Marketing has a profound affect on the foods we eat and the beverages we drink, yet most of that marketing is for products we should avoid. BMSG monitors the media to help keep advocates informed of the tactics food and beverage companies use to target children, communities of color, and other groups that are particularly susceptible to the health harms these products cause. Below are archives of our monitoring.
Source: QSR Magazine on September 12, 2012
Starting next week, the company will list calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide. They also announced menu "innovation" tests for 2013, including more produce sides and grilled chicken options for Happy Meals.Source: Advertising Age on September 12, 2012
The network, Nuvo TV, currently reaches 30 million households. According to the article, "Media companies continue to see growing potential in Latin American and Hispanic audiences." The article mentions that, in the past few months, News Corp. launched a new Spanish-language channel, and Univision and Disney are planning to launch an English-language cable channel targeted at Latinos.Source: Hispanic PR Blog on September 12, 2012
Adamari Lopez, an actress and breast cancer survivor, will travel to eight U.S. cities with large Latino populations. Through media interviews and appearances at supermarkets, she will promote General Mills' Lids for Life program.Source: Corporations & Health Watch on September 12, 2012
Michele Simon highlights the involvement of fast food chains in beverage industry pushback against regulation. For example, many fast food restaurants are involved in the industry front group "New Yorkers for Beverage Choices," which was a strong opponent of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's soda ban. Simon emphasizes the extent to which the fast food industry stands to lose from soda regulation.Source: QSR Magazine on September 11, 2012
The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens calls the campaign "Graduate to Go." It includes a "Camp Taco Bell" business leadership program that selects at-risk youth to develop and market menu items. The CEO says its purpose is to serve teens because "they are our customers, employees, and family members."Source: Advertising Age on September 10, 2012
The "Daily Twist" is part of Oreo's 100-year anniversary marketing efforts. The campaign consists of cookie designs made daily, in real time, based on "what's trending and what's right for Oreo." The campaign's goal is to "drive the most interactions and valuable conversations with Oreo fans."Source: Advertising Age on September 10, 2012
Pouches are becoming a popular vessel for food products from baby food to soup to booze. Some marketers are now using them to package pre-mixed cocktails. The marketing director for Arbor Mist said "the pouches helped the brand to win over younger consumers."Source: MediaPost on September 10, 2012
The Kraft Foods brand is sending comedian/actor Josh Sankey across the U.S. with 3,000 pounds of Butcher Thick Cut bacon in lieu of cash or credit cards. The idea is he'll have to use it to barter for food, lodging and the like. The company sees it as a way to "engage consumers not just through social media, but person-to-person."Source: MediaPost on September 10, 2012
The campaign is called "Stop Zombie Mouth," a reference to PopCap's popular "Plants vs. Zombies" game and, of course, the dental damage caused by excessive refined sugar. Parents can download the materials with the help of an ADA dentist.Source: The Christian Science Monitor on September 08, 2012
In addition to "enhanced waters," Coke is now offering flavor drops, which the consumer adds to water (preferably Dasani).
