Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy

Public health advocates highlight the role of corporate actors and food marketing in shaping diets and health. This study analyses insider-oriented communications in food industry magazines in the UK to analyse actions and narratives related to health and nutrition, providing insights into relativel...

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Autores principales: Soledad Cuevas, Nishali Patel, Claire Thompson, Mark Petticrew, Steven Cummins, Richard Smith, Laura Cornelsen
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Elsevier 2021
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/106d9cc42dba487a9b25ac1940c9c607
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:106d9cc42dba487a9b25ac1940c9c6072021-11-12T04:42:00ZEscaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy2352-827310.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100953https://doaj.org/article/106d9cc42dba487a9b25ac1940c9c6072021-12-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827321002287https://doaj.org/toc/2352-8273Public health advocates highlight the role of corporate actors and food marketing in shaping diets and health. This study analyses insider-oriented communications in food industry magazines in the UK to analyse actions and narratives related to health and nutrition, providing insights into relatively overlooked areas of marketing strategy including inter-firm dynamics.From a sample of four specialized food industry magazines covering the main industry segments we identified 319 articles (published 2007–2018) mentioning health or nutrition together with industry actions affecting the food environment. We identified health-related actions and analysed underlying strategies through content and thematic analyses.Health and nutrition have a rapidly growing role in food marketing strategy. Content analysis revealed a focus on ultra-processed foods, as well as product and nutrient-specific trends including increased health-based marketing of snacks and “protein rich” products. Health-related actions predominantly relied on consumer agency rather than invoking structural food environment changes. Thematic analysis identified proactive and defensive marketing strategies. Proactive approaches included large investments in health-related promotion of ultra-processed foods which are made highly visible to competitors, and the reliance on a “credence goods” differentiation strategies. Defensive strategies included a ‘Red Queen’ effect, whereby firms take health-related actions to keep up with competitors.These competitive strategies can create challenges, as well as some opportunities, for public health promotion. Challenges can include undermining efforts to support product comparison and healthier choice, and limiting firms’ engagement in specific health improving actions. Systematic analysis of health-oriented marketing strategies could support more effective public health intervention.Soledad CuevasNishali PatelClaire ThompsonMark PetticrewSteven CumminsRichard SmithLaura CornelsenElsevierarticleHealthNutritionCorporateMarketingStrategyDifferentiationPublic aspects of medicineRA1-1270Social sciences (General)H1-99ENSSM: Population Health, Vol 16, Iss , Pp 100953- (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Health
Nutrition
Corporate
Marketing
Strategy
Differentiation
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Social sciences (General)
H1-99
spellingShingle Health
Nutrition
Corporate
Marketing
Strategy
Differentiation
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Social sciences (General)
H1-99
Soledad Cuevas
Nishali Patel
Claire Thompson
Mark Petticrew
Steven Cummins
Richard Smith
Laura Cornelsen
Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy
description Public health advocates highlight the role of corporate actors and food marketing in shaping diets and health. This study analyses insider-oriented communications in food industry magazines in the UK to analyse actions and narratives related to health and nutrition, providing insights into relatively overlooked areas of marketing strategy including inter-firm dynamics.From a sample of four specialized food industry magazines covering the main industry segments we identified 319 articles (published 2007–2018) mentioning health or nutrition together with industry actions affecting the food environment. We identified health-related actions and analysed underlying strategies through content and thematic analyses.Health and nutrition have a rapidly growing role in food marketing strategy. Content analysis revealed a focus on ultra-processed foods, as well as product and nutrient-specific trends including increased health-based marketing of snacks and “protein rich” products. Health-related actions predominantly relied on consumer agency rather than invoking structural food environment changes. Thematic analysis identified proactive and defensive marketing strategies. Proactive approaches included large investments in health-related promotion of ultra-processed foods which are made highly visible to competitors, and the reliance on a “credence goods” differentiation strategies. Defensive strategies included a ‘Red Queen’ effect, whereby firms take health-related actions to keep up with competitors.These competitive strategies can create challenges, as well as some opportunities, for public health promotion. Challenges can include undermining efforts to support product comparison and healthier choice, and limiting firms’ engagement in specific health improving actions. Systematic analysis of health-oriented marketing strategies could support more effective public health intervention.
format article
author Soledad Cuevas
Nishali Patel
Claire Thompson
Mark Petticrew
Steven Cummins
Richard Smith
Laura Cornelsen
author_facet Soledad Cuevas
Nishali Patel
Claire Thompson
Mark Petticrew
Steven Cummins
Richard Smith
Laura Cornelsen
author_sort Soledad Cuevas
title Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy
title_short Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy
title_full Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy
title_fullStr Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy
title_full_unstemmed Escaping the Red Queen: Health as a corporate food marketing strategy
title_sort escaping the red queen: health as a corporate food marketing strategy
publisher Elsevier
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/106d9cc42dba487a9b25ac1940c9c607
work_keys_str_mv AT soledadcuevas escapingtheredqueenhealthasacorporatefoodmarketingstrategy
AT nishalipatel escapingtheredqueenhealthasacorporatefoodmarketingstrategy
AT clairethompson escapingtheredqueenhealthasacorporatefoodmarketingstrategy
AT markpetticrew escapingtheredqueenhealthasacorporatefoodmarketingstrategy
AT stevencummins escapingtheredqueenhealthasacorporatefoodmarketingstrategy
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