Who’s Feeding The Kids Online? Digital Food Marketing and Children in Ireland

Children in Ireland are increasingly active on digital media, with most 9 to 16 year olds now going online via a smartphone. Digital media has fundamentally changed marketing, and evidence from marketers and digital platforms indicates that online methods increase the impact of marketing, including for unhealthy foods. This report describes the findings of a study examining the content appealing to children and young people on websites of top food and drink retail brands in Ireland, marketing techniques on Facebook Pages of food brands that have the highest reach among young teens, and parents’ awareness of digital food marketing to their children.