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: PR Newswire on August 29, 2012
Miller Lite is "partnering" with Adelante, a non-profit it helped found in 1993, to provide scholarships and "educational parental workshops" for Latinos in Texas seeking higher education. A portion of the proceeds from "select cans" of Miller Lite will fund the program.Source: The Wall Street Journal on August 29, 2012
This article explains how "the original cream-filled chocolate cookie is tweaked for the local market."Source: The New York Times on August 28, 2012
Some milk jugs now have huge labels depicting an Oreo splashing into a glass of milk, encouraging the consumption of sweets. Kraft is printing labels in Spanish for placement in predominantly Latino neighborhoods, like the one mentioned in this blog.Source: ReachHispanic on August 28, 2012
The article references the importance of Catholic traditions and the holidays as "devoted family times." It also mentions that Latinos are twice as likely to research a purchase on a smartphone.Source: Voxy.co.nz on August 27, 2012
Coke bottles will feature 150 of the most common New Zealand first names. The campaign intends to tap into social connections: "We want people to have fun finding the names of friends and family they want to catch-up with, those they've lost touch with, or even someone they've yet to connect with, so they can enjoy sharing a COKE together."Source: Forbes.com on August 27, 2012
In a gimmick to attract visibility, Honest Tea created unmanned kiosks prompting passersby to "Take a bottle. Leave a Dollar." Hidden cameras rolled and Honest Tea broadcast footage and posted it and related content on their social media sites. Other companies are taking note of the tactic.Source: Progressive Grocer on August 27, 2012
The beef checkoff (producer-funded marketing and research group) is running a campaign and sweepstakes that attempts to frame beef as an important part of childhood growth and development. Promotional materials include "kid-friendly recipes" and back-to-school themed displays in stores.Source: MediaPost on August 27, 2012
The ConAgra brand is serious about Facebook advertising. They are "deploying social and brand teams and their tools to map out the [social media] strategic plan and 'sweat the nuts and bolts' of tactics." Via social media, they use crowdsourcing to create products and campaigns that they then use to target consumers.Source: Food Politics on August 23, 2012
Nestle argues that if it is conducted, the study could illustrate the big impact of food products' health claims. For example, do consumers think Froot Loops are good for you because they've been blasted with vitamin C?Source: Los Angeles Times on August 23, 2012
In a study by Cornell researchers, kids could choose between cookies and apples after lunch. When the apples had Elmo stickers on them, kids took nearly twice as many.
