Panama: REVIEW OF MARKETING IN STORE PRACTICES FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE TARGETING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN LAC AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: Panama
Closing date: 21 Aug 2017

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background

UNICEF LACRO health and nutrition section, in collaboration with the Child Rights and Business Unit of PFP, is interested in contributing to the discussion on prevention of childhood overweight and obesity as a risk factor for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

In 2014, LACRO undertook an exploratory study mapping regulations in LAC related to marketing techniques of Food and beverage (F&B) companies in schools and social media in collaboration with Argentina, Mexico and Costa Rica COs. In 2016 LACRO conducted another study on the improvement of labeling of food and beverage products targeting children and adolescents to facilitate consumer information, also in Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile.

One of the recommendations of this labelling study was to improve public and private sector policies to protect children and adolescents from marketing techniques in store and support children’s rights to a healthy eating. Retail grocery stores, the primary locations for food purchases, are receiving increased attention as an environment that may be ripe for public health interventions to promote consumption of healthy food by children and adolescents, limiting the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage to children.

Assumptions on marketing to children and adolescents in retail stores

Healthier food environments contribute to the prevention of malnutrition

Food environments consist of labelling, marketing, availability, access, and prices (a specially sensitive issue for low income families in inflationary countries)

Food environments determine consumer’s food choices and preferences

Consumers’ food choices and preferences influence children’s diets and preferences

Children’s diets and preferences unhealthy foods influence their nutritional health

Healthier consumer behavior (consumption patterns) at supermarkets and retail stores has a positive impact on children’s diets and thus children’s nutritional health.

Retail stores are a significant part of the food environment, especially regarding point-of-sale marketing (where are the products placed? which products are promoted?), availability (what foods are available or not available? are there supermarkets with healthy options in low income communities?), and access (are healthier products – fruits, veggies and milk- economically accessible to lower income families?).

Purpose of the study

Generate evidence to help prevent child obesity by addressing how supermarkets (retailers) impact food environments, and thus consumer choices and children’s nutritional health

Identify the marketing strategies in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG[1]) shown to positively influence consumer behavior in supermarkets (reduced / increased consumption of unhealthier / healthier products) with focus in Argentina, Brazil and México.

Identify efforts that can be taken by supermarkets, retail stores and the retail association in Latin America and the Caribbean to have a positive impact on community health, particularly children’s nutrition.

Goals of the study

The specific goals of the consultancy are to:

Map current global standards on marketing of food and beverage to children in store, including potential regulations at the national level in LAC or in other regions

Perform a literature review of existing studies on marketing in medium/large store and its impact on child’s rights including consultations with key regional and national stakeholders in select countries (Argentina, Mexico, Brazil). Include good practices from the retail sector in LAC including efforts to limit marketing to children of industrialized products in store, promoting the consumption of fruits, vegetables and milk by children.

Collect and analyze data of marketing to children in stores from the seven categories targeted to children (and adults but for children consumption) available on different retail outlets on three countries in Latin America. Collect information on presence or absence of promotional characters on the shelf (e.g. cartoon or company, licensed, movie tie-‐in or for kids), premium offers (e.g. game and app downloads, contest, pay 2 take 3 or other, limited edition, social charity, gift or collectable), special samples for kids of healthy and unhealthy, product placement at the store of healthy and unhealthy food, etc. Collect also information through photographs on what is working in stores to promoting healthful eating by increasing availability, affordability, prominence, and promotion of healthful foods: mostly milk, fruits and vegetables.

Conduct in-depth interviews, site visits, collection of good practices and data analysis (where available) in different locations (of different socioeconomic background) of select participating retail stores (1-2 per country) to increase the understanding of the specific ways in which retail activities could impact children’s obesity, both directly and indirectly, to positively influence consumer behavior in supermarkets.

Based on all the above-mentioned materials, propose general recommendations to retailers (and other stakeholders such as government, civil society, etc) to improve marketing of food and beverage products targeting children in LAC in store.

Deliverables

Product

Description

Deliverable 1:

Methodology proposal – Delivery date:

Development of the proposed methodology, including local academic partners, methodology to collect information, 1 pager to recruit retail, tool to collect observations in retail stores, tool to collect information in “partner” retail stores, including a tentative work schedule, potential stakeholders to interview; Definition of a tentative final report index.

Deliverable 2: Regional mapping and best practices

Delivery date:

· Mapping and review of the country’s legislative frameworks on the issue,

· Summarize evidence and results from existing studies in marketing in store and its impact on parents and child’s rights, including opinions from experts of the region and best practices from the sector.

· Summarize conversations with regional and national stakeholders

· Summarize existing models used influence consumer behavior in supermarkets (to promote consumption of unhealthier / healthier products).

Deliverable 3: Report of the collection of information in stores and of the special information in “partner” retail stores.

Delivery date:

· Report on the participation of select retailers in the project in different countries.

· Summary of results of the visits and conversations with retailers in the different countries, in children and adolescents in selected countries.

Deliverable 4:

Final Report

Compile results from previous deliverables, including observations from UNICEF to previous drafts in a final report that also includes recommendations to improve marketing in stores of food and beverage products targeting children in LAC.

The final report will include:

· A final complete report for UNICEF (in either Spanish or English)

· A final summary document for wider dissemination targeted mostly to retailers (20 pages max, in either Spanish or English)

· A final executive summary for the general public (2 pages max, in both Spanish and English)

QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The incumbent contractor will conduct the research from their premises.

Individual contractors are expected to have previous research experience in one or more of the following fields: Public Health and the food and beverage Industry, Non Communicable Diseases, Food regulation and legislation or Marketing of food and beverage to Children. Fluency in English and Spanish required.

The duration for the contract is estimated to be 5 (five) months starting on the date of the signature of the contract, September 1st expected.

HONORARIA & FEES

If you have any technical question, please address it to mber@unicef.org

Please submit a concise proposal (max 2 pages), including info on the main researcher/s, and the proposed budget with subject “Marketing in-store study”.Indicatingability, availability andfee rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a fee rate will not be considered. The proposal should exclude travel costs.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

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