February 22nd, 2022, Hoang Nguyen
Last year, the UK government gave the greenlight for the regulation of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, sugar and salt (HFSS) on TV (before 9pm) and online. The HFSS rules would also see restrictions on promotions such as buy-one, get-one-free deals on foods that fit the description.
While the rules were initially set to take effect on April 2022, the UK government extended the deadline to October 2022 and has again pumped the brakes with the possibility of postponing the start date to the beginning of 2023. The potential delay would give food retailers, advertisers and marketers more time—and information—to understand which products will be classed as HFSS foods and how the HFSS rules will impact their businesses.
A new survey from YouGov asked British consumers whether they would support or oppose banning TV and online ads that promote foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and salt content. And while ad restrictions on these types of foods have yet to reach the shores of the United States, we also asked Americans on their thoughts about the idea of a restrictions.
What do Britons think of the HFSS ad ban in 2022?
Research from YouGov Direct reveals that a slim majority of British adults say they would support a ban on online ads (55%) and TV ads (56%) promoting HFSS foods. In the case of both types of ads, the British public is more than twice as likely to support an online ad ban on HFSS products than oppose it (55% vs. 21%).
Opinions on the HFSS ad ban fall largely in line with what people said last year when polled on the issue.
In 2021, 57% of Britons said they would support a ban on online ads and 58% said the same about TV ads. While the numbers were slightly lower in 2022, they fall within the margin of error for the poll, indicating that support for the ad ban remains stable nearly a year out.
And like last year, the ad ban on HFSS products seems well-received by parents of children under the age of 18, with roughly three in five saying they support the ad ban in today (59% vs. 56% in 2021; within the margin of error).
What do Americans think about an ad ban on HFSS products?
Sentiments tend to be murkier in the US on the idea of an advertising ban on HFSS foods. While more than a quarter of Americans would support a ban on online ads (28%) and TV ads (27%) promoting HFSS products, a larger share say they would oppose such measures (28%). A notable number of Americans also seem indifferent on the issue, with 31% saying they would neither support nor oppose the idea of an ad ban.
Methodology
YouGov polled 1,151 British adults online on February 8, 2022, between 4:41 pm and 9:10 pm BST. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. The Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. Results are nationally representative of adults in Great Britain. The margin of error is 2.9% for the overall sample.
YouGov polled 991 US adults online on February 8, 2022 between 10:37am and 7:13pm EST. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, political affiliation, and ethnicity. Results are nationally representative of adults in the United States. The margin of error is 3.1% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Direct.
Receive monthly topical insights about the FMCG/CPG industry, straight to your inbox. Sign up today.
Discover more FMCG content here
Want to run your own research? Start building a survey now