Cartoon characters do not push kids to want unhealthy foods, but they deceive parents

A study from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the College of Business at Colorado State University has shown that if you put Scooby Doo's face on a bag of fruit snacks, you will not risk not tempt your child from carrots that a snack without Scooby-face.

Published in the April issue of Journal Of Public Policy & Marketing (and brought to our attention by Xpress Medical), the researchers conducted tests in which children were asked to choose between snacks with or without authorized cartoon characters – your Scoobys, your Bob Sponge, your Steven Universes and Crystal Gems, you see the # 39; idea. The researchers found that when they chose between two similar products, children were more likely to choose a product with a lively, friendly face. But when presented with two different options, such as cookies and carrots, the cartoon characters do not affect the children's decisions.

Margaret C. Campbell, a professor at the Leeds School and co-author of the study, said: "The overriding influence on children's choices is the taste … The licensed character does not … influence only on moving the children's choices to the same level of expected taste. "

Lead author, Bridget Leonard, added: "While previous studies showed a sharp increase in the number of characters on food packaging, our new research shows that, although these characters may influence the brand choice, they do not have a significant impact on the choice of healthy or indulgent food. .. More research is needed to get kids to make these healthy choices. "

SpongeBob also has no impact on the amount of food that children would eat. However, the world's greatest authority on living in a pineapple under the sea has had an impact on parents and educators. So, good job, marketing:

"We found that the characters had an impact on the perception of caregivers that a food is fun or for children," said Kenneth Manning, a professor at the College of Business at Colorado State University. "Thus, the inclusion of licensed characters on packaging can help brands in their efforts to position foods so that they are designed for children."

The joke on you, Mum.