tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/advertising-738/articlesAdvertising – The Conversation2024-03-25T01:28:21Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2263152024-03-25T01:28:21Z2024-03-25T01:28:21ZCelebrities, influencers, loopholes: online gambling advertising faces an uncertain future in Australia<p>Sports betting is most popular among <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/research/research-reports/gambling-activity-australia">Australian young people</a> than any other age group, and this trend has only increased over the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-024-10282-x">past 15 years</a>.</p>
<p>Young males, in particular, are the group most likely to participate in sports betting and face a higher risk of developing gambling issues. </p>
<p>Environmental factors, such as advertising, can make young people more likely to bet on sports. So regulation is essential if we want to prevent young people from gambling-related harm.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/premier-leagues-front-of-shirt-gambling-ad-ban-is-a-flawed-approach-australia-should-learn-from-it-204105">Premier League’s front-of-shirt gambling ad ban is a flawed approach. Australia should learn from it</a>
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<h2>Advertising, promotions and marketing techniques</h2>
<p>Advertising serves <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/002224377601300110">two different purposes</a>. There is the advertising that companies use to set their products apart from their competitors (known as competitive advertising). There is also the advertising companies use to make people more interested in a product (known as primary demand advertising).</p>
<p>Sports betting companies use competitive advertising by promoting their products’ unique features, such as chat features and live match updates, or by offering promotions, such as bonus bets and deposit matches. This type of advertising is most likely to appeal to people who are already involved in sports betting. They are looking for more affordable ways to bet, ways to maximise their winnings, and better features. </p>
<p>Promotions are an effective way to make people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.99">bet more</a>. They may be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-023-01173-0">more likely</a> to influence people who gamble to risky levels. Because of this, Australia has taken steps to <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/communities-and-vulnerable-people-programs-services-gambling/gambling-reforms">ban some of these promotions</a>, including sign-up and refer-a-friend offers.</p>
<p>Sports betting companies use a variety of marketing strategies to generate interest in sports betting. For example, they often advertise during live sports broadcasts to generate interest in sports gambling. </p>
<p>This serves two purposes: it presents sports betting as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2017.1353082">normal part</a> of being a sports fan and aligns sports betting with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2021.1937274">positive values</a> people associate with sports, such as fairness, success and competence.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Young males, in particular, are the group most likely to participate in sports betting.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>The impact of celebrities and influencers</h2>
<p>Sports betting companies often feature <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daae012">celebrities and athletes</a> in their advertising. This can enhance the appeal of betting, as people transfer their favourable opinions of celebrities and athletes to sports betting. </p>
<p>However, companies can use social media influencers to do this much more effectively. This is because influencers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-08-2021-0200">engage more</a> with their followers and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898">appear more relatable</a> than more well-known celebrities.</p>
<p>Companies can use influencers in various ways to promote sports betting. One approach is to pay influencers to appear in advertising campaigns, known as <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/endorsement-in-advertising">influencer endorsements</a>. </p>
<p>Another approach is <a href="https://www.goodbadmarketing.com/aiza/sponsored-content-disclosure-australia/">sponsored content</a>, where a company pays an influencer to promote its brand or product in its own content. For example, an influencer might create a video about sports betting and mention they bet with a specific betting company.</p>
<p><a href="https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/content-marketing/">Content advertising</a> has become increasingly popular in the digital age as people consume more content on a daily basis. </p>
<p>Companies use this strategy by creating content that appeals to their target audience without directly advertising their products. A sports betting company might create a website that shares sports-related news, which would appeal to their target audience of sports fans. This advertising strategy cultivates brand awareness and fosters customer loyalty.</p>
<p>In essence, sports betting advertising goes beyond what people see during commercial breaks. Like all advertising, it appears wherever content is generated and wherever a brand’s target audience is expected to engage with it.</p>
<h2>The complexities of a potential ban</h2>
<p>Last year’s <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Social_Policy_and_Legal_Affairs/Onlinegamblingimpacts/Report/Chapter_5_-_Gambling_advertising">parliamentary inquiry</a> into online gambling outlines recommendations for a gradual ban of online gambling advertising by 2026. Whether these recommendations are implemented remains to be seen, but it is important to recognise that advertising is now more complex and global than ever before. </p>
<p>How will this recommended ban account for influencer advertising, content advertising, or subtle references to odds on websites that provide scores and live updates of sports events?</p>
<p>How gambling advertising is defined will likely become a crucial issue. In 2018, Italy <a href="https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c8f3839f-5841-4c90-b768-35147f686ca0">banned</a> all direct advertising for gambling. To <a href="https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli/divieto-pubblicita-scommesse">circumvent this ban</a>, betting companies established websites solely focused on sharing sports-related news content using the same name as their betting brand. This allowed them to openly advertise their betting brand during live sporting events.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-strong-hand-to-tackle-gambling-harm-will-it-go-all-in-or-fold-208749">Australia has a strong hand to tackle gambling harm. Will it go all in or fold?</a>
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<h2>A holistic approach</h2>
<p>A complete ban on gambling advertising may soon be implemented in Australia, but it is crucial to consider what exactly defines gambling advertising.</p>
<p>It’s important to involve marketers in the process of implementing an advertising ban because they have the most up-to-date knowledge of current advertising trends; policymakers and researchers might not know about them until years later. </p>
<p>This is a critical step towards preventing sports betting companies from potentially exploiting regulatory loopholes. </p>
<p>A future advertising ban must consider advances in social media marketing strategies, all of which are especially significant for young people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226315/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gianluca Di Censo receives funding from the Office of Responsible Gambling. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Delfabbro receives funding from state and federal government agencies for research.</span></em></p>A 2023 federal government inquiry recommended a ban on gambling advertising. What needs to happen should a ban be implemented?Gianluca Di Censo, PhD Candidate, University of AdelaidePaul Delfabbro, Professor, School of Psychology, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2261172024-03-24T19:06:49Z2024-03-24T19:06:49ZWe’ve taken smoking from ‘normal’ to ‘uncommon’ and we can do the same with vaping – here’s how<p>Vaping is a pressing public health issue. While adult smoking rates continue to fall, vaping rates are rising. Some 7% of adults now <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q559">vape daily</a>, up nearly three-fold since 2019. Most alarmingly, the rate of current vape use – on a daily, weekly or monthly basis – among 18-to-24-year-olds has climbed from 5% in 2019 to 21% in 2023. </p>
<p>Nicotine, especially in high doses, is known to be <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-18-e-cigarettes/18-6-the-health-effects-of-e-cigarette-use/18-6-2-health-effects-of-e-cigarette-use-during-adolescence#_ENREF_4">harmful to brain development</a>. Vaping products also contain more than 200 chemicals, some of them known carcinogens. </p>
<p>While the research on long-term health harms of non-therapeutic vaping is still emerging, there is an urgent need for governments to act in the interests of public health.</p>
<h2>Historical parallels</h2>
<p>We have confronted youth nicotine addiction before. Lessons can be learned from Australia’s decades-long, world-leading efforts to control tobacco.</p>
<p>Firstly, global tobacco organisations <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-18-e-cigarettes/18-1-the-ecigarettemarket">now control</a> the vaping industry. Like smoking historically, vapes are aggressively marketed to young people.</p>
<p>In 1969, in the early years of tobacco control, <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-3-prevalence-of-smoking-adults">36% of adults smoked daily</a>, but prevalence was declining. Tobacco companies sought new young buyers for their products. They <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-push-to-end-tobacco-advertising-in-the-1970s-could-be-used-to-curb-gambling-ads-today-200915">flooded television and radio with advertising</a>, which rapidly drove up youth smoking. We are seeing the devastating effects today of tobacco-induced disease.</p>
<p>Anti-tobacco advocates in 1971 pressured a reluctant Commonwealth government to ban tobacco advertising. They used celebrity-studded, satirical television adverts showing smoking’s health harms, drumming up media attention, and lobbied politicians using international data showing the powerful effect cigarette advertising had on promoting youth smoking. </p>
<p>On the back of growing public outrage, politicians eventually <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-push-to-end-tobacco-advertising-in-the-1970s-could-be-used-to-curb-gambling-ads-today-200915">banned tobacco advertising on television and radio by 1977</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-push-to-end-tobacco-advertising-in-the-1970s-could-be-used-to-curb-gambling-ads-today-200915">How the push to end tobacco advertising in the 1970s could be used to curb gambling ads today</a>
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<h2>The rise of the Quit campaigns</h2>
<p>Despite this success, more was needed to drive down smoking. In 1978, the Commonwealth government and the NSW Department of Health funded a <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/287/6399/1125">“Quit for Life” campaign</a> in northern NSW to discover how best to help smokers to quit.</p>
<p>It revealed that memorable ads – notably the famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCkx610Gn6M&ab_channel=Freeman">“Sponge” ad</a> – combined with counselling and medical assistance were most effective. </p>
<p>“Quit”-branded campaigns were then rolled out in Western Australia (1982), Sydney and Melbourne (1983) and South Australia (1984). </p>
<p>The first Quitline providing guidance on accessing support was trialled in Sydney. In Victoria, a dedicated organisation, <a href="http://www.quit.org.au">Quit</a> Victoria, was established in 1985. From 1987, it received funding from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), using revenue from cigarette taxes.</p>
<p>Each campaign relied on the same tools: anti-smoking education complemented by a Quitline and other practical support for smokers to quit.</p>
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<h2>Banishing smoking from public space</h2>
<p>Tobacco companies pivoted to sport sponsorship in the 1980s to keep their brands in public view. In response, anti-smoking advocates pushed to close legislative loopholes allowing this “sports-washing”, and Quit Victoria began sponsoring sport.</p>
<p>But the problem of youth smoking <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10552-008-9127-8">re-emerged due to a lack of co-ordinated national action</a>. By the mid-1990s, smoking prevalence among young people <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-6-prevalence-of-smoking-teenagers">was back at 30%</a>. </p>
<p>Advocates pushed for a nationwide education campaign using a consistent message: “<a href="https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/12/suppl_2/ii9.short">Every cigarette is doing you damage</a>”. A nation-wide Quitline service was launched, as were new anti-smoking regulations, including smoke-free areas, stronger health harm warnings on cigarette packs, and increased taxation. <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-6-prevalence-of-smoking-teenagers">Youth smoking rapidly decreased</a>.</p>
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<p>However, success was not guaranteed, and advocates continued pressing. Through the early 2000s, <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-11-advertising/11-9-retail-promotion-and-access">each state progressively banned</a> point-of-sale tobacco advertising, including the visual display of packs. </p>
<p>A Commonwealth-led agreement with the states to co-ordinate their laws led to a nationwide indoor smoking ban from July 1 2007. And, in a world first, the Gillard government <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/a-decade-on-from-plain-packaging-what-is-the-result-20210709-p588e7.html">legislated the plain packaging</a> of tobacco, finally removing all tobacco branding.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-restrictive-vaping-and-tobacco-policies-are-fuelling-a-lucrative-and-dangerous-black-market-225279">Australia's restrictive vaping and tobacco policies are fuelling a lucrative and dangerous black market</a>
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<h2>Three major lessons</h2>
<p>This history offers important lessons for the vaping crisis: </p>
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<li><p>the importance of a multi-pronged strategy, which includes stressing that vaping is addictive and unhealthy, and evidence-based advocacy to government </p></li>
<li><p>the need to provide appropriate supports to help people quit</p></li>
<li><p>a consistent, national approach targeting people of all ages, especially young people, before they become nicotine-dependent.</p></li>
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<p>Tobacco-control efforts were evidence-based, from the science of smoking’s health harms, to the power of cigarette advertising on youth, to the best response strategies.</p>
<p>Public education campaigns about the harms of vapes must also be evidence-based and sophisticated in their targeting of vaping’s appeal.</p>
<p>More than four decades of “Quit” campaigning show the value of complementary resources, including counselling and medical support. Practical supports to help people to stop vaping should be strengthened wherever needed. </p>
<p>Finally, the Commonwealth must continue to lead. The laws implemented by federal Health Minister Mark Butler on March 1 2024 enforce the existing ban on the import of all unregulated vapes, nicotine and non-nicotine alike. The <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/world-leading-vaping-legislation-introduced-to-parliament?language=en">second phase of laws</a> promised by the Commonwealth on March 21 enforces existing retail bans that have been widely flouted. It requires the states to assist.</p>
<p>This is a complicated issue of public policy because — despite what some opponents have suggested — <a href="https://simonchapman6.com/2024/03/17/vaping-theology-22-prohibition-has-never-worked-at-any-point-in-history-for-any-other-illicit-substance/">vapes are not prohibited, but regulated</a>. This means they are accessible by prescription for their original intended use: to quit smoking.</p>
<p>To make this work, the Commonwealth must encourage states to enforce bans. It must press for consistent laws across the country regarding the enforcement of vape-free areas. It must also seek a national approach to ensuring doctors and other healthcare providers have up-to-date evidence on prescribing therapeutic e-cigarettes for people seeking to quit smoking.</p>
<p>The health minister should be commended for the strong steps he has taken to tackle non-therapeutic vaping. The government should also take comfort in the knowledge it has the legacy of Australia’s considerable success in tobacco control on its side. </p>
<p>However, a challenge lies ahead with a politically motivated opposition and a Greens cross-bench. Both misrepresent current policy as “prohibition” when it is merely regulation to keep vapes away from young people. </p>
<p>We’ve taken smoking from “normal” to “uncommon”. We can do the same with vaping when these laws come into full effect, providing states and territories are equipped to enforce them.</p>
<p><em>Correction: This piece originally stated the rate of daily vaping among 18-to-24-year-olds has climbed from 5% in 2019 to 21% in 2023. In fact, 21% is current use – either daily, weekly or monthly.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226117/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carolyn Holbrook receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Kehoe receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is an employee of Cancer Council Victoria.</span></em></p>Australia’s anti-smoking public health campaign has been hugely successful, and it offers lessons on how to tackle the rise in vaping.Carolyn Holbrook, Associate Professor in History, Deakin UniversityThomas Kehoe, Historian, Cancer Council VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2237152024-03-19T20:37:08Z2024-03-19T20:37:08ZBill C-372: Banning fossil fuel ads does not go far enough<p>When the New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus proposed <a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-372/first-reading">private member’s bill C-372 in February to ban fossil-fuel advertising</a> it is unsurprising that he struck a nerve with many. After all, standing up to fossil fuel interests in a natural resources economy such as Canada’s is unlikely to make you a lot of friends. </p>
<p>While the bill’s future remains uncertain, what is clear is that the debate it triggered has revealed interesting dynamics, and fault lines, at play within the Canadian economy and civil society. </p>
<p>Some reactions to bill C-372 show bad faith on the part of the lobbyists of the oil and gas sector — and illustrate still wide-spread ignorance about the existential threat of climate change. However, other lines of criticism thrown at Angus should be taken seriously, even if they ultimately fall short of being convincing.</p>
<h2>Free speech versus harm</h2>
<p>First in the list of criticisms is that this bill would unduly limit free speech. It is important to clarify that the bill does not concern individual free speech, but instead targets corporate communications. </p>
<p>The belief that corporations have a right of free speech is itself disputed both in Canada <a href="https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1556&context=concomm">and the United States</a>. More fundamentally, the right to free speech has to be weighed against the other rights at stake — including <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/right-to-healthy-environment.html">the right to live in a healthy environment</a>.</p>
<p>As Bill C-372 states, “air pollution caused by fossil fuels leads to millions of premature deaths globally, including tens of thousands of premature deaths in Canada alone” — a claim which has been substantiated by a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/countdown-health-climate">range of recent studies</a>. These numbers are only set to rise.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A 2021 report produced by British broadcaster Channel 4 detailing the extensive use of advertising on social media by large fossil-fuel corporations.</span></figcaption>
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<p>One of liberal societies’ core values is the idea that people are free to do what they want, unless their actions cause harm to others. I can have a bonfire, but I cannot do so in drought conditions when the fire would put lives at risk. </p>
<p>The emissions from fossil fuel production and consumption put lives at risk through global warming and extreme weather and they reduce the quality of life through air pollution and the respiratory diseases it causes. Indeed, one study argues that the <a href="https://bigthink.com/the-present/corporate-death-penalty/">U.S. coal industry currently kills more people than it employs</a>.</p>
<p>Allowing advertising for these activities adds insult to injury and infringes upon the rights and health of millions. It is hard to see how anyone could be against Bill C-372.</p>
<h2>Too costly compared to what?</h2>
<p>Some critics attack the analogy Angus draws between banning fossil fuel ads and the tobacco ban in the 1980s. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-ndps-effort-to-ban-the-promotion-of-big-oil-misses-the-mark/">Kelly Cryderman in the <em>Globe and Mail</em></a>, for example, asserted that “smoking is way easier to quit than oil” which is so central to our economy.</p>
<p>This critique insinuates that “quitting” fossil fuels would simply be too costly. It no doubt would be expensive, but the relevant question here is “costly compared to what?” A brief look at the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/">latest report</a> from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would put this claim to rest. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, a recent <a href="https://canadianclimat.wpenginepowered.com/climate-change-is-coming-for-your-wallet/">report by the Canadian Climate Institute</a> has found that climate change will cost Canadians on average $700 a year over the next three years alone and as soon as 2025 “climate-induced damages will be slowing Canada’s economic growth to the tune of $25 billion annually, equal to about half the expected annual growth in our economy.” </p>
<p>You don’t have to read the fine print to get the idea that not quitting fossil fuels will be considerably more expensive than phasing them out. </p>
<p>Recognizing this, is entirely compatible with acknowledging the hard work many Canadians have put into fossil fuel extraction. A just transition requires providing them with new opportunities.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Bill C-372 asks no one to quit anything. It merely proposes to ban advertising fossil fuels. By any reasonable standard, this makes it a rather modest measure. Which brings us to a third point of contention.</p>
<h2>Who are the radicals here?</h2>
<p>When one reads claims that Bill C-372 allegedly requires us to <a href="https://torontosun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-the-bizarre-logic-of-the-green-radicals">“try wintering in Canada without fossil fuel energy,”</a> one wonders whether the critics in question were reading some survival magazine instead of Bill C-372. But their intentions are clear. </p>
<p>They are working to portray the bill as a radical proposal formulated at the fringes of the political spectrum to the detriment of working people.</p>
<p>The consensus position among mainstream economists today is that fossil fuel production and consumption are inefficiently high, because their social and environmental costs – deaths, lung diseases, wildfires, atmospheric rivers, etc. – are <a href="https://core-econ.org/the-economy/microeconomics/10-market-successes-failures-02-pollution-effects.html">not adequately reflected in market prices</a>. Carbon taxes provide a potential remedy, but they remain a mostly under-utilized mechanism in most countries, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/climate/carbon-tax-home-heating-oil-1.7015480">including Canada</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/cop28-how-7-policies-could-help-save-a-billion-lives-by-2100-212953">COP28: How 7 policies could help save a billion lives by 2100</a>
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<p>If carbon pricing via taxation is the mainstream, what would be a truly radical approach to the climate crisis? Perhaps doing away with the <a href="https://lpeproject.org/blog/privatizing-sovereignty-socializing-property-what-economics-doesnt-teach-you-about-the-corporation/">limited liability</a> of fossil fuel corporations, exposing them to trillions of dollars of damages in the future? Or <a href="https://jacobin.com/2020/08/nationalize-fossil-fuels-green-new-deal-big-oil">nationalizing the industry</a> to progressively wind it down? But banning fossil fuel advertising? It’s a drop in the bucket. A modest step at best.</p>
<p>It’s always hard to change one’s ways, both for individuals and societies. The worst possible attitude is to be in denial about what is required. Given the existential threat of climate change, the true radicals here are those opposing Bill C-372.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223715/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Dietsch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Bill C-372 does not curtail free speech and, if anything, demonstrates how banning fossil fuel ads does not go nearly far enough.Peter Dietsch, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2249662024-03-07T03:15:46Z2024-03-07T03:15:46ZFirst Newshub, now TVNZ: the news funding model is broken – but this would fix it<p>The announcement last week that <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/510398/newshub-to-shut-down-in-june">Newshub would be shut down</a> was not the “canary in the coalmine” some suggested – it was the explosion. If it is not to be the first of many, then New Zealand needs a new model for its fourth estate.</p>
<p>The fate of Newshub and today’s <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/511058/live-tvnz-to-cut-up-to-68-jobs-in-proposed-restructure">projected newsroom cuts at TVNZ</a> threaten to leave a significant gap in the news sector, particularly television. But beyond that, the causes and solutions are very much up for debate.</p>
<p>There are both specific institutional factors and deeper structural trends at play within the television and news sectors. And Newshub’s <a href="https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/29/a-plan-to-rescue-newshub-on-a-beer-budget/">tangled financial history</a> serves as a reminder of the dangers of foreign ownership of strategic media assets. </p>
<p>Beyond the shifting fortunes of one company, however, the local news ecology has faced wider structural problems. The imminent loss of so many working news producers and journalists makes finding workable solutions even more urgent.</p>
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<h2>Fragmenting audiences</h2>
<p>Over the past 25 years, the TV sector’s share of the advertising market has <a href="https://www.asa.co.nz/industry/asa-advertising-turnover-report/">roughly halved</a>, from 34.3% in 1999 to just 17.7% by 2022.</p>
<p>The capture of advertising revenue by Google and Meta (the parent of Facebook and Instagram) has played a key role. Google alone now accounts for almost <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/510750/bailout-warning-went-to-minister-melissa-lee-s-office-before-newshub-s-collapse">two-thirds</a> of the roughly NZ$1.8 billion digital advertising spend in New Zealand.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/with-the-end-of-newshub-the-slippery-slope-just-got-steeper-for-nz-journalism-and-democracy-224625">With the end of Newshub, the slippery slope just got steeper for NZ journalism and democracy</a>
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<p>But the decline in TV revenues is also related to the fragmentation of audiences, as viewers shift to new on-demand services. TV3’s daily audience reach for its linear services <a href="https://www.nzonair.govt.nz/research/where-are-the-audiences-2023/">declined by almost 50%</a>, from 35% in 2014 to 17% in 2023.</p>
<p>Perhaps not surprisingly, Newshub’s demise has amplified calls from the news sector to expedite the <a href="https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2023/0278/latest/whole.html">Fair News Digital Bargaining Bill</a>. This would require the online platforms to negotiate payments to news providers for hosting, linking and sharing news content. </p>
<p>Some estimates suggest this could be worth $30–50 million annually to the news sector. On the face of it, this may appear to be a logical solution – but it’s not that simple.</p>
<h2>A flawed bill</h2>
<p>There are a number of <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/54SCEDSI_EVI_fc7faac0-2ec0-4e47-7ab5-08db9ebb2302_EDSI122/f9a94645093fe85c6e9450a7c377e42daeb7da04">problems with the proposed bill</a>. Fundamentally, it misdiagnoses the market relationship between the platforms and the news media.</p>
<p>The tech platforms’ capture of digital advertising stems not from its co-option of news content, but from the mass harvesting of audience data (enabling targeted advertising), and algorithmic influence over content discovery.</p>
<p>The bill also provides no fixed benchmarks for payments. And the arbitration process in the event of non-agreement is potentially very complex, because different media outlets will have varying relationships with each platform.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/facebook-wont-keep-paying-australian-media-outlets-for-their-content-are-we-about-to-get-another-news-ban-224857">Facebook won't keep paying Australian media outlets for their content. Are we about to get another news ban?</a>
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<p>Making those agreements will depend on the goodwill of the platforms. But arbitration could well determine the advantages the platforms confer on news providers (increasing their visibility and directing traffic to their websites) outweigh the commercial benefits to the platforms of hosting or sharing news content.</p>
<p>Indeed, Meta’s resistance to the news bargaining frameworks in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/01/facebook-news-tab-shut-down-end-australia-journalism-funding-deals">Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67755133">Canada</a> underlines the risk of a platform exempting itself from bargaining obligations by prohibiting the hosting and sharing of news. </p>
<p>News media depending on platform payments might also be motivated to provide content that maximises value to the platforms – for example, populist or controversial content more likely to be shared. Or they may be less inclined to critically investigate issues involving their benefactors.</p>
<p>Ultimately, there is no guarantee any platform payments will actually be reinvested in news production, let alone commercially unattractive genres such as local government or regional reporting.</p>
<h2>A new form of funding</h2>
<p>There is no realistic possibility of the government bailing out Newshub or any other individual news outlet.</p>
<p>And while the news media’s function in upholding democratic processes and holding power to account remains vital, it doesn’t follow that market competition and plurality are sufficient to sustain that.</p>
<p>Indeed, it was the introduction of commercial competition for eyeballs and advertising that drove <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279455908_The_State_the_Media_and_Thin_Democracy">measurable declines</a> in the length and substance of television news through the 1990s.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breaking-news-making-google-and-facebook-pay-nz-media-for-content-could-deliver-less-than-bargained-for-196030">Breaking news: making Google and Facebook pay NZ media for content could deliver less than bargained for</a>
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<p>Democracy cannot thrive if the fourth estate is in a commercial race to the bottom. It requires diversity of perspectives and competition for substance that treats the audience as citizens, not just fodder for advertisers.</p>
<p>This requires a new form of funding and a new institutional arrangement. One way to achieve this would be through a small levy on digital advertising expenditure, and potentially other commercial revenues such as internet and streaming services. The revenue would be reinvested in news content through an independent agency on a contestable basis.</p>
<p>There are different possible mechanisms, but an initial model could apply a levy to digital advertising spend across the media sector. This would mean the advertising spend currently going to Google and Meta would generate the majority of the revenue. </p>
<p>Although the spend going to other media would, in principle, also incur the levy, there could be rebates for local content producers. News operators would, in any case, be the recipients of the journalism funding which the levy makes possible.</p>
<p>Even a 1% levy on the $1.8 billion digital advertising spend would generate as much revenue as the (now defunct) <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300932677/public-interest-journalism-fund-closes">Public Interest Journalism Fund</a>. A 3% levy would equal the higher estimates of what the proposed Fair News Digital Bargaining Bill would deliver.</p>
<h2>Collaborative news sharing</h2>
<p>Being administered by an independent agency (perhaps NZ On Air) would help ensure the levy supported news based on public service principles – including investigative, local government, regional and minority coverage – and that a wide range of news operations received support.</p>
<p>There is also a need for some form of collaborative news-sharing model. RNZ already shares its news content, and there have been proposals for a <a href="https://www.rnn.co.nz/">regional news network</a> to cover local issues often overlooked by the mainstream. </p>
<p>An independent, multi-platform news publisher model could underpin such an initiative. It would operate across both broadcasting, print and online media, and allow members to make use of any pooled content on their own channels or websites. </p>
<p>A levy mechanism and public news publisher model would be a far better basis for rescuing New Zealand’s fourth estate than throwing the news media some crumbs from Big Tech’s table.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224966/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Thompson is a founding member and chair of the Better Public Media Trust. He has previously undertaken commissioned research for the Canadian Department of Heritage, the Department of Internal Affairs, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and NZ On Air. </span></em></p>Calls for the Fair News Digital Bargaining Bill to be fast-tracked are misguided. A better solution would be a straight levy on digital advertising to fund public interest news production.Peter Thompson, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2196152024-03-04T01:44:34Z2024-03-04T01:44:34ZGreenwashing claims on trial: should NZ ban fossil fuel advertising?<p>According to independent watchdog Consumer NZ, New Zealand is “<a href="https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/greenwashing-is-rife-in-aotearoa-we-need-new-laws-to-stop-them">rife with greenwashing</a>”, with many companies positioning themselves as “sustainable”. No doubt you’ll have seen such claims on the products in your weekly shopping basket.</p>
<p>The practice is coming under increasing scrutiny, in New Zealand and around the world, due to concerns that it <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/508529/consumers-struggling-to-verify-sustainability-claims-survey">denies meaningful consumer choice</a>. Studies show brands advertising their sustainability <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/consumers-care-about-sustainability-and-back-it-up-with-their-wallets">perform better</a>, but consumers can’t be expected to research every claim.</p>
<p>Overseas, legislative moves are being made to tackle greenwashing. The European Parliament, for example, has just <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240112IPR16772/meps-adopt-new-law-banning-greenwashing-and-misleading-product-information">approved a directive</a> that will ban baseless marketing claims such as “environmentally friendly”. </p>
<p>The directive will also cover “claims that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the environment because of emissions offsetting schemes”. This will be particularly challenging for fossil fuel energy companies and other large polluters as they attempt to claim carbon neutrality through offset schemes. </p>
<p>Consumer NZ and others (including the Environmental Law Initiative where I also work), are <a href="https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/consumer-nz-and-others-seek-high-court-declaration-that-z-energy-has-misled-new-zealanders">currently seeking</a> a High Court declaration that Z Energy has breached the Fair Trading Act with its advertising, including the claim it is “in the business of getting out of the petrol business”.</p>
<p>Z Energy has responded by saying its own transparency over emissions reporting makes it a target. The company’s CEO has been <a href="https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/26/greenhushing-not-greenwashing-z-energy-denies-court-claims/">reported as saying</a> the threat of legal action might mean big emitters “say less, do less and are less ambitious” about their attempts to meet emissions targets.</p>
<p>It’s the first major case in New Zealand concerning alleged climate greenwashing, and its outcome will be closely watched.</p>
<h2>Drawing a legal line</h2>
<p>An <a href="https://www.beuc.eu/sites/default/files/publications/BEUC-X-2023-149_The_Great_Green_Maze_How_environmental_advertising_confuses_consumers.pdf">international consumer survey</a> published late last year looked at perceptions of green claims. It found three out of four European respondents believed “very polluting” companies should not be allowed to use any green claims at all. </p>
<p>Close to 40% of respondents in Europe thought fossil fuel companies should not be allowed to do any advertising. Results were “broadly similar” for New Zealand respondents (and those from other countries) to the same survey.</p>
<p>Behind these sentiments is a simple logic. If advertising drives consumption, and consumption of fossil fuels is driving climate change, then ending the promotion of fossil fuels is part of the solution. There are obvious parallels with the restriction of tobacco advertising. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/greenwashing-energy-companies-make-false-claims-about-sustainability-they-should-be-held-to-account-202995">Greenwashing: energy companies make false claims about sustainability – they should be held to account</a>
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<p>In practice, however, there are significant challenges to defining the scope of any such laws. We all use fossil fuels every day, not only to run vehicles, but by our reliance on products in which the burning of oil, coal and gas is embedded, including their supply chains. </p>
<p>Where would we draw the line? An ambitious <a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-372/first-reading">private members bill</a> recently tabled in the Canadian parliament tries to answer that question. It reads:</p>
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<p>It is prohibited for a person to promote a fossil fuel, a fossil fuel-related brand element, or the production of a fossil fuel, except as authorized by the provisions of this Act or of the regulations. </p>
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<p>“Promotion” in this bill is defined as: </p>
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<p>a representation about a product or service by any means […] that is likely to influence and shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about the product or service.</p>
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<p>This is potentially much larger in scope than some existing European bans on the advertising of specific industries, such as <a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/08/24/france-becomes-first-european-country-to-ban-fossil-fuel-ads-but-does-the-new-law-go-far-e">France’s ban</a> on the advertising of fossil fuel energy products. This has been criticised by Greenpeace for still allowing certain types of advertising, including sporting event sponsorship.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/greenwashing-how-ads-get-you-to-think-brands-are-greener-than-they-are-and-how-to-avoid-falling-for-it-183169">Greenwashing: how ads get you to think brands are greener than they are – and how to avoid falling for it</a>
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<h2>Increasing climate litigation risk</h2>
<p>Because each country’s emissions profile is different, it might be most feasible to focus legislation on the most polluting companies or sectors, including carbon-intensive sectors that are still growing. </p>
<p>In New Zealand, that would mean limitations on the advertising of fossil fuel-intensive agricultural products and private transport (including non-electric cars and aviation). Or it might simply mean prohibitions on advertising by the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500074/new-zealand-s-biggest-emitters-for-2023-revealed#:%7E:text=New%20Zealand's%20top%2010%20emitters,tonnes%20from%20the%20previous%20year.">largest emitters</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-nz-ad-industry-wants-to-clean-up-its-climate-act-but-will-agencies-drop-their-fossil-fuel-clients-213236">The NZ ad industry wants to clean up its climate act – but will agencies drop their fossil fuel clients?</a>
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<p>In theory, such measures could be part of New Zealand’s second <a href="https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/climate-change/emissions-reductions/erp/">Emissions Reduction Plan</a>, which is due this year. This will contain strategies, policies and actions for achieving the country’s second emissions budget, and contributing to global efforts to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C.</p>
<p>However, the current government has made it <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/508653/auckland-regional-fuel-tax-to-end-in-june-pm-announces">cheaper to buy petrol</a> in Auckland, and has curtailed various public transport schemes. It seems unlikely we will see fossil fuel advertising bans in this parliamentary term, and any private member’s bill also seems destined to fail. </p>
<p>For all these reasons, attention is turning to the use of existing law in novel ways. As the Z Energy case suggests, New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act is likely to be increasingly used to challenge fossil fuel advertising. </p>
<p>The Act contains prohibitions against “misleading and deceptive conduct”, as well as “unconscionable conduct”. Neither has been properly tested in the New Zealand courts in the context of climate change. </p>
<h2>Climate and the law</h2>
<p>If consumer sentiment continues to harden, we can imagine a time when any positive advertising by a large climate polluter could be deemed to be misleading or unconscionable. </p>
<p>The risk for corporations is therefore increasing. As a <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ch/Documents/risk/deloitte-ch-en-climate-litigation.pdf">recent report</a> on climate litigation from global consultancy Deloitte argued:</p>
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<p>If policymakers do not enact adequate laws and standards, and companies do not apply these quickly and forcefully, individual constituents of society will increasingly turn to the courts to protect their own interests, those of their children and descendants, as well as the planet itself. </p>
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<p>However, at a time when rapid change is needed to address the climate crisis, driving it through the courts will be slow and incremental. </p>
<p>Specific legislation setting limits on fossil fuel advertising would be a far more efficient way of regulating claims by high-polluting industries. Such legislation would also provide more certainty for those industries.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219615/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Hall is Director, Research and Legal for the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI). Along with Consumer NZ and Lawyers for Climate Action NZ, ELI is one of the plaintiffs in the Fair Trading Act case being brought against Z Energy in the High Court of New Zealand. </span></em></p>Consumer NZ’s case against Z Energy under the Fair Trading Act may be a sign of things to come. But new legislation would be a cleaner way to regulate fossil fuel advertising.Matthew Hall, Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2203822024-02-21T13:24:02Z2024-02-21T13:24:02ZWealthier, urban Americans have access to more local news – while roughly half of US counties have only one outlet or less<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571704/original/file-20240126-15-zmnjbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">New York City could be described as a news oasis – the city's density and wealth mean there are many news outlets competing.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/collaboration/boards/mLIkgOfD3kO9L5mTPzmyfA">Gary Hershorn/via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Is local news readily available in your town? Do reporters still cover your school board and other municipal meetings? </p>
<p>If you answered yes, you are likely wealthier than the average American, and you live in or near a metro area. </p>
<p>The State of Local News Project at Northwestern University documents the changing local news landscape across the country. Our <a href="https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/state-of-local-news/2023/">latest report</a> shows that where you live and how much money you make affect whether you live in a news desert or a news oasis. This divide is related to other factors affecting the health of our democracy, as analysis of our data by the nonprofit <a href="https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2023/news-deserts-conservative-areas-political/">Rebuild Local News</a> showed.</p>
<p>For more than a decade, I have worked in organizations that study and support local journalism, and I’m <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=en&authuser=1&user=ItAnZWIAAAAJ&gmla=AH70aAUlPRHu6kmjNSSP-TVvnudJas_Lyz3yPPCuHDmsSYUw4nDbdCcWxmg7Sa1ZBvwXVEh-ulKZ942giM6J4HsIdw4jBb2XJF-zNRWFGmYl9x7m1tgEXxE2Kw">intimately familiar</a> with both the challenges and the solutions for the local journalism landscape.</p>
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<h2>Inequity in local news</h2>
<p>One of the most vexing problems, as our report shows, is the persistence of inequity between communities that are local journalism haves and have-nots. </p>
<p>The have-nots are news deserts with few, if any, journalists to do the daily newsgathering and reporting that people require to participate meaningfully in their local communities and democratic institutions. </p>
<p>The main challenge for news outlets in have-not communities is the <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/news-for-the-rich-white-and-blue/9780231184663">migration of advertising money from the printed page</a> – where it made up roughly 80% of news organizations’ income – to the screen, where it now makes up less than 20%. This decline in ad revenue, a trend for the last decade-plus, has forced many outlets to rely on audience funding, philanthropy, cost-cutting or some combination of the three. </p>
<p>In communities with little disposable income to put toward news subscriptions or donations and no local philanthropies, cost-cutting becomes the only option. This creates a self-reinforcing spiral of lower quality and declining readership and, ultimately, closure. </p>
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<p>In 2023, the country lost more than 130 print newspapers, which continue to be the newsrooms most likely to produce original local content that other outlets circulate.</p>
<p>Since 2005, the U.S. has lost almost 2,900 papers. </p>
<p>New digital outlets are not being created fast enough to fill that huge void. The number of digital outlets has held steady at roughly 550 in recent years, with about 20 new outlets opening each year – and roughly the same number closing.</p>
<p>All told, 1,558 of the nation’s 3,143 counties have only one news outlet, while 203 are news deserts with zero, meaning there are likely thousands of communities that simply do not have access to local news. </p>
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<p>For example, both Texas and Tennessee had four counties lose their only remaining newspaper last year. All eight papers were independently owned.</p>
<h2>What it takes to thrive</h2>
<p>Wealthier communities do better sustaining local news organizations.</p>
<p>Our data shows that counties with an average household income over US$80,000 can support a robust local journalism ecosystem – meaning 10 or more outlets. Those with an average household income of $54,000 or less are more likely to be news deserts. By the same token, the percentage of the population below the poverty line in news deserts averages more than 16%, versus 12% in counties with robust markets. This finding aligns with <a href="https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2018-10/Kalogeropolous%20Social%20Inequality%20in%20News%20FINAL.pdf">other research</a>, including a previous study I did of <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2237404">local news in New Jersey</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to household income, population density correlates to the number of outlets serving a local community. In our data, counties with 10 or more outlets are overwhelmingly urban or dense suburbia, while news deserts are usually rural – though news deserts also occur in low-income pockets of metro areas. Densely populated communities tend to include higher-income households and have network effects that come from the ability of businesses to reach a larger number of people in a relatively small footprint. </p>
<p>This phenomenon leads to the third factor related to number of outlets in a county: gross domestic product per capita. In any town, city or country, the GDP represents the amount of money netted from sales of services and merchandise, divided by population. For the news oases in our study, the average GDP per capita is $75,140. For the news deserts, it is just $8,964. This difference reflects the retail and services base, and the number of businesses that could buy advertising in their local news outlet, or create jobs that would allow residents to donate to one. </p>
<p>An example that highlights the importance of this factor is the newspaper <a href="https://moabsunnews.com/">Moab Sun News</a>, which is thriving in the rural rocky highlands of Utah, thanks in part to a <a href="https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/state-of-local-news/2023/case-studies/moab-sun-news/">robust tourism industry and retail base</a>. Though it serves a relatively small permanent population of 5,321, the Moab Sun News has built a sustainable business model through strong advertising revenue, a user-friendly website that welcomes subscriptions and donations, and creative collaborations with other community organizations in town.</p>
<p>The final factor that contributes to a community being a journalism have or have-not is access to high-quality broadband. <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543064/farm-fresh-broadband/">Emerging metrics</a> show that this near-necessity of contemporary life is not yet reliably available to rural Americans. </p>
<h2>What’s working</h2>
<p>Despite these seemingly intractable problems, solutions to local journalism inequality are becoming clearer.</p>
<p>One is collaboration. For example, in Colorado, the national nonprofit news outlet The Daily Yonder has hired a reporter based in a rural community to write stories about life there and <a href="https://coloradomedia.substack.com/p/bigger-picture-slower-stuff-a-rural">share them out with both local and national organizations</a>. </p>
<p>Another is philanthropy. The new Press Forward initiative has begun <a href="https://www.pressforward.news/locals/">local chapters across the country</a>, with at least one planning to serve rural communities. Organizations like the <a href="https://www.nationaltrustforlocalnews.org/">National Trust for Local News</a> have been buying outlets that would likely otherwise be sold to hedge funds, and turning them into nonprofits that will continue to serve their communities.</p>
<p>Public policy should also play a role. At the state level, <a href="https://njcivicinfo.org/">policies</a> to <a href="https://www.cislm.org/research/government-support-for-local-news/">support local news</a> have seen success in New Jersey, California and elsewhere, and <a href="https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/wip-resources-other-bills/">more bills</a> are working their way through state legislatures. <a href="https://www.cislm.org/unc-doctoral-student-andrea-lorenz-nenque-on-support-for-local-news/">People seem to be realizing</a> that having quality local news is just as vital as having public education and access to health care. With any luck, every community will have the opportunity to be a journalism “have.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220382/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Stonbely does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The number of nonprofit news outlets is holding steady as they go out of business just as fast as they are founded.Sarah Stonbely, Director, State of Local News Project, Northwestern UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2159982024-02-14T13:24:03Z2024-02-14T13:24:03ZDon’t let ‘FDA-approved’ or ‘patented’ in ads give you a false sense of security<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557351/original/file-20231102-29-y77wkb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C0%2C7156%2C4764&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is that really a stamp of approval?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/approved-concept-rubber-stamp-with-fda-and-pills-on-royalty-free-image/1186545957">iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve ever reached for a bottle of moisturizer labeled “patented” or “FDA approved,” you might want to think twice. In a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4366900">recent study</a> of hundreds of advertisements, I found that supplements and beauty products often misleadingly use these terms to suggest safety or efficacy.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://law.indiana.edu/about/people/details/mattioli-michael.html">law professor</a>, I suspect this is confusing for consumers, maybe even dangerous. Having a patent means only that you can stop others from making, using, selling or importing your invention. It doesn’t mean the invention works or that it won’t blow up in your face.</p>
<p>“FDA approved,” meanwhile, means <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/development-approval-process-drugs">a product’s benefits have been found to outweigh its risks</a> for a specific purpose – not that it’s of high quality or low risk in general.</p>
<h2>Led astray by the label</h2>
<p>I wanted to know whether companies exploit these sorts of misunderstandings, so I analyzed hundreds of ads from print, television and social media that mention patents or FDA approval. I found that advertisers throw these terms around in confusing ways. </p>
<p>For example, I found an ad for a probiotic supplement stating, “The proof is in the patent”; an ad for an earwax removal product stating its “patented formula is safe, effective, and clinically proven”; and an ad for a headache remedy that made the words “FDA approved” a bold visual focal point. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1312044681551917058"}"></div></p>
<p>Here’s the concerning part: I looked at all kinds of products and found that these terms appear most often in ads for things you eat or rub onto your skin, such as supplements, insecticides, toothpaste and lotions. </p>
<p>That’s probably no coincidence. Products like this aren’t tightly regulated, yet consumers want to know they’re safe. It seems likely that advertisers are name-dropping the government to make people think just that.</p>
<h2>Risks to consumers − and to innovation</h2>
<p>One danger is clear: Ads with vague references to government authorities could dupe consumers into thinking products are safer or more effective than they actually are. In fact, there’s some evidence <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.396">this is already happening</a>.</p>
<p>Another risk is that this creates perverse incentives for business. Companies could chose to forgo actual innovation, focusing instead on securing dubious patents or regulatory nods to <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/how-patents-became-the-beauty-industrys-secret-weapon">keep up in the advertising race</a>. </p>
<p>These practices could distort competition, burden government agencies with frivolous patent applications and deter new entrants from competing in markets where they can’t employ similar advertising tactics. </p>
<h2>Questions remain</h2>
<p>Even though my study has shed light on how often these tricky advertising methods are used, it leaves some big questions unanswered. What exactly makes consumers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2016.1179367">respond so favorably</a> to terms like “patented” or “FDA approved”? And who is most likely to be confused by these tactics? </p>
<p>As a next step, I plan to conduct comprehensive surveys of consumers, along with in-depth interviews, to explore how these labels resonate emotionally. I hope to coordinate with researchers from psychology and media studies. Research along these lines could offer policymakers the robust evidence they need to make changes to the law.</p>
<p>What might those changes look like? For one thing, the law could make it easier for groups of consumers to sue in federal courts over misleading ads. The Federal Trade Commission could also place more of a burden on companies to prove their ads are honest. These changes could make a big difference in ensuring companies persuade shoppers without confusing them. </p>
<p>At a time when ads are everywhere and Americans are losing trust in institutions – and each other – the stakes for truthful product claims are high.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215998/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Mattioli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Most people don’t know what these labels really mean − and advertisers take advantage of that fact.Michael Mattioli, Professor of Law and Louis F. Niezer Faculty Fellow, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2206412024-02-09T13:33:00Z2024-02-09T13:33:00ZAds, food and gambling galore − 5 essential reads for the Super Bowl<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574506/original/file-20240208-18-ge9cxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=203%2C54%2C4074%2C2881&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers will try to stop the Kansas City Chiefs from winning their third Super Bowl in five years.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/christian-mccaffrey-of-the-san-francisco-49ers-rushes-news-photo/1976854646?adppopup=true">Michael Zagaris/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Sunday in Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy, while a San Francisco 49ers victory would give the team its first Super Bowl <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXIX">since 1995</a>, when <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/YounSt00.htm">Steve Young</a> was under center.</p>
<p>I didn’t get a pass to media day, so I didn’t get a chance to ask Chiefs head coach Andy Reid about how he tends to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nfl/article-12961001/Chiefs-coach-Andy-Reid-mustache-FREEZES.html">his mustache</a>.</p>
<p>But my colleagues and I were able to ask an all-pro lineup of scholars to write about a range of football-related topics, from the partisan food divide to the numbers behind the biggest gambling bonanza in league history.</p>
<h2>1. Flag, you’re it</h2>
<p>The Pro Bowl, the NFL’s version of the all-star game, usually gets scant attention. That’s because it happens the weekend before the Super Bowl – absent many of the stars playing in the big game – and the players seem most concerned about avoiding injuries, not winning the game.</p>
<p>A year ago, league officials decided to shake up the annual showcase. It would no longer be a tackle football game. <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-the-pro-bowl-games-to-replace-tackle-game-with-flag-football-skill">It would be a flag football match</a>. The thinking went that if the league’s stars didn’t have to tackle one another, they might play harder, be more likely to showcase their athleticism and, importantly, have more fun. </p>
<p>As West Virginia University sociologist Josh Woods explains, <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-flag-football-one-day-leapfrog-tackle-football-in-popularity-222349">the NFL’s promotion of flag football is a big deal</a>, particularly for an emerging sport that’s somewhat obscure outside of Florida, Georgia and New York, where roughly 80% of high school flag football players live. Its inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics will only further bolster its profile.</p>
<p>But Woods points to a gender divide and a political divide that could end up clouding the sport’s future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/could-flag-football-one-day-leapfrog-tackle-football-in-popularity-222349">Could flag football one day leapfrog tackle football in popularity?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young man runs holding a football and waving his finger mid-stride." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill runs for a touchdown in the first quarter of the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tyreek-hill-of-the-miami-dolphins-and-afc-reacts-as-he-runs-news-photo/1985984027?adppopup=true">Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>2. X’s, O’s and Z’s</h2>
<p>In 2011, former NFL cornerback Sam Shields was a rookie playing for a Green Bay Packers team that had made the Super Bowl. The night before the big game, he tossed and turned.</p>
<p>“I had stomach aches, using the bathroom, but I didn’t have to use it,” <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/31/super-bowl-2019-nfl-players-sleep-rams-patriots-atlanta">he told Sports Illustrated in 2019</a>. “It felt like Christmas too, when Christmas is the next day you can’t sleep.”</p>
<p>I’ve wondered whether I would get a wink of shut-eye if I were scheduled to pitch in the World Series. Something tells me I’d be a lot like Shields. And as if the Chiefs and 49ers players and coaches aren’t feeling enough pressure, it turns out that getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things an athlete can do before a big game, meet or match.</p>
<p>University of Pittsburgh sleep medicine specialist Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse highlights reams of studies showing how <a href="https://theconversation.com/sleep-can-give-athletes-an-edge-over-competitors-but-few-recognize-how-fundamental-sleep-is-to-performance-221403">a poor night’s sleep can effect performance and decision-making</a> while making you more likely to get injured.</p>
<p>In fact, she writes, “Sleep deficits have been linked to decreased performance in every cognitive measure.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sleep-can-give-athletes-an-edge-over-competitors-but-few-recognize-how-fundamental-sleep-is-to-performance-221403">Sleep can give athletes an edge over competitors − but few recognize how fundamental sleep is to performance</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<hr>
<h2>3. Going all in on gambling</h2>
<p>Did you bet on the 49ers to cover the spread? Perhaps you’re <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Football-Squares">playing squares</a>. Or maybe you’re betting on Reba McEntire’s national anthem <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2024-super-bowl-lviii-odds-how-long-will-reba-mcentires-national-anthem-be">to last longer than 90.5 seconds</a>.</p>
<p>If you’ve wagered on some aspect of the big game, you’re one of roughly 67 million American adults who have done the same, according to a Morning Consult survey conducted in early February. That would make another new record, shattering 2023’s record, which shattered the mark from 2022. The country’s gambling mania has been aided, in part, by the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/us/politics/supreme-court-sports-betting-new-jersey.html">overturned a federal ban on sports betting</a>. </p>
<p>Gambling and the Super Bowl have always gone hand in hand. To University of Iowa sports media scholar Tom Oates, what makes the developments of the past few years so remarkable is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-super-bowl-gets-the-vegas-treatment-with-1-in-4-american-adults-expected-to-gamble-on-the-big-game-222370">the NFL’s stunning reversal on its own attitudes toward betting</a>.</p>
<p>Gone are the quaint days of league officials lobbying Congress to put restrictions and guardrails in place. The NFL has gone all in on its embrace of gambling, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-inks-nearly-1-billion-212312677.html?_fsig=UXLu7VdB0Sg8Wcfmd7USNw--%7EA">forging billion-dollar partnerships</a> with the country’s top sportsbooks.</p>
<p>“But this infusion of extra cash comes with a substantial social cost,” Oates writes. “Gambling addictions are at an all-time high, likely spurred by the ease with which people can place bets from their phones.” </p>
<p>So if you want to get in on the action, gamble responsibly and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. </p>
<p>That being said, a little birdie told me that Reba <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=696443244813036">can really hold her notes</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-super-bowl-gets-the-vegas-treatment-with-1-in-4-american-adults-expected-to-gamble-on-the-big-game-222370">The Super Bowl gets the Vegas treatment, with 1 in 4 American adults expected to gamble on the big game</a>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman with red hair and silver dress holds microphone and smiles." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Country music singer Reba McEntire will be singing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/reba-mcentire-performs-at-madison-square-garden-on-april-15-news-photo/1482508270?adppopup=true">Theo Wargo/Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>4. At least they aren’t serving donkey meat</h2>
<p><a href="https://jacobin.com/2022/01/hyper-politics-annie-ernaux-moralism-identity-media-individualization">Everything is politicized</a>, so the lament goes. And even the Super Bowl – <a href="https://thedaily.case.edu/the-super-bowl-is-a-cultural-moment-but-why/">one of the few communal events left</a> in a polarized, atomized nation – can’t avoid the creep of partisanship. </p>
<p>In recent years, some of the country’s most iconic food brands – <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/bud-light-boycott.html">Bud Light</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/business/goya-boycott.html">Goya</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/papa-johns-cuts-ties-with-the-nfl-after-national-anthem-protests-2018-2">Papa John’s</a>, <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/02/23/coca-cola-diversity-training-urged-workers-to-be-less-white/">Coca-Cola</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/31/23742373/chick-fil-a-boycott-controversy-conservative-backlash">Chick-fil-A</a> – have been excoriated by partisans on both sides of the aisle. </p>
<p>So food spreads can color every Super Bowl party with a tinge of “red team,” “blue team.”</p>
<p>“What you serve at your Super Bowl party, or what the host serves at the event you attend, can now be interpreted, or twisted, through a partisan lens,” write political scientists Joshua J. Dyck and Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz.</p>
<p>One possible way to bridge the divide: Unite in a bipartisan celebration of Taylor Swift. Actually, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-taylor-swift-is-an-antihero-to-the-gop-but-democrats-should-know-all-too-well-that-her-endorsement-wont-mean-its-all-over-now-222437">scratch that</a>. </p>
<p>Maybe you could just serve salmon – a food that, according to Dyck and Pearson-Merkowitz’s research, is “resistant to partisan cues.”</p>
<p>Grim times, indeed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/super-bowl-party-foods-can-deliver-political-bite-choose-wisely-222687">Super Bowl party foods can deliver political bite – choose wisely</a>
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</p>
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<h2>5. ByeDaddy</h2>
<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-poll-commercials-halftime-1f65969d3ec56a5c3eca3ba386428d6a">According to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>, 22% of Americans planning to watch the Super Bowl are most excited about the commercials.</p>
<p>That’s one reason companies are willing to fork over so much cash for a coveted slot – as much as US$7 million for a 30-second spot. </p>
<p>However, as Auburn University scholars Linda Ferrell and O.C. Ferrell point out, many regulars on the airwaves of the Super Bowl, such as GoDaddy and Ford, are <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-bowl-ads-its-getting-harder-for-commercials-to-score-with-consumers-222269">missing from this year’s lineup</a>.</p>
<p>What gives?</p>
<p>“Gen Z, in particular, is not impressed by Super Bowl ads,” they write, “and complicating the matter is their lack of interest in broadcast TV.”</p>
<p>So as a millennial who’s spent years listening to how <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/millennials-are-killing">my generation has killed</a> everything from paper napkins to mayonnaise, I take great pleasure in typing: Gen Z killed the Super Bowl ad.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/super-bowl-ads-its-getting-harder-for-commercials-to-score-with-consumers-222269">Super Bowl ads: It's getting harder for commercials to score with consumers</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p><em>This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220641/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Oh, yeah, and there’s a game, too.Nick Lehr, Arts + Culture EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222692024-01-31T16:50:24Z2024-01-31T16:50:24ZSuper Bowl ads: It’s getting harder for commercials to score with consumers<p>With the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers set to face off in the 2024 Super Bowl, another conversation now begins in earnest about the TV commercials that will run during one of the most-watched television events of the year. And while some of the usual suspects will once again advertise on-air to the <a href="https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/super-bowl-2023-viewership-numbers-1235253521/">more than 110 million viewers</a> watching the game in the U.S., other regulars will be noticeably absent.</p>
<p>As professors who <a href="https://harbert.auburn.edu/directory/linda-ferrell.html">study marketing</a> and <a href="https://harbert.auburn.edu/directory/oc-ferrell.html">business ethics</a>, we’re keenly interested in Super Bowl advertising. So we looked at the roster of advertisers in search of trends. </p>
<p>The most interesting thing we found may be who’s not advertising. <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/america-4-largest-car-makers-224356471.html">Gone are the Big Four automakers</a> – Ford, General Motors, Chrysler parent Stellantis and Toyota – which have chosen to dedicate their ad dollars to more tightly targeted marketing campaigns. Only Kia and BMW are stepping up to promote their new electric vehicles, while Volkswagen has advertising lined up to celebrate its 75th anniversary in the U.S.</p>
<p>Also missing this year will be GoDaddy, whose Super Bowl ads have generated buzz over the years. Its <a href="https://adage.com/article/ad-age-podcast/why-godaddy-still-sitting-out-super-bowl/2534516">management has indicated</a> that the company is exploring other marketing options that create more engagement for their target markets.</p>
<h2>Advertisers seeking a touchdown</h2>
<p>Super Bowl ads this year, which <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/super-bowl-commercials-sold-out-cbs-tv-advertising-1235777413">sold out by early November 2023</a>, are dominated by food and beverage brands. These products appeal to a broad target audience. First-time advertisers like Popeyes, Drumstick, Nerds, and Pepsi’s new lemon lime soda, Starry, will join perennial advertisers Reese’s, M&M’s, Pringles, Frito-Lay and Mountain Dew, among others.</p>
<p>The world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, plans to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36779729/bud-light-to-make-a-comeback-at-super-bowl-2024-with-humorous-ad">run multiple ads</a> across its various brands, including <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/4155908-how-a-15k-bud-light-giveaway-needlessly-cost-ab-inbev-27-billion/">recently tarnished Bud Light</a>, hoping to add to its history of producing iconic Super Bowl commercials. </p>
<p>At a cost of <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/cbs-reportedly-selling-super-bowl-lviii-ads-at-staggering-price-nearly-sold-out-before-2024/ar-AA1jtQs2">up to US$7 million</a> for a 30-second spot – the same as last year – this brief stint on the big stage doesn’t come cheap. And that’s before taking into account the <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-expensive-super-bowl-commercials-130041725.html">cost to create the ads themselves</a>, often more than twice what they will spend to run them on game day. All together, one spot can cost companies more than $20 million.</p>
<p>What are these advertisers hoping to gain, and is it worth it? For some, it clearly can be.</p>
<p>To start, consider that the most effective ads – those that stand out above the crowd – are visible long before the game begins and for weeks and even years afterward. Teasers, trailers and sometimes the full ads themselves are typically released in the weeks prior to the Super Bowl and reviewed on TV, online and across social media.</p>
<p>That coverage also continues after the game, with polls and feature stories ranking which ads worked and which didn’t as Monday morning advertising quarterbacks weigh in. Some of the best Super Bowl ads even take on a life of their own that lasts long after they first ran. Who can forget the iconic 1980 <a href="https://davidjdeal.medium.com/hey-kid-catch-how-coca-cola-and-mean-joe-greene-launched-a-legend-ab7b9492c84d%23:%7E:text=The%252520Reinvention%252520of%252520a%252520Football%252520Legend&text=NBC%252520turned%252520the%252520commercial%252520into,of%252520the%252520ad%252520for%252520Downy.">Coca-Cola commercial</a> featuring Pittsburgh’s Mean Joe Greene tossing a young fan his jersey? While the ad originally aired in late 1979, it reached a much broader audience during the game a few months later.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcWJJ70qsqc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The classic Super Bowl ad ‘Have a Coke and a Mean Joe Greene.’</span></figcaption>
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<p>That ad has remained so popular that it was remade as a commercial for Coke Zero 30 years later featuring fellow Steelers player Troy Polamalu. Pre- and post-Super Bowl coverage in recent years often revives them both, as well as other iconic ads – decades later.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A 2009 Super Bowl ad inspired by ‘Have a Coke and a Mean Joe Greene.’</span></figcaption>
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<h2>The TV tide is turning — a little</h2>
<p>So why are the Big Four automakers, GoDaddy and other former Super Bowl advertisers forsaking the big game? Gen Z, in particular, is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2023/02/08/super-bowl-ads-may-need-to-evolve-to-target-gen-z--that-will-include-a-social-media-component/?sh=4e70a3162b3e">not impressed by Super Bowl ads</a>, and complicating the matter is their lack of interest in broadcast TV. </p>
<p>Marketers know TikTok and other social sites are <a href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/tiktok-marketing">better platforms</a> for delivering messages to targeted demographics. The return on investment for advertising is far easier to track in these venues, and the ad spend is easier to justify – especially considering how often these ads will be shared with family and friends in a matter of seconds with just a few keystrokes.</p>
<p>Still, in today’s fractured media landscape, the Super Bowl is a rare event with truly mass appeal: <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-lvii-total-viewing-audience-estimated-at-200-million">More than 60% of Americans</a> tuned into last year’s game, according to the NFL. That’s a lot of eyeballs.</p>
<p>In the end, today’s marketing executives recognize that Super Bowl TV commercials work best when they promote mass market products – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2011.581302">through humor, use of animals, nostalgia and celebrities</a> – as well as social causes that resonate with consumers. Linking a brand with memorable and creative storytelling is also an effective way to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/03/perspectives/super-bowl-ads-google-loretta/index.html">boost overall brand</a> visibility.</p>
<p>That’s the formula for success in this year’s Super Bowl.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Marketers are increasingly focused on reaching narrow audiences – but when it comes to mass appeal, the Super Bowl doesn’t miss.Linda Ferrell, Professor of Marketing, Auburn UniversityO.C. Ferrell, Professor of Ethics, Auburn UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212192024-01-18T18:59:14Z2024-01-18T18:59:14ZCheck your ‘fun parts’: what a new sexual health campaign for young Aussies gets right and wrong<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569984/original/file-20240118-27-awurl6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C7008%2C4647&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-smiling-woman-wearing-glasses-holding-2250703231">insta_photos/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government recently launched a new campaign, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sti">Beforeplay</a>, to promote better sexual health among young people.</p>
<p>Beforeplay is focused on encouraging people aged 20 to 34 to seek frequent STI tests, and to use barrier methods (such as condoms and dental dams) to protect against the transmission of STIs.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8CTkGukKcFo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A video from the Beforeplay campaign.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The national campaign began on January 14 and will run for nine weeks, with content <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/new-sexual-health-campaign-to-combat-rising-rates-of-stis">to appear</a> on social media and online, on dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr, and around universities, bars and clubs.</p>
<p>The campaign material includes <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sti/prevention">links to information and resources</a> as well as three videos and several posters, carrying messages including “it’s the test part, before the best part” and “it’s checking your fun parts, before the fun starts”. </p>
<p>The campaign message is simple and direct. Getting tested, as well as using condoms and dental dams to prevent the spread of STIs, will create a more fun and safe sexual encounter. But does the campaign get everything right?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-ed-needs-to-talk-about-pleasure-and-fun-safe-sex-depends-on-it-and-condom-use-rises-176572">Sex ed needs to talk about pleasure and fun. Safe sex depends on it and condom use rises</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Beforeplay aims to combat increasing rates of STIs</h2>
<p>A recent annual surveillance report on <a href="https://www.kirby.unsw.edu.au/research/reports/asr2023">STIs in Australia</a> found in 2022, young people made up the majority of chlamydia and syphilis diagnoses. </p>
<p>For chlamydia, 69% of diagnoses occurred among people between 15 and 29, with an almost even split between men and women. </p>
<p>For infectious syphilis, notification rates were highest among people aged 25 to 29 (58.1 cases per 100,000 people), 30 to 39 (55.7 per 100,000), and 20 to 24 (38.2 per 100,000). More than 80% of all syphilis infections were among men. </p>
<p>Although the report highlighted increasing rates of STIs (syphilis notifications, for example, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-19/australia-syphilis-cases-kirby-institute-report-/103237700">have tripled</a> over the past decade) testing rates were lower than usual. The authors suggested this may be an effect of the COVID pandemic, but highlights a need for more STI testing, particularly among young people. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A poster from Beforeplay with an image of a couple and the message 'It's checking your fun parts, before the fun starts'." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=901&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569973/original/file-20240118-25-h4ovvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of the posters from the campaign.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.health.gov.au/sti/resources">Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Young people already know to get tested</h2>
<p>The Beforeplay campaign appears to be premised on the idea that young people lack knowledge about adequate STI testing and don’t feel barrier methods are important.</p>
<p>Research, however, suggests this isn’t the case. A recent <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/arcshs/work/national-survey-of-secondary-students-and-sexual-health-2022">national survey</a> of Australian high school students found 94% of those surveyed felt condom use was important. Some 75% of respondents said condoms were available during their most recent sexual experience, but less than 49% used them.</p>
<p>Similar results were seen with STI testing – more than 72% of participants believed young people should be tested for STIs. But less than 13% thought it was a common practice among their age group. And only 26% believed STI testing was easily accessible.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/SH/SH22122">2023 study</a> of young adults in Australia aged 15 to 29 also showed STI testing and condom use remains low among this group.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/around-half-of-17-year-olds-have-had-sex-and-theyre-more-responsible-than-you-think-118337">Around half of 17-year-olds have had sex and they're more responsible than you think</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There could be a variety of reasons young people may not use condoms. For example, research has shown <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-women-still-get-judged-so-harshly-for-having-casual-sex-160583">gendered norms</a> in heterosexual couples mean women continue to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115298/">carry the burden</a> of contraceptive responsibility, including having to ask men to wear condoms. Men may refuse these requests or engage in <a href="https://theconversation.com/case-in-victoria-could-set-new-legal-precedent-for-stealthing-or-removing-condom-during-sex-118343">stealthing</a>, the removal of a condom during sex without consent. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, long-standing <a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-ed-needs-to-talk-about-pleasure-and-fun-safe-sex-depends-on-it-and-condom-use-rises-176572">social taboos</a> and shame surround young people engaging in sexual activity, which can make it difficult for them to access sexual health services for STI testing. This can be particularly significant for LGBTQA+ young people, those living in rural and remote areas, and young people from religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds where sex outside marriage may be discouraged. </p>
<p>As access to sexual health clinics can be difficult, including links and resources for <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/sexual-health/chlamydia-test">at-home screening kits</a> where available could be effective in encouraging more people to test. </p>
<p>More clarity in the posters and videos as to how often the campaign is recommending testing – whether before every sexual encounter with a new partner, or just general frequent testing as good sexual health practice – would also be helpful.</p>
<h2>A diverse campaign?</h2>
<p>Beforeplay’s content depicts couples of different genders, orientations and ethnicities to promote inclusivity. </p>
<p>I would argue there is an undercurrent of <a href="https://theconversation.com/queerphobic-hate-is-on-the-rise-and-lgbtq-communities-in-canada-need-more-support-214932">queerphobia</a> and discomfort with queer sex in the campaign videos, despite the attempts for inclusion. </p>
<p>The two videos featuring a heterosexual couple show more physical intimacy and engagement, such as kissing and bodies touching. The video featuring the queer couple, however, only shows them holding hands, with their bodies appearing further apart. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t0HP_sQuGuw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A video from the Beforeplay campaign.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast, queer sexual health campaigns designed by and for queer people, such as <a href="https://www.thedramadownunder.info/">The Drama Downunder</a> and <a href="https://downandirty.org/warning/?redirect=%2F">Down an’ Dirty</a> (note, this one is not suitable for work) promote sexual intimacy between queer partners through sexualised imagery and intimate representation. </p>
<p>Content will also be adapted and translated for multicultural and First Nations audiences. However, there are already sexual health campaigns designed by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. <a href="https://youngdeadlyfree.org.au/about-us/the-syphilis-campaign/">YoungDeadlyFree</a> and <a href="https://takeblaktion.playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au/">Take Blaktion</a> are just two of these. They meet the needs of their audience through community consultation, and use of local language, humour, cultural references, and representation.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teaching-young-people-about-sex-is-too-important-to-get-wrong-here-are-5-videos-that-actually-hit-the-mark-159438">Teaching young people about sex is too important to get wrong. Here are 5 videos that actually hit the mark</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The focus on pleasure is a plus</h2>
<p>Despite these criticisms, the focus on pleasure and having a good time is a strong positive for this campaign when young people still sometimes experience shame and stigma around sex. </p>
<p>We know <a href="https://healthequitymatters.org.au/article/saved-lives-gay-community-australian-response-aids/">historic campaigns</a> around HIV/AIDs that were sex and pleasure-positive (as opposed to negative and fear-mongering) were much more effective in reducing the transmission of HIV among gay and bisexual men. </p>
<p>Advocating for STI testing and the use of appropriate protection while emphasising fun and enjoyment is a progressive step towards recognising and affirming young people’s sexual rights and agency.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221219/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Waling receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Commonwealth Department of Health. </span></em></p>A new campaign encourages young Australians to get tested for STIs more frequently and to take other measures to improve their sexual health.Andrea Waling, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2096632024-01-09T13:26:26Z2024-01-09T13:26:26ZTake laughter, add tears − the secret recipe for the most-liked Super Bowl ads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545127/original/file-20230828-254480-xdlb1f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C15%2C5207%2C3445&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Emotions often run high during the Super Bowl -- and that includes during the commercial breaks.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/SuperBowlPhiladelphiaReaxFootball/592cb6e493034287be3e6e2a58eed36e/photo?Query=fans%20watch%20football%20on%20TV&mediaType=photo&sortBy=creationdatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=649&currentItemNo=14&vs=true">Nathan Howard/Associated Press</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Viewers gravitate toward Super Bowl commercials that incorporate both happiness and sadness, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2023.2218896">our 2023 study shows</a>. </p>
<p>On the other hand, advertisements that blend happiness and fear turn people off.</p>
<p>And people are indifferent to ads that pair happiness with either anger or disgust.</p>
<p>As researchers with <a href="https://www.boisestate.edu/cobe-marketing/niusha-jones-ph-d/">extensive experience</a> in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LTR4szEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">consumer behavior</a>, we’ve had the opportunity to delve into the compelling emotional narratives television advertisers try to portray in less than 30 seconds. </p>
<p>Heartwarming ads that also have moments of fear or sadness are quite common, we’ve learned, especially during the Super Bowl. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Our research reveals part of the secret sauce behind what makes an advertisement loved or disliked. This finding could help advertisers craft ads that resonate more effectively with their audience. </p>
<p>Raising awareness of what works in advertising also helps viewers understand how they are being manipulated by what they see on the screen.</p>
<h2>How we did our work</h2>
<p>Using <a href="https://www.noldus.com/facereader">technology that reads viewers’ expressions</a>, our research team scrutinized the emotional layers of 296 ads aired during Super Bowls from 2018 to 2022. </p>
<p>This annual NFL championship game draws a <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/216526/super-bowl-us-tv-viewership/">huge audience on TV</a>. The costs to broadcast an ad – and the financial stakes for brands paying for air time – are high. For example, a <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/217134/total-advertisement-revenue-of-super-bowls/">30-second ad during the 2023 Super Bowl cost US$7 million</a>. </p>
<p>Our analysis wasn’t just a superficial look at the commericial’s storyline. Instead, we delved into the emotions displayed by the actors throughout the ad and measured their effects on how much the audience liked what they saw.</p>
<p>The blend of emotions you witness in commercials during the big game isn’t a coincidence. It’s part of advertisers’ calculated strategy. Combinations of emotions are meticulously orchestrated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-017-0551-8">to capture viewers’ attention and get them shopping</a> – sometimes even before the ad has finished airing.</p>
<p>Happiness was the most common emotion portrayed, but we were surprised to learn that 80% of these ads featured at least one negative emotion in addition to happiness. For example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBDKM_qfCMk">a clip reel of U.S. Olympian skier Lindsey Vonn</a> evoked both sadness and happiness and deeply resonated with viewers.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBDKM_qfCMk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">This 2018 Super Bowl commercial featuring Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn skillfully combines happiness and sadness, a winning combination.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>There is still a big question mark on why certain emotional mixtures work while others don’t. It is also not clear whether the popularity of an advertisement is directly linked to its effectiveness as a sales tool.</p>
<p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209663/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers examined the emotional content of nearly 300 Super Bowl ads that aired from 2018 to 2022.Niusha Jones, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Boise State UniversityAnne Hamby, Associate Professor of Marketing, Boise State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2179922023-12-18T16:17:20Z2023-12-18T16:17:20ZAdvertising toys to children is an environmental nightmare – here’s how parents can deal with it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566310/original/file-20231218-23-ncxq5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1280%2C960&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/photos/lego-blocks-multicoloured-plastic-1649878/">RegenWolke/Pixabay</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As Christmas approaches, many children experience the “gimme-gimmes” and write a list of toys that they hope Santa will bring. This is to be expected. Toys give children a chance to learn and be curious, engage their imaginations in play and become socialised with others.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://fashnerd.com/2018/05/ecobirdy-sustainable-recycling-innovative-technology/#:%7E:text=According%20to%20ecoBirdy's%20website%2C%2080,just%20six%20months%20on%20average.">80% of all toys</a> end up in landfills, incinerators or the ocean. The toy industry uses <a href="https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/other-products/environmental-impact-of-toys">40 tonnes of plastic</a> for every US$1 million it generates in revenue and has <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550922000550">an excessive carbon footprint</a>.</p>
<p>Toys may contribute to the development of a child while threatening their health and wellbeing with pollution. Advertisers perpetuate this paradox, and children are vulnerable to their persuasive tactics.</p>
<p>Advertisers know that children are an inevitable part of the consumer decision-making cycle and coax them to pester their parents to part with hard-earned cash. Creating an emotional attachment to toys in the minds of children is key – tie-ins with food, fun, clothing and music create a spiral of brand-associated desire. </p>
<p>Popular but non-recyclable loom bands (a wrist-worn accessory) are <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2715044/Loom-band-craze-eco-ticking-timebomb-Fears-thousands-bands-recycled-discarded-street.html">a poignant example</a>. This worldwide children’s craze, often used to signal solidarity with a cause, has led to a deluge of silicone-based rubber reaching landfills and the ocean every year. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A colourful selection of children's toys on a white background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5162%2C3993&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The vast majority of plastic toys are not widely recycled.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/multicolored-learning-toys-gDiRwIYAMA8">Vanessa Bucceri/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from emotional marketing (which works on children and adults alike) <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1348/026151008X388378">studies have shown</a> that very young children often cannot tell whether they are watching a television programme or an advertisement. Banner advertising on game sites present the same issue. </p>
<p>Only from the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1470785318802682">ages of nine to 11</a> do children begin to become brand-aware and conscious of the social currency that brand power presents. While they may increasingly understand the intent behind branding, they are also at an age where they are prone to peer pressure and will use what psychologists call their “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2010.495281">pester power</a>”.</p>
<p>Children are clearly vulnerable to these tactics, and the result is a growing stream of plastic into the environment. But psychological research suggests that a child’s developmental capacity to understand the climate crisis and its consequences could provide an antidote. By giving children space to participate fully in decisions that are potentially harmful to the environment, parents may counteract a child’s susceptibility to aggressive advertising. </p>
<h2>Give children more agency</h2>
<p>The Psychological Society of Ireland recently responded to a call for recommendations on improving children’s rights laws from the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2023/call-comments-draft-general-comment-childrens-rights-and-environment-special">United Nations</a>. Leading the submission, <a href="https://www.psychologicalsociety.ie/source/PSI%20response%20to%20UN%20Committee%20on%20Rights%20of%20the%20Child%20-%20Draft%20General%20comment%20No-26%20(SIGHRP).pdf">the team and I</a> addressed the mental health problems caused to children by environmental harm. </p>
<p>Elaine Rogers, Alexis Carey and I published a <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/904850/pdf">review paper</a> drawing on psychological research and the UN’s global consultation with 16,000 children. This consultation found that children across a range of ages not only demonstrate their understanding of the threat climate change poses but readily propose solutions. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A child holding up a toy camera." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children can understand the climate crisis – and the role that consumerism plays in it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-holding-purple-and-green-camera-toy-GagC07wVvck">Tanaphong Toochinda/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When the opportunity arises, children and adolescents express empathy and distress at the situation, and may even be predisposed to anxiety. The climate anxiety that children experience may be for themselves and their own family, for future generations, or for the environment and other species. These findings suggest that the capacity for children to understand the climate crisis could counteract their susceptibility to advertising which inflames it.</p>
<p>Drawing on our analysis of how children’s participation can generate solutions to environmental issues, I have put together recommendations which may be helpful to parents and guardians this Christmas season.</p>
<h2>Get the whole family involved</h2>
<p>Have discussions with your child about how a toy will possibly be good or bad for the environment. For instance, some <a href="https://corporate.mattel.com/sustainable-materials-in-toys">well-known brands</a> have switched to using plastic made from ethanol extracted from sugar cane.</p>
<p>Look for eco-labels on toys and find out which suppliers stock <a href="https://www.greentoys.com/">Green Toy</a> brands. Also ask questions about the educational merit of a toy choice and help your child weigh up the pros and cons. Try balancing these purchases with more commercial ones.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A selection of wooden toy animals." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Certification schemes exist to make ethical choices easier for parents and guardians.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-crocodile-wooden-toy-on-the-floor-3661197/">Cottonbro Studio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps find out how your children could become involved in national and international debates on climate change. The UN recently made explicit that there is a legal responsibility on advertisers to ensure that marketing does not mislead children and it has placed a high value on children’s involvement in these matters, producing a <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/gcomments/gc26/2023/GC26-Child-Friendly-Version_English.pdf">child-friendly version</a> (and an accompanying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ytWDLmyC8">video</a>) of its position on children’s rights and the environment. </p>
<h2>Toy banks</h2>
<p>Look out for collection points for pre-loved toys. Toy banks can start with family, friends and neighbours. Perhaps canvass local residential committees and local government to start one if there isn’t one near you.</p>
<p>Encourage your children to gather a used-toy selection to send to local charity shops in the run up to Christmas. </p>
<h2>Encourage longevity</h2>
<p>When toys have a personal story, children are more likely to want to play with them for longer, especially <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyrobertson/2018/01/26/connected-toys-need-to-learn-longevity-from-traditional-toy-makers/?sh=32b506292ad2">character toys</a>. </p>
<p>For example, a doll and teddy bear “holiday” or “hospital stay” might reignite your child’s interest in a toy when they return. </p>
<h2>Safe spaces</h2>
<p>Creating <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/gcomments/gc26/2023/GC26-Child-Friendly-Version_English.pdf">safe spaces</a> for discussion at home, at school or in the community will help your children think critically about how product marketing or merchandise could make them complicit in damaging the environment. The discussion should feel safe and non-adversarial. </p>
<p>Remember that children are the gatekeepers of purchasing power, with the ability to persuade parents, caregivers and even Santa to bring them the toys they choose. </p>
<p>Empowering your children to make grown-up decisions about the toys they’d like to have, or to keep, will help reduce the negative impact of advertising on their wellbeing.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
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</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217992/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Cowley-Cunningham is a chartered psychologist of the British Psychological Society and an associate fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland. She is affiliated with the Green Party, Ireland. </span></em></p>Until the age of nine, children struggle to distinguish adverts from TV shows.Michelle Cowley-Cunningham, Chartered Psychologist and Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Centre for Family Business, Dublin City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189612023-12-05T12:39:05Z2023-12-05T12:39:05ZApple, Disney and other big brands are pulling X ads – why Elon Musk’s latest ‘firestorm’ could bring down the company<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563334/original/file-20231204-24-pf38p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=74%2C0%2C8256%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/paris-france-june-16-2023-elon-2318800313">Frederic Legrand - COMEO/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Elon Musk’s recent <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/11/16/elon-musk-condemned-after-calling-antisemitic-post-actual-truth/?sh=4ff195024020">endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory</a> on X (formerly Twitter) is the latest in <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-what-are-his-most-recent-controversial-moments-13019651">a series of controversial statements</a> the owner of the social media platform has made since he acquired it in 2022. Major brands including Disney, Apple and Microsoft have decided to pause or suspend their advertising spending on X in recent weeks.</p>
<p>Musk apologised for his post but then used profane language <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_M_uvDChJQ">during an interview</a> with New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin to challenge the advertisers’ decision to suspend their advertising on the platform. He accused them of blackmail, prompting more companies, including <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/walmart-says-it-is-not-advertising-social-platform-x-2023-12-01/">US retail giant Walmart</a>, to announce X ad suspensions.</p>
<p>X chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, has addressed the controversy, pointing out that Musk apologised. She also called his interview “wide ranging and candid” <a href="https://twitter.com/lindayaX/status/1730088124615631060">in a post</a>, and reportedly <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/30/read-linda-yaccarinos-message-to-x-employees-about-musk-interview.html">told employees in a memo</a> that it was “profound”.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1730088124615631060"}"></div></p>
<p>Some brands have been gradually withdrawing their presence from X over the past year anyway. Companies have also acted after a <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/musk-endorses-antisemitic-conspiracy-theory-x-has-been-placing-ads-apple-bravo-ibm-oracle">recent report</a> from left-wing advocacy group Media Matters for America said ads on X for <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/647b4c4d-f4d5-46cd-bc26-8c943b6995e7">brands like IBM</a> have been appearing beside pro-Nazi content. X has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-x-twitter-sues-media-matters-ads-hate-groups/">filed a lawsuit</a> against Media Matters, saying the report was “manufactured” in order to “drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp”. But the most recent advertising freezes are particularly harmful to the platform’s revenues because they unfold during months of the year when it typically sees <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/449143/twitter-revenue-quarter-segment/">increased spending</a> on holiday promotional content.</p>
<p>When a controversial event, statement or issue gains significant attention and triggers a large number of people to express their opinions and criticisms on social media, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167811618300351">researchers</a> call it an online firestorm. This creates virality around a topic, causing real-world implications. For example, in this study of 78 “online firestorms”, 58% of companies involved saw a decrease in short-term brand perceptions, while 40% suffered similar long-term negative effects. But the impact of an online firestorm can vary widely, so what could X expect to happen after this latest controversy? </p>
<h2>Musk’s behaviour affects advertisers and users</h2>
<p>From a commercial standpoint, negative perceptions of Musk’s controversial posts about social and business topics could spill over to affect brands that continue to advertise on X – they may even be seen by consumers as supporting his stance, for example. Consumers often expect brands to take a stand on divisive topics (although <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/09/15/do-consumers-still-value-brands-taking-a-political-or-social-stand/?sh=15160bee7280">less so in recent years</a>). Failure to do so <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/074391562094735">may encourage people</a> to stop using a brand or buying their products. </p>
<p>X’s <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/283119/age-distribution-of-global-twitter-users/">global audience</a> is dominated by users aged between 25 and 49 years old, the age group with the most disposable income per household in many countries, including <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/824464/mean-disposable-income-per-household-by-age-uk/">the UK</a> and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/980324/us-mean-disposable-household-income-age/">US</a>. So, for businesses that maintain an active presence on X, Musk’s statements could be detrimental. </p>
<p>And from a social perspective, of course, Musk’s behaviour may involuntarily fuel the spread of hateful content and disinformation. Social media platforms and regulators have implemented measures to attempt to combat such content, including <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/hateful-conduct-policy">a clear policy on hateful conduct</a> on X. However, Musk’s recent outburst, alongside continued contention around <a href="https://theconversation.com/x-users-will-need-protection-after-the-block-feature-is-removed-heres-why-businesses-are-better-than-people-at-moderating-negative-comments-212290#comment_2931652">content moderation decisions</a>, has set a precedent that could redefine what is deemed acceptable on the platform. </p>
<p>This shift poses the risk of a surge in incendiary and hateful content, contrary to the platform’s established policies. Exposure to such content has well documented <a href="https://hackinghate.eu/news/the-consequences-of-online-hate-speech-a-teenager-s-perspective/">repercussions</a>, including causing <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/calr107&div=51&id=&page=">mental and emotional distress</a>. </p>
<p>Such distress can encourage people to disengage from social media platforms. And for those that don’t leave, a public figure’s endorsement of false or untrue information can fuel the spread of disinformation on social media. The <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26891938">repercussions</a> of this are far-reaching, including exacerbating social divisions, causing reputational harm, and undermining public safety.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Magnet with icons representing likes, loves, laughs online." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563333/original/file-20231204-27-gpc1z1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Online comments can attract attention to controversial issues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/social-media-marketing-concept-attracting-emoji-1827209921">oatawa/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Managing online firestorms</h2>
<p>This situation highlights the responsibility that comes with an influential position such as Musk’s in navigating the delicate balance between free expression and responsible communication online. </p>
<p>If X did want to regain some of its lost footing around this issue, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/0022242918822300">research shows</a> that managing online firestorms can be challenging, but there are ways to mitigate the worst effects:</p>
<p><strong>1. Respond in a timely way:</strong> Addressing the issue promptly is vital. A delayed response can aggravate the situation and make it more difficult to regain control of the narrative.</p>
<p><strong>2. Be transparent:</strong> Transparency and honesty can help build trust and credibility. Offering an explanation of the steps being taken to rectify the situation could improve internet users’ attitudes towards the platform, organisation or person involved in the firestorm. </p>
<p><strong>3. Engage positively:</strong> Engaging with audiences should be done in a positive and empathetic manner. Responding defensively or disengaging from a firestorm may only escalate the situation. Instead, focusing on finding common ground and solutions, or offering an apology if appropriate, is preferable. </p>
<p>Rather than taking these steps, once advertisers started withdrawing from X, Musk <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/11/29/elon-musk-says-advertisers-that-have-left-x-shouldnt-come-back/">placed the blame</a> on their shoulders. He even suggested their actions pose a severe threat to the platform’s survival. But Musk’s penchant for controversial behaviour and outspoken remarks on sensitive social, political and business topics is surely more likely to cause both advertisers and users to continue to depart X, leading to the platform’s demise.</p>
<p>The ongoing tension certainly raises questions about the platform’s future and the role of its high-profile owner in shaping its destiny.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218961/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Denitsa Dineva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research explains how to handle the kind of online ‘firestorm’ that X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk is currently experiencing.Denitsa Dineva, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Marketing and Strategy, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189222023-12-01T03:04:52Z2023-12-01T03:04:52ZSocial media ads are littered with ‘green’ claims. How are we supposed to know they’re true?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562864/original/file-20231130-27-pt75o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C361%2C6884%2C3932&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/handmade-soap-toothpaste-bamboo-toothbrushes-loofah-1992456326">Yuriy Golub/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Online platforms are awash with ads for so-called “green” products. Power companies are “carbon neutral”. Electronics are “for the planet”. Clothing is “circular” and travel is “sustainable”. Or are they?</p>
<p>Our study of more than 8,000 ads served more than 20,000 times in people’s Facebook feeds found many green claims are vague, meaningless or unsubstantiated and consumers are potentially being deceived.</p>
<p>This costs consumers, as products claiming to be greener are often more expensive. And it costs the planet, as false and exaggerated green claims – or “greenwashing” – make it seem more is being done to tackle climate change and other environmental crises than is really happening. </p>
<p>The widespread use of these claims could delay important action on tackling climate change, as it dilutes the sense of urgency around the issue.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/greenwashing-how-ads-get-you-to-think-brands-are-greener-than-they-are-and-how-to-avoid-falling-for-it-183169">Greenwashing: how ads get you to think brands are greener than they are – and how to avoid falling for it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The colours of environmental friendliness</h2>
<p>Our research is part of a <a href="https://cprc.org.au/seeing-green">newly published report</a> produced by the not-for-profit <a href="https://cprc.org.au/">Consumer Policy Research Centre</a>, researchers at Melbourne Law School and the <a href="https://www.admscentre.org.au/adobservatory/">Australian Ad Observatory</a>, a project of ADM+S (ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society).</p>
<p>The Ad Observatory captures ads from the personal Facebook feeds of around 2,000 people who “donate” their ads to the project via a browser plugin. This lets us analyse <a href="https://fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Transparency-Report.pdf">otherwise unobservable</a> and ephemeral ads. </p>
<p><iframe id="1Kt1P" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/1Kt1P/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>We found the most common claims were “clean”, “green” and “sustainable”. Other popular terms were “bio”, “recycled” or “recyclable”, “pure” and “eco-friendly”, often with no explanation of what lay behind them. All are very general, undefined terms, yet they imply a more environmentally responsible choice.</p>
<p>Our report didn’t verify each claim nor analysed their accuracy. We intended to highlight the volume and breadth of the green claims consumers see in social media ads.</p>
<p>Many ads used colours and symbols to put a green “halo” around their products and business. These included green, blue and earthy beige tones, background nature imagery and emojis featuring leaves, planet Earth, the recycling symbol and the green tick, often with no context or specific information.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562815/original/file-20231130-17-cju8jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A sample of green-coloured ads collected by our Ad Observer project. The claims in these ads may well be true, but consumers often need to ‘deep dive’ to verify this information.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">CPRC, Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The top five sectors making green claims were energy, household products, fashion, health and personal care, and travel. </p>
<p>This was consistent with a <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-greenwashing-internet-sweep-unearths-widespread-concerning-claims">recent internet sweep</a> by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which found 57% of the business websites checked were making concerning claims. The proportion was highest among the cosmetic, clothing and footwear, and food and drink packaging sectors.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562858/original/file-20231130-17-j0iuxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Examples of blue-coloured ads. The claims in these ads may well be true, but in many cases consumers need to ‘deep dive’ to verify this information.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">CPRC, Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>Strong incentives for greenwashing</h2>
<p>Recent Consumer Policy Research Centre <a href="https://cprc.org.au/green-claims/">research shows 45% percent</a> of Australians always or often consider sustainability as part of their purchasing decision-making. At least 50% of Australians say they are worried about green claim truthfulness across every sector.</p>
<p>Given consumer concern, businesses have a strong incentive to “green” their businesses. But that comes with a strong incentive to claim more than is justified.</p>
<p>Major Australian business regulators – the ACCC and Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) – are both prioritising enforcement action against greenwashing.</p>
<p>ASIC has issued <a href="https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/find-a-media-release/2023-releases/23-121mr-update-on-asic-s-recent-greenwashing-actions/">dozens of interventions</a> against misleading and deceptive environmental disclosures by companies and super funds. The ACCC has issued <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/advertising-and-promotions/environmental-and-sustainability-claims">draft guidance</a> for businesses on how to avoid greenwashing when making environmental and sustainability claims.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Greenwashing">Senate inquiry into greenwashing</a> is expected to report in mid-2024 as to whether stricter regulation is necessary to protect consumers from misleading greenwashing. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/airlines-are-being-hit-by-anti-greenwashing-litigation-heres-what-makes-them-perfect-targets-214501">Airlines are being hit by anti-greenwashing litigation – here's what makes them perfect targets</a>
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</em>
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<h2>What is ‘sustainable’, anyway?</h2>
<p>Our research highlights the plethora of green claims businesses make in social media advertising. Consumers are forced to choose between accepting claims at face value or committing to a deep dive to research each product they buy and the claims they make.</p>
<p>Many green claims come from the energy sector, with some energy companies claiming to be “greener” without any detail. Some claim carbon offsets or carbon neutrality – <a href="https://theconversation.com/worthless-forest-carbon-offsets-risk-exacerbating-climate-change-211862">highly contested terms</a>. </p>
<p>Ads for “sustainable” travel often showed destinations emphasising a connection with nature, but did not explain what aspect of the travel was sustainable. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=141&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=141&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=141&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562860/original/file-20231130-27-uh0b8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Examples of travel ads containing ‘green’ claims. The claims in these ads may well be true, but often consumers need to ‘deep dive’ to verify this information.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">CPRC, Author provided</span></span>
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<p>One personal care brand heavily advertised its “sustainable” packaging, but the fine print showed it related only to the boxes their products are shipped in, not the actual product packaging. A claim like this can create an undeserved green halo across a whole product range. </p>
<p>Claims that products are biodegradable, compostable or recyclable can be particularly problematic, since this is often technically true yet practically difficult. Some products labelled <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-toss-biodegradable-plastic-in-the-compost-bin-heres-why-it-might-not-break-down-178542">biodegradable</a> may need to be taken to a specific facility, but a consumer might assume they will biodegrade in their home compost bin.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-toss-biodegradable-plastic-in-the-compost-bin-heres-why-it-might-not-break-down-178542">Do you toss biodegradable plastic in the compost bin? Here’s why it might not break down</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>What can we do?</h2>
<p>Australians cannot wait years for enforcement action against potentially misleading green claims. The economy and the digital world is moving too fast and the need for sustainability is too urgent. Governments must enact laws now to ensure green terms are clearly defined and based on the truth.</p>
<p>The European Union is currently working on a “<a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2023/753958/EPRS_BRI(2023)753958_EN.pdf">Green claims” directive</a> that seeks to ban generic claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green”, “carbon positive” and “energy efficient”. Claims would have to be specific, meaningful and based on independently verified excellent environmental performance.</p>
<p>The United Kingdom has already issued similar <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-claims-code-making-environmental-claims">guidance via an environmental claims code</a> and is also considering <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/19/greenwashing-firms-face-steep-new-uk-fines-for-misleading-claims">stricter legislation</a>. </p>
<p>Australian regulators should have the power to blacklist green terms that cannot be substantiated and are inherently meaningless or misleading.</p>
<p>Some high-polluting sectors should be banned from making any kind of green claim in advertising, due to the overwhelming negative environmental impact of their business models and practices, as the EU is considering. Fossil-fuel companies, for example, should not be permitted to use green claims in marketing.</p>
<p>Australian consumers deserve green choices that are clear, comparable, meaningful and true.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218922/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Parker receives funding from the Australian Research Council as a Chief Investigator with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society.</span></em></p>Many ‘green’ claims on social media ads are claims only. We need legislation to ensure green terms are clearly defined and based on the truth.Christine Parker, Professor of Law, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2184892023-11-24T13:13:23Z2023-11-24T13:13:23ZBlack Friday: parody adverts target unbridled consumerism with an environmental message<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561514/original/file-20231124-19-hphlbz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A subverted advert in Reading in the UK during the 2023 ZAP Games. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Brandalism</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is based on an interview for The Conversation Weekly podcast <a href="https://theconversation.com/brandalism-the-environmental-activists-using-spoof-adverts-to-critique-rampant-consumerism-podcast-218365?notice=Article+has+been+updated">on the subvertising movement</a>.</em></p>
<p>In the lead up to Black Friday, we have been bombarded with adverts from brands offering big discounts off various things we probably don’t need, and may not even be able to afford amid an ongoing cost of living crisis. </p>
<p>But a group of activists have used this moment of shopping frenzy to make a wider point about the unsustainability of consumer capitalism through subvertising – or subverted advertising. A subvert often uses the language and style of a brand itself as parody. It’s also known as culture jamming, or brandalism – a mashup of the words brand and vandalism.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://subvertisers-international.net/zap-games/">Zap Games</a> was an anti-advertising festival which ran for two weeks from 11 to 24 November, in which people were invited to alter a public advertising space in a creative way to protest against the unbridled consumerism swirling around on Black Friday. </p>
<p>Zap stands for Zone Anti-Publicitaire, French for anti-advertising zone. Launched in Belgium in 2021, the Zap Games have become a global competition run by Subvertisers International. There are awards under categories including sculpture, digital screens and most family friendly intervention. </p>
<p>In one simple example which appeared in the UK city of Birmingham, somebody had created a big poster, tailored to the size of an advertising slot in a bus stop panel, which read: “Don’t buy stuff. Enjoy your friends.” Another, in the style of a John Lewis advert, read “100% saving if you don’t buy anything.”</p>
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<p>Subvertisers International is a movement of like-minded activists around the world, which includes <a href="http://brandalism.ch/">Brandalism</a>, a collection of people, artists and activists. The group has been called a number of different things from eco-activists to guerrilla groups, to hackers and street artists.</p>
<p>The movement and its members have attracted media and public attention – and for me that’s particularly important when thinking about the climate crisis. If the point of advertising is to sell, the point of subvertising is to open up that message and attach a whole range of meanings to it, especially related to social and environmental justice topics which are increasingly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/23/feminism-adverts-great-way-sell-stuff">attracting advertising interest</a>.</p>
<p>It’s a very complicated thing to resist mass consumerism. And it’s as complicated to think and act on the environment – but these groups have been doing so for a number of years.</p>
<h2>Environmental narratives</h2>
<p>Brandalism began in 2012 during the London Olympics where members started replacing outdoors advertising panels with original artworks. From there they scaled up to a large actions during the COP21 climate talks in Paris in 2015, which is when I first came across the movement. One prominent poster was a parody of an Air France advert, part of which read: “Tackling Climate Change? Of course not. We’re an airline.” </p>
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<p>Their main aim during the COP21 action was to critique the corporate sponsorship of the climate talks. In my early research on subvertising, I looked at all of their artwork and <a href="https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Culture_jamming_and_brandalism_for_the_environment_the_logic_of_appropriation/23442089">selected a purposeful sample</a> which I felt demonstrated the variety of different environmental messages the actions were putting across. One was a critique of corporate greed, another about inadequacy of politicians to challenge the status quo, and another aimed at the role of consumers. </p>
<p>I also came across other kinds of environmental narratives which were more poetic, such as the Earth in mourning. One subvert, for example, showed an image of <a href="https://www.radiofrance.fr/s3/cruiser-production/2015/11/945421a7-8c0a-11e8-a11d-42010ae60007/860_sitesdefaultfiles20151130224877paul_i_z6_2.jpg">the Earth withering away</a>, while others were short poems marking the grief brought on by the climate crisis. Finally, another theme concerned people wanting to declare their commitment to the environment and environmentalism. These were poetic nudges: “Let’s stop buying things. Let’s start like spending more time together. Let’s be more connected, rather than disparate.” </p>
<p><em>Listen to the full interview with Eleftheria Lekakis on <a href="https://podfollow.com/the-conversation-weekly/view">The Conversation Weekly</a> podcast.</em></p>
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<p>In further research on advertising activism and advocacy I <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14742837.2020.1837102">interviewed 24 subvertisers in seven countries</a> about their motivations. One was a Paris-based citizen who documented the lives of people who put up public advertising and are paid very little money for it. He was also advocating for less advertising in public spaces. This is more common in France where groups such as <a href="https://antipub.org/">Résistance à l'Agression Publicitaire</a>, or resistance against advertising, have lobbied to restrict the presence of advertising in public spaces since the early 1990s. This group also provides schools with pedagogical kits to get students to think about advertising critically.</p>
<p>Another member of Subvertisers International, <a href="https://subvertisers-international.net/portfolio/democratic-media-please/">Democratic Media Please</a>, which is based in Australia, is more interested in damaging outdoor advertising. When I spoke to him he also stressed the significant fact that advertising is the main source of funding for the majority of media organisations and it’s very hard in Australia to come across independent journalism that is not swayed by the commercial interests of its sponsors.</p>
<p>The environment is definitely a key concern of many subvertisers. But while a number of different artists I interviewed talked about the significance of the environment as a key driver in their activism, they told me they never really divorced it from issues of gender and race. Subvertising tries to weave together these concerns. Sometimes we’ve seen campaigns concerned with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-43270397">the whiteness of popular culture</a>, for instance, and increasingly, especially in actions such as the Zap games, you see a lot more interconnectedness when it comes to environmentalism and race and gender politics. </p>
<p>The subvertising movement invites us to think and act critically towards advertising industries, practices and messages. Doing so is central to imagining and creating a future that is inclusive, sustainable and just.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 20,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleftheria Lekakis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Spoof advertising, rooted in environmental concerns, use humour and poetry to grab attention.Eleftheria Lekakis, Senior Lecturer In Media and Communication, University of SussexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2183652023-11-23T12:22:50Z2023-11-23T12:22:50ZBrandalism: the environmental activists using spoof adverts to critique rampant consumerism – podcast<p>Amid the flurry of billboards promoting cut price deals in the run up to Black Friday, some activists have slipped in the odd spoof advert. By subverting public advertising space, they’re risking legal action to try and make serious points about the excesses of consumer culture and the perilous state of the environment. </p>
<p>In this episode of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/the-conversation-weekly-98901">The Conversation Weekly</a> podcast, we find out about the subvertising movement and its links to a wider conversation about mass consumerism and the environment.</p>
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<p>One parody poster in the British city of Birmingham reads: “Don’t buy stuff. Enjoy your friends.” Another, in Reading, says: “Didn’t read the warnings? No vision, no future. Should have gone to Specsavers.” </p>
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<p>These actions are all submissions for the <a href="https://subvertisers-international.net/zap-games/">ZAP Games</a> – an invitation for people to take action against outdoor advertising infrastructure in the two weeks leading up to Black Friday. </p>
<p>Categories in the games, which began in Belgium in 2021, include most family friendly intervention and most beautiful or artistic intervention. Run by a group called Subvertisers International, it’s the latest in an ongoing series of anti-advertising actions, often rooted in concerns about the environment. </p>
<p>Subvertising, in which activists subvert advertising often using the language and style of the brand itself, is also known as culture jamming, or brandalism – a mashup of brand and vandalism.</p>
<p>Eleftheria Lekakis, a senior lecturer in media and communication at the University of Sussex in the UK, has been <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14742837.2020.1837102">studying the movement</a> since it caught her attention in 2015 at the COP21 climate talks in Paris. </p>
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<p>The point of advertising is to sell. The point of subvertising is to open up that message and … attach a whole range of meanings to it, meanings that are more akin to social and environmental justice. </p>
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<p>She began <a href="https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Culture_jamming_and_brandalism_for_the_environment_the_logic_of_appropriation/23442089">analysing a number of the subverts</a> that emerged during the COP21 talks to understand the points the brandalists were trying to make. She found attacks on corporate greed and on the inadequacy of politicians to challenge the status quo, but also environmental narratives about grief and the Earth in mourning. </p>
<p>Lekakis believes that subverts grab viewers’ attention because they start a conversation. </p>
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<p>Sometimes it can feed into a larger conversation which exists around the role of advertising in society today and the limits that we should think about collectively, when it comes to advertising. </p>
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<p>Find out more about subvertising and brandalism by listening to the full episode of <a href="https://podfollow.com/the-conversation-weekly/view">The Conversation Weekly</a> and read an article by <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-friday-parody-adverts-target-unbridled-consumerism-with-an-environmental-message-218489">Eleftheria Lekakis here too</a>. A transcript is <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/2993/Brandalism_TC_Weekly_transcript.pdf?1703072434">now available</a>. </p>
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<p><em>This episode was written, produced and sound designed by Eloise Stevens, with production assistance from Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.</em></p>
<p><em>You can find us on X, formerly known as Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/TC_Audio">@TC_Audio</a>, on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">theconversationdotcom</a> or <a href="mailto:podcast@theconversation.com">via email</a>. You can also subscribe to The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/newsletter">free daily email here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Listen to <em>The Conversation Weekly</em> via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our <a href="https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/60087127b9687759d637bade">RSS feed</a> or find out <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-listen-to-the-conversations-podcasts-154131">how else to listen here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218365/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleftheria Lekakis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Subvertising campaigns are often funny, but they also aim to make a wider point about the unsustainable excesses of consumerism. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.Gemma Ware, Editor and Co-Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2091162023-11-22T19:25:02Z2023-11-22T19:25:02ZOut with the old: Marketers are reinventing themselves for a more sustainable future<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/out-with-the-old-marketers-are-reinventing-themselves-for-a-more-sustainable-future" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>With an overwhelming <a href="https://pages.sustainablebrands.com/socio-cultural-research">96 per cent of U.S. consumers</a> actively seeking ways to protect the planet, marketers are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessibaker/2021/04/13/a-brave-new-marketer-rising-to-the-challenge-of-sustainability-communications/?sh=1bea73574503">no longer expected to simply sell products</a>. They are now expected to <a href="https://sustainablebrands.com/read/behavior-change/for-sustainable-behavior-change-brands-must-cut-through-the-marketing-noise-to-the-hearts-values-of-consumers">influence consumer behaviour</a> to <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/11/moving-the-needle-on-sustainability">advance sustainability goals</a>.</p>
<p>Because of their unique skill sets, marketing professionals are <a href="https://wfanet.org/leadership/planet-pledge/sustainability-2030/about">ideally positioned</a> to do this. But <a href="https://unglobalcompact.org/take-action/purpose-driven-marketing">as they have begun to embrace this responsibility</a>, they have found themselves caught between traditional marketing practices focused on profit, planned obsolescence and overconsumption, and newer approaches centred on sustainability and social impact.</p>
<p>As a result of these conflicting interests, marketers are experiencing a professional identity crisis. To delve deeper into this issue, we have been conducting interviews with marketing professionals <a href="https://commons.royalroads.ca/marketersforgood">as part of an ongoing research study</a>. </p>
<p>Our findings reveal that, in order for marketers to meet the call for <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2022/03/11/consumers-demand-sustainable-products-and-shopping-formats/">brands to be more sustainable</a>, they need to reinvent themselves and their role.</p>
<h2>Something is better than nothing</h2>
<p>Many organizations are <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/sustainability-progress-is-stalled-at-most-companies/">struggling to make significant strides</a> in their sustainability efforts, often <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/08/why-companies-arent-living-up-to-their-climate-pledges">falling short of</a> or <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/03/07/companies-broken-sustainability-promises-are-escalating-calls-for-regulation-and-legal-action/">failing to live up to their promises</a>.</p>
<p>The marketers we interviewed often found themselves in ethical dilemmas, grappling with a clash between traditional profit-driven marketing methods and newer, sustainability-focused approaches. </p>
<p>Many felt a sense of guilt and frustration, questioning whether they were truly making the right decisions. One marketer said: “Am I really doing enough? Am I taking the easiest route, or is this actually a good decision?”</p>
<p>Despite the ethical challenges, some marketers saw this morally ambiguous territory as transformative — a chance for a kind of rebirth. It allowed them to embrace the idea of choosing the next best option when the ideal was unattainable. </p>
<p>One marketer said this approach was less about whether a decision or action was good or bad from a sustainability perspective, and more about whether it was something they could personally “live with.”</p>
<p>Even if consumers did not radically change their behaviour, small, genuine successes were viewed as valuable. The key was not letting the pursuit of perfection get in the way of recognizing that small, incremental changes add up over time —a sentiment one participant said was “a good step forward.”</p>
<h2>Breaking up and breaking out</h2>
<p>Unsurprisingly, some marketers felt the old marketing practices — especially the ones that emphasized over-consumption from consumers — violated their personal values. When these practices became too incongruent with their new desired professional self, and the progress toward sustainability felt too slow, some parted ways with their employers.</p>
<p>One marketer, for instance, left to start their own business after feeling powerless to implement more sustainable practices. “I just knew there had to be a better way,” they said. Others left high-profile jobs with well-known multinational brands in an attempt to break free and reinvent themselves professionally.</p>
<p>While leaving the job was a noticeable trend, not everyone was able to do so due to financial or personal constraints. Those who remained in their roles sought alternative ways to make positive impacts. Some took leaves of absence to volunteer for social causes, while others embarked on sustainability-related educational programs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman sitting at a desk and looking out a window with a serious expression on her face." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558728/original/file-20231109-25-3nh7ee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many of the marketers interviewed felt their personal values were being violated as a result of old marketing practices driving hyper-consumption.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Those that were unable to leave their positions looked for ways to find greater meaning in their work by taking on sustainability-related projects in their spare time. Tapping into peer support through professional sustainability related communities, like <a href="https://sustainablebrands.com/events">Sustainable Brands</a>, became a vital lifeline. </p>
<p>As one marketer said: “Seeing what everyone is doing, being a part of others making change is very inspiring.” By joining like-minded communities outside their respective organizations, these marketers were able to recharge, get support and find allies in pursuit of new professional identities.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether participants moved on from their positions or found fulfilment on the side, one thing was clear: marketers felt there was a need to break up with the old to embrace new relationships and ways of doing.</p>
<h2>A seat at the table</h2>
<p>While there was a clear propensity among the marketers in our study to leave jobs or opportunities that were no longer beneficial, they often viewed complex or controversial situations as creative opportunities.</p>
<p>Their optimism was rooted in what respondents called having “a seat at the table.” There was widespread agreement that having a seat at the corporate table allowed them to drive and influence change. The personal agency derived from actively contributing to solutions, even during tough times or when dealing with ethically challenging situations, was meaningful in and of itself. </p>
<p>As one young marketer said: “It is my job to figure out how to do good in the world.” A senior marketer shared a similar sense of personal agency and hope: “We can combine our professional aspirations with something that we also believe in.” Another senior marketer added that “using my powers for good instead of evil, being part of the solution, feels good.”</p>
<p>Despite feelings like not enough was being done in the short term, the marketers remained optimistic about the role of sustainability — even in the most ethically complex industries such as oil and gas, tobacco and gaming. As one respondent said, “in the long run, [your actions] will bring you positive change.”</p>
<p>Even while facing monumental challenges, the marketers in our study exhibited grit and determination as they worked to carve out a place in the business world dedicated to those committed to doing good.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209116/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Marketers are caught between using traditional marketing practices focused on profit, planned obsolescence and overconsumption, and newer approaches centred on sustainability and social impact.Ingrid Kajzer Mitchell, Associate Professor, School of Business, Royal Roads UniversityKarly Nygaard-Petersen, Doctoral Candidate, School of Business, Royal Roads UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2148272023-11-17T13:28:35Z2023-11-17T13:28:35Z5 marketing lessons from the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce romance<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558651/original/file-20231109-21-nq5bse.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C28%2C4785%2C2529&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The stands at Kansas City Chiefs games look different than they used to.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/fans-hold-up-placards-referring-to-taylor-swifts-boyfriend-news-photo/1764920016">Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>What happens when you unite the biggest pop star in the world and a two-time Super Bowl champion? A whole lot of excitement, as the romance of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce has shown. But amid all the <a href="https://people.com/taylor-swift-supporting-travis-kelce-at-kansas-city-chiefs-games-pictures-8357398">cheering</a>, canoodling and <a href="https://people.com/taylor-swift-liked-people-instagram-post-about-travis-kelce-amid-romance-8387691">Instagram flirting</a>, the situation lends some useful insights into marketing – and as an <a href="https://www.clemson.edu/business/about/profiles/aschein">expert in sports marketing</a>, I know that this is a topic worth focusing on. Here are five lessons the NFL and other experiential marketers can consider to enhance their brands and reputation.</p>
<p><strong>1) “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg">Blank Space</a>”: Embrace audience expansion</strong></p>
<blockquote>“Cause you know I love the players … And you love the game!” – “Blank Space,” 2014</blockquote>
<p>Great entertainment marketers know how to fill a blank space. And Swift has given the NFL a unique opportunity to expand its appeal to a demographic – young women – that may not have been interested in football before. Swifties, as Swift’s fans are known, are eager to see the pop icon embrace being in love. So whenever she visits a stadium to cheer on her new lover, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Kelce – which she has done four times in the past two months and <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article281904423.html">may well do again soon</a> – a media frenzy follows. </p>
<p>While serious football fans want the focus to stay on football, the NFL is smart to capitalize on this opportunity. After all, Swift is a mega-popular star: She has more charted songs (212), top-10 hits (42) and No. 1 song debuts (five) on the <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-hot-100-billboard-200-chart-records-broken/">Billboard Top 100</a> than any other female musician in history.</p>
<p>The Chiefs remain known for their winning ways and star power, and they’re still drawing – and satisfying – their traditional fans. Yet Swift’s presence has brought a more playful tone to the games. The ordinarily serious Chiefs coach Andy Reid has <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/andy-reid-setting-up-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-joke-1235447334/">taken to joking</a> about the pair (“I set them up”), while memes about Swift having to leave the stadium <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/09/25/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-popcorn-machine-suite-swifties-fan-theory/">in a popcorn machine</a> are a next-level combination of participatory pop culture, celebrity and sports.</p>
<p>Audience expansion is an effective tactic for businesses, as long as marketers don’t alienate old fans by opening up to new ones. And so far, this is paying off for the NFL: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-nfl-jersey-sales-game-fanatics-merchandise-2023-">Ratings soar</a> when Swift attends a game, and Kelce <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-nfl-jersey-sales-game-fanatics-merchandise-2023-9">jersey sales</a> have also skyrocketed. This new interest in the sport is welcome, especially since NFL television ratings among <a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nfl-tv-ratings-viewership-2023/">18- to 35-year-olds</a> had previously shown some declines.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce both wear red in support of the Kansas City Chiefs as they watch the first half of an FNL game from a box seat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C5%2C3518%2C2340&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551553/original/file-20231002-16-eiap6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Taylor Swift cheers from a suite with Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, as the Kansas City Chiefs play the Chicago Bears on Sept. 24, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/taylor-swift-cheers-from-a-suite-with-donna-kelce-as-the-news-photo/1687517675">Cooper Neill/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2) “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdneKLhsWOQ">Wildest Dreams</a>”: Capitalize on the many motivations for fandom</strong></p>
<blockquote>“Say you’ll see me again/Even if it’s just in your wildest dreams.” – “Wildest Dreams,” 2014</blockquote>
<p>An entertainment or sports marketer’s wildest dream is to be able to bring in all sorts of fans and deliver on their personal reasons for being there. That’s why marketers are wise to think about “psychographics” in addition to demographic appeals. This means that instead of just segmenting audiences by demographic – such as younger women or college students – marketers tailor their appeals to lifestyles, interests, activities and the way consumers think. </p>
<p>My co-authored research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.2501/S0021849906060430">engaged sports fans</a> are motivated by psychological desires such as escape and building self-esteem – everyone wants to be associated with a winner – as well as social motives such as wanting to strengthen in-group bonds and participate in traditions and rituals. </p>
<p>Football is known for intense strategies, masculine bravado and violent hits. So the Swift crossover gives NFL sport marketers an opportunity to attract new fans with different motivations. A good example is when the NFL changed its X (formerly Twitter) bio to <a href="https://theathletic.com/4909874/2023/10/01/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-nfl-jets-chiefs/">“NFL (Taylor’s version)”</a> – a nod to Swiftie in-group identity and humor. New fans who are drawn in by such appeals may become more serious about the sport later.</p>
<p><strong>3) “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw">You Belong With Me</a>”: Let consumers feel like they belong</strong></p>
<blockquote>“If you could see that I’m the one who understands you, been here all along so, why can’t you see? You belong with me.” – “You Belong With Me,” 2008</blockquote>
<p>When it comes to sports, and especially football, some people think that the game isn’t for them. The NFL and the Chiefs now have a unique opportunity to leverage sudden interest from a group of people not known for being football superfans. But to convert them into regular viewers, they’ll need to make sure the newcomers feel a sense of belonging.</p>
<p>A subtle example of this sort of outreach happened when the Chiefs used social media to <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1706044628787462409?lang=en">welcome Swift</a> – and by extension, her loyal fans – to “Chiefs Kingdom.” Similarly, the league has made it abundantly clear that Swifties are <a href="https://theathletic.com/4909874/2023/10/01/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-nfl-jets-chiefs/">welcome in the stands</a>, even if a small yet loud cohort of NFL fans would <a href="https://theathletic.com/4924355/2023/10/03/nfl-taylor-swift-fans-chiefs/">rather they stay away</a>. This open-mindedness is good for business. </p>
<p><strong>4) “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xg3vE8Ie_E">Love Story</a>”: Leverage human co–branding and appeals to fun and fantasy</strong></p>
<blockquote>“You’ll be the prince, and I’ll be the princess/It’s a love story, baby, just say yes.” – “Love Story,” 2008 </blockquote>
<p>I study <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11747-010-0221-6">human brands</a> – the people, well known or emerging, who are the subject of marketing, interpersonal or interorganizational communications. In this age of social media, human branding has never been more important. Having a strong personal brand is associated with more endorsements, Google searches, merchandise sales and ticket sales. So Swift and Kelce are reaping the benefits of <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cobranding.asp">human co-branding</a>. </p>
<p>What makes these particular human brands so compelling? Many Swifties are invested in Taylor’s romantic life and are cheering for her to find love and one day pick out a white dress. This interest and fantasy takes the form of a parasocial – or one-sided – relationship, where one party invests emotional energy and time, while the other person is unaware of the first person’s existence. While these can potentially become harmful, in most cases <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2022.2066034">parasocial interactions</a> are a source of escape, fun and fantasy. </p>
<p>In an era of negative news and doomscrolling, a story that’s fun and entertaining can be powerful. And research in our advertising and branding book shows that sport marketers are eager to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Advertising-Integrated-Promotion-Angeline-Scheinbaum/dp/0357721403">capitalize on positive appeals</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A football fan wearing a Chiefs jersey holds a handmade sign that says " src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559721/original/file-20231115-29-lderl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Taylor Swift fan holds a sign in the stands of the Chiefs-Minnesota Vikings game on Oct. 8, 2023. The game was held in Minneapolis, more than a thousand miles from Boston.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/kansas-city-chiefs-fan-holds-up-a-sign-in-reference-to-news-photo/1724636637">Stephen Maturen/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>5) “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osdoLjUNFnA">Exile</a>”: Don’t just think locally</strong></p>
<blockquote>“You’re not my homeland anymore/So what am I defending now?” – “Exile,” 2020</blockquote>
<p>A final insight for brands and marketers is to not be constrained by geography. With digital commerce and social media, researchers have become increasingly interested in “faraway fans” who travel long distances to events. In a recent study about professional cycling fanship in sporting-event sponsorship, my colleagues and I found that sport event attendees that traveled from farther away <a href="https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2022-001">were more invested</a> in the event and more willing to buy merchandise. This has big implications for new fans who may travel to Kansas City to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift. </p>
<p>The Swift/Kelce relationship and the NFL’s highlighting of it is one example of why it is important not to be hemmed in by geography. As one cardboard sign at a recent Chiefs game in Kansas City proclaimed, “I traveled here to see Taylor Swift!”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angeline Close Scheinbaum does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Of course the NFL is embracing Taylor Swift.Angeline Close Scheinbaum, Dan Duncan Endowed Professor of Sports Marketing.Associate Professor of Marketing, Clemson UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2173622023-11-09T19:10:24Z2023-11-09T19:10:24Z‘Thank you for making me feel smart’: will a new campaign to raise the status of teaching work?<p>Federal and state governments have <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/anthony-albanese/press-conference-launch-be-teacher-advertising-campaign">just launched</a> a A$10 million advertising campaign to “raise the status” of teachers in Australia and encourage people to consider a career in school education. </p>
<p>Called “Be That Teacher”, <a href="https://www.bethatteacher.gov.au">the campaign</a> features emotive stories from eight real teachers who have positively affected their students’ lives and futures.</p>
<p>For example, Mr Wang, a maths teacher from Victoria talks about how a Year 10 student wrote him a note to say “thank you for making me feel smart for once”. Mrs Kentwell, a primary teacher from Queensland, spoke about holding the hand of a young blind student in a running race, while other students cheered him on. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The rewarding feeling you get from teaching is something I’ve never felt from any other job. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The campaign, by ad agency Clemenger BBDO, is running across social media, television, cinema, billboards and at bus stops and train stations until next April.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-970" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/970/faf81edb338798f7890c663e55b06ade2d9261b3/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Why do we need it?</h2>
<p>The campaign comes amid an ongoing teacher shortage crisis in Australia. Federal government <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">modelling</a> has predicted a shortfall of more than 4,000 teachers by 2025. Last month, the New South Wales government <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/public-school-teacher-shortages">revealed</a> a 42% drop in casual teacher numbers meant 10,000 lessons in the state were going without a teacher each day. </p>
<p>We also know the number of students enrolling in teaching degrees <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/interview-abc-afternoon-briefing-1">has dropped 12%</a> in the past ten years. Of those <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/commonwealth-bank-teaching-awards-presented-schools-plus">who do enrol</a>, only 50% finish the degree and 20% of those who graduate leave the profession within three years. </p>
<p>Australian studies have also told us teachers <a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">do not feel valued</a> by the community, are <a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">abused and disrespected by parents</a>, and receive <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">poor media coverage</a>. </p>
<p>Is this campaign the answer? Can advertising help solve Australia’s teacher shortage?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">We won't solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions</a>
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<h2>Advertising can work</h2>
<p>There is evidence to show advertising can work. A clever way to demonstrate advertising’s value is to examine what happens in its absence. Our <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/63/2/172">2023 study</a> showed, on average, brands experience a decline in sales when they stop advertising for more than one year.</p>
<p>But there are no certainties with advertising. So what increases the chance of a successful campaign? </p>
<p>Advertising <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/61/3/247">works primarily</a> by creating and refreshing memories – in this case by establishing a link between “teaching” and “positive career option”. This heightens the chance teaching will come to someone’s mind when considering careers. The freshness of a memory (how recently they saw the ad) <a href="https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=unisa&id=GALE%7CA55533967&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-AONE&asid=0b6d994f">increases</a> the chances they will think of teaching.</p>
<p>This means the campaign should run while the shortage persists, to increase the chance it will be in potential students’ minds and particularly during the lead-up to university preference cut-off dates over the summer.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-971" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/971/5234d229b05bea3bfa2eb0db2d206011da662797/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Do the ads themselves work?</h2>
<p>The campaign gets an A on several factors.</p>
<p>The videos are beautifully crafted, capturing attention by using human faces, voices and authentic storytelling. All these elements improve the chances of campaign success by evoking an emotional response, which <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/57/1/53">heightens memory retention</a>.</p>
<p>The “Who will you inspire?” tagline used in the campaign is also both emotive and memorable.</p>
<h2>The branding needs more work</h2>
<p>Beyond the ads, the Be That Teacher website contains information about pursuing a teaching career (how to do it, available scholarships and support). While the campaign can create a memory or pique someone’s interest, this information will help people decide if teaching is the career for them. </p>
<p>Here, the branding aspect (or identity) of the campaign needs more work. Be That Teacher is new to Australians and it needs to be more prominent in the videos and still images to stand out and capture attention. </p>
<p>Introducing the line “Be That Teacher” visually at the beginning of the ads and adding a verbal mention, rather than just at the end, <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/52/2/146">heightens the chance</a> it will be processed and remembered. This is crucial if the campaign is going to push people to the website.</p>
<h2>Of course we also need more than ads</h2>
<p>Recruitment and retention issues in education are not new. Teachers report feeling <a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-stress-isnt-just-an-individual-thing-its-about-their-schools-too-183451">overworked</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">underpaid</a> and overly burdened by <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">administrative tasks</a>. </p>
<p>These are all complex issues and clearly, advertising will not be the sole fix to the teacher shortage (nor are governments <a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">suggesting it will be</a>). </p>
<p>But with teachers so essential to Australia’s future, every effort should be made to build and retain our teaching workforce. Good advertising like this campaign can help generate more interest in the profession and provide a <a href="https://marketingscience.info/marketing-theory-evidence-practice/">gentle nudge</a> towards improving the status of this vital career. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-retain-teachers-supporting-them-to-work-together-could-help-216076">How do we retain teachers? Supporting them to work together could help</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217362/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Virginia Beal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Federal and state governments have launched a $10 million advertising campaign to encourage more people to consider a teaching career.Virginia Beal, Senior Marketing Scientist, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2152152023-11-09T13:32:53Z2023-11-09T13:32:53ZWhy more food, toiletry and beauty companies are switching to minimalist package designs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557927/original/file-20231107-21-bfmyl4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C611%2C4167%2C2840&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Siggi's Dairy keeps its yogurts simple with white packaging, black text and a dab of color to indicate the flavor.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/siggis-yogurt-is-seen-on-during-day-1-of-the-new-york-news-photo/482897027?adppopup=true">Neilson Barnard/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For decades, marketers of consumer goods designed highly adorned packages, deploying bold colors, snazzy text, cartoons and illustrations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.4.60.42736">to seize the attention of shoppers</a>. Conventional wisdom held that with thousands of products competing against one another in the aisles of big box stores and supermarkets, companies needed to do everything in their power to make their products stand out.</p>
<p>But recently, there’s been a move toward simplicity. The stripped-down packaging you’ll often see is reminiscent of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/504138">the minimalist art</a> that flourished in the 1960s. A reaction against overly complex, representative works, the art that emerged in this period was characterized by spareness and abstraction. Any elements deemed unnecessary were removed.</p>
<p>What’s behind the move toward elegant but uncluttered packaging designs? <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429231192049">Recent research</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m9Q0XUIAAAAJ&hl=en">I conducted</a> with marketing professors <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uwoILXsAAAAJ&hl=en">Rosanna K. Smith</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pjmIeGMAAAAJ&hl=en">Julio Sevilla</a> explored whether shoppers actually prefer this packaging – and, if so, why.</p>
<h2>When less is more</h2>
<p>First, we wanted to see if shoppers were willing to pay more for products in these packages. So we analyzed over 1,000 consumer goods, such as shampoo, deodorant, crackers and cereal, from the largest supermarket chain in the U.S.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A shopping cart filled with colorfully packaged food products." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=687&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=687&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558085/original/file-20231107-17-uxqwi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=687&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For decades, eye-popping packaging was the modus operandi for food brands.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/1960s-grocery-shopping-cart-full-of-groceries-news-photo/658540867?adppopup=true">H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We had two research assistants code for the extent to which the packaging design was simple or complex. We then averaged their ratings to create a measure of packaging design simplicity. From this data, we found that products in simple packaging generally had higher retail prices than similar products that didn’t. The higher retail prices indicate that shoppers are <a href="https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/willingness-to-pay">willing to pay more</a> for products in this packaging.</p>
<p>Next, across a series of experiments, we recruited students from a public university. We asked them to look at different packaged products, tell us how much they were willing to pay for those products, how many ingredients they thought the products might have, and how pure they perceived the products to be. </p>
<p>We found that the preference for simple packaging was due to the fact that pared-down designs sent a subtle yet powerful signal: purity. This happened because the simplicity of the product package made participants more likely to assume that the product contained fewer ingredients, along with fewer preservatives, added colors or artificial flavors.</p>
<p>People will pay a premium for products that don’t have additives or chemicals, <a href="https://foodinsight.org/ific-survey-from-chemical-sounding-to-clean-consumer-perspectives-on-food-ingredients/">whether it’s food</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/home/natural-cleaning-brands">cleaning supplies or soaps</a>. And this may explain why the study’s participants were willing to fork over more cash for products that appear in simple packages – regardless of whether they actually contain fewer ingredients. </p>
<p>Several brands illustrate the ability of simple packaging to attract shoppers. </p>
<p>Kashi’s cereal boxes employ a muted color scheme and avoid overloading the package with claims or extensive product descriptions. <a href="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1623175502-51dmC1s4bL._SL500_.jpg?crop=0.976xw:1.00xh;0.0100xw,0&resize=980:*">Siggi’s yogurt containers</a> embrace white spaces, muted colors and straightforward imagery, highlighting only the crucial product details. </p>
<p><a href="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/W.ITDLpkkRQz9sPVOfXx2A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02OTI-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2020-03/3956a6c0-6166-11ea-a77e-77ee9a27b3d3">Native deodorant</a> <a href="https://www.nativecos.com/cdn/shop/products/Classic_BW18_C_M_prod_02_f8125d26-5e2f-48c2-b5bc-e5a558f64747_600x.jpg?v=1639156861">and body wash packaging</a> stands out with its clear background paired with concise typography. And hair care brands <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/view-of-ouai-products-during-celebrity-hair-stylist-jen-news-photo/623051656?adppopup=true">such as OUAI</a> <a href="https://cloudinary.forhims.com/image/upload/Hims/hair/power-pack/Hims-HairPowerPack-Share">and Hims</a> often use muted colors and simplistic typography to succinctly present information about their products.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A row of silver bottles of hair spray with a white label and black text." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558080/original/file-20231107-20-s6vdjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">OUAI hair spray bottles feature a minimalist design.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/view-of-ouai-products-during-celebrity-hair-stylist-jen-news-photo/623051656?adppopup=true">Rachel Murray/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When less is less</h2>
<p>However, simple packaging design is not always effective. We found that products from <a href="https://thedinnerdaily.com/generic-vs-name-brand-foods-is-there-really-a-difference/">generic brands</a> fail to reap the same premiums from minimalist packaging. A product from a generic brand is one that does not have a brand name and is typically sold at a lower price than name brand equivalents. </p>
<p>In the case of these products, the simplicity of the packaging seems to align with <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/generic-brand.asp#:%7E:text=The%20term%20generic%20brand%20refers,of%20a%20good%20or%20service.">customers’ beliefs</a> that generic brands invest less in the quality of their products. So it’s possible that the simplicity of generic product packaging signals a lack of investment in the product rather than fewer chemicals or food additives.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3_BZVHjce_Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A 1981 TV advertisement for generic brands at Jewel, a regional supermarket chain in the Chicago area.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The desires of shoppers can also influence the preference for simple packaging. When people seek healthier options, we found that they’ll pay more for products with simple packaging. However, when consumers want to indulge in junk food, they’ll be more inclined to purchase products with complex packaging, which signals many ingredients and lower purity – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.70.4.170">qualities associated with more flavor</a>.</p>
<p>So when it comes to minimalist aesthetics, less can often be more. But in some cases, less is simply less.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215215/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lan Anh Nu Ton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Pared-down packaging designs send a subtle yet powerful message of purity to shoppers – and they’re willing to fork over more cash for these goods, regardless of the actual number of additives.Lan Anh Nu Ton, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Texas Christian UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2165102023-11-02T15:45:33Z2023-11-02T15:45:33ZSudden infant death syndrome: In Europe, nearly 80% of baby product packaging show unsafe positions<p>Imagine you’re lounging comfortably at home, watching TV, when a car ad comes up showing a vehicle travelling at high speed on a windy road. Inside, an infant is shown in a baby seat that… <em>isn’t secured</em>. How would that commercial make you feel about the advertiser? Thankfully that never happens in real life, right?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that’s precisely what does happen in a related domain, as our research team revealed. In a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347623006261">study just published in <em>The Journal of Pediatrics</em></a>, we find that almost 80% of baby product packaging depicting a sleeping infant show a sleep position clearly identified as a major risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). </p>
<p>SIDS is the unexpected death of a baby under the age of 1 year old that remains unexplained after a full investigation. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sids/data.htm">Every year in the United States, there are about 1,400 deaths due to SIDS (figures for the year 2020)</a>.</p>
<h2>More than 600 baby diaper packages investigated in 11 countries</h2>
<p>As part of this project, researchers from Inserm, Université Paris Cité and HEC Paris, in collaboration with the Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP), Nantes University Hospital and other European research structures, studied images shown on baby diaper packages in 11 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain. </p>
<p>The research team identified 631 diaper packages for babies weighing less than 5 kg. On 49% of them, there was a picture with a sleeping baby. The analyses indicated that 79% of packages depicting a sleeping baby were inconsistent with at least one recommendation for the prevention of SIDS. For example, a baby was depicted in prone position or on the side 45% of the time, with soft objects or loose bedding (pillows, pillow-like toys, stuffed toys, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, blankets, nonfitted sheet, or bumper pads) on 51%, or sharing the sleep surface with another person on 10%.</p>
<p>In sum, across countries, the team consistently showed that a very high proportion of pictures were inconsistent with safe infant sleep recommendations – with many images depicting babies sleeping on their stomach (prone position) or on their side, on loose bedding or surrounded by objects, or sharing a sleeping surface with another person.</p>
<h2>Prevention recommendations based on scientific data</h2>
<p>There are, however, recommendations for preventing sudden infant death syndrome published by <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/safe-sleep/#:%7E:text=Use%20a%20crib%2C%20bassinet%20or,out%20of%20the%20sleep%20space.">the American Academy of Pediatrics</a>, data known since the 1990s and updated in October 2016.</p>
<p>Its main recommendations are as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Place infants on their backs for sleep in their own sleep space with no other people.</p></li>
<li><p>Use a crib, bassinet or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet. Avoid sleep on a couch or armchair or in a seating device, like a swing or car safety seat (except while riding in the car).</p></li>
<li><p>Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers and other soft items out of the sleep space.</p></li>
<li><p>Breastfeed if possible and avoid smoking.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Advertising can create a illusory sense of truth</h2>
<p>In the behavioural sciences and medical literature, it is well known that images have the power to impact consumer habits, ranging from alcohol to breastfeeding. We also know that while advertising images have historically been important tools for persuasion, they have equally been a source of information for consumers. It is important to remember that the term <em>advertisement</em> comes from the French word <em>avertissement</em>, which means “warning”; and the term <em>publicity</em> means “to make public”. Therefore, advertising’s key mission is to inform, warn as well as persuade.</p>
<p>When an ad conveys invalid information, such as depicting a baby in a dangerous sleeping position, it presents two important issues in terms of how parents process that information. A first issue is that consumers generally believe that advertisement images are crafted by experts and therefore regard them as authoritative sources.</p>
<p>In particular, an advertising image for baby products acts as authority to young parents, since – particularly for a vulnerable population such as babies – manufacturers are expected to know what they are doing. As a result, parents are likely to accept and value the information presented without critically evaluating its validity. This phenomenon has long been known as the authority bias in decision-making.</p>
<p>A second issue may be even more pernicious: You may argue that parents know about the safe sleep recommendations, which are often communicated to them at the maternity hospital or when they visit their paediatrician. Unfortunately, the repeated exposure to the same wrong information on baby packaging (e.g., the repeated exposure to a baby not sleeping on their back) can create an illusion of truth. Even when people know that the information is incorrect, they can end up believing it is not that incorrect. In sum, while knowing that sleeping on the back is recommended, parents may end up believing that sleeping in a prone position is also just fine.</p>
<h2>Legislators must deal with this issue</h2>
<p>Launched in the 1990s, the <a href="https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/campaign/history">“Safe to Sleep” campaign</a> (also known as “Back to Sleep”) promoted safe infant sleep recommendations around the world, and resulted in a sharp decrease in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sadly, the effects of that campaign are no longer felt today. </p>
<p>For example, in <a href="https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/maladies-et-traumatismes/maladies-de-la-mere-et-de-l-enfant/mort-inattendue-du-nourrisson/le-syndrome/">France</a>, the incidence of <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/safe-sleep/#:%7E:text=Use%20a%20crib%2C%20bassinet%20or,out%20of%20the%20sleep%20space.">sudden unexpected infant death</a>, which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), has dropped by 75% since the 1990s, and currently stands between 250 and 350 deaths per year (French Health Agency Santé Publique France estimates that SIDS deaths represents 50% of sudden unexpected infant deaths). Nowadays, however, the French incidence rate of SIDS is no longer decreasing.</p>
<p>For these reasons, it should be no wonder that Martin Chalumeau, one of the study co-authors, concludes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We need to reduce exposure to commercial or official images that are inconsistent with the recommendations for the prevention of SIDS in order to prevent unsafe sleep practices. In doing so, manufacturers and legislators would fully contribute to accurate health information.”</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p><em>This article was collectively written by Sophie de Visme, MSc; Daniel A. Korevaar, MD, PhD; Christèle Gras-Le Guen, MD, PhD; Alix Flamant, MD; Martina Bevacqua, MD; Anna Stanzelova, MD, MSc; Nhung TH Trinh, PharmD, PhD; Dalia-Alexandra Ciobanu, MD; Ana Araújo Carvalho, MD; Ifigeneia Kyriakoglou, MD; Maria Fuentes, MD; Yacine Refes, PhD; Elisabeth Briand-Huchet, MD; Anne-Laure Sellier, PhD; Inge Harrewijn, MD; Jérémie F. Cohen, MD, PhD; and Martin Chalumeau, MD, PhD.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216510/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne-Laure Sellier ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>A study reveals that baby product advertisers in Europe frequently use pictures inconsistent with recommendations for preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).Anne-Laure Sellier, Professeur Associé en marketing et membre du groupe de recherche CNRS-GREGHEC, HEC Paris Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2132362023-09-13T22:00:54Z2023-09-13T22:00:54ZThe NZ ad industry wants to clean up its climate act – but will agencies drop their fossil fuel clients?<p>At the launch of the <a href="https://www.aucklandclimatefestival.co.nz/2023-programme">Auckland Climate Festival</a> last month, Green Party Auckland Central MP <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw6OJTcPKFY/">Chlöe Swarbrick spoke</a> about how building a community is the best way to avoid being overwhelmed by the scale of the climate emergency.</p>
<p>Advertising might not have been the first thing on Swarbrick’s mind. But earlier in August, New Zealand’s Commercial Communications Council had announced its own community initiative to address emissions within the advertising sector.</p>
<p>Labelled <a href="https://www.adnetzero.co.nz/">Ad Net Zero</a>, it’s part of an international framework launched in the UK late in 2020. “Our ambition,” it states, “is to reduce the carbon impact of developing, producing and running advertising.”</p>
<p>To support the industry reducing its own emissions, Ad Net Zero is built around a five-point “<a href="https://www.adnetzero.co.nz/action-plan">action plan</a>”, the first four points of which are to reduce emissions in different areas of the business. </p>
<p>But it’s the fifth point that will show whether the agencies that have signed up really mean to change: “harness advertising’s power to support consumer behaviour change”. </p>
<p>One would assume that includes moving consumers away from fossil fuel consumption. However, right now, this seems unlikely. Every New Zealand agency that represents a large fuel company has signed up to Ad Net Zero, and they are still creating ads for their petrol station clients. </p>
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<h2>Risk of greenwashing</h2>
<p>Every time I jumped in my car this weekend (it’s electric before you accuse me of hypocrisy) I heard an ad for a fuel company and how many cents I could save per litre. Is this not where advertising might make the biggest difference?</p>
<p>Internationally, agency leaders are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2022/06/23/43-people-changing-advertising-for-the-climate/">on the record</a> about sustainability and how the industry is leading the way in reducing emissions. Considerably less attention is paid to the environmental impacts of the work they do for their client roster.</p>
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<p>The risk here is that the advertising industry itself will be perceived to be indulging in the same “<a href="https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/greenwashing-is-rife-in-aotearoa-we-need-new-laws-to-stop-them">greenwashing</a>” that so many consumer products and services are already accused of practising. </p>
<p>But the issue goes beyond just the industry. Despite having <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/climate-emergency-declaration-will-be-matched-long-term-action">declared a climate emergency</a>, the New Zealand government still allows the consumer incentives driven by fuel discounts. Brand extensions such as AA Smartfuel, Mobil Smiles and Z Energy Pumped all thrive off relatively cheap in-store and radio advertising targeting consumers in their cars. </p>
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<h2>Fossil fuel ad bans</h2>
<p>There are already international precedents for ending these kinds of campaigns. In France, for example, any company promoting fossil fuel products can now be <a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/08/24/france-becomes-first-european-country-to-ban-fossil-fuel-ads-but-does-the-new-law-go-far-e">fined up to €100,000</a>. </p>
<p>Greenpeace has argued the French law doesn’t go far enough. But it still provides a stark contrast with New Zealand – which continues to trade on its “<a href="https://www.newzealand.com/nz/">100% Pure</a>” image while allowing incentives for fuel purchases.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cigarette-ads-were-banned-decades-ago-lets-do-the-same-for-fossil-fuels-182845">Cigarette ads were banned decades ago. Let's do the same for fossil fuels</a>
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<p>Two Dutch cities have taken <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/dutch-city-bans-advertising-for-airlines-and-fossil-fuels-to-tackle-climate-change/OV2VNFJBQIB3647GYXWUTO4YME/">the advertising ban</a> even further. Amsterdam’s metro system banned the advertising of fossil-fuelled transport, including flights and non-electric cars, in 2021. </p>
<p>And next year Haarlem will prohibit these types of ads and all holiday flight advertising in public places. The city has also become the first in the world to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/06/haarlem-netherlands-bans-meat-adverts-public-spaces-climate-crisis">ban ads for meat</a> due to its consumption contributing to the climate crisis. (One can hear the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018837790/groundswell-who-are-they-and-what-do-they-want">Groundswell</a> tractors revving at the mere thought of this happening in Aotearoa.)</p>
<p>Dropping fossil fuel clients would undoubtedly affect agency income and jobs. But it is also advertising’s job to find creative solutions to clients’ problems. Maybe such a move would present new opportunities for the New Zealand industry. </p>
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<h2>Climate-conscious creatives</h2>
<p>Brands and their advertising <a href="https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/04/04/airbnb-expands-belong-positioning-with-campaign-support-marriage-equality-australia#:%7E:text=The%20custom%2Dmade%20ring%20features,asked%20to%20pay%20for%20postage.">amplify</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/05/30/for-once-dont-do-it---the-powerful-idea-behind-nikes-new-anti-racism-ad/?sh=173a1d142fdb">help accelerate</a> movements in global culture. The question now is, can advertising’s storytellers truly accelerate our emissions reduction?</p>
<p>Ad Net Zero is a good start. But a commitment to dropping high-emission clients is more challenging. This is where overseas initiatives such as <a href="https://commsdeclare.org/">Comms Declare</a> and <a href="https://cleancreatives.org/">Clean Creatives</a> come in. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/greenwashing-how-ads-get-you-to-think-brands-are-greener-than-they-are-and-how-to-avoid-falling-for-it-183169">Greenwashing: how ads get you to think brands are greener than they are – and how to avoid falling for it</a>
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<p>These organisations, both established in 2020, aim to help individuals, agencies and clients within the industry divest themselves of fossil fuels by refusing to take on new fossil fuel contracts or work with agencies that still have them on the books. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.creativesforclimate.co/">Creatives for Climate</a>, established by a young New Zealander in Amsterdam around the same time, shares these aims and is <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/creatives-for-climate-auckland-climate-festival-panel-tickets-714641430757?aff=oddtdtcreator">launching a New Zealand chapter</a> at the Auckland Climate Festival later this month. The movement of climate-conscious creatives is here and it’s growing.</p>
<p>In the long term, Ad Net Zero will need to prove it stands for true change if it’s to avoid accusations of being a greenwashing campaign itself.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213236/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Halliday is appearing on a panel for Creatives for Climate. He is affiliated with Creatives for Climate.</span></em></p>Ad Net Zero is a new initiative aimed at reducing the advertising industry’s carbon footprint. But agencies have yet to take the next and most difficult step.Matt Halliday, Lecturer in Advertising and Brand Creativity, Auckland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2125692023-09-06T21:48:14Z2023-09-06T21:48:14ZThe price of love: Why millennials and Gen Zs are running up major dating debt<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546762/original/file-20230906-40532-qq86zj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are you looking for love in all the wrong places?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the-price-of-love-why-millennials-and-gen-zs-are-running-up-major-dating-debt" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/12/heres-how-much-money-the-average-american-spends-on-dating/">The average American invests US$120,000 throughout their lifetime in pursuit of love</a>, spending significant money on romantic dinners, movie outings and thoughtful gifts, not to mention personal grooming and cosmetic products. </p>
<p>As a result, according to <a href="https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/dating-money-inflation/">a survey by LendingTree</a>, 22 per cent of millennials and 19 per cent of Gen Z have begun to incur “dating debt.”</p>
<p>Another study by <a href="https://www.creditkarma.com/insights/i/dating-debt-young-adults-survey">Credit Karma</a> found that 29 per cent of people aged 18–34 have accrued debt for a date, with 21 per cent exceeding $500 in dating debt in a year. Reasons include accidental overspending (29 per cent), an attempt to impress dates (28 per cent) and seeking intimacy (19 per cent).</p>
<p>But another survey <a href="https://www.finder.com/unacceptable-partner-debt">by Finder</a> also reveals that 44 per cent of Gen Zs consider debt a romantic deal-breaker when considering a partner. </p>
<p>This highlights potential ties between accumulating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00715.x">dating-related debt and barriers to the chances of success</a> in forming meaningful romantic connections.</p>
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<img alt="A man sits on a picnic blanket and opens a bottle of champagne." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546426/original/file-20230905-25-1rh7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Luxury dates are leading to debt for millennials and Gen Zs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Jelleke Vanooteghem/Unsplash)</span></span>
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<p>This conundrum is a problem for younger generations, where the pursuit of love and connection is intricately tied to an appetite for luxury, ultimately leading to debt accumulation. </p>
<p>The trend has implications for financial stability, emotional well-being and the very essence of modern relationships.</p>
<p>There are a few issues fuelling it, including the desire to signal status and the persuasive retail marketing of luxury as being synonymous with love, creating that false sense of connection between luxury and love.</p>
<h2>‘Costly signalling’</h2>
<p>Accumulating debt for romantic engagements has its roots in an innate human desire — namely, the urge to signal status. In a digital age where social media and online dating platforms are the norm, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11621-012-0108-7">standing out in a crowd has never been more challenging</a>, yet it’s also crucial.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3483-1">The “costly signalling” theory</a> may explain why such habits develop. It argues that humans and animals use resource-intensive or risky behaviours as genuine, hard-to-fake signals indicating their desirable traits and availability. </p>
<p>This is related to <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203936993">conspicuous consumption</a>, which is driven by a desire for status and the clear signalling of this status to onlookers. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/after-service/202102/what-your-social-signals-reveal">Signalling status in relationships or social circles isn’t uncommon</a>, but it’s found a financial expression in younger generations. Young adults are increasingly associating luxury experiences and goods with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540194">unique form of personal expression</a>. </p>
<p>Whether it’s a lavish dinner at a high-end restaurant or gifting a designer handbag, these actions become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2022.2033132">markers of distinction and status</a>. While these acts add a layer of individuality to a relationship, they come with the risk of potential financial instability.</p>
<h2>Retail marketing</h2>
<p>Retailers often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucac034">employ strategic marketing tactics to link luxury with love</a>, capitalizing on the emotional connection between these two powerful concepts to entice consumers into purchasing high-end goods. </p>
<p>For instance, luxury brands often release limited-edition Valentine’s Day collections, adorned with romantic motifs and themes, ranging from heart-shaped jewellery to high-end designer fragrances. </p>
<p>Additionally, retailers leverage the allure of love in their advertisements. They often showcase couples exchanging luxury gifts in opulent settings, fostering an aspirational connection between luxury products and romantic ideals. </p>
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<img alt="A diamond engagement ring on a Tiffany blue background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546439/original/file-20230905-19-g0bd2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The Tiffany ‘Believe in Love’ campaign featured links to engagement ring offerings.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span>
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<p>For example, <a href="https://www.tiffany.ca/engagement/love-stories/">Tiffany & Co. released a “Believe in Love”</a> campaign featuring stories of seven couples at different stages of their relationships, and how Tiffany has played a part in their love journey.</p>
<p>Retailers create an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucac034">ambience of indulgence and luxury</a>, presenting their offerings as tokens of affection and devotion. </p>
<p>Personalized engraving services on luxury items, such as monogrammed initials or special dates, further enhance the sentimentality and connection between the product and the act of gifting, convincing consumers to spend money on these high-end, emotionally charged offerings. </p>
<p>For example, Gucci’s “<a href="https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/fashion/apple-of-my-eye-gucci-s-apple-print-collection-comes-in-time-for-chinese-valentine-s-day">apple of my eye</a>” limited-edition collection shows two interlocking red letter Gs that are meant to signify romantic love.</p>
<p>These strategic marketing tactics linking luxury with love contribute to more debt by enticing consumers to overspend on high-end goods with premium price tags. They promote impulse buying through limited-edition collections, foster unrealistic desires through aspirational advertising, encourage additional spending on personalized services and compel people to prioritize romantic gestures over financial responsibility.</p>
<p>This ultimately leads to the accumulation of debt as consumers strive to express their love through emotionally charged purchases.</p>
<h2>False sense of connection</h2>
<p>But there seems to be an intriguing paradox when it comes to luxury goods and their ties to social relationships. </p>
<p>While luxury items can enhance someone’s social image and boost self-perception, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-09-2014-1161">people also tend to view themselves more positively when they possess or experience luxury — even though they often hold a less favourable view of others who do the same</a>. </p>
<p>This sheds light on a fascinating discrepancy in self-versus-other evaluations when it comes to luxury consumption. </p>
<p>In a dating context, a person boasting about the purchase of an expensive wine on a dinner date, for example, may over-estimate whether it will actually impress their date.</p>
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<img alt="A glass of white wine sits in front of a woman at a table in a restaurant." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546516/original/file-20230905-31392-5c4cul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Ordering an expensive bottle of wine on a date isn’t necessarily impressive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(JP Valery/Unsplash)</span></span>
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<p>Gift-givers often believe that more expensive gifts are more appreciated, assuming they convey greater thoughtfulness. But gift recipients don’t necessarily share this belief because they don’t consistently link gift price to their level of appreciation.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2008.11.003">This suggests that gift-givers may not accurately predict what gifts will be meaningful to others</a>. And because they personally may connect expensive gifts with something meaningful, it may lead them to spend more, ultimately contributing to greater dating debt.</p>
<p>Interestingly, while it’s known that people use luxury items to signal their social status and earning capacity, the reactions to such gifts may be complex. Indeed, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103945">many people prioritize their independence and question the giver’s motives behind such gifts, fearing power imbalances and expectations</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/an-essential-piece-in-every-wardrobe-young-people-are-shopping-for-luxury-like-never-before-184536">'An essential piece in every wardrobe': Young people are shopping for luxury like never before</a>
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<p>Instead, they may value personal connections over materialistic displays and be cautious in the early stages of a relationship. </p>
<p>Ultimately, open and honest communication about expectations is crucial for navigating these complexities, ensuring that gift-giving aligns with the relationship’s goals and mutual desires.</p>
<p>The concept of luxury often gets mixed up with our quest for love, creating a captivating but misleading link between the two. In the realm of romantic relationships, luxury goods or indulging in extravagant experiences can sometimes make us feel closer to our partners than we really are.</p>
<p>But the ties between luxury and love can be deceiving. While luxury can certainly add to the romance, it’s important for younger generations to see the difference between flashy things and the deep, lasting connections that bring us closer to love.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212569/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Genuine love holds immeasurable value, yet discovering it can pose challenges — and come with a significant price tag.Omar H. Fares, Lecturer in the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, Toronto Metropolitan UniversitySeung Hwan (Mark) Lee, Professor and Associate Dean of Engagement & Inclusion, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2033882023-09-04T15:26:09Z2023-09-04T15:26:09ZBrand-backed influencer campaigns can be hard to spot – how to tell if a company is behind a social media post<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545952/original/file-20230901-25-zovk4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C0%2C6659%2C4003&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cheerful-caucasian-millennial-woman-fitness-coach-2045181803">Prostock-studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nearly three-quarters of Generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) follow at least one influencer on social media platforms and <a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/gen-z-relies-on-influencers-for-purchase-decisions-kantar-says/582890/#:%7E:text=Almost%20half%20(44%25)%20of,study%20shared%20with%20Mobile%20Marketer.">44% buy things</a> based on influencers’ recommendations.</p>
<p>This age group is estimated to comprise as much as <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/gen-z-unemployment-chart-global-comparisons/">30% of the global population</a>, so marketers sit up and take notice when influencers become popular among this age group. Having a popular influencer talk about your product on social media can make your brand go viral.</p>
<p>Companies understand this and many are prepared to rejig their marketing plans to collaborate with influencers <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2023/01/04/what-sho/?sh=13dcfe642793">to boost brand awareness and sales</a>. But it’s reasonable to be suspicious of such collaborations. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.influencerintelligence.com/blog/zM/brand-vs-influencer-the-fight-for-creative-control">research shows</a> 45% of marketers want to control the content and aesthetics of this type of influencer post. More specifically, 39% of US and UK and 55% of German marketers want complete control over the creative content of the influencers they work with, just like with other types of ad.</p>
<h2>An unvarnished opinion</h2>
<p>But part of the appeal of an influencer is that they are supposed to be a real-life person trying out a product and giving their natural reaction. So followers typically expect influencers to provide genuine information rather than to succumb to the control of a brand. Blatant promotion of unrealistic or unsustainable lifestyles, or the misrepresentation of facts by influencers, could result in a flood of unfollows. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21749">research shows</a> Gen Z consumers are more intolerant towards influencer campaigns perceived to be explicitly marketer-controlled versus more natural recommendations by social media personalities.</p>
<p>And people are more likely to “punish” social media influencers with larger follower numbers for sharing biased and fake campaigns, according to our research. Companies sponsoring the campaigns are not insulated from the ire of the followers either. We found that brands seen to be sponsoring these campaigns can suffer as a result. </p>
<p>Volvo’s influencer marketing campaign in collaboration with Chriselle Lim, a beauty, fashion and lifestyle influencer is <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/521880674.pdf">a good example</a> of this. <a href="https://www.affable.ai/blog/4-lessons-learnt-from-influencer-marketing-failures">Lim partnered with Volvo in 2015</a> to create a professional video highlighting that the brand is environmentally responsible and safety conscious, which was significantly different from her usual beauty content. Her followers <a href="https://brands.joinstatus.com/brand-influencer">reportedly</a> questioned the credibility of the tie-up as a result.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman in yellow top and blue jeans, white shoes sitting cross-legged with phone and disapproving expression." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545955/original/file-20230901-25309-6t1m2h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Fed up with influencers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/full-body-photo-cute-young-girl-2230835971">Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Of course, some posts are clearly marked as ads for a brand. Some influencers will even sign up to be an official spokesperson for a brand. But it’s not always very clear that an influencer is a front for a corporate campaign. The UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) provides <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/resource/influencers-guide.html">guidance for influencers</a> but its <a href="https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/recognising-ads-social-media.html">research shows</a> social media users still struggle to tell advertising content apart from non-advertising content on social media. </p>
<p>So how can you tell a brand-backed campaign from a real-life review?</p>
<h2>1. Sponsorship Tags</h2>
<p>Campaigns that are marketer-controlled are evident by sponsored tags on some platforms. Meta has “<a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/221149188908254">sponsorship disclosures</a>” for its platforms, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Influencers must declare whether their campaigns are sponsored through a “paid partnership” or not. Meta says it will <a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/1045368982822304#:%7E:text=Branded%20content%20posts%20that%20do%20not%20comply%20with%20the%20above%20policies%20are%20subject%20to%20removal%20from%20Meta.">remove any posts</a> that violate its rules on sponsored content.</p>
<p>Some influencers will also use an “in collaboration with” tag for certain campaigns to make their claims credible and authentic if a platform doesn’t have its own official tag. In a marketer-controlled campaign, the brand is often tagged multiple times, making it more of a “brand prominence” post than a typical influencer post.</p>
<p>Without an official sponsorship tag, an influencer could very successfully push biased views and surreptitiously promote brands’ messages for them.</p>
<h2>2. Different types of posts</h2>
<p>During our research, we found that brand-backed influencer posts are sometimes quite different from their regular posts. Influencers act or behave in a different way than their normal content, or the creatives of the posts – how they look and sound – are different. In such situations, a brand becomes the hero of the post rather than the influencer. </p>
<p>Taking this too far can make it very apparent to followers that the influencer is trying to push the agenda of the brand rather than giving their actual opinion on a product. Such unnatural partnerships put the authenticity and credibility of the influencer at stake. </p>
<p>Rachel Arons, a Gen Z influencer, explains <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/business/tiktok-influencers-gen-z.html">how online personalities remain authentic</a> when she says: “We go on camera and speak like we’re on Facetime with a friend, which is probably less cringe” than a edited brand campaign.</p>
<h2>Making posts more transparent</h2>
<p>To keep their followers happy and engaged, most influencers need to remain real and give their unbiased opinions. They should always make it clear when they are partnering for a campaign or risk losing followers – not to mention customers for the brand. Voluntarily disclosing partnerships could even help build brand credibility. </p>
<p>In fact, brands should partner with influencers to come up with interesting and realistic product depictions instead of just trying to push their own message. Advertising standards should also be more consistent, bringing all platforms accessed by consumers under similar rules – perhaps even those used for advertising and promotions in print and TV ads. </p>
<p>Followers trust these influencers and engage with them and this trust should be protected.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Fake social media campaigns can negatively affect both influencers and brands.Abhisek Kuanr, Lecturer in Marketing, University of EssexDebasis Pradhan, Professor of Marketing, XLRI Xavier School of ManagementLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2127692023-09-04T06:25:30Z2023-09-04T06:25:30ZIt was written for nuclear disarmament – but today You’re The Voice is the perfect song for the ‘yes’ campaign<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546121/original/file-20230904-17-cssrkf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C2%2C1911%2C1074&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">John Farnham in the new ad for the Yes campaign. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Uluru Dialogue</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The serendipity of the pairing between John Farnham’s 1986 hit single You’re the Voice and the Voice to Parliament referendum is obvious, but it goes well beyond the fact the two share the key word “voice”. </p>
<p>The original was composed by a team of British songwriters in response to an anti-nuclear demonstration in London’s Hyde Park in 1985. Chris Thompson, Andy Qunta and Maggie Ryder had planned a song-writing session on the day an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/27/world/100000-in-london-protest-arms-race.html">estimated 100,000 marched through central London</a> in support the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. </p>
<p>Thompson, however, overslept. As an act of self-admonishment he decided to express his remorse by conceiving a song that emphasised the importance of personal agency in achieving political change.</p>
<p>This is the kernel of meaning in You’re the Voice. It is also what makes it so especially well suited to support a campaign about a referendum to give Indigenous Australians a constitutionally recognised Voice to Parliament nearly 40 years later. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-voice-to-parliament-explained-212100">The Voice to Parliament explained</a>
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<h2>The grain of Farnham’s voice</h2>
<p>Thompson was not at all convinced at the time Farnham <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/why-john-farnham-was-nearly-rockblocked-from-youre-the-voice/news-story/9e048f2d4550a8b4c1a28e2eba4909f6">could do the song justice</a> when he requested it for inclusion in his album Whispering Jack. </p>
<p>And yet the particular qualities of Farnham’s singing is also arguably crucial to the song’s success, then and now.</p>
<p>The music’s combination of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimental_ballad#Power_ballads">power ballad</a> tempo with <a href="https://music.amazon.com.au/playlists/B078H6J6BF">pub anthem</a> singability calls for a kind of full-throated vocal performance that takes more than a little inspiration from African American gospel traditions. </p>
<p>Singers drawn from these traditions include giants of popular musical culture like James Brown, Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. It is not exaggerated praise to suggest Farnham here delivers a performance that stands with their best.</p>
<p>And it was career changing for him, helping Farnham to put to rest his earlier image as a clean-cut purveyor of sentimental pop songs like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0c55lXRAeg">Sadie the Cleaning Lady</a> and relaunch his career. </p>
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<p>Farnham’s singing here exemplifies what Roland Barthes famously described in <a href="https://courses.lsa.umich.edu/jptw/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Barthes-ImageMusicText.pdf">an essay from 1972</a> as the “grain of the voice”: the element of a singer’s individuality which helps convey the sincerity and authenticity of what is being sung.</p>
<p>You’re the Voice further highlights the grain of Farnham’s singing via the exclamation “oh, whoa!” regularly punctuating the song’s chorus. In a powerful moment of sonic symbolism, the exclamation is eventually taken up in the advertisement (like the sentiment of the song itself, it is no doubt hoped) by a chorus of supporters.</p>
<h2><em>You</em> are the voice</h2>
<p>Indeed, if it is to succeed, the referendum will need to convince an especially broad coalition of Australians to vote for “yes”.</p>
<p>The song supports this goal from its very title: <em>you</em> are the voice. It asks each of us, individually, to consider how we can act for the common good. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have the chance to turn the pages over <br>
We can write what we want to write <br>
We gotta make ends meet, before we get much older. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The song’s explicit call to action has now been connected to the forthcoming referendum: now is the moment to use your voice at the ballot box to give, in turn, a constitutionally enshrined voice to indigenous Australians.</p>
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<p>The “yes” campaign’s appeal to collective responsibility is one aspect of the referendum process that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/16/lidia-thorpe-calls-for-referendum-called-off-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-no-campaign">concerns some Indigenous critics</a>. The very enterprise of constitutional reform, after all, presumes the legitimacy of the Australian constitution which in turn presumes the legitimacy of the original act of colonial dispossession. </p>
<p>But the bigger threat to the “yes” campaign arguably comes from those who see the idea of an <a href="https://ipa.org.au/ipa-today/the-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-has-the-potential-to-be-divisive">Indigenous voice to parliament itself as divisive</a>. </p>
<p>Yet, as the song goes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This time, we know we all can stand together <br>
With the power to be powerful <br>
Believing we can make it better.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The use of You’re the Voice here reinforces the view that supporting the Voice to Parliament is a positive act of national reconciliation that we, as a nation, can take together. </p>
<p>It is an injunction to take personal and collective responsibility for the history and character of the country we all share. </p>
<h2>Politically inclusive</h2>
<p>The advertisement is the work of human rights lawyer <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/megan-davis">Megan Davis</a>, historian <a href="https://www.clarewright.com.au/">Clare Wright</a> and <a href="https://themonkeys.com.au/">The Monkeys advertising agency</a>.</p>
<p>It focuses on a family as they watch key moments which shaped Australia’s collective identity. It looks at key moments of reconciliation, Indigenous achievement and Indigenous protest; but also broader moments in collective action.</p>
<p>In a particularly astute move, the advertisement overlays images of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/01/john-howard-port-arthur-gun-control-1996-cabinet-papers">John Howard’s 1996 gun reforms</a> in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre as Farnham delivers the lines:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We’re all someone’s daughter<br>
We’re all someone’s son<br>
How long can we look at each other<br>
Down the barrel of a gun?<br></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Implicit in this conjunction is a reminder to us that support for the “yes” vote, like any nation-changing political act, can come from any side of politics.</p>
<h2>Democratising the message</h2>
<p>There are many more layers we could tease apart in You’re The Voice. Its extended bagpipes solo originated as an homage to AC/DC singer Bon Scott, connecting it to the egalitarian, <a href="https://www.popmatters.com/141796-let-there-be-rock-2496022409.html">working class culture</a> Scott’s music addresses. </p>
<p>Then there is the way the bagpipes, combined with the song’s use of side-drum rhythmic patterns, evoke the sound world of a military tattoo or march. This simultaneously elevates the register of its message. The song – and now the ad – is an implicit call to arms.</p>
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<p>The inclusion of You’re the Voice in the “yes” campaign thus provides powerful support for its central message.</p>
<p>Farnham himself recognises this. Upon release of the advertisement, Farnham <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/john-farnham-backs-voice-permits-his-anthem-to-front-yes-campaign-ad-20230901-p5e18t.html">spoke about</a> how, when it was first released in 1986, the song “changed his life”. </p>
<p>Generously, he concluded: </p>
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<p>I can only hope that now it might help in some small way, to change the lives of our First Nations Peoples for the better. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-yes-campaign-should-embrace-the-politics-of-nationhood-212006">Why the 'yes' campaign should embrace the politics of nationhood</a>
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<p><em>Correction: this article has been updated to reflect the advertisement was the work of Megan Davis, Clare Wright and The Monkeys advertising agency.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212769/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Tregear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You’re the Voice reinforces the view that supporting the Voice to Parliament is an act of national reconciliation we can take together.Peter Tregear, Principal Fellow and Professor of Music, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.