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: Orange County Public Schools on October 27, 2011
The Fresh to Schools initiative is a district-wide program in Orange County, California, that aims to increase access to fresh produce for students. The initiative was partly in response to a youth-led organization, Youth 4 Change, which called for more fresh produce selections in schools.Source: The Coca-Cola Company on October 27, 2011
McDonald's has offered half a million dollars to the Atlanta Women's Foundation, which serves women and girls in the Atlanta area. The money is to be used in part to "empower girls ... to make positive choices about education, careers and lifestyle." This corporate social responsibility campaign is designed in part to create long-term good feelings toward the company in the girls who will participate in these programs, who may then grow up to be Coca-Cola consumers.Source: Deseret News on October 26, 2011
A new study published in the Journal of Injury Prevention finds a strong association between soft drink consumption among adolescents and violence.Source: CSPInet.org on October 26, 2011
The Center for Science in the Public Interest launched its first annual Food Day, and all across the country, communities and organizations mobilized to improve food policies. Hundreds of thousands of individuals organized more than 2,300 events in all 50 states.Source: MediaPost on October 24, 2011
An analysis of social media discussion of 5 leading candy brands reveals that M&Ms dominate because of their popularity and "high buzz."Source: PR Newswire on October 24, 2011
As part of a cause-marketing strategy that positions PepsiCo and 7-Eleven as good corporate citizens, the two companies attempt to connect with millennials by asking consumers to purchase Pepsi products at 7-Eleven locations and check in at 7-Elevens through Facebook mobile apps. One 7-Eleven executive said, "Studies show that cause-marketing and social media are two critical ways to reach millennial consumers, a target demographic for both 7-Eleven and Pepsi."Source: PR Newswire on October 24, 2011
McDonald's has launched The Quest for the Golden McRib, a complex Facebook advergame, to promote the return of the popular McRib sandwich in October and early November.Source: NYC.gov on October 24, 2011
As part of the its obesity prevention initiative, the city launches a campaign, which includes a 30-second TV spot and shows that drinking one soda a day equals 50 pounds of sugar a year.Source: FoodProductDesign.com on October 24, 2011
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) pushes back against the Institute of Medicine's new front-of-package (FOP) symbol system, which offers a single standardized nutrition labeling system. The GMA contends that its own "Facts Up Front" labeling system is better for consumers.Source: Time on October 24, 2011
The director of Yale's Rudd Center says the beverage industry is using tactics similar to those used by tobacco companies to prevent taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.
