Advertising is not the only way

The Government’s delay to implementation of the advertising restrictions for HFSS products until January 2025 will allow for secondary legislation to clarify the implementation rules. This should set parameters, for example, around brand advertising where HFSS products are not shown and promotion of healthy eating initiatives. While not an existential threat to some FMCG categories, it’s probably safe to say that His Majesty’s Government has (intentionally) caused a significant product marketing headache for brands which, until now, have relied heavily on TV and online advertising.

The good news for these brands is that advertising is not the only way to influence consumer perceptions and purchase behaviour. There is another tool in their marketing armoury which can help address this challenging situation. The power of PR is misunderstood and under-appreciated. Traditionally, PR has been unable to quantify its impact on business outcomes such as consumer consideration and sales revenue. This has changed. Now, we can provide concrete evidence of when, where and how media coverage contributes to moving consumers through the funnel, supporting paid advertising and other marketing initiatives. Or filling a space previously occupied by TV and digital advertising.

Even as experts bemoan the fact that advertising is becoming more fragmented, Metricomm has been able to demonstrate the influence of media coverage along the path to purchase, impacting not only brand reputation but consumer behaviour. It’s important to remember, though, that media coverage can be a double-edged sword, creating both headwinds and tailwinds for brands. This is especially true in categories where product recalls, health scares and, of course, government intervention, can make it harder for brands to manage the message.

Marketing Week has called for marketers to innovate and get creative as the ban comes into force. If ever there was a time to walk down the corridor and engage proactively with the PR team, this is it. For manufacturers with HFSS brands in their portfolio, media coverage could be an important element of the marketing mix going forward, not least because healthy eating and sustainability initiatives will be integral to brand positioning. Online mainstream media is an ideal channel for educating consumers, explaining the product range and encouraging them to reconsider their habits.

Conversely, it is possible there might be consumer backlash when the regulations come into force because people object to government intervention in what they eat. Certain media will exploit the opportunity to make mileage out of forced changes to the nation’s favourite indulgences, from chocolate to pizza. Christmas advertising has been mentioned in trade press as a potential victim of the new rules but might mainstream publications give new voice to complaints about the ‘nanny state’? This featured in thinly veiled political opinion when the advertising ban was first mentioned. Politically motivated or not, it reflects on the brands involved and being well prepared is always better than getting caught on the hop by a flurry of calls to the press office.

With the post-watershed advertising ban now delayed until January 2026, it’s time for manufacturers to get on the front foot and plan for proactive PR which shows that they are behaving responsibly and that consumers will not be the losers. At the same time, it’s worth considering whether the crisis playbook can provide insulation for affected brands if the conversation moves from trade media to national media.

Metricomm can provide precision insights to support brands as they plan for campaigns which shift the emphasis from advertising to media coverage. We can also provide real-time data to help measure, monitor, mitigate and manage adverse media reaction to a regulatory change with significant headline risk potential.

Our ability to combine our unique media audience data with other data sets means we can quantify the impact of media coverage on brand tracking outcomes (such as buzz, consideration, reputation and other metrics included in YouGov BrandIndex) and sales revenue data.

If you want to know more about why media audience data should be part of your strategic planning for what happens next with HFSS, please get in touch via the form below or by e-mailing hello@metricomm.com. We’d be happy to work with you and your PR team or agency to brainstorm the possibilities.