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Exploring the Role of Product Placements for Children`s Obesity-Related Shopping Behavior

Mon, May 29, 17:00 to 18:15, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 3, Aqua 305

Abstract

Children’s frequent exposure to advertisements for unhealthy food is linked to worldwide obesity. Policy interventions usually don’t address the implicit effect mechanisms of embedded advertising (unlike traditional advertising forms). As a basis for future policy strategy, this paper provides first-ever real-life findings on how product placements of candy in films influence children’s obesity-related selection behavior in an actual shopping situation. It allows for inferences about the underlying effect mechanisms. A field experiment was performed with children aged three to eight in natural viewing and shopping scenarios. Results of logistic regression moderation and mediation analysis show a major susceptibility to product placements via implicit persuasion, indicating that a completely different approach to prevention than the one used for explicit, traditional advertising is needed to address childhood obesity comprehensively. The results also indicate the challenge associated with identifying defense mechanisms against implicit persuasion. Theoretical and policy-related implications are discussed.

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