Day 054 - 24 Nov 94 - Page 37

     
     1        is position 125 Kentucky Fried Chicken, and 158 is Pizza
     2        Hut.  These are the UK's leading fast-food restaurants.  It
     3        is quite clear that McDonald's spend considerably more in
     4        advertising than its rivals.  McDonald's also ranks far
     5        higher than any other food product.  Nescafe coffee at
     6        position 37 is the first other food product; milk at 41;
     7        Kellogg's Cornflakes at 43 and Coca Cola at 53.
     8
     9        I think this, coupled with the media plan, really does
    10        illustrate the high level of advertising that McDonald's
    11        undertakes compared either to its rivals or to any other
    12        food product.  From the point of view of a child (and there
    13        are various estimates of how much television children
    14        watch, which tend to vary between 16 and 24 hours a week,
    15        as averages) it becomes apparent that advertising to
    16        McDonald's -- sorry, advertising of McDonald's is going to
    17        be something that children are exposed to and will be
    18        familiar with to a far greater extent than any other food
    19        product.
    20
    MS. STEEL:   Was there anything else you wanted to say on that?
    22        A.  No.
    23
    24   Q.   Just to move on more generally to the effect of advertising
    25        on children, how much influence do you think that
    26        advertising has on children?
    27        A.  I think one of the best ways to answer that question is
    28        to ask why manufacturers advertise to children.  As we have
    29        seen, there is a lot of money spent and there is a great
    30        deal of care and attention goes into producing those
    31        advertisements.  The companies who are in the business of
    32        selling products would not put so much emphasis on
    33        advertising if it were not effective.  But also I think
    34        I would like to refer to some other research that has
    35        looked into this area as well.
    36
    37   Q.   OK.  You would not say that advertising was the only
    38        influence on children's choices?
    39        A.  No.
    40
    Q.   Or on food choices?
    42        A.  No.  Advertising needs to be seen in the context of a
    43        range of influences.  Influences that affect food choice
    44        are complex.  There is a web of interreacting factors which
    45        include such influences as culture, peers, parents of
    46        course, taste preferences, cost -- these are just some of
    47        the other influences that will affect not just children's
    48        but everyone's -- knowledge, in that sense education is
    49        also an influence, their attitudes, their beliefs and their
    50        preferences and ultimately their behaviour. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Those other influences on food choices that you have 
    53        referred to, are any of them in themselves influenced by
    54        advertising?
    55        A.  Yes, they are.  Parents themselves will be influenced
    56        by advertising, as will peers.  I have heard described that
    57        one very effective way to get your advertising message
    58        across is to make it appeal to those children who are seen
    59        as peer group leaders.  They will then carry more
    60        advertising message through to their peers.  I talked