Soda Tax Messaging Matters
Public Discourse Affects Buying Behavior
Soda taxes decrease soda consumption. While the price is an important reason for this behavior change, the public debate about the rationale for a soda tax makes a big impact too.
A recent study conducted at the University of Minnesota presented undergraduate college students with a 15 cent soda price increase.
Imagine that you walk into a convenience store on a hot day. You are thirsty and looking to get something to drink. As you reach for the 16-ounce bottle of [favorite reported beverage] you notice that the price has gone up by 15 cents since the last time you bought it. This surprises you a little, but then you remember having recently heard (either on the radio, TV, Internet or newspaper) that prices of these beverages were increasing …
The students were then given one of seven common messages about the reason for the price increase.
Do any of these messages change behavior?
Following the scenario, students were asked: “Given the change in price, how likely are you to purchase the soda.” Turns out, four messages significantly decreased the student’s intention to buy soda compared to a price increase presented with no rationale.
Framing the fee as a user fee, for reducing obesity, to fund healthcare, or to protect kids were all were statistically associated with a reduction in intentions to buy soda.
Do any of these messages change perception of the soda industry?
In addition to asking about student intention to buy the soda, the researchers also asked: “How favorable is your impression about soft drink companies?” Two messages significantly decreased the favorability of the soda industry compared to a price increase presented with no rationale.
Framing the price increase as a user fee or as part of an effort to reduce obesity significantly lowered perceptions of the soda industry.
But this effect was only seen with low soda consumers (<1 soda per week) and not with high soda consumers (<1 soda per week).
What does this mean?
Media messages that frame soda taxes can affect how much that tax changes actual soda consumption, regardless of the economic impact of the price increase itself. It’s clear that the public wants soda tax increases to fund health initiatives, not stand alone. And pro-health messages should be used confidently and often in media discourse surrounding soda tax proposals.
But, this study used a large tax increase (15 cents) to be able to show any behavior change at all, and a significant affect wasn’t seen among “heavy” drinkers — which is the population that soda taxes would most hope to affect.
Additional research and practice is needed to figure out the best ways to frame a soda tax to decrease soda consumption. Similar studies are needed to testing anti-industry messages, pre-K messages, and health equity messages currently being used in soda tax campaigns this fall.
The media can help by framing soda taxes within their health rationale, and it’s role of public health advocates to use the media effectively to amplify these pro-health messages loud and clear.
