Mothers’ attitudes towards toys as fast food premiums

Purpose – To explore mothers’ attitudes to fast food companies’ use of toy premiums as a marketing technique. Design/methodology/approach – Two focus groups and 12 individual interviews were conducted with 21 mothers of young children. Findings – The mothers considered toy premiums to be a highly effective form of marketing targeted at their children. Such purchase incentives stimulate a constant barrage of requests that parents must manage. Research limitations/implications – If parents are to successfully perform their role of food providers to address escalating rates of childhood obesity, they need assistance to counter‐balance the highly effective forms of marketing being employed by fast food companies. Practical implications – The findings have relevance for public policy makers in their efforts to assess the impacts of various promotional activities targeted at children. They are also useful for food marketers as they suggest how product offerings may be differentiated to better meet parents’ preferences. Originality/value – Very little research has examined parents’ attitudes to specific marketing techniques aimed at children. Understanding the impacts of these techniques on parents’ feeding practices is critical in obtaining an appreciation for how parents can better manage their children’s diets to address rapidly escalating rates of childhood obesity.