Title: Marketing of healthy and unhealthy food products in the media
Introduction
Advertising in the media is one of the most essential steps to making big sales. It is noted that most businesses that do well in sales employ proper marketing strategies. Usually, such businesses allocate a considerable budget to the marketing department. This is attributed to the nature of priority accorded to advertising in the media as part of a core requirement in business. Focusing on the advertising of healthy and non-healthy foods in the media, this paper will in the subsequent paragraphs evaluate the similarities and the differences in the marketing of healthy and non-healthy foods. Further, the question of which among the two is successful in relation to marketing will be answered and the rationale for such a judgement will subsequently be given.
The similarities
In both classes of foods, there is utilisation of different advertising forums such as social media, newspapers, food magazines, television, and radio commercials by the concerned marketers. In trying to make the most out of advertisements, explore as many advertising forums as possible. The need to advertise in different forums may sometimes be necessitated by evading regulations by relevant bodies in some forums (Umnedu, 2017). The government regulates advertising to certain groups such as children and some marketers will bypass this regulation by advertising in forums that are less regulated.
The second similarity is that in both the advertising of healthy and non-healthy foods, there is a target market. Advertising would be in vain if the persons doing it have no elaborate and identified target market. It is said that a target market comprises a group of persons who are likely and willing to buy the products of a business (Psuedu, 2017). While dealing with food products, for instance, one would need to identify their targeted consumers. This would be necessary as the focus would only towards the targeted individuals.
The third similarity is in the framing of the content of the advertisement. In both healthy and non-healthy foods, the kind of information passed to the targeted market is similar in that marketers only disclose information that will attract potential consumers. consequently, they keep sensitive information secret and hidden from the public notwithstanding that the existing regulations that mandate them to disclose all the material facts concerning their food products (Ftcgov, 1994). This includes nutrient levels as well as additives contained in the food.
Differences
One of the major differences between advertisements of healthy and non-healthy foods is the nature of the target market. In whatever media the advertisement is done, marketers of non-healthy and unhealthy food tend to target young children and youths. This is achieved by prioritising their marking in forums affiliated with those groups of persons. Notably, social media and entertainment forums such as YouTube are used to target the youth. On the other hand, advertisements made on computer games-related sites aimed at young children. Such sites contain word puzzles and contests (Nihgov, 2004). On the contrary, marketers of healthy food will focus on the youth, children as well as the adults. As opposed to those who market unhealthy food to the young who may not be able to differentiate between fantasy and reality, advertisers of healthy food will focus on both the old and the young. They will target a larger market that is all-inclusive.
The other difference is that in healthy foods, advertisements are geared towards passing real information about their food products. The content of those adverts in the media may include health benefits and nutritional values that consumers are likely to get. On the contrary, the content of unhealthy food will appear exaggerated and unreal. In most instances, it will contain some fantasy. This is because the target market consists of young consumers who are likely to spend money in pursuit of things that will give them a new experience. A good example is unhealthy food supplements that are portrayed to be good and capable of transforming one body within a very short time. Junk food that leads to obesity is also known to gain from exaggerated advertisements that are both deceptive and manipulative (Dr rhonda jolly, 2011).
The aggressiveness in the advertisement of healthy and non-healthy foods is also a major difference as far as the advertising in both classes of foods is concerned. Marketers of unhealthy foods will offer incentives and incredible discounts to appeal to many customers. On the other hand, healthy food marketers may not be able to be aggressive as such. This is seeing the high cost incurred in the course of processing their food products that are both healthy and of good quality. Additionally, as opposed to marketers of unhealthy foods, they state real facts that may not appeal to many because they are free of exaggeration and misrepresentation.
Which of the two advertisements is more successful?
Based on the points raised in this paper concerning the nature of marketing, target market, skills employed in marketing, and the kind of media explored by the marketers from both classes of foods, marketing of unhealthy foods appears to be more successful.
Rationale for the above judgement.
Marketers of unhealthy foods are able to compromise the prices of their food products by giving discounts and incentives that may be difficult to resist. They also market aggressively and explore target a larger media hence capturing the attention of young consumers who are both gullible and willing to spend on new products. On the other hand, marketers of good healthy foods ride on the fitness of their products to appeal to their target market. This may fail due to the presence of counterfeited products which are far cheaper and highly advertised.
Conclusion
To sum it up, in general terms, the marketing of healthy and non-healthy foods in the media is similar in many ways. It is common to find marketers from both ends employing similar strategies in the course of their advertising. However, marketing of both healthy and non-healthy food is without its discrepancies as explained in the paper.
There is however the need to protect consumers from misleading information about certain products. The government should empower regulatory bodies to control advertisements of all food products in all forms of media. This should include social media, google ads, and YouTube ads which to a large extent reach the biggest number of youths and children who are the primary targets of junk foods and unhealthy food supplements.
References
1. Dr rhonda jolly. 2011. Aphgovau. [Online].
2. Ftcgov. 1994. Ftcgov. [Online].
3. Nihgov. 2004. PubMed Central (PMC). [Online].
4. Psuedu. 2017. Food Entrepreneurs (Penn State Extension). [Online].
5. Umnedu. 2017. Umnedu. [Online].
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