In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing regulations, brands targeting families and youth audiences must stay ahead of the curve to maintain compliance and engagement. With new regulations coming in to play regarding HFSS products this year, plans must be put in place now. As an agency engaging youth and parent audience groups, we can help you navigate the changes and plan your marketing accordingly.
The HFSS regulations focus on products high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. From October 2025, these rules will ban paid digital advertising for HFSS products and impose a 9pm watershed on linear TV and on-demand services.
While brand advertising is still permissible without featuring specific HFSS products or logos, it will cause a big impact. Small and medium-sized enterprises enjoy an exemption from these restrictions. We are here to guide brands through these changes, ensuring you can continue to captivate your audience while adhering to the new guidelines.
Impact of Legislation Changes
The HFSS legislation will significantly alter the marketing landscape for a huge number of products classed as convenience food and drinks – that are hugely popular with youth audiences,
Key impacts include:
- Complete ban on paid digital advertising for HFSS products, including influencer marketing and social.
- 9pm watershed imposed on linear TV and on-demand services.
- Ongoing consultations regarding IPTV regulations
It’s important to note that these restrictions apply specifically to HFSS products and logos. Brand advertising will still be permitted, provided it doesn’t feature identifiable HFSS products or logos.
The ban on social and influencer marketing is where most brands speaking to youth audiences will see the biggest shift. The rules will also apply to gifted influencer marketing activity.
Navigating Marketing Restrictions
Adapting to the new HFSS regulations requires a strategic shift in marketing approaches. Brands need to find innovative ways to engage their target audience while staying compliant with the new rules.
Key strategies we’re helping clients consider:
- Focus on brand-level advertising without featuring specific HFSS products – can we make your brand identifiable without featuring the product?
- Develop and promote non-HFSS alternatives within your product range.
- Leverage wider content marketing activity and non-paid for marketing activity.
Remember, these changes present an opportunity to innovate and potentially improve your products’, which in turn makes them more appealing to your target audience. By staying ahead of the curve, you can position your brand as a leader in responsible marketing to families and youth.
The ban is all for good reason and the health of children. We want to make sure we’re marketing safely to these audience groups, but still enabling brands to speak to their target audiences. We see this as a great opportunity for brands to immerse their audiences in the brand, more than just selling the products. What value or experience does the brand deliver? Is it the key to family time? Or maybe the brand the leverages the experience of community.
The New Rules: Platforms to Explore
Broadcast radio remains unaffected by the latest advertising restrictions, making it a valuable platform for food and drink brands. Digital audio advertising including podcasts (audio only), is also exempt as long as there is no visual component.
Radio offers unmatched scale and reach, consistently driving strong results across the marketing funnel, from mass awareness and reach.
While digital and social elements of an audio partnership may face limitations in line with upcoming restrictions, radio’s exemption is expected to drive increased demand for both airtime and sponsorships.
Advertisers are already showing heightened interest, recognising radio’s effectiveness in delivering impact throughout the purchase journey, and are starting to test more activity in this space in the lead up to October.
Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising also remains exempt, presenting a valuable opportunity for food and drink brands. Unlike other digital channels facing restrictions, DOOH offers high-impact, brand-safe environments with the ability to deliver dynamic, contextually relevant messaging at scale.
Its flexibility allows advertisers to reach consumers in key locations, maximising visibility and engagement without regulatory constraints. As brands navigate the evolving landscape, DOOH is also expected to see increased demand as a powerful alternative for driving awareness and consideration.
If you would like support navigating the changes, trying some new activity and realigning your strategy, drop us an email! info@wearerocket.co.uk.
