. der to avoidappealing to youngerages.Ahighstandard:Theageorlegalmajorityisdeterminedbylocallegislation.Permittedtargetagegroupsshouldbesignificantlyabovetheminimumlegalage:anexampleisthebanontargetingalcoholicbeverages to peopleunderage25requiredbyFacebookinIndia and Sweden.33Forfood and beverages,theUKOfcomregulationsapplyduringtelevisionprogrammeswhichappeal to childrenunderage16.Standard3:MediausedformarketingmessagesIssue:Childrenhaveaccess to awiderangeofmedia.Inaddition,cross‐bordermediaservicesarenoteasilycontrolledbythejurisdictionintheterritorywherethemessageisreceived.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansincludingallmediawhichcarrymarketingmessagesaswellasthosewhichcrossnationalborders(e.g.Internet,satellite and cableTV, and exportedTVprogrammes,films,games,toys and otherproducts).Foodpackaging,formulation and presentationareincluded,asaresponsoredsportsevents and productplacements.Ahighstandard:Acomprehensiveapproachassumesallmediaunlessspecificallyexempted.Mediabroadcastacrossseveraltimezonesshouldbeassumed to reachchildren and adolescents.ExamplesfromothersectorsincludeFacebook,whichprohibitstobacco and gamblingmarketing and restrictsalcoholmarketing.34Fortobacco,theFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControlprovidesacomprehensivedefinition:‘allformsofcommercialcommunication,recommendationoraction and anyformofcontribution to anevent,activityorindividual’.35Standard4:MarketingmethodsIssue:Mostmarketingworksbelowconsciousawareness, and childreninparticularmaybevulnerable to marketingmessagesofspecialappeal to them.Manymarketingmethodsfalloutsidecurrentadvertisingregulations.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansexcludingtechniqueswithspecialappeal to children and adolescents.Thisincludestheuseofcartooncharacters,animation,celebrities,sportspersonalities, and thecolouring,shaping and designofproducts and packaginglikely to haveaparticularappeal to children and adolescents.Ahighstandard:Acomprehensiveapproachacknowledgesthatchildren and adolescentsareexposed to manymarketingmessages,includingthosedesigned to attractthem and thosedesigned to targetnon‐childaudiences.Fortobacco,theFrameworkConvention36coversactionswhichhavethe‘aim,effect,orlikelyeffectofpromotingatobaccoproductor33http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/10/08/alcohol‐advertisement‐guidelines/34http://www.facebook.com/ad_guidelines.php35http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_13.pdf36http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_13.pdf20tobaccouseeitherdirectlyorindirectly’.Itspecifiesall‘advertising,promotion and sponsorship’.Forbreast‐milksubstitutes,theInternationalCode37specifiesthatcontrolsapply to ‘productpromotion,distribution,selling,advertising,productpublicrelations, and informationservices’.Thesephrasescanbeadaptedwiththeadditionof‘able to influenceachild’.Standard5:UseofbrandsIssue:Products and mediamaycarryabrandidentityforacompanylinked to foodorbeverageproductswithoutspecifyingafoodorbeverageorgivinganexplicitmarketingmessage.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansbrandswithrecognisablelinks to food and beverageproductsneed to betreatedasiftheywerepromotingthefoodorbeverage to whichtheyareassociated.Ahighstandard:Acomprehensiveapproachrestrictstheuseofbrandpromotionlikely to influencechildrenwhenthatbrandhasarecognisableassociationwithfood and drinkproductssubject to marketingrestrictions.Wherebrandslink to multipleproducts,theassumptionshouldbethatthebrandispromotingthemostfamiliarorhighestsellingofitsproducts.ProposalsfromtheAustralianObesityPolicyCoalitionsuggestthatbrandsshouldberestrictedunlesstheyarebeingusedinapromotionforahealthyfoodproductorrange.38‘Brand’meansthenameofafoodorbeverageproductorrangeofproducts,orthemanufacturerordistributorthereof,oranyotherwords,designsorimagesthatarecloselyassociatedwithsuchproducts.Standard6:Settings and locationsIssue:Authoritiesresponsibleforstandardswherechildrenaregathered,suchasschools and childcarefacilities,haveaduty to ensurethatnothingprejudicesachild’swellbeing.Proposal:Riskreductionmeansthatallsettingswherechildrengathershouldbefreefromthepromotionofspecifiedfood and beverages,includingbrands,logos,vouchers and giftsassociatedwithsuchproducts.Ahighstandard:Acomprehensiveapproachavoidstheneed to specifyeverypossiblesetting.TheWHORecommendationsstate“settingsinclude,butarenotlimited to, nurseries,schools,schoolgrounds and pre‐schoolcentres,playgrounds,family and childclinics and paediatricservices, and duringanysporting and culturalactivitiesthatareheldonthesepremises”.39Foralcohol,theCityofSanDiego,California,adoptedanordinanceinOctober2000whichprohibitsadvertisingalcoholonanybillboardwithin1,000feetofany37http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf38http://www.opc.org.au/downloads/positionpapers/Protecting‐children‐email1_FINAL_13.04.11.pdf39http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/marketing‐food to children/en/index.html21school,playground,recreationcentreorfacility,childcarecentre,arcade,orlibrary.40Therearealsomanyexamplesoflocation‐basedtobaccocontrols.41Standard7:AccountabilityIssue:Marketingmessagesareproduced and distributedbydiversestakeholdersincludingfoodproducers,manufacturers,importersorsellers,advertisingagencies,mediacompanies,mediadistributors and retailers,webcontenthosts,webaccessproviders and websearchengines.Proposal:Riskreductionrequiresthatadutyofcare and attention to theprotectionofchildren and adolescentsshouldbeexercisedbyallpartiesinthedisseminationofmarketingmessages.Ahighstandard:Acomprehensiveapproachwouldholdallpartiesinvolvedinconveyingamarketingmessage to beaccountable.Forsponsorshipmediathisincludessportseventhosts.Forpromotionaltechniquesembodiedinafoodproductthisincludesimporters,retailers and caterers.Cross‐bordermarketingstandardsneed to beenforceablethroughinternationalagreementswithsanctions.Examplesofpossiblestandard‐settingmechanismsincludeWHOhealthregulations,ISOstandards and CodexAlimentariusstandards.40http://business.highbeam.com/410209/article‐1G1‐204543912/alcohol‐advertising‐billboards‐transit‐shelters and 41http://tobaccodocuments.org/women/2080811374‐1392.html.22AppendixWorldHealthOrganizationSetofRecommendationsontheMarketingofFoods and Non‐alcoholicBeverages to Children42. TheStanMarkprojectbringstogetherresearchers and policy‐makers to developasetofstandardsformarketingfoods and beveragesconsistentwiththeresolutionoftheWorldHealthAssembly.ObjectivesConveneaseriesofmeetingsinEurope and theUSA to bringtogetherkeymembersofthescientificresearchcommunity and policy‐makingcommunity to considerhowmarketingfood and beveragesmayaffect children’s health.Identifycurrent‘bestpractice’approaches to thecontrolofmarketing,includingmeasuresnotspecificallyaddressingfood and beveragemarketing,ornotspecificallydirected to theprotectionofchildren.Exploretheuseofstandards and marketingcodes to influencecommercialactivity,includingstandardsfromotherindustrialsectors.Proposeasetofstandards to formthebasisforacross‐bordercodeofmarketingoffoods and beverages.Developweb‐basedresourcesforpolicydevelopmentconcerningfood and beveragemarketing to children and relatedmaterials to supportpolicydevelopment.Projectpartners. 221SummaryDuringthelastdecadeconsumergroups,parents and teachers’bodies, and publichealthadvocacyorganisationshavecalledforgreatercontrolonthemarketingoffoods and beverages to children.Anumberofauthoritative reports havehighlightedtheneed to restrictsuchmarketing to ensurethatchildrenarenotundulyinfluenced to consumefoodshighinfats,sugar and salt.A2009reviewofregulations(thePolMarkstudy1)suggestedthatsuccessfulregulationrequiredgovernmentleadershipwithspecifiedtimelines and clear,measurableobjectives.In2010theWorldHealthAssemblypassedaResolutionwhichurgedmemberstates to introducecontrolsonthemarketingoffoods and beverages to children, and issuedasetofRecommendationsidentifyingtheapproachesthatcouldbetaken2.Theseincreasingcallsforactionhaveled to aseriesofpolicyresponses,includinggovernment‐ledvoluntaryagreementswithindustry and statutoryregulation.Ofparticularimportanceistheresponseofleadingfood and beveragecompanies,whohaveproposedtheproposedaseriesofcompany‐ledpledges to reducetheirmarketingactivitiesdirectedatchildren.Thesepledgescovertypesofmarketingpracticewhichmaylieoutsidethetraditionalindustry‐widecodesofconduct and nationalregulationsonadvertising.However,comparisonofdifferentcompanypledges and statementsshowsadegreeofinconsistency,asshowninthisreport,whichmakesevaluationoftheimpactofthepledgeshard to assess.Furthermorethereappear to belapsesintheadherence to thesepledgeswithinEurope, and evidencethattheyarenotappliedinotherregions(givingrise to ‘off‐shore’marketing to Europeanchildrenviatheinternet)socallingintoquestionthecompanies’strengthofcommitment.Inorder to assistgovernments and guideindustry,theStanMarkprojectundertookaseriesofpolicy and researchmeetingsinvolvingexperts and officialsfromcountriesinEurope and NorthAmerica,fundedunderthePilotProjectsprogrammeoftheEuropeanUnion’sExternalAffairsService3.Fromthesemeetingsaseriesofproposalsweregenerated and arepresentedhereforusebyWHOmemberstategovernments.Forcross‐bordermarketingitisintendedthatthefood and advertisingindustrieswillrecognisetheadvantagesofacommon,universalsetofstandardsapplicable to allcompanies and whichcanprotectchildrenacrosstheglobe.ThestandardsproposedarebasedontheWHOrecommendations,whichidentifyboth‘exposure’ and ‘power’asindependentfactorsdeterminingtheeffectivenessofmarketingmessages.TheStanMarkprojectproposesthefollowing:•...