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: MediaPost on May 24, 2012
Capri Sun is launching an ambitious social media campaign to draw 13-15 year olds to its new, limited-time "Big Pouch" packages. The "Capri Sun Goes Big" Facebook campaign is designed to "build an experience" for teen consumers.Source: Advertising Age on May 24, 2012
Hot Pockets has commissioned popular YouTube video personalities to create viral videos to market its "limited edition" line of frozen snacks online.Source: Advertising Age on May 24, 2012
McDonald's shareholders recently voted down a proposal by Corporate Accountability International that would have required the company to evaluate its impact on public health, particularly childhood obesity. In rebuffing the proposal, McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner argued that the company markets responsibly to children.Source: ClickZ on May 24, 2012
Advertisers increasingly seek ways to effectively market a variety of products to the growing population of Latinos in the United States: Many of their strategies focus specifically on digital marketing techniques to capitalize on research showing that U.S. Latinos are "active, engaged and ready to spend online." These are typical examples of the type of research that is routinely used to further refine marketers' efforts to target the burgeoning Latino population in the United States.Source: MediaPost on May 23, 2012
Coca-Cola is partnering with popular celebrities (such as singer Jason DeRulo) to launch celebrity-designed Tumblr themes. This is just the latest in a series of Coke's Tumblr-related promotions that are intended to reach the teen audience.Source: BeverageDaily.com on May 23, 2012
Last week, Capri Sun unveiled "Super V", a new fortified fruit and vegetable drink designed to appeal to mothers seeking "fun and delicious ways to get their kids to eat fruits and vegetables."Source: QSR Magazine on May 23, 2012
A new report from market research company The NPD Group shows a slight decline in the sale of kids' meals that include promotional toys. The report also suggests kids may be ordering more healthful menu options, like fruit and chicken strips.Source: Food Politics on May 23, 2012
Marion Nestle presents an overview of the well publicized legal battles between the Federal Trade Commission and the makers of POM juice regarding the brand's allegedly deceptive health claims. She argues that health claims, especially those based on industry-sponsored research, "are about marketing, not health."Source: MySanAntonio.com on May 23, 2012
On June 5, customers at Pizza Patron, a Dallas-based national pizza chain, can receive a free pizza if they can order in Spanish. The "Pizza Por Favor" campaign is an effort to promote the "positive force of change immigrants have made in communities throughout America." The promotion has drawn accusations of "discrimination" from Fox News and affiliated marketing firms like The Hispanic Marketing Group.Source: Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood on May 23, 2012
The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood recently launched a campaign that urges PBS to stop fast feeder Chick-fil-A from advertising before and after a popular children's show.
