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: 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: PR Newswire on July 08, 2014
The Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) scholarship is awarding four students of the Latino community $100,000 for their college education. McDonald's has awarded the scholarship in past years giving not only Hispanic students the chance to attend prestigious colleges, but also a chance for the company to develop its ties with the community.
This week SourPatch Kids is sending out a Snapchat story featuring social media star Logan Paul documenting pranks with the SourPatch Kid. SourPatch has chosen Snapchat, a highly popular social media app among teens, as an avenue for marketing in order to reach younger generations.
Source: Mobile Commerce Daily on July 03, 2014
For the month of July Coca-Cola is offering exclusive World Cup cans with a QR code where customers can access a FIFA World Cup mobile game, as well as giving away kid-sized soccer balls. The promotion is just one component of the large Coca-Cola marketing campaign in conjunction with the World Cup.
Source: Food Dive on July 02, 2014
Big Food is using the World Cup as an opportunity to market a number of products extensively. Coca-Cola reports that this year's World Cup campaign, which includes the "Global Coca Coca-Cola Camp", a soccer camp in Sao Paulo, is the largest ever. Other marketing strategies include a sponsorship from Budweiser, the "official beer of the World Cup," and a campaign from Pepsi featuring notable soccer players.
Source: Media Post on July 02, 2014
General Mills released a recent ad featuring Grumpy Cat and Honey Nut Cheerios mascot, BuzzBee. The ad shows BuzzBee convincing Grumpy Cat to eat the cereal, which is an example of General Mills trying to convince customers that Honey Nut Cheerios is "the cereal that families can agree on as a great breakfast choice." General Mills is also using Grumpy Cat on Twitter and Facebook to promote the cereal to Millennials.
Source: McDonald's on July 01, 2014
The three-day Essence Festival, co-sponsored by Coca-Cola and McDonald's, gives the companies a chance to market their products to communities of color by giving away free samples, and portraying themselves as being involved in the community. The festival brings together popular performers and speakers from the African American community.
Source: Media Post on July 01, 2014
Denny's and Atari have together created a "Denny's-branded, remixed versions of classic Atari video games." The digital marketing campaign targets "Gen X consumers with families" with classic video games and images.
Source: USA Today on July 01, 2014
The promotion of the "Proud Whopper" is a tactic of Burger King to strengthen ties with the LGBQ community and Millennials. During the San Francisco Pride Parade, Burger King sold rainbow-wrapped Whoppers that said, "we are all the same inside."
Source: PR Newswire on June 30, 2014
As one of their "bold missions" to market their products to youth, Doritos recently revealed its three mystery flavors as "Spicy Street Taco, Chocolate Chipotle Bacon, and Carribean Citrus Jerk." The Bold campaign encourages youth to "seize the moment and live boldly" - a strategy to associate the products with exciting and appealing lifestyles.
