Warning Label Placement: The Difference Effect of Social Risk and Health Risk Consequences

Abstract

Purpose: The warning label tested in this study is a textual visual warning label that is concerned with warning of health risks, the source of warning messages, the layout of warning labels, and the use of children's idol images on warning labels. The main targets of marketing unhealthy products are children and adolescents. Accordingly, this study targets the kids and tweens age groups. Design/Methodology/Approach: One tool that is believed to change the consumption behavior of products that are at risk for health is to use warning labels on product packaging. The method used in this study is a lab experiment, involving participants from two age groups, namely kids and tweens. As a persuasive measure, both visual and textual warning labels are believed to be able to change people's consumption behavior. Findings: The negative effects that arise from business marketing activities cause social marketing to be one of the academic urgencies in the realm of marketing science. In the past decade, the international community has been very concerned about advertising unhealthy products for children and adolescents. The results of the study found that the difference in location of the warning label placement, and the use of idol images significantly affected the effectiveness of the warning label. Practical Implications: The results of this study are useful for the development of social marketing science, especially the study of warning labels, namely recommending alternative warning labels that can be used in addition to health risks, namely warning labels with social consequences. Originality/Value: For policy makers and observers of social marketing, this research provides a set of innovations that can be used to support the success of junk food product demarketing strategies.