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: BusinessWire on January 23, 2012
Mamiverse.com, a lifestyle website for Latina mothers, has released a study of the online needs and habits of over 1,000 Latina mothers, who advertisers and analysts see as "the bridge to this country's demographic future." Marketers may see this study, which includes information on the media Latina moms prefer, as a tool to more effectively target Latina mothers.Source: The New York Times on January 23, 2012
Researchers could not find a correlation between obesity and attending a school with sweets and salty snacks.Source: Los Angeles Times on January 23, 2012
In response to McDonald's tweets that emphasized its "commitment to fresh produce and meats", Twitter users responded with their own interpretations such as "I only eat McDonald's when I am ill because it makes me feel sick anyway."Source: Los Angeles Times on January 22, 2012
Loma Linda residents express their concern over news that the first McDonald's is coming to their town.Source: Electronic Urban Report on January 22, 2012
McDonald's is sponsoring the Young Black Scholars Family Conference in Southern California. By sponsoring this well-regarded annual event, which helps prepare students and families for the college admission process, McDonald's is continuing its efforts to build ties with and improve its reputation in African American communities.Source: HispanicPRPro.com on January 21, 2012
In an interview with the creator of the New Generation Latino Consortium, Cara O'Flynn, founder of Latino marketing research agency Perspectiva Research, provides insights for marketers who want to target young Latinos.Source: Reuters on January 20, 2012
Yum Brands Inc's Taco Bell will begin testing the "Cantina Bell menu", which is a "more upmarket menu that focuses on fresh ingredients."Source: Forbes on January 20, 2012
Nonprofit group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has launched a shock campaign in Albany, NY aimed at illustrating the role that cheese plays in obesity. The billboard shows a man's overweight belly next to the tagline "your abs on cheese" and a women's large thigh with the label "your thighs on cheese."Source: BusinessWire on January 20, 2012
Companies like Coca-Cola often target communities of color by affiliating themselves with important cultural traditions and events in these communities. One example is the Coca-Cola Telenovela Club, a key component of the company's Hispanic marketing program. A recent Telenovela Club sweepstakes offered winners a chance to meet their favorite telenovela actors on a Disney cruise.Source: Drug Store News on January 18, 2012
Kellogg's partners with the National Milk Mustache Got Milk? campaign to launch the "first-ever milk mustache ad to emphasize the consumption of cereal and milk as a healthy way to start the day."
