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: Beyond Chron on October 14, 2015
The National Education Association and chapters of the American Federation of Teachers are calling on McDonald’s to end its McTeacher’s Nights, in which school staff work an evening at the fast food restaurant in exchange for a portion of sales. Food Marketing Workgroup member Casey Hinds shows how the change may signal a wider shift toward environments that support children’s health, and she discusses how both McDonald’s and Coca-Cola have responded to recent scrutiny of their products and marketing practices
Source: Engage: Hispanics on October 14, 2015
Hot sauce marketers are using data that shows that “86% of Hispanics under the age of 25 own a charcoal grill” to craft marketing campaigns aimed at this population. For example, marketer Amy Colella worked with hot sauce company El Yucateco to launch the #KingofFlavor digital influencer marketing initiative. “We recently tapped into Hispanic influencers, as well as general market influencers, to create grilling parties with a twist,” says Colella. This campaign to target Latinos led to over 100,000 blog page interactions.
Source: www.thelunchtray.com on October 12, 2015
McDonald’s reaches new ground in its latest attempt to market to kids: promoting a documentary of high school teacher John Cisna eating only meals from the fast food franchise for 90 days in order to lose weight. Since releasing his self-made documentary, Cisna has become the company’s paid brand ambassador, traveling to schools around the country “telling kids they shouldn’t trust any negative information about fast food or McDonald’s they might encounter on the Internet.”
Source: MediaPost on October 08, 2015
The Nestl̩-owned powdered milk brand is pushing bicultural moms (Latinos living in the U.S.) to see the benefits of their products. To do so, the brand is sponsoring editorial content on the Hispanic families section of the BabyCenter U.S. website.
Source: PR Newswire on October 08, 2015
The 2016 Super Bowl will mark the 10th and final Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest, which encourages to fans to submit their own Doritos commercials for a chance to see them air during the Super Bowl. This year, the prize is bigger than ever before, and builds on the enormous popularity of superhero movies - the maker of the winning commercial will have the opportunity to collaborate with well-known director Zack Snyder.
Source: Portada on October 08, 2015
In this interview, a marketing manager for the Hershey Company discusses the company's dedicated strategy to target Latinos, in part through campaigns that capitalize on research showing that family togetherness is a core value for many Latino customers. He specifically highlights the company's efforts to target Latina Millenials, who are "important in building traditions and habits among their family members."
Source: TakePart on October 08, 2015
On October 1, Target rolled out a pilot program intended to increase the availability of healthy items in the checkout aisle - where, according to one study, 88% of stores tend to display candy, sugary drinks, and other items designed to test customers' impulse control and tempt children. Though Target representatives are using personal responsibility rhetoric in framing this program and what it could mean for customers, it's still an important effort from one of the country's largest retailers to improve food environments.
Source: Medical Daily on October 08, 2015
The bill places limitations on the amount of fat, calories and sodium in kids' meals, such as requiring meals to be under 500 calories. Meals targeted toward children must also be served with a fruit, vegetable or whole grain. This regulation is aimed at combating aggressive food marketing that is affecting children and disproportionately, kids from communities of color.
Source: Multicultural Retail 360 on October 08, 2015
A newly released report from Nielsen indicates that Latinos are "Super Consumers" of mobile technology - which may have powerful implications for marketers who seek to target them. The report calls Latinos' use of mobile devices a "lucrative opportunity" to reach this fast-growing segment of the U.S. population.
Source: McDonald's website on October 05, 2015
McDonald's is sponsoring five Historically Black College and University Football Classics, which will attract a large crowd of students, alumni, and spectators. McDonald's will be highly visible during these events by leading activities, handing out free samples, providing a "McDonald's HBCU VIP Game Experience seating area," and even flaunting a McDonald's float.
