JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Emerging evidence demonstrates that obesity is associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Excessive alcohol consumption and ‘comfort eating’ as a coping mechanism during times of high stress have shown to further exacerbate mental and physical ill-health. Global examples suggest that unhealthy food and alcohol brands and companies are using the COVID-19 pandemic to further market their products. However, there has been no systematic, in-depth analysis of how ‘Big Food’ and ‘Big Alcohol’ are capitalising on the COVID-19 pandemic to market their products and brands.

Objective:

We aimed to quantify the extent and nature of marketing by alcohol and unhealthy food and beverage companies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Methods:

We conducted a thematic content analysis of all COVID-19-related social media posts made by leading alcohol and unhealthy food and beverage brands (n=42) and their parent companies (n=12) over a 4-month period (February - May 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Results:

More than 80% of included brands and all parent companies posted content related to COVID-19 during the 4-month period. Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), food and alcohol delivery companies, alcohol brands and bottle shops were the most active in posting COVID-19-related content. The most common themes for COVID-19-related marketing were ‘isolation activities’ and ‘community support’. Promotion of ‘hygiene’ and ‘home delivery’ was also common, particularly for QSRs and alcohol/food delivery companies. Parent companies were more likely to post about Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, such as donations of money and products, and to offer health advice.

Conclusions:

This is the first study to show that ‘Big Food’ and ‘Big Alcohol’ are incessantly marketing their products and brands on social media platforms using themes related to COVID-19 such as ‘isolation activities’ and ‘community support’. Parent companies are frequently posting about Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, such as donations of money and products, thereby creating a fertile environment to loosen current regulation or resist further industry regulation. COVID-washing by large alcohol, and food and beverage brands and their parent companies is both common and concerning. The need for comprehensive regulations to restrict unhealthy food and alcohol marketing, as recommended by the World Health Organization, is particularly acute in the COVID-19 context and urgently required to ‘build back better’ in a post-COVID-19 world.