title: Digital junk: food and beverage marketing on Facebook.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the amount, reach, and nature of energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverage marketing on Facebook.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a content analysis of the marketing techniques used by the 27 most popular food and beverage brand Facebook pages in Australia. We coded content across 19 marketing categories; data were collected from the day each page launched (mean = 3.65 years of activity per page).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 13 international pages and 14 Australian-based brand pages; 4 brands (Subway, Coca-Cola, Slurpee, Maltesers) had both national and international pages. Pages widely used marketing features unique to social media that increase consumer interaction and engagement. Common techniques were competitions based on user-generated content, interactive games, and apps. Four pages included apps that allowed followers to place an order directly through Facebook. Adolescent and young adult Facebook users appeared most receptive to engaging with this content.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By using the interactive and social aspects of Facebook to market products, EDNP food brands capitalize on users' social networks and magnify the reach and personal relevance of their marketing messages.
authors.affiliation: Becky Freeman, Simon Chapman, and Lesley King are with the School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bridget Kelly is with the School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, New South Wales. Louise Baur is with the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales. Kathy Chapman is with Health Strategies, Cancer Council New South Wales, Woolloomooloo, Australia. Tim Gill is with the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Becky
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001628:Beverages; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods*; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*