aged 2 to 6 only. Notably, where there is a mix of children within the household from both the younger and older age groups, 2 to 6 and 7 to 12, access to their own devices tends to be somewhat more limited across the board, with the exception of iPads or Tablets. There may be several factors at play which would be worth exploring further: cost implications to purchasing each child their own device especially when there is more than one child in the household, how busy or active the family may be if they have several children within the 2 to 12 age range which could preclude making an investment in these devices for one or more children, and possibly parental concern when there are younger children in the household about exposure to and the use of these devices.

Younger parents, aged 18 to 34 are less likely to say their child or children have their own access to any of the devices, ranging from just under one-third (30%) for iPads or Tablets to about one-in-ten whose children have their own access to a Smart TV (10%), a cell phone with a data plan (10%) or a personal computer/laptop (9%). Older parents, especially those aged 45 and over, are more likely to say their children have their own access to virtually all of the devices they were asked about, but particularly iPads or Tablets (52%). Among this age group of parents, there was greater likelihood for children to have access to their own device, but it was much lower relative to the prevalence of iPads and Tablets, for example: video games consoles (33%), iPods or other portable music devices (30%), personal computers or laptops (28%) and cell phones with data plans (26%). Again, across the board, regardless of the age of parents, very few (about one-in-ten) say their children have their own access to a Smart TV.

Q28. Does your child/do any of your children have access to the following devices?

Interestingly, access to devices does depend on household income. Parents with a higher annual income, over $100,000, are more likely to say that their child has access to a shared and/or their own individual device, compared to those making less than $60,000 per household per year.

Regionally, children's access to their own device is higher for those residing in the Atlantic Provinces and Ontario, with the exception of Smart TVs.

Respondents were offered an additional opportunity to identify other devices in the household that would allow their child or children to access the Internet. Relatively few (13%) responded to this question and, of these, there was a tendency to repeat devices that had been assessed in the earlier question (reported above) such as iPads and Tablets (36%), Smartphones (31%), and desktop or laptop computers (26%).

Q29. Are there any other devices in your home that your child/children use to access to the Internet? OPEN-END, MULTI-MENTION

Media Usage/Screen Time

The majority of children are spending at least an hour a day on various devices. Just one percent (1%) of parents say their children do not spend any time on any of these devices, meaning that for the remainder (99%), their children are spending at least 15 minutes daily on various devices which could expose them to food and beverage marketing.

In terms of screen time, most hours are spent watching TV. Almost two-thirds of parents (63%) say their children are watching at least one hour a day, and one-quarter (25%) are watching two or more hours. Just under half of parents say their children spend an hour or more daily on a smartphone (48%), using a tablet (47%), playing games online (46%), or using a personal computer (43%). In each of these cases, a slight majority of respondents indicated that their children are spending an hour or less on these devices.

This is also the case with respect to daily time spent watching YouTube videos, listening to the radio or using an iPod or other portable music devices. Use of these devices is fairly modest with almost two-thirds or more of parents saying their children tend to use these devices for an hour or less each day. By comparison to time spent on other devices, significantly fewer parents said their children spend an hour or more on these devices (watching YouTube videos (37%), listening to the radio (35%) or using an iPod (20%).

Q30. On a daily basis, and excluding time spent at school, approximately how much time does your child/do your children spend doing each of the following?

(Percentages have been re-proportioned to exclude "none" responses)

Analysing media usage by device indicates some variability, depending on the device, by age of child/children. One exception is TV watching, where patterns appear to be similar regardless of the age of the parent or the child.

Regionally, those who have more access to devices (Atlantic region and Manitoba) also report higher amounts of media usage and screen time.

Not unexpectedly, the vast majority of parents with children who are aged 2 to 6 say their children don't use a personal computer or laptop at all (74%) while under a third (29%) of parents with children in the 7 to 12 age category and just under half (44%) of parents with children spanning both age groups say the same.

Time spent using a tablet differs only marginally depending on the age of children. While under one-third (27%) of those with children aged 2 to 6 only say their children spend one or more hours a day on a tablet, this jumps to just almost two in five for those with children aged 7 to 12 only (38%) or with a mix of children across both age groups (36%).

Smart phone usage varies minimally by age of the child, although a larger proportion of those with children aged 2 to 6 only say they don't spend any time on a smart phone (57%), compared to those with older children (42% with children aged 7 to 12 only, 49% for those with children in both age cohorts).

Playing games online clearly becomes a more common and more intensive activity among older children. While relatively few children between the ages of 2 and 6 are engaging in online gaming, for those with children aged 7 to 12, over two-thirds (39%) are spending an hour or more daily on this activity.

While many more children appear to be watching YouTube videos, as compared to using personal computers, playing games online or using a smart phone, time spent engaged in this activity tends to be more modest. The plurality of parents (44%) say their children spend 30 minutes or less on this activity and this is consistent across both age groups. However, we see a slight increase in time spent watching YouTube videos for those with children aged 7 to 12 in the household compared to those with children aged 2 to 6 only (for the latter group 31% spend an hour or more, compared to 46% for those with children aged 7 to 12 only).

Just under half of parents say their children spend no time listening to the radio and this number is quite consistent regardless of the age of the child/children. For those whose children do listen to the radio, again there is little variation in time spent doing this by age of the child/children and the plurality tend to spend 30 minutes or less daily.

Finally, as noted earlier, use of iPods or other portable music devices is minimal and, for those whose children do engage in this activity, the tendency is to spend 30 minutes or less doing so.

2. Brand Recognition

We wanted to understand the extent to which children recognize and, thus likely relate strongly to, brands in four specific categories: breakfast cereals, candy or chocolates, cookies, and fast-food or take-out restaurants. To assess this, we asked parents to name up to three brands in each of these categories that their children are familiar with.

Within the cereal category, Cheerios (34%) and Froot Loops (23%) were most often mentioned, followed by Rice Krispies (16%), Lucky Charms (13%) and Kellogg's, as a general brand (13%). A range of other cereal brands were mentioned by under 10 percent of parents. Results are consistent by age of child/children.

Q18. For each of the following categories, please indicate the top 3 brands with which your child is/children are familiar, by writing them in the space provided, OR select none?

Within the candy and chocolate category, it's interesting to note that a slightly higher proportion (24%) say their children don't recognize any brands in particular. This percentage is slightly higher for those with children aged 2 to 6 only (30%) compared to those with children aged 7 to 12 only (19%). Brands mentioned with higher frequency included: Kit Kat (17%), Smarties (14%), Kinder Surprise (14%), M&Ms (13%) and Hershey's (10%). Interestingly, recognition of Kinder Surprise is higher among those whose children are aged 2 to 6 only (20%), twice the number compared to those whose children are aged 7 to 12 only (10%). The reverse is true for brand recognition of other chocolate bars or chocolate products such as Kit Kat, Hershey's, Aero and Cadbury in which case almost twice as many with children aged 7 to 12 only identified these products compared with parents of children aged 2 to 6 only.

Q18. For each of the following categories, please indicate the top 3 brands with which your child is/children are familiar, by writing them in the space provided, OR select none?

Similar to chocolate and candies, just over one-quarter (28%) of parents indicated their children would not recognize any cookie brands, although this is more the case for those with children aged 2 to 6 only (38%) than it is for those with children aged 7 to 12 only (23%) or with children that span both age groups (27%). Notably, while half (50%) of parents with children aged 7 to 12 mentioned Oreo cookies as a brand their children would recognize, brand recognition among those with children aged 2 to 6 only was lower (35%). Otherwise, there were few variations.

Q18. For each of the following categories, please indicate the top 3 brands with which your child is/children are familiar, by writing them in the space provided, OR select none?

Brand recognition of fast-food and take-out restaurants is high, with just one-in-ten (12%) respondents saying their children would not recognize any brands in this category. Moreover, even fewer of those whose children are aged 7 to 12 only (8%) say their children wouldn't recognize any brand, half as many compared to those with children aged 2 to 6 only (16%). Far and away, the most recognizable brand is McDonald's (77%) and this level of recognition is relatively consistent regardless of the age of children. Recognition of other brands drops off considerably: Subway (19%), A&W (19%), Tim Horton's (19%), Wendy's (18%) and Burger King (14%). Notably, and with the exception of Tim Horton's only, recognition of these 'secondary brands' tends to be higher among those with children aged 7 to 12, compared with those who have children in the younger age bracket (2 to 6 only).

Q18. For each of the following categories, please indicate the top 3 brands with which your child is/children are familiar, by writing them in the space provided, OR select none?

3. Extent of Influence of Various Media

Parents feel that their children are fairly heavily influenced by food and beverage marketing across a range of media channels, most particularly from fast-food or take-out restaurants (61% say their children are influenced either a lot or a great deal), in-store displays (57%), TV (56%), product packaging (53%), and at supermarket check-outs (53%). A second tier of media has reasonably significant influence, with one-third to just under one-half of parents saying their children are influenced a lot or a great deal by industry advertising or promotions shown on YouTube videos (46%), vending machines (41%), the Internet in general (38%) and cinema/movie theatres (37%). Representing a third tier are advertising or promotional tools from other restaurants (30%), promotional fundraisers (27%), giveaways or samples, outdoor advertising, online games (26% each), social media (25%), sports events (23%) and celebrity endorsements (22%). Children's magazines (16%), radio (12%) and board games (10%) are viewed as less influential.

The results indicate that, according to their parents, older children are influenced more heavily by marketing via YouTube videos, vending machines, the Internet in general, cinema/movie theatres and online games. Notably, younger children are more influenced by food and beverage marketing that is shown on product packaging and at the supermarket check-out.

Compared to Anglophones, Francophones feel to a lesser extent that their child/children are influenced by food and beverage marketing across all forms of media, with one exception – in store displays (63%).

Q19. To what extent do you feel your child is/children are influenced by food and beverage marketing aimed at children via each of the following forms of media?

4. Exposure to Food & Beverage Marketing within the Last 30 Days

Parents' and children's exposure to food and beverage marketing across a range of product categories is, perhaps not surprisingly, very similar especially since many children accompany their parents when grocery shopping. Product packaging as well as supermarket check-outs are among the main ways in which parents say their children are influenced by industry marketing. Over four-in-five parents (86%) and their children (85%) have been exposed to food and beverage marketing within the last 30 days from a variety of sources.

Most frequently parents say they and their children have been exposed, within the last month, to marketing by fast-food and take-out restaurants (69%; 63% respectively), followed by marketing for potato chips, popcorn and other snacks (60%; 56%), candy and chocolate (59%; 58%), juice, soft drinks and sports drinks (59%; 55%), breakfast cereals (56% for both parents and children), and yogurt (54%; 49%). Just under half say they have been exposed to marketing for cakes and cookies (49%; 48%), cheese (49%; 41%), frozen pizza or pizza-type snacks (47%; 40%), frozen desserts (47%; 44%), and granola bars or other portable snacks (47%; 44%). Exposure to marketing for products such as compartment-based lunch kits is much lower for both parents and their children (27%; 28% respectively).

There are very few differences, although parents indicate that older children are more likely to have been exposed to marketing for potato chips, popcorn and other similar snacks (58% for those with children aged 7 to 12 only vs. 50% for those with children aged 2 to 6 only), juice, soft drinks or sports drinks (58% vs. 49%) and frozen pizza or pizza-type snacks (43% vs. 34%).

Q20. Thinking back over the last 30 days, to the best of your knowledge please indicate whether you and/or your child/children have been exposed to marketing for any of the following categories of products. Again, by marketing we mean advertising, promotions, packaging, displays, etc.?

Notably, a higher proportion of Francophones, in Quebec, report lower exposure to food and beverage marketing. These parents are more likely to say that they, and their children have not been exposed to marketing for any of the above categories in the past 30 days (17% and 18% respectively).

The media and places where children have been exposed to these products generally aligns with the degree to which parents say their children are influenced by various forms of marketing utilized by food and beverage companies to advertise and promote their products, as outlined in an earlier section. Most say their children have seen or heard about the products on TV or in-store displays (62% each), supermarket check-outs (58%), and at fast-food or take-out restaurants (53%). Just under half say their children were exposed via product packaging (45%) and YouTube videos (44%). One-quarter to one-third cite vending machines (31%), the Internet (31%), movie theatres (27%) and outdoor advertising (26%). Exposure via social media, giveaways, radio, other types of restaurants, promotional fundraisers, sports events, celebrity endorsements, children's magazines and board games ranges from as little as three percent (3% for board games) to just over one-in-ten (16% for social media).

Again, exposure to specific types of marketing approaches does vary to some extent by the age of the child, with older children more likely than those in the younger age group to have been exposed to marketing of food and beverage products on TV, at vending machines, on the Internet, in movie theatres, via social media, on the radio, through online games and at sports events or sponsored sports activities.

Q21. Where would your child/children have seen or heard about any of these products?

5. Participation in Activities Sponsored by Food and Beverage Companies

As the results suggest, relatively few parents say their children are exposed to food and beverage advertising via school fundraisers, community organizations or sponsored sports events/activities. This is not surprising given that most parents (53%) say their children have not participated in the types of activities that would have exposed them to this type of marketing. One-third of parents (34%) say their children have participated in regularly scheduled school lunches sponsored by a food and beverage company within the last two years; this is more common among those families with children aged 7-12 only (48%) versus those with children in the younger age group, aged 2-6 years (24%). Half as many say their children are involved in an organized sports team sponsored by a food and beverage company (17%) and very few are involved in a club or activity at school sponsored by a food or beverage company (9%).

Q31. Over the last two years has your child/have your children participated in any of the following?

• Seven in ten Quebec residents (71%) say their children are not likely to participate in any of the sponsored activities listed above.

6. Purchase of Branded Items and Other Interactions with Food & Beverage Companies

Another way of determining the impact of Pester Power is the extent of parents who have purchased promotional or branded items for their children featuring corporate logos and characters. Most (75%) of parents say their children have at least one or more of these promotional or branded items, most commonly toys or promotional items from fast-food restaurants (63%). These are much more common among families with children between the ages of 2 to 6 only (70%) or having a mix of children in both age groups (74%) than they are among those families with only children aged 7 to 12 (54%). Notably, women (65%) are more likely to have purchased branded toys or promotional items from fast-food restaurants as compared to men (60%), and this is also the case for younger parents (71% among parents aged 18 to 34 years) as compared to those who are older (54% among parents aged 45 and older).

Toys with a food or beverage company brand, logo or cartoon character are far less common (25% of parents say their children own one or more of these). This is more common among families with children spanning both the younger and older age groups (31%) as well as those with younger children only (27%), compared to those with children who are only in the older age group (21%). Far fewer say they have purchased branded clothing (15%), books (11%), play sets (10%), games (9%), or posters (7%) and these results do not vary significantly by the age of children in the family.

Q25. Please indicate whether your child has/children have any of the following?

• The French population is more likely to state that their child/children does not have any of these items (32%).

Similar to the profiling information on household roles in Section II, the majority of parents (54%) take their children with them when grocery shopping. This is particularly the case for younger parents, aged 18 to 34 (65%) and declines among older parents (54% among those aged 35 to 44; 45% among those 45 years and older). Those with younger children only (45%) or with children who span both age groups (56%) are more likely to say they take their children grocery shopping, compared to those whose children are aged 7 to 12 (47%). This correlates with the relatively high number of parents who say their children, particularly younger children, are exposed to food and beverage advertising through in-store displays, the supermarket check-out, and product packaging, as reported above. Less than one-in-ten parents report that their children play video games (7%), enter contests (6%) or visit websites (6%) sponsored by food and beverage companies.

Q26. About how often does your child/do your children do each of the following?

E. Extent and Impact of Pester Power

Pester Power, or 'The Nag Factor' is a term used by marketers and those who have studied marketing approaches and their impact on children and youth in particular to describe the negative effects of children's influence on their parents' purchasing habits. Essentially, this phenomenon asserts that children have significant power in modern households to influence purchases although they do not have purchasing power themselves. As a result, Pester Power is an approach increasingly employed by marketing agencies and the marketing arms of companies to target the youngest demographic.

While in the previous section, results show that parents certainly feel their children are heavily exposed to marketing by food and beverage companies through a variety of means, in this section we specifically examine the extent to which parents feel under some pressure to purchase the food and beverage products their children request.

1. Frequency of Child Pestering and Response by Parents

Parents were asked outright to indicate how often their children make requests for specific food and beverage products. Almost one-third (31%) say this occurs frequently or very frequently. Almost half (48%) say this happens occasionally. Overall, nine-in-ten parents (90%) say their children request specific products and brands of foods and beverages at least occasionally, if not more often. This is evidence of fairly wide-spread pestering, although these results also suggest that parents may feel they are able to limit the impact given that most are subject to these types of requests on a fairly infrequent basis. It is also possible that parents may not feel they are being pestered until the child's requests or demands reach a certain level of intensity.

Notably, women (35%) are more likely than men (27%) to say this happens frequently or very frequently. This is also the case for younger parents, aged 18 to 34 (37%) who are more likely to say this is the case, compared to parents 35 and older (30%). Significant Pester Power appears to be slightly more of a factor in households with children spanning the younger and older age cohorts (36%) versus those with children aged 2 to 6 only (29%) or those with children in the 7 to 12 age group only (31%).

Q23. In general, how often would you say your child/children request(s) specific products or brands of foods and beverages, including fast-food or take-out restaurants?

There are also key differences in terms of frequency at which Pester Power is reported, both regionally and across other demographics.

Those more likely to report children's requests with higher frequency (frequently or very frequently) include:

• Residents of Ontario (35%), BC/North (32%) and the Prairies (32%)
• Parents with lower socioeconomic status, including an educational attainment of high school or less (37%) and an annual household income below $60K

Those more likely to report children's requests with lower frequency (very rarely or never) include:

• Residents of Quebec (15%)

2. Purchases in Response to Child's Request

Pester Power is only in play to the extent that parents respond to children's requests.

When asked how frequently they purchase the products or brands their children have requested, just one-in-five (21%) say they do so either frequently or very frequently, but well over half (57%) say they acquiesce to children's requests at least occasionally. The findings are consistent by gender and age of parents as well as by the age of the children in the household.

Q24. And, in general, how often do you purchase products or brands requested by your child/children?

There are limited differences in the response to pestering by region, with the exception of Quebec, whereby 11% state that they 'very rarely' or 'never' respond to these requests.

Interestingly, when asked what products parents have purchased within the last 30-day period specifically in response to a child's requests, the findings in the table below suggest that Pester Power is both active and effective across many Canadian households with children between the ages of 2 and 12. Nine-in-ten (91%) of parents have purchased at least one or more of the products listed.

A majority of parents say they have purchased breakfast cereals (52%) and potato chips (52%) within the last 30 days, on the request of their children. Just under half have purchased products such as yogurt (49%), fast-food or take-out food and candy/chocolate (48% each), juice or sports drinks (47%) and cheese (44%). Fewer, but still significant proportions, have purchased cakes and cookies (41%), granola bars or similar portable snacks (39%), frozen desserts (35%), and frozen pizza or pizza-type snacks (28%). In line with earlier results, purchase of compartment-based lunch kits on a child's request (12%) was a far less common occurrence, within the last 30 days.

Q22. Which of the following have you or another member of your household purchased in the last 30 days, specifically because your child/children requested it?

Although previous findings suggest that residents of Quebec are somewhat less likely to experience pestering, those who do cite being pestered for dairy products such as yogurt (53%) or cheese (52%).

3. Perceived Impact of Food & Beverage Marketing on Child

Although parents seem to feel that they are able to manage pestering, their purchases within the last 30 days suggest that they are at least somewhat influenced by children's requests for specific foods and beverages. Moreover, results from earlier questions clearly indicate that many parents feel their children are widely exposed across multiple channels to food and beverage advertising. These findings, combined, underscore Pester Power at work in many households with children aged 2 to 12.

Moreover, a large percentage of parents feel their children's health has been adversely affected by food and beverage marketing. While most tend to feel the impact is relatively minimal (53% say 'a little' or 'some'), a small percentage say the impact is significant (15% say 'a lot' or 'a great deal'). Overall, then, over two-thirds of parents (68%) feel their children have been negatively affected at least in some small if not more significant way.

Q17. To what extent do you feel your own children's health has been negatively affected by food and beverage marketing?

• Of note, over two-in-five Francophones (42%) feel their children are not negatively affected.

The above question was posed to respondents at a fairly early stage in the survey to obtain parents' top-of-mind perceptions of the impact of food and beverage marketing on their children. After considering all the ways in which their children are exposed to food and beverage marketing as well as their children's media usage/screen time and their own purchase behaviours, we asked respondents a similar question towards the end of the survey.

The results show significant movement in perceptions of the impact of food and beverage marketing on children. Just over one-quarter (28%) say that they feel food and beverage marketing has 'a lot' or 'a great deal' of influence on their children's preferences for specific types of food and beverage items. Half (52%) say it has at least 'a little' or 'some.' Just one-in-five (19%) say food and beverage marketing has 'not much' or 'no' influence. The results are fairly consistent regardless of the gender or age of the parent as well as the age of the children.

Q32. To what extent do you feel that food and beverage marketing has an influence on your own child's/children's preferences for specific types of food and beverages?

III. Detailed Findings: Qualitative Research

A. Overview of Focus Groups

Following completion of the survey and analysis of the findings, a series of focus groups were held with parents and children in order to delve more deeply into the aspects of food and beverage marketing that attract children and signal to them that a product is 'intended' for them. The focus groups also provided an opportunity to elaborate on some of the findings from the survey with respect to parental concerns about food and beverage marking to children as well as the marketing tactics employed by the industry. More specifically, the discussions centered on understanding in a much more in-depth manner, from the perspective of both parents and the children themselves, the specific design features and elements of logos, product packaging, branded movie concession items and in-store displays that influence and impact children.

Parents and their children, between the ages of 6 and 12, were invited to attend a focus group. Separate 90-minute discussions were held with parents while, simultaneously, another 60-minute discussion was being facilitated with children. In total, eight groups were held – four with parents (two each in Toronto and Montreal) and four with children (2 each in Toronto and Montreal). Groups with children were segmented by age and grade level so that one group in each center was held among younger children aged 6 to 8 and another group was held with older children aged 9 to 12. More details on the methodology for this phase of the research can be found in Section IV.

B. Concerns about Food and Beverage Marketing to Children

Before launching into a more in-depth discussion on the aspects of food and beverage marketing that appeal to or are intended for children, participants to the groups with parents were asked about the extent to which they are concerned about marketing of these types of products to children. The intention of this line of questioning was to provide some illumination on the related survey results and to better understand how vulnerable parents feel their children are to marketing in general.

1. Degree and Nature of Concern

The survey suggests that parents are moderately concerned about food and beverage marketing to children – the majority of parents (77%) responded by saying they are either somewhat (48%) or not very concerned (29%) about the frequency with which their children are exposed to food and beverage marketing. About two-thirds (65%) agreed with the statement that children are exposed to too much food and beverage advertising. In focus groups, when asked at the outset of the discussion, the response was similar. Although parents of younger children (aged 6-8) expressed slightly more concern about marketing by food and beverage companies to children, overall this was not an issue that most thought much about or were necessarily intensely concerned about. Furthermore, many parents in the Montreal groups thought that such marketing provided them an opportunity for an educational moment with their kids. Along the same lines, some parents in the Toronto groups indicated that children today are more educated about healthy diets, eating habits and the environment -topics which are discussed in school – which has had the effect of heightening children's awareness of foods and beverages that are higher in sugar or have lower nutritional value, for example.

In fact, many parents are of the view that children today are not as exposed to food and beverage marketing in the same way that they were as children. This conclusion appears to be mostly based on parents' tendency to equate marketing with advertising. And, advertising tends to be a marketing tactic which is primarily associated with traditional media such as television and radio. A number of parents indicated that their children tend to watch much less TV than they did at the same age and, as a result, are not being 'saturated' or bombarded with miscellaneous advertising from a wide range of food and beverage companies.

"It was really saturated when I was a child … Lucky Charms commercials and Fruit Loops commercials … I find that my kids don't watch that type of TV anymore. They binge watch. They are on social media. I'm sure they get some type of ad pop-ups, but usually it's in relation to what they're doing."

From parents comments it appears that, although they are concerned about advertising online, it is perhaps less of an issue because the advertising is more directly linked to specific shows or activities they have elected to watch or participate in, as compared to traditional TV advertising. In this sense it is not viewed as random or uncontrolled. Parents' concerns about advertising on TV center around the fact that this medium exposes children to view "forced ads," while the ads they may see or hear online, while watching something on Netflix, YouTube or playing a game (i.e., Fortnite), are either more directly related to an activity and therefore are somewhat less concerning or can be skipped.

A number of parents made the point that children are highly exposed to advertising by take-out or fast-food chains, mostly because these outlets are so prevalent in urban centers and unavoidable in their day-to-day routine. Additionally, they say their children are drawn to the 'kids' menus' which are specially designed to attract children's attention. Other parents commented that their children are influenced more heavily by their peers – they notice what their friends are eating and drinking and then ask for the same products or brands. There is also a tendency to share more information via social media.

Elaborating on this issue, parents believe it would be challenging to restrict a child's exposure to marketing. "It's over-saturated, so it [advertising] doesn't pop out at you anymore." Parents of older children, in particular, feel that their children are fairly astute viewers and consumers. As one parent in Toronto indicated "these kids are just so media savvy. Even if they're forced to watch an ad they know how to skip it. In their education they learn media literacy … my son did a whole project on making a cereal ad … so they know what companies are trying to send them in terms of messaging." This leaves parents with some degree of reassurance that their children are able to recognize when they are being actively marketed to and how to minimize or avoid the extent to which they are influenced by branding and marketing efforts.

Notably, as parents continued the conversation a general consensus formed that online marketing is indeed quite pervasive and possibly as concerning as traditional TV advertising given the frequency of screen time for children. Although far from the majority view, one parent did raise a concern about the use of algorithms online that allow marketers to target products more directly to children who appear to show an interest based on their online usage patterns, and then this becomes something they request be added to the shopping list. However, some also feel that, as noted above, kids even at an early age become somewhat immune to the effects of advertising and marketing given the frequency with which they are exposed to it. Their perspective is that increased saturation may in fact reduce the impact of advertising and marketing, rather than have the opposite effect.

2. Perceived Vulnerability of Children Relative to Others

When asked whether their children are more or less vulnerable to food and beverage marketing compared to those in older age groups (teens and younger adults), the response was somewhat mixed. Some parents feel their children are less affected by marketing from food and beverage companies because "they are more focused on other things – toys and games." Others did agree that the impact of marketing is most felt at the time that children see a product in-store. As one parent commented "if they see a flashy box" then they are more likely to ask for it while out shopping.

3. Age at Which Children Begin to Become More Attuned to Marketing

Parents believe that, for the most part, children don't tend to recognize or be drawn to brands or logos until they are a bit older – in the 8-10 year age range – when they are able to make some of their own purchases and/or they become more influenced by peer pressure. That said, the point was raised that younger children may be influenced by older children in the household. Parents also readily admit that younger children, aged 5 or 6, are increasingly exposed to brands, and come to recognize them, as a result of their parents' purchasing patterns and consumer behavior. A number of parents acknowledged frequenting fast-food outlets, including Tim Horton's, Subway and Starbucks, and that as a result their children recognize these brands and specific menu items.

C. Views on Food and Beverage Marketing Tactics Aimed at Children

As discussions progressed, many parents were able to readily identify specific food and beverage products which appear to be more intentionally marketed to children. They also cited a range of marketing tactics, many of which go well beyond traditional advertising.

1. Food and Beverage Categories Perceived to Market More Directly to Children

Parents indicated that the most common products that tend to be marketed more directly to kids, within the broader food and beverage category, include:

• Cereals – this was viewed as the leading item by many parents, especially those with younger children
• Processed snacks
• Lunch compatible foods (i.e., food items that are easy to pack in a lunch such as cheese strings)
• Candy
• Pizza
• Yogurt – particularly drinkable yogurt products
• Juices and carbonated drinks
• Fast foods – McDonalds was specifically mentioned with play structures and Happy Meals being designed specifically to target children as well as joint marketing initiatives with movies (i.e., toys based on the movie)

As one parent indicated in reference to the co-marketing initiatives between fast-food companies and movie productions "it's not really even about the meal, it's about getting the toy." In the same vein, another parent cited children's interest in Kinder Eggs "it's not about the egg, it's the toy."

With respect to lunch compatible foods, one parent commented that "this is about their image … what they are going to eat in front of their friends at school" and, as such, children are particularly conscious of marketing campaigns within this sub-category.

Packaging of yogurt and particularly movie co-branding or themed package designs (i.e., princesses) was highlighted as one of the dominant products where marketing appears clearly aimed at children.

2. Dominant Marketing Tactics

Parents cited a slate of marketing tactics used by food and beverage companies specifically aimed at children. While there was some overlap between parents of younger and older children, there were also some notable differences.

Product packaging and in-store displays were among those tactics identified as having the most impact across both groups of parents (i.e. those with younger and older children). Similarly, parents in both groups mentioned celebrity endorsements as a common tactic. Co-marketing initiatives with movie products, while mentioned by both groups as a common marketing tactic used by the food and beverage industry, was cited by parents of older children as one of the more powerful and effective marketing tools. Notably, festivals and events as well as food/beverage samples were identified in both groups, but again are viewed as more effective means of influencing older children.

The range of tactics mentioned by parents is shown below and is separated according to the age of their children. The items which are bolded highlight those that were identified as the tactics that are most effective and have, according to parents, the most impact on their children.

What is specifically notable about the above lists is the relative absence of traditional media as a key marketing tool or channel. Some parents with older children mentioned radio, billboards and flyers. For the most part, however, the key tactics identified focused on packaging, displays, co-branding or co-marketing initiatives, toys and collectibles, contests and give-aways, events (music/sports) and online marketing initiatives.

Brand and Packaging Elements That Attract Children's Attention

In order to better understand the elements of food and beverage marketing that attract and influence children, both parents and children groups were shown a series of images, which included logos and product packaging. Imagery was provided by Health Canada and was varied in nature to elicit a range of responses.

1. Logos

During the groups, both children and their parents were asked to view a series of logos with varying design elements such as colour and imagery. The intent of the exercise was to test the attractiveness and influence of logos when other context (packaging, advertisement) had been removed. The logos presented to the groups were from companies that produce food and beverage products as well as restaurants and fast food chains. An image of all logos shown in the groups is provided for reference below.

Text description: Figure 2. A grouping of 19 unique brand images. In order starting from the top left: Aunt Jemima, Paul Newmann’s Own, Chef Boyardee, Sun-maid, Vlasic, Laughing Cow, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, A&W, St-Hubert, M&M, Goldfish Crackers, Rice Krispies, Tony the Tiger, Corn Flakes, Starbucks, Voortman Bakery, Slush Puppie, and Honeynut Cheerios.

Intended Audience – Children versus Adults

Among all participants, there was a clear delineation as to which logos were intended for children and subsequently for adults. A summarized list of the categorization of logos identified in the groups is outlined below

Overall, there were two design elements within a logo that made them appear to be intended for children.

The first was that the logo included some sort of cartoon like character. For example, logos such as the Laughing Cow, Slush Puppie, M&Ms, Gold Fish, Snap Crackle Pop, Tony the Tiger and the Cheerios Honey Bee were all identified as selling products for children.

Interestingly, among the English groups children identified the KFC Colonel as selling products for children however, Paul Newman Own and Chef Boyardee logos were identified as intended for adults. When probed, children suggested that the KFC Colonel looked more like a cartoon whereas the image in the other two logos looked like "an old man". Similarly, while many children did not associate the Vlasic logo with products specifically for kids, many did say that bird shown on the logo looked "like it was something meant for kids."

The second design element that differentiated whether a logo was seen to sell products for children or adults was the use of colour. Unanimously, multiple, bright primary colours in a logo signaled that the company made something that would appeal to them. For example, some children commented that the Starbucks logo was for adults because it "only had two colors" or featured "a weird lady figure". Another participant commented that the Paul Newman's Own logo colouring was "boring". As per the list above, overall the logos that were identified as intended for children all tend to be more bright and colourful in nature against the comparative set.

While many initial responses were based upon children's previous experience with a brand, it was interesting to uncover insights from logos that children were less familiar with. For example, Voortman's Bakery was not familiar to most participants, however the word 'bakery' led them to believe that this company would make products for both adults and kids. Similarly, one children's group was unfamiliar with the Corn Flakes logo and the children believed that it looked like a chicken, which he/she associated being for adults.

Appeal to Children

In order to evaluate attractiveness of the logos, children participated an exercise in which they were asked to place a sticker on their top three favourite logos. The combination of results from this exercise across all groups suggest the following logos as most attractive to children:

1. M&Ms - this was, by far, the leading choice across all children's groups
2. Slush Puppie - also very well-liked by many children
3. KFC
4. Wendy's
5. Cheerios Honey Bee
6. Laughing Cow
7. Snap Crackle Pop
8. Tony the Tiger