摘要：Objectives. We assessed the amount, reach, and nature of energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverage marketing on Facebook. Methods. We conducted a content analysis of the marketing techniques used by the 27 most popular food and beverage brand Facebook pages in Australia. We coded content across 19 marketing categories; data were collected from the day each page launched (mean = 3.65 years of activity per page). Results. We analyzed 13 international pages and 14 Australian-based brand pages; 4 brands (Subway, Coca-Cola, Slurpee, Maltesers) had both national and international pages. Pages widely used marketing features unique to social media that increase consumer interaction and engagement. Common techniques were competitions based on user-generated content, interactive games, and apps. Four pages included apps that allowed followers to place an order directly through Facebook. Adolescent and young adult Facebook users appeared most receptive to engaging with this content. Conclusions. By using the interactive and social aspects of Facebook to market products, EDNP food brands capitalize on users’ social networks and magnify the reach and personal relevance of their marketing messages. Obesity is a common, serious, and costly health issue. 1 In the United States alone, the medical costs of obesity are estimated to be $147 billion. 2 Although the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in countries such as the United States and Australia appears to have plateaued in recent years, rates remain high. 3 Obesity rates generally increase with age among adults 4 ; however, of urgent concern is the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among young Australian adults, particularly women. Research has suggested that later generations have higher rates of excess body weight than generations before them. Current obesity-promoting environments likely mean people are now put at greater risk for weight gain in young adulthood. 4 One of the powerful environmental factors influencing the rise in obesity is the ubiquitous presence of food and beverage marketing. 5–8 Research into the nature and extent of this marketing has primarily focused on television advertising. 9,10 Although there is emerging research on how energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverages are being marketed in digital media, 11–15 little of this research has closely examined online social media channels. 14 Additionally, most of this research on digital media food marketing has focused on Web sites targeted at children and has not captured what types of food marketing adolescents and young adults are most likely to view. Given the exponential growth in popularity of social media Web sites such as Facebook, particularly among adolescents and young adults, there is a need to understand the techniques and reach of EDNP food and beverage marketing on these Web sites. Equally, although case studies of specific campaigns and food companies help to highlight the importance of social media in the marketing mix, 16 a more complete picture of overall EDNP marketing strategies used through social media is needed to understand the extent of marketing across this media. Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world. As of September 30, 2013, 1.19 billion users accessed the site at least monthly and 727 million users accessed the site daily. 17 Approximately 80% of the daily active users are outside the United States and Canada. Australians are enthusiastic Facebook users, with 9 million people, or nearly 40% of the entire population, visiting the site every day. 18 Social media use has reached near saturation among young Australians, with more than 85% of those aged 15 to 24 years accessing the Internet for social networking or online gaming. 19 The bulk of Facebook content is individual users’ personal profiles, but since November 2007, the site has embraced companies and brands developing their own pages. 20 Facebook brand pages function in a similar fashion to personal pages, with the exception that to receive brand page updates and content in their news feed, users must “like” a brand page, as opposed to initiating a friend request as they would from individual users. Brands can post images, videos, links, contests, offers, applications, polls, quizzes, and a range of other digital and interactive media to their page timelines. Users who like brand pages can engage with the page by sharing their own content, commenting on page posts, and sharing page content with their own networks. 21 Crucially, any activity that users engage with on brand pages may then appear in the news feed of the users’ friends, effortlessly spreading marketing messages across social networks. Facebook uses the EdgeRank algorithm to decide what content will appear in the news feed. 22 Generally speaking, those brands with more engaging content have greater success in appearing higher up and more often in news feeds. Readers who are unfamiliar with the layout and function of Facebook pages should refer to online user guides 23 and previously published work. 24 Definitions of the Facebook terms used in this article are included in Table 1 . TABLE 1— Definitions of Facebook Terms and Marketing Methods Facebook Terms Definition Talking about The number of unique users who have created a story about a page in a 7-day period. On Facebook, stories are items that display in a news feed. Users create stories when they like a page, post on a page wall, like a post, comment on a post, share a post, answer a question, RSVP to a page’s event, mention the page in a post, tag the page in a photo, check in at a place, share a check-in deal, like a check-in deal, write a recommendation, or claim an offer. This figure is updated daily. ( http://www.insidefacebook.com/2012/01/10/people-talking-about-this-defined/ ) Most popular age group Data publicly available through the Facebook page; a measure of which age group the page is most popular among Timeline A sequential (by date) summary of all the activity posted on the Facebook page. It is possible to scroll back through the timeline until the date on which the page was launched. News feed A summary of the activity of the user’s Facebook network that appears when a user logs into the site Marketing category (n = 19) Competitions, prizes, giveaways Any contest involving a participant entry, including minimal requirements such as simply liking a post; giveaways also include free product samples and other items with purchase. Special price promotions Limited-time offers, discount menus, 2 for 1 deals, or other reduced-price advertisements Vouchers, offers, rebates Includes those that consumers print off or for which they enter an electronic code; offers are specific to Facebook and made exclusively available to those who like the page. Celebrities People with an entertainment or media profile, excluding athletes. Children’s characters Third-party cartoons and characters, including characters from films, books, television programs, and the Internet Sportspeople Any person (adult or child) profiled for their athletic or sporting achievements Branded characters Any characters featured on the page developed by the brand Branding elements Any logos, colors, trademarks, or slogans Games Interactive and entertaining applications that feature the brand Photos Digital images of the product, users, and promotional events Quizzes and polls Can be embedded directly into the Facebook timeline; they are a feature available to all brand pages as a way of encouraging participation and interaction. Videos Can either be posted directly to Facebook or linked through YouTube Events Specific Facebook category in which page owners can create events and invite page members Apps Both links to any smartphone apps and any apps embedded in the Facebook page. Facebook allows page administrators to develop a variety of application tabs on their pages, including retail store location finders, other social media channel feeds, ordering platforms, feedback, and promotional offers. Conversations The page administrator responds to page member posts and comments and shares member content with other members. Links Any page posts that include a link to an external page or additional content not found within the Facebook page User-generated content Digital media (such as photos, videos, songs) created by users and either shared on the page timeline or tagged with the brand page by Facebook users Sponsorships and partnerships Any events that the brand supports or other brands or services the brand partners with, excluding charitable organizations Corporate social responsibility and philanthropy Promotion of any ethical or sustainable initiative or charitable work undertaken by the brand Open in a separate window Given that marketing influences food preferences, choice, and consumption, 7 understanding how food is being promoted on social media is essential. The primary aim of this study was to assess the amount, reach, and nature of EDNP food marketing to Australians through Facebook. To begin to build a complete picture of the food and beverage marketing techniques being used on Facebook, we need to know the food and beverage brands that are most active on Facebook, how these brands promote their products in terms of the advertising techniques that are used, who is engaging with these brands, and how they engage. We also discuss the potential policy and practice implications of our findings.
