“Trix are for kids” is a well-known slogan used by General Mills’ Trix cereal brand. Although this brand targets a younger population, the “tricks” this company uses for increased product purchases are actually being played on the kids. The Trix cereal brand places a familiar character, the white rabbit, on the front of their cereal box. It has been questioned whether or not the rabbit is making eye contact with a shorter audience. Cereal brands also pay extra to place their cereals on shelves closer to the ground so they can easily be chosen by children.
Several, if not all food companies and organizations use strategies related to the examples above to entice their customers. Some of the most popular ways to grab consumers attention are labeled on the front of the food package. Health claims that result in greater consumer recognition include labels that say “heart-healthy”, “natural”, or “sugar-free”. Although these companies have used trial-and-error to determine the best way to attract customers to purchase their products, not all consumers can be convinced.
Not all health claims are truthful, yet consumers happen to believe what they see on a food package. Children are motivated to purchase Trix cereal because of the colorful package design and characters on the front of the cereal box; adults are motivated by health claims promising lowered total sodium, fat, or cholesterol present within their food. We have the opportunity to learn what is in our food by locating the Nutrition Facts Label. By looking past the health claims or the enticing rabbit on the front of the Trix cereal box, consumers will be able to make more educated grocery store purchases related to information they can learn from their purchasing habits.
Several, if not all food companies and organizations use strategies related to the examples above to entice their customers. Some of the most popular ways to grab consumers attention are labeled on the front of the food package. Health claims that result in greater consumer recognition include labels that say “heart-healthy”, “natural”, or “sugar-free”. Although these companies have used trial-and-error to determine the best way to attract customers to purchase their products, not all consumers can be convinced.
The Nutrition Facts Label, located on the side or back of the food package, contains more information than any label printed for the front of the package. This marketing strategy allows companies to attract consumers who shop quickly, and grab food off of shelves without paying attention to the ingredients contained within the package. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) file and sort through all of the food brands with health claims to determine if they accurately represent the product, or are inaccurate claims. Falsely worded and printed health claims can be missed by the FDA and FTC. It is touted “difficult” for the organizations to keep up with the millions of food companies marketing strategies, especially with frequent edits and modifications.
Not all health claims are truthful, yet consumers happen to believe what they see on a food package. Children are motivated to purchase Trix cereal because of the colorful package design and characters on the front of the cereal box; adults are motivated by health claims promising lowered total sodium, fat, or cholesterol present within their food. We have the opportunity to learn what is in our food by locating the Nutrition Facts Label. By looking past the health claims or the enticing rabbit on the front of the Trix cereal box, consumers will be able to make more educated grocery store purchases related to information they can learn from their purchasing habits.
With all the health claims on food products, I am surprised that the FDA doesn't step in more to put their foot down. Along that same line, can we talk about how supplements aren't regulated by the FDA?? I feel like this market needs to start having strict regulations.
ReplyDeleteIt’s wild to think about the amount of detail that goes into marketing, like the subtle nuances of which direction the rabbit’s eyes are looking. Oddly, I am torn on this topic, should manufactories print faults health claims, absolutely not, but their job is to sell product, not provide education content. Is there trickery and misconceptions surrounding food marketing, absolutely, but I think it is ultimately the responsibility of the consumer to know what they are putting in their body. I like the point you made about shopping being a grab and go situation, therefore it would be beneficial for the FDA to have parameters that must be met in order for companies to make certain claims.
ReplyDeleteFood labels have always been so interesting to me. It really is not hard at all to look at the food labels on the side or back of the food box, however, it does take a bit of time. Consumers often don't take extra time to look into all the ingredients and health facts due to time and maybe they have their kids with and naturally they want the colorful and fruity cereals. Is there another way to communicate to our consumers in a similar but less time consuming way by means of the food label?
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting topic. Just the other day at the store I noticed how a bag of chicken nuggets said, "No antibiotics, ever!" and it made me realize that individuals probably think that antibiotics and hormones are added into these animal products. Statements like this one, and even making certain food signs green in the store is very deceiving and can lead to the consumer spending more money than necessary.
ReplyDeleteNice job summarizing the core of your research. I also love how your last paragraph turns to education about food labels and marketing. I've read so much about marketing/advertising that has a terribly negative tone that to see a positive outlook is refreshing and gives me hope that we can become more informed consumers.
ReplyDeleteFor future blog post writing, I would suggest getting the "why" for your article in the very beginning. Why is the topic you are writing about relevant and important to your reader? While the research is well-done, if people don't have the motivation to learn about it because they don't understand why they need to, they won't read on to get the full picture you are creating.
I started working in a grocery store a little over a month ago and understand so much more about effective marketing. In the floral department, 80% of our sales come from impulse buys. This number is probably lower for the rest of the store, but I can see how much packaging affects the shopping process. The store I work for sometimes even rearranges their products, so people have to go through more of the store to find what they want. I have rarely seen people look at the nutrition label. I don't anticipate consumers changing the way they shop, so I like your idea about having more regulations on the claims brands are making.
ReplyDeleteIt is really interesting how different America and Germany handle those issues. It is surprising to me, that it is allowed here to put false health claims as advertisement on food. And I didn't know that companies paid to make their product, like cereal for children, more accesible for kids by putting them on lower shelfs. In Germany, the lower shelfs are for the cheaper products that do not invest in advertising so much. The good spots in Germany are on eye level of grown ups. That partly explains why I never find what I am searching for in grocery stores.
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