A food desert by any other name
Source: L.A. Streetsblog on March 27, 2012
L.A. Streetsblog editor Joel Epstein argues: "it's not the lack of food that's the problem, it's the lack of healthy food compared to an over-abundance of unhealthy food."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.
The right to sell kids junk
Source: The New York Times on March 27, 2012
Mark Bittman critiques the food and beverage industry's exploitation of the First Amendment to allow a few powerful corporations to market junk food to children.Mascots are brands’ best social-media accessories
Source: Advertising Age on March 26, 2012
Marketers use social media to bring back to life old brand mascots and create new ones with richer storylines. Some characters, like Kraft Foods' Peanut Butter Bough, live entirely online.As Richmond, CA ponders soda tax, UN report urges similar taxes
Source: Richmond Confidential on March 26, 2012
The United Nations calls for a worldwide tax on soft drinks, a measure similar to Richmond's tax proposal that goes to the ballot in November in California.The arguments about sodium go on and on
Source: Food Politics on March 23, 2012
According to Marion Nestle, the food industry has a special interest in keeping sodium levels high despite the health repercussions.Jim Skinner’s tenure: Big profits, bad for public health
Source: PR Newswire on March 22, 2012
On the heels of McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner's retirement, Corporate Accountability International releases a statement to encourage the new CEO, Don Thompson, to follow a different path than Skinners' and not "sacrifice health to achieve profits."Energy drinks volume increases more than 14% in 2011
Source: Foodnavigator-usa.com on March 21, 2012
Marketing data show that energy drinks sales have increased while carbonated soft drinks and fortified beverages have not done the same.Kraft renames global snacks company Mondelez International
Source: Advertising Age on March 21, 2012
According to Kraft, the new name, Mondelez, is a mashup of the words "monde", Latin for "world", and "delez", meaning "delicious".Dunkin’ Donuts times launch of new iced coffee flavors with first day of spring
Source: QSR Magazine on March 20, 2012
Dunkin' Donuts introduces three caramel iced coffee flavors for a limited time nationwide.McDonald’s tries another hashtag-based campaign to promote milkshake
Source: MediaPost on March 19, 2012
McDonald's launches a meme, or hashtag-based, campaign for its mint Shamrock Milkshake that encourages consumers to try #Shamrocking ("posting photos of themselves doing an Irish jig while holding one of the milkshakes"). But Adweek notes that, like in past campaigns, the hashtag chosen "clearly has great potential for being misused."