TY - JOUR
T1 - Marketing unhealthy brands
T2 - An analysis of SKU pricing, pack size and promotion strategies that increase harmful product consumption
AU - Greenland, Steven J.
AU - Gill, Robert
AU - Moss, Simon
AU - Low, David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Unhealthy product marketing drives non-communicable disease, and more research into the strategies that increase unhealthy product consumption is essential to improve regulation and disease prevention. This study’s retail audits captured point-of-sale stock-keeping unit (SKU) price, pack and promotional details for leading brands across unhealthy product categories, including high-sugar junk food and drinks, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as a comparison sample of non-harmful products. Analysis and per-unit price-promotion differences across SKUs identified commonalities in unhealthy product brand strategies including dynamic price promotion and volume discounting, which was more prevalent for unhealthy compared with non-harmful brands. Interpreting findings in relation to consumer psychology and marketing theory exposed a widespread strategy specifically designed to encourage heightened consumption by punishing smaller SKU purchases with significantly higher per-unit prices, while rewarding larger SKU purchase with lower prices. Policy recommendations, including controlling unregulated price-promotion variables, are discussed along with this study's limitations and future research directions.
AB - Unhealthy product marketing drives non-communicable disease, and more research into the strategies that increase unhealthy product consumption is essential to improve regulation and disease prevention. This study’s retail audits captured point-of-sale stock-keeping unit (SKU) price, pack and promotional details for leading brands across unhealthy product categories, including high-sugar junk food and drinks, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as a comparison sample of non-harmful products. Analysis and per-unit price-promotion differences across SKUs identified commonalities in unhealthy product brand strategies including dynamic price promotion and volume discounting, which was more prevalent for unhealthy compared with non-harmful brands. Interpreting findings in relation to consumer psychology and marketing theory exposed a widespread strategy specifically designed to encourage heightened consumption by punishing smaller SKU purchases with significantly higher per-unit prices, while rewarding larger SKU purchase with lower prices. Policy recommendations, including controlling unregulated price-promotion variables, are discussed along with this study's limitations and future research directions.
KW - alcohol, tobacco and sugar regulation
KW - preventative health
KW - price promotion
KW - sustainable food consumption
KW - unethical marketing
KW - Volume discounting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149043024&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/0965254X.2023.2176532
DO - 10.1080/0965254X.2023.2176532
M3 - Article
SN - 0965-254X
VL - 0
SP - 1
EP - 16
JO - Journal of Strategic Marketing
JF - Journal of Strategic Marketing
IS - 0
ER -