The Pervasive Power of Food and Beverage Advertising
Advertising is a powerful force in shaping our diets, operating across multiple media channels to influence what we consume. From the persistent bombardment of commercials on television to the highly personalized campaigns on social media, marketers use sophisticated psychological tactics to drive cravings and brand loyalty. A 2025 review found that food advertising has a significant impact on food intake among both children and adults. Television, despite its perceived decline, remains a dominant force, with commercials often promoting high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt (HFSS) products, especially to children, using animated characters and catchy jingles.
Digital advertising, however, has taken influence to a new level. Unlike traditional media, digital platforms track user behavior, enabling highly targeted and personalized ads. If you frequently browse for recipes or food-related content, expect algorithms to serve you more ads for processed snacks or specific brands. Food companies leverage this data to deliver messages at moments when they are most likely to influence your purchasing decisions, such as when you're feeling stressed or tired. This pervasive online presence normalizes the consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks, making them seem like everyday or desirable choices.
The Role of Social Media, Influencers, and Trends
Social media has revolutionized how we engage with food and beverages. The platforms themselves are a constant 'visual feast,' with high-quality images and videos of delicious meals designed to stimulate reward centers in the brain and increase impulsive eating. This effect is particularly strong for indulgent, high-calorie foods.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has become a cornerstone of the food and beverage industry's digital strategy. Food and drink brands partner with popular social media personalities to promote their products, leveraging the personal connection and trust followers have with these creators. A 2022 study revealed that followers of social media influencers were 10 times more likely to have their diet influenced by social media than non-followers. The effectiveness of this method is evident in its ability to generate high engagement rates. However, this is a double-edged sword: many influencers lack a nutritional background, potentially promoting unhealthy products or misleading dietary advice. This can contribute to disordered eating patterns and misinformation, particularly among young adults.
Viral Food Trends
Social media is also the birthplace of viral food and drink trends, from 'Dalgona coffee' to 'cloud bread'. These trends can quickly shift consumer preferences, demonstrating the media's power to influence dietary behavior on a mass scale. While some trends might promote healthy options, others encourage unsustainable or unhealthy eating patterns, driven by online popularity rather than nutritional value.
The Impact of News Media and Contextual Framing
Beyond direct advertising, traditional and online news media play a crucial role in shaping food and drink consumption by framing narratives around diet, nutrition, and health. The way a story is presented can influence public perception and behavior. News coverage can highlight the risks of certain foods, such as sugary drinks, or promote the benefits of superfoods like whey protein.
Conversely, sensationalized or conflicting headlines can create confusion and distrust among the public. A 2024 review notes that exposure to nutrition misinformation and fad diets on social media can harm individuals' understanding of nutrition and lead to unhealthy food choices. This can be particularly damaging when it contradicts established scientific consensus. News reporting on food can also influence political and social discourse, leading to changes in food policy and marketing regulations.
A Comparison of Media Influence Channels
| Feature | Traditional Advertising (TV/Print) | Social Media & Influencers | News Media (Reporting) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | Broad, often targets demographics via programming | Highly segmented and personalized through algorithms | Broad, but can be tailored via specific publications or websites |
| Trust Level | Declining, often viewed as purely commercial | Varies widely, can be high due to perceived authenticity | Variable; depends on outlet reputation and framing |
| Primary Goal | Direct product promotion and brand building | Build community, create trends, and drive purchase intent | Inform, but can shape public perception of diet and health |
| Vulnerability | Appeals to children with characters and jingles | Particularly affects adolescents via peer influence and visuals | Can influence policy and public opinion, leading to broader changes |
The Psychology of Consumption: Why We're So Susceptible
Several psychological factors explain why we are so susceptible to media influence on our food and drink choices.
- Social Learning: Especially among children, people learn behaviors by observing and imitating others. When media depicts people enjoying high-calorie foods, it normalizes these choices.
- Cue Reactivity: Exposure to food-related cues, such as the sight and sound of a sizzling burger in a commercial, can trigger cravings and increase appetite.
- Social Proof and Norms: We are often influenced by the perceived behavior of our peers. When social media shows friends or influencers consuming certain foods, it creates a social norm that can drive us to do the same.
- Emotional Appeals: Marketing often associates unhealthy food and drinks with positive emotions like happiness, celebration, and comfort. This emotional connection can override rational thought about nutritional value.
Conclusion
In an increasingly digital and connected world, the media’s influence on our dietary habits is more potent and pervasive than ever. From traditional advertising to the powerful, personalized algorithms of social media, our food and drink choices are constantly being shaped. The rise of influencer marketing, the rapid spread of food trends, and the framing of nutrition in news media all contribute to a complex landscape of dietary influences. Understanding these mechanisms is the first step toward making more mindful and informed decisions about what we eat and drink. By promoting media literacy and regulating harmful food marketing, we can create a healthier digital environment for future generations.
The Unregulated Digital Food Environment: A Public Health Challenge
The digital environment for food marketing is largely unregulated, posing a significant challenge to public health, especially for vulnerable populations like children and adolescents. While efforts have been made to restrict the marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods on television, the digital space remains a free-for-all. Food and beverage companies exploit this by using sophisticated, targeted digital marketing campaigns that are difficult for young people to recognize as advertisements. Policies must be updated to address the modern digital ecosystem and protect consumers from manipulative and harmful marketing practices.
