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 March 04, 2013
The promotion challenges consumers to show (via Facebook) how much they know about the many benefits of consuming milk. Each entry consists of three multiple choice questions in which the answers can be found on bigotedeleche.com. The grand prize winner will win free milk for a year and a $1,000 shopping spree. As part of the 'El Reto de la Leche' promotion, the Hispanic Milk Mustache "got milk?" campaign joins Salma Hayek to unveil her latest "got milk?" ad.Source: Candy & Snack Today on March 04, 2013
Mars Chocolate President Debra Sandler says that food labeling needs to be consistent so that it educates, rather than confuses, consumers. Sandler is pushing for the labels in an attempt to forestall government regulation of the confectionary industry.Source: Lexology on March 01, 2013
A recent study by BMSG and the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reveals the online marketing tactics that cereal companies use to target and engage kids in ways not possible through television advertising. The study found that children spent more time and returned more often to the websites with the most sophisticated and immersive marketing techniques.Source: FoodNavigator-usa.com on Feburary 28, 2013
The makers of AQUAhydrate, an alkaline beverage, are framing it as an antidote to processed foods and beverages that they claim are "high in acidity." Even if this were true (scientists say stomach acid would immediately neutralize the alkalinity), why not just eat less junk and drink more tap water?Source: Mother Jones on Feburary 27, 2013
This article reviews highlights from the book about "how the food giants hooked us." For example, Moss reveals how, in a secret meeting in 1999, industry executives discussed and decided to explicitly ignore the negative health impact of aggressive junk food marketing.Source: The Christian Science Monitor on Feburary 27, 2013
The First Lady's anti-obesity campaign is being lauded for sparking small changes in food industry labeling and restaurant offering practices. However, the campaign is having difficulty moving forward with policy solutions that would hold industry accountable for aggressive marketing practices.Source: FoodNavigator-usa.com on Feburary 27, 2013
In response to the critique that food giants "hook" people on their products, the Grocery Manufacturers Association uses its well-worn arguments about "balance" and the importance of physical activity to distract people from a conversation about meaningful regulation.Source: Advertising Age on Feburary 26, 2013
The children's cable network is rolling out a block of new programming. Consistent with other kid-focused companies, Nickelodeon is investing in multimedia venues with games, interactive polls, and other activities to draw kids in. No word yet on how they'll handle advertising.Source: New Message Media on Feburary 26, 2013
"Food Fight" is a video that protests the processed foods (and the industries behind them) that target communities of color, making people sick and causing untimely deaths. The video has a related curriculum.Source: The New York Times on Feburary 25, 2013
In this example of how Internet memes can drive major advertising campaigns, Dr Pepper is quipping that gymnast McKayla Maroney, well known for the "not impressed" facial expression she gave after winning a silver (instead of gold) medal for her 2012 Olympic vault routine, is finally "impressed" -- by the company's newest lineup of low-cal sodas. Ms. Maroney will appear at a promotional event in NYC's Penn Station this week.
