Ethnic Targeting in Food Advertising: Implications On Promoting Healthy Eating Among African American Consumers

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: 

Social learning theory claims that individuals are more likely to model the behaviors of people they identify with or feel similar to, and also that social learning can occur through observation of the world depicted in mass media. Based on social learning theory, food marketers’ selective use of ethnic appeals and ethnic media to reach African American consumers makes sense as a strategic marketing practice. One of the long-standing criticisms against such ethnic targeting is that the practice is used disproportionately, when compared to mainstream advertising, to advertise unhealthy food products (e.g., alcohol, fast food), and, as a result, it perpetuates heavier consumption of such products in the African American population compared to consumption in the mainstream population.   The study examines the current state of ethnic targeting in food advertising in light of the latest report which shows a continuing trend of disproportionately higher rates of obesity in the African-American population when compared to the general population (Flegal, 2010). Specifically, food advertisements in Ebony magazine and People magazine are analyzed comparatively for the types of food advertised (RQ1), the advertising appeals used (RQ2), and the advertising appeals within each food category (RQ3).

Methods:  A total of 276 food advertisements were analyzed from 12 issues of Ebony magazine and 12 issues of People magazine from January to December 2008. Each ad was coded for food category and up to two dominant advertising appeals.  Thirteen food categories and twelve advertising appeals were used in the coding process.

Results:  Results show that in Ebony magazine, alcohol advertising remains dominant, but advertising for non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, and convenience entrees have noticeably decreased compared to the findings from the previous studies (RQ1).  Ethnic appeals continue to be found almost exclusively in Ebony.  In addition, emotional appeals found in the ads in People mostly depict personal emotions (e.g., consuming food for the private feeling of indulgence or escape) while emotional appeals in the ads in Ebony portray both personal emotions and social emotions (e.g., using food to fit in, to be popular and be recognized among the group). Nutritional appeals are often specific (e.g., low cholesterol, low sodium) in the ads in Ebony while they tend to be general (e.g., healthy, nutritious) in the ads in People (RQ2).  Finally, ethnic appeals in Ebony are frequently found in the ads for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, but are rarely found in the ads for other food products (RQ3).

Conclusions:  Overall, the results suggest that ethnic targeting in food advertising continued in 2008 with some changes from previous years. The study also reports new findings about the use of emotional appeals, nutritional appeals, and ethnic appeals in food advertising targeted African American consumers.  

Implications for research and/or practice:  Instead of trying to curb ethnic targeting in food advertising, health communication campaigns may adopt strategies that use the same techniques to promote healthy eating among the African American population.  Examples may include highlighting the social approval of healthy eating while making references to specific nutritional benefits in healthy foods.