ABSTRACT
Objective
To describe the prevalence and characteristics of promotional advertisements on an online ‘food’ delivery platform at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian capitals, considering the socioeconomic and demographic conditions of the cities.
Methods
A total of 1,754 promotional advertisements published over two days in March 2020 across the 26 Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District were analyzed. These advertisements were categorized into food groups and examined based on their marketing strategies. The prevalence of these advertisements was assessed by the cities’ socioeconomic and demographic conditions.
Results
The capitals of the Northeast, along with São Paulo and Porto Alegre, exhibited the highest number of advertisements, a trend directly correlated with the cities’ population density. Among advertisements promoting predominantly healthy foods, ‘traditional meals and pasta dishes’ were most prominent (18.85%), particularly in the Northeast. Promoting this food group was positively associated with the Municipal Human Development Index. In contrast, advertisements for predominantly unhealthy foods were characterized by the promotion of ‘sandwiches’ (21.49%), ‘ultra-processed beverages’ (19.54%), and ‘pizzas’ (13.81%), with high and consistent representation across all capitals. The most common marketing strategies and appeals across the capitals included ‘photos,’ ‘discounts,’ ‘economic messaging,’ and appeals to ‘pleasure and taste.’
Conclusion
Advertising on online foof delivery platform in Brazil primarily emphasizes unhealthy foods, employing various marketing strategies and appeals that vary according to the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the capitals.
Keywords
COVID-19; e-commerce; Food publicity; Marketing; Mobile applications