FMCG company Nestle has announced that it will restrict its marketing to kids under the age of 16.
As per the company’s new marketing communication to children policy, it will restrict advertisements of confectionery and ice cream as well as water-based beverages with added sugars to children below 16 years of age.
The company’s previous policy did not allow any advertisements to be directed towards children below six years of age.
“The policy reaffirms the ban on product marketing communication targeting children between 0 and 6 years of age, as per previous versions. This standard will be applied to TV and online platforms, including social media and gaming ones with greater than 25% of their audience under 16 years old,” said Nestle.
“The new policy will take effect as of July 1, 2023, and will be applied globally. Nestlé is one of the first food and beverage companies to voluntarily adopt such strict standards. Nestlé is externally recognised for its industry-leading responsible marketing practices by the Access to Nutrition Index and calls for more companies to put forward similar measures that support the wellbeing of children,” the company said in a statement.
The company has also announced that they will not be collecting data from minors and will only partner with social media influencers who are above 18.