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This article by Rosemary Duff appeared in the
September 2005 issues of Soft Drinks
International.
Introduction
The ongoing health
and obesity debate affects children more than any other population group.
Whilst the main focus of attention is on food, the drinks sector
also comes under scrutiny, reflecting the major contribution that soft
drinks make to children’s overall nutrition.
In
the UK, the last couple of years have seen a number of changes in the
market place. Codes of practice relating to marketing to children are
being tightened, and there have been some shifts in attitudes and
behaviour among parents and among children. Manufacturers are anticipating
and responding to the wider desire for healthier options.
Children’s behaviour and
attitudes
Soft
drinks are an important component of children’s spending, alongside
sweets and snacks. These are low cost items that they enjoy, and the
ability to choose and purchase these is part of their growing
independence. Children regularly buy drinks at school, on the journey to
and from school, and also when they are out, eg playing sport, at the
cinema, shopping etc.
The ONS research into children’s pocket money, as part of the general
Family Expenditure Survey, suggests that more than a third of their cash
goes on food and drink. But the majority of children would expect a parent
to step in and pay for “worthy” purchases, such as books, some
magazines, cultural or sporting activities etc, making total spending
power somewhat elastic.
Our ChildWise Monitor data
indicates that 70% of children aged 5-16 years get pocket money, and 31%
of 11-16s have a paid job, giving an average income of £11.10 per week.
40%
of 5-16 year olds regularly buy soft drinks, spending an average of £5.50
per month. Older children are two and a half times as likely to buy, with
the proportion who do so rising from 21% of primary age children (5-10s)
to 57% of those at secondary school (11-16s). Spend is equivalent to two
to three drinks each week.
| |
TOTAL
5-16 |
5-10 |
11-16 |
| Get
pocket money |
70% |
72% |
68% |
| Money
from a paid job |
- |
- |
31% |
| Total
weekly income |
£11.10 |
£3.80 |
£16.50 |
| Buy
soft drinks |
40% |
21% |
57% |
| Average
monthly spend, for those who buy |
£5.50 |
£3.50 |
£6.00 |
The
proportion who buy, and the average spend per purchaser, has dropped back
slightly over the last 2-3 years, and a similar pattern can be seen for
sweets and for crisps and snacks. All three sectors have seen a drop in
child self purchase and average spend since 2001-2.
Health concerns
As
part of our Monitor survey, we looked in detail at children’s concerns
about health issues with respect to diet and eating. Many of the points
raised here are equally relevant to their choice of drinks.
Children’s main motivation when choosing food is the taste, with no
other consideration approaching this in importance.
Younger children also like their food to be fun, and just under one in
three look for free gifts and special offers. A similar number is
motivated by added vitamins, and one in four is influenced by their
friends’ preferences.
Almost half of all older girls look for low calories, as do three in ten
older boys. Just over a third of all older children are motivated by added
vitamins, and a minority want food that looks fun, or has good adverts.
| |
BOYS |
|
|
GIRLS |
|
|
5-10s |
Tastes
good |
85% |
5-10s |
Tastes
good |
86% |
| Looks
fun |
37% |
Looks
fun |
39% |
| Free
gifts / offers |
31% |
Added
vitamins |
30% |
| Added
vitamins |
29% |
Free
gifts / offers |
27% |
| Friends
like it |
25% |
Friends
like it |
25% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11-16s |
Tastes
good |
89% |
11-16s |
Tastes
good |
92% |
| Added
vitamins |
34% |
Low
calorie |
45% |
| Low
calorie |
31% |
Added
vitamins |
36% |
| Looks
fun |
28% |
Looks
fun |
28% |
| Good
advert |
20% |
Good
advert / free gifts |
20% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
But,
as Chart 1 shows, almost half of 5-16 year olds have no real worries when
choosing food. Their main concern is fat, with sugar and salt content
significantly less of a worry to them. A surprising one in four watch out
for nuts, demonstrating the impact of allergy awareness on this age group,
whether on their own account, or in relation to their friends.
Chart 2 shows that most children think that their diet is fairly healthy
– 47% consider it very or quite healthy, and a further 38% think it’s
OK. Fewer than one in ten consider their diet to be unhealthy. But this
masks some major differences across the age range. Confidence in the
healthiness of their diet decreases with age – for those still at
primary school (age 5-10 years), more than six in ten think their diet is
healthy, falling to around a third of those aged 13 and over.
These older children may be more aware of what they should, and should
not, be eating, but they frequently fail to put this knowledge into
practice. By this age, they have increasing control of their own diet,
particularly when they are out of the home. The choice of food and drink
available at school is a major factor here.
Ways that children suggest to improve the healthiness of their diet focus
on more fruit and vegetables (42%), less fat (33% overall, rising to 48%
of 11-16 year olds), and less sugar (23%) or sweets (22%).
Among younger children, a pressing concern is tooth decay. This has
particular relevance to what they drink, with children singling out
carbonates as a main culprit. Tooth decay, more than fears of obesity, is
a major incentive for them to be aware of what they eat and drink.
Discussion groups carried out with primary age children for our report on
Children’s Attitudes to Diet and Health demonstrated that most know
about the link between sweets, sugary foods, and fizzy drinks, and the
dangers of tooth decay. Many have seen experiments involving objects in a
glass of coke, or know about the number of spoonfuls of sugar contained in
soft drinks.
‘If
you drink too much Ribena, that can make your teeth fall out. When my
cousin was little, her teeth fell out because she drank too much Ribena.'
(Girls 8-9)
‘We
had some eggs, because eggs, the shell is a bit like the enamel on your
teeth, and we put one in some coke, we put one in some vinegar, and we put
one in some water. When we took the egg out of the coke, something had
grown on it.'
(Girls 7-8)
‘If
you have too much bad stuff, you have to brush your teeth, because if not
they’ll get all
plaque.'
(Boys
9-10)
Changes in the market
The
last two years have seen a number of changes in the UK children’s drinks
market, promoting healthier options that also appeal to children.
Low / no added sugar options:
Parents have been choosing low or no added sugar options, particularly for
dilutables, for a number of years, as an easy way of cutting their
child’s sugar intake, driven primarily by concerns about tooth decay.
This last year has seen several new and relaunched products in this
category, including Ribena Really Light, Jucee, and Vimto.
In the ready to drink sector, Robinson’s Fruit Shoot is now the number
one child drink, offering fruit and no added sugar plus a cool image and
pack. Available as part of their Happy Meals, it plays a major role at
McDonald’s.
Water:
There is a growing number of child brands, particularly with flavoured
water, using pack design and characters to boost child suitability and
appeal. Water is increasingly offered as an option, in schools and
elsewhere. Calypso are addressing the teen market with their Calypso
Rapidz brand.
Fruit smoothies:
There is a growing market for smoothies for children, building on from the
adult sector. The range of innocent fruit smoothies for kids was launched
this spring, designed to be delicious, with high fruit content and
strictly no additives. A dedicated website gives children the chance to
play games and learn “fruit facts” in a fun way.
Vending:
The controversial area of vending in schools is being tackled by the major
suppliers. Companies such as Coca Cola have developed a code of conduct
and a range of vending packages, designed to balance competing pressures.
They now offer healthy option packages, which include still fruit drinks,
diet varieties, and water.
The Schools Education Trust has carried out research to develop vending
options that are healthy, but also sell. By secondary school, pupils are
no longer a captive audience, and one role of vending is to dissuade
pupils from leaving school premises, so the selection needs to be right.
Summary
The
children’s drinks market has changed in response to current concerns
about health and obesity. Taste and enjoyment are major drivers in
children’s choice, and healthier options need to reflect this if they
are to succeed.
Key areas are no added sugar, additive free, and high fruit content
drinks, which address the main concerns and drivers relating to healthy
drinks. The children’s water market is also very important.
References:
Expenditure
and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics, published June 2005 www.statistics.gov.uk
ChildWise
Trends Report 2005
ChildWise
Monitor Report 2003-4
ChildWise
Monitor Special Report – Children’s Attitudes to Diet and Health,
Summer 2004
The Grocer – Focus on Soft Drinks – 7 May 2005
Marketing
Week - Innocent launches children’s website - 7 April 2005
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