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: Advertising Age on August 20, 2012
Canada's campaign released a series of videos answering consumer questions about the food, resulting in millions of video views. Because of the "borderless" nature of social media, most of the views are from the U.S., and Canada is not even in the top three on the locations list.Source: Advertising Age on August 20, 2012
As the soda industry increasingly tries to move away from relying solely on carbonated soft drinks (soda), Coca-Cola is preparing to market Fuze, a tea and juice company it acquired in 2007.Source: hispanicmarketinfo.com on August 20, 2012
After a recent study at Massachusetts General Hospital found that nutritional color coding increased purchasing of healthier items for all racial groups, food marketers are looking to use those findings to market to Latinos.Source: Journal of the American Medical Association on August 20, 2012
Researchers asked if branding could make healthy foods as desirable as junk food. They found that children were twice as likely to choose and eat a piece of fruit if it included a sticker from a familiar TV show or Disney film. Adding a sticker had little impact on selection of cookies. (Subscription required to view full content.)Source: QSR Magazine on August 18, 2012
The promotion lasts for two weeks. Burger King launched its new dessert menu last year, and soft serve has become a "staple."Source: Multivu.com on August 17, 2012
McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities recognized the first group of college graduates to be recipients of its HACER national scholarship program for Hispanic students.Source: Hispanic PR Blog on August 16, 2012
The pizza chain is partnering with the reality TV show "Quiero mi Boda" on the TR3S TV network. The show claims to "serve as an important vehicle for brands seeking to reach bilingual/bicultural Latinos." The show will feature a couple participating in a Domino's "Build Your Own Pizza" event.Source: Progressive Grocer on August 16, 2012
Martin's Food Markets is working with the Richmond, Va. Health District to put healthier foods near checkouts. Judging from the picture in the article, that means some fresh produce, but also better-for-you foods, which can be of questionable nutritional value.Source: U.S. News & World Report on August 16, 2012
The author summarizes the problem particularly well, calling out junk-food sponsors for profiting from global problems like obesity and then "spend[ing] token money on some aspect of the solution."Source: MediaPost on August 15, 2012
Part of Pepsi's "Live for Now" campaign, "Anthems" is a partnership with the NFL and several mainstream music stars. It uses purchase incentives, point-of-sale promotions, downloadable songs and in-stadium activations to lure consumers.
