Food marketers spending more on TV ads to target black shoppers, study says
Food companies have ramped up spending on TV commercials targeting black consumers while simultaneously cutting back their overall spending on advertising, according to a new study.
During a five-year period when both total and Spanish-language TV advertising by food companies fell 4 percent, TV marketing aimed at black Americans spiked more than 50 percent, according to a report from University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Black teenagers saw more than twice as many ads for unhealthy foods compared to white teens in 2017, the study found.
Both fast-food chains and packaged food companies increased their spending for the demographic group during the period from 2013 to 2017. According to the study, PepsiCo Inc.'s spending on TV commercials targeting black shoppers rose by 37 percent, while Taco Bell-owner Yum Brands Inc.'s rose 31 percent. The companies did not immediately reply to Bloomberg's request for comment.