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: TIME on July 23, 2014
Michele Simon argues that "competitive foods", or snacks and beverages from vending machines, still fail to meet good nutritional standards and fail to address the larger issue of food marketing to kids. "Corporations hawking junk foods and beverages in schools have no problem tweaking a few ingredients as long as they remain in front of the eyeballs of impressionable youngsters."
Source: PR Newswire on July 22, 2014
7-Eleven continues to promote junk food and attract customers by using free give-aways and promotions. On July 23, 7-Eleven will give away 1 dollar "Big Bite" hot dogs and free "Big Gulp" soft drinks with the 7-Eleven app to celebrate National Hot Dog Day. 7-Eleven started the month by featuring the "Doritos loaded cheese snacks" and free Slurpees.
Source: Food Politics on July 18, 2014
The school lunch program is considered the "nation's largest restaurant," serving 30 million kids each day. Big Food companies use corporate social responsibility tacticsthat let them reach a captive audience of children and keep junk food in schools while maintaining good publicity.
Source: Media Post on July 17, 2014
More research recently emerged on how marketers for major brands can most effectively target Latino customers by focusing on differences in heritage and acculturation levels. The research argues that companies should shift marketing tactics to target the elusive "American Latino" who is more likely to shop online and move fluidly between the two worlds of Hispanic and American culture.
Source: PR Newswire on July 15, 2014
Biculturals who are thought to be more entertainment-oriented, tech savvy, and bilingual are an emerging target for marketers. Large companies are now focusing on marketing to biculturals who represent "53% of America's Hispanics" because they are a major consumer of modern-day media.
Source: PR Newswire on July 14, 2014
With "23 million Latinos active on Facebook" and "more than one in five of Denny's guests [being] Latino", Denny's has launched a new Facebook page that directly markets to Latinos. The Facebook page "will offer original, and curated content designed to actively engage with online Latinos."
Source: PR Newswire on July 14, 2014
Pepsi is kicking off MLB All-Star Week with a variety of Pepsi food and beverage tastings and activities. "PepsiCo has been a tremendous supporter of Major League Baseball for nearly two decadesÛ_" and uses baseball as a marketing avenue to fans.
Source: PR Newswire on July 09, 2014
7-Eleven promoted its 87th birthday by giving away free food items for a week, including free Slurpees and free Snickers or Twix ice cream bars. 7-Eleven Day happens every year and it's a marketing tactic of "limited-time offers" used to engage consumers.
Source: CMO today on July 09, 2014
TV is one of the most popular avenues for food advertising - the "candy and gum industry [alone] spends $883.6 million on national TV commercials." According to this post, Hershey Co. spent an estimated $466.6 million on commercials across its brands for the first six months of 2014, airing its "Spreads" commercial 10,000 times.
Source: BevNet on July 09, 2014
SKYY is launching a new marketing campaign, "West of Expected", that will market the vodka as exciting and attractive for the night-life scene. Their campaign also includes marketing to the LGBT community and a limited-edition bottle, SKYY ELECTRIFY, "which features a graphic LED label."
