CONSUMER GENERALIZATION OF NUTRIENT CONTENT CLAIMS IN ADVERTISING

Although considerable research exists on consumer processing of nutrit ion labeling and package claims, less is known about consumer interpre tation of nutrient content claims in advertising. This is important be cause product advertising often provides a significant first step for consumers in learning new nutrition information. Yet, unlike package c laims, Nutrition Facts Panels are often not available for consumers du ring the processing of such advertising claims. Therefore, the authors examine the following research questions: (1) Do consumers misinterpr et (i.e., overgeneralize) common nutrient content claims in advertisin g? If so, under what conditions does this occur? and (2) Can various t ypes of disclosure statements remedy this problem? To address these qu estions, the authors interview a total of 365 primary food shoppers in three geographically dispersed malls in the United States in a betwee n-subjects experiment. Misleading generalizations, beyond those of con trol ad claims, are found for general and specific nutrient content cl aims. Ad disclosure type, ad claim type, and nutrition knowledge all s eparately influence nutrient content and disease risk measures. Evalua tive disclosures reduce misleading generalizations to a greater extent than do absolute or relative disclosures. The authors offer implicati ons for public policy and food marketers.