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dc.contributor.authorDearlove, Trish
dc.contributor.authorBegley, Andrea
dc.contributor.authorScott, Jane
dc.contributor.authorDevenish-Coleman, Gemma
dc.date.accessioned2021-08-04T08:22:16Z
dc.date.available2021-08-04T08:22:16Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.identifier.citationDearlove, T. and Begley, A. and Scott, J. and Devenish-Coleman, G. 2021. Digital Marketing of Commercial Complementary Foods in Australia: An Analysis of Brand Messaging. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (15): Article No. 7934.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/84992
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/ijerph18157934
dc.description.abstract

The digital marketing of commercial complementary foods (CCF) is an emerging area of concern in Australia. Although research into traditional methods has identified a range of problems, the marketing and messaging strategies employed within digital spaces have gone largely unscrutinized. This study sought to examine the methods used by CCF manufacturers to promote Australian baby foods and brands in a digital space. A multiple step approach was used to assess the CCF brands available in major Australian retailers, the social media platforms they used, and to thematically analyze the text and visual messages contained in posts published over a three-month period. Of the 15 brands identified, 12 had a digital presence, and all of these used Facebook. Four themes emerged from an analysis of 216 Facebook posts; (1) general product attributes, (2) socially desirable attributes (which included messaging related to taste (41%), self-feeding (29%) and fun (19%)), (3) concern-based attributes (including organic status (40%), age targets (39%) and additive-/allergen-free status (18%)) and (4) health-focused attributes (which included messaging related to healthy/nutritious ingredients (45%), and child development/growth (15%). Messages contained in Facebook posts were mostly positive brand/product aspects (Themes 1 and 2) or parental concern-based aspects (Theme 3 and 4). These themes match previous analyses of marketing content in traditional media and should be closely monitored due to the personalized nature of consumer social media interactions.

dc.publisherMDPI AG
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.titleDigital Marketing of Commercial Complementary Foods in Australia: An Analysis of Brand Messaging.
dc.typeJournal Article
dcterms.source.volume18
dcterms.source.number15
dcterms.source.startPage7934
dcterms.source.endPage7934
dcterms.source.issn1660-4601
dcterms.source.titleInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
dc.date.updated2021-08-04T08:22:16Z
curtin.note

© 2021 The Authors. Published by MDPI Publishing.

curtin.departmentCurtin School of Population Health
curtin.accessStatusOpen access
curtin.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
curtin.contributor.orcidScott, Jane [0000-0003-0765-9054]
curtin.contributor.orcidBegley, Andrea [0000-0002-5448-8932]
curtin.contributor.orcidDevenish-Coleman, Gemma [0000-0003-4211-0411]
curtin.contributor.scopusauthoridScott, Jane [55338452100]


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