Food and Drink Marketing in the ACT

Community Consultation September – November 2015

Community forum

Sporting groups and organisations forum

Elite sporting groups meeting

Territory venue events meeting

1

1. Introduction

The ACT Government launched the Towards Zero Growth: Healthy Weight Action Plan in October 2013. The Plan includes taking action to reduce marketing of unhealthy food and drinks, particularly marketing aimed at children.

Between 29 September and 23 November 2015, the ACT Government sought community views and ideas to inform the development of actions to increase the marketing of healthy food and drinks and where feasible reduce the marketing of unhealthy food and drinks, particularly marketing aimed at children.

The consultation considered the marketing and promotion of food and drinks across a number of local Canberra settings including businesses, such as shopping centres, supermarkets, food outlets, cinemas, service stations, restaurants, cafes and licensed clubs and hotels; sporting clubs and organisations; and ACT Government venues such as GIO Stadium, Manuka Oval and Exhibition Park.

During the consultation period there were a number of ways that members of the community, including businesses and sporting organisations could provide feedback and suggest ideas on food and drink marketing in the ACT. This included an online survey through the Time to Talk website, social media, email submissions, postcard responses, public information sessions and community meetings.

The Communication Link was engaged to provide facilitation and recording support to the delivery of the following consultation activities:

Community forum; 12 – 2pm, 22 October 2015; Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre Function Room, Canberra City

Sporting organisations and clubs forum; 10 November 2015; Sporting Commons, University of Canberra, Bruce

Meeting with EPIC major event organisations; 13 November 2015; Manuka Oval, Manuka

Meeting with elite sports organisations; 13 November 2015; Manuka Oval, Manuka

There were a total of 39 participants across these consultation activities. Attachments to this report include details of participants in each session and copies of discussion notes from each session.

The key themes that arose were:

Provision of more information to sporting groups, organisations, clubs and businesses about what are healthy food and drink options to make it easier for these organisations to understand what needs to change.

Provide education opportunities to sporting organisations and clubs about how to prepare, source and store healthy food and drink options and ensure continuing viable canteen, fundraising and sponsorship options for their sports.

Seek opportunities to work in partnership with sporting organisations, venues and businesses to encourage the promotion of healthy food and drinks, rather than imposing rules or regulations.

Reward sports organisations and businesses that do well, make changes and promote healthy food and drinks. Ways to do this could include through award programs, government promotion (eg ethical sponsors list and case-studies) or financial benefits (such as reduced licence fees or ground-hire charges).

The ACT Government to invest in the promotion of healthy food and drinks through the use of marketing campaigns, slogans, sponsorships, education programs and other

2

innovative communication activities. There was support for the Government facilitating the offering of healthier food and drink choices at ACT Government venues.

This report provides a summary of the discussion and feedback provided at each forum.

2. Community forum

The Community forum was hosted on 22 October 2015 in Civic. The session was attended by 11 people. The format of the session was as follows:

Presentation by ACT Chief Health Officer, Dr Paul Kelly.

Small group discussions on the following questions with respect to businesses (supermarkets, shopping centres, cinemas, restaurants etc), sporting clubs and organisations and ACT venues:

o For each location, what are your ideas of action that could be taken to reduce marketing of unhealthy food and drinks?

o What do you see are the possible benefits to the community or the location/sector of this action?

o What are the likely challenges or barriers of taking these actions for the community and the location/sector?

A reporting back session from each small group to share ideas with the whole group.

A ‘voting’ session invited each participant to identify the top three ideas or comments made during the session. This provided a simple ‘weighting’ exercise to better understand which points were most supported by participants.

3

2.1 Community Forum key themes

The following key suggestions and themes were raised:

The range of ideas suggested during the forum included both the use of incentives and enforcement, although the general feeling of participants was that using the ‘carrot’ approach was preferred to the ‘stick’.

Many suggestions supported the theme of providing better information to the community, businesses and sporting organisations about what were the healthy choices, such as information on display in supermarkets and restaurants, or developing case-studies for sporting organisations on healthy canteens.

It was acknowledged that ideas such as ‘sugar tax’ or restricting television advertising were policies that couldn’t be effectively introduced by the ACT Government.

There was support for the Government facilitating the offering of healthier food and drink choices at ACT Government venues. Ideas included encouraging the availability of healthy options through venue based rules and purchasing contracts with concession providers, installing more infrastructure for fresh water and using advertising and free giveaways to promote healthier options.

A number of ideas involved building partnerships including with the Canberra Business Chamber, or within individual business sectors, such as the supermarkets.

The ideas that received the most support from participants during discussion were those that encouraged or rewarded businesses to become more healthy, such as through business awards, collaborative marketing supported by the ACT Government, or recognition on a ‘healthy’ or ‘ethical’ sponsors list.

During the weighting (or voting) exercise undertaken with the participants the following points were most supported (in order of popularity).

Businesses

Work with business organisations, such as the Canberra Business Chamber to include in their annual awards program an award for businesses that have improved in terms of healthy food choices – ie decreased junk food and increased healthy options.

ACT Government to support a ‘healthy alliance’ of businesses and help to give them a marketing and promotional point of difference.

Mark aisles with the ‘red’ marking above them if they are full of unhealthy foods to help shoppers know which aisles to avoid, particularly if shopping with children.

Tax unhealthy food.

Sporting clubs and organisations

Provide incentives and rewards to clubs who make considerable change towards more healthy options.

Provide small grants to sporting clubs and organisations to provide or make healthier food options, such as stoves to cook fresh soup, or fridges to store salads etc.

4

ACT Government venues

Entry tickets to events and government venues could include a free bottle of water and a packet of nuts or fruit.

More water dispensers at ACT venues.

3. Sporting organisations and clubs forum

Participants in the sporting organisations and clubs forum were invited by direct email invitation and indirect marketing of the event. There were 16 participants in this forum which was held at the University of Canberra, Sporting Commons on 10 November 2015. It followed a program similar to the community forum which is detailed below.

Presentation by ACT Chief Health Officer, Dr Paul Kelly.

Small group discussions on the following questions with respect to businesses (supermarkets, shopping centres, cinemas, restaurants etc), sporting clubs and organisations and ACT venues:

o For each location, what are your ideas of action that could be taken to reduce marketing of unhealthy food and drinks?

o What do you see are the possible benefits to the community or the location/sector of this action?

o What are the likely challenges or barriers of taking these actions for the community and the location/sector?

A reporting back session from each small group to share ideas with the whole group.

A ‘voting’ session invited each participant to identify the top three ideas or comments made during the session. This provided a simple ‘weighting’ exercise to better understand which points were most supported by participants.

5

3.1 Sporting organisations and clubs forum key themes

The following key suggestions and themes were raised by participants:

A lot needs to be done to provide more information to sporting groups about what are healthier options. Suggestions included posters for food preparation areas, information on the traffic light system and healthy menus, content for sports organisations’ newsletters etc.

Government should consider business development initiatives for suppliers of healthy food options, such as business grants, business incentives etc.

The challenges associated with preparing and storing healthy food options by clubs with limited equipment and financial resources was discussed. It was noted that a ‘sausage sizzle’ is often the easiest to equip for and cook. Suggestions to address this included:

o providing small grants to clubs to purchase storage, cooktops, better refrigeration etc.

o ideas and instructions/demonstrations for cooking healthier food – an ACT sports recipe book, or calling on senior volunteers to teach culinary skills.

o Cross-club mentoring and use of case-studies.

For ACT Government controlled venues it was suggested that soft-drinks should be banned and the Government should subsidise the healthy options sold during events to make them cheaper.

During the weighting (or voting) exercise undertaken with the participants the following points were most supported (in order of popularity).

Encourage business opportunities to be suppliers of healthy food options. Government should give grants /incentivise business.

Subsidise healthy options at ACT Government venues.

Cooking skills: o Linking culinary skills from older generation to the sector (ie Volunteers ACT) o Fast snack/convenient healthy options demonstrations at farmers market o Create an ACT sport recipe book.

Educate people on what is healthy versus unhealthy.

ACT Government increase availability of water stations.

Small grants scheme to allow clubs to purchase equipment to supply healthy food options / health information posters/ marketing of healthy products.

Increase tax incentives for healthier organisations to encourage sponsorship of junior sport.

Innovation in marketing of unhealthy options.

Ban soft drink at ACT Government venues.

Working with clubs to plan changes in menu and sponsorship options to ensure no loss of revenue – education sessions/case studies.

Increase the number of water taps/fountains at sporting venues.

Support for government in setting up structure of canteens etc– not having to reinvent the wheel each time.

6

4. Territory venue events meeting

On Friday 13 November 2015 a meeting was held with major event –based organisations from Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC). As an ACT Government-owned venue, ACT Health sought the views of tenants on ideas to encourage more marketing of healthy food and drink at ACT Government venues.

The meeting was conducted as a roundtable providing opportunities for discussion by invited participants and representatives from ACT Health and Territory Venues.

4.1 Territory venue events meeting key themes

The key issues raised during this discussion were:

The financial viability of a number of events held at EPIC is closely linked to sponsorship arrangements which are not currently with healthy food or drink providers.

Events are keen to support the provision of more healthy options and encourage government to consider incentives that might encourage vendors to stock more healthy alternatives, such as reduced food licence fees.

Events are not supportive of bans or restrictions associated with their tenancy at EPIC, rather suggest the Government adopt an information campaign and use of messaging to change behaviours. It was acknowledged there are existing behaviour change programs.

Supportive of government providing further information to events and food vendors about what is defined as healthy food and drink and seeking ways to work in partnership to improve the healthy options available at events. There were a number of examples including working with Nutrition Australia, use of ‘distressed’ (i.e. unsold) advertising spaces to promote healthy choice slogans and well-matched marketing or public relations activities at events.

5. Elite sporting groups meeting

On Friday 13 November 2015 a meeting with representatives of ACT elite sporting groups was held. The meeting was conducted as a roundtable providing opportunities for discussion by invited participants and representatives from ACT Health and ACT Venues.

5.1 Elite sporting groups forum key themes

Elite sports organisations have a strong commitment to the community and being healthy. They already promote health messages to their players and supporters. They are keen to partner with government to deliver healthier lifestyle messages and believe there are many opportunities to better market these messages collaboratively, including through school based sports programs. Previous collaborations with ACT Government on social marketing campaigns were acknowledged.

For elite sporting clubs only a proportion of sponsorship is linked to food and drink and they form only part of the funding model for the club. Often this sponsorship is linked to a national code-based sponsorship.

It is important to consider the placement of sponsorship or brand restrictions on ACT venues very carefully as it could have negative impacts on representative games and attracting national features to Canberra.

Grass-roots sporting organisations rely significantly on canteens as a revenue source to cover costs such as ground hire and lighting. The ACT Government should consider ways

7

to reduce this revenue pressure on the canteens which will allow them to more easily change their menu choices.

6. Participant Evaluation

At the conclusion of the community and sporting organisations and clubs forums a short participant survey was distributed to gather feedback on the usefulness and effectiveness of the consultation. A copy of the survey form is included at attachment 1.

The following six areas were surveyed:

Sessions – the effectiveness of the facilitation techniques

Facilitation – the effectiveness of the facilitator

Participation – the ability to participate and contribute to discussion

Relevance – of the discussion to the participant

Presentation – the usefulness of ACT Health presentation

Clarity – understanding of the purpose of the forum.

The areas were surveyed on a scale of 1 – 5 where 5 was a positive response and 1 indicated dissatisfaction. Out of a potential 30 participants in the evaluation, surveys were completed by 28 participants (93%). The results of this evaluation are summarised in the chart below:

Chart 1: Participant feedback on the forum.

Participants were also asked to provide any further feedback under a general comments section. Below is a list of the comments provided.

Good.

Great process, good to hear other ideas.

Thank you.

Great workshop - More time for discussions in future might help increase ideas, overcome challenges etc.

A very good initiative.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Clarity

Presentation

Relevance

Participation

Facilitation

Sessions

1 2 3 4 5

8

Great thanks.

Useful and enjoyable. Every small action will eventually gain momentum.

Great informative forum.

Very well run.

Very informative and would like to be a part of future sessions.

Thank you. Good government in operation.

Thank you.

Information was also gathered on how participants heard about the forums. As expected, the majority of participants found out about the forums through direct invitation as was particularly the case with the sporting organisations and clubs forum. However it is interesting to note that the next most common method was through a colleague or friend. Less than 10% of participants found out about the forums through social media (4%) or the Time-to-Talk website (4%). The results are illustrated in the chart below.

Chart 2: How participants heard about the forum.

Direct Invitation

Social Media

Time to Talk

From a colleague or friend

9

ATTACHMENT 1

Marketing of food and drink in the ACT Participant survey

1 Clarity

The purpose of this forum was:

Unclear Clear

The main objectives of this forum were:

2 Presentation

The presentation by ACT Health was:

Not relevant Highly Informative

I’d like further information about:

3 Relevance

To me this discussion was:

Not relevant Relevant

The discussion at this forum was relevant to me because:

4 Participation

The ability to participate and contribute to discussion was:

Difficult Easy

I would have liked more chance to input in the following ways:

5 Facilitation

The Facilitator was ________ at facilitating the forum:

Ineffective Highly Effective

The facilitator could improve/did well at:

6 Sessions

The techniques used in the forum were:

Ineffective Highly Effective

The sessions could have been improved by:

7 General

I heard about the forum from:

Time to Talk

Social media eg Facebook

From a colleague or friend

Direct invitation

Other

If selected ‘other’ provide details of where you heard about the forum.

8 General

General comments