Nestlé strengthens its responsible marketing to children practices
Nestlé is to voluntarily restrict its marketing to kids under the age of 16 as it seeks to further strengthen its industry-leading responsible marketing practices, and help bring balanced diets within reach for people around the world.
The company’s new Marketing Communication to Children policy will prohibit direct advertising of confectionery and ice-cream as well as water-based beverages with added sugars to children below 16 years of age.
The company says the policy “reaffirms the ban on product marketing communication targeting children between 0 and 6 years of age”. This standard will be applied to TV and online platforms, including social media and gaming ones with greater than 25% of their audience under 16 years old. Additionally, Nestlé will not collect data of minors and only partner with social media influencers over the age of 18.
The new policy will take effect as of July 1, 2023 and will be applied globally.
Nestlé went to say it is one of the first food and beverage companies to voluntarily adopt such strict standards.
Nestlé is externally recognised for its industry-leading responsible marketing practices by the Access to Nutrition Index and calls for more companies to put forward similar measures that support the wellbeing of children.