P205 Detox Tea Advertising on Social Media: Examining the Content of Popular Detox Tea Brands on Instagram

Abstract

Background Social media has emerged as a major influence on consumer health and behavior (Korda and Itani 2013). With more than a third of all U.S. adults using the social networking site Instagram (Pew Research Center 2017), food and dietary supplement marketing may be effective in building consumer awareness and furthermore influencing attitudes towards advertised products. Advertisements for detox tea products in particular are widely prevalent on social media, with celebrity endorsements being the most notable. However, little is known of what information detox tea brands include in marketing messages on the popular social networking site, Instagram. Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of detox tea advertisements on Instagram in order to understand how detox teas are being portrayed in social media. Study Design, Settings, Participants A qualitative content analysis explored how 11 detox tea brands advertised their products on Instagram. The use of health claims and nutrient claims in posts were also recorded. Detox tea brand posts were selected for analysis during Thanksgiving weekend of 2017. Previous research has shown that people are more health conscious during the holidays as body weight significantly increases (and is retained throughout the year) due to increased dietary intake during this time. A total of 220 posts were coded by researchers. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Coding and identification of themes was conducted using the constant comparative method. Results Findings suggested structure-function claims were the most frequently used. Qualitative content analysis revealed five overarching themes in the content of detox tea posts on Instagram including advertising and promotion of products, two-way dialogue with the brand, brand connections, health and fitness and finally, social sharing. Conclusion Exploring the content of these supplement advertisements provides insight on useful strategies for increasing brand engagement on social media. Additionally, analysis of this content supports research suggesting a connection between exposure to social media content and influencing consumer behavior. Funding None.