Advertising to children: Swiss Pledge companies receive high marks
For the past 10 years, various companies have voluntarily committed to responsible advertising practices targeting children under the Swiss Pledge Advertising Code. Media Focus has been monitoring compliance with this voluntary commitment since the initiative began and has once again given the eleven Swiss Pledge companies high marks for 2019.
The voluntary commitment Swiss Pledge aims to limit the company's own advertising behavior towards children under the age of 12. Only products that meet defined and scientifically developed nutritional criteria may be advertised in an explicit children's environment. Monitoring of compliance with the voluntary commitment is carried out by the independent and neutral market research company Media Focus.
Good results from Media Focus
Media Focus has been monitoring compliance with the voluntary commitment since it began in 2010. It examines TV commercials, advertising in children's magazines and on companies' brand websites, and, since last year, advertising on social media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Vine. In 2019, according to Media Focus, the Swiss Pledge companies have once again
achieved with good results.
TV spots: 99% correct
During one quarter in 2019, Media Focus analyzed all TV commercials placed by Swiss Pledge companies. The spectrum included all public stations, advertising windows as well as private stations. During the study period, 27,250 TV spots were reviewed, of which 99% complied with Swiss Pledge specifications. 254 spots were not placed correctly.
TV advertising accounted for 57% of the Swiss Pledge companies' media mix in 2019. Measured against the total gross TV advertising spend of the food and beverage industry in Switzerland, this equates to 17%.
Children's magazines: 94% correct
32 print editions were audited. 94% met the Swiss Pledge specifications. Children's magazines marketed in Switzerland such as Junior, Kläx, Maky, Rataplan, Spick and Hey Volg Magazin were audited.
Brand websites: 96% correct
96% of the audited brand websites of Swiss Pledge companies met the Swiss Pledge criteria. There were 26 websites in the monitoring.
Social media: 98% correct
In the period under review, 48 social media channels were audited. With 98% compliant channels, a very good value was achieved. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat and Vine were examined. This is despite the fact that the age limit for Facebook, YouTube, Instagram & Co of 13 years is fundamentally outside Swiss Pledge's age limit of children under 12 years.
10 years of responsible advertising behavior
Six companies initiated Swiss Pledge in 2010. Since then, the number of participants has almost doubled. The following companies are now partners of Swiss Pledge: Coca-Cola, Danone, Intersnack, Kellogg, Mars, McDonalds, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Rivella, Unilever and Zweifel Pomy-Chips. They have all specifically adapted their advertising behavior towards children under 12 years of age or, in some cases, have completely dispensed with product advertising in a children's environment.
Swiss Pledge is a voluntary commitment by leading food and beverage producers and catering companies and is based on the European voluntary commitment EU Pledge. The initiative is open to other market participants who commit to complying with the minimum criteria. These include:
- Restricted product advertising to children under 12. Only products that meet defined nutritional criteria2 may be advertised.
- No product-specific communications to elementary school (children under 12). Unless specifically requested or approved by school administration for educational purposes.
"Advertising to children under 12" means advertising to a target audience with a minimum of 35 percent children under 12. Further information on Swiss-pledge.ch
