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Accepted manuscript

Characterizing the extent and nature of digital food and beverage marketing in Singapore – a descriptive study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2024

Xin Hui Chua Open the ORCID record for Xin Hui Chua [Opens in a new window] ,
Clare Whitton ,
Stefanie Vandevijvere ,
Bridget Kelly ,
Rob M. van Dam  and
Salome A. Rebello
Xin Hui Chua
Affiliation:
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
Clare Whitton
Affiliation:
School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup WA 6027, Australia
Stefanie Vandevijvere
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano (Scientific Institute of Public Health), Brussels, Belgium
Bridget Kelly
Affiliation:
Early Start, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Rob M. van Dam
Affiliation:
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Epidemiology, Milken Institute of Public Health, The George Washington University
Salome A. Rebello*
Affiliation:
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
*
Corresponding author: Salome A. Rebello, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Tahir Foundation Building (Block MD1), #10-01, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117549. Tel: +65 6516 8557 Email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

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Objective:

To characterize the nature of digital food and beverage advertising in Singapore

Setting:

Food and beverage advertisements within 20 clicks on top 12 non-food websites and all posts on Facebook and Instagram pages of 15 major food companies in Singapore were sampled from January 1 to June 30, 2018.

Design:

Advertised foods were classified as being core (healthier), non-core or mixed-dishes (example burger) using the WHO nutrient profile model and national guidelines. Marketing techniques were assessed using published coding frameworks.

Participants: NA
Results:

Advertisements (n=117) on the 12 non-food websites were largely presented as editorial content. Food companies posted twice weekly on average on social media sites (n=1261), with eatery-chains posting most frequently and generating largest amount of likes and shares. Key marketing techniques emphasized non-health attributes for example hedonic or convenience attributes (85% of advertisements). Only a minority of foods and beverages advertised were core foods (non-food website:16.2%; social media: 13.5%).

Conclusions:

Top food and beverage companies in Singapore actively use social media as a platform for promotion with a complex array of marketing techniques. A vast majority of these posts were unhealthy highlighting an urgent need to consider regulating digital food and beverage advertising in Singapore.

Keywords

AdvertisementsMarketingOnlineFood and beverageSocial mediaAsian
Type
Research Paper
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Accepted manuscript , pp. 1 - 30
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Authors 2024