Youth perspectives on the promotional and public relations strategies of health harming industries

Public health researchers have investigated how youth are exposed to and influenced by traditional forms of commercial marketing from health-harming industries. Limited research has investigated youth opinions about the broader marketing and public relations strategies of these industries. This study aimed to understand youth perceptions of the impact and influence of a range of marketing and public relations strategies used by health harming industries. An online qualitative survey was conducted with n = 518, 16- to 24-year-olds living in Victoria, Australia. Participants were asked to consider the broad influence of marketing from health harming industries on youth, including the impacts of social media promotions, corporate social responsibility strategies including sponsorship and political donations, as well as their views on marketing restrictions. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to construct themes from the data. Participants stated that excessive marketing strategies had a significant influence on youth consumption of health harming products. Most felt that social media marketing had the most appeal and influence on youth. Most were critical of these strategies and were supportive of strong restrictions on marketing for health-harming products. However, many participants held more positive views about corporate social responsibility strategies, which they perceived could offset the negative impacts of these industries on health. Increased focus is needed from the public health and health promotion communities to ensure that youth are protected from the influence of the range of marketing strategies that are used by health-harming industries to promote their products and resist regulatory reform.