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: PR Newswire on April 17, 2013
Jose Cuervo, maker of a popular tequila, has announced the winner of its "Tradicional Mural Project", a promotion designed to "engage artists, Latino communities and nonprofit organizations." The project is part of the brand's ongoing efforts to connect with the Latino community in the United States. According to the company, the winning mural "portrayed the importance of Latino culture and heritage, and how it influences the face of the new America."Source: PR Newswire on April 17, 2013
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has partnered with Sylvan Learning for a promotion in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. The company will offer children chocolate prizes for meeting reading goals through an online contest.Source: Politico on April 17, 2013
In this op-ed, Republican Congressman Aaron Schock denounces the CDC and the Prevention and Public Health Fund for funding ads that expose the health harms of sugary beverages and other products.Source: Advertising Age on April 17, 2013
Coke is no doubt hoping Peruvians will associate smiling with its brand. The soda giant is collecting a database of its "Happy ID" holders and will target them with "special" offers in conjunction with partner brands.Source: The Wall Street Journal on April 15, 2013
Packaged food manufacturers are increasingly using smaller packaging, since it encourages consumers to eat throughout the day and, consequently, boosts sales of products like chips and candy. "Hand-to-mouth" eating, as manufacturers know it, can override consumers' ability to accurately gauge and regulate how much they eat.Source: Common Dreams on April 15, 2013
This blog addresses the multiple factors that make marketing to children particularly problematic (for example, children's high susceptibility to being "influenced, even exploited and harmed" by marketing that targets them), and proposes a variety of solutions, including regulation of in-school marketing.Source: The Huffington Post on April 11, 2013
In the wake of recent energy drink controversy, several Congressmen surveyed the practices of 14 brands. The survey found widely varying practices that result in a lack of transparency for consumers, including a blurred distinction between supplements and beverages.Source: Progressive Grocer on April 11, 2013
The campaign is enlisting celebrity chefs to create a Crunch bar-inspired "birthday treat" in a competition that includes prizes and consumer voting via Facebook. The effort promotes not only junk food, but also the association of junk food with special occasions.Source: Advertising Age on April 11, 2013
The article does not mention any of the criticism that the music stars have received for marketing unhealthy products. Instead, it prompts readers to engage in the "cola wars" by voting for their favorite celebrity/junk beverage combo.Source: Crikey on April 11, 2013
Australia's Obesity Prevention Coalition partnered with other organizations to host a panel discussion titled "Digitisation and Fragmentation: the next frontier for junk food marketers, public health organisations, parents and regulators." The panel, which included advocates and researchers from the U.S. and Australia, took on the "absolute saturation of advertising coming from junk food companies."
