Parental mediation of food marketing communications aimed at children

Children spend the majority of their leisure time watching screens of various kinds (television, computer, mobile phone, tablet) through which they can potentially be exposed to many commercial messages. Marketers also reach children through more traditional channels, such as on-pack, sales promotions, sponsorship and so on. Given the proliferation of channels and communication methods for reaching the child audience, we ask how parents approach the task of mediating/restricting their child’s exposure to marketing communications shouldthey wish to do so. In a qualitative study investigating parents’ and children’s understanding of food marketing communications in the UK, we found that parents attempt to counter food marketing messages across a wider range of communications than previously identified, but that newer media such as advergames and websites are not fully recognised as channels of food marketing.