# Berkeley Media Studies Group - LLMs.txt > Berkeley Media Studies Group > Generated by MCPner LLMs.txt Generator for WordPress > Last updated: 2026-10-22T11:24:01-08:00 > Total items: 2516 --- ## What can you say when you can’t say everything? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/what-can-you-say-when-you-cant-say-everything/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-08-27 Words: 2699 > Authors: Lori Dorfman, Liana B. Winett, Katherine Schaff, and Pamela Mejia August 26, 2026 https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2026.00921 beenhereAbstractToday’s decisions about what and how to communicate about population health occur amid very real fears and expectations of harsh reprisal that have... Authors: Lori Dorfman, Liana B. Winett, Katherine Schaff, and Pamela Mejia August 26, 2026 https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2026.00921 beenhere Abstract Today’s decisions about what and how to communicate about population health occur amid very real fears and expectations of harsh reprisal that have had far-reaching impacts, both for people’s health and for the health professions. It is in this context that health researchers must share their findings with the public and policy makers, prevent confusion, and avoid harming groups already facing systemic barriers to health. In every communication context—from research papers to quotes on the nightly news—people must make thoughtful choices about what to say. Communication, therefore, is always an act of selection that requires both a clear purpose and a visible connection to the broader contexts for public health measures. With planning, skill, resources, and adherence to best practices for health communication, even difficult or easily misinterpreted information can be communicated clearly and accessibly while also maintaining accuracy. To build trust and be understood by the public and policy makers, public health researchers and practitioners must clearly, directly, contextually, and descriptively speak to the challenges affecting population health. Health communication is getting a lot of attention these days, and rightly so. Scientists need to communicate clearly with each other, as each new study builds on the last. Researchers and practitioners need to communicate with decision makers and the public so that we can all make informed decisions about policy and personal health alike. Yet in every communication context—from articles published in Health Affairs to quotes on the nightly news—people must make choices about what to say, as space, formats, and different informational needs all limit what can be conveyed and received. The question is: How to decide what to include? What information should be prioritized to best support the public’s health? And how should it be expressed? Alan Gerber and colleagues explore the first question in this issue of Health Affairs, having queried policy researchers and practitioners about whether and why they might omit findings when they communicate via “speeches, testimony, podcasts, TV or radio interviews, other communication with journalists, posting on social media, and other forms of oral or written communication to a general audience.”1 More than half of respondents indicated that only in limited circumstances (preventing public confusion, avoiding stigma, and not assisting actors who might use the information to harm populations) would they consider omitting some research findings in these channels. This study was fielded in the spring of 2025, at an especially fraught time for communicating about health policy research. In January 2025, health research, policy, and government practice were under direct attack, being politicized, chastised, and defunded by the new administration’s executive order2 establishing the Department of Government Efficiency; in February 2025, the list of federally “banned research words”3 was released, all of which are used to describe what is needed to ensure that groups harmed by historical and current systems can be healthy. Moreover, the country remains in the wake of polarization and misinformation about COVID-19 and its protective measures.4 Public health workers report being doxxed, harassed, and physically threatened simply for wanting to ensure that everyone in their communities can enjoy good health.5 Those needing to communicate for the benefit of population health have been weighed down by this environment. Yet we still need to communicate about health, even difficult or easily misinterpreted information, clearly and accessibly, without compromising accuracy. That, of course, takes planning, skill, resources, and adherence to best practices for health communication. So we must start by appreciating that task. In his 1948 framework, Harold Lasswell described communication as, “Who, says what, in which channel, to whom, with what effect.”6 His definition seeded the communication models and practices applied today, emphasizing the intersections among purpose, audience, and context. This means that communication is always an act of selection: Those communicating must determine what is important now, for which audiences and what purpose, and how audiences will best be reached. One way to organize this set of tasks is by thinking about strategy and framing, each of which requires decision making and assessment of context. Strategy Our work demonstrates that before anyone can know what to say, they must know what to do (or what choices are being considered). This means that communication needs to be guided by strategies for improving the public’s health. Within the broader mission of population health, we communicate information in times of risk or emergency, when policy is being con... --- ## Flipping the narrative about state-sanctioned violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/flipping-the-narrative-about-state-sanctioned-violence/ Type: post Modified: 2026-07-01 Words: 1957 > Last September, in my hometown of Stockton, police killed Rocco Robinson, a teenage man of Black and Asian descent. His family was left not only to grieve a significant loss... Last September, in my hometown of Stockton, police killed Rocco Robinson, a teenage man of Black and Asian descent. His family was left not only to grieve a significant loss but to navigate a narrative landscape that emphasized their son’s alleged noncompliance over his death. In the aftermath of police killings, official law enforcement accounts often shape news narratives and the public’s understanding of events. The talking points are consistent: Law enforcement agencies at all levels of our government, as well as the United States military, justify their violence toward civilians by claiming they are protecting the safety of their officers from an unruly, noncompliant public. This was the case a decade ago this month, when Baton Rouge officers fatally shot Alton Sterling after claiming that he had a gun on him. Advocates called for a trial to look into possible police misconduct, but detractors refrained from taking action, claiming that it was Sterling’s noncompliance that got him killed. The day after Sterling’s death, officers in Falcon Heights, Minnesota killed Philando Castile in front of his partner and daughter, even though he complied with the officers’ orders and informed them of the firearm in his vehicle. Is compliance the issue? From left to right: Rocco’s sister, Kelly; Gemini, a long-time family friend and Rocco’s former babysitter; and Rocco’s mother, Samantha Pathammavong Police officers are rarely tried in court for shooting civilians, and even if they are (like in Castile’s case), they are often acquitted of wrongdoing. In Rocco’s case, family members and organizers were determined both to challenge the narrative that noncompliance should justify the killing of civilians by police and to try the officers responsible for murder. They organized a campaign that painted a more complete picture of the teen, sharing stories about Rocco the grandson, Rocco the volunteer, and Rocco the person who deserved to lead a full life. They also harnessed the power of Stockton’s media environment to raise questions about accountability and transparency, and about how Robinson’s death could have been prevented. How can other advocates similarly challenge problematic narratives surrounding police brutality and other forms of state-sanctioned violence? And how can we translate those efforts into meaningful policy and systems changes that bring justice to families like Rocco’s? To learn more, I attended a police brutality forum hosted by Rocco’s family and local organizers. The forum offered meaningful insights into the tactics community messengers can use to counter dominant narratives about police violence. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Layers of Strategy framework offers a structured roadmap for understanding how Rocco’s advocates moved from highlighting an individual tragedy to working to achieve specific policy changes. Advocates working on any public health or social justice issue can use the framework to move conversations beyond isolated incidents and toward systemic accountability. Overall strategy Before you know what you want to SAY, you have to know what you want to DO. When embarking on an advocacy campaign, advocates should first define the specific problem, articulate its policy solution(s), and identify the targets, allies, and actions necessary to achieve change. Otherwise, advocates risk spinning their wheels with general awareness campaigns that don’t actually change systems. For Rocco’s family, the problem was clear: Stockton Police Department and other local media outlets portrayed Rocco as a gang-adjacent, violent adult who threatened officer safety. They disregarded how Rocco volunteered at Stockton’s local Buddhist temple and how he cared for his grandmother and little brother. This negative portrayal reinforced the dominant narrative that the police are right to execute civilians who don’t comply. From left to right: Kelly, Rocco’s sister, Charles Udeze, Gemini, Rocco’s former babysitter, Samantha, Alyssa Leiva, Organizer for Stockton Stands, Rocco’s brother, Nat, and Michael from Dare2Struggle Bay Area Undeterred, his family set out to advocate for policy changes that would bring about justice for Rocco and for other families hurt by police violence. The goal was to build and motivate a critical mass of Stocktonians — primarily those most likely to encounter local law enforcement — to hold police accountable. By spreading Rocco’s story and encouraging other local victims and survivors to tell their own, they could push back against the dominant narrative. Rocco’s family coordinated with the Bay Area chapter of Dare to Struggle, a multinational advocacy organization focused on ending police brutality and holding police accountable for violence; Stockton Stands, a Stockton, California-based abolition group founded during the 2020 George Floyd protests; and other local partners to address the slanted portrayal. The family and organizers coordinated “Justice for Rocco” week, a series ... --- ## With community and collective power, we can create an equitable future URL: https://www.bmsg.org/with-community-and-collective-power-we-can-create-an-equitable-future/ Type: post Modified: 2026-05-22 Words: 1014 > Earlier this month, I joined many of my friends and colleagues working in public health in the Fruitvale district of Oakland for May Day, a general strike, march, and resource... Earlier this month, I joined many of my friends and colleagues working in public health in the Fruitvale district of Oakland for May Day, a general strike, march, and resource fair celebrating the rights, dignity, and power of working people. Many of us already clock long hours to support the health of our communities and country, so why would we take to the streets? Because moments like these remind us that health is built collectively and expands beyond the walls of clinics and public agencies. Public health starts with the conditions people live and work in, and those conditions are shaped by power. The people who set wage policies, decide whether hospitals stay open, and determine who gets protected by the law and who doesn’t hold tremendous power over our daily lives — power that they are not going to simply hand over. So, we must raise our voices to demand change. Still, at a time when so many people are feeling weary from threats to their communities, it’s not enough to point out what isn’t working. As public health champions, we must also offer a vision for what’s possible. We must allow ourselves to dream. BMSG’s co-founder Lori Dorfman and co-director Katherine Schaff From time to time, I try a simple exercise: imagining what the world would look and feel like if we achieved racial and health equity. A world where everyone has what they need to be healthy. Things like jobs with dignity that pay enough to live and leave people with time to spend with family and friends. Good schools. Transportation that connects us while taking care of our Earth. The peace that comes from having a roof over our heads and a full belly each night. Laws and policies that see people as fully human and ensure their rights are protected. And if I’m truly dreaming big, we’d all have the things we need not just to survive, but to thrive. It can be hard to really picture this, but each time, I try to push a little further. In this vision, I’m still working hard at a job I care about, but I’m not carrying the quiet fear of whether I’ll be able to retire, or whether an illness could undo everything, and in my deepest dreams, everyone has a sense of ease, including me. When I go for walks with my friends, there would still be hardships — the loss of a loved one, the heartbreak of a relationship that didn’t work out — but we’d spend more time talking about things that excite us, things that bring us joy, like sending a child off to college without worrying about the immense debt, or staying close to loved ones as they age and having supports to help with their care. There would be no fear of friends and neighbors getting caught in ICE raids, and we wouldn’t have to worry about how to stay in the Bay Area we love when homeownership and security are beyond the reach for many. I would be excited for the children in my life and how their paths will unfold, without the creeping fear that wildfires, rising oceans, and extreme heat will rob them of their futures. The barriers we need to remove to create this world are not abstract. They were named on the signs I saw at the march from my public health colleagues and all of our allies who work tirelessly to make this dream a reality. Signs that connected wages, working conditions, housing policy, and climate policy to our collective health. For the resource fair, there were tables helping people connect to health services, housing advocacy, saving our public transit, and connecting people to ways to stay engaged between and beyond voting. The messages on our signs challenged Congressional decisions that funnel money to ICE while our public hospitals close, and called out decisions that fill the pockets of corporate CEOs while children go to bed with empty stomachs. Oakland resident Sophie Simon-Ortiz, who is the Organizing Project Director at Health in Partnership (and leader of the national mobilization that saw public health contingents in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Holyoke, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, Providence, Sacramento, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington D.C.), summed up why we were in the streets: “What does it say that we have billions of dollars for war, ICE kidnappings, and surveillance while millions of our neighbors and loved ones are struggling to pay their medical bills or rent? It’s time that all of us — not just corrupt politicians, tech bros, and war profiteers — can live full, healthy, dignified lives.” At the march, I was reminded that many others clearly see these connections and have been acting on them for generations and that public health does not, and cannot, go it alone. The generational wisdom was on full display in Oakland — from our elders who have been marching for decades to youth raising new questions in new ways that push my thinking. The solidarity was also clear: While some groups and signs forefronted a single issue, there was a lot of love and support for one another and recognition that our causes are int... --- ## Behind the scenes of a 60 Minutes interview: What public health advocates can learn URL: https://www.bmsg.org/behind-the-scenes-of-a-60-minutes-interview-what-public-health-advocates-can-learn/ Type: post Modified: 2026-04-15 Words: 1998 > Jolie Foreman, director for Shelby County Cares, speaks with 60 Minutes about preventing firearm suicide among farmers. If someone had told Jolie Foreman that one day she would be speaking... Jolie Foreman, director for Shelby County Cares, speaks with 60 Minutes about preventing firearm suicide among farmers. If someone had told Jolie Foreman that one day she would be speaking on a televised broadcast to 10 million viewers, she wouldn’t have believed them. The topic, firearm suicide, can be overwhelming even in private conversations, let alone on a national platform. “Two years ago I couldn’t hardly get up at church and talk about it. … I get terrified — like stress city,” Foreman said. Foreman is the director for Shelby County Cares, a nonprofit in rural Missouri that supports the well-being of farmers, a group with three times the general population’s risk of suicide. She and a cohort of volunteers connect them and their families to mental health resources and challenge the stigma that causes too many people, especially men, to suffer silently instead of reaching out for help. “Anything about firearms is a very hard conversation, and it seems like anything about suicide is a very hard conversation, too,” Foreman said. “So it’s kind of a double whammy.” Firearm suicide in general receives scant media attention, and its impact on farming communities is almost nonexistent in the news. That omission means that many people know very little about this health disparity or the underlying risk factors of a high-stress occupation like farming, which is shaped by financial volatility, unpredictable weather patterns, and other risks. The silence and misconceptions surrounding firearm suicide are exactly why Foreman knew she had to overcome her nerves and say “yes” when she got a call from a 60 Minutes producer, asking to learn more from her and her community. And Foreman, a deeply private person who hates public speaking, wants other advocates to know that if she can survive the pressure-cooker intensity of a high-stakes interview, they can too. She emphasized that the impact of gaining national coverage made the short-term stress worth it. “The coverage created credibility and visibility that small, rural organizations rarely get,” Foreman said. “It opened doors to new partnerships, speaking invitations, funding conversations, and collaborative work we simply wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. More importantly, it shifted the tone of conversations, from ‘Why does this matter?’ to ‘How do we help?’” To learn more, we sat down with Foreman, who shared what the interview process was like, from the intake call to being vulnerable on camera to viewing the final edit. Her experience offers valuable lessons for advocates considering media engagement on any issue, especially emotionally charged or controversial ones. Media and messaging tips for advocates Start small and leverage connections. Before Foreman connected with 60 Minutes, she already had experience pitching to and being interviewed by smaller outlets. “Start local — don’t hesitate to reach out and tell them you have a story you would like to share and why it is significant,” Foreman advises, noting that local publications are often excited to have fresh content. Over time, that persistence pays off, not just because of short-term news attention but also because it can help advocates build connections and create exposure that catches the eye of larger outlets. Both of these factors can lead to coverage outside of direct pitching. Foreman’s opportunity with 60 Minutes is a case in point. That interview came about because one of Foreman’s contacts with the U.S. Farm Report, a syndicated television program focused on agriculture and rural issues, dropped her name to 60 Minutes. Clarify your purpose and boundaries before the opportunity comes. Remembering your “why” can help you clarify your message and calm your nerves. For Foreman, this meant switching from a mindset of a perfectionist to that of a servant to a cause. “There was this drive in me that I had a mission to deliver on this subject matter, knowing that a change could be created because of it,” she said. Focusing on the broader impact of the story also helped her to navigate some of the heavier emotions that she knew would arise with a topic like firearm suicide — one that has touched her family personally, with the deaths of her husband’s great grandfather and two uncles. “Anchor yourself to a purpose, not just the pain,” she said. Additionally, although Foreman and her family were open and vulnerable on camera, they considered ahead of time what details they were comfortable sharing. “You don’t have to tell everything to tell the truth,” she said. “It’s okay to set boundaries around what parts of your story are shared publicly.” Expect to act quickly. Journalists often face intense deadline pressure, so speed and responsiveness matter. Being able to say “yes” quickly — and follow through — can make the difference between coverage and a missed opportunity. After an initial call with Foreman, the producer she spoke with let her know that he would need to pitch the story internally and get... --- ## Rethinking heroes: How to tell fuller stories of movements and advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/rethinking-heroes-how-to-tell-fuller-stories-of-movements-and-advocacy/ Type: post Modified: 2026-03-24 Words: 1637 > If history shapes what we believe is possible, then how we tell the story directly affects what we are able to achieve. Stories about the Civil Rights Movement, for example,... If history shapes what we believe is possible, then how we tell the story directly affects what we are able to achieve. Stories about the Civil Rights Movement, for example, continue to influence today’s advocacy for racial justice just as much as legal and policy victories do. Decades later, it’s easy to recall the bravery and grit of some of the movement’s biggest heroes, like Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus or journalist Ida B. Wells investigating the horrors of lynching, because these are the stories we repeat regularly year after year. We share them in the news and on social media, during holidays and awareness months, in classrooms and at our kitchen tables. They are part of the country’s cultural fabric and motivate us to keep going during times of social and political upheaval. It’s not surprising, then, that many organizers and advocates are devastated following a New York Times investigation revealing that Cesar Chavez, a United Farm Workers co-founder and one of the most renowned figures in the Latino civil rights movement, had sexually abused girls for many years, including UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, an icon in her own right. In addition to expressing sadness and outrage, people are grappling with how to respond and raising important questions that will no doubt shape how we talk about farmworker organizing for years to come. Many have asked: Do we speak out and, if so, how? When such a central figure is accused of causing harm, how do we condemn their behavior without erasing broader historic contributions and positive social change? And, going forward, how do we create narratives that are more inclusive and enduring? As our staff began grappling with these questions to equip advocates with guidance, we were heartened to see early examples of powerful messages being shared online. Some common threads emerged, with important implications and lessons for communicators, and we’ve distilled them below. In situations like this, effective messages, whether from nonprofits, news outlets, or individual advocates, often do several key things: Acknowledge complexity. It’s OK to pause before communicating in the immediate aftermath of tragic news. Threading the messaging needle is tricky, and pivoting too soon or trying to sanitize a complex narrative can feel inauthentic and backfire. Instead, it can be helpful — and validating to your audience — to acknowledge discomfort and complexity while naming harm. After all, accountability strengthens movements rather than destroys them. That’s why we liked this message from Colsaria Henderson, the executive director of Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, one of many organizations that weighed in after the news broke. Her writing, excerpted below, shows that hope and heartache can coexist: “Cesar Chavez was one of many that led and became the face of the United Farm Workers movement,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “He is known, loved, and revered as a former community member and leader in Eastside San Jose. The UFW movement has led to countless positive changes in families, systems, and in how the world understands humanity, modalities for social change, and People Power. The movement though did not stop or end with him. While he is often said to be the face of the movement, countless women, people, and families made undeniable contributions. Dolores [Huerta]’s account of abuse, released today, has broken our hearts and has us trying to hold and balance the public leadership and success needed for communities, with the horrific and irreparable harm an individual with power and privilege can cause.” Center survivor voices. It’s common and understandable for initial conversations following serious allegations to focus primarily on the perpetrator of harm. We see this in reporting on many types of violence, from mass shootings to sexual abuse. People want to know what happened to help them make sense of it. Those details matter, but they are only part of the story. It takes tremendous courage to come forward publicly as Debra Rojas, Ana Marguía, and other survivors did. We need to hear from those directly affected, if they feel safe enough to share. The Associated Press brought a key survivor voice to its coverage, running an article by Susan Montoya Bryan headlined “Dolores Huerta Ends Her Silence, Champions Decades of Advocacy for Marginalized Groups.” Critically, the story doesn’t focus solely on her victimization at the hands of Chavez; it presents Huerta, a revered labor leader and feminist activist, as a whole person, highlighting her upbringing, accomplishments within the movement, and impressive accolades including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Members of Congress and state officials commend [Huerta] and the other women for coming forward,” Montoya Bryan wrote. “They say no one should have to suffer in silence to protect a man or a movement.” Express shared values. Photo by Shaddai Martinez Cuestas. Several years ago, BMSG had the... --- ## One statistic that should change how journalists cover domestic violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/one-statistic-that-should-change-how-journalists-cover-domestic-violence/ Type: post Modified: 2026-03-13 Words: 1602 > Most journalists want to report on domestic violence in ways that inform the public without causing further harm to survivors and their loved ones. But doing that well isn’t always... Most journalists want to report on domestic violence in ways that inform the public without causing further harm to survivors and their loved ones. But doing that well isn’t always straightforward — especially when it comes to centering survivor experiences. This tension may underlie a key gap in coverage: A news analysis from Berkeley Media Studies Group found that between 2023 and 2025, just one in five California news stories about domestic violence included a quote or anecdote from a survivor. “This missing perspective is critical,” said Rachael Kagan, director of communications and public affairs at Blue Shield of California Foundation, which supported the research as part of a larger effort to improve reporting on domestic violence. “We can’t expect the public to fully understand the scope of the problem, let alone what solutions are possible, if we aren’t hearing from the people who are most directly affected. Now that we know just how underrepresented survivor voices are, we can work with journalists to make coverage more inclusive.” To learn more about the new research findings, their implications for domestic violence news narratives, and how reporters can include survivor voices safely and responsibly, I spoke with Pamela Mejia, lead author of the analysis. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Q&A BMSG’s analysis found that only about one in five news stories included a quote or anecdote from a survivor. What’s your reaction to that finding? Did it surprise you? Advocates and people in the field have known for a long time that domestic violence tends to be under-reported, certainly compared to its actual prevalence. And when it is reported, some real opportunities are lost to bring the full picture forward of what domestic violence is, how it affects families, how it affects communities, and what needs to happen to prevent it — and support people who’ve experienced it. So I knew that there was going to be an absence of some kind, but I was taken aback by how stark it was. My immediate reaction was to wonder what stories aren’t being told if domestic violence survivors are really absent from the coverage. What do we not learn about the full truth of domestic violence and its impact on families and communities if the people who are most directly impacted — the people who are closest to not only the experience of domestic violence, but also the services and systems that can help address and prevent domestic violence — if they’re not part of the story? How does a lack of survivor-centered reporting affect how audiences understand domestic violence? Important nuances get lost when survivors are not part of the story. For one thing, statistics can paint a picture of domestic violence, but people’s understanding of the issue is limited when we don’t hear more about the range of experiences that comprise domestic violence, from coercion and emotional and verbal abuse all the way up to more explicit and extreme acts of physical abuse or even death. Stigma is also an issue. If survivors aren’t allowed to tell their own stories, some of the well-documented patterns of stigmatizing language and framing that we know tend to be part of news coverage of domestic violence, those aren’t challenged. We know from decades of research that domestic violence reporting historically tends to minimize harm by characterizing incidents as, for example, a fight that got out of hand, or suggesting that there was blame on both sides of an incident. And when survivors don’t get a chance to share their experiences, that kind of implicitly stigmatizing language goes unchecked and uncorrected. The other thing I would say is that survivors are not only experts in the trauma of what happened to them; survivors also know best what can help prevent domestic violence from happening. They know best what their families need to heal, and they know best how the services and supports in our state succeed or fail the survivors and the families who need them the most. Including survivors gives us a deeper understanding of what we need to do as families, as communities, and as a state to treat and prevent domestic violence. Did your analysis uncover examples where survivor voices were included particularly well? If so, what made those stories feel different or more complete? We did find a few examples, which are highlighted in the report, where survivor’s voices were included. And I think the strongest examples were the ones that touched on the duality that I named, not only painting a fuller picture of the problem but also highlighting the lived wisdom of people advocating for solutions. These stories brought some texture and lived experience to the realities of what domestic violence means, how it impacts families — that it’s not just a private family issue that we can turn away from, but actually something that affects whole communities and has far reaching and long-ranging impacts. The strongest examples of survivor ... --- ## Narrative work feels hard right now. This new tool on narrating racial justice can help URL: https://www.bmsg.org/narrative-work-feels-hard-right-now-this-new-tool-on-narrating-racial-justice-can-help/ Type: post Modified: 2026-03-05 Words: 732 > Right now it feels both essential and difficult to hold onto a vision for what a socially and racially just country could look like: a country where we all have... Right now it feels both essential and difficult to hold onto a vision for what a socially and racially just country could look like: a country where we all have the resources and freedom we need to live the fullest version of our lives, where every community has a voice in making that vision a reality and the freedom to name harm — safely and without punishment — when it occurs. That’s why narrative work is foundational to movements for justice. But if you’ve had trouble finding your footing, or your voice, in recent months, you’re not alone. Millions of people are experiencing a destabilizing mix of grief and uncertainty about the country’s future amid attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion; deep cuts to programs that keep communities healthy; and ongoing violence at the hands of the state. The harms from these threats do not stop with violations to our rights or physical safety. Fear spreads like a contagion, shaping what we say, whether we speak up at all, and whether we feel safe standing up for our neighbors, or even ourselves. In times like these, many communicators feel a familiar tension between the urge to say something and the fear of getting it wrong. And questions about how to address critical nuances — like the fact that not all communities experience the same level of risks, and media coverage does not treat all victims the same — can fuel important but lengthy internal debates over the best way forward. We get it. It’s hard to know what to say today when narrating racial justice. We’re all struggling to communicate effectively in a rapidly shifting narrative landscape, and that struggle isn’t a coincidence: One of the core strategies of authoritarian fascism (strongman leadership backed up by violence) is to overwhelm, and the rise in disinformation and authoritarian rhetoric we are seeing in mainstream spaces only intensifies those feelings. Still, to protect our democracy and defend core values like racial equity and inclusion, we must raise our voices, even when we feel hesitant. The tool BMSG’s Head of Media Advocacy, Rosaura Wardsworth, presents at the Just Narratives convening in St. Louis in November 2025. A new decision-making tool from Berkeley Media Studies Group and Narrative Initiative can help you and your partners navigate that uncertainty and overcome decision paralysis. The tool helps guide you through strategic decisions unique to your situation and audiences, so that you can more confidently create messages that center the needs of those most harmed by the current regime, inspire action, and move us toward the future we want to live in. We first launched it for testing at the Just Narratives convening in November 2025, and we’re grateful to the participants in that workshop for helping us revise and improve it. The tool draws on BMSG and Narrative Initiative’s collective decades of research and practical experience to support your organization’s vital work of narrating racial justice in challenging times. It’s hard, but we can support each other in the work: The tool offers a structured way to think through the tough decisions or challenging questions you may encounter as you write a narrative statement about racial justice. Where possible, we also offer some resources that can help you as you’re considering what to say or how to move forward. The categories covered in the tool include prompts to help you think through: developing your communication strategy (including questions about overall goals, audience, voice and values, etc.); navigating internal decision-making, including safety and legal concerns; ensuring narrative alignment and mapping power dynamics; and identifying and exploring relevant research that can support your work. Narrating racial justice is very nuanced, especially right now. You may complete the questions and find that you still need to talk with partners, coalition members, etc. about a final decision —- that’s okay! Think of this as a tool to help you consider what still needs to be discussed and what questions remain. In the face of rising authoritarian fascism, building narrative power matters more than ever. We hope this resource helps you raise your voice — not only to resist, but to continue the fight to build the just future we know is possible. Download tool PDF Access Google Doc tool template --- ## The news about domestic violence: Findings from an analysis of California news, 2023-2025 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-news-about-domestic-violence-findings-from-an-analysis-of-california-news-2023-2025/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-03-11 Words: 107 > We can’t solve a problem we don’t know is happening — and when it comes to domestic violence, decades of research suggest that news coverage may miss the scope and... We can’t solve a problem we don’t know is happening — and when it comes to domestic violence, decades of research suggest that news coverage may miss the scope and impact of the problem, and the important work advocates and organizations are doing to end it. With support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, we evaluated English-language news about domestic violence to identify coverage strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Our report includes recommendations to help journalists tell more complete and inclusive stories about domestic violence. Download the report or learn more in this Q&A with lead researcher Pamela Mejia. Download report --- ## Media advocacy toolkit for agricultural safety and health: Expanding on lessons learned from ROPS URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/media-advocacy-toolkit-for-agricultural-safety-and-health-expanding-on-lessons-learned-from-rops/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-07-02 Words: 13360 > Foreword Agricultural work requires some of the most demanding of all physical labor, and, as such, is often highlighted in the public health literature as an industry with comparatively high... Foreword Agricultural work requires some of the most demanding of all physical labor, and, as such, is often highlighted in the public health literature as an industry with comparatively high rates of work-related injuries and deaths. Research and interventions have typically (and for good reason) focused on encouraging farmers and agricultural workers to invest in safety equipment, use best practices in hazard prevention, and encourage proactive, safety-focused work environments, among other precautions. However, even when interventions have been proven effective, expanding and implementing them broadly has been difficult and often frustrating for those involved. While encouraging workers and worksites to take a more active role in improving safety is crucial, it may not be as effective when workers don’t have adequate agency to create safer work conditions, and small business owners struggle to invest in better equipment, training, and sufficient staffing for farming operations. These challenges, which many farmers face, inform our mission to support the wellbeing and sustainability of the agricultural workforce, and so we look for ways to improve outcomes by addressing the larger structural issues at play. This is where media advocacy can help. The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (NEC) found media advocacy as we were searching for ways to expand the success we’d seen social marketing bring to ROPS, rollover protective structures that can help prevent tractor overturn fatalities. ROPS offer a good example of the importance of addressing structural factors along with changing downstream, individual behaviors. Tractor rollovers are the leading cause of death on farms annually, and while ROPS’ efficacy has been widely established in the scientific literature, many older tractors still lack these essential devices. Efforts to increase the installation of ROPS on tractors using social marketing approaches have been remarkably successful in encouraging farmers to install ROPS. However, garnering the state or national support to implement this evidence-based solution has proven remarkably challenging, likely because of the need for using public resources rather than relying on individuals to assume all the costs. Media advocacy presents a promising approach for tackling these upstream barriers to success, as it helps us turn our attention to the social and political context in which policy is decided by influencing the news coverage that informs those decisions. It differs from social marketing, in that media advocacy attempts to amplify an issue to garner broad, public support and pressure decision-makers to enact policy, whereas social marketing aims to change a specific behavior by reducing barriers and increasing motivators for a particular target population. The key difference is that, typically, social marketing’s target audience is the people whose personal behavior needs to change to avoid a health harm; with media advocacy, the target audience is situated within the public policy realm where action needs to be taken, and, if it succeeds, that action will then benefit the population whose health is in danger. Media advocacy has been used to address a number of “wicked problems”1 in the public health arena, with notable success, such as reducing the social acceptability of tobacco use, which paved the way for successful prevention policy. NEC partnered with Berkeley Media Studies Group on this toolkit to expand our collective ability to bring attention to the proven success of ROPS and other agricultural health and safety interventions so our policy decisions can be more thoroughly informed by the science that guides us to health and safety in every workplace. Introduction: What is media advocacy? Defining media advocacy Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass media to support community organizers and policy advocates who are mobilizing community groups, residents, researchers, educators, and others to pressure decision-makers to enact policies that support health and safety. Media advocates change how public health issues are presented so that decision-makers can recognize the benefits of specific policies and then act to improve health in communities and society at large. Media advocacy is not about overhauling the mass media itself; rather, it is fundamentally about leveraging myriad communication channels to raise voices in a democratic process that uses policy to change systems and conditions.2 Media advocacy differs from other health communication Media advocacy differs from other health communication in its purpose, target, and theoretical underpinnings. Most health communicators aim to inspire behavior change; they target individuals with messages they hope will motivate them to make healthier choices. These communication strategies operate from exchange theories that assume the health problem derives from a lack of information. In thes... --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2025 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-of-2025/ Type: post Modified: 2025-12-18 Words: 1444 > 2025 has been marked by political absurdity. When President Donald Trump took office for the second time, he filled key federal positions with high-profile political actors such as Elon Musk... 2025 has been marked by political absurdity. When President Donald Trump took office for the second time, he filled key federal positions with high-profile political actors such as Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr — a shift that has amplified disinformation and political mudslinging at the expense of public knowledge and wellbeing. Yet, as the year comes to an end, we’re buoyed by how resistance has risen to the occasion, as advocates, organizers, and activists refuse to back down. “Empire doesn’t attack what isn’t working,” said Shanelle Matthews, former communications director for the national Movement for Black Lives and founder of the Radical Communicators Network, known as RadComms. Equity-focused organizations and individuals have used this momentum to strengthen their demands and remain determined in the face of opposition. These voices and actions are often echoed and amplified in news coverage. In keeping with our annual tradition, BMSG staff compiled a list of media bites — quotes from news articles, interviews, and social media that stick with us long after we first hear or read them. Here are this year’s top 10 media bites, which embody the spirit of resistance and resilience. We hope our selections inspire you and invite you to share your own favorite quotes with us on social media. Top 10 media bites “I shouldn’t have to be worried, while doing my applications in a study room, about a kid who got shot in the bathroom. That’s not a concern a 17-year-old, a 14-year-old, or anyone should have.” – AJ Baldridge, a senior at Skyline High in Oakland Appeared Nov. 18, 2025 in The Oaklandside Why we like it: Far too few news articles quote youth, even when the issue being discussed directly affects them. In this media bite, Baldridge puts the reader in her shoes, showing us the school environment she occupies — an often overlooked perspective in media coverage of school shootings. “SNAP is a tool for maintaining stability, dignity, and self-determination. SNAP is about not having to choose between darkness and dinner.” – Alexina Cather MPH, Director of Policy and Special Projects at Wellness in the Schools Appeared Nov. 11, 2025 in Civil Eats Why we like it: Cather uses her authentic voice, highlighting her own lived experiences to illustrate why SNAP is vital to public wellbeing. While Cather doesn’t explicitly use the word “government,” she shows that government is how we bring solutions to scale. “Every affordable unit represents a story of stability: a child who can stay in their same school, a nurse who can live near the hospital, a barista who can walk to work, a retiree who can remain in the community they helped build. … Housing is not just a policy issue, it’s a foundation for community well-being.” – Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley Appeared Oct. 18, 2025 in the Santa Cruz Sentinel Why we like it: At BMSG, we often advise advocates to bring context into their storytelling and make the landscape as vivid as the portrait. This media bite shows what that looks like in practice. In it, Mayor Keeley brings policy to life by showing how affordable housing improves the lives of individuals and families — and has positive ripple effects on the community as a whole. “If large swaths of the population were being sickened by a poison released from an industrial plant, no one would suggest that the solution is to just offer home filters, wearables and supplements. The only real path to restoring health would have to include mandating the removal of the poison from the environment.” -Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall, co-authors of the book Food Intelligence Appeared Sept. 10, 2025 in The New York Times Why we like it: Metaphors are an effective way to help people understand complex or abstract issues. Here, Belluz and Hall use an excellent analogy to show the role of environments in shaping health and make the case for systemic solutions to the environment created by food companies. “We are not the footnotes in some infamous predator’s tabloid article. We are the experts and the subjects of this story. … We are one powerful voice, too loud to ignore, and we will never be silenced again.” – Jess Michaels, survivor of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein Appeared September 3, 2025, in Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American Why we like it: Michaels makes a powerful call for justice and accountability, noting that “they are not favors from the powerful. They are obligations decades overdue.” She highlights the strength of the survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking who keep raising their voices despite how difficult that is. In a case that has often been relegated to a political circus, Michaels reminds us that real human lives were impacted — and survivors refuse to be silenced. “The vaccine isn’t running for public office. We don’t need to vote to determine whether to use it. We need to do a better job explaining the science that supports the use of the vaccine.” – Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Ce... --- ## A better blueprint for trans coverage: Lessons from TJA’s Kae Petrin URL: https://www.bmsg.org/better-trans-coveage-kae-petrin/ Type: post Modified: 2025-12-04 Words: 2256 > Across the country, news about transgender people is shaping how audiences understand gender, rights, and community life. With so much at stake — and with misinformation spreading fast — BMSG... Across the country, news about transgender people is shaping how audiences understand gender, rights, and community life. With so much at stake — and with misinformation spreading fast — BMSG recently conducted a media analysis in collaboration with the Trans Journalists Association to learn more about coverage. The analysis explored how journalists reported executive orders impacting trans people signed by President Donald Trump in his first 100 days in office. These executive orders threaten the way trans people navigate daily life by creating limits and obstacles to accessing legal documents, health care, and education. The analysis highlighted a dearth of trans voices in related media coverage and put forward recommendations on how journalists can improve their reporting when it comes to policies impacting trans communities. As a follow up, we talked with TJA co-founder and board president Kae Petrin, one of the leading voices guiding newsrooms on this coverage, to hear their thoughts on the analysis, the present media landscape, and how we can move forward. Q&A: Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Tell me a bit about your background. What brought you into this line of work? I’m a data journalist, and I’ve spent my entire career in local news in one form or another. I’m also one of the co-founders of the Trans Journalists Association, which launched in 2020. My work with BMSG brings together the data and accountability reporting I’ve always done, and my commitment to improving media coverage of trans communities. Traditionally, I’m the person who takes a spreadsheet from a government agency, analyzes it, and translates it into something meaningful for the public. With this project, we’re generating the dataset ourselves, analyzing it, and then applying a broader lens to journalism as a field. It’s still the kind of accountability work I’ve done my whole career, just focused on a different part of the ecosystem. What inspired this particular research project? Was there a moment, headline, or story that made you think, “We need to study this”? In January, as Trump’s second term began, the administration issued executive orders at a rapid pace. Journalists were scrambling to contextualize them because executive orders aren’t laws, but they can still shape policy and administrative behavior — and many were already getting challenged, changed, or blocked in real time. Some of the earliest orders are still tied up in the courts. They impacted so many different areas of civic life that newsrooms were under pressure to decide what to cover and how. At the Trans Journalists Association, we were especially concerned with the orders redefining sex and gender across federal agencies. Those definitions have enormous implications not only for trans people but for anyone who doesn’t fit neatly into the gender binary. Sometimes the gender-related language was buried in orders that weren’t about gender on their face — like an order on birthright citizenship that casually defines a mother as a “female biological progenitor” and a father as a “male biological progenitor.” With more than 140 orders released in such a short window, we wondered: How are journalists going to cover this? What’s getting attention, and what’s slipping through the cracks? Since we already had a partnership with BMSG, we realized we were in a position to ask some of those questions and generate useful data. Did anything about the findings surprise you — or confirm what you already suspected? The headline finding that very few stories quoted trans people, even when the policy directly affected us, did not surprise me. I was surprised that the number wasn’t even lower. I expected even more stories with zero trans sources. We were also curious about how stories used data. Misuse of data is a recurring problem in trans coverage, and we expected to see a lot of that. Instead, most mainstream outlets were using very basic data, and the explicit misuse we saw was mostly concentrated in one right-leaning publication. In hindsight, that makes sense: This was largely breaking news coverage, not longer-form work where data gets interpreted more heavily. Some of the more interesting patterns, like how consequences were described or whether stories contextualized uncertainty, would’ve required deeper qualitative analysis to unpack fully. Why do you think journalists so often relied on government officials without including trans people themselves? Time pressure is a big part of it. Many journalists don’t have deep source networks in trans communities, and trans people understandably don’t always trust reporters. Building relationships takes time — time that reporters on tight deadlines often don’t have. So, they default to the people who pick up the phone quickly: government officials. There’s also a structural issue in political journalism. Many newsrooms treat policy stories as political stories, so the reflex is to call a Republican and a Dem... --- ## After the headlines fade: Honoring Marshawn Kneeland by expanding the conversation on suicide and firearms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/after-the-headlines-fade-honoring-marshawn-kneeland-by-expanding-the-conversation-on-suicide-and-firearms/ Type: post Modified: 2025-11-13 Words: 570 > Last week, football fans were shocked to learn that Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide. News quickly spread beyond the football community, with outlets as large as... Last week, football fans were shocked to learn that Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide. News quickly spread beyond the football community, with outlets as large as USA Today, The New York Times, and People reporting his death. Despite a high volume of headlines, what’s missing from most coverage of Kneeland is the underreported reality that suicide is the leading cause of gun deaths in the U.S. One way we can honor him is by having difficult but necessary conversations about self-harm and guns — and how we can work together to prevent more tragedies. Suicide by any cause remains shrouded in stigma, with obituaries rarely mentioning it, especially when the individual who died is not a celebrity. Add a factor as politically charged as guns, and it becomes even harder for people to discuss, even though open conversations are exactly what we need more of. Another reason why silence surrounds guns and suicide is that many people simply do not know how prevalent the link is. BMSG research has found that in California, firearm suicide is dramatically underreported in the news compared to its actual prevalence — a trend that appears to be true nationally as well. We also know that most coverage of guns appears in the aftermath of more extreme but less common events like mass shootings, which make up less than 2% of gun deaths in the U.S. When we talk about guns primarily in the aftermath of shootings, or the political debates that ensue, we miss an opportunity to address the quieter, everyday crises happening in homes across the country. This is especially true for communities of color: Data suggest firearm suicide rates are on the rise in the Black community, particularly among Black men, though those data points haven’t gotten much attention. Advocates and journalists alike can use this moment to create more visibility — and empathy — in media coverage about suicide prevention and firearms. One group working to understand firearm-related beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors, with a goal of preventing injuries and deaths, is the Missouri Foundation for Health. A recent report from MFH includes results from a survey of more than 1,800 Missouri adults, which the foundation hopes will inform prevention policies and practices. The report notes that most U.S. youth who die by suicide use a firearm belonging to a family member, underscoring the need for safe storage and other ways of limiting access, especially during mental health crises. Public health practitioners and reporters can use the report’s findings to help expand and shift conversations about suicide prevention and firearms. That may seem like a lofty goal in what feels like a deeply divided time, but data from the Pew Research Center has found that everyday Americans share a lot of common ground in their views on guns. Ultimately, people across the political spectrum value safety, but we can’t make progress without having honest conversations and working to remove the taboo from topics like suicide. Journalists looking to increase or strengthen their reporting on suicide can find guidance in this resource developed by Poynter, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, among other groups. Advocates can find more information, including sample messages, in this messaging guide that BMSG developed with our partners at the Hope and Heal Fund. --- ## Beyond full bellies: How to communicate the shared benefits and ripple effects of SNAP URL: https://www.bmsg.org/beyond-full-bellies-how-to-communicate-the-shared-benefits-and-ripple-effects-of-snap/ Type: post Modified: 2025-11-04 Words: 1076 > As public health advocates, we know that food is foundational to well-being. And for decades, SNAP has been an effective tool for improving health and reducing poverty in the United... As public health advocates, we know that food is foundational to well-being. And for decades, SNAP has been an effective tool for improving health and reducing poverty in the United States. Yet too often, the public conversation about SNAP is dominated by harmful and inaccurate stereotypes that ignore the program’s broad benefits to families, local economies, and communities. With an abundance of media attention currently on SNAP, public health advocates have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to reframe these discussions. By centering shared values like health, fairness, and community, we can shift the narrative and remind decision-makers that everyone benefits when people have access to the food they need. Although the administration has agreed to partially fund SNAP after two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must keep the food aid program running, many details remain unclear. As many as 42 million people are in limbo, with anxiety and uncertainty looming around when they will be able to buy groceries again. The sample messages below can help communicators tell a more complete story about SNAP at any time, not just amid urgent crises. These messages were adapted from “Making the Case for Medicaid: 6 Tips for Speaking Out” (a recent blog from BMSG and The FrameWorks Institute) and can be tailored to any community. Each message includes several core elements for developing messages, which can be used when discussing SNAP or any critical health issue. Effective messages should: Name the problem (What’s wrong?); Include a values statement (Why does it matter?); Name a solution (What should we do, and who should do it?); and Illustrate the broader context beyond individuals. While you can use these components in any order, stating your values and proposed solution early helps to engage readers and listeners. Once you have answered these questions, you will have the core of your message, which then can be expanded or distilled, depending on the format you plan to use to deliver it. Sample message: Ripple effects of SNAP cuts SNAP is how we collectively ensure that food is available everywhere and for everyone as a way to have a stronger, healthier country. It allows millions of people to put healthy, nutritious meals on the table and is essential for the oldest and youngest among us: 1 in 5 program participants are seniors over 60, while 2 in 5 are children. Currently, 42 million U.S. residents are stuck in limbo, as details remain unclear on when the Trump administration’s USDA will release funds so that people can access their food benefits. When people are not able to keep their fridges stocked, children with empty bellies will not be able to concentrate in school, and grandparents will have a harder time staying healthy. And the harms of hunger ripple out far beyond SNAP recipients themselves: When families have less to spend, grocers’ shelves empty, paychecks shrink, farmers suffer, and local stores shutter their doors. Our local elected officials must [insert solutions relevant to your local audience, such as “provide local supplemental funding” or “expand funding for food banks”] and fight for a nation where no one goes hungry. Sample message: Ripple effects of robust access to SNAP Our communities thrive when everyone can put healthy food on the table. 42 million people in the U.S, including more than 16 million children, rely on SNAP to stay fed. When families use SNAP, students come to school with full bellies and, in turn, do better in school. The benefits of SNAP don’t stop in childhood: Adults who used SNAP as children have lower risks of heart disease as adults, which means SNAP saves lives. The ripple effects show up everywhere: When families swipe their EBT card at the market, grocers order more produce and keep their cashiers employed, farmers sell more crops, and truck drivers keep the supply chain moving. Funding SNAP is a commonsense solution that not only keeps people fed, but fuels the economic well-being of our communities: Every SNAP dollar stretches even further — growing into $1.50-$1.80 of economic activity, like grocery sales, jobs, and community spending, in our neighborhoods. This is especially critical when people are facing growing unemployment and rising food prices. SNAP spending supports food and beverage manufacturers, wholesalers, grocers, transportation companies, and farmers. Our communities are stronger when they don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, so they can look after their health and well-being. Keeping SNAP adequately funded is a crucial part of that. The Trump administration’s USDA must use its authority to keep food aid flowing, just as the agency has done in previous shutdowns. Sample message: SNAP is the solution to a rigged system SNAP dollars land right at the local market, keeping shelves stocked and cashiers, clerks, and farmers on the job. SNAP ensures everyone has access to food, and it strengthens local ec... --- ## Power mapping for narrative change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/power-mapping-for-narrative-change/ Type: post Modified: 2025-10-24 Words: 2007 > Although our communities — and public health generally — are facing an onslaught of new and varied challenges, it’s important to remember that we already have many of the tools... Although our communities — and public health generally — are facing an onslaught of new and varied challenges, it’s important to remember that we already have many of the tools we need to resist injustice and advance health equity. Power mapping or power analysis — a visual aid developed by community organizers — is one such tool for both building narrative power and advancing policy change that gets us closer to equity. Power mapping can help you channel the strategic wisdom of coalitions and teams to create a more effective strategic communication plan, achieve your policy goals, and address power imbalances to support longer-term social change efforts. It acts as a roadmap for taking big-picture goals and translating them into concrete action steps. BMSG’s Director of Racial and Health Equity Strategy, Dr. Katherine Schaff has supported many groups in California and beyond in using the tool to build narrative power and develop communication plans, after being trained in this approach by leaders in the organizing field: Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE LA) and the School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL). I sat down with Kathi to learn more about power mapping for narrative change and how this tool can help public health effectively meet this moment. Q&A: Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Tell me more about power mapping. Power mapping has long been used by community organizers to create a snapshot of the power dynamics that affect their issue and a plan for shifting those dynamics so those who are most harmed by our systems can have a fair say in the decisions that impact their lives. There’s been a lot of discussion in the last few years about how public health is political, and politics are about power. If we think of power as the ability to achieve a collectively agreed-upon goal, we can see across the country that in many governmental, corporate, or other decisions, people who face some of the poorest health outcomes often are not taken into account in decision-making. Power-mapping helps us understand these dynamics and think about how our narrative and communication strategies can not only help us with specific wins that can improve health and decrease inequities, but also intentionally create ways for those whose voices are often left out of decision-making to build their narrative power for the long haul. A completed power map can look very busy and maybe even overwhelming, but we always go through it step-by-step on Zoom or in person. We have levels of power on the Y-axis (top to bottom) and levels of support for our issue on the X-axis (left to right). We then collectively discuss and add groups like decision-makers, allies, and those who are not yet engaged in our issue but could be added to the map. This is a great catalyst for discussing how we might want to communicate with them (and communication can go both ways — not only talking to people about our issue, but also listening and genuinely partnering with them) to achieve our goal, what materials we need to develop, who would be effective messengers, what communication support they may need, and how any communication step is also an opportunity for groups to build their power in the decision-making arena. Sample power map, adapted from Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) LA. Why do I need a power map? What is the difference between that and a communication plan? The tools are complementary. A power map can be a foundation for a communication plan and will help ensure that it is strategic. It can help you identify who has the power to create the change you’re seeking, while a strategic communication plan helps you figure out how to reach the people you identified in your power map with your campaign’s core narratives. A power map can also be integrated into BMSG’s Layers of Strategy, a strategic communication planning tool to help advocates ensure that their media and messaging strategies always reinforce their overall goals. A power map is all about understanding relationships and stakeholders: Who are the people whose support could really move the needle? Who are the people whose opposition to your issue threatens what you want to accomplish? And who are the allies who are currently not taken into account by decision-makers but could be with additional training or support? Once you know the answers to these questions, you’ll be better equipped to craft and then carry out your communication plan. The power map can also be integrated seamlessly into BMSG’s Layers of Strategy, a strategic communication planning tool to help advocates ensure that their media and messaging strategies always reinforce their overall goals. What might that look like in practice? Let’s say a group’s strategic goal is to get wavering lawmakers to vote against a harmful housing bill that is about to be passed at the state level and will negatively impact health. You know your main audience is made ... --- ## Visible, yet vulnerable: What journalists can learn from how we covered the attack on trans rights in Trump’s first 100 days URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/visible-yet-vulnerable-what-journalists-can-learn-from-how-we-covered-the-attack-on-trans-rights-in-trumps-first-100-days/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-10-15 Words: 116 > Trump’s first 100 days were dominated by executive orders concerning and limiting trans communities. He signed 140 orders into law, with more than 1 in 10 related to gender. These... Trump’s first 100 days were dominated by executive orders concerning and limiting trans communities. He signed 140 orders into law, with more than 1 in 10 related to gender. These policies reduce trans lives to a political issue to be discussed by people with no relevant lived experience. Present media coverage has only reinforced this problematic narrative, found a new analysis conducted by BMSG in partnership with the Trans Journalists Association. How has the media covered Trump’s attack on trans rights, and how can journalists improve their reporting going forward? The new report sheds light and includes recommendations and tools to help reporters tell more accurate, nuanced, and representative stories. Access the full analysis --- ## Reframing violence & community safety – unpacking the current narrative URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/reframing-violence-community-safety-unpacking-the-current-narrative/ Type: events Modified: 2025-12-30 Words: 83 > Pamela Mejia, BMSG's Research Director and Associate Program Director, recently gave a presentation titled "Changing the Story About Firearms and Community Safety," as a part of Big Cities Health Coalition... Pamela Mejia, BMSG’s Research Director and Associate Program Director, recently gave a presentation titled “Changing the Story About Firearms and Community Safety,” as a part of Big Cities Health Coalition and Prevention Institute’s Unpacking the Current Narrative webinar. In her presentation, Pamela makes a compelling case for reframing the current narrative by using language that inspires hope and healing, rather than focusing on fear and punishment. Presentation recording and slides are available for viewing: Powered By EmbedPress --- ## Overcoming political overwhelm: 3 strategic communication lessons from a community organizer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/overcoming-political-overwhelm-3-strategic-communication-lessons-from-a-community-organizer/ Type: post Modified: 2025-10-03 Words: 1274 > When the Department of Health and Human Services began the process of laying off 10,000 federal employees and terminating billions of dollars of federal contracts in March, public health organizations... When the Department of Health and Human Services began the process of laying off 10,000 federal employees and terminating billions of dollars of federal contracts in March, public health organizations across the country watched with dread. We knew that the administration’s policies and rhetoric against science, diversity, equity, and inclusion would obliterate much of the progress we gained after the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were right. Vital federal services, like monitoring lead exposures, upholding workplace safety, and preventing disease outbreaks, have since been eliminated. To fund tax cuts for billionaires, Republicans cut over $600 million from Medicaid funding, effectively stripping the health care of millions of people. These actions will surely have reverberating effects on communities everywhere. And that’s just a snapshot of the bleeding. Amidst ongoing layoffs and service cuts, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. As a community organizer, I know the pain of having to start over from square one. I know what it feels like to see months of canvassing go up in smoke in a single city council meeting. And I’ve seen how internal struggles over approach can paralyze joint action. But I’ve also witnessed community members come together post-mortem to take their power back. This is the stage we’re in right now. This is when the real work begins. The current moment reminds me of a time when my community in Stockton, CA, overhauled our broken school district. Though the work happened on a smaller scale, the challenges we were up against — fraud, corruption, and suppression of the truth, to name a few — run parallel to the federal malfeasance we’re witnessing today. The campaign we ran to repair a badly battered system holds lessons for fellow organizers, advocates, and anyone resisting the United States’ sudden and steep slide into fascism. Here’s what happened: The challenge During my time as an organizer in California’s Central Valley, Stockton Unified School District was consistently among the worst-performing school systems in the state. Students reported dismal scores and graduation rates, spurred by high staff turnover and few educational and social supports. It was even worse for Black and Brown students of the district, which had repeatedly violated their civil rights. Additionally, two county grand jury reports found that the SUSD Board of Trustees had mismanaged funds and violated board bylaws, leading to a $30 million deficit by the 2024-2025 school year. Beyond financial concerns, the Grand Jury reports also connected the Board’s misconduct to low morale and high turnover among teachers and staff. Between 2005 and 2024, SUSD had 14 different superintendents and was at risk of coming under state control. Despite the damning findings, the Board continued to deny the veracity of the reports’ conclusions and operated as usual. School board meetings were akin to WWE matches, with board members shouting and pointing fingers at one another for their inaction. Meanwhile, community members agonized over the implications of the board’s poor leadership. Students continued to suffer academically, emotionally, and physically. The path to change The community called for change, but the Board refused to listen. Because of this, our community took change into our own hands. Lesson 1: Success requires shifting power — be sure your communication goals reflect that. In 2022, local community organizers formed FixSUSD, a loose coalition of parents, students, teachers, and community members that aimed to fix the school board’s dysfunction. The group set its sights on unseating the board members who were up for re-election that year. The group met after school days and board meetings to fortify our strategy. We needed to make voters aware of the school district’s problems and tie incumbent school board members to those issues. We formed messages from the findings of two grand jury reports. It was just a matter of finding the best ways to disseminate them. Lesson 2: If a message doesn’t reach people, it’s not effective. It’s essential to know how your audience gets their information. Sometimes, the community engagement methods you traditionally use may not be the best fit for your intended audience. As community organizers, we started with our bread and butter. We phone-banked and went door-to-door in voting neighborhoods, hoping to generate support from sympathetic residents dismayed by the news coming from the school board; however, we quickly learned that many people were unaware of what was going on. FixSUSD went back to the drawing board to rework our message. Understanding that most parents did not have the time to pore over the grand jury reports or attend school board meetings, we distilled the collection of issues down to a few, specific points with clear implications for student performance and well-being. The team then developed some quick-hitting flyers and social media posts, visited school ca... --- ## Storytelling strategies for policy change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/storytelling-strategies-for-policy-change/ Type: post Modified: 2025-09-19 Words: 700 > Heart racing. Hands trembling. The room was cold and still. All I could see were tiny dust particles catching the light. In that moment, I found myself face-to-face with the... Heart racing. Hands trembling. The room was cold and still. All I could see were tiny dust particles catching the light. In that moment, I found myself face-to-face with the elected leader I had voted for, supported, and believed in, now seated across from me in a quiet office on the sixth floor of California’s Capitol in Sacramento. Diana Guardado (second from right) and fellow ELLA cohort members with Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías (D-15). But I wasn’t there to observe. I was there to advocate. Thanks to the skills I gained through the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley’s ELLA program, a 6-month program that trains Latinas on how to become effective policy advocates, particularly for issues impacting the Latinx community, I was able to shake off my nerves and speak up for equity in education. Through the program’s teachings, and my time at BMSG, I came prepared with values, a clear problem and solution, a personal story, and a deep understanding of my audience. I had just minutes to make my case for AB 1122, a bill that would require all California school districts to offer dual enrollment programs, giving high school students a chance to earn college credit and fast-track their future. Here’s how I made my story count and how you can do the same. Know your audience With any advocacy pitch, strategy matters. Before I walked into that room, I took time to learn everything I could about my Assemblymember — not just his voting record, but his values. I learned that he had served as a Board Trustee for De Anza College, a community college just minutes from where we both live. That connection wasn’t just convenient; it was powerful. It allowed me to open my testimony by saying: “As your neighbor, and as someone who also believes in the value of community colleges, I’m here today to talk about why dual enrollment changed my life.” That moment of connection grounded the conversation in shared values and mutual investment in our local community. Make it personal Through my media advocacy training at BMSG, I’ve learned how stories can bring urgency and clarity to complex policy issues. So I shared mine. A few months earlier, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As the oldest daughter in a Spanish-speaking household, I became one of his primary caregivers, navigating insurance denials, delays, and the broken systems that too often fail families like mine. Because I graduated from college a year early, I was able to be there for my father. Graduating early was only possible because my high school offered a dual enrollment program that allowed me to earn 15 college credits before I even set foot on campus at Menlo College. That head start saved me time and money, and gave me the flexibility to show up for my family when it mattered most. This wasn’t just an academic benefit; it was a life-changing support system. Link your story to systems change After grounding my testimony in my story, I connected it to the policy problem. Too many students, especially those from low-income, immigrant, or historically marginalized communities, are locked out of higher education because of financial burdens, systemic barriers, and the lack of preparatory programs. AB 1122 helps address this by making dual enrollment a statewide standard, not a lucky exception. I reminded my Assemblymember that this bill isn’t about charity, it’s about common sense. Investing in students early creates ripple effects: College access, economic stability, and the power to support our communities when crisis hits. I told him clearly: You have a chance to be a catalyst for that change. Final thoughts Advocacy can feel intimidating. But when you come with a values-based strategy, grounded research, and a story that bridges the personal with the political, people listen. Although the bill is still in progress, the economic and social stability it provides to students will hopefully influence legislators to support and pass this bill. Diana Guardado (second from right) and fellow ELLA cohort members with the District Representative for Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-26). --- ## Changing public health narratives is possible with the right infrastructure: A conversation with social scientist Sarah Gollust URL: https://www.bmsg.org/changing-public-health-narratives-is-possible-with-the-right-infrastructure-a-conversation-with-social-scientist-sarah-gollust/ Type: post Modified: 2025-09-10 Words: 2417 > What makes some health policies feel controversial while others are embraced as common sense? It’s not the data — it’s the narrative. Strong public health narratives are why people today... What makes some health policies feel controversial while others are embraced as common sense? It’s not the data — it’s the narrative. Strong public health narratives are why people today overwhelmingly accept drunk-driving laws or tobacco regulations that keep airplanes, restaurants, and other common spaces smoke-free. But those policies — and the narratives surrounding them — were not always popular. It took decades of advocacy and coordinated efforts across institutions and sectors to shift people’s beliefs about health from one of personal choice to one of shared responsibility. Now, the freedom to travel safely and breathe clean air is the norm. We can similarly change the narrative around other public health issues like racial equity, health care access, and housing security by applying lessons from previous public health battles and working strategically to create strong coalitions across institutions, organizations, and media. This form of power is known as narrative infrastructure, and it’s the basis for a recent perspective by BMSG Director Lori Dorfman and co-authors Sarah Gollust, Makani Thema, Pritpal S. Tamber, and Anthony Iton. The perspective, published last month in Milbank Quarterly, discusses how tactics from community organizing can help shift the public’s values and beliefs to better support policies that improve health. To learn more about narrative power and why public health needs an infrastructure to build it, I sat down with Gollust, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Q&A Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Could you tell me a little bit about what you do, your background, and what brought you to this work? Sarah Gollust, co-director of the Collaborative on Media and Messaging for Health and Social Policy and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health The predominant role I have in research is as one of the co-directors of the Collaborative on Media and Messaging for Health and Social Policy, an interdisciplinary research group based at the University of Minnesota, Wesleyan University, and Cornell University, which seeks to do responsive communication research around health equity and social policy. That’s been a major part of my research over the last three years, although I’ve been researching the intersection of health communication and health policy for well over 15 years. My academic training is in health policy, but communication has long been a core interest of mine — specifically, understanding the role of communication in shaping health policy and politics. I’ve always been really interested in understanding how messages in the media shape the public’s attitudes about health policy, and, consequently, how the public’s opinion shapes political possibilities for systems and policy change. In my academic training, I’ve been really steeped in the fields of health policy and health communication, and the subfield of political communication within political science. I’m a relative newcomer to community organizing — that’s really where the ideas of narrative power that shaped this article come from. I recently became engaged in learning about community organizing as a field of practice when I started attending organizing trainings. I then started a partnership with Center for Health Progress, a community organizing nonprofit in Colorado, to do a community-based participatory research project with them. It was then, through my own education and training, and this research partnership, that I became much more open to the ideas from community organizing — particularly, how the ideas of power and narrative that stem from community organizing practice, rather than traditional academic health communication, can provide a really important complementary understanding of how communication shapes politics. The perspective emphasizes the importance of narrative power. Can you explain what that means in the context of public health? How is narrative power different from a strong message? Narrative power is the idea that those who hold sway over the stories we tell about how the world works hold power. For example, the idea that we’re personally responsible for our health or that we deserve health care when we work hard are the narratives that we call dominant narratives. Dominant narratives are a form of power because they shape what policies and politics are possible. As a concrete example, we know that in 2025, work requirements for Medicaid have been passed at the federal level. One of the reasons that the policy is politically possible and viewed as common sense is because of the widespread dominant narrative that links health care with hard work and deservingness. Without that narrative, it might not make sense to condition health insurance on work. This deep-seated narrative about what it means to be hardworking — and that when you’re hardworking, y... --- ## Changing the story on health and racial equity: Why public health needs an infrastructure for building narrative power URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/changing-the-story-on-health-and-racial-equity-why-public-health-needs-an-infrastructure-for-building-narrative-power/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-08-22 Words: 84 > As the field of public health strives to advance health and racial equity amid intense political pushback, we need more than better messaging: We need narrative power and infrastructure. In... As the field of public health strives to advance health and racial equity amid intense political pushback, we need more than better messaging: We need narrative power and infrastructure. In this commentary for Milbank Quarterly, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman and co-authors Sarah Gollust, Makani Themba, Pritpal S. Tamber, and Anthony Iton use real-world examples and lessons drawn from tobacco control and anti-racism advocacy to show how we can make health-promoting narratives, mindsets, and policies the norm. Access the full text --- ## Central California Public Health Consortium: Power-mapping, message development, and media training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/central-california-public-health-consortium-power-mapping-message-development-and-media-training/ Type: events Modified: 2025-07-31 Words: 239 > As part of BMSG’s ongoing work to strengthen narrative power for racial and health equity, the Racial and Health Equity Strategy Team, led by Katherine Schaff and Diana Guardado, hosted... As part of BMSG’s ongoing work to strengthen narrative power for racial and health equity, the Racial and Health Equity Strategy Team, led by Katherine Schaff and Diana Guardado, hosted a training for the Central California Public Health Consortium focused on power-mapping and BMSG’s Layers of Strategy as a foundation for public health communications. Community organizers have long used power-mapping (or power analyses) to examine the power relationships that shape public health and to work toward social change. Actively working to shift power to those who have been most harmed by inequities can also provide a foundation for long-term narrative change and strategic communications work. In this training, participants learned how power-mapping can be integrated into everyday public health practice and used as a foundation for effective messaging and narrative change. Following the power-mapping training, BMSG trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Jocelyn Polanco led a message development and spokesperson training to help participants develop their message delivery’ skills. Participants learned how to determine an Overall Strategy as a foundation for their message development. Through a series of hands-on activities, they learned how to craft effective messages that reflect the needs and goals of the communities they serve. They also had the opportunity to practice interviewing each other in small groups and learned about best practices they can utilize to handle difficult questions and stay on message during interviews and other challenging conversations. --- ## A review of select message guides for communicating about climate change and public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/making-the-case-select-message-guides-for-communicating-about-climate-change-and-public-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-06-16 Words: 80 > Want to effectively communicate the health-related challenges associated with climate change? This resource, supported by the California Department of Public Health, offers a curated list and summaries of existing message... Want to effectively communicate the health-related challenges associated with climate change? This resource, supported by the California Department of Public Health, offers a curated list and summaries of existing message guides that offer clear, research-backed strategies to help advocates, health practitioners, and policymakers craft compelling narratives that inspire action. Whether you need quick, ready-to-use messages or in-depth frameworks, these guides will equip you with the tools to make the case across diverse audiences. Download resource --- ## Making the case for Medicaid: 6 tips for speaking out URL: https://www.bmsg.org/making-the-case-for-medicaid-6-tips-for-speaking-out/ Type: post Modified: 2025-06-02 Words: 2126 > As we move ever closer to legislation that will significantly curtail the federal funds that flow to states, communities, and individuals for health and wellbeing, it’s vital that voices in... As we move ever closer to legislation that will significantly curtail the federal funds that flow to states, communities, and individuals for health and wellbeing, it’s vital that voices in the movement for health equity speak up consistently and effectively. Harmonized framing is one of our most powerful forms of resistance in this moment — especially if our collective voice hits the right notes. Framing can either undermine or reinforce our advocacy goals, and the way we frame issues now can constrain or expand what’s possible in the future. As two organizations that study and share effective framing (the FrameWorks Institute and Berkeley Media Studies Group), we’re writing these “notes for the choir” because we’ve seen well-intentioned framing that worries us. And we’ve noticed silences that concern us even more: respected allies and trusted friends missing the opportunity to make a difference because they’re experiencing analysis paralysis when it comes to messaging. In this post, penned as lawmakers consider legislation that would weaken Medicaid, SNAP, and the nation’s public health infrastructure, we’re taking the advice we often share with partners and peers: We’re joining forces, speaking up together, and naming what people can do right now. We’re asking you to consider frame effects as you decide what to say to protect Medicaid and other programs that serve the people you care about — and then get out there and say it, now. As you get to work, we hope you’ll keep these insights in mind: 1. You can mobilize without messaging. Words matter, but in certain circumstances, timing and volume matter even more. This is especially true in a hyper-partisan moment when members of Congress are tuning out carefully crafted messages that seem to come from the other side. One counterweight to partisan loyalty is public pressure. If you can mobilize a constituency to tell legislators they want Medicaid to be robust, do it now. You don’t need to revise the suggested script yet again. The clogged phone lines, the crowds at standing-room only town halls, and protest actions will be the message: The people, your voters, want to protect Medicaid, and they’re watching what you do. 2. Avoid charity framing. For those of us who know and care about the consequences of defunding Medicaid, it can be a natural impulse to look for ways to get others to care, too. Often, this shows up in messages that highlight the program’s service to a sympathetic group such as children, veterans, or the working poor. But highlighting participants’ worthiness or need is rhetorically vulnerable: It’s all too easy for opponents to conceptually separate “us” from “them,” claiming that people aren’t truly deserving and demanding that participants prove their worthiness. (Think work requirements, time limits, or penalties against states that allow undocumented people to enroll in Medicaid.) Plus: Do you truly believe that access to health care should be contingent on … anything? Do talk about the harm to come, but use strategic frames, like the ideas below. 3. Lead with shared values that evoke interconnection. For the same reasons that charity framing won’t work, hyper-emotional appeals to the “devastating” or even deadly effects of Medicaid restrictions can backfire. Crisis framing heightens fear, which can lead quickly to us-versus-them thinking. When you feel the urge to “get people to care,” back away from the doom-and-gloom and reach instead for the research-backed alternative: values-based messages that heighten the sense of shared fates and common cause. This message makeover might feel risky, but mounds of research and many years of practice show that framing with collective values increases support for sound health policies and programs. For Medicaid, the value of interconnection is a good bet, because so many people, are, in fact, connected to this program: Nationally, about 1 in 5 people in the U.S. rely on Medicaid, and 2 out of 3 people in the U.S. are closely connected to someone who has benefited from Medicaid at some point. It’s wildly popular. We can be confident that reminding people of this interconnection will resonate across the country and even across political affiliation. The sample messages below demonstrate how to pull back the lens from individual harms the cuts will bring to show how Medicaid connects whole communities. Leading with values also helps us demonstrate the care and concern that help us be seen as trustworthy messengers. This approach works because it’s authentic. When we ask our partners why they get out of bed in the morning to do their work, they talk about unity, interconnection, community, love, justice, and liberation. These deeply held beliefs motivate our daily efforts. Expressing them is key to reaching audiences who have stopped listening to anything that sounds like politics as usual. 4. Show the program in its broader landscape. It’s vital to go beyond the immediate or obvious impacts of losing... --- ## The ‘spiral of silence’ makes us think we’re more divided than we are. Here’s how to break it. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-spiral-of-silence-makes-us-think-were-more-divided-than-we-are-heres-how-to-break-it/ Type: post Modified: 2025-05-22 Words: 1437 > You wouldn’t know it from news coverage, but U.S. residents are more united on many issues than we realize — even seemingly controversial ones. For example, recent research found that... You wouldn’t know it from news coverage, but U.S. residents are more united on many issues than we realize — even seemingly controversial ones. For example, recent research found that more than 80% of us support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and want to help end divisiveness. However, we mistakenly believe that only 55% of people agree with us. This stark mismatch between perception and reality can stifle conversations and stall action as people worry they might be alone in their point of view. This phenomenon, called the ‘spiral of silence,’ exists across other issues, too, and recently has garnered renewed media attention. The spiral of silence reminds us that speaking out matters. If more of us are vocal about supporting health care access, Social Security, climate resilience, and other solutions to the major problems we face, we can help spark action. Data reveal, for example, that Medicaid, which is facing steep cuts, is widely popular across the political spectrum. And recent polling shows that a majority of people in the United States oppose DOGE and the Trump administration’s unprecedented cuts to the federal workforce. This only reinforces the importance of breaking the spiral of silence so people know that many, many others agree with them. In this moment, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume and cruelty of the attacks on health, equity, justice, and our communities. Some of us, understandably, may not feel safe speaking up. Fortunately, we already have many of the necessary tools and resources to meet this moment. Below are five tips, adapted from a recent webinar and BMSG’s many years of supporting people on the ground, for breaking through the spiral of silence and communicating effectively about public health. 1. Make the landscape visible Our brains are wired to love stories. Research shows that engaging stories can cause the brain to release oxytocin, a hormone linked to empathy, trust, and emotional connection. But there’s a caveat to telling stories. Many stories in the media are framed as portraits: stories about an individual and their experience. Even heartwarming stories about people overcoming great odds can make it harder to explain why public health approaches to common challenges are necessary, because in public health, we don’t want to help people beat the odds; we want to change the odds so everyone lives in conditions that foster health. If people only see portrait stories that reinforce personal responsibility in the news or popular culture, they may be inclined to believe that the only solution is to just try harder: Work more jobs to afford housing, for example, find a job with better health insurance, or choose healthier foods. When communicating about public health, our job is to expand from a portrait story to the broader landscape, highlighting the systems and decision-makers that can improve conditions so everyone can thrive. Doing so can help show that the problems we face are systemic, foster a sense of shared responsibility, and justify solutions beyond individual behavior change. If we tell a portrait-level story and present a systemic solution, there’s a disconnect. We must connect portraits to the landscape to help people understand the root causes of the challenges we’re seeing today. 2. Lead with values Though data and evidence inform the public health policies and practices that we hope to achieve, data alone lacks the persuasive power needed to create an effective message. Further, leading with a challenge or problem can contribute to a sense of overwhelm or despair. When we lead with values, we open people’s hearts so that their heads can take in what we’re going to say next. Studies show that, especially when we’re busy, we tend to rely on the reactive part of our brain. When we speak with values, we can move people to their slower, cognitive brain, where they’re more open to hearing new points of view. You might lead with community interconnection, liberty, unity, a can-do spirit, fairness, democracy or whatever value motivates you to do the work. However, values are not one size fits all — be sure to remember your audience and uplift the values you share with the people you’re hoping to reach. 3. Name actions and solutions If people don’t see a way to take action and be part of the solution, they’re more likely to tune us out. When we uplift stories about solutions, people are more likely to stay engaged and feel motivated to act. It’s also critical to clarify our solution. If we don’t know what we want to do, we can’t figure out what we want to say. For example, let’s say you’re trying to reach people who need assistance but are afraid to access services due to their immigration status. In this case, one solution may be to encourage the board of supervisors to make your county a sanctuary county or urge state legislators to enact protections for immigrants accessing health care. Both are important, but lead to different messages. Once you’... --- ## Coming together to speak up for Medicaid and Medi-Cal: Answers to tough questions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/coming-together-to-speak-up-for-medicaid-and-medi-cal-answers-to-tough-questions/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-05-23 Words: 2757 > Introduction Federal legislators are moving swiftly to pass a bill that would cut over $625 billion from Medicaid, the country’s public, state, and federally funded health insurance program for low-income... Introduction Federal legislators are moving swiftly to pass a bill that would cut over $625 billion from Medicaid, the country’s public, state, and federally funded health insurance program for low-income people. If passed, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 10.3 million people will lose their access to Medicaid nationwide by 2034. Across the country, people are raising their voices to demand that their representatives save this vital program. Medicaid, including California’s version known as Medi-Cal, is widely used and immensely popular. Millions of families, veterans, workers, and health care providers rely on the program for primary care visits, medications, mental health care, prenatal care and births, emergency services, and other vital services that keep them healthy. By providing medical care and other supports, Medicaid keeps our communities going by keeping kids in classrooms, roofs over people’s heads, and food on the table. Lawmakers in Congress want to cut the program to fund tax breaks for billionaires. The cuts to Medicaid and Medi-Cal would have drastic impacts on the health and well-being of our communities. Across the country, people are raising their voices to demand that their representatives save this vital program. In doing so, especially in speaking to the media, they may get some tough questions. This resource provides sample responses to hard questions. While the responses focus on California’s Medi-Cal, many answers will apply in states across the country. Use the suggested answers as is, or tailor them to address the specific programs and/or needs of your community. See the “Tips for Developing Effective Messages” section at the end for general guidance on how to structure your answers. Answers to hard questions about: We know people are paying attention to Medicaid, and for good reason: The stakes are high, and the decisions being made right now will impact millions. With information moving faster than most people can track, it’s more important than ever to speak clearly about a program that upholds public health. Below are examples of how to talk about Medicaid using strong, values-based communication principles.The responses below are structured using BMSG’s message development framework to ensure that each response is values-driven, solution-oriented, and applies a systemic lens to emphasize the context for the cuts. Budgets and fiscal responsibility Q: What would you say to taxpayers who are worried about the growing share of the state’s budget going to Medi-Cal? A: We, as Californians, pride ourselves on looking out for one another. We don’t walk away from people when they’re sick or struggling. That’s not just compassion — it’s common sense. Medi-Cal is how the state delivers care to more than 15 million residents, including children, older adults, veterans, and working families. That share of the budget is growing because of exorbitant drug prices and because more people are living longer and managing complex health needs. Medi-Cal prevents more serious health problems by providing access to primary and preventive care. By catching illnesses early and helping people manage chronic conditions, Medi-Cal reduces unnecessary hospitalizations, which saves money and lives. We are proud of these investments because they reflect how we live our lives as Californians and that fairness, dignity, and shared responsibility matter to us. Ultimately, the real challenge isn’t how much we spend — it’s how we spend it. We should be expanding access, not cutting care. At the end of the day, ensuring that everyone can get health care when they need it is just common sense; it keeps people out of emergency rooms, increases access to preventive and lifesaving care, and remains one of the most efficient ways to save lives. States rolling back inclusion for undocumented immigrants Q: Why should California taxpayers fund health care for undocumented immigrants when legal residents still struggle to get timely care? A: Let’s be clear: Immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers, and community leaders. That’s why a strong majority of Californians support including them in coverage. We understand that health care is a basic need — something everyone deserves, regardless of their background. That’s just common sense. Right now, we’re having this conversation because common sense is under attack to give tax breaks to billionaires. Yet we know Californians want smarter, more compassionate policies that reflect our shared values. Medi-Cal not only protects individual health — it protects public health. All in all, ensuring that everyone, including people who have had the courage to migrate here to seek better lives for themselves and their families, have access to Medi-Cal keeps people out of emergency rooms, increases access to preventive and lifesaving care, and remains one of the most efficient ways to save lives. Q: If we did not spend our budget on health care for undocumented immigrants, w... --- ## People, Parks, and Power: Desarrollando el poder narrativo hacia la equidad de parques y espacios verdes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/people-parks-and-power-desarrollando-el-poder-narrativo-hacia-la-equidad-de-parques-y-espacios-verdes/ Type: events Modified: 2025-06-11 Words: 414 > Jueves, 1 de mayo | 11:30am - 1pm pacifico “Respira profundamente e imagina: Espacio al aire libre que pertenece a todos, donde toda la gente–sin importar su raza o ingreso–puede... Jueves, 1 de mayo | 11:30am – 1pm pacifico “Respira profundamente e imagina: Espacio al aire libre que pertenece a todos, donde toda la gente–sin importar su raza o ingreso–puede respirar libremente y sin riesgo. Comunidades a nivel nacional están trabajando para lograr esa visión, desarrollando su poder para literalmente transformar el panorama y asegurar que la distribución de parques y espacios verdes sea equitativo, haya estructuras en orden para que puedan permanecer así, y miembros comunitarios sean quienes dirigen este trabajo.” “Changing the story about park and green space equity: A messaging guide for advocates,” Berkeley Media Studies Group Por favor acompáñenos en un diálogo centrado en desarrollar el poder narrativo hacia la equidad de parques y espacios verdes. People, Parks, and Power (P3) es la primera iniciativa de financiamiento nacional en los E.E.U.U. para apoyar el desarrollo del poder comunitario por organizaciones comunitarios para revertir inequidades arraigadas de parques y espacios verdes en comunidades negras, latines, e indígenas en todo el país. Actualmente en su segunda fase, P3 continua a proveer apoyo fiscal y estratégico a seis organizaciones comunitarias en su trabajo a largo plazo para avanzar la equidad de parques a través de política local y cambio sistémico. Como parte de la iniciativa People, Parks, and Power (P3), Prevention Institute y Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) produjeron una guia de mensajería que describe cómo los narrativos pueden ayudar a ampliar la equidad de parques y espacios verdes en comunidades locales, e incluye marcos, lenguaje, y herramientas de comunicación para abogar por los parques y espacios verdes como fuentes de la salud, alegria, y liberacion comunitaria. Nos acompañarán South Bronx Unite y The Conscious Connect CDC para aprender más sobre cómo han trabajado para desarrollar el poder narrativo hacia la equidad de parques y espacios verdes, creado mensajería eficaz, y creado una comunidad con otros defensores a nivel nacional. South Bronx Unite une a residentes del vecindario, organizaciones comunitarias, instituciones académicas, y aliados para mejorar y proteger el futuro social, medioambiental, y económico de Mott Haven y Port Morris. The Conscious Connect CDC reimagina y reurbaniza espacios subutilizados para los propósitos de la educación, cultura, paz, y salud–para que el éxito no se define por códigos postales. Para unirse a esta sesión, favor de registrarse aquí. Los invitamos a compartir esta información con colegas y otros defensores comunitarios que estén interesados. P3 es dirigido por Prevention Institute y apoyado con financiamiento de Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. --- ## People, Parks, and Power: Building narrative power for park and green space equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/people-parks-and-power-building-narrative-power-for-park-and-green-space-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2025-06-11 Words: 395 > Thursday, May 1 | 11:30am – 1pm PT "Take a deep breath, and imagine: outdoor space that belongs to everyone, where all people — no matter their race or income... Thursday, May 1 | 11:30am – 1pm PT “Take a deep breath, and imagine: outdoor space that belongs to everyone, where all people — no matter their race or income — can breathe freely and safely. Communities across the country are working toward that vision, building their power to literally transform the landscape and ensure that the distribution of parks and green space is equitable, that structures are in place so they remain so, and that community members are the ones leading this work.” “Changing the story about park and green space equity: A messaging guide for advocates,” Berkeley Media Studies Group Please join us for an upcoming dialogue centered on building narrative power for park and green space equity. People, Parks, and Power (P3) is the first national funding initiative in the U.S. to support power building by community-based organizations to reverse deep-seated park and green space inequities in Black, Latine, and Indigenous communities across the country. Currently in its second grant cycle, P3 continues to provide fiscal and strategic support to six community-based organizations in their long-term work to advance park equity through local policy and systems change. As part of the People, Parks, and Power (P3) initiative, Prevention Institute and Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) developed a messaging guide that describes how narratives can help bring park and green space equity to scale in local communities, and includes frames, language, and communication tools to advocate for parks and green space as a source of community health, joy, and liberation. We will be joined by South Bronx Unite and The Conscious Connect CDC to learn more about how they have worked to build narrative power for park and green space equity, crafted effective messaging, and built community with other advocates nationwide. South Bronx Unite brings together neighborhood residents, community organizations, academic institutions, and allies to improve and protect the social, environmental, and economic future of Mott Haven and Port Morris. The Conscious Connect CDC reimagines and redevelops underutilized spaces for the purposes of education, culture, peace, and health — so that success is not defined by zip codes. To join the session, please register here. We invite you to share this information with colleagues and fellow community champions who may be interested. P3 is led and managed by Prevention Institute and supported by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. --- ## No magic words: Building narrative power URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/no-magic-words-building-narrative-power/ Type: events Modified: 2025-05-08 Words: 117 > Speaking at a recent town hall for the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS), BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed building narrative power to break the 'spiral of silence' —... Speaking at a recent town hall for the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS), BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed building narrative power to break the ‘spiral of silence’ — a theory that says people are reluctant to voice an opinion if they feel they’re the only ones who hold it. Speaking up matters because it can help others be less fearful to do so, too. Dorfman explained that to build narrative power, organizations need infrastructure and an overall strategy that guides their messaging strategy. Finally, she shared specific strategies for building narrative power, including leading with values and making the landscape visible (rather than relying on storytelling about individuals or isolated events). --- ## our staff URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-staff/ Type: page Modified: 2026-06-05 Words: 2 > --- ## Building narrative power for health: Strategies and tools for this moment URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/building-narrative-power-for-health-strategies-and-tools-for-this-moment/ Type: events Modified: 2025-04-18 Words: 10459 > In a rapidly changing public health landscape, advancing health and well-being for all — especially those most harmed by our current systems — requires strong narrative and communication strategies. While... In a rapidly changing public health landscape, advancing health and well-being for all — especially those most harmed by our current systems — requires strong narrative and communication strategies. While this work can feel daunting, practical tools and resources exist to help public health practitioners articulate why public health matters and how we can create thriving communities. In a recent webinar, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) shared strategies to strengthen narrative power, including how to assess power dynamics and craft compelling, values-driven messages that inspire action. After viewing this webinar, participants will be able to: Identify key components of an effective message strategy that motivates action and emphasizes values. Describe public health in clear, accessible language. Explore how to conduct a power analysis to uncover unequal power relationships and identify effective pathways toward building narrative power. Explain why an overall strategy is the foundation for all communication planning. This Web Forum was sponsored by PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact and produced by Dialogue4Health. Resources: Download slides BMSG resources for public health practitioners Webinar transcript: Murlean Tucker: Welcome to Building Narrative Power for Health: Strategies and Tools For This Moment. My name is Murlean Tucker, and I’ll be running today’s web forum along with my colleague, Jeff Bornstein. Today’s web forum is sponsored by PHI Center for Health Leadership and Impact and produced by Dialogue for Health. Now let’s meet the moderator of today’s event. Dr. Carmen Nevarez. Carmen is a senior advisor at PHI Center for Health Leadership and Impact, founder of Dialogue for Health and Senior Vice President Emeritus of External Relations and Preventive Medicine at Public Health Institute. Welcome Carmen. Carmen Nevarez: Good morning, everyone, and thanks for the introduction. I’m really excited about today’s webinar, and really, really happy to welcome all of you. We have over 900 people registered. So it’s tremendous interest in this topic. Before we get there, I want to just give you a little bit of background on who the Center for Health Leadership and Impact is and why we’re bringing you this really important, really critically timed webinar today. So CHLI is a public health ‘do tank’ that helps individuals and teams to transform their vision into data-driven strategies by cultivating leadership, catalyzing learning networks, and strengthening cross-sector partnerships. We help to create equitable lasting impact in communities. Since 91, almost 8,000 leaders in 53 states and territories have applied our tools and processes to address a wide range of issues, including overdose prevention. Let’s have the next slide. CHLI works with individuals, with teams and with organizations across sectors to build healthy communities, including health departments, government agencies, education, academia, nonprofit organizations, healthcare systems and community-based organizations. Next slide. Our learning objectives today. Let’s just go over really quickly. We’ve got an excellent presentation lined up for you today, entitled Building Narrative Power for Health: Strategies and Tools For This Moment. By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: Identify key components of an effective message strategy that motivates action and emphasizes values; describe public health in clear, accessible language; explore how to conduct a power analysis, to uncover unequal power relationships and identify effective pathways toward building narrative power; and explain why an overall strategy is the foundation for all communication planning. So Kathi Schaff joined Berkeley Media Studies group to help build the organizational communications capacity of local health departments, government agencies and community-based organizations working to advance racial and health equity. Prior to joining the BMSG team, she spent 11 years at Alameda County Public Health Department, where she helped to foster racial and social and health equity throughout through policy change, community partnerships, and building institutional and staff capacity within the Health Department and the county. Before moving to the Bay Area, Kathi supported local health departments through her position at the National Association of County and City Health Officials in Washington, DC. She received her BA in sociology and international Studies from University of Denver and her Master’s of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health from University of California in Berkeley. Her doctoral research focused on how local health departments addressed and communicated about the foreclosure crisis as a driver of health inequities. So let me welcome Katherine Schaff to the podium. 00:09:26.500 Katherine Schaff: Hi, everyone. I’m very grateful to be here, and I just wanted to start in thinking about the narratives we tell ourselves in public health.... --- ## People, Parks, and Power (P3): Parks and Green Space Equity Yellow Book Workshop URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/people-parks-and-power-p3-parks-and-green-space-equity-yellow-book-workshop/ Type: events Modified: 2025-03-14 Words: 116 > BMSG trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Jocelyn Polanco delivered an introductory workshop on our Parks and green space equity Yellow Book featuring the Peoples, Parks, and Power (P3) initiative. The Yellow... BMSG trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Jocelyn Polanco delivered an introductory workshop on our Parks and green space equity Yellow Book featuring the Peoples, Parks, and Power (P3) initiative. The Yellow Book was designed through a process of deep listening sessions and contributions from the P3 local partners. It features their work through the lens of our core BMSG concepts such as overall strategy, message strategy, media strategy and much more. This workshop not only celebrated the work of P3 local partners, but also offered a deep dive into key parts of the Yellow Book. Advocates walked away with a new way to enhance their messages and an 83 page resource filled with innovative strategies and guidance. --- ## American Public Health Association Webinar: The Power of Telling Your Story and Strategic Framing in Advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/american-public-health-association-webinar-the-power-of-telling-your-story-and-strategic-framing-in-advocacy/ Type: events Modified: 2025-03-12 Words: 146 > BMSG’s Katherine Schaff, Health Equity Coordinator, joined Kim Nguyen, Program Director at Statler Nagle, for an engaging APHA webinar on the power of storytelling and strategic framing in advocacy. The... BMSG’s Katherine Schaff, Health Equity Coordinator, joined Kim Nguyen, Program Director at Statler Nagle, for an engaging APHA webinar on the power of storytelling and strategic framing in advocacy. The session provided participants with practical frameworks and tools to craft narratives that inspire action and advance equity in public health and beyond. BMSG guided participants through a series of exercises on developing strategic storytelling techniques to align narratives with advocacy goals, implementing equity-focused narrative change approaches to ensure that inclusion and justice remain central in public health communication, and how we can shift from individual portrait-focused stories to broader landscape narratives that highlight systemic issues and population-level solutions. By equipping attendees with these storytelling and framing tools, this session helped advocates enhance their ability to communicate effectively and mobilize support for change. A replay of the webinar can be found here. --- ## Media advocacy for farm safety and health: current landscape and future directions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/media-advocacy-for-farm-safety-and-health-current-landscape-and-future-directions/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-03-28 Words: 401 > How are farm and tractor safety portrayed in the news? Do solutions appear? Who has a voice in coverage? These are some of the questions that BMSG researchers examined in... How are farm and tractor safety portrayed in the news? Do solutions appear? Who has a voice in coverage? These are some of the questions that BMSG researchers examined in this study, published in BMC Public Health. The study also provides suggestions for occupational health and safety practitioners who hope to improve their use of media to advance farm safety agendas. Abstract Background Within public health, media advocacy embraces the influence of new media and journalists in setting public agendas and promoting important public health programming and policies. Though occupational health and safety (OSH) is an important component of public health, few studies have examined the use of media advocacy within this specific field. This study aims to examine how media is currently used to support OSH efforts as well as opportunities for engaging with this strategy. Methods LexisNexis and AgInjuryNews were used to collect news media pertaining to farm safety, and specifically tractor safety, published between 2018 and 2021 in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. A total of 372 news articles were identified. Content analysis was used to assess a random sample of these articles (n = 122) to answer the questions: Why are stories about farm and tractor safety in the news? Who speaks in the news about farm and tractor safety? How are farming, farmers, and farm safety depicted in the news? Who is named as responsible for and called upon to take action to address farm and tractor safety issues? What solutions to address farm and tractor safety are mentioned? Results In general, relevant news stories (n = 89) were published as a result of event (such as tractor overturns or safety days). Many stories placed responsibility for both farm injury events and the need to increase safety measures solely on farmers, demonstrating a missed opportunity for understanding how farm safety is impacted by the larger societal context, like legislation and government programs. Conclusions Using these findings, the authors provide several suggestions for OSH practitioners who hope to improve their use of media to advance farm safety agendas. Citation Milkovich, P.J., Perez-Sanz, S., Garcia, K. et al. Media advocacy for farm safety and health: current landscape and future directions. BMC Public Health 25, 970 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22162-z Full text This article was published March 11, 2025 in BMC Public Health. View the study Download PDF version --- ## UC Berkeley School of Public Health: News coverage of racism as a public health crisis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/uc-berkeley-school-of-public-health-news-coverage-of-racism-as-a-public-health-crisis/ Type: events Modified: 2025-04-02 Words: 252 > Berkeley Media Studies Group Director Lori Dorfman and Media Researcher, Hina Mahmood presented research findings on BMSG’s study of news coverage of racism as a public health crisis in a... Berkeley Media Studies Group Director Lori Dorfman and Media Researcher, Hina Mahmood presented research findings on BMSG’s study of news coverage of racism as a public health crisis in a webinar for the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. The research, conducted in partnership with The Praxis Project, examined the news to see whether the coverage of the declarations emphasized remedies to the long-standing health consequences of racism. From a national sample of news coverage between 2019 to 2021, we found a notable increase in news coverage during the summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, but coverage dropped after the month of June. One key finding was that government representatives appeared in almost every article about the declarations, while community voices were nearly absent from the coverage. To help the public and policy makers understand the public health crisis of racism, those proposing new declarations should engage with communities working to eliminate structural racism and together make concerted efforts to generate news coverage, without relying on acts of violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. View the full webinar below: Related resources Equity in action: Assessing the role of community in declarations of racism as a public health crisis report “We Have to Move Quickly to Cement This Willingness for Change”: News Narratives About Declarations of Racism as a Public Health Crisis, 2019–2021 From words to action: Can local policies and declarations address racism as a public health issue? --- ## Prevention Institute Intersections Initiative 2.0: Advancing equitable policies – Introduction to media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/prevention-institute-intersections-initiative-2-0-advancing-equitable-policies-introduction-to-media-advocacy/ Type: events Modified: 2025-02-27 Words: 116 > BMSG trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Jocelyn Polanco traveled to Renton, Washington to provide an introductory session on media advocacy to members of the Prevention Institute’s Intersections Initiatives 2.0. The Intersections... BMSG trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Jocelyn Polanco traveled to Renton, Washington to provide an introductory session on media advocacy to members of the Prevention Institute’s Intersections Initiatives 2.0. The Intersections Initiative supports community-based organizations and coalitions in exploring the roles community partners can play in upstream prevention. BMSG supported the coalition in developing their strategic goals and practicing how they communicate as a coalition. BMSG led community partners through a series of exercises to learn about developing an overall strategy and the components of an effective message. With these tools the coalition is one step further in developing their shared vision for their community. --- ## Coping with chaos: What’s keeping us going in this political moment URL: https://www.bmsg.org/coping-with-chaos-whats-keeping-us-going-in-this-political-moment/ Type: post Modified: 2025-05-27 Words: 2096 > As the policies and upheavals of this administration bring fear, uncertainty, and pain to our communities, BMSG staff are processing and grieving this moment alongside all of you, dear readers. ... As the policies and upheavals of this administration bring fear, uncertainty, and pain to our communities, BMSG staff are processing and grieving this moment alongside all of you, dear readers. Many of us are bouncing back and forth between calling our legislators and binging garbage TV with a pint of ice cream in our hands. Each day brings new headlines that appear to be ripped from a dystopian novel and, with them, a flood of emotions from sadness to anger and everything in between. Yet, among the many complex feelings we’re processing right now, one is chief among them: resolve. Right now, public health advocates, researchers, community health workers, journalists, and so many others are working tirelessly to preserve our institutions and protect people from harm. Despite the growing challenges we face, BMSG is dedicated to doing our part to further public health, equity, and justice by supporting strategic communication that uplifts our values and helps people visualize what is still possible. But we know we can’t do that without a deep commitment to community- and self-care. After all, exhaustion and overwhelm don’t serve ourselves or the causes we care about. Amid the unrest, we have found solace in each other, in small and simple joys each day, in our communities, and in the resilience we’ve cultivated. Our small but mighty team is multi-racial, intergenerational, from all across the country, and we bring forth a diversity of perspectives and experiences that inform how we’re coping. In the spirit of solidarity, progress, and resilience, we’re sharing what’s been keeping us going, and how we’re moving forward. Take the lessons and strategies that resonate, and leave the ones that don’t. Connect with nature — and your body Ooof. Their “create chaos” strategy is working on me: the relentless lies, the battering of human rights, and the profound disrespect for all of us and our government makes me want to retreat under the covers. Just one month in, it’s hard to stay focused even when I remind myself that everything we work on at BMSG is crucial to this moment. And that’s what keeps me going. My passionate coworkers, our brilliant partners in the work, the voices that are surfacing to counter the blatant misogyny and racism — calls to Congress going from 40 to 1600 per MINUTE — all bring me back to focus on the work. Music and drawing bring me back into my body. After the election I dusted off The Highwomen and now have Crowded Table on repeat in my head. Walking in the neighborhood and pulling weeds in the backyard helps. So does losing myself in another part of my brain drawing for a few minutes or a few hours. Mostly, though, it’s the resolve I see building in all my communities that we, too, will be relentless. -Lori DorfmanDirector Only tackle one thing at a time I’d never wish cancer on anyone, but my 2023 breast cancer diagnosis (I’m still in treatment but doing well!) has made my reaction to the political moment of 2025 feel very different from 2017. When I was first diagnosed, I skipped fight, flight, or freeze and went straight to fix — trying to do everything at once. It wasn’t sustainable. With time and support, I learned that doing everything meant focusing on nothing. Instead, I had to get clear on my goal — being cancer-free — and prioritize what mattered most each week, day, and hour. I also learned I could handle things that once felt impossible, as long as I took that first step and stayed focused. That’s the mindset I’m bringing now. Yes, things feel hard. I’m trying to think beyond the next four years — to the world we want to build — and focusing on what I can do to help create it. Then, it’s rolling up my sleeves and getting to work. And, just like with cancer, community is everything. We keep each other going, take care of each other, and live in ways that reflect our values. That’s how we move forward — together. -Katherine SchaffDirector of Racial and Health Equity Strategy Remember your why As a government major, a studier of human interaction, and constant observer of cause and effect, the recent political and societal upheaval has left me overwhelmed, exhausted, and grappling with uncertainty. As with any new administration and change in power at any level, my first question is, “What does this mean for my kids?” And not just my children, but all children. Adults are in a privileged position of being able to frame current events with context, understanding what came before and what the big-picture implications are; for good reason, kids don’t have this perspective. My focus is to understand the world in a way that allows me to productively explain it to my kids. We encourage them to be advocates, teach them to be the helpers and not those who cause hurt, remind them that we do good even when nobody is there to see it, and we give voices to those who are too weak or too afraid to speak. -Rachel ShewmakerProgram Administrator Accept every emotion, even the negative ones It’s ti... --- ## What advocates and journalists can learn from news narratives about declarations of racism as a public health crisis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-advocates-and-journalists-can-learn-from-news-narratives-about-declarations-of-racism-as-a-public-health-crisis/ Type: post Modified: 2025-01-29 Words: 1291 > In 2020, amid a global pandemic and a national reckoning with deeply rooted racism and white supremacy, folks increasingly came to acknowledge racism for what it is — an existential... In 2020, amid a global pandemic and a national reckoning with deeply rooted racism and white supremacy, folks increasingly came to acknowledge racism for what it is — an existential threat to public health. In response, more and more communities began to make formal declarations that racism is a public health crisis. To better understand the narratives that emerged — and implications for people communicating about public health — researchers at BMSG and The Praxis Project analyzed news coverage of the declarations in a first-of-its-kind study, published in the journal Health Equity. The study, “‘We Have to Move Quickly to Cement this Willingness for Change’: News Narratives About Declarations of Racism as a Public Health Crisis, 2019-2021,” examines print media spanning July 2019 to December 2021. The study found that news coverage that discussed how structural racism harms health did so mostly as a response to Black Lives Matter protests, recent acts of police violence, and COVID-19 — focusing on key issues of the moment, but largely failing to address deeply rooted historical and ongoing inequities. Further, the study found that, though the declarations were intended to engage community members in combating racism and its impacts on public health, that intention didn’t show up very much in news coverage, and community voices were largely absent. The study authors offer recommendations to work toward these goals, including sharing best practices for communicating about declarations of racism as a public health crisis, and building capacity for narrative change and media advocacy. In the future, we hope to see deeper coverage of the declarations that examines not only their contents, but who played a role — or ought to play a role — in forming or implementing them. We hope to see more community voices featured, more historical context uplifted, and more concrete examples of how marginalized communities are impacted by racism. To learn more about the study and possibilities for future research, we sat down with its lead author, BMSG Media Researcher Hina Mahmood. Q&A What inspired this research on news narratives about declarations of racism as a public health crisis? As we all remember, in the summer of 2020 there was a lot of anger around the murders of people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and more people than ever really started to pay attention to racial injustices and health inequities, sparking the Black Lives Matter movement. One way that showed up was in communities making formal statements about racism as a public health crisis; some communities had been trying to do this for years, and then suddenly in the summer of 2020 we saw this huge surge in policies being passed. At BMSG one of the things we’re always curious about is understanding how media reflect — and affect! — what’s happening in the world. We were interested in understanding how journalists were suddenly talking about these policies, especially when we found that there was hardly any coverage of racism as a public health crisis in the year before June of 2020. And then we saw this sudden explosion, with over 800 articles mentioning declarations in just that month alone! We felt that having a better understanding of the media narrative might give a window into understanding how people were talking and thinking about these policies — and what information they were missing. For instance, we wanted to know whether stories about the declarations were in the news because of health inequities highlighted by COVID-19, or whether police violence made this issue so visible. We also knew that many communities had been pushing for these declarations for a long time — and had been instrumental in getting them passed — and we wanted to know if that kind of community organizing and power building was showing up in the news. The scope of the study was limited to print. Is that representative of the broader media landscape? That’s a great point, and definitely something we often grapple with in our projects at BMSG. Print media is still a really important window into the narrative because it often sets the agenda for TV news and, as we’ve seen in other studies, print news stories are often what’s being shared and amplified on social media. We also selected a sample that included both local and national outlets from all over the United States; that diversity of news outlets and regions does, I think, give us a really nuanced and multifaceted understanding of the public conversation that was happening at that time. Did anything surprise you about the findings of this research? What reactions did you have? I was surprised to see so little coverage discussing concrete actions for implementing declarations. Less than half the articles addressed that. We have to name concrete actions if we want accountability — if we want to make sure that government leaders follow through on the promises they make. It’s one thing to create a policy; it’s another to e... --- ## ‘We have to move quickly to cement this willingness for change’: News narratives about declarations of racism as a public health crisis, 2019–2021 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/we-have-to-move-quickly-to-cement-this-willingness-for-change-news-narratives-about-declarations-of-racism-as-a-public-health-crisis-2019-2021/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-03-28 Words: 340 > In the summer of 2020, global social movements in response to the police murders of George Floyd Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others brought renewed public attention to racial... In the summer of 2020, global social movements in response to the police murders of George Floyd Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others brought renewed public attention to racial injustice and health inequities. Against this backdrop, several jurisdictions formally declared racism to be a public health crisis. In this study, we explored narratives surrounding those declarations to see how they were framed in news coverage. The article includes implications for advocates and others working to advance health equity. Abstract Objective To understand how declarations of racism as a public health crisis were portrayed in the news from 2019 to 2021. Methods We assessed a national sample of articles (n = 127) to see how declarations of racism as a public health crisis were characterized in the news. Results Coverage skyrocketed in June 2020 with 800 articles in that month alone, many of which mentioned systemic or structural racism (43% of articles). Government speakers were quoted in 90% of articles while community voices only appeared in 24% of articles. Discussion Narratives that center the causes of structural and systemic racism can help inform the public about the health harms of racism and can also report on solutions to achieve health and racial equity that could influence policymakers and the public. Health equity implications Those proposing new declarations should make concerted efforts to ensure that these declarations generate news coverage, without relying on acts of violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Public health practitioners, advocates, and officials should center communities most impacted and help them in creating a system that addresses racial and health inequities. Citation Mahmood H, Mejia P, Schaff K, Labiran C, Morales X, Dorfman L (2025). “We have to move Quickly to cement this willingness for change”: News narratives about declarations of racism as a public health crisis, 2019–2021, Health Equity 9:1, 1–7, DOI: 10.1089/heq.2023.0276. Full text This journal article was published online January 8, 2025 in Health Equity. View the study Download PDF version --- ## Prevention Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis: Strategic communication to advance racial and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/prevention-research-center-at-washington-university-in-st-louis-strategic-communication-to-advance-racial-and-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2025-01-03 Words: 101 > Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth delivered a virtual foundational media advocacy training session for a group of community health coalitions working with their local... Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth delivered a virtual foundational media advocacy training session for a group of community health coalitions working with their local communities in the Midwest, South and Southeast with a focus on nutrition and physical activity environments. This 1.5-hour virtual training introduced participants to foundational media advocacy concepts and helped participants to clarify their advocacy and communications goals, develop key messages, and identify next steps in their strategy. Following the training, BMSG provided technical assistance to support the coalitions through the individual challenges they were coming across in their work. --- ## UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health: Communicating effectively about reproductive health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/ucsf-bixby-center-for-global-reproductive-health-communicating-effectively-about-reproductive-health/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-23 Words: 49 > BMSG trainer Jocelyn Polanco led a cohort of Bixby Media and Advocacy fellows through a strategic communication and media advocacy training. The fellows participated in a series of message development... BMSG trainer Jocelyn Polanco led a cohort of Bixby Media and Advocacy fellows through a strategic communication and media advocacy training. The fellows participated in a series of message development activities to help them translate their research and their current work into effective messages to reach their target audiences. --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2024 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-of-2024/ Type: post Modified: 2024-12-18 Words: 1371 > For public health professionals and communicators focused on equity and justice, this year, in many ways, was overwhelming. In the wake of the election, we face deep uncertainty and an... For public health professionals and communicators focused on equity and justice, this year, in many ways, was overwhelming. In the wake of the election, we face deep uncertainty and an environment more hostile to the future we long for. At the same time, we are met with communities and advocates across the country renewing our hope, our energy, and our steadfast commitment to cultivating a better world for everyone — no matter who you are or where you live. These efforts remind us that social change takes time and can follow different trajectories in different places. As George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison have written, “If we were to imagine that transformative political change took place in a linear, gradual, and granular fashion, there would be nothing to hope for, and we might as well give up and go home. But it doesn’t work this way. It proceeds by means of sudden ruptures.” Each community organizing gathering, each filled mutual aid request, each passed local ballot measure furthering public health — these are the sudden ruptures creating change in communities across the country and across the world. They are the sustaining, life-giving efforts that will continue to move us forward no matter the political conditions we face. They remain — and so does our hope. Throughout the year, as staff members monitor the news, we hold on to quotes that reaffirm our hope for the future. These media bites — pulled from news articles, op-eds, and social media posts — motivate us to push forward, challenge us to consider perspectives different from our own, or inspire us to imagine the kind of world we’d like to see. In keeping with BMSG’s annual tradition, we have curated a list of our favorite media bites from the past year. Our top picks are below, along with our reasons for including them. Enjoy the list, and share your own favorites with us on social media. Top 10 media bites “We’ve been told — working class people — that as long as you get an education, then you will have job prospects, you’ll be able to take care of your family, you’ll be able to have a future. I really used to blame myself a lot, and I used to feel a lot of shame. Then, I started to look at the policies and I’m like, ‘Wait a second. Is it personal responsibility, or is it really bad policy?’ and I realized it’s bad policy, straight up.” —Maddy Clifford, Oakland-based artist, writer, and organizer.Appeared March 21, 2024 on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Why we like it: With this quote, Clifford challenges “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” ideology and individualistic framing, pulling back the lens to invite a conversation about the systems and structures that hold people down. “It shouldn’t be easier to enlist in the military than it is to get good health care. And it shouldn’t be easier to go to war than to come home from it.” —Jenn Kerfoot, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at DUOS, a startup addressing the “social determinants of aging.”Appeared April 29, 2024 in STAT News. Why we like it: The pithy and powerful juxtaposition in this quote elevates values of health and safety, showing that you don’t need a lot of words to make a strong argument. “We did not just raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour for fast food workers. We helped a father or mother feed their children, we helped a student put gas in their car, and helped a grandparent get their grandchild a birthday gift.” —Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena)Appeared May 1, 2024 in KTLA. Why we like it: Assemblymember Chris Holden deeply humanizes a topic that’s often treated as a data point, divorced from its impacts on workers’ real daily lives. Further, it speaks to the value of interconnection, displaying how people’s economic well-being shapes the health and well-being of those around them. “If food waste were a country, it would be somewhere around the world’s third or fourth biggest emitter of carbon.” —David Wallace-Walls, bestselling science-writer and essayist exploring climate change and technology.Appeared July 28, 2024 in The New York Times. Why we like it: Although data often enhances storytelling, numbers don’t always capture the full story. They require context to make them meaningful. This quote is a compelling example of social math, “the practice of using relatable comparisons to make large numbers comprehensible. ” “Our disabilities are not flaws to be fixed, but integral parts of our identities that shape our unique perspectives and strengths.” —Kim Chua, Creative Director at Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative.Appeared July 28, 2024 in NPR. Why we like it: With this quote, Kim Chua employs asset-based framing, a narrative framework that uplifts people’s strengths, aspirations, and contributions, rather than their challenges. This type of framing empowers and invests in the folks and communities whose stories are covered in the news. Further, Chua, a person with disabilities and disability activist, is an authentic voice — someone whose perspectiv... --- ## California Department of Public Health: Communicating effectively about public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/california-department-of-public-health-communicating-effectively-about-public-health/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 62 > BMSG trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth delivered "Communicating effectively about public health," a two-day in-person training to build message development capacity and spokesperson skills among the California Department... BMSG trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth delivered “Communicating effectively about public health,” a two-day in-person training to build message development capacity and spokesperson skills among the California Department of Public Health’s communications staff. The goal was for staff to learn how to develop and deliver proactive, culturally competent, personalized, coordinated and equitable public health messages. --- ## Imperial County Public Health Department: Communicating effectively about health across Imperial County URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/imperial-county-public-health-department-communicating-effectively-about-health-across-imperial-county/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 91 > BMSG delivered a two-part training series for members of the Imperial County Public Health Department. The first one was a 2-hour virtual workshop open to all health department staff during... BMSG delivered a two-part training series for members of the Imperial County Public Health Department. The first one was a 2-hour virtual workshop open to all health department staff during which participants learned about strategic communication and media advocacy as narrative-change for racial and health equity. The second was an all-day training for approximately 30 participants; the first half was designed to help all department leaders develop and deliver effective messages to key decisionmakers; the second half was specific to the communications needs of department leaders. --- ## UC Berkeley Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/uc-berkeley-maternal-child-and-adolescent-health-mcah-program/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 69 > On November 6, 2024, the day after the presidential election, BMSG facilitated a session with students taking the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health core course at Berkeley Public Health. The... On November 6, 2024, the day after the presidential election, BMSG facilitated a session with students taking the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health core course at Berkeley Public Health. The students met the moment with a clear-eyed recognition of the challenges facing us in this moment and a renewed commitment to bringing their power to fight for the public’s health and the communities that inspire their work. --- ## Hope and Heal Fund: How to talk about community-led work to stop firearm death and injury URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/hope-and-heal-fund-how-to-talk-about-community-led-work-to-stop-firearm-death-and-injury/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 154 > BMSG’s Associate Program Director and Director of Research, Pamela Mejia and Head of Strategic Consultation, Ingrid Daffner Krasnow delivered two trainings for grantees of the Hope and Heal Fund. BMSG... BMSG’s Associate Program Director and Director of Research, Pamela Mejia and Head of Strategic Consultation, Ingrid Daffner Krasnow delivered two trainings for grantees of the Hope and Heal Fund. BMSG presented some of the findings from the research they conducted on how the media framed stories on different forms of firearm violence as well as the public’s perception on these issues. They were also joined by Kelvin Ward, who leads the Violence Intervention/Prevention Advocacy work as a Community Organizer for Inland Congregations United For Change (ICUC). Kelvin shared some of the lessons from his work in San Bernardino county on how they changed their approach to media strategy and how it led to effective results. Participants also got hands-on experience to work through message strategy, message development, learned how to address difficult questions that come up in their work, and got the opportunity to practice their media interviewing skills. --- ## Narratives for Health Community of Practice: Media advocacy as a tool to build narrative power URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/narratives-for-health-community-of-practice-media-advocacy-as-a-tool-to-build-narrative-power/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 63 > BMSG trainer Jocelyn Polanco delivered a presentation to the Narratives for Health community of practice group. The presentation focused on how media advocacy can be used as a tool in... BMSG trainer Jocelyn Polanco delivered a presentation to the Narratives for Health community of practice group. The presentation focused on how media advocacy can be used as a tool in coordination with policy efforts to shift narratives, using examples from BMSG’s previous work in partnership with the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) on eviction moratoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic. --- ## New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center: Developing effective messages to prevent substance misuse URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/new-england-prevention-technology-transfer-center-developing-effective-messages-to-prevent-substance-misuse/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 54 > BMSG trainers Ingrid Daffner Krasnow and Jocelyn Polanco held a two part virtual training for substance misuse prevention professionals for the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC). Part one... BMSG trainers Ingrid Daffner Krasnow and Jocelyn Polanco held a two part virtual training for substance misuse prevention professionals for the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC). Part one included a webinar on media advocacy. In part two, participants picked up additional messaging tips on BMSG’s core concepts, including social math. --- ## Public Health Alliance of Southern California: Communicating effectively about public health initiatives URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/public-health-alliance-of-southern-california-communicating-effectively-about-public-health-initiatives/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 58 > BMSG’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow delivered a virtual workshop for the Public Health Alliance of SoCal Equity Workgroup. Participants learned the basics of crafting and delivering effective messages that advance health-promoting... BMSG’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow delivered a virtual workshop for the Public Health Alliance of SoCal Equity Workgroup. Participants learned the basics of crafting and delivering effective messages that advance health-promoting policies for everyone in their communities. They were able to practice creating messages relevant to their current work and received real time feedback from BMSG trainers. --- ## ASTHO Policy Academy 201: Messaging & Communication URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/astho-policy-academy-201-messaging-communication/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 48 > BMSG’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow delivered a virtual training for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) as a part of their ACE’s Policy Academy series. This training focused... BMSG’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow delivered a virtual training for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) as a part of their ACE’s Policy Academy series. This training focused on best practices for strategic communications to advance health equity messaging pertaining to adverse childhood experiences. --- ## ‘Together is where we save lives’: A messaging guide for California advocates working to reduce injuries and fatalities from firearms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/together-is-where-we-save-lives-a-messaging-guide-for-california-advocates-working-to-reduce-injuries-and-fatalities-from-firearms/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 6808 > Introduction Is there more violent crime in the United States than there was a year ago? Less? What about in your local area? A 2023 survey from Gallup found that... Introduction Is there more violent crime in the United States than there was a year ago? Less? What about in your local area? A 2023 survey from Gallup found that Americans are confused about these questions, and perceptions of violent crime often do not align with the data.2 In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General declared injury and death from firearms a public health crisis, which highlighted the critical and ongoing need for solutions to the crisis grounded in principles of community action and systems change. California advocates are already at the forefront of leading community-organizing efforts to move the needle on firearm injury and death, using a range of interventions from school-based and restorative practices to trauma-responsive care to cognitive behavioral therapy. This guide is intended for advocates; it aims to give them a roadmap for using the news to lift up those solutions and amplify messages from the communities most affected by the problem, so that the narrative around efforts to prevent firearm injury and death is as robust as prevention, intervention, and healing work happening around the state. News coverage matters because it not only affects the public’s knowledge about violence and its causes, but also shapes how audiences understand potential solutions.4,10 We hope the tactics outlined here will help advocates to better align their organizing and messaging efforts so that policies and programs to reduce violence and promote healing — as well as the narrative surrounding them — reinforce one another. That’s a key step toward helping move us faster and further toward a world in which safety is the norm. Who is this guide for? This guide is for advocates who are working to help reduce injuries and deaths from firearms in their community and want to become better, more confident communicators on the subject. Because this issue affects people from many different walks of life, we hope it is equally useful to advocates from varying backgrounds. Maybe you are a veteran, and your primary concern is about firearm suicide. Perhaps you are a responsible gun owner whose main goal is to support local efforts to keep your loved ones safe. Maybe you have never handled a firearm, but you have seen the ripple effect of trauma that results when they are misused. You might engage in advocacy as a researcher or simply as a concerned community member who is becoming more active in this work. Your neighborhood could be urban or rural, racially homogenous or ethnically diverse. Further, you might be focused on a very specific issue area, like domestic violence, self-harm, or community violence. We aimed to create a resource that is flexible enough to address communication challenges that span location and demographics — and that you can refine and tailor to your community and needs because you are the expert on your own background and experience, and know the challenges and needs in your own community. As you read this guide, think of it as a foundation — one that will equip you with research-based lessons and communication guidance that you can adapt based on your local context and specific social change goals. Using this foundation, you will be able to create messages and media pitches that help to advance those goals. You will also be able to anticipate roadblocks and plan ways around them. Still wondering? Frequently asked questions — and answers to help you decide Here are some frequently asked questions that might help you decide if this is the right resource for you: Q: I’m an organizer — why do I need the news media? One of the main ways people come to understand the world around them, apart from direct experience, is through the media. It shapes what people know — and, critically, what they don’t know — about social issues like deaths and injuries involving firearms. How journalists report on issues affects what solutions people support and whether they even believe that change is possible. Media, then, create the tides that organizers and advocates must swim in. The Surgeon General’s announcement framing firearm injury and death as public health crises could be an important moment to build a groundswell of support for innovative, community-led solutions — but it will take work to maintain that energy and attention. If media narratives run counter to your goals, then your job as an organizer will be much more difficult. That’s why it’s important to know not only how the news is characterizing death and injury from firearms, but also how you can make sure that your community’s perspectives are part of the conversation. If the people most affected by an issue don’t see their own voices and concerns reflected back to them in media coverage, then instead of feeling inspired to act, they may feel isolated and take fewer actions or disengage altogether. To help shape media narratives in ways that elevate community voices, advocates can engage in a practice known as media advocacy, which means leveragin... --- ## ‘A vehicle of hope’: Hope and Heal Fund’s Brian Malte on narrative change and firearm violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/a-vehicle-of-hope-hope-and-heal-funds-brian-malte-on-narrative-change-and-firearm-violence-prevention/ Type: post Modified: 2024-12-06 Words: 1971 > Brian Malte, Executive Director of the Hope and Heal Fund, is a nationally recognized leader in the gun violence prevention movement and deeply believes all people and communities have a... Brian Malte, Executive Director of the Hope and Heal Fund, is a nationally recognized leader in the gun violence prevention movement and deeply believes all people and communities have a right to be safe and free from firearm-related violence, deaths, injuries, and trauma. Over his 30-year career, he has led community-based movements and strategic policy initiatives to keep homes and communities safe from gun violence. In 2001, he joined the Washington, D.C., office of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, serving in roles including National Field Director, Political Director, and National Policy Director. In 2016, he returned to his home state of California to lead Hope and Heal Fund. Hope and Heal Fund is a first-of-its-kind, donor collaborative fund investing in a public health, racial equity, and community-based approach to preventing firearm violence and suicide in California. Its mere existence — and its intersectional approach to addressing community violence, firearm suicide, and domestic violence — is a big win for public health and community safety, even being modeled beyond California with the Colorado Safe Futures Fund. Malte’s experience working on legislative efforts to curb firearm violence taught him that, although policies that promote public safety are important, public health tools like education, community power-building, and narrative change are integral to reducing firearm injuries and trauma and cultivating safer communities. Recognizing this, Hope and Heal Fund takes a multi-pronged approach to prevention: supporting leaders at the community level, finding ways to drive systems change, and generating public health tools like our new, jointly created messaging guide ‘Together is where we save lives’: A messaging guide for California advocates working to reduce injuries and fatalities from firearms. To learn more about Hope and Heal Fund, and dive deeper into the messaging guide, I sat down with Hope and Heal Fund Executive Director Brian Malte. Q&A Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. What inspired the creation of the messaging guide, ‘Together is where we save lives’: A messaging guide for California advocates working to reduce injuries and fatalities from firearms? It was a culmination of 20 years at Brady, some of it here in California. As I evolved in the movement, I became very frustrated at the lack of involvement in decision-making amongst communities most impacted by gun violence. I knew that had to change, and that starts with changing the narrative about this issue. It was born out of the recognition that those most impacted must have a seat at the table and not have others making decisions for them and their communities. The messaging guide is a vehicle of hope because it is a critical tool that will lead to transformative and sustainable change. How does today’s media landscape impact advocates’ ability to craft and convey meaningful messages about violence prevention? I think it’s a heck of a lot tougher every year. Newsrooms are strapped. People are strapped. It seems like everything is changing rapidly. This is a real challenge. And then, social media: We learned during the election, especially, that so many people get their news from social media. It’s a question of, ‘How can we engage social media and reach more people, especially younger people who aren’t engaging as much with traditional media?’ The landscape started to change when we started Hope and Heal Fund, but it’s really changed now. It’s something we have to stay attuned to. However, having said that, I do have a lot of hope. Narrative change is about putting credible messengers front and center and recognizing that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Whether it’s traditional media or social media, nothing changes the fact that survivors and community leaders have powerful stories to tell, and they should be the primary spokespeople for their communities. While social media has its own set of challenges, it’s also a great opportunity for community leaders to reach diverse and large audiences. The messaging guide is chock-full of important takeaways for advocates. From a high-level point of view, what do you hope advocates will gain from the messaging guide? Well, this isn’t about just getting a quote in the media, it’s an opportunity to tell the real story of a community. I want them to see a few things: First don’t let others define your community. And you have solutions, right? Get those solutions out there. People need to see that there is hope for what many see as an intractable problem. But I think even more, I’d like to see this be part and parcel of a development strategy for community-based organizations. There are a lot of city and county councils that don’t even know about the many great organizations in their own community creating change and positively impacting lives. These local organizations might not be known if they don’t have the infrastruct... --- ## Sacramento County Public Health Department: Strategic communication for public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/sacramento-county-public-health-department-strategic-communication-for-public-health/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 62 > Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth traveled to Sacramento, CA to deliver an in-person spokesperson training for staff at the Sacramento Public Health Department. Participants... Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth traveled to Sacramento, CA to deliver an in-person spokesperson training for staff at the Sacramento Public Health Department. Participants learned how to incorporate an overall strategy to frame the role of public health, to craft strategic messages that address health equity, and how to deliver messages in high pressure settings. --- ## Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers: Powermapping and message development training series URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/rural-association-of-northern-california-health-officers-powermapping-and-message-development-training-series/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 69 > Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Katherine Schaff and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, held a two part training series for the Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers (RANCHO). The webinars focused on... Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Katherine Schaff and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, held a two part training series for the Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers (RANCHO). The webinars focused on powermapping and message development. BMSG provided further technical assistance to California Center for Rural Policy staff and to local health departments to help them apply what they have learned from the webinars to their local needs and contexts. --- ## Missouri Foundation for Health: Media advocacy to advance firearm suicide prevention goals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/missouri-foundation-for-health-media-advocacy-to-advance-firearm-suicide-prevention-goals/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 59 > BMSG trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth delivered a media advocacy training for the Missouri Foundation for Health as part of their firearm suicide prevention work. During the virtual... BMSG trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth delivered a media advocacy training for the Missouri Foundation for Health as part of their firearm suicide prevention work. During the virtual training, participants learned about the role of the news in shaping narratives about firearm suicide, what makes a story newsworthy, and how to create a media and communications strategy. --- ## All Children Thrive Modesto and Santa Ana: Introduction to media and strategic communication URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/all-children-thrive-modesto-and-santa-ana-introduction-to-media-and-strategic-communication/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 55 > Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow led a series of training sessions for youth leaders from All Children Thrive’s Modesto and Santa Ana chapters. The youth leaders participated in... Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow led a series of training sessions for youth leaders from All Children Thrive’s Modesto and Santa Ana chapters. The youth leaders participated in an introductory workshop on media and strategic communication to help equip them with the skills to become effective media advocates for their communities. --- ## Health Officer Association of California: Strategic communication and media spokesperson training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/health-officer-association-of-california-strategic-communication-and-media-spokesperson-training/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 77 > Berkeley Media Studies Group was out in full force with BMSG director Lori Dorfman, Health Equity Coordinator Katherine Schaff, and the training team’s... Berkeley Media Studies Group was out in full force with BMSG director Lori Dorfman, Health Equity Coordinator Katherine Schaff, and the training team’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, Rosaura Wardsworth, and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas. The BMSG team traveled to Lake Tahoe,CA to present at the California Conference of Local Health Officers. Participants learned all about the Layers of Strategy and got hands-on experience with power mapping, framing, and messaging. --- ## Missouri Foundation for Health: Communicating effectively about firearm suicide prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/missouri-foundation-for-health-communicating-effectively-about-firearm-suicide-prevention-3/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 61 > Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas traveled to the midwest to the Missouri Foundation for Health headquarters. BMSG delivered a presentation to a cohort of... Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas traveled to the midwest to the Missouri Foundation for Health headquarters. BMSG delivered a presentation to a cohort of firearm suicide prevention advocates. Participants learned how to continue developing messages that highlight systems change solutions, how to apply messages to public speaking opportunities, and even learned a few media tactics. --- ## The HOME Cohort: Communicating effectively about domestic violence and homelessness URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/the-home-cohort-communicating-effectively-about-domestic-violence-and-homelessness/ Type: events Modified: 2024-12-05 Words: 70 > Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Ingrid Daffner Krasnow and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas delivered a virtual training to a cohort of agencies working to improve the safety and economic security of... Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Ingrid Daffner Krasnow and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas delivered a virtual training to a cohort of agencies working to improve the safety and economic security of women who are experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence. Participants learned how to apply the media advocacy research to create effective messages about the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness, best practices for interviewing, and how to approach difficult questions. --- ## Missouri Foundation for Health: Communicating effectively about firearm suicide prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/missouri-foundation-for-health-communicating-effectively-about-firearm-suicide-prevention-2/ Type: events Modified: 2024-11-20 Words: 61 > Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas traveled to the Midwest to the Missouri Foundation for Health headquarters. BMSG delivered a presentation to a cohort of... Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas traveled to the Midwest to the Missouri Foundation for Health headquarters. BMSG delivered a presentation to a cohort of firearm suicide prevention advocates. Participants learned how to continue developing messages that highlight systems change solutions, how to apply messages to public speaking opportunities, and even learned a few media tactics. --- ## Spokesperson Training for End Hepatitis C San Francisco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/spokesperson-training-for-end-hepatitis-c-san-francisco/ Type: events Modified: 2024-11-15 Words: 89 > Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow sat down with End Hepatitis C San Francisco's Community Navigator cohorts for a listening session to hear them share their own lived experiences... Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow sat down with End Hepatitis C San Francisco’s Community Navigator cohorts for a listening session to hear them share their own lived experiences and how it shapes their storytelling strategies. BMSG traveled to San Francisco, CA to lead two in-person training sessions demonstrating how to use the Layers of Strategy to plan media advocacy activities, learning what frames are and why they matter, how to create values-based messages, and best practices in delivering messages to the public. --- ## Alcohol Epidemiology and Prevention Training Series: Communication Strategies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/alcohol-epidemiology-and-prevention-training-series-communication-strategies/ Type: events Modified: 2024-11-15 Words: 61 > Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth led a session on communications as part of the Alcohol Epidemiology and Prevention Training Series. BMSG led state alcohol epidemiologists,... Berkeley Media Studies Group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth led a session on communications as part of the Alcohol Epidemiology and Prevention Training Series. BMSG led state alcohol epidemiologists, prevention specialists, communications specialists, and data analysts from across the nation through messaging, framing, and social math concepts. Participants worked on how they can translate the science into everyday practice. --- ## Changing the story about park and green space equity: A messaging guide for advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/changing-the-story-about-park-and-green-space-equity-a-messaging-guide-for-advocates/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-02-10 Words: 7217 > Introduction Take a deep breath, and imagine: outdoor space that belongs to everyone, where all people — no matter their race or income — can breathe freely and safely. Communities... Introduction Take a deep breath, and imagine: outdoor space that belongs to everyone, where all people — no matter their race or income — can breathe freely and safely. Communities across the country are working toward that vision, building their power to literally transform the landscape and ensure that the distribution of parks and green space is equitable, that structures are in place so they remain so, and that community members are the ones leading this work. How we talk about parks and green spaces can help — or hinder — that progress. To bring park equity to scale, we need to center narratives led by those who are rooted in communities where park inequities are profound. But what is the dominant narrative about parks and green space? And how different is that dominant narrative from the narrative we want to see? Currently, dominant narratives minimize the importance of parks and green space for health and well-being. As we will see, while people think that parks are “universally good” and “nice to have,” they do not consider them essential.2 When people’s conceptualizations of parks and green spaces are “empty” of people and wildlife, it is harder for them to see the connection and value of parks to the well-being of individuals and communities — and why park and green space equity matters. In short, we need a new narrative: one that centers community and connects park and green space to health, joy, and liberation. It won’t be enough to counter these harmful narratives merely by insisting that parks and green space are essential because, oddly enough, simply rebutting an argument can reinforce it if the language does not evoke a different understanding of the problem. To transform the dominant narrative, communities need to tell their own stories, clearly connect their solutions to their values, and deliver those messages with confidence in many different venues. The narrative should be flexible so that people coming from different issue areas can see themselves in the story of park equity, elevate and articulate the intersections with their work, and support each other in building power and achieving the necessary changes to bring about park and green space equity. Our new narrative must also adapt to hold a number of policy solutions that cross different issue areas so that advocates can use it to respond to immediate needs and to build support for our long-term vision. In other words, this new narrative will need to encompass the joy of the world we want to see, not just the harms we need to rectify in the short term. That’s what this guide is for. In this resource, you will find frames, language, and communication tools that racial justice and public health advocates can use to shape a new narrative that helps decision-makers see park equity as the result of an inclusive process that can bring more green space into communities, along with the joy and liberation that parks and green space promise. To construct this tool, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) used an iterative, inclusive process that centers the experiences of those working to advance park equity, health equity, and racial justice — advocates and organizers who know that green space equity happens when processes are in place that recognize the right of residents to determine how land is used, and that mechanisms exist to make those decisions lasting and fair. As part of this work, BMSG participated in the P3 (People, Parks, and Power) initiative, which leverages community power-building in different locales around the country to transform how decisions are made about parks and green spaces. Throughout every phase of our analysis, we listened closely to P3 participants as they worked to build power to create park and green space equity, putting into practice Prevention Institute’s three-part framework of procedural, distributional, and structural equity. How we wrote this guide BMSG’s message guides, known as Yellow Books, are comprehensive guides, each based on research and deep listening, that provide advocates with consistent, strong messages, taking into account the specific policy context in which the message will be heard, the target audience, the messenger who will deliver the message, and the media context (such as in pitching stories to reporters or answering difficult questions from decision-makers). We call them Yellow Books because they are modeled after an early guide in tobacco control, known as the Yellow Book, that helped the field understand the importance of framing and media advocacy. Many of the concepts we apply to this park equity yellow book are adapted from BMSG’s prior work, which includes message guides on sexual violence, assault, and harassment;4 tobacco;6 We used multiple research methods, including news analysis, textual analysis, and in-depth interviews and listening sessions to investigate how problems and solutions about parks and green space are discussed, including who is part of the story about par... --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2024 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-at-apha-2024/ Type: post Modified: 2024-10-22 Words: 542 > Against a deeply divided political backdrop and a media landscape rife with misinformation, the theme for this year’s gathering of the American Public Health Association, Rebuilding Trust in Public Health... Against a deeply divided political backdrop and a media landscape rife with misinformation, the theme for this year’s gathering of the American Public Health Association, Rebuilding Trust in Public Health and Science, could not be more timely. BMSG is excited to join fellow researchers in Minneapolis to do our small part in fostering healthy information environments. During a pre-conference workshop, our team will be offering tips for communicating about health equity and why it matters, amid attacks on this work. Then, during our sessions on Monday, Oct. 28, we will equip advocates to communicate about difficult topics like the intersection of domestic violence and firearms, and the problematic narratives that have mischaracterized parks and green space as nice bonuses rather than as essential parts of a healthy community. We will also discuss ways to empower historically disenfranchised communities to tell their own stories and make the case for change. Detailed session information is below. We hope to see you in Minneapolis or connect with you online using #APHA2024. APHA is also live-streaming select sessions this year. Session details for other programs of the Public Health Institute, our fiscal sponsor, can be found on PHI’s website and on X at #phiAPHA. Pre-conference workshop | Recommitting to equity: The path forward in turbulent times Saturday, October 26, 20248:30 a.m. – noon CSTSeparate registration required Recent political polarization, underfunding of scientific research, and distrust of core institutions like public health agencies threaten our ability to ensure optimal health and well-being for all. As part of a half-day pre-conference workshop, BMSG researchers will review core approaches for public health leaders, practitioners, and community partners to keep in mind when they’re communicating about equity work and why it matters. As attacks on equity work increase, the techniques for effective communication — from leading with values to using plain language — matter now more than ever. Poster | Talking about domestic violence and firearms: What’s missing from narratives and how we can communicate more effectively to save lives Monday, October 28, 202410:30 – 11:30 a.m. CSTSession 3086: Violence Prevention and Control Board 8 Domestic violence and firearms are deeply interconnected, but do news narratives address that? What does this mean for those being abused? And what populations are at greatest risk? In this poster session, BMSG Director of Research & Associate Program Director Pamela Mejia will share findings from an extensive narrative-change project and highlight best practices for advocates making the case for solutions that can keep families and communities safe. Read the abstract here. Presentation | Communicating about park and green space equity Monday, October 28, 20243:15 p.m. CST Session 3288: Crafting Messages and Narrative for Health Policy Advocacy (organized by HCWG), 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. CST Parks are integral parts of our communities that benefit our health, but many neighborhoods lack them as a result of redlining, segregation, and other racist policies and practices. In this presentation, BMSG Media Researcher Hina Mahmood will share tools to communicate with decision-makers about how we can make sure all communities have access to green space — and a voice in the decision-making process. Read the abstract here. --- ## Messaging guide for communicating about overdose prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/message-guide-for-communicating-about-overdose-prevention/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-13 Words: 9538 > Introduction Overdose prevention saves lives. While there are many successful and proven strategies for overdose prevention, substance use treatment, and harm reduction, they are not well-known or widely available. Worse,... Introduction Overdose prevention saves lives. While there are many successful and proven strategies for overdose prevention, substance use treatment, and harm reduction, they are not well-known or widely available. Worse, they are characterized as controversial and plagued by misinformation. For many people living with substance use disorder or people who use drugs, including prescription opioids and illicit fentanyl, there are many barriers keeping them from receiving adequate and high-quality information and care, which can lead to poorer health outcomes and increased risk of death, particularly among Black, Indigenous, communities of color and LGBTQ+ communities. While some have taken to social media to share life-saving information, local leaders and advocates are continuously working to counter misinformation, stigma, and pushback from the public, service providers, law enforcement, and government leaders. To support advocates and local leaders in their efforts to communicate effectively about substance use treatment and overdose prevention, the National Overdose Prevention Network (NOPN), based at the Public Health Institute’s Center for Health Leadership and Impact, partnered with Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) to develop messaging and communication resources. This guide provides recommendations and resources for local leaders and advocates developing strategies to communicate about overdose prevention with a range of audiences. It includes examples that focus on key issue areas that emerged from our conversations with experts: stigma against people who use substances, pushback against policies like harm reduction efforts and substance use treatment, and unique considerations for rural communities. What we did: BMSG researchers analyzed existing resources from around the U.S. on communicating about overdose prevention, including toolkits, webinars, and reports. We also interviewed a range of overdose prevention experts across rural and urban California, including physicians, outreach workers, health educators, law enforcement, and coalition leaders to gain first-hand insights into the unique challenges and opportunities they see for effective communication about overdose prevention. We engaged with additional reviewers with expertise in overdose prevention to evaluate sample messages and provide recommendations for improvement. Our hope is that leaders and community supporters will use this guide as a resource for ideas whenever they need to talk about overdose prevention. We offer a roadmap with concrete recommendations to develop effective, strategic communications: Step 1 describes “overall strategy” — the reason messages are developed, and the context in which messages are delivered. We start there because before you can have an effective message, you need to know your overall goal and have a plan for achieving it. You can think of your overall strategy as the destination for your roadmap. Step 2 offers concrete advice on constructing messages that help people manage complicated views about substance use and move them toward supporting overdose prevention efforts. You can think of your message strategy as signs to guide your audience towards your destination or overall goal. Step 3 provides recommendations for getting your messages out to your target audience (in other words, your access strategy) and preparing for communication challenges. You can think of these as routes to reach your desired audiences. These steps are informed by BMSG’s approach to and experience in strategic communication, and each of the recommendations is grounded in our analysis of advocacy materials and interviews with experts. Throughout the guide, you will also find links to resources from NOPN and other groups to build on these recommendations and provide additional information. Step 1: Define your overall strategy: What do you want people to do? Before you can decide what to say, you must know what you want to change, who has the power to change it, and why it needs to be changed. In other words, message is never first. Often when people don’t know what to say, it means they don’t know what to do. A clear overall strategy helps to define your “destination” or goal. With a specific and well-defined goal, you can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your communication: It will help you allocate time, money, and effort towards reaching that goal or destination. Key questions for your overall strategy What issue or problem do you want to address? How you define the problem affects how people think about solving it. In trying to communicate about how big, and how important, overdose prevention is, it can be tempting to try and say everything that you know about overdose prevention any time you have the opportunity to talk about it. Resist that urge, and remember: it is impossible to be comprehensive and strategic at the same time. Instead, to make your statement of the problem clear and understandable, focus o... --- ## ‘Don’t think of a soda’: Contradictory public health messaging from a content analysis of Twitter posts about sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in California from 2015 to 2018 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/dont-think-of-a-soda-contradictory-public-health-messaging-from-a-content-analysis-of-twitter-posts-about-sugar-sweetened-beverage-taxes-in-california-from-2015-to-2018/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-07-11 Words: 246 > Abstract To show how sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes were framed in posts on Twitter (now known as X) through text and images, we conducted a content analysis on a sample... Abstract To show how sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes were framed in posts on Twitter (now known as X) through text and images, we conducted a content analysis on a sample of Tweets from California users posted between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 about SSB taxes in Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and/or Albany, California. We evaluated posts for information sources, arguments for or against SSB tax policies, and images used. We found that posts presented a mix of messages through text and images. The majority of posts (64%) included arguments supporting SSB taxes, 28% presented a neutral position (e.g., factual information) or a mix of both pro-and anti-tax arguments, and 8% opposed. One-third of posts included an image, almost half of which appeared to be stock photos from SSB advertisements: many of these were shared by medical and public health users. Some tax supporters also reposted messages and images from opposition campaigns and added their own criticisms. By reposting opponents’ anti-tax messages and images of SSBs, tax supporters may have inadvertently promoted SSBs, reinforced opposition to SSB taxes, and normalized SSBs. While advocates effectively shared pro-tax arguments, they should also ensure that accompanying images reflect the solutions they seek, not just the problem they are trying to combat. Full text To view the full text, visit the journal Frontiers in Public Health at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1390253/full. --- ## Women’s everyday experiences must be at the center of abortion stories URL: https://www.bmsg.org/womens-everyday-experiences-must-be-at-the-center-of-abortion-stories/ Type: post Modified: 2024-06-24 Words: 1194 > In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, journalists have been working tirelessly to show how continued efforts to restrict abortion impact the lives of women... In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, journalists have been working tirelessly to show how continued efforts to restrict abortion impact the lives of women and pregnant people. We regularly hear horrifying stories, like that of a Tennessee woman whose state forced her to carry a high-risk pregnancy even though the embryo had implanted itself in scar tissue. Or the story of a South Carolina woman who had to travel out of state for an abortion after her IUD failed. Or the tragedy of a 13-year-old girl from Mississippi who gave birth after being raped and impregnated by a stranger. These stories are all important, and they desperately need to be told. Further, they signal a needed increase in abortion coverage that features women’s voices: BMSG research found that only 8% of stories about abortion from 2014-2015 included women’s personal experiences. The trouble is, the horrific stories we’re seeing in news coverage are not representative of the most common reasons — beyond medical concerns — that 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in their lifetime: because having a baby would interfere with her education or work goals, because of financial inability to provide for a child, or because another child would inhibit them from caring for children they already have. No one should have to suffer to deserve access to abortion. If we truly want to remove the stigma from this basic form of reproductive health care, which a majority of Americans continue to support, then a broader spectrum of abortion stories — ones that reflect ordinary life — need to be told, too. My story is just that — not gruesome, or tragic, or shocking — but ordinary. At age 19, I found myself alone in a grocery store bathroom, staring at a positive pregnancy test, absolutely stunned. It was summer 2020, and I was back in my hometown as a result of the pandemic. I had been seeing an old friend again — first for socially distanced walks and picnics in the park, and then romantically. Amidst the heightened anxiety of the times, we took comfort in the familiar — in each other. When I found out I was pregnant, he was getting ready to leave for college, and I was desperate to get back to the life I had been building for myself in my own college town. As a First-Generation Lower-Income (FGLI) student at the university of my dreams, my opportunity to attend school meant more to me than anything else. And as the daughter of generations of women who had sacrificed their aspirations for their children and families, I felt I owed it to them to focus wholeheartedly on my education and career. For me, having an abortion didn’t feel like a choice — it felt like the only path forward to honor myself and the women who came before me. I went alone to a clinic, too overcome with shame to even tell anyone, let alone ask someone to come with me. Making that choice — in rural Ohio, no less — was incredibly difficult. But it was mine. And it was right. When I arrived at the clinic, I sobbed in the waiting room. The kind doctor who provided my care sat next to me, asked if the decision I was making was my own, and if I was certain of it. “I’m sad, but I’m sure,” I told her. “You’re saving my life.” And she was. She was preserving the possibility of the future that I’d always dreamed of. At BMSG, we regularly advise public health professionals and advocates to include social determinants of health — the contexts in which people live that contribute to their degree of wellness — when making the case for policies that decrease inequities and advance social justice. When it comes to abortion, the storied, full life of the woman seeking one makes up the landscape in which that choice is made. My abortion — like all abortions — did not happen in a vacuum. It took into account my own health, history, financial status, relationships, career trajectory, dreams, and goals. Too often, narratives about abortion do not acknowledge these truths, treating the woman involved as merely a vehicle — or a victim — rather than a full-fledged person. Anti-choice advocates have historically used such narratives and images, which center the fetus and omit the woman, to gain traction and chip away at reproductive freedom. BMSG’s 2017 research, for example, found language that personified the fetus present in 35% of news stories sampled. By contrast, the same research found that women disclosed their abortion experiences using their full name in less than 3% of mainstream print and online stories about abortion. Increasing women’s visibility and agency in stories about abortion strengthens pro-choice advocacy. Further, acknowledging the full spectrum of emotions a woman may (or may not) have about getting an abortion is also important. The anti-choice movement has successfully leveraged women’s pain to garner support. Our 2017 research found that stigma is perpetuated in the news by stories that frame abortion as emotionally and psychologically harmful. One way to fig... --- ## Finding that safe space: News about domestic violence and homelessness in California — and finding opportunities to build narrative power URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/finding-that-safe-space-news-about-domestic-violence-and-homelessness-in-california-and-finding-opportunities-to-build-narrative-power/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-06-08 Words: 6757 > Introduction We all want to see our fellow Californians safe and stably housed. Everyone deserves a space to call home, and advocates have worked toward this goal for decades. Similarly,... Introduction We all want to see our fellow Californians safe and stably housed. Everyone deserves a space to call home, and advocates have worked toward this goal for decades. Similarly, journalists have written an abundance of articles about the state’s housing crisis and efforts to end it. Yet a driving factor behind the crisis is going largely unreported in news coverage: domestic violence. News coverage rarely elevates the reality that as many as 57% of all homeless women report domestic violence (DV) as the immediate cause of their homelessness,1 or that 80% of unhoused women with children say they have experienced domestic violence, according to multiple studies.2,3 News outlets also frequently overlook how factors like the high cost of housing, under-resourced and overcrowded shelters that fail to take into account the needs of survivors, and discrimination from landlords against DV survivors all make it difficult for women to leave abusive situations.4 Other systemic barriers complicating the issue but often left out of stories about housing include low wages, increased caregiving duties, and mortgage lender discrimination against women. Some studies have also found gaps in the coverage of Black, Latine, and Indigenous groups who experience disproportionately higher rates of homelessness and DV,4 while over-representing their white counterparts in the news.5 Housing discrimination is also prevalent among trans, nonbinary, and other genderqueer adults.6 If we want the public and policymakers to fully understand California’s housing crisis — and how best to address it — we must look at the role that gender inequities, including domestic violence, play in fueling it. Narratives that frame these politically fraught issues as distinct and intractable can distort how the public and policymakers perceive them. To be sure, communicating about the intersections of such complex topics is challenging. Still, we know it can be done. In the summer of 2021, for instance, the staff at LAist published a series called “Pushed Out: How Domestic Violence Became The No. 1 Cause of Women’s Homelessness in L.A.,” thanks to a grant from the Blue Shield of California Foundation. The series elevated the lived experiences of Southern California women surviving abuse and homelessness, examined how social safety net failures had contributed to their situations, and shared prevention strategies from advocates. A year later, the Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI) drove additional coverage of these issues when it released a report called “Gender and Housing in California: An Analysis of the Gender Impacts of California’s Housing Affordability Crisis.”7 Following the report’s publication, the Los Angeles Times ran an article trumpeting the report’s findings “that women, particularly women of color and single mothers, are more likely to spend more than a third of their income on housing.”8 The article was rich with statistics and quotes from leaders like Betsy Butler, executive director of the California Women’s Law Center, who told the Times: “What can you afford if you’re not getting paid what you’re worth? You certainly can’t afford to live in Los Angeles, let alone raise a family in a healthy manner.” The article went on to discuss domestic violence specifically, noting that it “can lead to an array of financial and housing insecurity.” The Los Angeles Times wasn’t the only outlet to cover the report. ABC 7 aired a segment about it,9 and the Sacramento Business Journal ran an article with a special focus on increased rent burdens among women of color.10 The trouble is that these examples are outliers. When our research team examined California-based news about housing and domestic violence, we found that only a fraction of articles discussed the connection between the issues. For every article that made that link, dozens of others did not. To better understand how domestic violence and California’s housing crisis appear in news coverage, we examined not only the volume of coverage but also how these issues are framed, whose voices are represented, whether solutions are present, and more. We also drew insights from our findings to provide recommendations to advocates who are looking to elevate the connection between domestic abuse and housing insecurity. Although gender-based violence and housing are both complex social issues that require nuanced approaches, breaking down silos and exposing how they intersect is an important first step toward ensuring that every Californian, no matter their gender, race, or identity, is safe and housed. Why this project? And why now? In 2021, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) worked with the Housing Opportunities Mean Everything (HOME) Cohort, funded by Women’s Foundation California, to identify and explore opportunities for narrative change. The HOME Cohort includes six DV agencies throughout California working to improve the safety and economic security of women in the state who are expe... --- ## 5 narrative change strategies for highlighting the connection between housing insecurity and domestic violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/5-narrative-change-strategies-for-highlighting-the-connection-between-housing-insecurity-and-domestic-violence/ Type: post Modified: 2024-05-21 Words: 1489 > For Sammie Rayner, longtime advocate for people experiencing homelessness, lasting narrative change is only possible when we elevate women’s voices. Many social issues, including our lack of stable and affordable... For Sammie Rayner, longtime advocate for people experiencing homelessness, lasting narrative change is only possible when we elevate women’s voices. Many social issues, including our lack of stable and affordable housing, have unique and disparate impacts on people who identify as women, yet that reality is often missing from news coverage. How news covers social problems shapes what solutions the public and policymakers see as viable, so the omission of women’s perspectives makes necessary, lasting change more elusive. 80% of unhoused women with children report having experienced domestic violence prior to losing their housing, said Rayner, who serves as Chief Impact Officer for a San Francisco-based housing and safety nonprofit called Community Forward. Why, then, don’t we see that connection making headlines? Research conducted by Berkeley Media Studies Group, in partnership with the Housing Opportunities Mean Everything (HOME) Cohort, confirms Community Forward’s observation that the news media usually report on housing and domestic violence as separate issues. Our study, forthcoming May 30, found extremely limited news coverage that made explicit connections between the two issues. Community Forward is striving to shift the narrative surrounding these issues, not only to help the public see them as intertwined, but also to demonstrate why addressing homelessness and domestic violence matters for everyone. Community Forward seeks to expand the public’s understanding of homelessness — specifically as a women’s issue and, broadly, as a systemic failure and a crisis of inequity. The connection between homelessness and domestic violence is also apparent in who is most harmed: Black, Latine and Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by homelessness, and Black, Latine, Indigenous and Asian communities experience high rates of domestic violence. Although Community Forward does not define itself as a domestic violence organization, the interconnection of housing and domestic violence means that Community Forward’s work — both on the organizing front and the messaging front — must address both issues simultaneously. They do so by centering women. “We believe that we’re going to revitalize and we’re going to bring our city back,” Rayner said. “And if we’re going to do that, we need to do it together, and women should be at the heart of it. Women create community. Women prioritize safety. Women are innovators and are resilient. And if we invest in women, we think that’s going to make [the biggest difference].” That is the mindset that Community Forward staff bring to their work, whether they are connecting a resident with transitional housing, providing trauma-informed support and case management, or describing their safety-net services to a reporter. While there is still a dearth of coverage connecting domestic violence and the lives of people who are unhoused, some successes of narrative change work — at Community Forward and beyond — are clear in the San Francisco Chronicle‘s coverage of these intersecting issues. “Unhoused women must confront challenges from how to afford tampons to how to protect their bodies. Many survive abuse that pushes them into homelessness, while others are assaulted living on the streets or inside city homelessness facilities,” an article from August 2023 reads. More recently, The Chronicle covered a UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative study that found that experiencing domestic violence increases the risk of homelessness for survivors, specifically for women who have very little financial means. To learn more about Community Forward’s approach to narrative change work, BMSG spoke with Rayner and Felicia Torrez, the organization’s Director of Development. Below are five lessons from Community Forward, which can be applied to advocacy efforts in housing, violence, and beyond. Recommendations for advocates on changing the narrative 1. Position individual stories as examples of systemic failure — and opportunities for systemic solutions Community Forward stressed the importance of showing how systems shape individual stories. Staff members work collaboratively across teams to ensure their storytelling efforts highlight a person’s lived experience and situate it within the broader context of the housing crisis. “Having a really close dialogue between who’s doing your media and your storytelling and your programs team [is important]. Felicia and I try to spend a lot of time with them so that our messaging is reflecting what we’re seeing on the ground,” Rayner said. Further, Community Forward employs a solutions-based approach to systemic failures that requires city-wide collaboration and community building. “We want to be part of the solution, not just for unhoused people, but [for] our community’s healing and safety,” Rayner said. 2. Elevate authentic voices Messengers matter in narrative change — it’s not just the words we say, but who gets to say them. In th... --- ## Worksheet: Message development URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/worksheet-message-development/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-02-02 Words: 19 > A resource to help advocates practice developing core components of a message and combining them into a cohesive statement. A resource to help advocates practice developing core components of a message and combining them into a cohesive statement. --- ## Media advocacy worksheet: Overall strategy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/uploads-2024-02-overall_strategy_bmsg-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-02-02 Words: 117 > Before trying to get media attention for the issue you are working on — or determining what your message is going to be — you and your coalition need to... Before trying to get media attention for the issue you are working on — or determining what your message is going to be — you and your coalition need to have clarity in your overall advocacy goals, as well as the steps you will take to achieve them. Answering the questions in this worksheet will help you identify what information you need to move forward and what immediate steps you need to take. Think of this sheet as your primary guiding tool: Your media strategy and message strategy should derive from your overall strategy, so all your actions are in alignment with your advocacy goals. Download the worksheet > Download the Spanish version (Descarga la hoja de ejercicios) > --- ## Layers of strategy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/uploads-2024-02-layers_of_strategy_bmsg-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-02-02 Words: 62 > This document outlines BMSG's four-stage approach to media advocacy planning, a process we call the layers of strategy. It follows the idea that message should never be first or foremost.... This document outlines BMSG’s four-stage approach to media advocacy planning, a process we call the layers of strategy. It follows the idea that message should never be first or foremost. Rather, the first and most important stage involves developing an overall strategy tied to an advocacy campaign’s specific policy goal. Media, message and media access strategies follow. --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2023 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-of-2023/ Type: post Modified: 2024-01-02 Words: 1609 > “We need to fight political despair wherever we find it.” — Jamelle Bouie It is an annual tradition at BMSG to curate a list of our favorite media bites from... “We need to fight political despair wherever we find it.” — Jamelle Bouie It is an annual tradition at BMSG to curate a list of our favorite media bites from the year. As our staff reads countless news articles and social media posts, sometimes we encounter quotes so moving that we write them down and return to them later for deeper consideration. These media bites serve as an opportunity to reflect on the year’s triumphs, hardships, and losses through a public health lens. They also underscore the role communication plays in advancing our collective well-being. Above all, this list is our own way of combatting despair. It reminds us that advocates everywhere are fighting to make our world better. 2023 has brought its own set of challenges for public health advocates to tackle. It has been the hottest year in recorded history, spurring climate action across the world, often led by the young people whose futures are so deeply at stake. Reproductive justice activists have fought to protect and expand abortion access and support maternal health in the post-Roe era, winning elections in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. Still, many continue to suffer at the hands of that fateful Supreme Court decision. Income inequality has worsened, housing has become more expensive, and ever-rising interest rates have made it harder for borrowers. Newsrooms continue to wrestle with difficult questions, like how to responsibly report on the violence in Gaza and beyond, and how to evolve past traditional notions of objectivity as journalism diversifies to better reflect our world. This year has taught us that the challenges we face, our lives, and our futures are deeply intertwined. See below for our Top 10 media bites for 2023, and why we like them so much. “There’s actually no way that one side is going to win,” she said. “Our futures are intertwined and the only way that we can keep ourselves alive is by keeping each other alive.” -Libby Lenkinski, vice president at the New Israel Fund, an organization that supports Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups. Appeared Nov. 17, 2023 in The New York Times. Why we like it: This quote highlights the value of interconnection. It shows that when we “other” people, we don’t just hurt them, we hurt ourselves. “More and more journalists of color and younger white reporters, including LGBTQ+ people, in increasingly diverse newsrooms believe that the concept of objectivity has prevented truly accurate reporting informed by their own backgrounds, experiences and points of view.” –Leonard Downie Jr., former executive editor of The Washington Post and professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Appeared Jan. 30, 2023 in The Washington Post. Why we like it: As increasingly diverse journalists are faced with news that often threatens their very identities, shifting away from the concept of objectivity towards transparency and truth informed by life experience only enhances the credibility of reporters and the industry at large. Further, “objectivity” is often an incomplete or narrow version of the truth that upholds the status quo and — intentionally or not — silences other voices and perspectives. “The decision and its aftermath have freed people to acknowledge — or even shocked them into realizing — that a civilized country requires access to abortion. It is possible, and I’ll even be bold enough to say that it is probable, that in Roe v. Wade’s constitutional death lies the political resurrection of the right to abortion.” -Linda Greenhouse, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Appeared Jan. 18, 2023 in The New York Times. Why we like it: Despite the tragic overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, 2023 has revitalized the reproductive justice movement, with many states voting to protect their constituents’ right to abortion. Ohioans, for example, voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution this year. This quote instills hope for future victories and elevates the tenacity and strong political will of advocates. “I don’t need to see yet another Black body splayed on my timeline to know that police brutality is real, and neither should anyone else. Black people shouldn’t have to suffer the further indignity of having their dying moments broadcast to a world that isn’t going to do anything about it anyway.” –Tayo Bero, Columnist. Appeared Jan. 31, 2023 in The Guardian. Why we like it: This quote reminds us of the terror of police violence in Black communities and invites readers to contemplate an ongoing debate within journalism about where the line should be drawn between truth and voyeurism. While showing too little can draw criticism of censorship, showing too much, as this writer points out, risks exploiting, dehumanizing, and even retraumatizing entire communities. “Instead of pushing culture wars and partisanship, lawmakers should focus on the 800 people dying each day from poverty in the wealthiest nation on earth. Our p... --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2023 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-at-apha-2023/ Type: post Modified: 2024-02-22 Words: 1048 > This year’s American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Expo — “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges” — exemplifies public health practitioners’ and advocates’ ultimate goal amid... This year’s American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Expo — “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges” — exemplifies public health practitioners’ and advocates’ ultimate goal amid current threats from rampant climate change, violence, and inequity. Despite the enormity of these challenges, the theme also offers hope and points to opportunities to strengthen our public infrastructure so that we can tackle these and other pressing issues together. To bolster advocates’ efforts to make a more effective case for creating safe, equitable, healthy communities, BMSG will be presenting findings from our research on how the news characterizes a range of issues, from anti-hunger programs to the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness. Knowing how issues appear in the media offers advocates a window into how the public and policymakers are likely to understand social problems and what we can do to address them. It can also inform advocates’ communication strategies and help journalists tell a more complete story about the social and environmental context for health. We hope you’ll be able to join us at APHA, Nov. 12-15 in Atlanta, or view our sessions virtually. See below for detailed session information, and engage with us online using #APHA2023. Session details for other Public Health Institute programs can be found on PHI’s website and on X (formerly Twitter) at #phiAPHA. Safe at home: News coverage about domestic violence and homelessness in California, and opportunities to build narrative power Monday, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. ET Homelessness and domestic violence (DV) are inextricably linked, but they’re not always understood that way, in part because communicating about the intersections of such complex topics can be challenging. Narratives that frame these politically fraught issues as distinct and intractable can limit how they are understood by policymakers and the public. Berkeley Media Studies Group has partnered with the Housing Opportunities Mean Everything (HOME) Cohort to identify and explore opportunities for narrative change in California. In this session led by Sarah Perez-Sanz, media researcher at BMSG, we will lay a foundation to help advocates begin to shift the narrative about why addressing homelessness and DV matters for everyone. View the presentation slides. The news about rollover protective structures: Findings from an analysis of news from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri Monday, Nov. 13, 2:30 p.m. ET Tractor rollovers are the leading cause of death among farmers. Rollover protective structures (ROPS) — bars or cabs installed above the seats on tractors manufactured before 1985 — prevent death and severe injury and, when used with a seatbelt, they are 99% effective in preventing fatalities from tractor overturns. Yet, these structures remain underused, partly because of a lack of public investment. Access to ROPS represents a health equity issue, as smaller farms with fewer resources are more likely to be using older tractors on uneven or hilly farmland, and small farms are particularly affected by cost as a barrier to installing ROPS. This session, presented by BMSG Media Researcher Sarah Perez-Sanz, will discuss how public health practitioners can work with the news media to build understanding of the risks of farming and how ROPS can prevent death or injury. With more news attention, policymakers could turn their attention to farm safety policies, such as ROPS, that are key to improving community health. View the poster. Equity in Action? Assessing the role of community in declarations of racism as a public health crisis Tuesday, Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m. ET Pamela Mejia, BMSG’s associate program director and director of research, and Sarah Perez-Sanz, media researcher at BMSG, will present findings from a series of surveys, learning circles, and media analyses to examine the extent to which community basebuilding organizations (CBOs) played a role in declarations of racism as a public health crisis. The media analysis looked at which declarations were included in media coverage and how communities took part in calling for and implementing change. This session will provide an opportunity to discuss how to authentically center community in political processes and the news, based on findings from government representatives, CBOs, and the media analysis. View the presentation slides. Those who need it most: Equity framing in 2021 U.S. print news about food assistance Tuesday, Nov. 14, 12:30 p.m. ET Food assistance has been part of the U.S. social safety net for decades, although not without controversy over who should receive benefits and in what form. These issues became even more significant with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many Americans relied on food assistance programs. Our research found that, although marginalized groups were disproportionately impacted by food insecurity during the pandemic, the news media rarely fr... --- ## Caregiver Narrative Project: Caregiving as an act of resistance and a common good URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/caregiver-narrative-project-caregiving-as-an-act-of-resistance-and-a-common-good/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-02-06 Words: 123 > Caregiving — both paid and unpaid — is critical to the function of our society. But how does the public perceive this vital act? Berkeley Media Studies Group investigated narratives... Caregiving — both paid and unpaid — is critical to the function of our society. But how does the public perceive this vital act? Berkeley Media Studies Group investigated narratives surrounding caregiving in collaboration with the California Work & Family Coalition, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We identified themes across the media, nonprofits, and care sector, including the invisibility of caregiving, how that invisibility is rooted in racism and gender oppression, and tensions between notions of caregiving as an individual problem versus a shared societal responsibility for the common good. These findings later informed a series of learning circles aimed at shifting the culture around caregiving. This report documents documents the lessons learned from those discussions and outlines next steps for advocates. --- ## Pro- and anti-tax framing in news articles about California sugar-sweetened beverage tax campaigns from 2014-2018 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/pro-and-anti-tax-framing-in-news-articles-about-california-sugar-sweetened-beverage-tax-campaigns-from-2014-2018/ Type: publications Modified: 2023-10-13 Words: 1119 > Authors: Kim Garcia, Pamela Mejia, Sarah Perez-Sanz, Lori Dorfman, Kristine Madsen & Dean Schillinger Abstract Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) contribute to illness, especially among marginalized communities and children targeted by the... Authors: Kim Garcia, Pamela Mejia, Sarah Perez-Sanz, Lori Dorfman, Kristine Madsen & Dean Schillinger Abstract Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) contribute to illness, especially among marginalized communities and children targeted by the beverage industry. SSB taxes can reduce consumption, illness burden, and health inequities, while generating revenue for health programs, and as one way to hold the industry responsible for their harmful products and marketing malpractices. Supporters and opponents have debated SSB tax proposals in news coverage — a key source of information that helps to shape public policy debates. To learn how four successful California-based SSB tax campaigns were covered in the news, we conducted a content analysis, comparing how SSB taxes were portrayed. We found that pro-tax arguments frequently reported data to expose the beverage industry’s outsized campaign spending and emphasize the health harms of SSBs, often from health professionals. However, pro-tax arguments rarely described the benefits of SSB taxes, or how they can act as a tool for industry accountability. By contrast, anti-tax arguments overtly appealed to values and promoted misinformation, often from representatives from industry-funded front groups. As experts recommend additional SSB tax proposals, and as the industry mounts legislative counter-tactics to prevent them, advocates should consider harnessing community representatives as messengers and values-based messages to highlight the benefits of SSB taxes. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar in the American diet and contribute to higher risks of diet-related diseases such as diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). SSBs are affordable and more readily available in vending machines, fast food establishments, and supermarkets than healthier options (Rehm, Matte, Van Wye, Young, & Frieden, 2008). SSBs maintain their popularity through the beverage industry’s aggressive marketing, supported by enormous budgets (Wood et al., 2021). Evidence shows that the industry intentionally targets communities of color (Dowling, Roberts, Adjoian, Farley, & Dannefer, 2020) – including children and youth (Powell, Hearris, & Fox, 2013) – and profits from unregulated, racialized marketing practices (Barnhill et al., 2022). These unchecked practices worsen health outcomes, especially for lower-income communities and communities of color (Roesler, Rojas, & Falbe, 2021). Several studies have established the link between added sugars and diet-related diseases, and many experts recommend the use of excise taxes on SSBs to reduce consumption and generate revenue for health programs (Brownell et al., 2009; Malik & Hu, 2022). Multiple states and localities across the U.S. have attempted — and failed — to pass SSB taxes between 2008 and 2014. These campaigns shed light on the beverage industry’s aggressive lobbying and tactics to oppose SSB taxes. The industry has protected its interests by using the media to undermine science (Du, Tugendhaft, Erzse, & Hofman, 2018) and to portray itself as an advocate for social and racial justice by funding front groups that create the appearance of community-based public opposition (Berkeley Media Studies Group, 2007; Nixon, Mejia, Cheyne, & Dorfman, 2015). Between 2014 and 2018, four California cities (Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany) led successful campaigns to impose excise taxes on SSBs to improve public health and hold the beverage industry responsible for their contributions to health inequities (Madsen, 2020). These taxes, levied on SSB distributors, aim to reduce disease risk and raise revenue for local government programs that support the health of their population. We now know that the revenue generated from these taxes has been allocated for health and social initiatives, including universal pre-kindergarten, job training, healthy food access, and emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Krieger, Magee, Hennings, Schoof, & Madsen, 2021; University of Washington, 2022). In addition, such taxes have been shown to reduce purchasing and consumption of SSBs (Petimar, Gibson, & Roberto, 2022; Roberto et al., 2019). To date, three other cities in the United States and the Diné (Navajo) Nation and more than 50 countries around the world have instituted SSB taxes, suggesting they are an increasingly important and accepted tool in the public health toolbox. In response, since 2017, the beverage industry has employed preemption as a legislative strategy to encourage state governments to prohibit local government tax initiatives (Crosbie, Pomeranz, Wright, Hoeper, & Schmidt, 2021). Supporters and opponents have debated SSB tax proposals in news outlets, which are a key source of information for the public and registered voters. News coverage provides an important window into the public discourse because journalists’ decisions about whether to cover an issue can raise its profile, while issues tha... --- ## Equity in action: Assessing the role of community in declarations of racism as a public health crisis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/equity-in-action-assessing-the-role-of-community-in-declarations-of-racism-as-a-public-health-crisis/ Type: publications Modified: 2023-09-29 Words: 133 > What role did community base-building organizations (CBOs) play in advancing declarations of racism as a public health crisis? And how were those declarations were covered in the media? In this... What role did community base-building organizations (CBOs) play in advancing declarations of racism as a public health crisis? And how were those declarations were covered in the media? In this brief, we answer those questions and present additional findings from a series of surveys, Learning Circles, and media analyses designed by The Praxis Project and Berkeley Media Studies Group. We examined the community’s involvement in writing, passing, and implementing the declarations; we mapped, categorized, and assessed news coverage about declarations from across the country, focusing on how community voices and perspectives appeared; and we examined how proponents of the declarations are framing their work. Based on this research, we also provide recommendations derived from government representatives and CBOs on how to authentically center community in political processes. Download the report > --- ## Blue Shield of California Foundation Webinar: Exploring the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/blue-shield-of-california-foundation-webinar-exploring-the-intersection-between-domestic-violence-and-homelessness/ Type: events Modified: 2023-08-24 Words: 122 > Through a partnership with the Blue Shield of California Foundation, Berkeley Media Studies Group's Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Kim Garcia conducted a webinar to explore how the... Through a partnership with the Blue Shield of California Foundation, Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Kim Garcia conducted a webinar to explore how the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness are portrayed in the news. The webinar drew over a hundred registrants and served as an opportunity for advocates and journalists to gather and learn how strategic communication can help advance policy goals related to these two inextricably linked issues. Media researcher Kim Garcia walked participants through an in-depth news analysis while Krasnow and Martinez Cuestas tackled media and message strategy. Webinar attendees were invited to attend a smaller, follow-up interactive training to focus on answering difficult questions, pivoting and media interviewing. --- ## Equity in action: How communities can drive implementation of declarations of racism as a public health crisis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/equity-in-action-how-communities-can-drive-implementation-of-declarations-of-racism-as-a-public-health-crisis/ Type: events Modified: 2023-08-28 Words: 239 > The Collaborative for Anti-Racism & Equity (CARE) hosted a webinar on the work being done to support and address the role of community declarations of racism as a public health... The Collaborative for Anti-Racism & Equity (CARE) hosted a webinar on the work being done to support and address the role of community declarations of racism as a public health crisis. BMSG’s Hina Mahmood and Pamela Mejia presented their findings from a media analysis that showed how the declarations of racism as a public health crisis were presented in the news, whose perspectives dominated the coverage, and if the news portrayed community playing an active role in the policy process. Presenters also discussed key topics such as: Barriers to achieving racial equity How governmental programs to achieve racial equity comply with the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Community involvement in declarations of racism as a public health crisis and identifying opportunities for community to be authentically centered in political processes Limitations and opportunities for narrative change in news coverage of policy efforts to declare racism a public health crisis The history of declarations and their role in public health American Public Health Association’s racism declarations tracking map Other presenters included: Catherine Labiran, The Praxis Project Lawrence Haynes, American Public Health Association Dawn Hunter, Network for Public Health Law Camara Jones, O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination, and Global Health Crystal Lewis, The Institute for Healing, Justice & Equity Ruqaiijah Yearby, The Institute for Healing, Justice & Equity View the full webinar recording and related resources here. --- ## Who counts as an expert? Rethinking which sources — and solutions — are featured in news coverage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/who-counts-as-an-expert-rethinking-which-sources-and-solutions-are-featured-in-news-coverage/ Type: post Modified: 2023-08-23 Words: 969 > No matter how severe a problem, statistics don’t speak for themselves. Reporters must continually work to find sources who can help interpret the data — and humanize it. To do... No matter how severe a problem, statistics don’t speak for themselves. Reporters must continually work to find sources who can help interpret the data — and humanize it. To do so, BMSG often recommends that journalists connect with sources who we refer to as “authentic voices” — those whose stories are grounded in lived experience. Time and again, we see their impact, from niche outlets to national newspapers to lifestyle magazines. For example, this article from Vogue shows how policy decisions made by people with power shape the lives of those without it. By highlighting the stories of five individuals who terminated their pregnancies, the author also helps to decrease the stigma surrounding medication abortion following the end of Roe v. Wade. Yet, as compelling as these sources with lived experience can be, they often leave out another key aspect of responsible journalism that BMSG urges reporters to include: systemic solutions. Examining problems without also exploring solutions is “like pointing out your children’s mistakes every morning and then expecting that they’ll become better people,” David Bornstein, co-founder of Solutions Journalism Network, once wrote in a blog for Greater Good. The omission is hardly surprising. BMSG research over three decades has found that both authentic voices and solutions are underrepresented in coverage of public health issues. Our research since the start of the pandemic has revealed another nuance: When authentic voices or solutions are included, they appear separate from each other. In other words, stories that quoted community members focused mostly on the problem side of the equation, highlighting personal hardships and, at times, triumphant comebacks. Similarly, when solutions were discussed, they did not come from people whose opinions were formed from direct experience; instead, they came mostly from government or business officials. This pattern held true across news coverage of many topics including food assistance, housing and health equity, racism as a public health crisis, and our country’s recovery from COVID. The most telling data came from stories about how racism harms health: 92% of articles quoted government leaders, yet only 24% of articles quoted community members. And while our researchers found that journalists often described “regular people” as collective agents of change, with 4 out of 10 articles mentioning community-led calls for racial justice, fewer than 2 out of 10 articles showed the role that community members played in passing and implementing actual declarations of racism as a public health crisis. By contrast, the issue areas our team studied yielded only the rarest examples of authentic voices being positioned as experts in other coverage. In stories about housing, for example, personal information from unhoused people only tended to evoke pity or fear, and unhoused people were rarely quoted speaking about solutions or advocating for change. Our findings from news about the pandemic were even more bleak: Though many articles published in 2021 focused on the national goal of “recovering from the pandemic,” people who had been directly affected by job losses and other issues during COVID — including frontline workers — were largely absent from these stories. Instead, representatives from businesses large and small were overwhelmingly quoted. The dearth of these perspectives in the news could make it difficult to see the need for a sustained recovery that goes beyond helping the business sector. Why do journalists believe that people with lived experience should be strictly interviewed as victims? Why shouldn’t the people with the most direct experience of a problem have a loud voice in solving it? Recommendations Ultimately, amplifying community members’ voices and positioning them as experts who ought to have input into solving problems may be more of an organizing task than a communication directive. However, communication opportunities are often embedded in organizing. For example, advocates could connect journalists to more authentic voices so the sources in their stories speak from real experience. Similarly, advocacy organizations could provide media advocacy training to their constituents so they are prepared to be sources for reporters. Additionally, reporters can rethink what makes a source credible and what makes a particular angle newsworthy in the first place. “Why do we believe that when people cause or exacerbate problems it’s newsworthy, but when people respond thoughtfully to problems it’s not?” asked the Solutions Journalism Network’s Bornstein in an opinion piece for The New York Times. “There’s no rule book that I am aware of that says journalism should focus primarily on bad stuff.” We agree and would take that sentiment a step further, asking: Why do journalists believe that people with lived experience should be strictly interviewed as victims? Why shouldn’t the people with the most direct experience of a prob... --- ## Youth Alive: Teens on Target URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/youth-alive-teens-on-target/ Type: events Modified: 2023-08-21 Words: 152 > Berkeley Media studies group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth traveled to Youth Alive’s Oakland office to deliver a spokesperson training in person to their Teens on Target program... Berkeley Media studies group trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth traveled to Youth Alive’s Oakland office to deliver a spokesperson training in person to their Teens on Target program participants. This four-hour training centered on building capacity among Youth Alive’s Teens on Target youth leaders to communicate effectively about their violence prevention work with the news media. Martinez Cuestas and Wardsworth covered topics from navigating difficult questions to developing values focused messages that would inspire the group’s targets. Many of the teens within the training had practice giving media interviews and speaking at the capitol about violence within the Oakland area. This real life experience created the perfect opportunity for teens to learn about interviewing and public speaking from each other. Which fostered a train the trainer environment that led to healthy debates and conversation. --- ## Missouri Foundation for Health: Communicating effectively about firearm suicide prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/missouri-foundation-for-health-communicating-effectively-about-firearm-suicide-prevention/ Type: events Modified: 2023-10-11 Words: 368 > The Missouri Foundation for Health was created in the year 2000, following Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri’s conversion from nonprofit to for-profit status. It is the largest organization of... The Missouri Foundation for Health was created in the year 2000, following Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri’s conversion from nonprofit to for-profit status. It is the largest organization of its kind in the state of Missouri and one of the largest in the country. MFH is committed to making lasting positive changes in health including but not limited to behavioral health, childhood obesity, infant mortality, and firearm suicide prevention. They are committed to eliminating inequities within all aspects of health and addressing the social and economic factors that shape health outcomes. BMSG is working with Missouri Foundation for Health grantees to help them develop and deliver strategic messages about firearm violence and suicide prevention, using framing that centers health equity and activates allies, from faith-based communities to veterans. On August 15, 2023, BMSG conducted the first training in a two part series. This virtual 2-hour introductory training was designed to help MFH grantees craft and deliver effective prevention messages. During the session, BMSG trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth guided participants through hands-on exercises to practice message development and receive feedback. Early October 2023 Cuestas Martinez and Wardsworth flew to St. Louis, Missouri to meet the grantees in person at the Missouri Foundation for Health and take part in a two day convening that offered deep reflections on their firearm suicide prevention work over the past two years. The convening was filled with personal stories and encouragement from thought leaders across organizations. Wardsworth and Cuestas Martinez also offered the second training in the two part series, where they covered enhancing the grantees core messages with values-rich language, acknowledging negative feelings and showing success is possible. After enhancing their messages grantees were able to engage in mock interviews where they covered how to answer difficult questions, using plain language, pivoting, and avoiding elephant triggers. The training concluded with tips for speaking with a reporter as well as how to properly pitch a story. In September 2023 several grantees were contacted to take part in interviews for Suicide Awareness Month landing three grantees coverage in the Kansas City Beacon. This is an ongoing project for Berkeley Media Studies Group. --- ## ‘Those who need it the most’: Equity framing in 2021 U.S. print news about food assistance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/those-who-need-it-the-most-equity-framing-in-2021-u-s-print-news-about-food-assistance/ Type: publications Modified: 2023-10-13 Words: 138 > Authors: Hina Mahmood, Pamela Mejia, Sarah B. Perez-Sanz, Kim Garcia, Sarah Gollust, Jeff Niederdeppe, Erika Fowler, Laura Baum, Breeze Floyd, and Lori E. Dorfman Abstract Objective: To understand how equity appeared... Authors: Hina Mahmood, Pamela Mejia, Sarah B. Perez-Sanz, Kim Garcia, Sarah Gollust, Jeff Niederdeppe, Erika Fowler, Laura Baum, Breeze Floyd, and Lori E. Dorfman Abstract Objective: To understand how equity appeared in news about food assistance from 2021. Methods: We assessed a national sample of news articles (N=298) for equity arguments and language about racial and health equity. Results: Only 28% of coverage argued that food assistance programs promote equity. Just 6% mentioned people of color or named racial disparities in food access. Discussion: Narratives that explain how food assistance programs reduce inequities could deepen their policy appeal and broaden public perceptions around recipients. Health Equity Implications: There are opportunities for news coverage to expand the discussion of how food assistance programs improve racial and health equity outcomes. View the full text >> --- ## We keep each other safe: An interactive communications guide about reducing and preventing gun violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/we-keep-each-other-safe-an-interactive-communications-guide-about-reducing-and-preventing-gun-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2023-09-29 Words: 38 > The following resource is intended to support advocates in developing local campaigns and communication strategies to: share information about different options available to reduce harm from guns; inspire needed community... The following resource is intended to support advocates in developing local campaigns and communication strategies to: share information about different options available to reduce harm from guns; inspire needed community conversations; and empower survivors. Download the guide > --- ## From fear, division, and scarcity to hope, unity, and abundance: Building narrative power over the long haul URL: https://www.bmsg.org/from-fear-division-and-scarcity-to-hope-unity-and-abundance-building-narrative-power-over-the-long-haul/ Type: post Modified: 2023-07-12 Words: 998 > Imagine loading a news website or turning on cable news and seeing stories that reflect values like inclusivity, shared power, and liberation — not the occasional headline, but a plethora... Imagine loading a news website or turning on cable news and seeing stories that reflect values like inclusivity, shared power, and liberation — not the occasional headline, but a plethora of them. Envision seeking out local broadcasts as a source of inspiration — a window into the hard work happening by neighbors and advocates in your own community. After news about the Supreme Court’s recent decisions to dismantle affirmative action, reduce civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals, and uphold financial obstacles that make it harder for people to attend college, that might seem like a fantasy. Stories of fear, division, and scarcity surround us, drain our energy, and can make social issues seem intractable. Despite this reality, uplifting, solutions-focused stories — ones that offer an alternative narrative of hope, unity, and abundance — do exist. Right now, they are the exception rather than the norm, but we can create more of these building blocks toward long-term narrative change, in support of health for all people, regardless of where they live, what they look like, or who they love. So, how do we go about creating narratives that reflect and reinforce public health values? When groups have narrative power, they wield more than just strong messages. They are able to tell their own stories, define what’s true, and shape values, beliefs, and policies across every sector and institution. These narratives appear in everything from classroom textbooks to church sermons to museums; they get replicated in legislation, company practices and procedures, and even judicial decisions; and they are amplified in the media, becoming the water that we swim in. Although narrative power goes beyond news production, focusing on the media is nevertheless an effective way to put forward a vision for the kinds of communities we want to live in — ones where people feel valued and have the support they need to live healthy, fulfilled lives. We know it’s possible to do this because public health advocates and practitioners have already transformed the narrative landscape surrounding one of the field’s biggest challenges: tobacco. Understanding the history of tobacco control offers two key lessons: First, narratives aren’t fixed; they are mutable and can be changed, no matter how entrenched or toxic they are. Second, with a well-resourced infrastructure and clear goals, we can fight back and rewrite the narrative. Today, in most locations throughout the United States, people can fly on planes, eat in restaurants, and sit in a hospital lobby without much concern of encountering tobacco smoke. These regulations that now seem like common sense were once highly contested, in part because of changes in our media environment. During the early days of tobacco control, the industry and its neoliberal partners took control of the discourse and created personal responsibility arguments that demonized government actors and connected smoking to values like individual freedom and choice. Doing so effectively shielded Big Tobacco from criticism — and liability — for tobacco’s health consequences. After early public health efforts that focused on education, advocates and practitioners built an infrastructure to change the narrative. With help from journalists and filmmakers, we now have a narrative that elevates freedom from disease over freedom to smoke. These changes in framing didn’t just appear; they went hand-in-hand with shifts in power: Once the field of public health was able to gain support for strategies like passing excise taxes to tamp down smoking rates, public health agencies used taxes and other revenue to fund power-building work, including community organizing and policy advocacy, and media campaigns, at the local and state levels. Communication was included from the start instead of being an afterthought. By understanding changes in narrative power and infrastructure within the realm of tobacco control, we can apply similar strategies to enjoy lasting success with other issues. Today we regularly see messaging tactics, which are often ripped from Big Tobacco’s playbook, emerge in public debates about a range of social issues. These include college education (with strong appeals to individual responsibility for loan repayment); LGBTQ+ rights (with religious freedom being used as a shield to allow the erosion of civil rights); affirmative action (with messages that ignore the role of history in shaping current racial disparities); and so much else, from the COVID-19 pandemic to immigration to taxes on sugary drinks. What, then, does narrative power-building look like beyond tobacco control? On the advocacy side, we are privileged to partner with people doing the hard but essential on-the-ground organizing to make sure that those most affected by an issue are the ones with the most influential voices across a broad spectrum of issues, from health and racial equity to violence prevention and more. On the media infrastructure side, g... --- ## No one left behind: My Latino experience with media representation, erasure, and access URL: https://www.bmsg.org/no-one-left-behind-my-latino-experience-with-media-representation-erasure-and-access/ Type: post Modified: 2023-05-25 Words: 1030 > When I was in fourth grade, my dad picked me and my siblings up from school one day because of a raging storm. My father is an outdoor laborer and... When I was in fourth grade, my dad picked me and my siblings up from school one day because of a raging storm. My father is an outdoor laborer and has been since he came to the United States in his early 20s. Even today, my siblings and I know that poor weather conditions mean he gets a well-earned day off. We rushed into the car, avoiding the rain. On our way home, my father asked us (in Spanish), “Guess what I cooked today? I’ll give you a clue, it starts with an N.” “Nachos? Noodles? Nuggets?” we blurted with increasing curiosity. After a few minutes he told us, “Nope, nope, nope. Fine, I’ll tell you guys… Enchiladas!” My siblings and I regularly tease our dad, since a large part of his personality is his humor and intentional immaturity. This incident was different. While I knew that he had not received a full education back in Mexico, this was the first time I realized that my father was illiterate. Unfortunately, my dad is just one of millions of people whose illiteracy keeps him disconnected from technology and the media. What’s more, his ethnicity has resulted in erasure and underrepresentation. Elevating Latino experiences and voices Earlier this spring, I began working with Berkeley Media Studies Group. This was my first time fully immersing myself in media and communications, and I was excited to learn about the powerful ways that media can impact communities. Only a few days into my internship, I was invited to a webinar titled “Elevating Latino Experiences and Voices in News About Racial Equity: Findings and Recommendations for More Complete Coverage,” which shared new research regarding the representation of people just like me. BMSG’s research, conducted in collaboration with UnidosUS, the country’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, showed me that the type of impact the media has on one’s community depends on your identity. In this case, the numbers were telling me that I held less power than I deserved. The researchers found that Latinos were only referenced in 5.6% of news articles centered on racism and racial justice. To make matters worse, the small percentage of coverage that referenced Latinos did not show how we add value to our country; rather, articles focused mostly on problems, while only 40% of them discussed solutions. With only 11% of news analysts, reporters, and journalists being considered Latino, this fuels a lack of diversity in our media, which we know plays a major role in framing public issues and shaping public conversations. This research reinforced my experience of erasure as a Latino growing up in the Midwest. I only ever felt represented in spaces that I either created or sought out. In both high school and college, I had to escape my imposter syndrome by joining and sustaining student organizations intended to make me feel welcome. While I am grateful for those spaces, I realize how temporary they can be and how much effort I had to put in to maintain them. To this point, I still ask myself: When will feeling represented be my norm? Recommendations As part of BMSG’s collaboration with UnidosUS, the organizations were intentional in providing recommendations for journalists, advocates, and others who are interested in creating more inclusive news narratives. Some solutions include: Expand and integrate authentic voices to diversify newsroomsThe diversity of newsroom staff is important because it helps to ensure that news coverage is more accurate, relevant, and reflective of the communities they serve. When newsroom staff are diverse and represent a range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, they are better equipped to identify and report on stories that are relevant and important to diverse audiences. Furthermore, having a diverse newsroom can also help to bring new and unique ideas to foster a culture of innovation and creativity. Bridge the representation gap, making sure to uplift Latino individuals and organizationsThis is important for promoting equity and inclusion in the media industry. When Latino individuals and organizations are represented in the media, it helps to counteract historical and ongoing underrepresentation and marginalization. This can lead to a more accurate and diverse portrayal of the Latino community and help amplify our voices and perspectives. Uplifting Latino individuals and organizations in the media can have positive economic and social impacts. It can lead to increased employment and business opportunities in the media industry and can also contribute to a more vibrant and diverse media landscape. Create strategic messages that explicitly frame inequities facing Latinos as racial equity issues, while incorporating a solution-oriented approach.Framing inequities facing Latinos as racial equity issues acknowledges the role of systemic racism and structural inequalities in perpetuating these inequities. This can help to create a shared understanding among audiences of the root causes of these issues an... --- ## The news about rollover protective structures: Findings from an analysis of news from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-news-about-rollover-protective-structures-findings-from-an-analysis-of-news-from-iowa-nebraska-kansas-and-missouri/ Type: publications Modified: 2023-10-11 Words: 133 > Rollover protective structures (ROPS) can prevent fatal tractor overturns, a leading cause of death among farmers. Despite proven success, ROPS — and programs to make them more widely available to... Rollover protective structures (ROPS) can prevent fatal tractor overturns, a leading cause of death among farmers. Despite proven success, ROPS — and programs to make them more widely available to farmers — are all but absent from news coverage in key agricultural states, a news analysis, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, found. This represents a missed opportunity to demonstrate to policymakers the importance of establishing and maintaining funding to prevent the most frequent cause of death on farms. Without an increase in ROPS utilization and improved access to prevention programs, farmers, especially low-income farmers, will remain at disproportionate risk for death and injury. Authors: Sarah B. Perez-Sanz, Kim Garcia, Pamela Mejia, Lori Dorfman, Jessica Echard, Julie A. Sorensen, Pamela J. Milkovich Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23490 --- ## Connecting housing justice, health, and journalism: A guide for Bay Area news reporters URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/toolkit-connecting-housing-justice-health-and-journalism/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-03-13 Words: 73 > Today’s housing climate is the result of centuries of history, policies, and practices. To move forward, we must acknowledge the past and how it shapes our lives today. Read more... Today’s housing climate is the result of centuries of history, policies, and practices. To move forward, we must acknowledge the past and how it shapes our lives today. Read more on how journalists can uncover the roots of housing and health inequities and elevate solutions for social justice, in this new guide from the Council of Community Housing Organizations, the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, and BMSG. Download the guide > --- ## UCSF Bixby – Communicating about reproductive health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/ucsf-bixby-communicating-about-reproductive-health/ Type: events Modified: 2023-08-21 Words: 94 > BMSG trainer and strategic communication specialist Rosaura Wardsworth facilitated a virtual training for Bixby Media and Advocacy Fellows. This training was the first in a two-part series. Participants learned how... BMSG trainer and strategic communication specialist Rosaura Wardsworth facilitated a virtual training for Bixby Media and Advocacy Fellows. This training was the first in a two-part series. Participants learned how strategy is tied to media and communications work, how to recognize frames that support structural and policy change, how to incorporate racial and health equity into organizing and communication plans, and how to articulate values and speak plainly when communicating about reproductive health. The four fellows pictured here showed great enthusiasm and passion when articulating their messages and led with value focused language. --- ## The news about hunger revealed increased support for government assistance during COVID. Will it stay that way? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-news-about-hunger-revealed-increased-support-for-government-assistance-during-covid-will-it-stay-that-way/ Type: post Modified: 2023-07-14 Words: 1437 > I grew up in the rural Midwest well below the federal poverty line. Although we lived in a farming community, my parents had to get creative to make sure we... I grew up in the rural Midwest well below the federal poverty line. Although we lived in a farming community, my parents had to get creative to make sure we always had a meal on the table. Still, they never sought food assistance or signed me up for free school lunches because they worried the stigma would lead to bullying. My parents weren’t wrong to be concerned: Degrading stereotypes about people on welfare were a fixture of dominant U.S. culture during my childhood in the 80s — and once you’ve heard them enough, you start to believe them. So, my mom and dad, like many families facing similar circumstances, tried to create distance between ourselves and “other” poor people. We never talked openly about the “us-versus-them” narrative, but we feared it. Internalized it. Felt its shame. In 2020, widespread changes wrought by the pandemic began to chip away at that shame-filled narrative. As our country’s botched response to the virus threw millions of households into financial hardship, leaving people unable to afford basic necessities like food and rent, the longstanding “us-versus-them” mentality lost a lot of its power. Conversations across social media started to reflect this with popular memes like “We are in this together” and “We are not all in the same boat, but we are in the same storm.” We saw this shift mirrored in traditional news coverage: BMSG’s research on news from the first year of the pandemic showed that many stories evoked empathy for food assistance recipients, and framed them as “people like us.” We also found that there were no articles about food stamp fraud and abuse, topics that were prevalent before the pandemic. More recent research shows that this change in news coverage continued in the second year of the pandemic. To learn more about the changes unfolding, BMSG and our partners at the Collaborative on Media and Messaging for Health and Social Policy (COMM) analyzed broadcasts and stories about hunger that aired or were published between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021. The results confirmed our hunch: Stories about food stamp fraud were still rare, with references to such allegations appearing in only 6% of print articles and 3% of TV stories. Instead, our team found overwhelmingly positive portrayals of government, increased calls for a robust government role in alleviating hunger, and strong appeals to empathy. Families, in particular, were framed as needing food assistance and were mentioned in over 80% of print articles and almost half of TV clips in the context of emergency electronic benefit transfer (EBT) or providing school lunches during the pandemic. Media outlets continued to center government action in their stories, highlighting President Biden’s executive orders that expanded food assistance and increased the amount of benefits that people were eligible for. The narrative change was significant, giving advocates hope for a stronger social safety net over the long term. Finally, the public conversation around food assistance had less stigma. It seemed clearer that there is no them — it was always just us. But, as the COVID emergency ends and hunger-related benefits expire under the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, will shame and stigma return to the conversation? On one hand, headlines tell us that the hunger crisis continues (with 32 million people already receiving less food assistance), that older Americans are especially vulnerable, and that food benefit reductions are putting extra pressure on local food banks. On the other hand, we are already seeing conservative policy proposals to retract recent program expansions making the news, with headlines like: 1 in 4 could lose food stamps under a GOP bill. These states would be hit hardest; GOP eyes new work requirements for millions on Medicaid, food stamps; and Cuts to SNAP benefits will push millions over the hunger cliff. Without actively steering the narrative, these conservative proposals could shift news coverage about food assistance back toward a more stigmatized and less government-focused conversation about the programs — one that demonizes poor people and people of color. Fortunately, there are several steps advocates can take to advance their policy goals by communicating strategically through effective message development and delivery: Lead with values. If we want news outlets to maintain a broad frame that includes government accountability in stories about food assistance, we must start with a point of agreement: our values. As President Biden said in a TV clip that BMSG and COMM researchers analyzed, “These are not the values of our nation. We cannot and will not let people go hungry.” Values create space to approach the issue from a place of strength and optimism, rather than weakness or cynicism. In a time of great political division, many people are eager for messages that elevate interconnection and solidarity. Use an equity lens. An inclusive narrative about food assistance benefits everyone... --- ## P3 (Prevention Institute): Media advocacy training to advance park equity across the nation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/p3-prevention-institute-media-advocacy-training-to-advance-park-equity-across-the-nation/ Type: events Modified: 2023-08-21 Words: 389 > People, Parks, and Power (P3) is the first national funding initiative in the U.S. to support power building by community-based organizations to reverse park and green space inequities in Black,... People, Parks, and Power (P3) is the first national funding initiative in the U.S. to support power building by community-based organizations to reverse park and green space inequities in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities across the country. This initiative is led and managed by the Prevention Institute. P3 aims is to advance park and green space equity and in order to accomplish this goal they must think strategically. In this training, BMSG helped equip P3 grantees with storytelling and media advocacy skills needed to describe their work and the impact of their programs in a compelling way. Strategic communication requires communicators and storytellers to have a clear vision of what they want to change in the world, so they are better able to position their programs as main actors in creating that change. The online training pictured to the left was the first in a two-part series, the next training took place in person in Oakland, California. 14 grantee groups from across the nation met and focused on public speaking and communication strategy. Park equity is an issue that touches multiple communities and the P3 grantees work relentlessly to make sure that parks are accessible, not only in affluent areas, but all areas. Having safe and accessible parks creates a ripple effect that has the power to touch generations. The conference was filled with influential speakers like Taj James who spoke about the history and deeper meaning of parks and park equity. Grantees gathered across tables and practiced their media interviewing skills. Some had never had a media interview while others were more seasoned allowing for grantees a space to learn from each other. BMSG trainers Rosaura Wardsworth and Shaddai Martinez-Cuestas held space with grantees for a 2-hour training. Within the training grantees got the opportunity to ask questions about handling difficult questions as well as how to pitch newsworthy stories to reporters. Cuestas-Martinez took a moment during the training to break down the component of a message. Focusing heavily on values based messages with a clear solution. The conference was also filled with roundtable strategy sessions led by BMSG. The conference ultimately served as a safe space for grantees and consultants to gather and have a meeting of the minds, leaving all in attendance invigorated and excited for the years ahead. --- ## Strategic communication planning and media advocacy training with United Against Overdose URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/strategic-communication-planning-and-media-advocacy-training-with-united-against-overdose/ Type: events Modified: 2023-08-09 Words: 101 > In this virtual two-part strategic communication planning and media advocacy training, United Against Overdose worked with the BMSG staff to chart a path forward to expand overdose services and use... In this virtual two-part strategic communication planning and media advocacy training, United Against Overdose worked with the BMSG staff to chart a path forward to expand overdose services and use a harm reduction approach in Spanish and Mayan-speaking communities. This coalition was composed of leaders from UC Santa Cruz, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, NHC, and the DOPE project leaders all working hand in hand to bring much-needed resources to groups in the Bay Area. The training included hands-on activities designed to prepare coalition members to activate allies, craft compelling messages, and above all else be strategic. --- ## ROPS commentary — Addressing our fatal blind spot: Applying evidence-based solutions to reduce the most frequent cause of death on U.S. farms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/rops-commentary-addressing-our-fatal-blind-spot-applying-evidence-based-solutions-to-reduce-the-most-frequent-cause-of-death-on-u-s-farms/ Type: publications Modified: 2023-10-11 Words: 216 > Tractor overturns are the most prominent contributing factor to death on U.S. farms and have been for decades. While public health researchers hypothesized years ago that overturn fatalities would largely... Tractor overturns are the most prominent contributing factor to death on U.S. farms and have been for decades. While public health researchers hypothesized years ago that overturn fatalities would largely disappear as older tractors were replaced by newer ones, this has not happened. In the meantime, farmers continue to die in these easily preventable and tragic events. Not only are tractor rollover protective structures (ROPS) 99% effective in preventing death in the event of an overturn, a national program exists to connect farmers with ROPS. While this program has been popular with farmers, and the cost-effectiveness of providing farmers with technical support and cost-sharing rebates has been demonstrated, many states lack access to ROPS rebates, even those states with the highest number of overturn fatalities. Given the evidence, it is difficult to reconcile the lack of policy or public investment in a solution that decisively addresses the most pernicious contributor to death in the agricultural industry. In this commentary, we highlight the science behind this proven solution to tractor overturns and the essential role that the media and implementation science can play in encouraging policy-makers to save lives. Authors: Julie A. Sorensen, Pamela J. Milkovich, Lori Dorfman, Pamela Mejia, Sarah B. Perez-Sanz Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23484 --- ## The Center (Asthma Mitigation Project): Strategic storytelling to communicate about asthma mitigation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/the-center-asthma-mitigation-project-strategic-storytelling-to-communicate-about-asthma-mitigation/ Type: events Modified: 2023-03-22 Words: 176 > Storytelling can be a powerful way to elevate the service community health workers do to prevent, treat, and mitigate asthma. It can illustrate the impact of community-based health interventions. How... Storytelling can be a powerful way to elevate the service community health workers do to prevent, treat, and mitigate asthma. It can illustrate the impact of community-based health interventions. How we tell these stories can directly influence how audiences understand asthma, and what needs to be done about it. BMSG worked with grantees from the Asthma Mitigation Project to provide a foundation for storytelling as well as tools to develop strong and concise messages to enhance their stories. Grantees left this session with a host of examples to tell more holistic and ethical stories. Strategic storytelling requires that the storyteller has a clear vision of what they want to change in the world, so they are better able to position their programs as the main actors in creating that change. Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), a project of the Public Health Institute is nationally recognized for helping advocates raise their voices and be heard on public health issues from park equity to housing. This training served as an opportunity to continue to amplify community voices. --- ## Elevating Latino experiences and voices in news about racial equity: Findings and recommendations for more complete coverage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/elevating-latino-experiences-and-voices-in-news-about-racial-equity-findings-and-recommendations-for-more-complete-coverage/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-05-24 Words: 7650 > Introduction Every day, Latinos in the United States encounter — and work to dismantle — many forms of inequality. Latinos are disproportionately killed by police,1 face unaffordable rent and high... Introduction Every day, Latinos in the United States encounter — and work to dismantle — many forms of inequality. Latinos are disproportionately killed by police,1 face unaffordable rent and high risks of homelessness,2 and are more likely than non-Latino groups to experience hunger and material hardship,3 like difficulty paying bills. These are all racial injustices, rooted in fundamentally unequal systems and structures, but do we recognize them as such? And are connections between racial injustices and Latinos, the country’s largest ethnic minority, clear? Studying whether — and how — these issues appear in the news can give us answers. That’s because news institutions play a powerful role in shaping public conversations. Journalists provide both policymakers and the public with information on events, trends, social injustices, and other developments in our communities, the nation, and beyond. Knowing how issues are discussed in the media, then, gives us a baseline for understanding how people are — or aren’t — thinking about our world’s challenges, who is affected by them, and what solutions seem possible.4, 5, 6 Beyond telling stories, the news can be a powerful vehicle for positive social change. Carefully crafted news can uplift dignified and humanizing stories that reflect the power of communities whose perspectives have been excluded from history books. Too often, however, news coverage preserves, upholds, and weaponizes harmful, discriminatory, and racist narratives about people of color and marginalized communities.7 Without visibility, even the basic facts about how a societal issue affects Latinos may be lost. Furthermore, in the absence of inclusive news coverage, the contributions, challenges, and needs of Latino communities may be overlooked, or poorly understood, by policymakers, their allies in the fight for racial equity, and the public in general. For journalists to avoid causing — and compounding — harm, they must tell fair, accurate, and complete stories that feature a range of perspectives, including those of Latinos, across all reporting beats. Doing so is a critical step toward building and maintaining an inclusive, just, and transformative narrative about racial equity in the U.S. Fortunately, in recent years we’ve seen more awareness of and discussion about whether the people who tell our stories and catalog our history reflect the communities they represent. Yet, a large gap between discussion and positive action remains. Surveys from Pew Research Center have found that journalists rate the news industry poorly when it comes to diversity, especially for racial and ethnic groups.8 Indeed, according to a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, only 11% of news analysts, reporters, and journalists are Latino.9 This lack of newsroom diversity harms news quality and employee morale, and research has shown that diverse newsrooms are more profitable10 — an important consideration amid continued budget cuts and industry layoffs. Journalists and reporters of color have long protested11 against the predominantly white and male lens of news coverage, and the culture of newsrooms themselves,12 by establishing advocacy groups, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Similarly, Latino+ communities and leaders have been at the forefront of organizing around racial equity for decades, but there is concern that their perspectives and voices are underrepresented in the surging public discourse around racial equity and systemic racism.13 To gain a window into the current state of public discourse surrounding racial equity and to identify opportunities for improvement, BMSG researchers, in consultation with UnidosUS, explored how Latino communities have been represented in national news about both racism and racial equity (including news about issues like inequities in wealth, housing, and health). We reviewed news published in both print and online national outlets. We studied the content, tone, and perspectives included in or excluded from news coverage and used our findings to make recommendations for journalists, advocates, and philanthropists to expand and deepen their understanding of racial equity and to improve news coverage of Latinos. Who we are Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), a program of the Public Health Institute, was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to expanding the ability of public health professionals, journalists, and community groups to improve the systems and structures that determine health and safety. . We do this by helping people use the power of the media to make their voices heard and increase their participation in the democratic process. Our approach is grounded in three decades of examining — and working to shift — narratives around public health and social justice issues to achieve racial and health equity. UnidosUS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organ... --- ## From invisibility to inclusion: Elevating Latino voices in news about racial equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/from-invisibility-to-inclusion-elevating-latino-voices-in-news-about-racial-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2023-03-16 Words: 222 > THIS EVENT HAS ENDED. Catch a recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvlfOTENzw In recent years we’ve seen a surging public discourse in the news media around racial justice, as well as much-needed discussion... THIS EVENT HAS ENDED. Catch a recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvlfOTENzw In recent years we’ve seen a surging public discourse in the news media around racial justice, as well as much-needed discussion about whether the people who tell our stories and catalog our history reflect the communities they represent. In a new report, UnidosUS and the Berkeley Media Studies Group explore findings that show the Latino voice and experience in news about racial equity have been largely left out of the news cycle. News coverage provides an important window into the public discourse about any issue. Editorial decisions about which topics to cover—and which to omit—influence whether an issue becomes part of public discussion or remains hidden from view. What’s more, the way issues are portrayed in the news affects how the public, policymakers, and allies in the fight for racial justice understand those issues, what to do about them, and — critically — who is affected by them. This panel discussion will dig into the presence and absence of Hispanics in coverage of racial equity issues, both as sources in stories and as news creators. We will examine the steps advocates, journalists, and newsroom leadership can take to ensure more nuanced, inclusive, and accurate coverage of racial equity issues in our multiracial society. --- ## What new research tells us about anti-fatness in media narratives: Q&A with NAAFA’s Tigress Osborn URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-new-research-tells-us-about-anti-fatness-in-media-narratives-qa-with-naafas-tigress-osborn/ Type: post Modified: 2023-02-27 Words: 2289 > Over the last few years, changes in social media and content creation have led to a push to rethink which bodies we see as beautiful and healthy. The growth of... Over the last few years, changes in social media and content creation have led to a push to rethink which bodies we see as beautiful and healthy. The growth of self-created media platforms has allowed new publishers to thrive where they would otherwise have been shut out from traditional news outlets. Concepts like fat stigma, weight bias, and fat justice are gaining visibility, but is mainstream media catching up accordingly? New research from the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) and BMSG’s Head of Research, Pamela Meija, examined a year of media coverage around weight stigma and fat justice. Their findings indicate that there were astonishingly few articles covering fat justice, compared to thousands of articles focusing on weight loss and harmful framing surrounding fat people. This matters because media is a powerful tool to shape the way that policymakers and the general public think about weight, health, and fat people; in light of the current news narratives about fatness, it’s not surprising that so few states have protections in place against weight-based discrimination, or that being dismissed or shamed is a common experience for fat people simply seeking medical attention. BMSG sat down with NAAFA Board Chair and activist Tigress Osborn to discuss NAAFA and BMSG’s research findings. Tigress illuminated the various intersections that need to be acknowledged when discussing anti-fatness, discussed how the financial interests of pharmaceutical companies have influenced recent headlines regarding higher weight children, and shed light on how the recent release of Academy Award nominations for The Whale are reflective of the way that society and media view fat people. In her 14 years with NAAFA, Tigress has provided guidance for journalists who hope to improve their coverage of fat people and fat justice. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Q&A In the time that you’ve been involved with NAAFA, how do you think fat acceptance has changed? Do you feel like there has been progress? Or do you think it’s been regressive? It’s a really complicated answer because things are simultaneously better and worse. There’s a lot more fat visibility in the media, and more of that is self-created media in the form of blogs and social media, which means that fat people are in control of their own narrative. So that contributes to a wider variety of depictions of fat people in the media as a whole. … Part of what we’ve done with the research we’ve [conducted with BMSG] is measure the landscape. The outrageous difference in sheer volume of coverage of fat people, when we’re talking about weight loss or health versus when we’re talking about literally anything else about fat people, it’s a huge difference. And that’s still what it looks like in the mainstream media. And so what that means is that public opinion and government policies are still very much shaped by the major areas of media in which fat people are underrepresented or misrepresented at best and completely invisible or actively erased at worst. Public opinion and government policies are still very much shaped by the major areas of media in which fat people are underrepresented or misrepresented at best and completely invisible or actively erased at worst. In the research that NAAFA recently released with BMSG, did any of those findings surprise you? I expected there to be really disparate coverage, but I didn’t expect it to be that dramatically different. I am used to seeing a little bit better, a little bit more coverage of fat people because I’m looking at alternative media, especially self-created media. But it’s important for us to remember that policymakers don’t turn to your favorite fat girl’s blog, they turn to CNN, right? They turn to Newsweek; they turn to The New York Times. And I just think that really underscores the way that the news sources that are considered reputable could be doing better. The stories are out there, the sources are out there. The information is out there. So really the only explanation for why we are not doing better is we don’t care enough to be doing better. The stories are out there, the sources are out there. The information is out there. So really the only explanation for why we are not doing better is we don’t care enough to be doing better. When the media do cover weight, what type of conversation is currently being fostered? The mainstream media narrative is overly invested in talking about health, and almost always from the perspective of how fat is unhealthy with no acknowledgment of the research that shows that fat is healthy. Part of what’s challenging about that conversation is the general public thinks that’s organic. It’s actually a conversation that is very driven by weight loss interests and their funding, right? The fat rights movement is one of the most underfunded social justice [causes] in this country and globally. … The more there is media coverage of the idea... --- ## Introduction to media advocacy and strategic communications with UC Berkeley interdisciplinary MPH students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introduction-to-media-advocacy-and-strategic-communications-with-uc-berkeley-interdisciplinary-mph-students-2/ Type: events Modified: 2023-02-27 Words: 77 > In this virtual training with UC Berkeley School of Public Health interdisciplinary MPH (master's of public health) students, learned the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications. BMSG staff taught... In this virtual training with UC Berkeley School of Public Health interdisciplinary MPH (master’s of public health) students, learned the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications. BMSG staff taught students about the agenda-setting power of the news, how issues are framed by the media, how to align messages with solutions, and how to articulate values in messaging. The training also included an opportunity to practice delivering messages in highly engaging mock interview activities. --- ## ETR: Media advocacy training to support influencers in advancing health outcomes for African Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/etr-media-advocacy-training-to-support-influencers-in-advancing-health-outcomes-for-african-americans/ Type: events Modified: 2023-02-22 Words: 195 > ETR (Education, Training and Research) is a national non-profit that is passionate about improving health and increasing opportunities for youth, families, and communities. By addressing, the ways health and education... ETR (Education, Training and Research) is a national non-profit that is passionate about improving health and increasing opportunities for youth, families, and communities. By addressing, the ways health and education outcomes are influenced by the complex interactions between people and their environment their hope is to promote equity and justice. This training was designed and led by trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth. Martinez and Wardsworth worked with Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students participating in the Black Public Health Influencer Design Fellowship sponsored by ETR. The training centered around access to sexual health information and resources for the Black community through social media. Within a two-part series cohort members learned to solidify their overall strategy, craft values-based strategic messages, and deliver those messages in high-pressure settings such as going live on social media platforms, meetings with influencer, or decision makers. Trusted messengers are a key component in any message strategy. Who delivers the information can have a direct impact on who receives it and how it’s received. This ETR cohort left with tools to not only become more effective messengers for their community but for all communities. --- ## CARE: Communicating effectively about racial and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/care-communicating-effectively-about-racial-and-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2023-02-14 Words: 113 > The Collaborative for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) started as a group of partners all working to understand and support the movement to address racism as a public health crisis. In... The Collaborative for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) started as a group of partners all working to understand and support the movement to address racism as a public health crisis. In this two-day training, 3 BMSG staff led several CARE members and partners through an introduction to media advocacy and strategic communication fundamentals. Within a two-hour training, members learned to communicate effectively about health and racial equity and develop strategic messages to prepare for message delivery in high-stakes scenarios such as providing testimony, public comment, or a media interview. BMSG also provided a plethora of tools and resources so that all attendees could continue capacity building within their own organizations. --- ## All Children Thrive – Communication Plan Webinar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/all-children-thrive-communication-plan-webinar/ Type: events Modified: 2023-02-01 Words: 127 > The All Children Thrive (ACT) Initiative, is a statewide effort led by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, the California Department of Public Health, and Public Health Advocates (PHA). The... The All Children Thrive (ACT) Initiative, is a statewide effort led by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, the California Department of Public Health, and Public Health Advocates (PHA). The initiative aims to support cities around the state in pursuing local policies that can improve children’s well-being. This training was the second of a four-part series. Within this training, the BMSG staff worked with an array of organizations across California to give an introduction to overall strategy and developing an effective communication plan. Through step by step examples and interactive communication spreadsheets each leader was able to start thinking strategically about how to execute their communication plan. The webinar left time to discuss media access strategy as well as how to create newsworthy messages. --- ## All Children Thrive – Modesto Training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/all-children-thrive-modesto-training/ Type: events Modified: 2023-01-31 Words: 158 > The All Children Thrive (ACT) Initiative, is a statewide effort led by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, the California Department of Public Health, and Public Health Advocates (PHA). The... The All Children Thrive (ACT) Initiative, is a statewide effort led by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, the California Department of Public Health, and Public Health Advocates (PHA). The initiative aims to support cities around the state in pursuing local policies that can improve children’s well-being. This training was the first of a four-part series. Within this training, the BMSG staff worked with school-aged students to give an introduction to the media landscape and tips on how to be effective storytellers. Through creating value-based messaging and simulated mock interviews the students got the opportunity to tap into their overall strategy and give strategic messages that included not only the problem but the solution. The students practiced communicating succinctly and persuasively to prepare for the moment when they would have the opportunity to speak with leaders and strategic allies about the policy goals they are pursuing to make their cities healthier and safer. --- ## IPEN – Spokesperson Training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/ipen-spokesperson-training/ Type: events Modified: 2023-01-31 Words: 109 > The goal of this training was to equip IPEN members with additional skills to become more effective spokespeople for toxin-free environments. Using simple language to explain how pollutants harm our... The goal of this training was to equip IPEN members with additional skills to become more effective spokespeople for toxin-free environments. Using simple language to explain how pollutants harm our health and our communities can be tricky, the IPEN leaders used this training to explore new methods of communication to make their message more accessible to the general public. Furthermore, IPEN members put new tools in their arsenal to engage with the news media strategically with the goal of reaching decision-makers, activating allies, and building public support to achieve healthier environments. The BMSG staff conducted this training in Spanish to reach audiences across several Latin American countries. --- ## Play Equity/L84: Senior Staff Training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/play-equity-l84-senior-staff-training/ Type: events Modified: 2023-01-13 Words: 118 > Back in November, BMSG's training team gave an in-person training to Play Equity Fund grantees. The training was designed to equip grantees with the storytelling skills... Back in November, BMSG’s training team gave an in-person training to Play Equity Fund grantees. The training was designed to equip grantees with the storytelling skills needed to describe their work and the impact of their programs in a compelling way. Inspired by the work accomplished here, Play Equity/L84 invited BMSG’s director Lori Dorfman to their end-of-year retreat to help them develop a more upstream, vision-focused outlook when it comes to equity-focused work. BMSG’s primary objective for this session was to provide participants with a strong foundation in strategic communication, as well as an opportunity to practice those concepts in the context of their program goals. --- ## Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health: Media training for racial and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/fresno-county-department-of-behavioral-health-media-training-for-racial-and-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2023-01-13 Words: 70 > Strategic engagement with the news media is a powerful way for health advocates to reach decision-makers while activating allies and building public support toward health equity... Strategic engagement with the news media is a powerful way for health advocates to reach decision-makers while activating allies and building public support toward health equity goals. Over the past two days, BMSG worked with the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health to successfully communicate about racial and health equity. The staff worked hard to enhance their speaking and interviewing skills, using values-focused language to craft worthwhile messages. --- ## UCSF School of Nursing strategic communications and media advocacy training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/ucsf-school-of-nursing-strategic-communications-and-media-advocacy-training/ Type: events Modified: 2022-12-27 Words: 44 > ... BMSG developed and delivered a four-hour in-person training for public health professionals at the UCSF School of Nursing. The interactive training was delivered by BMSG trainers Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Rosaura Wardsworth. It focused on foundational media advocacy and strategic communication concepts. --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2022 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-bites-2022/ Type: post Modified: 2023-01-06 Words: 1989 > 2022 has inspired no shortage of compelling media bites, as a year of difficulty led to widespread action. In the wake of COVID, ongoing gun violence, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and other major issues and events, journalists, advocates, and even athletes have used their voices and platforms to help us understand persistent problems and problematic norms in new ways. Here are the top quotes that captured our hearts and minds. At the end of every year, BMSG has made it a tradition to compile a top 10 list of media bites. As our staff reads thousands of news articles, tweets, and other forms of media throughout the year, we occasionally come across snippets that are too good to forget. These media bites make their place in our hearts and minds and serve as a reminder to communicate about complex public health issues in creative ways that are easy for general audiences to understand. 2022 has inspired no shortage of captivating media bites, as a year of difficulty led to widespread action: The overturn of Roe v. Wade has prompted many activists to increase the fervor of their work to protect reproductive rights that are no longer federally recognized. As gun violence, mass shootings, and hate crimes returned to the headlines, we reexamined how the media covers these events by revisiting old conversations about what works, and what doesn’t. Meanwhile, the field of public health has seen no respite, as an earlier and stronger-than-usual uptick in flu and RSV cases, and the recently renamed Mpox compounded the impact of the COVID pandemic, rather than replacing it. In the wake of these and other major issues, journalists, advocates, and even athletes have used their voices and platforms to help us understand persistent problems and problematic norms in new ways. Without further ado, here are our top 10 media bites for 2022, and why we like them so much. Did you find a great media bite this year that we haven’t included? We’d love to hear from you! Send your favorite media bites to us at engage@bmsg.org. “It’s easier to get a gun than baby formula.” By Damion Lee, professional basketball player. Aired on May 24, 2022 during a post-game press conference. Also appeared on CNN. Why we like it: The Warriors’ post-game news conference on May 24, the day of the mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, TX, provided no shortage of compelling comments, including from Coach Steve Kerr who lost his father to gun violence in 1984. We’re highlighting NBA player Damion Lee’s quote, in particular, because he was able to sum up two of the major ways our nation has failed American children in one fell swoop. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children in the U.S., a statement that cannot be made for any other country on the planet. And, systemic barriers persistently make breastfeeding difficult if not impossible for some mothers (especially mothers of color). Lee’s comments use a powerful juxtaposition to efficiently communicate the deep irony behind our nation’s skewed priorities. “Electrical activity in a microscopic group of organizing cells at 6 weeks is not a “heartbeat.” Know who has a heart beat? Kids cowering in classrooms Women who are raped People with pre-existing conditions Unarmed black men They have heartbeats. “Pro-life” them. #RoeVWade“ By Randi Mayem Singer, screenwriter. Appeared May 2, 2022 on Twitter Why we like it: 2022 was already chock full of letdowns by May, and eroding reproductive rights was simply the nail in the coffin. We’re featuring Singer’s tweet here because she exposes the hypocrisy of anti-choice politics, which does not support life beyond birth, and provides a crucial reframe: When we say pro-life, whose lives are we talking about? “I think we all expect public health to work like Amazon Prime, we’re going to get our package in two days and everything will be fixed. Unfortunately, public health has been underfunded for decades.” -Lauren Weber, on August 7, 2022, in Last Week Tonight by John Oliver. Why we like it: In this episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver highlighted the disappointment many people were facing when they observed the slow response of public health departments to Mpox. People, particularly of disproportionately impacted communities, wanted COVID funding and resources to simply be rerouted to the Mpox response, a common notion that was addressed in this episode. In her segment, Weber shows that public health often can’t move as fast as we need it to, due to a history of underfunding that has pushed public health workers to react in real time rather than prepare ahead of time for pandemics, natural disasters, and other issues we know occur on a regular basis. Learn more about why a fully funded public health infrastructure is so important and how you can champion public health using strategic communication. “When you are poor, the Sun finds you faster.” By Edgar Sandoval in “In San Antonio, the Poor Live on Their Own Islands of Heat,” Appeared July 26, 2022, in The New York Times Why we like it: As we lived through record-high temperatures this summer, this media bite reminded us that climate change doesn’t harm everyone equally. One way this manifests is in lower-income neighborhoods. With their histories of racist policies such as redlining, these communities often lack green spaces, health-promoting tree cover, and well thought-out infrastructure, creating “heat islands” that ... --- ## Public Health Institute media message and delivery training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/public-health-institute-media-message-and-delivery-training/ Type: events Modified: 2023-01-13 Words: 76 > Over the course of two trainings and a webinar, BMSG helped the Public Health Institute research and policy teams with the storytelling skills needed to describe their work and the... Over the course of two trainings and a webinar, BMSG helped the Public Health Institute research and policy teams with the storytelling skills needed to describe their work and the impact of their programs in a compelling way. Strategic communication requires communicators and storytellers to have a clear vision of what they want to change in the world, so they are better able to position their programs as main actors in creating that change. --- ## To stay or go? Navigating Twitter in the time of Musk URL: https://www.bmsg.org/to-stay-or-go-navigating-twitter-in-the-time-of-musk/ Type: post Modified: 2022-12-14 Words: 1154 > In the weeks since Elon Musk became the owner and CEO of Twitter, news about the acquisition and what it means for journalism, advocacy, and democracy has shown no signs... In the weeks since Elon Musk became the owner and CEO of Twitter, news about the acquisition and what it means for journalism, advocacy, and democracy has shown no signs of slowing down. Headlines have told us about sweeping layoffs, including to the company’s child safety team; new norms that embrace chaos, with policy changes that welcome hate speech, COVID misinformation, and their biggest purveyors like former President Trump; and Musk’s alienation of Black influencers, which has some members of the community defecting to other platforms. Advocates across diverse locations and issue areas are meeting the destabilizing changes with outrage and hints of a coming exodus. Individuals and organizations alike are increasingly rejecting the new iteration of the platform. Still, Twitter remains an important channel through which many government agencies, nonprofits, and other groups communicate. What does the coming culture shift mean for the people and campaigns that rely heavily on it to build their base and reach decision-makers or community residents? Should organizers leave Twitter? If so, does that hurt or potentially help the power of Musk’s digital wrecking ball? What would happen if those who are interested in truth and integrity leave en masse? Would it become an even faster race to the bottom? How could organizations address the shift if they decide to remain on Twitter? Are other platforms like Mastodon, Post, or Hive Social viable alternatives? To help Twitter users navigate the uncertainty, alternative and mainstream media outlets alike have been publishing tips and how-to guides, such as The New York Times’ piece with instructions for downloading Twitter archives so that users can preserve their tweets and engagement data in case the service implodes. Like many of you, BMSG is monitoring this news closely and contemplating our own future with Twitter. While we can’t predict exactly what the social media environment will look like 6 months or a year from now, we can look to trusted voices in the media and organizing landscape for guidance. We’ve been scouring our go-to sources, digging into our own media advocacy vault, and weighing our options. As we move forward in this new digital frontier, here are a few insights that we are considering: History can guide us Cognitive linguist Dr. George Lakoff and colleague Gil Duran have said we must take the threat of Musk’s Twitter seriously. “At the very least, Musk’s Twitter fiasco provides clear examples of both the ideology and tactics shaping our political reality,” they wrote in a recent FrameLab article published through Substack. “Unless we find a way to systematically dismantle Twitter’s influence over society, the past few weeks are only a taste of the chaos and destruction to come.” Lakoff and Duran remind us that Twitter was one of the primary tools that Trump used to get elected. He did so by using it to control the news cycle. For example, through Twitter, he framed issues to his advantage, even when that meant lying; distracted people from other issues of public importance; and undermined the credibility of the press. During Trump’s presidency, Lakoff recommended that the news media be aware of those tactics and counter them by deemphasizing Twitter as a primary source of information. Walking away from Twitter won’t eliminate the platform, but doing so in large enough numbers may further erode its reputation, sending it closer to the QAnon and 4Chan corners of the internet. There is more than a platform at stake Walking away isn’t a viable option for everyone, as staff at Spitfire Strategies pointed out this week. Many communities “don’t have the luxury of picking a new communications channel every time a platform fails to live up to their values or puts their security at risk,” wrote Spitfire Vice President Gabriel Rodriguez. “Many organizations and individuals have built dedicated followings on Twitter, and simply abandoning those relationships will not be sustainable or fair.” Recognizing this challenge, Rodriguez gives several practical tips to help Twitter users “balance the need to maintain community with concerns around safety, stability, and reputation risk.” Suggestions include making sure your audience knows how to find you on multiple platforms and paying close attention to your follower count and other aspects of the user experience to ensure that the platform is reliable enough to remain part of your social media strategy. Consider how race and privilege inform your views Antiracism educator Tim Wise observed in a Twitter thread just days after Musk’s acquisition was complete that, so far, the people he saw threatening to leave the platform were overwhelmingly white. In some ways, the ability to flee, to have that option, is a privilege. “Even as Black Twitter catches the most hell, deals with racism, misogynoir, all the things, all the time…they are here, fighting and refusing to concede this ground…” he wrote. “To those white ... --- ## Communicating effectively about closing the play gap for girls in sports URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-effectively-about-closing-the-play-gap-for-girls-in-sports/ Type: events Modified: 2022-11-28 Words: 94 > In this training, BMSG helped equip Play Equity Fund grantees with the storytelling skills needed to describe their work and the impact of their programs in a compelling... In this training, BMSG helped equip Play Equity Fund grantees with the storytelling skills needed to describe their work and the impact of their programs in a compelling way. Strategic communication requires communicators and storytellers to have a clear vision of what they want to change in the world, so they are better able to position their programs as main actors in creating that change. The Play Equity Fund was established by the LA84 Foundation and strives to advocate for solutions that support the health and well-being of girls and girl-identified youth. --- ## Reporting on home: Analyzing U.S. news to advance housing justice and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/reporting-on-home-analyzing-u-s-news-to-advance-housing-justice-and-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2022-10-21 Words: 123 > In this webinar supported by the Kresge Foundation, BMSG and Housing Now! discuss differences between media advocacy and social marketing, share BMSG research on how housing and homelessness are portrayed... In this webinar supported by the Kresge Foundation, BMSG and Housing Now! discuss differences between media advocacy and social marketing, share BMSG research on how housing and homelessness are portrayed in the news, and discuss challenges in the duel framing of government as both the problem and part of the solution. View recording Slides Download PDF Related resources BMSG’s Layers of Strategy BMSG’s Message Development Worksheet Housing, equity, and health in U.S. news, 2020-2021: Findings and recommendations Six media advocacy lessons from a campaign for housing justice and health equity featuring Housing Now! California and the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative BMSG’s resources on housing, equity, and, health More info on Housing Now! California --- ## El Poder del Consumidor Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/el-poder-de-consumidor-forum-on-corporate-social-responsibility/ Type: events Modified: 2022-10-21 Words: 94 > BMSG's director, Lori Dorfman, presented at El Poder del Consumidor's Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility. She spoke regarding the impact of marketing by the soda industry and the tobacco industry.... BMSG’s director, Lori Dorfman, presented at El Poder del Consumidor’s Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility. She spoke regarding the impact of marketing by the soda industry and the tobacco industry. The forum is in response to Coca Cola Mexican Industry’s new corporate social responsibility advertising scheme, “Love Multiplies/El Amor Multiplica.” This campaign claims to celebrate women, water, and recycling, advocates believe it was created to distract consumers from the harm Coca Cola perpetuates to public and environmental health. Watch a recording of the event here. --- ## Championing public health amid legal and legislative threats: Framing and language recommendations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/championing-public-health-amid-legal-and-legislative-threats-framing-and-language-recommendations/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-02-12 Words: 5240 > Introduction Championing public health should be simple: Public health departments fight to keep us safe, and they work with community partners to transform the places we live for the better.... Introduction Championing public health should be simple: Public health departments fight to keep us safe, and they work with community partners to transform the places we live for the better. Yet, this work is underrecognized and poorly understood — so much so that it leaves vulnerable our public health departments’ ability to do the work necessary to safeguard our communities’ health. A concerted effort by some politicians and political bodies threatens to hollow out public health’s powers of protection. Those politicians aim to create new laws that their political allies can wield to shrink the power and authority of public health officials and agencies. This takes the form of a barrage of legal attacks: In some places, public health departments face lawsuits over vaccination and masking mandates; in others, opponents are removing and reassigning public health boards’ authority — often to those without public health expertise. Public health practitioners must be able to respond quickly and effectively to these assaults on their mission — even in jurisdictions not currently under attack — to hold lawmakers accountable, to illustrate for community members what’s at stake, and to demonstrate the importance of public health. Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) and Real Language (RL) have a longstanding interest in strengthening narrative power for public health. Act for Public Health commissioned BMSG and RL to assess narratives around the current attacks on public health’s authority and recommend responses that will enable public health practitioners to communicate more effectively about the essential work they do. BMSG and RL reviewed current communication materials related to public health authority to identify problematic language as well as opportunities for public health workers to establish the value of public health in the context of current legal attacks. Based on this analysis and our years of experience in strategic communication, we offer five tips for making the case for public health. Although there is no single message that will be effective for all audiences in all situations, the recommendations offer language to illuminate and uplift the role of public health as a public good. We are focused here on responding to the current attacks on public health authority, but the tips will be useful in explaining public health’s role across the many issues it touches, from climate change to chronic disease. When applying these recommendations, consider your community context and the specific audiences you are trying to reach and adjust accordingly. Getting started: Shape your message based on your overall strategy and target audience. Message is never first. While public health practitioners need to respond quickly and effectively to the many bills and lawsuits threatening their authority, your local context and overall strategy will influence how you construct and deliver your message. Some practitioners may be working in coalition with other community-based organizations, some might be going through legal channels, and some may be asked to lend their voice as part of a larger campaign. Each of these circumstances will shape your message. If you are already affiliated with public health and ready to use your voice to protect it, this report is for you. Whether you are in a position to lobby directly or whether you are talking generally about the importance of public health, keep your messaging focused and be concrete about what needs to be done at this moment, whether that means setting up protections for keeping public health powers in place or whether it entails rejecting a bill that would remove public health authority and give it to a less qualified body. When crafting your communication, keep in mind your primary audience: the decision-makers you want to persuade. These may be state legislators, county boards of health, boards of supervisors, city councils, judges, or others who may hear from you in direct one-on-one conversations, in hearings, comments, social media calls for action, or media interviews. The most important secondary audiences are those allies and champions who can pressure your primary audience to support public health. These are people who already agree with you: Help them raise their voices and be heard. Messages that resonate with our supporters can pull in people who agree with us about the importance and value of public health but haven’t figured out how to talk about it. Since people are reluctant to voice an opinion if they think they’re the only ones who have it, message repetition is crucial. There may be allies who have yet to speak up but will do so after they hear your message multiple times. Even so, there are going to be some people who will never be convinced and will remain staunchly opposed. Focusing efforts on that small (though vocal) audience is wasted energy. So keep in mind that while the audience for our messages defending public health is wide, it is narro... --- ## Communicating effectively about supporting women and girls in rural communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-effectively-about-supporting-women-and-girls-in-rural-communities/ Type: events Modified: 2022-10-14 Words: 55 > The goal of this training was to build capacity within CNVC staff and volunteers to communicate effectively with decision makers and key audiences about violence prevention, healthy relationships, and strong... The goal of this training was to build capacity within CNVC staff and volunteers to communicate effectively with decision makers and key audiences about violence prevention, healthy relationships, and strong communities. The training helped CNVC establish a common language and consistent voice to talk about its work to support women and girls in rural communities. --- ## How health departments can use strategic communication to engage in housing work & building community power URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/how-health-departments-can-use-strategic-communication-to-engage-in-housing-work-building-community-power/ Type: events Modified: 2022-08-01 Words: 55 > BMSG, HIP and the Public Health Alliance of Southern California co-hosted a webinar on how public health workers and their partners can be powerful voices in shaping decisions that impact... BMSG, HIP and the Public Health Alliance of Southern California co-hosted a webinar on how public health workers and their partners can be powerful voices in shaping decisions that impact housing conditions for California’s families and communities. BMSG was also joined by Tram Nguyen from Alameda County Public Health Department in Oakland, CA. --- ## Creating an equitable future: How public health practitioners can make the case for a just recovery from COVID URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/creating-an-equitable-future-how-public-health-practitioners-can-make-the-case-for-a-just-recovery-from-covid/ Type: events Modified: 2022-07-29 Words: 96 > What might a truly equitable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic look like? And what opportunities exist amid the pandemic to invest in a healthier California and address the... What might a truly equitable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic look like? And what opportunities exist amid the pandemic to invest in a healthier California and address the many long-standing structural, racial, and social inequities that the pandemic has exacerbated? BMSG discussed these questions with the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, the Public Health Alliance of Southern California, and the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium. Berkeley Media Studies Group shared research on news coverage of pandemic recovery and recommendations for public health practitioners to communicate effectively about a just recovery. --- ## Media Advocacy as a Tool for Narrative Change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-as-a-tool-for-narrative-change/ Type: events Modified: 2022-08-01 Words: 138 > Public health professionals across the country have been in the spotlight because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether communicating about risk and prevention or advocating for structural change, advocates must evoke... Public health professionals across the country have been in the spotlight because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether communicating about risk and prevention or advocating for structural change, advocates must evoke a narrative that consistently builds support towards public health goals. Strategic engagement with the news media is a powerful way for advocates to reach decision makers, activate allies and build public support. In this Web Forum Berkeley Media Studies Group will provide a brief introduction to media advocacy as a narrative change tool public health advocates can use in their work. Moderator Karya Lustig, CHLP Director, POCA (Program Office CDC Cooperative Agreement), Deputy Director, CHLP (Center for Health Leadership and Practice) Public Health Institute Guests Chinyere Amobi, MPH, Strategic Communications Specialist, Berkeley Media Studies Group Shaddai Martinez Cuestas, MPH, Head of Training, Berkeley Media Studies Group --- ## Housing, equity, and health in U.S. news, 2020-2021: Findings and recommendations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/housing-equity-and-health-in-u-s-news-2020-2021-findings-and-recommendations/ Type: publications Modified: 2022-10-17 Words: 9795 > Introduction The evidence is clear: Health depends on access to safe, stable housing.1–5 Unfortunately, a legacy of inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to housing for many people, based... Introduction The evidence is clear: Health depends on access to safe, stable housing.1–5 Unfortunately, a legacy of inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to housing for many people, based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. These systemic barriers to having a quality, affordable home are key drivers of health inequities in the United States. As such, helping the public and policymakers understand the connection between housing and health is a key step toward not only advancing housing policy and improving community health but also toward strengthening the movement for racial and health equity. Is the impact of housing on health clear to the public and lawmakers? We can look to the media to find out. News coverage provides insight into the public discourse about housing, as well as into opportunities for and potential barriers to shifting that discussion. All forms of media — print, broadcast, and social — significantly influence the public’s and policymakers’ knowledge of many issues, including housing.6–8 Journalists and editors often set the agenda for the public debate about a topic by deciding which details they report (or don’t report) and how they frame their stories. News coverage, then, offers a window into understanding whether and how people think about housing. Is it on their radars? If so, what do they know about the problem? What they think should be done? Framing refers to how an issue is portrayed and understood. Frames shape the parameters of public debates by promoting particular definitions of a problem, its causes, its moral aspects, and its possible solutions.9–11 Many factors influence what frames get evoked in news stories: the language that’s used, what types of information are highlighted, the potential solutions that are discussed, and whose perspectives are included or left out. Frames that are repeated often and deeply ingrained become the housing narratives that either confine our policy choices or make a vision of housing justice possible. Understanding how journalists currently frame housing, and how those choices shape long-term narratives, can help housing and health advocates be strategic about their communication strategies. For example, a framing analysis of the news can inform advocates as they decide what messages to use to win immediate policy goals, while also shaping local and national narratives to portray housing as a social good that supports individual and community health. To understand the specific nuances of how news coverage frames the complex intersections of housing and health equity, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) conducted an ethnographic content analysis12 of news about housing and health equity from media markets across the country, informed by feedback from grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing Initiative working in those communities. Here, we present a summary of findings, as well as recommendations that we hope will help grantees and other advocates working to emphasize the nuanced connections between housing and health and elevate just and equitable approaches to ensure stable housing and good health for everyone. What we did To build on quantitative news analyses BMSG conducted in 2021, we analyzed the content of print news stories about housing and health from across the country. To identify which stories to analyze, BMSG researchers first developed a search string (targeted words used to pull articles from large databases) to collect news about a range of housing issues. The search string was informed by responses to a questionnaire that was sent to Health Equity and Housing (HEH) grantees working in 22 different locations around the country. To capture news about housing, the final search string included terms related to grantees’ diverse focus areas and policy strategies that center racial and health equity, including affordable housing, tenant protections, homelessness, and community land trusts, as well as equity and health-related terms, such as “low-income,” “disparities,” “equity,” and others. Figure 1: Sampling articles about housing, health, and equity in U.S. news Using LexisNexis and ProQuest, BMSG identified and collected print and online news articles published between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 in 22 outlets that represented grantee media markets (see Appendix A for a full list of outlets and media markets sampled). For each of the four outlets in the sample that included both national or regional and local coverage (such as The New York Times or the Los Angeles Times), we added location terms like “New York City” or “Los Angeles” to narrow the search to local news. We found 4,349 articles published between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 that met our search criteria. We used proportional random sampling to build a representative sample of 166 articles. We then removed 30 articles that did not substantively ... --- ## Defending public health with ChangeLab Solutions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/defending-public-health-with-changelab-solutions/ Type: events Modified: 2022-07-26 Words: 89 > BMSG worked with ChangeLab Solutions and Real Language, a language and linguistics strategy firm, to learn the specifics around the attacks on public health in different states and then design... BMSG worked with ChangeLab Solutions and Real Language, a language and linguistics strategy firm, to learn the specifics around the attacks on public health in different states and then design and conduct a two-part training to guide public health practitioners in developing and delivering messages that support a strong role for government in protecting the public’s health. The trainings demonstrated how messages are driven by a group’s overall strategy and provided participants with skills to effectively evoke their values, succinctly describe problems, and focus on solutions. --- ## Calls to publish graphic images of mass violence are misguided. Here’s what we need instead. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/calls-to-publish-graphic-images-of-mass-violence-are-misguided-heres-what-we-need-instead/ Type: post Modified: 2023-03-17 Words: 1073 > When 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally lynched, his mother Mamie moved fast to ensure that images of what the assailants had done to her son would be plastered across the... When 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally lynched, his mother Mamie moved fast to ensure that images of what the assailants had done to her son would be plastered across the pages in Jet magazine and widely broadcast on television screens. She made sure that no one could turn a blind eye to the horror of racist violence facing Black boys and men. Now, people are asking if the media need to take a similar approach and publish graphic images that show the aftermath of the Uvalde mass shooting. Some editors and journalism school deans have argued we should. Their arguments and concerns are valid; after all, documenting wrongdoing, unblinkingly, is important. And images provide a powerful way to do so, as when Mamie Till’s bold decision ignited anger and action. However, our media atmosphere has changed since then. In today’s always-on news environment, graphic images do not carry the same weight that they once did — and certainly not in the way that journalism editors often hope they will. Videos depicting police brutality and shootings have long been readily available on social media, even as the act is occurring, often thanks to the assailant. For example, in the 2019 Christchurch Mosque Shootings, the attacker used Facebook to livestream the attack as he carried it out. The Christchurch shooter’s widely circulated intentions and recordings of the attack reportedly inspired the massacre in Buffalo. Graphic images tend to spark outrage and upset from people who are already sympathetic, but I have seen little action from those in positions of power. Without the latter, publishing such images proves fruitless. The children and adults who were murdered in the Uvalde shooting deserve better than to be used for shock value; they deserve intentional reporting and policy solutions. As a native of Pakistan, where media outlets are less restrained in publishing images of graphic violence, I know firsthand the limitations of such visuals. Images that would otherwise only be found in the darker corners of the web are readily available on television and print news, and violent videos are shared casually to group chats. Just this month, pictures of a recently deceased television personality spread as fast as news of his demise; rather than spur strong emotions or a desire for action, such images have simply desensitized people to the point where they seem almost no different from pictures of living people. Overwhelmed by an onslaught of graphic imagery, we’ve become numb to the horror. We’re quick to forget that our own American media also have had a long history of publishing graphic and disturbing images. While they spurred movements for social change, photos of the Kent State shootings didn’t stop violence among law enforcement, and horrifying pictures the My Lai Massacre didn’t slow atrocities at the hands of our own Armed Forces abroad. Emmett Till’s murderers were found not guilty. Powerful imagery on its own is not the panacea or guarantor of social change. It is all too optimistic to think that publishing such distressing images will drive the right lawmakers to take action to ensure that nothing like Uvalde happens again. This is a hopeful but naive assumption; if news of children being killed in a place where they should be safe is not enough for immediate action, if heartbreaking testimonies from survivors and parents who now have empty homes is not enough, then why would images be different? If the fact that gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children isn’t enough to make policymakers push for comprehensive background checks and limit high-capacity magazines, is it too hopeful to think pictures will somehow cause politicians to break the grip that the NRA has on elected officials? Our politicians already know gun violence is an issue; they see it in the news and on their Twitter feeds, just like us. They visit crime scenes and meet with victims families’ — they experience the aftermath in a much more tangible way than just a 2D image. The only guaranteed outcome of publishing such photos is to retraumatize the victims’ loved ones, along with everyone else who has been vicariously traumatized by continual acts of gun violence. The children and adults who were murdered in the Uvalde shooting deserve better than to be used for shock value; they deserve intentional reporting and policy solutions. They deserve to be remembered for who they were and not just how they died. As journalists, it’s important to question calls to show graphic violence, images of slain children at that, and ask ourselves: Who does this target? Could this actually accomplish our end goal? More journalists are publishing guides including promising practices for covering mass shootings in ways that don’t glorify the shooter or amplify the harmful, hateful ideologies that motivate them. Some tips include: Build audiences’ trust by ensuring that all data points and definitions related to guns and gun violence are accura... --- ## Talking about our recovery from COVID: How public health practitioners can emphasize equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-our-recovery-from-covid-how-public-health-practitioners-can-emphasize-equity/ Type: publications Modified: 2022-09-27 Words: 7517 > Introduction What might a truly equitable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic look like? How can we build support for a robust public health infrastructure — which advocates and... Introduction What might a truly equitable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic look like? How can we build support for a robust public health infrastructure — which advocates and practitioners have long called for — so that all people have access to quality housing, child care, public transportation, and other social factors that benefit health? And what opportunities exist amid the pandemic to invest in a healthier California and address the many long-standing structural, racial, and social inequities that the pandemic has exacerbated? In the midst of the global pandemic, climate-related disasters, and widespread actions triggered by police violence, organizations like the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative and the Public Health Alliance of Southern California have released policy platforms that envision a more equitable, just, and healthier California. Additionally, other organizations have described in depth how community-based organizations are an essential part of the public health system and played a key role in addressing inequities. These platforms and approaches go beyond addressing COVID and describe opportunities to rectify pre-pandemic inequities. Advancing such strategies — whether in response to COVID, climate change, attacks on our democracy, or other crises — will require effectively conveying these ideas to policymakers and the public, with the media being an important way to reach both. Still, critical messages from public health practitioners and their partners that will shape if and how we move forward from COVID may not be reaching many Californians, as news about pandemic-related recovery contains significant gaps. While COVID has dominated the news during the last two years, the high volume of coverage has not necessarily increased public understanding of our public health systems, how social factors affect health, and why racial and health equity are critical for all Californians’ health and well-being. Much of the coverage about public health’s role has been incomplete, focusing primarily on mask mandates, vaccination clinics, and social distancing requirements. There has been less news about California’s public health system, which includes a vast network of community-based organizations working to rectify and prevent future inequities by overhauling systems and structures. Local and statewide coalitions that have organizing and communication capacity can effectively shape news coverage and make a real impact on equity-focused policies. To identify opportunities to elevate public health perspectives on an equitable recovery from COVID, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) researched news about recovery from the pandemic. We then combined our findings with additional communication research and experience working with community advocates and local health departments, to offer recommendations to strengthen communication about a just and equitable recovery — and the role that public health must play. We’ve seen how investments in building local and statewide coalitions that have organizing and communication capacity can effectively shape news coverage and make a real impact on equity-focused policies: The statewide campaign to prevent evictions during the pandemic is but one example. We hope this document supports local and state efforts to center racial and health equity as the cornerstone of California’s recovery. Methods Why studying the news matters: News coverage provides a window into the public narrative about any issue because news shapes public opinion and policy agendas. Journalists’ decisions about how to cover the many pressing topics of the day can raise the profile of an issue, whereas issues not covered by the news media are often neglected and remain largely outside public discourse and policy debate.1,2,3 News coverage influences how the public and policymakers perceive and discuss issues4,5 including, for example, whose perspectives are seen as credible and valuable, which solutions are elevated or ignored, and how arguments are characterized. What we did: To identify patterns in how pandemic recovery has been characterized, and the opportunities to elevate racial and health equity in that discussion, BMSG researchers searched California print news for articles published between January 1 and September 30, 2021, that included all variations of terms like “economic recovery” or “pandemic recovery.” Our search yielded 260 articles, from which we selected a representative 20% sample of 53 articles. Of those, 28 articles (52%) substantively discussed changes to the economy or to community and social programs during the pandemic (the remaining articles either profiled the experience of individual businesses during the pandemic or highlighted only national data on the recovery not specific to California). We evaluated the 28 articles that included substantive content using a coding instrument designed to address questions about who was quoted in the news,... --- ## ‘People like us’: News coverage of food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/people-like-us-news-coverage-of-food-assistance-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ Type: publications Modified: 2022-09-27 Words: 275 > Abstract Objective: To understand how the public discourse around food assistance and social responsibility evolved during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing news coverage. Methods: We conducted... Abstract Objective: To understand how the public discourse around food assistance and social responsibility evolved during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing news coverage. Methods: We conducted an ethnographic content analysis of news articles and photographs about food insecurity or food assistance published by U.S. newspapers and wire services between December 1, 2019, and November 30, 2020. We analyzed a random sample of 241 articles and 223 photographs to assess how they depicted food assistance programs, the program participants, and whether they included cues for deservingness. Results: Before the pandemic, news about food assistance was dominated by stories about abuse and fraud. Once COVID-19 began, news coverage contained cues known to engender beliefs about the deservingness of people receiving assistance. During the pandemic, news also highlighted misconceptions about food assistance programs, called for policy changes to reduce logistical barriers, and described the plight of families and other “people like us” in need of food assistance. Discussion: News coverage during the pandemic cued audience empathy, highlighted the logistical strains faced by food assistance programs, and elevated values of government accountability. The narrative about society’s obligation to care for communities in need can be transferred to other safety net programs that protect the public’s health. Health equity implications: As the pandemic evolves, public health leaders can maintain the narrative about the importance of food assistance and expand the characteristics of this narrative to challenge well-entrenched, but false, narratives about those who need help. Full text To view the full text online or to download and print a PDF, visit the website of the journal Health Equity. --- ## Connecting Housing, Justice, Health, and Journalism URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/connecting-housing-justice-health-and-journalism/ Type: events Modified: 2022-07-28 Words: 92 > Berkeley Media Studies Group health equity coordinator Katherine Schaff hosted an online webinar with panelists from Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) and Council of Community Housing Organizations (CCHO).... Berkeley Media Studies Group health equity coordinator Katherine Schaff hosted an online webinar with panelists from Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) and Council of Community Housing Organizations (CCHO). Panelists discussed how reporters can deepen housing coverage in California to get to the root of housing and health inequities. Catch a recording of the event here: https://www.facebook.com/SFCCHO/videos/1167638050475595 Check out highlights and lessons learned in this blog that draws from the event: How advocates can create pitches that lead to media coverage: 5 tips from journalists --- ## Communicating about reproductive health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-about-reproductive-health/ Type: events Modified: 2022-05-14 Words: 63 > BMSG staff facilitated a virtual training for Bixby Media and Advocacy Fellows. In two two hour trainings, participants learned how strategy is tied to media and communications work, how to... BMSG staff facilitated a virtual training for Bixby Media and Advocacy Fellows. In two two hour trainings, participants learned how strategy is tied to media and communications work, how to recognize frames that support structural and policy change, how to incorporate racial and health equity into organizing and communication plans, and how to articulate values and peak plainly when communicating about reproductive health. --- ## UC Berkeley Changemakers micro-course: Communication for public health professionals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/uc-berkeley-changemakers-micro-course-communication-for-public-health-professionals/ Type: events Modified: 2022-05-17 Words: 77 > BMSG staff taught a five week micro course for UC Berkeley School of Public Health graduate students. Across five sessions, including two in person meetings on the UC Berkeley campus,... BMSG staff taught a five week micro course for UC Berkeley School of Public Health graduate students. Across five sessions, including two in person meetings on the UC Berkeley campus, students learned the fundamentals of media advocacy, message development, and media tactics, and engaged in interactive activities that gave them the tools to deliver concise, compelling messaging. Students completed weekly readings and assignments, culminating in opinion pieces that they pitched to local and national media outlets. --- ## Introduction to media advocacy and strategic communications with UC Berkeley interdisciplinary MPH students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introduction-to-media-advocacy-and-strategic-communications-with-uc-berkeley-interdisciplinary-mph-students/ Type: events Modified: 2022-04-27 Words: 71 > In this virtual training with UC Berkeley School of Public Health interdisciplinary MPH students, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications. Students learned about the agenda-setting... In this virtual training with UC Berkeley School of Public Health interdisciplinary MPH students, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications. Students learned about the agenda-setting power of the news, how issues are framed by the media, how to align messages with solutions, and how to articulate values in messaging. The training also included an opportunity to practice delivering messages in highly engaging mock interview activities. --- ## Media communications for public health professionals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-communications-for-public-health-professionals/ Type: events Modified: 2022-04-27 Words: 92 > In this virtual two-part media advocacy training for staff, students, and emerging public health leaders of the Center for Public Health Practice and Leadership and the Center for Occupational and... In this virtual two-part media advocacy training for staff, students, and emerging public health leaders of the Center for Public Health Practice and Leadership and the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at UC Berkeley, BMSG staff provided an introduction to media advocacy and strategic communication so participants can communicate effectively about public health issues and work with the media. The training included tools to prepare for a media interview, including an overview of working with reporters, and a series of hands-on exercises to practice interviewing skills and receive feedback. --- ## How advocates can create pitches that lead to media coverage: 5 tips from journalists URL: https://www.bmsg.org/pitching-systems-level-stories-to-the-media-5-tips-from-journalists/ Type: post Modified: 2022-07-28 Words: 1333 > One of the few silver linings of the pandemic is that it has forced many people to realize the immense importance of the press, not only in sharing crucial information... One of the few silver linings of the pandemic is that it has forced many people to realize the immense importance of the press, not only in sharing crucial information but also in influencing what solutions seem possible. In a similar way, officials, the public, and the media are now beginning to see what public health is and how important health departments and community-based organizations are in advocating for policies that protect entire populations from disease and address inequities in health outcomes. But for every news story about soaring case counts, staff shortages, and other struggles facing public health workers, there are countless other untold tales about the long-standing work public health advocates and health departments have done to earn community trust, dispel misinformation, and meet essential needs. During a recent event on communicating about COVID, Berkeley Media Studies Group (supported by Public Health Institute’s Together Toward Health project) brought together several journalists — Anh Do, a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, Maria Eraña, director of broadcasting at Radio Bilingüe, and Nadia Lopez, Latino communities reporter at The Fresno Bee — for a panel discussion aimed at giving public health advocates the skills they need to communicate effectively with reporters. Participants gained tips for crafting compelling pitches about the work they’ve been doing before and during the pandemic; they also learned ways to better convey complex information, think like an editor, and build stronger relationships with reporters. What was born from that event was a set of valuable insights for advocates hoping to harness the power of the news to influence systems-level change that impacts the structures and environments in which health happens. Go beyond statistics to highlight the human element of your issue Do kicked off the conversation by sharing how she and her colleagues seek the humanity behind pitches, rather than only statistics and fact sheets. “The heart of every health story is the human ingredient,” Do said. “It’s the voices, the experiences, the fears and the daily challenges of people.” Eraña stressed that that human element helps readers better connect to stories, even after a year of depending on experts for advice on how to live everyday life. “Depending on who your audience is, when people listen to other people like themselves, they connect immediately and feel more at ease,” said Eraña. The Radio Bilingüe director also echoed a philosophy present in much of BMSG’s work about the importance of also stepping back to highlight the systemic forces and landscape that shape a subject’s experiences. Doing so can highlight the structural factors behind individual decisions and help both advocates and reporters avoid placing the blame on the very communities experiencing disparities and other issues. This can be especially important when reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, where differences in case and vaccination rates can be due to structural issues of exposure and access, rather than just the decisions of individuals. An individual-level story might focus on a person’s concerns or path to getting a vaccine; a systems-level story would also include a focus on systemic barriers to accessing the vaccine or community-led efforts that can eliminate those barriers. Avoid shallow pitches In line with tying pitches to larger, systemic stories, panelists advised advocates to avoid aiming exclusively for one-time coverage or event coverage through their pitches. “Reporters don’t care about name dropping in a press release,” Lopez said. “If you’re a reporter like me that reports on an underserved community or a specific community, [and you propose] an interview with a person because you think they’re important, that’s not going to resonate with me unless you highlight how that’s relevant to my audience.” Do and Lopez encouraged advocates to highlight within their pitches how an individual, organization, or event ties to a larger issue that impacts their audience. Doing so, while highlighting ways that your story is newsworthy, can increase the chances that your pitch grabs a reporter’s attention. Tailor your pitch to the reporter, outlet, and its audience One goal of the event was to demystify the pitching process and give advocates the inside scoop on how to make sure their stories resonate with journalists in a way that sparks meaningful coverage. Panelists urged advocates to do their homework before reaching out to reporters and outlets. A well-tailored pitch can show that you understand an outlet’s audience and a reporter’s area of coverage — and that you’re interested in more than just one-time coverage. “Tailoring a pitch to the needs of a specific region or community can really help you better establish a relationship with a reporter,” Lopez said. “It shows that you’re not just sending a broad pitch out to everyone; you’re really trying to understand things on a local level.”... --- ## Communicating effectively about economic security with Human Impact Partners’ Economic Security Speaker’s Bureau URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-effectively-about-economic-security-with-human-impact-partners-economic-security-speakers-bureau/ Type: events Modified: 2022-04-27 Words: 69 > BMSG staff facilitated a spokesperson training session for Human Impact Partners' Economic Security Speakers Bureau cohort, following the organization's trainings on the fundamentals of their economic security narrative. BMSG's training... BMSG staff facilitated a spokesperson training session for Human Impact Partners’ Economic Security Speakers Bureau cohort, following the organization’s trainings on the fundamentals of their economic security narrative. BMSG’s training covered message development and delivery, so advocates are able to speak confidently, persuasively, and succinctly in a variety of settings such as media interviews, or meetings with policy makers, stakeholders, and other decision makers. --- ## Public health advocacy must be taught URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/public-health-advocacy-must-be-taught/ Type: publications Modified: 2022-02-15 Words: 138 > Solutions to public health problems have always lay in a combination of science and the hard work of advocates for social reform. However, in this new article for Health Affairs,... Solutions to public health problems have always lay in a combination of science and the hard work of advocates for social reform. However, in this new article for Health Affairs, Berkeley Media Studies Group Director Lori Dorfman and coauthors argue that there’s a disconnect between what public health professionals should be able to do to be effective and what’s actually being taught in schools of public health: “As our society struggles through the evolution of COVID-19, the crucial question is: Are we preparing the next generation of public health practitioners to not only investigate what harms health but also to advocate affirmatively for what is needed to advance health, particularly for groups plagued by structural inequities?” View the full text at: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20220202.653661 --- ## Communicating about vaccines: Meeting people where they are URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-about-vaccines-meeting-people-where-they-are-avoid-shame-stigma/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-10-16 Words: 582 > Shame is all too common in communication about vaccines, but we should avoid it because it is not effective at changing individuals' hearts and minds. Instead, as research has shown,... Shame is all too common in communication about vaccines, but we should avoid it because it is not effective at changing individuals’ hearts and minds. Instead, as research has shown, we need to demonstrate empathy, listen without judgment, and share messages using credible local spokespeople who are easy for audiences to relate to. Learn more in this video, the fourth in a series from Berkeley Media Studies Group. TRANSCRIPT Best practices in strategic communication tell us that shame is not an effective tool for changing individual behavior. This is true for any health issue, including vaccination. PAMELA MEJIA, BMSG HEAD OF RESEARCH: When people feel shamed or stigmatized about their choices, they tend to retreat; they tend to become defensive; they stop asking questions; they close themselves off to new information. So, you can clearly see how, in the context of immunizations, shame would be very problematic. Parents who feel that they are being shamed or branded as anti-vaxxers just for asking questions about medical treatments for their child might become very defensive, might retreat further into distrust and dislike of the medical community and vaccinations. I think establishing trust and rapport is critical to communicating effectively about vaccines and why they matter. NARRATOR: That begins with our messages — and our willingness to listen. MEJIA: So, language is a really important consideration. I always advise people to try and avoid the phrase anti-vaxx or anti-vaxxer because it is stigmatizing; it is limiting; it does make people defensive and can close them off to hearing more information. There is value in using phrases like “people who are questioning” or “people who are unsure about vaccination.” NARRATOR: It’s also important to listen without judgment when questions arise. MEJIA: We talk about meeting people where they are — well, we really have to be in there with people to do that. It is completely normal and valid and right and to have questions, especially about something that is going into your body or the body of somebody that you love. I would caution people who are trying to communicate about vaccines — I would caution them against pretending that misinformation doesn’t exist. To put another way, I think we just need to acknowledge that there’s a lot of information out there; we need to make people feel comfortable and heard in having questions about it, and we need to share that we’re kind of all living in this information-overload world. NARRATOR: In an op-ed for The Cincinnati Enquirer, two co-founders of a community engagement start-up emphasize the importance of listening directly to community residents’ concerns. They held six focus groups in Ohio “to identify strategies to encourage more people to feel comfortable receiving the vaccine.” Their top lessons included acknowledging hesitancy with respect, focusing on how vaccination keeps vulnerable people safe, and using relatable local messengers. MEJIA: There are some people who, perhaps, will never be moved on vaccinations. But there are many people who are just questioning, who just want to know a little bit more, who just need a little bit of reassurance. I think it’s important that we focus on people who, maybe are questioning but can be moved, who can — with additional information, with additional space to ask questions, with authentic messengers they can relate to — might well be moved to embrace vaccines and embrace being immunized. --- ## Message development and public speaking for the California Preterm Birth Initiative URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/message-development-and-public-speaking-for-the-california-preterm-birth-initiative/ Type: events Modified: 2022-04-27 Words: 61 > BMSG staff delivered a strategic communications and message delivery training for participants in the Benioff Community Innovators Oakland program of the California Preterm Birth Initiative. In two sessions, BMSG staff... BMSG staff delivered a strategic communications and message delivery training for participants in the Benioff Community Innovators Oakland program of the California Preterm Birth Initiative. In two sessions, BMSG staff focused on message development and effective message delivery including exercises to help spokespeople build confidence and stay on message. Participants received critical and supportive feedback through interactive exercises throughout the training. --- ## Introduction to strategic communication for the Alameda County Healthy Homes Department URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introduction-to-strategic-communication-for-the-alameda-county-healthy-homes-department/ Type: events Modified: 2022-04-27 Words: 81 > In this three-part virtual series for communication and engagement staff from the Alameda County Healthy Homes Department, BMSG staff provided strategic communication training and technical assistance to help staff implement... In this three-part virtual series for communication and engagement staff from the Alameda County Healthy Homes Department, BMSG staff provided strategic communication training and technical assistance to help staff implement strategic and coordinated communication activities in support of the Department’s goals of engaging community members with its Lead Poisoning Prevention Services as well as in advocating for policy solutions to remove lead from Oakland Homes. BMSG staff also conducted another shorter training for additional staff from the Department. --- ## Five ways public health advocates can combat misinformation when communicating about COVID URL: https://www.bmsg.org/five-ways-public-health-advocates-can-combat-misinformation-when-communicating-about-covid/ Type: post Modified: 2022-01-13 Words: 1007 > Something’s burning. It was September 9, 2020, and I had just awakened to an orange sky. It was too bright for 6:30 a.m. in San Jose, so I sniffed, not... Something’s burning. It was September 9, 2020, and I had just awakened to an orange sky. It was too bright for 6:30 a.m. in San Jose, so I sniffed, not believing my eyes. But that only made things worse. The faint whiff of saltwater I relied on for familiarity was gone. As I got online, I saw urgent messages from my coworkers: Massive fires had broken out in California, and we had to decide — very quickly — whether or not to ground our canvassing team. Was the air quality bad? I wondered. How bad is too unhealthy for everyone? Should we be responding to the fire, or the pandemic? It was only the third week of the Community Health and Business Engagement program, a small team conceived by my local county to distribute information on mask wearing and social distancing during the pandemic. Most of the time, we were being crushed by questions we couldn’t answer. Is my business eligible for a loan? I heard that the funds have dried up already. My customers don’t want to wear masks because they don’t believe COVID exists. The fires were an unwelcome element puffing in more uncertainty. As the twin threats of COVID and wildfires grew, so did a third danger to our community: misinformation. Certainly, it is less tangible than a virus or smoke-filled air, but its risks to health are no less real. Not only are misinformation and disinformation fueling vaccine hesitancy, they are also discouraging communities from seeking out services that could improve their lives. A recent report from the Surgeon General cements this: Addressing misinformation is a public health imperative. As advocates seek to address misinformation at the root by holding tech companies accountable, we also need tools to neutralize bad information during the pandemic and in the future. The first step toward combating misinformation is understanding how people spread it, sometimes without even knowing it. Misinformation and disinformation often begin with people and corporations deliberately twisting facts, even profiting from those lies. However, those same distortions can be amplified by well-meaning people. How, then, can public health advocates and practitioners avoid unwittingly fueling the spread of misinformation? The following is a primer to this large topic — five pieces of advice to communicate more effectively amid our current environment: Lead with values. Across all areas of public health, our messages are strongest when they incorporate, and ideally lead, with values. With COVID, community organizations and health departments have to contend with rapidly evolving science. As the details quickly change, people may feel the information coming from public health is less reliable, opening them to believing misinformation. To be sure, it is difficult to remain credible when guidance frequently changes. Leading with overarching values that resonate with community members provides some consistency in messages even when specific details shift. Be concise. It may be tempting to say everything, especially as we know more today regarding COVID, but shorter messages are easier to repeat and remember. If practitioners don’t create strategic and concise messages, their communities will likely tune them out in favor of ones that make their audiences feel included. Keeping our messages concise can also make it easier to identify our own jargon, which can make it harder for people to understand messages. If our messages are brief, it’s easier to flag — and remove — the terms that might be hard to understand. Avoid re-stating myths or opposition talking points. Experts agree that putting bad information to rest by repeating it, such as stating myths and facts, is tempting but can backfire. Even if our language is clear, people may recall information out of order, miss important nuances, and remember the myths rather than the facts provided to replace them. To avoid unintentionally amplifying myths and misinformation, try reframing the facts. For example, after hearing that “vaccines are not in short supply,” people may later remember only “short supply” and not recall whether this is or isn’t the case regarding vaccines. Instead, try stating the frame you want people to remember: “We have an ample supply of vaccines.” Social media posts can skip stating the myth and focus on the facts, values, and frames that are most important. Use a ‘truth sandwich.’ If you feel you must acknowledge misinformation, a tried-and-true tool is the truth sandwich, which acknowledges people’s concerns without reinforcing them, such as in the case of masks. This approach ‘sandwiches’ the misinformation between the truth: 1. Start with the truth. The first frame gets the advantage. 2. Indicate that some people are spreading misinformation. Avoid amplifying the specific language if possible. 3. Return to the truth. Always repeat truths more than the misinformation. Pre-bunk misinformation. Within the truth sandwich, there is also an opportunity to proactively debunk if you kno... --- ## Top pandemic-themed public health media bites of 2021, metaphor edition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-pandemic-themed-public-health-media-bites-of-2021-metaphor-edition/ Type: post Modified: 2021-12-17 Words: 3061 > During the early days of the pandemic, we read news coverage about the virus obsessively. No story was too small. We also paid close attention to behind-the-scenes conversations happening on... During the early days of the pandemic, we read news coverage about the virus obsessively. No story was too small. We also paid close attention to behind-the-scenes conversations happening on public health listservs, and an overwhelming number of threads pointed to the need for one thing: more robust infrastructure and funding. Without it, experts warned, the pandemic would rage on, and, even more troubling, may not be the only pandemic we experience in our lifetimes. It was clear that communicating the need for public health infrastructure was critically important to prevention, now and in the future, but how could we convey such an abstract concept in a clear, compelling way? Then, we saw it: a beautifully — and simply — stated metaphor. Matt McKillop, senior health policy researcher and analyst at Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), and Dara Alpert Lieberman, TFAH’s director of government relations, co-authored a report that made a compelling case for why we must proactively prepare for threats like COVID-19 by investing in our public health workforce and infrastructure. “Not doing so is akin to hiring firefighters and purchasing hoses and protective equipment amid a five-alarm fire,” they wrote. We’re reminded of that metaphor every time we read a new article or blog about infrastructure. McKillop and Lieberman gave us a new lens to look through. They shaped not only our understanding of their article but our understanding of all future communication about the subject. We love metaphors at BMSG. Metaphors, which are prevalent but often overlooked in everyday language, carry many functions and benefits: They allow us to make strong arguments about complex or abstract ideas without relying on jargon; they can help us illuminate social problems — and how to solve them; they can even help us bridge ideological gaps. Researchers have found that exposure to a single metaphor can result in substantial differences in opinions — differences that can help disparate groups, such as opposing political parties, come together and see issues from a similar perspective. Metaphors, then, can lead people to logical conclusions that may be harder to reach in other ways. For example, according to a study published in PLOS One, participants who read language portraying crime as a virus “were more likely to propose treating the crime problem by investigating the root causes of the issue and instituting social reforms” than participants who read language that likened crime to a beast lurking around every corner. Those participants were more likely to propose punitive approaches to fighting crime, such as “hiring police officers and building jails — to catch and cage the criminals.” When it comes to communicating about COVID, we’ve seen many outstanding metaphors in the news. Public health practitioners, advocates, and researchers have used analogies to explain everything from the need for vaccines to the importance of masks to the way vaccines work. Many of these metaphors have been so memorable that we’ve decided to dedicate this year’s annual media bites blog to the creative comparisons. Of course, no communication, no matter how clever or compelling, is a substitute for equitable access to vaccines, housing, job safety, and other conditions that shape our health. Words cannot replace these supports — but they can reinforce them. Cognitive linguist George Lakoff has explained that metaphors play a key role in defining our daily realities. And we at BMSG have no doubt that they have been instrumental in shaping narratives about the pandemic. Here are some of our favorite metaphors from this past year’s news and social media, as well our own resources, grouped by topic. Please sit back, enjoy, and if you have seen other metaphors that you think should be on our radar (metaphor intended!), share your top picks with us at info@bmsg.org or @BMSG. Using fire safety to convey the effectiveness of vaccines, important caveats about breakthrough infections, and more One of the most common and effective metaphors we’ve seen characterizes the virus as a fire. If the virus is a fire, then it becomes easier for readers to imagine how public health tools like masks and vaccines compare to common elements of fire safety, from fire extinguishers to flame retardants. Fire safety metaphors can help us communicate the following: How vaccines slow the spread of infection: “The vaccines have begun to quench the pandemic inferno, but the remaining flames are still burning through the same communities that have already been disproportionately scorched by COVID-19 — and by a much older legacy of poor health care.” -Ed Yong. Appeared June 9, 2021 in The Atlantic. Vaccinated people are like wet logs, unvaccinated like dry kindling. COVID is the fire. Can wet logs catch fire? Yes. Can wet logs SPREAD fire once they catch flame? Sure. But it’s MUCH harder to start a fire with wet logs, and nearly impossible when there’s no more kindling. pic.twitter.com/... --- ## Media advocacy and strategic communication for tobacco control and other issues URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-and-strategic-communication-for-tobacco-control-and-other-issues/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 66 > In this two-part virtual series for staff from the Tuolumne County Department of Public Health Tobacco Control Program, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communication, including... In this two-part virtual series for staff from the Tuolumne County Department of Public Health Tobacco Control Program, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communication, including framing and message development. Participants also learned about media strategy (deciding the best way to reach your target and when media can best affect the decision-making process) and message delivery in high stakes situations. --- ## Six media advocacy lessons from a campaign for housing justice and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/six-media-advocacy-lessons-from-a-campaign-for-housing-justice-and-health-equity/ Type: post Modified: 2021-12-09 Words: 3237 > When California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to create eviction protections and a rent-relief program this summer to help shield low-income tenants and small landlords from the financial fallout of... When California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to create eviction protections and a rent-relief program this summer to help shield low-income tenants and small landlords from the financial fallout of the pandemic, his office touted it as “the largest and most comprehensive COVID rental protection and rent relief program of any state in the nation.” What readers wouldn’t have known from the news release is that a housing justice coalition had campaigned for such a robust program, pushing Newsom every step of the way. With an eye toward advancing health equity, which is inextricably linked to housing status, they fought hard to ensure that the state’s original, diluted version of an eviction moratorium gained some heft and that key loopholes were closed before Newsom added his signature. They also urged him to extend the moratorium when it became clear that the pandemic — and its economic implications — would outlast the legislation. “If we’re serious about health equity, we’ve really got to take a very square and sharp focus on preventing evictions.” Will Dominie As BMSG offered support to the effort, we realized there were many lessons learned that could aid housing and health justice advocates across the country. However, until now, the work was too fast-paced to reflect on the group’s accomplishments and consider insights for future media advocacy efforts. And, make no mistake, more work remains. The moratorium expired in October, and COVID continues to surge in many locations, with public health experts expecting the pandemic’s financial and health effects to continue for months, or even years, to come. What’s more, our housing system was fractured long before the virus claimed its first victim, making it even more important to analyze — and, hopefully, replicate — victories. “Preventing evictions and keeping people in their homes is fundamental to our health and our well-being,” explained Will Dominie, former policy manager of housing and equitable development at the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), in a recent interview. “And housing instability is deeply inequitable by race, class, immigration status, and gender. I think if we’re serious about people’s health, and then if we’re serious about health equity, we’ve really got to take a very square and sharp focus on preventing evictions.” BARHII, a coalition of Bay Area health departments, was one of many groups that joined a statewide housing justice coalition, which led the charge to prevent evictions during COVID. While Housing Now! California, a diverse movement-building coalition, spearheaded statewide anti-eviction efforts along with Tenants Together, BARHII brought a specific focus on health impacts and mobilized public health groups. The eviction moratorium was just one of many victories the groups celebrated, from securing funds to help communities burdened by debt to fighting to ensure that those funds would be distributed fairly and equitably. Throughout their year-and-a-half-long campaign, the coalition and its communication workgroup (which included Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Public Advocates, Western Center on Law & Poverty, PICO CA, Housing CA, San Francisco Tenants Union, BARHII, and BMSG) used many tactics, including rapid-response data collection and the release of a report, to create narrative and policy change, while building capacity to advance racial and health equity. To learn more about their work and its implications for other advocates in health, housing, and beyond, we spoke with BARHII’s Dominie, as well as Francisco Dueñas, director of Housing Now!; Rev. Rae Chen Huang, senior organizer at Housing Now! and former organizer with Healthy LA Coalition; and Melissa Jones, executive director of BARHII. Here are a few key communication and narrative-change lessons, based on their insights: 1. Organizing and coalition-building form the foundation for narrative change. Collaboration and partnerships yield many benefits. First, different groups bring different perspectives with them, allowing coalitions to develop the most thorough and precise view of the problem, which is necessary for envisioning the most effective solutions. Second, combining resources gives coalitions greater reach. And third, having a range of voices offers greater flexibility in messaging. The housing coalition realized all of these benefits quickly. Having multiple partners allowed them to “reach people where they’re at, and to be able to transmit [their] message differently based on where everybody’s coming from,” Dueñas said, noting that a health group is going to be able to work with the California nurses’ union to bring their voice to the effort, while a tenant-organizing group is going to be positioned to talk to elected officials about what their members are experiencing. “We’re just all coming from different places and are able to add our point of views, in order to say, ‘Here’s why I care abo... --- ## How advocates can more effectively counter industry efforts to block sugary drink taxes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-advocates-can-more-effectively-counter-industry-efforts-to-block-sugary-drink-taxes/ Type: post Modified: 2021-11-19 Words: 1700 > In 2012, voters in two California cities went to the ballot box to consider taxing soda and other sugary drinks to improve community health. The measures failed, but advocates learned... In 2012, voters in two California cities went to the ballot box to consider taxing soda and other sugary drinks to improve community health. The measures failed, but advocates learned lessons that would help them pass future taxes in other cities like Berkeley, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Public and policymaker support for such taxes has grown considerably since then; however, the beverage industry remains a formidable opponent and, for every success story, public health advocates have another tale of struggle or defeat. For example, after Seattle approved a sugary drinks tax in 2017 and implemented it the following year, voters passed a ballot initiative to prohibit Washington state from imposing new taxes or fees on any grocery item. And last summer, amid the pandemic, Washington, D.C. Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau withdrew legislation that would have leveraged a sugary drinks tax to decrease health disparities, citing insufficient support and beverage industry obstruction. To learn more about these campaigns and the communication strategies behind them, Berkeley Media Studies group (BMSG), with support from the American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids initiative, conducted a thorough media analysis of the campaigns in Seattle and Washington, D.C. This new research, which builds on a decade of similar analyses of media coverage from other cities, explores how arguments for and against soda taxes are reported in the news. By studying these news frames, we can better understand how readers, including lawmakers, perceive public health problems and what to do about them. Our current and prior analyses are available on the BMSG website. Drawing from the victories and challenges of past campaigns, they offer strategic communication insights for future efforts to tax sugary drinks. Below is a summary of key recommendations from our findings: Avoid jargon. “Health equity” and “racial equity” are common terms within the field of public health, and they are beginning to show up in news coverage. However, they are still not widely used outside of the advocacy sphere and may cause confusion or, worse, fuel opposition arguments against taxes. For example, an op-ed opposing the tax in D.C. dismissed the use of the term “equity” as merely the “term du jour,” creating an opportunity for detractors to sow confusion and doubt. To avoid this trap, advocates should be prepared to discuss racial and health equity without relying on those terms. To do so, it can be helpful to think of ways to “show,” not “tell,” the audience about systemic and structural barriers to health. Giving concrete examples is critical. As we often say at BMSG, it’s better to say “chair” than “furniture,” and it’s even better to say “recliner” than “chair.” When the term “equity” is unavoidable, be certain to define the term. If your meaning isn’t clear, your target audience will be more vulnerable to rhetoric — including misinformation — from the opposition. Ensure diverse communities are centered, resourced, and respected as leaders throughout the campaign. If you don’t, industry will co-opt narratives on race and class. In both organizing and communication, advocates must continually center the communities who would benefit the most from a tax. The beverage industry routinely describes sugary drink taxes as regressive, emphasizing that low-income and communities of color will feel the biggest effects from the tax. By focusing narrowly on the point of purchase, the industry uses this frame to distract residents from the social and health costs of its products and sales tactics, which disproportionately harm low-income families and communities of color. Beverage marketers target these populations with ads for cheap, nutritionally empty drinks that are high in sugar, increase the risks of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and are nearly ubiquitous in places already experiencing higher rates of diet-related diseases. “In San Francisco, the communities with the highest hospitalization rates for type-2 diabetes are the same communities with the highest rates of soda consumption,” explained physician and former Richmond Councilmember Jeff Ritterman in a blog that summarized the inequitable health consequences of sugary drinks. “Type-2 diabetes is far more costly and far more regressive than any soda tax ever could be.” If advocates don’t elevate the roles of racism and classism in sugary drink targeted marketing, the beverage industry will be free to frame those issues from its own profit-driven perspective. In Seattle news coverage, for instance, one article argued that the tax would “punish white people.” Establishing diverse leadership, as many campaigns have done, is critical to countering such narratives. Additionally, advocates must include healthy and affordable alternatives in their messaging when asking communities to cut down on sugary drinks. Some of the new tax revenue could address this problem if safe, no-cost dri... --- ## Communicating about the Nutrition Equity Amendment Act of 2021: An analysis of news, social media, and campaign materials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-about-the-nutrition-equity-amendment-act-of-2021-an-analysis-of-news-social-media-and-campaign-materials/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 7840 > Public health practitioners around the world are excited about the potential of sugary drink taxes for protecting the public’s health. Based on the success of the first sugary drink taxes... Public health practitioners around the world are excited about the potential of sugary drink taxes for protecting the public’s health. Based on the success of the first sugary drink taxes in Berkeley, California,1 the Navajo Nation,2 and Philadelphia,3 and the long history of successful tobacco taxes, we know that sugary drink taxes could help ensure that whole communities avoid premature death from type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other nutrition-related chronic illnesses. Sugary drink taxes also generate needed revenue for cities that have been economically devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Denver have used sugary drink taxes to fund food and nutrition programs,4,5 renovations to outdoor spaces,6 and other community needs during pandemic-related shutdowns. The most recent effort to pass a tax on sugary drinks in Washington, D.C., was intended to raise funds to reduce long-standing health inequities in the city. On March 29, 2021, six of Washington, D.C.’s, city council members introduced the Nutrition Equity Amendment Act of 2021. Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau, who spoke on behalf of the group, cited persistent and pervasive health disparities “made even more apparent by the COVID-19 pandemic”7 as the catalyst for the proposal. Opponents and proponents of the D.C. proposal debated the legislation in the media. News coverage provides a window into the public narrative about any issue because news shapes the public and policy agendas.8,9,10,11 Journalists’ decisions about how to cover the many pressing topics of the day can raise the profile of an issue; whereas issues not covered by the news media are often neglected and remain largely outside public discourse and policy debate.10,12 News coverage influences how issues are perceived and discussed13,14 including, for example, whose perspectives are seen as credible and valuable, which solutions are elevated or ignored, and how arguments are characterized. About the Nutrition Equity Amendment Act The Nutrition Equity Amendment Act proposed to implement an excise tax of $0.015 per ounce on the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverages in Washington D.C, a replacement for the pre-existing 8% sales tax on soft drinks (defined as “a beverage with a natural or artificial sweetener that contains less than 100% juice; or a beverage that is less than 50% milk, soy or other milk substitutes; or coffee, coffee substitutes, cocoa, or tea”a). The initiative was expected to raise $22-30 million in revenue to fund improvements in access to healthy food, expansion of nutrition education programming, and extension of local grocers to communities without access to healthy food. The intended primary beneficiaries of these programs were local families, and individuals housed in shelters and transitional housing in D.C. During the proposal’s first public hearing in May 2021 many small business owners spoke against the tax. The Alliance for an Affordable DC, a community group bankrolled by the American Beverage Association, enlisted small business owners, many of them people of color, to highlight “the devastating economic consequences a new tax would have on D.C. residents, especially as [the] community begins to recover from the pandemic.”16 Councilmember Nadeau withdrew the Nutrition Equity Amendment Act on June 11, citing insufficient support. In her statement, she accused the beverage industry of “standing in the way of community-based solutions to address health disparities.”16 a Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Tax Rates and Revenues, Sales and Use Taxes, Alcoholic Beverage Taxes and Tobacco Taxes. Accessed September 7, 2021. https://cfo.dc.gov/page/tax-rates-and-revenues-sales-and-use-taxes-alcoholic-beverage-taxes-and-tobacco-taxes. Across all forms of media, social and health issues are portrayed through a complex process of organizing information to create meaning; this process is known as framing.9,14,15 As they cover stories, journalists select certain arguments, examples, images, messages, and sources to create a picture of the issue. The selection — or omission — of arguments and voices works like a frame around a picture, drawing our attention to what information is important and excluding other information. We are concerned with how the news frames public health and social justice issues because frames foster certain understandings and hinder others. Because of the great potential sugary beverage taxes have for improving population health and addressing inequities, we also wanted to see how news outlets’ social media platforms (which can also drive news and political agendas) framed the most recent effort to institute a tax. In this report, we present an overview of past research on sugary drink taxes in news coverage and share findings from an analysis of news and social media coverage of the Nutrition Equity Amendment Act. Sugary drink taxes in the news: An overview of BMSG’s research Berkeley Med... --- ## Communicating about vaccines: How to discuss racial equity in vaccine uptake URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-about-vaccines-how-to-discuss-racial-equity-in-vaccine-uptake/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 659 > To help ensure equitable vaccination rates in all neighborhoods, public health advocates and practitioners must center communities of color in their messages. Being silent on racism allows vaccine opponents to... To help ensure equitable vaccination rates in all neighborhoods, public health advocates and practitioners must center communities of color in their messages. Being silent on racism allows vaccine opponents to invoke medical oppression in their communication, stoking further division, hesitancy, and distrust. This video, the third in a series from BMSG, offers strategic communication tips for advancing racial and health equity in immunizations. Transcript [KIM GARCIA, BMSG RESEARCHER]: Communities of color have many reasons for having hesitancy around vaccines. Medical racism and medical oppression have been experienced and continue to be experienced by people of color. There’s also a lack of representation of providers — medical providers and even public health practitioners, who we see in our communities who may not look like us, and so there’s a barrier of trust that needs to be built when we don’t see ourselves or see our lived experiences represented. [NARRATOR]: So, how do we go about building trust with community partners? For starters, public health advocates and practitioners cannot stay silent on racial inequity and the structures that create it. [GARCIA]: To leave race out of the conversation is really leaving it up to vaccine opponents to take up that issue themselves. We found that vaccine opponents bring up instances of medical racism and medical oppression ultimately to undermine trust in the medical system. By using race to divide us, they’re turning us against each other, they’re turning us against medical providers and government overall. [NARRATOR]: When advocates address racial equity in messages about vaccines, they must go beyond acknowledging past harms. [SHADDAI MARTINEZ-CUESTAS, BMSG HEAD OF TRAINING]: Focusing on hesitancy has been a way to deflect responsibility for equitable distribution on the front end. [NARRATOR]: To make sure their messages don’t reinforce hesitancy, advocates must also discuss structural barriers, many of which predate the pandemic. [GARCIA]: Lack of health insurance, lack of transportation, lack of housing that gives someone a safe and stable place to even think about getting vaccinated in the first place. We know that, for example, even your zip code could be shaping your risk for exposure. We also we can talk about lack of protections that are in place for frontline and essential workers, who are predominantly people of color. And so, that really points to someone in power who can put those protections in place. So, when we talk about the landscape, when we talk about the structures that can hinder people’s access to vaccines, we can then point to solutions that are structural and systemic solutions. Rather than “this person needs to be able to get a vaccine,” but, “how can we improve our structures and systems so that all people can get vaccines?” [MARTINEZ-CUESTAS]: I want to point out an article by Politico that it is focusing on the systems instead of just blaming individuals. The chief medical executive of Minnesota has a really great quote in this article, talking about how the best public health happens when you go into neighborhoods and when you’re working with communities and how it is the duty and responsibility for public health to go to where their communities are at. [NARRATOR]: Advocates can also advance equity by including values in their messages. [GARCIA]: When we talk about vaccines, we’re really thinking about the greater good, our collective, our community. These are the values that we hold because we know that communities of color are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Vaccine opponents, on the other hand, tend to use a very individual frame; they really look at my personal choices, my personal freedoms. That creates greater division and, if we stay silent on racial equity from a public health side, vaccine opponents will only continue to stoke those divisions. --- ## Communicating about COVID: A conversation with reporters URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-about-covid-a-conversation-with-reporters/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 92 > Berkeley Media Studies Group, in partnership with the Together Toward Health Initiative, hosted a panel event featuring three California reporters from national, radio, and ethnic media outlets. Event participants were... Berkeley Media Studies Group, in partnership with the Together Toward Health Initiative, hosted a panel event featuring three California reporters from national, radio, and ethnic media outlets. Event participants were TTH grantees, health department staff, and other public health advocates. Panelists Anh Do, a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, Nadia Lopez, a Latino communities reporter at The Fresno Bee, and Maria Eraña, director of broadcasting at Radio Bilingüe, gave participants invaluable tips and insight for advocates hoping to harness the power of the news to influence systems-level change. --- ## Introduction to media advocacy and strategic communications URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introduction-to-media-advocacy-and-strategic-communications/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 61 > In two separate trainings with San Francisco State University public health graduate students, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications. Students applied training materials to class... In two separate trainings with San Francisco State University public health graduate students, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications. Students applied training materials to class work on public health topics ranging from domestic abuse to youth mental health. Students also had the opportunity to practice delivering the messages they created in highly engaging mock interview activities. --- ## Warning: Don’t let the beverage industry harm your kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/warning-dont-let-the-beverage-industry-harm-your-kids/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 138 > Recent research has found that countermarketing campaigns can be an effective way to reduce the demand for sugary drinks by exposing the beverage industry's manipulative behavior, in much the same... Recent research has found that countermarketing campaigns can be an effective way to reduce the demand for sugary drinks by exposing the beverage industry’s manipulative behavior, in much the same way that anti-tobacco campaigns successfully villainized Big Tobacco. However, as BMSG Director Dr. Lori Dorfman points out in this commentary for AJPH, grassroots health messages rarely have the same reach as well-funded efforts like the original “Truth” campaign, which was funded using money from a tobacco settlement. And while social media is cheap, platforms like Facebook are part of the problem, as they are among the world’s largest junk food marketers. Read the commentary to learn the steps Dr. Dorfman recommends for ensuring that anti-soda countermarketing campaigns are as effective as possible. View the full commentary in AJPH > --- ## Introduction to media advocacy and strategic communication with Prevention Institute URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/prevention-institute-introduction-to-media-advocacy-and-strategic-communication/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 75 > In this two-part training for the Prevention Institute's Built Environment Advocacy Fund grantees, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communication, including crafting an overall strategic that... In this two-part training for the Prevention Institute’s Built Environment Advocacy Fund grantees, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communication, including crafting an overall strategic that informs the development of concise, compelling messaging about the built environment in Los Angeles, California. Participants also learned about media strategy (deciding how to best reach your target, and when media would best impact the decision-making process) and practiced message delivery. --- ## Media advocacy and strategic communications series with the All Children Thrive Initiative URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/all-children-thrive-initiative-media-advocacy-and-strategic-communications-series/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 56 > In this five-part virtual training for All Children Thrive Initiative grantees, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications and message development. Workshops included how to deliver... In this five-part virtual training for All Children Thrive Initiative grantees, BMSG staff covered the fundamentals of media advocacy and strategic communications and message development. Workshops included how to deliver compelling, concise messages in high-stakes environments, how to get your issue in the news, and how to write convincing opinion letters to frame issues. --- ## Communicating about vaccines: Illuminating the context for access and hesitancy [video] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-about-vaccines-illuminating-the-context-for-access-and-hesitancy-video/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 717 > To boost vaccine rates, public health practitioners and advocates need more than just compelling messages; we also must confront the practical barriers that make it hard for some people to... To boost vaccine rates, public health practitioners and advocates need more than just compelling messages; we also must confront the practical barriers that make it hard for some people to access the vaccine — and credible information about it. In this video, the second in a series from BMSG, we discuss the context for why vaccination rates are lagging in some communities. Learn more about COVID-related communication and view other videos at www.bmsg.org/covid-19. Transcript [NARRATOR]: There’s no shortage of news about COVID-19 vaccination rates. Stories about state and national rankings, pockets of vaccine hesitancy, and the health consequences of being unvaccinated routinely make headlines. Less common are stories that make visible the context for whether people can easily access the vaccine and credible information about it. BMSG’s research team has gained insight into what’s missing from conversations surrounding vaccination, after studying news coverage of the issue. [PAMELA MEJIA, BMSG HEAD OF RESEARCH]: One of my favorite quotes that came from the research that we did was from a physician who talked about vaccine deserts. So, these are places where access to vaccination sites is very, very limited: There might be very few of them; they might have limited hours, limited staff; they might be difficult to access via public transportation; they might be difficult to access financially. Communities that have been marginalized and tend to be ignored for things like healthy food, for health care facilities, etc., they also tend to be ignored and left out of access to vaccination sites. As advocates and practitioners — as people who want to increase rates of vaccination — we have to illustrate for folks that sometimes many people want to be vaccinated, but they simply can’t. [NARRATOR]: Although stories illustrating access issues are relatively rare, our researchers did find some good examples. In this article from The Washington Post, the executive director of the American Public Health Association explains why it’s important to expand coverage in ways that highlight practical barriers. He says, quote, “If you’ve got to take two buses and walk a few blocks, plus hesitancy, where is the incentive to go get that shot?” Another factor hindering vaccination rates is a lack of access to trustworthy information about it. [PAMELA MEJIA, BMSG HEAD OF RESEARCH]: There is a long history of misinformation and disinformation from vaccine-hesitant or vaccine-skeptical folks. It’s interesting that they — that vaccine opponents tend to sow a lot of distrust of medical science and medical professionals because, at the same time, they try to evoke or mimic medical professionals and medical work. When we were doing our analysis of documents, we found a number of fact sheets from organizations like the CDC, and we also found fact sheets that looked almost identical in terms of their layout, their formatting, some of their language choices, etc., but they came from vaccine-hesitant or vaccine-skeptical organizations. There’s no way of knowing what the individual media environment or messaging environment somebody’s been exposed to is, which makes it doubly important that we be reflective of and acknowledge access issues, and, you know, really be prepared to talk about some of the uncomfortable questions that people may have. We need each other’s help in figuring out where to go and where to ask questions and what information to trust when it comes to vaccinations. Look at who’s providing the information — whether it’s from a reputable source or not. If data is being cited, is it coming from a reputable place, or, um, is it sourced at all? If data is presented without a citation, that’s a sign that this might not be a very good source. And look at the timeliness; look at how current the information that’s being presented is. Establishing that there are questions, there is competing information, that there can be a lot of confusing and conflicting information in the world is an important step towards making people feel heard. It’s kind of a way of acknowledging our shared humanity. For more tips on communicating effectively about COVID-19 and vaccines, visit bmsg.org/covid-19. --- ## Abundant Birth Project framing analysis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/abundant-birth-project-framing-analysis/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 106 > During this three-part virtual workshop with Expecting Justice staff and researchers, BMSG staff collaborated with EJ staff to conduct a framing analysis on media coverage of the Abundant Birth Project.... During this three-part virtual workshop with Expecting Justice staff and researchers, BMSG staff collaborated with EJ staff to conduct a framing analysis on media coverage of the Abundant Birth Project. ABP aims to address the racial gap in preterm birth by targeting Black and Pacific Islander birthing people with guaranteed, no-strings-attached income. Participants discussed how staff can counter negative stereotyping of program participants, which values can support a positive frame of the project that can move the conversation towards public funding in the future, and how to respond to tough questions about the program. BMSG staff also provided recommendations based on this analysis. --- ## Message development and truth sandwich training with Together Towards Health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/together-towards-health-message-development-and-truth-sandwich-training/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-20 Words: 47 > In this two-part virtual workshop with Together Toward Health grantees, BMSG staff covered how to use the components of a message to develop compelling messages that lead with values and... In this two-part virtual workshop with Together Toward Health grantees, BMSG staff covered how to use the components of a message to develop compelling messages that lead with values and address misinformation. Participants also practiced using “truth sandwiches” to dispel misinformation without repeating lies. --- ## Understanding violence and prevention during a pandemic URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/understanding-violence-and-prevention-during-a-pandemic/ Type: events Modified: 2021-10-21 Words: 117 > During this Oct. 7 webinar, BMSG and our partners at the Hope and Heal fund shared findings from the release of our new publication, Understanding Violence and Prevention During a... During this Oct. 7 webinar, BMSG and our partners at the Hope and Heal fund shared findings from the release of our new publication, Understanding Violence and Prevention During a Pandemic. This report reveals shifts in coverage related to the three major types of day-to-day gun violence (including firearm suicide, domestic violence incidents, and community-level violence), and highlights trends in news about police violence and gun sales. We hope this analysis provides a helpful starting point for our partners working to shift and strengthen news narratives about guns, gun violence, and their impact on communities of color in California and beyond. View the recording here. To download a copy of the slides, click here. --- ## Media Spokesperson Training: Lending Our Voices for Equity Investment URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-spokesperson-training-lending-our-voices-for-equity-investment/ Type: events Modified: 2022-01-19 Words: 56 > In this interactive, virtual two-part series with members of the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), BMSG covered how participants could align their communication strategy with their COVID equitable... In this interactive, virtual two-part series with members of the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), BMSG covered how participants could align their communication strategy with their COVID equitable recovery policy goals. The trainings also covered how to communicate about policy goals in high stakes situations, such as media interviews or with key stakeholders. --- ## Understanding violence and prevention during a pandemic: California news about guns, gun violence, and firearm suicide, 2020-2021 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/understanding-violence-prevention-pandemic-california-news-guns-gun-violence-firearm-suicide/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 3987 > Gun violence and firearm suicide are preventable — but news coverage often obscures that fact: We know from decades of research that, in general, news coverage of different kinds of... Gun violence and firearm suicide are preventable — but news coverage often obscures that fact: We know from decades of research that, in general, news coverage of different kinds of violence can stoke fear by focusing narrowly on the details of the most extreme cases, obscuring solutions,1, 2 and reinforcing the sense that the problem is inescapable and unchangeable. That’s why a key component of stopping gun violence and firearm suicide in America is understanding the complete picture of these public health crises, as well as what can be done — and is being done — in communities across the country to prevent harm or support survivors of violence. In 2020, discussions about violence, and gun violence in particular, took on new importance as the global COVID-19 pandemic spurred historic increases in gun sales3 and concerns about mental health and family violence among families and individuals in quarantine.4 Following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in the summer of 2020, nationwide protests against police brutality and structural racism put police violence and officer-involved shootings in the spotlight.5 We wanted to know: How have gun violence and firearm suicide appeared in California news amid the pandemic and nationwide protests about police brutality? How has the volume of news coverage about gun violence changed in recent years? What types of gun violence receive the most coverage? At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we believe that the news provides an important window into public discourse and has a strong influence on what people and policymakers understand and how they understand it. We wanted to know: How have gun violence and firearm suicide appeared in California news amid the unprecedented events of 2020 and early 2021? And how has coverage of gun violence changed over the past several years, since our last study of this issue? We present here a quantitative analysis of California news published between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. These findings build in part on a study we released in June of 2018 titled “More Than Mass Shootings: Gun Violence Narratives in California News,”6 part of a long-term partnership between BMSG and the Hope and Heal Fund focused on examining and shifting the news narrative around gun violence and firearm suicide. That report evaluated California news about three major types of day-to-day gun violence, including firearm suicide, domestic violence incidents involving guns, and community-level violence (also known as street violence) involving guns. Our analysis found significant gaps in the coverage, such as limited news about firearm suicide and domestic violence involving guns, and the persistent use of language and images in the news that could reinforce harmful stereotypes about communities of color, particularly young Black and Brown men. That analysis also surfaced gaps in news coverage of police-involved acts of gun violence, though that issue was not a major focus of the report. The following analysis not only documents how often the issues from our previous analysis (gun-related suicide, domestic violence, and community violence) appeared in English- and Spanish-language news; we also expanded the scope of this study to explore gun sales and police violence in response to a surge in the number of guns in circulation7 and the Black Lives Matter movement building the largest protests in U.S. history.8 What we did We searched the Lexis-Nexis database for print and online news published between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 in 118 English- and Spanish-language California newspapers. We selected these dates to capture the impact of various gun violence incidents on the news cycle: the statewide stay-at-home order (March 19, 2020); police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis (May 25, 2020); the attack on the U.S. Capitol by armed supporters of Donald Trump (January 6, 2021); and mass shootings in an Atlanta spa and a Boulder grocery store that took place within one week (March 16, 2021 and March 22, 2021). To enable comparisons with our prior research, we replicated the search terms we used in our prior study to capture English-language articles about domestic violence, community violence, and suicide related to guns. We updated our previous search terms for Spanish-language articles to be more comprehensive. We also designed new search strings to capture news about topics we didn’t explore in the previous analysis: news about gun sales, particularly among first-time buyers, and stories about police violence, including shootings and any use of deadly force. We collected these stories over the same time period and evaluated the volume of coverage these search terms would have yielded had we run them during the prior study period (October 15, 2016 to October 14, 2017). For English-language news, we searched for keywords related to issues like racism, prevention, and community action in the lead paragraphs of stories (see Appendix 1 for a com... --- ## Introduction of media advocacy and strategic communications with Touro University URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introduction-of-media-advocacy-and-strategic-communications-with-touro-university/ Type: events Modified: 2022-05-17 Words: 64 > BMSG facilitated an introductory training on media advocacy and strategic communications for Touro University MPH students, mostly in the physician assistant field. The training explored how students can leverage their... BMSG facilitated an introductory training on media advocacy and strategic communications for Touro University MPH students, mostly in the physician assistant field. The training explored how students can leverage their position as health care professionals to serve as powerful spokespersons and/or allies for advocacy campaigns, and how to address public health issues with an upstream perspective that highlights root causes and structural solutions. --- ## How California news about gun violence has evolved amid the pandemic, protests against police brutality, and journalists’ commitments to improve coverage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-california-news-about-gun-violence-has-evolved-amid-the-pandemic-protests-against-police-brutality-and-journalists-commitments-to-improve-coverage/ Type: post Modified: 2021-10-07 Words: 658 > This spring, a group of journalists from a range of news outlets, including The Trace, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, met to discuss how the media can more effectively... This spring, a group of journalists from a range of news outlets, including The Trace, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, met to discuss how the media can more effectively cover gun violence. Together, they pledged to allocate more time and resources to the issue, make clear its connections to racism and health disparities, and go beyond mass shootings to cover other, more common forms of gun violence. New report coming soon! This commitment comes as advocates have voiced concerns about the extent of our country’s gun violence and firearm suicide crisis, as firearm deaths and injuries have both increased amid the pandemic, with nearly 4,000 additional gun deaths and more than 9,000 additional gun injuries in 2020 than in 2019. While top public health officials remain focused, understandably, on increasing vaccine access and vaccination rates as COVID-19 continues to ravage communities, reporters and advocates alike want to ensure that gun violence, which has been labeled a health crisis by the American Medical Association and American Public Health Association, still commands the attention it deserves. The good news, according to a new study from the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), is that guns and gun violence are garnering significant media attention, with outlets in California increasing their coverage of the issues in recent years. “It’s encouraging that journalists are taking gun violence seriously and making good on their promises to help the public better understand this major public health issue,” said Pamela Mejia, who leads the research team at BMSG. Print and online news about gun violence appearing in California media outlets, relative to the total volume of news, increased by 25% in English-language outlets and 60% in Spanish-language outlets in 2020-2021, compared to 2016-2017, researchers found. The study, part of a larger collaboration between BMSG and the Hope and Heal Fund, revealed several other promising findings: news coverage of police violence is on the rise, accounting for much of the total increase in California news about gun violence; reporters are increasingly identifying the role of racism in perpetuating violence, with 25% of articles about police violence mentioning “racism” in the lead paragraph; and prevention is gaining visibility, with 10% of gun violence news stories addressing prevention in the lead paragraph. This is up from just 3% in our previous analysis. The BMSG team also explored how firearm suicide, community violence, and domestic violence appeared in coverage, as well as how much visibility gun sales received in the news. However, more research is needed, and challenges remain for journalists to continue to improve their approach to reporting. “While it is heartening to see more explicit mentions of racism, police violence, and prevention in the news about gun violence, policymakers and the public still need to hear more about how local solutions can prevent and interrupt gun violence and firearm suicide,” Hope and Heal Fund Director Brian Malte said. “What do solutions look like in practice? What strategies are getting results that could be replicated? How can reporters do more to uplift authentic and trusted community voices?” Given that California’s population is 40% Latinx, Malte also questioned how journalists can better communicate about gun violence to Spanish-speaking audiences, noting that most of California’s Spanish-language coverage came from a single news outlet: La Opinión. Malte and Mejia will join others from BMSG and Hope and Heal for a webinar on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET) to answer questions; share more research findings; discuss implications for reporters, advocates, and funders both within and outside of California; and talk about next steps for the fields of violence prevention and journalism. To register for the webinar, visit https://bit.ly/bmsg-report-webinar-oct7. To request an an interview with a BMSG researcher or member of the Hope and Heal Fund, email info@bmsg.org or info@hopeandhealfund.org. View the full report. --- ## Who’s at the primetime table? An analysis of host, contributor, and guest appearances on six weeks of primetime cable news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/primetime-cable-news-analysis-host-contributor-guest-appearances-media-diversity/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 3091 > Cable news programming offers a window into public debate for a broad swath of Americans, including many older and politically active audiences. Its reach has been magnified by the events... Cable news programming offers a window into public debate for a broad swath of Americans, including many older and politically active audiences. Its reach has been magnified by the events of 2020 and 2021,1 including a global pandemic that kept people in their homes, a highly publicized national racial reckoning, and a contentious presidential election followed by a violent aftermath at the U.S. Capitol. Cable news amplifies political debate and validates thought leaders and experts in the public square, propelling vital voices who shape policy and can affirm democratic values like equity and inclusion. Black women — especially older Black women who can provide perspectives from potent lived experience as advocates, civic leaders, and experts in a vast array of sectors and subjects — should be among the prominent voices on the coveted primetime lineup of major cable news networks. They are overperformers in electoral politics,2,3 advanced degrees,4,5 and business ownership.6,7 Yet they are often erased from spaces where they should command a place. And older Black women should be visible in cable television news because they represent an important audience for this programming. The three major cable networks — CNN, Fox, MSNBC — all skew toward older viewers, and a majority of women comprise MSNBC and CNN audiences,8 which both enjoy a Black viewership larger than their percentage in the general population. In short, we wanted to know: Given all their contributions to public and political life, are older Black women visible on primetime cable news? We zeroed in on age, race, and gender for a quantitative snapshot of who the three major networks elevate as experts in the political and cultural debates that shape our world — and, perhaps more importantly, whose voices are left out. Our findings To answer this question, we systematically examined who appears on primetime news programming on CNN, Fox, and MSNBC, Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The review period included nine programs over six weeks from May 24 through June 30, 2021. This period included the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police as well as the inaugural Juneteenth federal holiday — events that both would necessarily be enhanced by perspectives from Black commentators, including Black women. During the six weeks of our analysis, we documented 1,862 appearances by a host, contributor, or guest. Our findings revealed a dearth of Black voices occupying influential seats on primetime cable news. Black women of all ages are sorely missing, but most dramatically, those 55 and older represent a scant 1.6% of all appearances. Of the 1,862 appearances logged during the review period, Black women 55 and older constituted just 21 appearances; though, due to a few multiple bookings, they appeared a total of 28 times. Who’s at the primetime table? Men over 45 who are not Black most frequently appeared on primetime cable news. Across networks, men who did not present or identify as Black appeared most often on primetime cable news, with men over 55 accounting for one in five appearances, followed by men aged 45-54 (see Figure 1). Women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who did not identify or present as Black accounted for significantly fewer appearances, but still far exceeded appearances by Black men and women of all ages. Figure 1. Proportion by racial, gender, and age presentation of hosts, contributors, and guests on primetime news shows that aired from May 24, 2021 through June 30, 2021 (n=1,862 appearances). Click figure to enlarge. When Black people did appear on cable news, they were most often men aged 55 and over, while older Black women seldom appeared. Black people seldom appeared on cable news — and older Black women were uniquely underrepresented. During the period of our analysis, there were 28 appearances by Black women 55 and over, accounting for 10% of appearances by Black people (see Figure 2), but only 1.6% of all appearances (see Figure 1). By contrast, Black men 55 and over accounted for one-quarter of all appearances by Black people (see Figure 2). Figure 2. Proportion by racial, gender, and age presentation of Black hosts, contributors, and guests on primetime news shows that aired from May 24, 2021 through June 30, 2021 (n=284 appearances by Black people). Click figure to enlarge. When Black women 55 and over did appear, they most often were guests on MSNBC: 4% of all appearances on the network were made by Black women in this age range. The Rachel Maddow Show had the highest percentage of Black women 55 and over as guests (6% of all appearances on the show). Other networks featured Black women 55 and over even less frequently. Only 1% of all appearances of CNN were by Black women 55 and over, and Black women 55 and over appeared even less often (< 1%) on FOX. Indeed, only one Black woman 55 and over appeared on the FOX News Primetime show, and no older Black women at all appeared on Hannity or Tucke... --- ## Communicating about vaccines: Investing in trusted messengers [video] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-about-vaccines-investing-in-trusted-messengers-video/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 632 > As the Delta variant surges, it’s more critical than ever to communicate with the public in ways that foster trust. In this new video, the first in a new series... As the Delta variant surges, it’s more critical than ever to communicate with the public in ways that foster trust. In this new video, the first in a new series from Berkeley Media Studies Group, BMSG offers strategic communication tips to help public health advocates and practitioners do just that. Check it out and learn more about COVID-related communication at www.bmsg.org/covid-19. Transcript [NARRATOR]: Vaccines save lives. We know that from research, but many people remain hesitant to get their shots. To boost confidence in the vaccine, we not only need to give people access to it in places they trust, but we also need to deliver accurate information about it through trusted messengers. [SARAH PEREZ-SANZ, BMSG RESEARCHER] Dr. Anthony Fauci is definitely and expert, but some people may think that, oh, he doesn’t know enough about my family. He’s not an expert in my kids. [SURGEON GENERAL DR. VIVEK MURTHY]: What we have to do is not only get information out there through traditional sources and through the media; it’s working with local nurses and doctors, with teachers, with faith leaders, and others in local communities to make sure they have information that they can use to share. [NARRATOR]: Research from the Berkeley Media Studies Group aligns with the surgeon general’s recommendation. [PEREZ-SANZ]: So, you know, data is important. We collect data as part of our research, but stories are really what drives the data home for people. So, if someone has their own experience from going from vaccine hesitancy to having their kids or themselves fully vaccinated, that journey is really important to share with others. And while we can capture that in our research as data, it really only matters to people if you tell the story of how they went from vaccine hesitant to fully vaccinated. Public health advocates and champions can reach out to find people who have decided to be vaccinated, and who are excited to be vaccinated, and talk to them about what being vaccinated means to them. You can have them author op-eds, letters to the editor, you could even use them as contacts; if a reporter were to call you, you could say, “Hey, you should also talk to so-and-so because they are super excited to get vaccinated, and they have a really great story.” [NARRATOR]: BMSG monitors the news to find out what that looks like in practice. [PEREZ-SANZ]: This article [from The Wall Street Journal] came out right when 12- to 15-year-olds were starting to be able to be vaccinated. So, people were signing up; people were excited to get their kids vaccinated because it’s been a long year and a half. And so this article includes quotes from youth and then also parents. So, there’s just a lot of great voices in this article. First, I want to highlight Elliott Ferris. He’s a 13-year-old, and his mom signed him up for a vaccine appointment at his pediatrician’s office. And Elliott, he was so excited, he said, quote, “That’s so dope!” and that quote “I’ve had such a long year-and-a-half without friends. We’re just so bored and a little bit lonely.” So Elliott really speaks to the fact that, you know, he gave up a lot. He had to sacrifice a lot over this past year. Now that he will be vaccinated, he can get back to doing the things that he loves to do with his friends. For more tips on communicating effectively about COVID-19 and vaccines, visit bmsg.org/covid-19. --- ## Talking about COVID breakthrough infections: Recommendations for public health practitioners URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-covid-breakthrough-infections-recommendations-for-health-departments/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 1128 > Media coverage on breakthrough infections in people who are vaccinated make talking about COVID more complicated. We hope these initial talking points will be helpful. As this issue evolves, the... Media coverage on breakthrough infections in people who are vaccinated make talking about COVID more complicated. We hope these initial talking points will be helpful. As this issue evolves, the talking points may evolve as well. Breakthrough infections Reporters often focus on extreme cases — they report on the planes that crash, not the ones that land. We can expect the media to focus on breakthrough cases, and while this is important information, it may dominate the news rather than information about public health’s daily work to ensure people get vaccinated. These talking points will help you answer questions about breakthrough cases without minimizing your main strategies — getting people vaccinated, wearing masks, and using any other protections your health department has approved. We’ve used the “truth sandwich” to structure the talking points because that format has been useful for combating misinformation and communicating complexities. The basic format is to sandwich information on breakthroughs within messages about our core public health efforts: Start with your core message, which emphasizes your values and names your solution, whether it’s getting vaccinated, wearing your mask, social distancing, etc. Acknowledge people’s concerns that these are challenging times, or that they may be worried about the Delta variant. Add a talking point about breakthrough infections, but stay high level rather than getting into extremely detailed information. If possible, avoid repeating false claims about breakthrough infections; doing so may reinforce misinformation. Return back to your core message about getting vaccinated, and reiterate the idea that the more people who get vaccinated the safer everyone in the county will be. Following the sample talking points below, we provide other resources that we have found useful for explaining COVID. Sample talking points Example main message: Like most of you, we wish COVID were over, but it is not. The most important things we can do for one another while we are still learning about the Delta variant are get vaccinated and wear our masks indoors. These are the best protections we have. If you are unvaccinated or have friends and family who are unvaccinated, we can answer questions you have if you contact us [add info]. Using masks, vaccines, and social distancing is like wearing a seatbelt, having airbags, and driving the speed limit. All of those help keep you, and those around you, safer when you are driving. Breakthrough message: We know people are concerned about breakthrough infections. The good news is that as more people protect themselves, the less COVID will be circulating in our county, which means fewer breakthroughs, fewer severe cases of COVID, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer deaths. People who are vaccinated are much less likely to get sick or be hospitalized than those who are unvaccinated. People who protect themselves with vaccines and masks increase their own odds of staying healthy and help our whole community stay healthier. Repeat main message: We know these are challenging times, and we all hoped we would not be seeing the rise in cases. The vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated people, so we want to reach people who need vaccines, answer their questions, and get everyone vaccinated who wants one. In our county, we take care of one another by wearing masks indoors and [add your county’s specific recommendations if they include other protections]. Additional resources Breakthroughs in Provincetown This Twitter thread is explains why as the vaccination rates increase, the percentage of cases that are in vaccinated people will increase. Vaccine hesitancy Planned Parenthood has online training for talking to people about vaccines and a helpful vaccine hesitancy guide with very specific responses to concerns people have. The Colorado Health Foundation’s COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging Guide is based on public opinion research and focuses on messaging strategies for the vaccine-hesitant and for people of color. It is available in English and Spanish. Vaccinating children Parents Together has a helpful document on parental attitudes, which is available here. Metaphors For complex issues, metaphors and analogies can make it easier for people to understand the issue. Here are a few that might be helpful. Swiss cheese metaphor (helpful for talking about masks and vaccines): Each layer of protection, like vaccines, masks, and social distancing, is like a slice of Swiss cheese. No one layer is perfect, but when you stack multiple layers, they protect you and those around you. Driving (helpful for talking about the need for masks and vaccines): Wearing your mask while you are vaccinated is like using your seatbelt, driving at safe speeds, and having air bags. They keep you and the people around you safe. Smoking (helpful for talking about vaccine hesitancy): It used to be that smoking was considered an individual decision, but people saw it differently ... --- ## Comunicación acerca de la vacuna contra el COVID-19: Guía y mensajes de muestra para trabajadores de salud pública URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/comunicacion-acerca-de-la-vacuna-contra-el-covid-19-guia-y-mensajes-de-muestra-para-trabajadores-de-salud-publica/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 3711 > La ciencia es clara: las vacunas salvan vidas. Pero, a pesar de la cantidad abrumadora de evidencia sobre su eficacia, las vacunas continúan siendo un asunto contencioso, con municipios alrededor... La ciencia es clara: las vacunas salvan vidas. Pero, a pesar de la cantidad abrumadora de evidencia sobre su eficacia, las vacunas continúan siendo un asunto contencioso, con municipios alrededor del país recibiendo resistencia fuerte en respuesta a sus esfuerzos de implementar programas de vacunación. Con el comienzo de la pandemia global del COVID-19, y el avance en desarrollar vacunas, el debate ha cobrado aun mayor importancia. Las primeras vacunas contra el COVID-19 estarán disponibles muy pronto en los Estados Unidos. La población tendrá muchas preguntas alrededor de la distribución de la vacuna, y los legisladores, los medios y el público en general están dirigiéndose a los trabajadores de salud pública para obtener información correcta y oportuna. Incluso en estos tiempos tan caóticos, hay cosas que los trabajadores de salud pública pueden hacer para comunicarse efectivamente. Otros temas de salud pública como la práctica del sexo seguro nos han mostrado que es posible modificar a gran escala comportamientos individuales que apoyan a la salud, aunque puede ser un gran reto lograrlo. No hay una solución de comunicación fácil, pero aquí te proveemos algunos consejos para: Comunicarte efectivamente sobre las vacunas contra el COVID-19, u otras vacunas en general, y Poner énfasis en la equidad en tu comunicación. Al final de este documento incluiremos otros consejos para mejorar la comunicación en general. Cuando hables acerca de la vacuna contra el COVID-19, o sobre las vacunas en general, recuerda… Empezar por reconocer la posición de las personas y parte de ahí. La voluntad de vacunarse, para la mayoría de la gente, cae dentro de un rango que va desde la aceptación, a la interrogación, a la duda, hasta el rechazo tal cual. Muchos grupos de personas dentro de ese rango — incluso de personas que tienen la intención de vacunarse — van a tener preguntas acerca de la seguridad de la vacuna, preguntas que necesitarán buenas respuestas, especialmente en relación con la vacuna contra el COVID-19. Aquellos que se oponen a las vacunas se mantienen muy presentes en los debates políticos sobre las vacunas y hacen bastante ruido, lo cual puede generar más dudas. Algunos de los que están considerando la vacuna, pero que tienen preguntas, podrían temer o resentir que se les llame “anti-vacunas” o que sus dudas sean ignoradas o ridiculizadas. Reconoce la posición en la que tu público objetivo está con relación a la vacuna, y evita generalizaciones como decir que la gente que hace preguntas o expresa resistencia son “anti-vacunas.” En vez de eso, usa lenguaje mas flexible como “personas que tienen dudas sobre la vacuna” o “personas con curiosidad sobre la vacuna”, reconoce que la gente está buscando la manera de mantenerse sano y salvo, y asegúrales que tener preguntas es una parte importante de este proceso. Debido a que el público ya está bombardeado con información sobre la pandemia, asegúrate de reconocer que, además de preguntas, tu público objetivo podría tener temores legítimos y profundos sobre la vacuna y la pandemia misma. Los estudios han mostrado que reconocer los temores y dudas sobre temas difíciles puede ayudar a calmar esos temores, aumentar confianza a quienes llevan el mensaje, y evitar la vergüenza y frustración. Cuando reconoces la postura de tu público objetivo hacia las vacunas — junto a las emociones complejas que pueden estar sintiendo — ayudas a que estén abiertos a escuchar lo que quieres decir. Poniéndolo en práctica: Reconocer la posición de las personas y partir de ahí Mensaje de muestra que ayuda a entender el proceso de los estudios clínicos: Sabemos que algunas personas se sienten nerviosas acerca de la vacuna COVID — esto es enteramente razonable. Afortunadamente los investigadores han estado estudiando las vacunas para los coronavirus por varios años, así que no han tenido que empezar desde cero. Los investigadores han estado trabajando intensamente para desarrollar y evaluar a la vacuna, y han compartido información con transparencia, han realizado audiencias en vivo, y pausado los estudios o ensayos clínicos cuando ha sido necesario. Los fabricantes de la vacuna han prometido de que no van a pedir aprobación de la FDA hasta que hayan concluido las pruebas de la fase tres. Todo esto nos ha dado confianza y seguridad en la vacuna – una herramienta clave en nuestra caja de herramientas para desacelerar la propagación de COVID-19 y ayudar a nuestras comunidades a salir adelante. *Hemos sacrificado mucho este año para mantener seguros a nuestros seres queridos y a la comunidad. ** Aunque sabemos que vacunarse no siempre es cómodo, tu puedes desempeñar un papel importante en apoyar a nuestro condado estando al día con las vacunas, incluyendo la vacuna contra la gripe y la vacuna contra el COVID-19 una vez que esté disponible. Si nos mantenemos al día con las vacunas, podemos asegurarnos de que nuestro sacrificio y esfuerzos para combatir el COVID-19 valgan la pena y nos mantenga a todos ... --- ## Niveles de estrategia URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/niveles-de-estrategia/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 104 > Este documento describe el proceso de cuatro pasos de BMSG para planificar la acción política a través de los medios de comunicación, a este proceso lo llamamos los niveles estratégicos.... Este documento describe el proceso de cuatro pasos de BMSG para planificar la acción política a través de los medios de comunicación, a este proceso lo llamamos los niveles estratégicos. El proceso se apega a la idea de que el mensaje nunca debe ser lo primero en lo que nos enfocamos. En lugar de eso el primer paso, y el más importante, es el desarrollar una estrategia general que apoye una campaña de acción política para cambiar políticas públicas. De ahí parte la estrategia de los medios, de mensaje y de acceso a los medios. Descarga > Download the English version > --- ## Hoja de ejercicios: Desarrollo de mensajes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/hoja-de-ejercicios-desarrollo-de-mensajes/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 72 > Para cambiar políticas de salud pública, es importante para quienes buscamos estos cambios saber cómo comunicarnos de manera estratégica acerca del asunto que queremos abordar, explicar por qué es importante y... Para cambiar políticas de salud pública, es importante para quienes buscamos estos cambios saber cómo comunicarnos de manera estratégica acerca del asunto que queremos abordar, explicar por qué es importante y que es lo que se tiene que hacer para resolver el problema. Usa esta hoja de ejercicios para practicar el desarrollo de mensaje con tu audiencia objetivo en mente. Descarga la hoja de ejercicios > Download the English version > --- ## Estrategia general para planificación de acción política URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/estrategia-general-para-planificacion-de-accion-politica/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 120 > Antes de ir a los medios para traer atención al asunto en el que quieres trabajar, o antes de decidir cual va a ser tu mensaje, es necesario que tengas... Antes de ir a los medios para traer atención al asunto en el que quieres trabajar, o antes de decidir cual va a ser tu mensaje, es necesario que tengas claro cuales son tus metas de abogacía tanto como los pasos que vas a dar para lograrlo. Las preguntas en esta hoja de trabajo te pueden ayudar a identificar la información que necesitas para ir avanzando y cuales son los siguientes pasos por tomar. Piensa en esta hoja como tu guía principal: tu estrategia mediática y tu estrategia de mensaje se derivan de esta estrategia general, de manera que todas tus acciones estén alineadas con tus metas de abogacía. Descarga la hoja de ejercicios > Download the English version > --- ## Perceptions of arguments in support of policies to reduce sugary drink consumption among low-income white, Black, and Latinx parents of young children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/perceptions-of-arguments-in-support-of-policies-to-reduce-sugary-drink-consumption-among-low-income-white-black-and-latinx-parents-of-young-children/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 81 > Research published in the American Journal of Health Promotion has found that Black and Latinx parents are more likely than white parents to voice support for interventions like sugary drink... Research published in the American Journal of Health Promotion has found that Black and Latinx parents are more likely than white parents to voice support for interventions like sugary drink taxes that could help parents and communities improve children’s health. This finding is notable because it counters the “regressivity” arguments that public health advocates often face during campaigns to pass taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Read the full text: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08901171211030849 --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 341 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit make that unattainable for many people in our communities based on factors like race,... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit make that unattainable for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can make make every community healthier, safer, and more just. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: it influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. To support advocates working to advance housing policies in 22 diverse locations around the country, Berkeley Media Studies Group researchers are explored questions like: How often does news from different cities focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in the news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To learn more about each of the cities we analyzed, please visit the following pages: Atlanta, GeorgiaBaltimore, MarylandBoston, MassachusettsBuffalo, New YorkCharlottesville, VirginiaDallas, TexasDetroit, MichiganHartford, ConnecticutHonolulu, HawaiiLos Angeles, CaliforniaMiami, FloridaMinneapolis, MinnesotaNew Orleans, LouisianaNew York City, New YorkOakland, CaliforniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhoenix, ArizonaSanta Ana, CaliforniaSeattle, WashingtonTrenton, New JerseyWashington, D.C.Yakima, Washington To further support housing equity advocates in their media advocacy and strategic communication work, BMSG will also release a framing analysis in the fall of 2021 that takes a closer look at how news from around the country frames diverse housing issues. That analysis will explore questions like: When stories that connected housing and health appeared in the news, why? Who was quoted (and who was left out) of the stories? Who was held responsible for ensuring safe, stable, quality housing for everyone? When were racial and health equity issues named in news about housing and health — and when were opportunities to evoke equity missed? We look forward to sharing those findings with you. If you have questions about these resources or the upcoming analysis, please contact info@bmsg.org. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Baltimore URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-baltimore/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 627 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Baltimore focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Baltimore news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Baltimore Sun, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Sun published 18,152 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 94 articles focused on housing, representing 0.5% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing topics. About two-thirds of the housing stories (65 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from The Baltimore Sun were about affordable housing (53 articles). The Sun‘s coverage tended to focus on affordable housing while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to affordable housing but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they affect health outcomes. While the news about housing spiked a few times throughout 2020, it ultimately peaked in May 2021 in response to a variety of converging stories (e.g., the resumption of eviction hearings, changes to the federal eviction moratorium, and new local housing policy efforts). Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Boston URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-boston/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 602 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Boston focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Boston news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Boston Globe, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. The Globe published 31,207 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 329 articles focused on housing, representing 1.1% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive: In other words, one article could reference multiple housing topics. About two-thirds of housing stories (221 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Globe‘s coverage tends to focus on affordable housing (173 articles) while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to affordable housing but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in July 2020, when the state of Massachusetts implemented an eviction moratorium. The news peaked again in December 2020 when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a federal eviction moratorium. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Atlanta URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-atlanta/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 616 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Atlanta focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Atlanta news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Journal-Constitution published 23,812 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 144 articles focused on housing, representing 0.6% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing topics. Half of housing stories (73 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from the Journal-Constitution were about affordable housing (59 articles) or homelessness (59 articles). The Journal-Constitution’s coverage tended to focus on affordable housing and homelessness while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in September 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an eviction moratorium, and again in December 2020 and March 2021, when the moratorium was extended. Changes to federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Buffalo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-buffalo/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 601 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Buffalo focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Buffalo news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Buffalo News, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Buffalo News published 22,874 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 103 articles focused on housing, representing 0.5% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing topics. Just over half of those housing stories (67 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Buffalo News coverage tended to focus on affordable housing (73 articles) while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to affordable housing but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in September 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered an eviction moratorium, and again in January 2021 when the moratoriums were extended. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate complex about issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health near Charlottesville URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-near-charlottesville/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 614 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Charlottesville focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Charlottesville news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The News Leader, a nearby outlet based in Staunton, Virginia,* between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The News Leader published 1,859 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 19 articles focused on housing, representing 1.0% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Over half of those housing stories (11 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” Given the small size of the outlet, the Leader‘s reporting on housing and its impacts on health is robust in comparison to other outlets in our sample. To expand the coverage further, advocates could pitch stories that show how different areas of housing work are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. While coverage was generally low, articles peaked in June 2020 and again in January 2021, both times due to eviction moratoriums. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. *Articles from The Daily Progress, the local Charlottesville paper, were not accessible for analysis via LexisNexis. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Dallas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-dallas/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 622 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Dallas focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Dallas news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Dallas Morning News, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Dallas Morning News published 13,850 news articles between June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2021. Only 156 articles focused on housing, representing 1.1% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Half of these housing stories (76 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Morning News’ coverage tended to focus on affordable housing while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to affordable housing but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked during a heat wave in July 2020, which posed disproportionate risks for people experiencing homelessness (e.g., dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat-related deaths). The next peak in April 2021 was related to a variety of converging stories about tenant protections (including rent relief and eviction moratoriums). Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Detroit URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-detroit/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 616 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Detroit focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Detroit news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the Detroit Free Press, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Detroit Free Press published 11,136 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 96 articles focused on housing, representing 0.9% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. The majority of housing stories (73 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive: In other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. The Detroit Free Press’ coverage tended to focus on affordable housing and tenant protections while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in March 2021, when the state of Michigan implemented a new rent aid program and the federal eviction moratorium was extended. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Hartford URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-hartford/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 594 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Hartford focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Hartford news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the Hartford Courant, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Hartford Courant published 16,070 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 109 articles focused on housing, representing 0.7% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive: In other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. About half of those housing stories (55 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Hartford Courant‘s coverage tended to focus on affordable housing while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to affordable housing but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in August 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered an eviction moratorium, and again in May 2021. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy could provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Honolulu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-honolulu/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 623 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: it influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Honolulu focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Honolulu news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Honolulu Star-Advertiser published 7,399 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 178 articles focused on housing, representing 2.4% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive: In other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. About half of those housing stories (104 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Star-Advertiser‘s coverage tended to focus on affordable housing and homelessness while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in June 2020 with a convergence of stories about a controversial local housing development, the murder of a person experiencing homelessness, and rent waivers. We also observed a peak in March 2021 due to news about an extension of the federal eviction moratorium as well as local initiatives to address homelessness. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Los Angeles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-los-angeles/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 655 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Los Angeles focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Los Angeles news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the Los Angeles Times, a key local outlet,* between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Los Angeles Times published 21,706 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021; 9,542 of those were local news articles specific to Los Angeles. Only 394 articles focused on housing, representing 4.1% of local news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. The majority of housing stories (285 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Los Angeles Times’ coverage tended to focus on homelessness while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to homelessness but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in September 2020 ahead of the 2020 election. During that election, California voters considered and ultimately rejected Proposition 21, which allowed for the expansion of rent control in California. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. *While the Los Angeles Times covers local news and events, the outlet is among the top five outlets circulated nationally and includes national and international coverage. For this analysis, we only included stories that mentioned “Los Angeles.” --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Miami URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-miami/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 602 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Miami focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Miami news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the Miami Herald, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Miami Herald published 16,719 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 203 articles focused on housing, representing 1.2% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Over half of those housing stories (136 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Miami Herald‘s coverage tended to focus on affordable housing while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to affordable housing but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in July 2020 when the state of Florida approved a last-minute extension of the eviction moratorium in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 infections. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Minneapolis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-minneapolis/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 597 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Minneapolis focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Minneapolis news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the Star Tribune, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Star Tribune published 14,200 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 209 articles focused on housing, representing 1.5% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Over half of those housing stories (121 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from the Star Tribune were about affordable housing (93 articles) and homelessness (79 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how other housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in July 2020 due to articles about local controversies related to encampments for people experiencing homelessness: many of these stories focused on, for example, the establishment of encampments, concerns about perceived public safety issues, or reactions to the forcible clearing of encampments. By monitoring housing news, advocates can piggyback off such increases in coverage to highlight the specific issues related to housing and homelessness they are working on. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in New Orleans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-new-orleans/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 594 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from New Orleans focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in New Orleans news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Advocate, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Advocate published 22,449 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 89 articles focused on housing, representing 0.4% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Less than half of those housing stories (36 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from The Advocate were about affordable housing (39 articles) or homelessness (35 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. Articles about housing peaked in June 2020, many focused on a predicted wave of upcoming evictions. We also observed small peaks in coverage in January 2021, February 2021, and April 2021 due to reporting on homelessness and mental health issues related to housing insecurity. By monitoring housing news, advocates can piggyback off such increases in coverage to highlight the specific issues related to housing and homelessness they are working on. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in New York City URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-new-york-city/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 690 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from New York City focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in New York City news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The New York Times, a key local outlet,* between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The New York Times published 94,459 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021; 20,725 of those were local news articles specific to New York City and the five boroughs. Only 396 of these articles focused on housing, representing 1.9% of local news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Nearly three-quarters of housing stories (276 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from The New York Times were about affordable housing (185 articles) or homelessness (156 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in September 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered an eviction moratorium, and again in February 2021 due to controversies surrounding homelessness (e.g., new subway rules due to increased crimes) and upcoming mayoral elections. Changes in housing policy, or local controversies related to housing, provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring housing news, advocates can piggyback off such increases in coverage to highlight the specific issues related to housing and homelessness they are working on. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. *While The New York Times covers local news and events, the outlet is among the top five outlets circulated nationally and includes national and international coverage. For this analysis, we only included stories that mentioned “New York City” or any of the city’s five boroughs. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Oakland URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-oakland/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 595 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Oakland focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Oakland news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the East Bay Times, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the East Bay Times published 35,603 news articles between June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2021. Only 252 articles focused on housing, representing 0.7% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. About two-thirds of those housing stories (170 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from the East Bay Times were about homelessness (173 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to homelessness but expand the frame to show how diverse housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in April 2021 when the state of California announced funding for housing and rent relief. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Philadelphia URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-philadelphia/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 603 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Philadelphia focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Philadelphia news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Philadelphia Inquirer published 19,808 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 252 articles focused on housing, representing 1.3% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Nearly three-quarters housing stories (184 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from the Inquirer were about homelessness (95 articles) or affordable housing (93 articles). The Inquirer was unique in that articles about tenant protections also regularly appeared (87 articles). Advocates can take advantage of the existing foundation of diverse housing coverage in The Inquirer to pitch stories that highlight deeper intersections between different kinds of housing issues and how they all affect health. News about housing peaked in September 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered an eviction moratorium. Changes in federal, state, or local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback on national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Phoenix URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-phoenix/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 596 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Phoenix focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Phoenix news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Arizona Republic, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Arizona Republic published 21,200 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 164 articles focused on housing, representing 0.8% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Three-quarters of those housing stories (123 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from The Arizona Republic were about homelessness (77 articles) and affordable housing (70 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how other housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in December 2020 when the Centers for Disease Control ordered an extension of the federal eviction moratorium. These kinds of changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Santa Ana URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-santa-ana/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 609 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Santa Ana focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Santa Ana news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Orange County Register, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Orange County Register published 8,224 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Just 269 articles focused on housing, representing 3.3% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Half of those housing stories (156 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from The Orange County Register were about affordable housing (132 articles) or homelessness (106 articles). Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to these issues, but also expand the frame to show how these and other housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in October 2020 ahead of the 2020 election, during which voters considered and ultimately rejected Proposition 21, which allowed for the expansion of rent control in California. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Seattle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-seattle/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 618 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Seattle focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Seattle news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Seattle Times, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Seattle Times published 18,843 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 412 articles focused on housing, representing 2.2% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Over half of those housing stories (230 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from The Seattle Times were about homelessness (256 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to homelessness but expand the frame to show how other housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing began to increase in October 2020, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered an eviction moratorium. The news peaked in April 2020 when Washington became the first state to guarantee legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction. These kinds of changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Trenton URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-in-trenton/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 590 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Trenton focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Trenton news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Times of Trenton, a key local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Times of Trenton published 4,256 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 30 articles focused on housing, representing 1% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Nearly half of those housing stories (14 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from the Times were about homelessness (14 articles) or tenant protections (11 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing was sparse, and peaked in August and September of 2020 when aid for tenants and landlords was announced. Because coverage of housing may be limited in the Trenton area, advocates can piggyback off of other issues (e.g., extreme weather, city budgets, local events and elections, etc.) to highlight how housing issues connect with other topics, and how they all impact health outcomes. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health in Washington, D.C. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-change-news-housing-equity-health-washington-dc/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 658 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Washington, D.C. focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Washington, D.C. news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in The Washington Post, a key local outlet,* between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that The Washington Post published 32,183 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Of those, 14,325 focused on local issues. Only 123 articles focused on housing, representing 0.9% of local news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Three-quarters of the housing stories (93 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The Washington Post‘s coverage tended to focus on homelessness while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on the paper’s attention to homelessness but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing peaked in July 2020 as mass evictions threatened tenants, and again in May 2021 when a federal judge controversially struck down the Center for Disease Control s order for a national eviction moratorium. Changes in federal, state, and local housing policy can provide windows of opportunity for advocates to communicate about complex issues with the public. By monitoring news coverage, advocates can piggyback off national and state stories about housing to highlight housing issues specific to their region or city. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. *While The Washington Post covers local news and events, the outlet is among the top five outlets circulated nationally and includes national and international coverage. For this analysis, we only included stories that mentioned Washington, D.C. or “The District.” --- ## Communicating for change: News about housing, equity, and health near Yakima URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-news-about-housing-equity-and-health-near-yakima/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 602 > Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors... Our health depends on having stable, safe housing — but inequitable and unjust housing policies limit access to this vital resource for many people in our communities based on factors like race, immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality. The public and policymakers need to understand that housing is a public health issue and that by changing housing policy we can improve community health. News coverage is a key driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues: It influences not only whether people think about housing, but also how they think about it and what they think should be done. As part of a larger framing analysis for Kresge’s Housing and Health Equity grantees, researchers from Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) are exploring questions like: How often does news from Yakima focus on housing? Which housing issues are most often covered? And when housing appears in Yakima news, are equity and health part of the conversation? To find out, we used the LexisNexis database to collect articles published in the Tri-City Herald, a nearby local outlet, between June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 about issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification, and community land trusts. We found that the Tri-City Herald published 2,909 news articles between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Only 15 articles focused on housing, representing 0.5% of all news in the paper. Because housing issues are themselves interconnected, search terms were not mutually exclusive; in other words, one article could reference multiple housing issues. Nearly half of those housing stories (7 articles) included equity or health-related terms such as “well-being,” “illness,” “disparities,” “low-income,” or “communities of color.” The majority of stories from the Tri-City Herald were about affordable housing (7 articles) or homelessness (7 articles), while other housing issues were less visible. Advocates could pitch stories that build on this attention but expand the frame to show how housing issues are interconnected, and how they all affect health outcomes. News about housing was sparse, and several months had no coverage at all. The coverage peaked in January 2021, February 2021, and April 2021 due to reporting on homelessness and the production of tiny homes. Because coverage is limited in the Yakima area, advocates can piggyback off other issues (e.g., extreme weather, city budgets, local events and elections, etc.) to highlight how housing issues connect with other topics, and how they impact health outcomes. BMSG is continuing to analyze news coverage to inform local media advocacy campaigns to create healthy communities where anyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, can live in safe and stable housing. To learn more about BMSG’s work on framing analysis and media advocacy for public health and social justice issues, visit BMSG.org. Methods: Our research was informed by a survey of grantees funded by the Kresge Foundation’s Advancing Health Equity Through Housing (HEH) initiative. Grantees are working across housing issues including affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, gentrification and displacement, and community land trusts. We used the LexisNexis archive to collect news articles from one of the highest circulation news outlets in each grantee’s media market (N = 22 outlets): We used search terms related to equity or health (such as “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “equity,” “disparity,” “low-income,” “racism,” etc.) as well as the specific housing issues named in the survey. --- ## 5 ways to create compelling messages about childhood trauma using data URL: https://www.bmsg.org/5-ways-to-create-compelling-messages-about-childhood-trauma-using-data/ Type: post Modified: 2021-06-25 Words: 1240 > When presented strategically, data can help tell an important story about childhood trauma. Here are a few tips for presenting numbers in ways that advance health and equity. Chances are, you’ve heard many statistics about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). You likely know that the more forms of childhood adversity a person endures, the greater their risk is of health problems later in life. You probably even know some specific numbers: For example, roughly 16% of adults in California have experienced four or more ACEs, and that number grows to 23% among people enrolled in Medi-Cal. You may also have learned that many advocates are now using the term “PACEs” instead of “ACEs” to reflect a growing body of research that shows positive, protective factors can help build resilience and counter the harmful effects of adverse childhood experiences. If only more people knew about such data, we could do more to reduce and prevent childhood trauma, many health providers and advocates alike often say. That’s partly true: After all, we can’t address our most challenging social and health issues until they are visible and their scope is clear. However, data do not speak for themselves, and if we do not communicate about them strategically, our progress may stall. Worse yet, we may inadvertently create messages that stymie — instead of support — our goals. How, then, do we present data in ways that advance work to reduce childhood trauma, promote resilience, and improve health outcomes, especially among groups at higher risk of experiencing adversity early in life? Although there is no single message — no perfect words — that will be effective for all audiences in all situations, there are tried-and-true best practices that practitioners can implement when communicating about PACEs. Here are a few suggestions from Berkeley Media Studies Group, based on our organization’s 28 years of strategic communication experience: 1. Identify the goal you want your data to support. Before you figure out what do you want to say, you first must figure out what it is that you want people to do. What is the problem you want to address? The more specific you can be, the better. Also, what solution are you advocating? Who has the power to make the changes you are seeking? These are a few of the questions that can help you to define your overall strategy. For example, if the problem is that pediatricians are not equipped to address childhood adversity, and you decide that training providers to use trauma-informed screenings is a good solution, then you can identify your target (pediatricians), and craft your message accordingly. Try using our “Layers of Strategy” document to develop your goals and outline your message strategy. As demands for racial equity continue to grow, we have seen more messaging addressing racial disparities. While this is great progress, we must remember that to advance racial and health equity, our overall strategy must center racial and health equity. In other words, it is not only about what we say, but also about what we want to achieve. 2. Place data regarding childhood trauma disparities within a larger context. The meaning of any message comes not only from the messenger but also from the recipient. Your audience’s existing worldview will influence how they interpret the language and even data that you share with them. For example, if you want to draw attention to racial inequities, and you tell someone that people who are Black or Latinx are more likely than their white counterparts to report high levels of trauma, your message may unintentionally suggest that individuals and parents are to blame for the poor health outcomes they experience. Upon hearing or reading this, people may wrongly think that Black and Hispanic people are the problem, and they may not see the systemic or structural factors that drive disparities. Instead, try zooming out to show that the legacies of racism still shape health today. When placed within a broader historical and social context, the same data can highlight, rather than hide, the role of systems and structures. 3. Use data selectively. When you are passionate about an issue, it can be tempting to try to share everything that you know about it. Resist that urge. It is not possible to be strategic and comprehensive at the same time. If you throw too many numbers at your audience, they may become overwhelmed and tune you out. But if you keep your focus narrow and choose only the statistics that best support your goals, you are more likely to have a positive impact. The three basic components of any message are: identifying the problem, detailing your proposed solution, and explaining why it matters. Specificity is important here. When deciding what numbers to highlight, consider which part of your message they support. Also, be sure to present them using plain language, as the writer of this Daily Republic op-ed does in a discussion of high housing costs and low wages, which form the backdrop for many of the housing problems we are facing: “Many families in Solano County were struggling to afford a home even before COVID-19,” she explains. “The... --- ## The biggest tax season story you won’t hear in mainstream media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/minimum-wage-food-industry-biggest-tax-season-story-you-wont-hear-in-mainstream-media/ Type: post Modified: 2021-05-17 Words: 1378 > As this year's tax-filing deadline approaches, news outlets will publish some inevitable articles about delays in tax refunds, recovery rebate credits, and other logistical matters related to paying Uncle Sam.... As this year’s tax-filing deadline approaches, news outlets will publish some inevitable articles about delays in tax refunds, recovery rebate credits, and other logistical matters related to paying Uncle Sam. If past years are any indication, the stories that dominate headlines will almost certainly focus on individual taxpayers while overlooking a much larger conversation about corporations — and the extent to which those taxpayers fund them. The National Restaurant Association (the “Other NRA”) is a prime example. It makes taxpayers eat the cost of not paying its workers a living wage. While it’s not unusual for corporations to underpay employees, deny them hard-earned benefits, and then expect taxpayers to foot the bill through social safety net programs, some of the NRA’s largest members are beginning to disavow the association’s stance on suppressing the minimum wage. Despite being on the wrong side of many food industry battles — whether it’s marketing junk food to children, racial discrimination, sexual harassment, or yes, workers’ pay — McDonald’s has broken ranks with the NRA, the trade group that’s become the restaurant industry’s lobbying bulldog. The fast-food giant says it no longer supports the NRA’s aggressive campaign against both a national minimum wage increase, to $15 per hour, and ending the subminimum wage for tipped workers, currently $2.13 an hour. Additionally, McDonald’s announced Thursday that it will raise workers’ pay in its corporate-owned stores to an average of $15 per hour by the end of June — a move its workers are demanding the corporation mandate for the 95% of its restaurants that are owned by franchisees. Still, the connection between this course change and the broader conversation about taxpayers subsidizing corporations remains underreported in the news. This is especially troubling since there are many other restaurant chains that haven’t woken up to the fact that raising the wage is extremely popular and is actually very good for both business and the larger economy. Most notably, the corporation Inspire Brands, which owns Jimmy Johns, Arby’s, Sonic, Dunkin’ Donuts, and several other chains, is not only fighting the minimum wage increase but is boasting about its efforts to scuttle the “Raise the Wage” Act in Congress in a letter the corporation sent to its (mostly underpaid) employees. In the midst of a pandemic that has brought untold human and economic suffering to millions in the U.S., the NRA fought vigorously to remove the proposed wage increase from the COVID relief bill and recently concluded its annual Lobby Days (4/19-21), where its focus was on quashing growing momentum to increase the minimum wage. Why is the NRA so opposed to the minimum wage increase? They say it’s because it will put restaurants out of business. Not only is this reasoning at odds with recent statements by the NRA’s largest backers, it stands to reason that if you can’t pay a living wage, you probably shouldn’t be in business. What’s really behind the NRA’s argument is an interest in profit maximization at the expense of workers and taxpayers. Taxpayers pick-up the tab for Big Food’s poverty wages. A recent report by the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center found that families of 71% of fast-food workers who would benefit from minimum wage increases are enrolled in programs like Medicaid and SNAP (also referred to as food stamps). One Fair Wage research shows that tipped workers, who earn a federal subminimum wage of $2.13 an hour, use food stamps at nearly double the rate of other workers. That so many low wage workers have come to depend on safety-net programs for help with putting food on the table or getting health insurance tells you that the wages these corporations are paying keep people trapped in poverty. Taxpayers are bearing the burden by subsidizing these corporations to the tune of $107 billion a year. Perhaps not surprisingly, the corporations fighting most aggressively against the minimum wage are the most heavily subsidized. A GAO report from October — which revealed that the majority of Medicaid recipients worked full time, many in the food service sector — found that Dunkin’ was repeatedly in the top ten employers of “the largest estimated non-disabled, non-elderly adult Medicaid enrollees.” To add salt to the wound, the doughnut giant has no difficulty paying its CEO $2,500 an hour. In other words, it’s not so much that America is “running on Dunkin'” as the doughnut king is running on the backs of U.S. taxpayers. By their own accounting, corporations do just fine paying a higher wage. As several corporations have noted, a higher minimum wage is not having a negative impact — whether on the total number of people hired or on corporate bottom lines. Denny’s chief financial officer said that in California, where the state has no subminimum wage and has already started raising the minimum wage for all, including tipped workers, to $15 by 2023, “California has outperformed the sys... --- ## Are tweetchats an effective way to supplement your media strategy? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/are-tweetchats-an-effective-way-to-supplement-your-media-strategy/ Type: post Modified: 2021-04-27 Words: 2253 > Authoring op-eds, pitching story ideas to reporters, and building relationships with editorial boards are a few tried-and-true tactics that advocates can use to garner media attention for public health and... Authoring op-eds, pitching story ideas to reporters, and building relationships with editorial boards are a few tried-and-true tactics that advocates can use to garner media attention for public health and social justice issues — and boost support for policy solutions. These are all highly effective ways to reach a large target audience, but getting news attention takes time and patience, especially in today’s digital world. Amid an always-on news environment, reporters, editors, and producers often receive more pitches than they have time to review. While it is still possible to cut through the noise and reach your media advocacy goals using traditional techniques, other methods can supplement your strategy. That’s why a new study about tweetchats, published last month in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, peaked our interest. In the study, staff from Salud America! assessed four years’ worth of data from weekly #SaludTues tweetchats, which they have been hosting to make health inequities among Latinx populations more visible and to move people to act. In theory, these tweetchats — like other forms of media advocacy — allow advocates from Salud America! and partner organizations to reach their target audiences without having to go through a publisher or other gatekeeper first. This is particularly important when considering health, racial, and gender equity, as mainstream media outlets are still overwhelmingly dominated by white, male voices, both in terms of staffing and sources quoted in news stories. Bypassing traditional channels, then, may improve efforts aimed at elevating voices that, too often, are overlooked. But what does this mean in practice? Were the tweetchats effective in helping the team at Salud America! reach their goals? And what about return on investment? Tweechats take considerable preparation — did the results make the time spent on this strategy worth it? We caught up with study co-author Cliff Despres, who is the communications manager for Salud America! and directs communication for the Institute for Health Promotion Research, to learn more about the study and to glean lessons that other advocates can incorporate into their own social media planning. Our Q&A is below, edited lightly for clarity. BMSG: The mission listed on Salud America!‘s website is to “inspire people to drive community change for the health of Latinos and all families.” For those who are less familiar, can you break that down a bit? What are some specific examples of community and policy change that your organization helps drive? Sample tweet from a #SaludTues tweetchat. SA: We use digital content curation to inspire action on a variety of health-related topics, from education to transportation. What that means is that our team of curators creates a variety of Latino-focused digital content daily. This might be website blog posts about emerging policy and system changes, Salud Hero stories and videos featuring change-makers, and “action packs” with templates in communication, social media outreach, and free technical assistance for advocates. We curate in three main topic areas: Healthy Families & Schools (health care and clinical trial access, mental health, childhood trauma, etc.), Healthy Neighborhoods & Communities (affordable housing, transportation infrastructure, access to places to play and healthy food), and Healthy & Cohesive Cultures (recognizing and reducing discrimination and bias and prejudice toward poor, minority, and immigrant communities). Reflecting some of our diversity of topics, we have action packs that help people identify and examine their own implicit bias, urge their city to declare racism as a public health crisis and commit to action, start school food pantries, and begin programs that unite schools and police to support students who endure trauma outside of the classroom. For example, our Trauma-Sensitive School Action Pack has been used by over 500 school leaders to create a system to better support traumatized students. In an internal survey of action pack users, over 30% of respondents reported the pack helped them make school system or policy changes. BMSG: Why tweetchats? When your team was discussing ways to support its mission, why did you decide on this particular platform and format? SA: We aim to get our digital content curation into the view of Latino advocates and decision-makers. We use many dissemination avenues to share our curated content online via our website, social media, email, and news media, all with the goal of reaching Latinos and those who advocate for Latinos where they are. Research has shown that Latinos are heavy users of social media. With tweetchats, we can create a back-and-forth conversation, not only with our own followers about Latino health equity issues and actionable solutions, but with our partners’ collective audiences, too. We can amplify our content and messages over this platform, which had the benefits of easy access and no cost (b... --- ## From misinformation to missing infrastructure: Overcoming barriers to COVID-19 vaccination URL: https://www.bmsg.org/from-misinformation-to-missing-infrastructure-overcoming-barriers-to-covid-19-vaccination/ Type: post Modified: 2021-04-02 Words: 749 > After more than a year of mask-wearing, social distancing, and Zooming, we are finally gaining momentum in the fight against COVID-19. News of the vaccine should be a sigh of... After more than a year of mask-wearing, social distancing, and Zooming, we are finally gaining momentum in the fight against COVID-19. News of the vaccine should be a sigh of relief, and the daily pace of vaccinations continues to rise. I know I felt better this week when my parents, both in their late 80s, got their second dose. Yet I haven’t felt the nation exhale. Why not? On the one hand, people are clamoring for their shots. Sports teams have opened up their stadium parking lots, complete with their crowd management expertise, to get more doses in more arms, even when protesters try to disrupt the dedicated health workers giving vaccines. On the other hand, we hear regularly about COVID-related misinformation, with news outlets warning about its online proliferation, even with public health departments and their community partners diligently informing the public with scientifically sound information about the virus and the vaccine. Yet, despite the misinformation, the main problem is creating the infrastructure to deliver the vaccine, not persuading people to get it. BMSG Director Lori Dorfman moderates a town hall on misinformation during CDC’s national forum on the COVID vaccine. Headlines about misinformation and vaccine hesitancy may be overshadowing the bigger problem of structural barriers and a fractured health care system, which are major reasons why members of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, and other communities of color — among those hardest hit by COVID-19 — have not received their share of vaccines. To be sure, people have questions about the vaccine itself, its development, and about our medical care system. Their questions need to be acknowledged and answered. We can often do this with a relatively simple, straightforward message. As Kate Grabowski, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, told the New York Times, the vaccine message should be: “They’re safe. They’re highly effective against serious disease. And the emerging evidence about infectiousness looks really good. … If you have access to a vaccine and you’re eligible, you should get it.” We could get further faster if we in public health were better at sharing this message. At the same time, we can also acknowledge the complicated history behind vaccine hesitancy and point to structural factors that keep the vaccine out of reach for many people, like not having internet access, translated instructions, or adequate transportation. Building trust in public health In Black communities especially, the hesitancy is well-founded. Research has documented serious and persistent structural and interpersonal racism in public health and health care, from the Tuskegee study that withheld treatment from African American men with syphilis so scientists could watch how the disease progressed to the disparate health outcomes that can be traced to racism within and outside of the health care system. Acting to correct this history is as vitally important as communicating about it. This is where actions speak louder than words. Building trust among community residents, the organizations that represent them, and medical providers is key. It is a process that takes time and support. Consider what happened when Black community leaders and medical professionals joined forces in West Philadelphia to eliminate the transportation, registration, and other structural barriers to bring vaccines directly to the people: 500+ residents were vaccinated at a church vaccine clinic in one day. The more we see stories like these, highlighting people getting vaccines, the more the public’s confidence in vaccination grows. Last week at the CDC National Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine, I got to query experts about countering misinformation. During our Town Hall (which will be available on the CDC’s website), they drew on behavioral and social science to remind us that the tenets of good strategic communication apply to COVID, too. For example, trusted messengers are just as important as the message. That’s why it’s critical to hear from a range of voices in news coverage, including from people who have received the vaccine, and to provide them and the organizations they work with resources to share their messages. The panelists also reminded us that misinformation thrives in a vacuum, so our message that COVID shots are safe and effective needs to be loud, clear, and frequent. And, crucially, if the mechanisms for getting the vaccine into people’s arms aren’t in place, then our message — no matter how well-planned — won’t matter. This blog originally appeared on the website of U.C. Berkeley’s School of Public Health. --- ## How can we combat misinformation on the COVID-19 vaccines? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/how-can-we-combat-misinformation-on-the-covid-19-vaccines/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 100 > How and why does vaccine misinformation spread? What tools and strategies can we use to identify and disrupt misinformation? What does this mean for vaccine confidence? BMSG Director Lori Dorfman... How and why does vaccine misinformation spread? What tools and strategies can we use to identify and disrupt misinformation? What does this mean for vaccine confidence? BMSG Director Lori Dorfman moderated a town hall on Monday, Feb. 22 as part of a national forum on the COVID-19 vaccine hosted by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC). Learn more in Dr. Dorfman’s blog post on the issue: https://www.bmsg.org/blog/from-misinformation-to-missing-infrastructure-overcoming-barriers-to-covid-19-vaccination/ Watch the recording here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/forum/video-resources.html --- ## SF Urban Film Festival: ‘Cooked: Survival by Zipcode’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/sf-urban-film-festival-cooked-survival-by-zipcode/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 118 > Our health equity coordinator Katherine Schaff moderated a panel discussion on the connection between place and health on February 15, during the 7th Annual SF Urban Film Fest . The... Our health equity coordinator Katherine Schaff moderated a panel discussion on the connection between place and health on February 15, during the 7th Annual SF Urban Film Fest . The panel explored how policy violence has led to so much unjust and preventable suffering, from the tragic 1995 Chicago heatwave to today’s power blackouts amid frigid temperatures in Texas. Panelists included: Pancho Arguelles, Executive Director of Living Hope Wheelchair Association; Judith Helfand, Director, Cooked: Survival By Zipcode; Dr. Tony Iton, Senior VP Healthy Communities, The California Endowment; and Berta Hernández, Director of Family Services, Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Inc. Check out the recording at https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=471390920528238&ref=watch_permalink. --- ## Effective public health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/effective-public-health-communication-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 98 > The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the ways public health professionals do health education and communication, both in terms of who is creating messages and how those messages are disseminated. To that... The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the ways public health professionals do health education and communication, both in terms of who is creating messages and how those messages are disseminated. To that end, BMSG’s Katherine Schaff moderated a panel on Feb. 10 at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) conference “Voices for Change: Revolutionizing Health Equity.” The event included communicators, activists, and drivers of community change who are engaged in critical COVID-19 work across California. Participants included the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Vista Community Clinic, API Forward Movement, Youth Leadership Institute. --- ## Risk communication during a pandemic URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/risk-communication-during-a-pandemic/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 111 > In January, BMSG joined Herramientas Comunicadores, located in Chile, to facilitate a series of workshops for radio hosts, reporters, and other communicators working in communities across Chile. Our trainer, Shaddai... In January, BMSG joined Herramientas Comunicadores, located in Chile, to facilitate a series of workshops for radio hosts, reporters, and other communicators working in communities across Chile. Our trainer, Shaddai Martinez Cuestas, led two workshops and participated in a panel discussion focused on risk communication during a pandemic. Our presentation covered recommendations to communicate effectively about the vaccines. Here’s the video — in Spanish — of the panel discussion, including presentations by Patricia Schroeder, communication adviser for Uruguay’s Ministry of Health, and Alejandra Matus, journalist and author from Chile, based in NYC. Watch the discussion here; Shaddai’s portion begins about 40 minutes in: https://fb.watch/3M0SGDYEUh/. --- ## Health voices for housing: Media spokesperson trainings for BARHII partners URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/health-voices-for-housing-media-spokesperson-trainings-for-barhii-partners/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 139 > Public health and medical care staff can be powerful voices in decisions that impact housing conditions for California's families and communities. Our voices have never been as important as they... Public health and medical care staff can be powerful voices in decisions that impact housing conditions for California’s families and communities. Our voices have never been as important as they are right now, as housing instability, crowding, and homelessness increase transmission rates of COVID-19 and entrench health inequities. To be effective messengers, advocates need to be prepared to talk confidently with reporters, frame the issue to connect to their policy goal, and stay on message even when answering hard questions. In this two-part training, BMSG provided tools and guidance to help health professionals use their voice and communicate effectively in support of housing policies. BMSG placed media interviews within the context of an overall media advocacy strategy and led the group through a series of hands-on exercises to practice interviewing skills and receive feedback. --- ## Protest? Riot? Insurrection? Examining the news from January 6 — and where journalism goes from here URL: https://www.bmsg.org/protest-riot-insurrection-examining-the-news-from-january-6-and-where-journalism-goes-from-here/ Type: post Modified: 2021-01-09 Words: 829 > We're collectively still reeling from the events of January 6, when armed supporters of Donald Trump, spurred on by comments made by the president himself, stormed the halls of Congress... We’re collectively still reeling from the events of January 6, when armed supporters of Donald Trump, spurred on by comments made by the president himself, stormed the halls of Congress in an attempt to forestall the certification of president-elect Joe Biden’s win. Though we all felt it, and are still feeling it, most of us weren’t at the Capitol. Instead, we were among the 300 million people who learned about the events through news coverage. As rioters reached the House and Senate chambers, many U.S.-based news outlets described the uprising as a “demonstration” or a “protest.” However, they were swiftly taken to task by individuals and watchdog groups monitoring the events on social media. These bystanders encouraged journalists, instead, to use language that underscored the violence of the events and framed the attack as a treasonous and seditious act that the president himself led. On the 6th and in the days after, some commentators also highlighted stark differences between coverage of the Capitol attack and reporting on largely peaceful protests for racial justice in 2020. A number of high-profile news outlets responded swiftly to the criticism, following the lead of international outlets that were, from the outset, direct in highlighting Trump’s role and labeling the violence in clear, uncompromising terms. For example, The New York Times recognized and named Trump’s obvious attempts to embolden racists rather than soft-pedaling his rhetoric and behavior, while The Washington Post‘s editor-in-chief told reporters to call the people storming the capitol a “mob,” and NPR began using terms like “pro-Trump extremists” and “insurrection.” This got us thinking: What language were reporters and news outlets using to describe the armed attack on the Capitol? To find out, we searched the LexisNexis database for U.S. news (including print and online coverage, as well as selected TV transcripts). We found that, of the more than 2,000 articles about the events published on January 6, over 80% included at least one reference to a “protest” or “demonstration.” By contrast, and despite some very prominent headlines, only 19% of stories framed the incident exclusively as an attempted coup, riot, mob, or insurrection. More than 40% of articles used both “protest” or “demonstration” terminology as well as more precise language to describe the violence. Clearly, there’s more work to do to normalize language that unmasks white supremacy and describes the roots of the assault — and the threat it poses to democracy. This analysis presents a mere snapshot of coverage from the day of the attack; but, it offers insights as to steps journalists can take — and, indeed, are already taking — to ensure future reporting is as clear and accurate as possible. Going forward, we hope to find that more outlets are: 1) Using precise language. Euphemisms and other diluted language obscure the true nature of the problem, making it harder for audiences to understand what solutions are needed.* 2) Placing current events within historical context. This includes being explicit about the roots of white supremacy and how they continue to manifest today. Journalists must continue to educate readers about structural racism and provide concrete examples in day-to-day news, not just in emergencies or during elections. That way, when crises do arise, news consumers’ learning curve will be smaller. 3) Naming who should be held accountable. Reporters need to explain not only what happened but why, and who was involved. Using shorthand references or passive voice like “a demonstration was held” or “a mob formed” masks responsibility. When readers and viewers don’t know who is responsible, they are more likely to feel confused or overwhelmed. But when there is a clear target for action, chaos gives way to solutions and hope for change. 4) Lifting up the work of reporters and advocates of color. Newsrooms must prioritize hiring staff who reflect the regions they cover and who have deep connections to their surrounding communities. Until we have diverse, inclusive newsrooms, audiences will continue to miss critical perspectives. The days and weeks ahead are likely to challenge our democracy in unprecedented ways. The strength of that democracy demands participation; it depends upon the decisions we make individually and collectively — and the news media inform those decisions. Now, more than ever, journalists must report the news with clarity and precision. They must bring history to the fore and frame events to help us understand what is unfolding and why. We are counting on them. *While we recommend highlighting the severity of this attack, we join advocates in urging caution about invoking the word “terrorism,” which may set the stage for counter-terrorism measures that have consistently harmed communities of color rather than addressing the roots of white supremacy. --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2020 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-of-2020/ Type: post Modified: 2020-12-11 Words: 2054 > During an interview prior to the launch of the Poor People's Campaign more than 50 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "There is nothing wrong with the traffic law... During an interview prior to the launch of the Poor People’s Campaign more than 50 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “There is nothing wrong with the traffic law which says you have to stop for the red light.” However, he clarified, “When a fire is raging, the fire truck goes right through that red light, and normal traffic had better get out [of] its way.” So, when several women from the Moms 4 Housing collective occupied a vacant house in West Oakland late last year and leveraged public backlash against evictions to draw attention to the Bay Area’s housing crisis, “they constituted, in essence, an emergency response vehicle racing toward a burning fire,” stated an article from KQED. In other words, normal rules don’t apply during emergencies. This is equally true for social emergencies — and 2020 has seen its share of crises. From the rise of a pandemic (made worse by existing racial and class inequities like homelessness), to the increased attention finally given to police violence and systemic racism, to the vociferous attacks on journalists trying to expose such issues, these emergencies have had people around the country running red lights at multiple intersections and grappling with how best to extinguish the fires. One thing these issues have in common — besides their urgency and importance — is that none can be resolved without first painting a clear picture of what’s wrong, why it matters, and what can be done. To that end, advocates and organizers have been working tirelessly to sharpen their communication skills and make the case for solutions that advance equity and health. Those skills have shone through the many op-eds, letters to the editor, and other forms of media advocacy we have been tracking throughout the year. As we compiled our annual Top 10 list of media bites, perhaps our most striking observation was that advocates regularly used metaphors, like the one above, and other creative comparisons to explain complex issues in simple but compelling terms. In fact, of our top picks this year, half of the quotes used this technique (and many other outstanding media bites made us seriously contemplate expanding the list!). In a year when social division has frequently been palpable, we take comfort reading the words of those who are raising their voices in support of health, justice, and equity. And we are encouraged by the common threads that emerged in these media bites, painting a picture not only of outstanding communication but also of resilience and unity. As you wrap up this year, we hope you’ll enjoy our compilation of memorable media bites (presented in chronological order), and let us know which ones resonate most with you. “The point driven home more than any other by a public health crisis with a highly contagious virus is that ultimately, we can be only as healthy as the least healthy people among us. If large swaths of the population can’t afford to take care of themselves, guess what — it matters to you, too.” -Andy Slavitt, on the 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, explaining why such legislation is so critical, especially in light of COVID-19. Appeared March 23, 2020 in USA Today. Why we like it: When we work with public health advocates and community organizers who want to improve their messaging and media relations, we often encourage them to ground their words in values. Doing so makes messages more relatable on an emotional and visceral level. This media bite, which emphasizes the values of interconnection and equity, is an excellent example of this approach and is particularly salient amid the pandemic. “I’m sure I saved more lives keeping Georgia’s motorcycle law on the books than all the trauma resuscitations I did.” -Dr. Arthur Kellermann, a former emergency room physician and public health researcher at Emory University in Atlanta. Appeared May 1, 2020 in NPR. Why we like it: Talk about health, and many people will imagine its medical components: doctors, nurses, prescriptions — all of which are important in healing people who are sick. This media bite broadens the picture, illuminating the role of policy in protecting health. Rather than imagining wellness as a matter of intervention after an injury or illness, the physician speaking here reminds us that prevention is important on an even grander scale, despite the relatively little fanfare it receives. “Don’t be happy for me that I overcame these barriers. Be mad as hell that they exist in the first place.” -Hazim Hardeman, a 2019 Rhodes scholar. Appeared May 12, 2020 in The New York Times. Why we like it: Human interest stories are an important part of journalism because they put a name and face to statistics, allowing audiences to connect with issues that they may not observe or experience otherwise. However, when those stories zoom in too closely to spotlight an individual’s successes or difficulties, it can be hard for audiences to understand the social, political, or environmental context fo... --- ## Communicating about the COVID-19 vaccines: Guidance and sample messages for public health practitioners URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-covid-19-vaccines-guidance-and-sample-messages-for-public-health-practitioners/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 3158 > The science is clear: Vaccines save lives. But despite overwhelming evidence of their effectiveness, vaccines remain a contentious issue, with municipalities across the country often receiving vocal pushback in response... The science is clear: Vaccines save lives. But despite overwhelming evidence of their effectiveness, vaccines remain a contentious issue, with municipalities across the country often receiving vocal pushback in response to their efforts to implement immunization programs. With the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the race to develop vaccines, the debate has taken on a new importance. The first COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available in the United States. Residents will have many questions about the rollout of the vaccine, and policymakers, the media, and the public are turning to public health practitioners for accurate, timely information. Public health practitioners can communicate effectively even in this chaotic time. Other public health issues — like practicing safer sex — have shown us that widespread shifts in individuals’ behavior to support health actions is possible, even though it can be challenging. There is no one easy communication solution, but here we provide some quick tips for: communicating effectively about the COVID-19 vaccines, or vaccines in general, and bringing equity forward in your communication. At the end of this resource we also include general tips for good communication. When you communicate about the COVID-19 vaccines, or vaccines in general, remember … Meet people where they are. Most people’s willingness to vaccinate falls on a continuum from acceptance, to questioning, to doubt, to outright rejection. Diverse groups across that continuum — even people who intend to get the vaccine — will have questions about vaccine safety that need to be answered, especially regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine opponents are very visible and vocal in political debates on vaccines in general and the COVID-19 vaccine in particular, which can increase doubt. Some who are considering, but have questions about, the vaccine may fear or resent being cast as “anti-vax” or having their concerns dismissed as ridiculous. Recognize where your audience may be on the spectrum of vaccine support and avoid stereotyping people who ask questions or express reluctance as “anti-vax.” Instead, use language like “vaccine hesitant” or “vaccine questioning,” acknowledge that people are seeking to stay healthy and safe, and assure them that having questions is an important part of the process. Since your audience will be confronted with a barrage of information about the COVID-19 pandemic, make sure to acknowledge that, beyond questions, your audience may have legitimate, deep-seated fears about the vaccine and the pandemic itself. Research has shown that acknowledging an audience’s fears and doubts about difficult subjects can help assuage those fears, build trust in messengers, and circumvent shame and frustration. When you acknowledge your audience’s stance about vaccinations — and the complex emotions they may be feeling — it helps them remain open to what you have to say. Putting it into practice: Meeting people where they are Sample message that helps people understand the research process: We understand that some people may be nervous about the COVID-19 vaccines — this is totally reasonable. Fortunately, researchers have been working on vaccines for the coronavirus family for years, so they did not have to start from scratch. As researchers have been working intensely to develop and test the vaccine, they have been transparent in sharing data, holding live hearings, and pausing trials when it’s been important to slow down. Vaccine makers have also pledged that they would not seek FDA approval until phase 3 testing is done. All of this has given us trust and confidence in vaccination — a critical tool in our toolbox in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and helping our communities move forward. *We have sacrificed so much this year to keep our loved ones and community safe. **While we know getting vaccinated isn’t always comfortable, you can play a big role to support our county by keeping yourself and your family up-to-date on vaccinations — including the seasonal flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine once it is available. By staying updated on immunizations, we can make sure our sacrifice and efforts to fight COVID-19 keep everyone safe. *Conveys health department identity and values **Acknowledges that vaccination can be uncomfortable and notes sacrifice of community(Adapted from Dr. Theresa Chapple’s Twitter thread) Clearly explain the COVID-19 immunization process. Between the news and social media, there are multiple sources demanding your audience’s attention with conflicting and confusing messages. Public health practitioners are an especially important source for providing credible and consistent information to the public because they can explain what will happen locally. Materials should make it easy for residents to understand the process of the vaccine rollout and specific technical questions. Prepare materials that use clear, plain language to answer questions like: Where and when can pe... --- ## Framing domestic violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/framing-domestic-violence-prevention/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 73 > During this 2-hour online training, BMSG introduced the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence to our approach to strategic communication and helped the group establish a shared language around framing... During this 2-hour online training, BMSG introduced the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence to our approach to strategic communication and helped the group establish a shared language around framing prevention. RICADV learned to describe the role of the news in shaping the public conversation about preventing domestic violence; frame domestic violence in a way that supports upstream prevention strategies and systemic change; and identify the key components of a strategic message. --- ## Public health over punishment: How advocates can use social math and other tools of media advocacy to communicate about police and prison budgets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/public-health-over-punishment-how-advocates-can-use-social-math-and-other-tools-of-media-advocacy-to-communicate-about-police-and-prison-budgets/ Type: post Modified: 2020-10-26 Words: 1592 > At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we often start our trainings by asking participants, if the only way people knew about your issue was from the news, what would they know?... At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we often start our trainings by asking participants, if the only way people knew about your issue was from the news, what would they know? What wouldn’t they know? Regardless of issue, what’s often hidden from view are the years of organizing and hard work that build the foundation for the more visible moments of social change. This holds true for the recent rise in news coverage on police violence and the focus on police budgets that activists pushed for after the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. Screen grab of the op-ed that Piatt and her partners got published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Across the country, communities have been organizing for years to address police violence, using tactics ranging from direct action to op-eds to build the momentum for change. Although criticism of cities and counties continually increasing law enforcement budgets while cutting funding for schools, public health, and other parts of our social fabric is not new, the volume of news coverage has increased. The ensuing debate — and media expressing confusion — about what it means to defund the police is not unexpected, as our current system is deeply entrenched in our budgets and our minds. However, through the use of social math and other tools of media advocacy, organizers are finding compelling ways to show what the world could look like if budgets were focused on healing communities and creating equitable practices that support health. That’s exactly what local advocates did when they crafted an op-ed this summer to renew the call to defend Black lives, clarify demands, and increase support for reallocating police funds. Titled “Alameda County Should Create a Budget that Shows Black Lives Matter,” the op-ed showcases many strategies that advocates can replicate as they push for transforming local budgets to reflect a commitment to racial and health equity. To learn more about the process behind the op-ed, BMSG talked with the lead author, Amber Akemi Piatt, who directs the Health Instead of Punishment Program at Human Impact Partners (HIP), a nonprofit that is trying to build systems within communities that promote public health and racial justice. Piatt’s program works to examine budgets for policing, immigration enforcement, and incarceration — and to shift taxpayer dollars in ways that prioritize health. Piatt also participates in Decarcerate Alameda County, a coalition that similarly aims to invest in community health instead of cops. Here are some key lessons and highlights from our conversation: 1. Piggybacking off national news can help reinvigorate local issues. Community advocates were already working to reallocate law enforcement and jail funds in ways that more effectively support health and safety in Alameda County when news broke of the police killings of Floyd, Taylor, and McDade — and the ensuing uprisings against anti-Black racism. Advocates had already developed media campaigns for many local efforts but wanted to create a deeper understanding of the link between county budgets and racial justice. So, amid the country’s collective organizing — and outrage — Decarcerate Alameda County found an opportunity to spotlight local action. “We wanted to connect that national movement work with some of the county-level organizing that we’ve been doing for years — and specific solutions that we can budget for [now],” said Piatt. 2. Media advocacy is stronger when paired with community partnerships. Although Piatt took the lead on the op-ed, she noted that her ability to do so “came from years of organizing and understanding what’s important on the values level and on a demand level.” Because of her relationships with other partners in the community, she knew how to create content that would reflect their collective asks; she also had the trust required to get their attention — and feedback — on a Sunday afternoon. She described it as a “collective effort,” with about a dozen people involved in editing the op-ed prior to submission. In fact, Piatt said that one of the organizers of a Black Lives Matter car caravan led by the Anti Police-Terror Project edited the article from her car during the protest. Without strong relationships already in place, that likely wouldn’t have been possible. 3. Creative comparisons can help readers visualize complex issues. It’s common for reporters to reference bloated budgets or to cite large figures that are hard to grasp. Social math, or the practice of breaking down large numbers, can make dense data more meaningful for lay audiences. “It’s like putting a quarter next to a picture of something,” Piatt said. “If you want to give size reference, sometimes if you just take a picture of a bird and you don’t have that bird next to some other object for reference, people don’t understand the size. And so … we have said over and over and over that the Alameda County sheriff’s office budget is bloated, that it’s outsize... --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2020 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-at-apha-2020/ Type: post Modified: 2020-11-16 Words: 850 > UPDATE: Footage of select APHA sessions are now available online to those who registered for the conference. For links to specific sessions / videos, see below. The theme for this... UPDATE: Footage of select APHA sessions are now available online to those who registered for the conference. For links to specific sessions / videos, see below. The theme for this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association — “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Preventing Violence” — is one that resonates deeply with us at BMSG. Twenty-seven years ago, BMSG got our start by working with The California Wellness Foundation’s Violence Prevention Initiative, a 10-year project with communities, researchers, and advocates that spanned 16 community collaboratives and led to hundreds of policies enacted and millions of dollars shifted toward prevention. Since then, we’ve applied the lessons of violence prevention to many other public health issues, from affordable housing to childhood obesity. However, as violence continues to evolve and intersect with other issues, we remain committed to learning about it and acting to prevent it in all its forms. Building on our previous analyses of gun violence and community violence in news coverage, the BMSG team will share insights at APHA from our latest research on these subjects. We will also discuss how journalists can improve their reporting on violence, and we’ll pull back the lens to look at the role of power — and narratives about power — in furthering efforts to strengthen racial and health equity and build safer communities. Since APHA is virtual this year, we hope you’ll pull up your seat — and screen — and join us at our sessions, described below. You can also tweet with us by following @BMSG and using #APHA2020. Beyond the headlines: Using news coverage to understand power and why it matters for community health Monday, Oct. 26, 2 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. MT Building community power to shape the conditions that affect health is important for advancing racial and health equity. To identify opportunities to elevate stories of power-building for health, our researchers evaluated how California news coverage reflects and transmits elements of power like inclusion, participation, and justice. In this session, we will share key findings from our analysis, discuss how social movements can shift coverage and help shift power, and review opportunities to engage reporters around making power visible in the news. Communicating about firearms and firearm violence: Strategies and techniques for success in dialogue, discussion, and advocacy Monday, Oct. 26, 2:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. MT BMSG Head of Research Pamela Mejia will join this panel to discuss challenges and opportunities in communicating about firearm violence. It is important to understand the connotations of certain words, as some commonly used — and misused — terms may impact how the public and policymakers understand the issue and what to do about it. For example, with respect to suicide, which often is associated with stigma for the family and the person who dies by suicide, the terminology “committed suicide” is frequently used. Mejia and colleagues will discuss why using “died by suicide” can change the conversation and potentially decrease stigma. Audience participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about framing and language. We can help journalists cover violence as a public health issue Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7:30 a.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. MT In this presentation, as part of the APHA featured session “Shaping the Narrative: The Media’s Influence on the Perception of Violence,” BMSG Director Lori Dorfman will discuss how the news media shape our country’s collective understanding of violence and how public health practitioners and advocates can work with journalists to bust myths and tell more accurate, thorough stories that include prevention. To view a video recording of this session, log in using your APHA credentials at https://apha.confex.com/apha/2020/meetingapp.cgi/Session/60916 (available until August 2021). Beyond the police blotter: The news about violence and how advocates can change the public conversation Tuesday, Oct. 27, 9:30 a.m. PT / 10:30 a.m. MT Shifting the public narrative on violence – including, for example, who is deemed a legitimate spokesperson, and what solutions are considered credible — is a critical step toward prevention, and the news media are an especially important part of shaping our narratives on violence. In this presentation, part of the invited session “Communications for Culture Change: Communications Strategies That Create Space for New Approaches to Preventing Violence,” BMSG’s Pamela Mejia will review how patterns in news coverage of gun violence, domestic violence, and sexual harassment, abuse and assault can instill fear and discourage action toward change, as well as opportunities to reframe the public narrative to include prevention and counteract racist stereotypes. To view a video recording of this session, log in using your APHA credentials at https://apha.confex.com/apha/2020/meetingapp.cgi/Session/59949 (available until August 2021). To learn more about B... --- ## Seattle’s sugar-sweetened drink tax: An analysis of local news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/seattles-sugar-sweetened-drink-tax-an-analysis-of-local-news/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 101 > Public health practitioners around the world are excited about the potential of enacting taxes to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. However, some success stories — like Seattle’s —have not been... Public health practitioners around the world are excited about the potential of enacting taxes to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. However, some success stories — like Seattle’s —have not been straightforward. To help advocates understand the nuances of the public narrative that surrounded the Seattle sugary drink tax and the lessons it might hold for future campaigns, BMSG evaluated news about the tax. With support from the Voices for Healthy Kids initiative of the American Heart Association, we analyzed how the issue was covered, whose perspectives were dominant — or overlooked — and how arguments were framed. Download the report >> --- ## Introducing public health students to media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introducing-public-health-students-to-media-advocacy/ Type: events Modified: 2021-04-07 Words: 59 > In this guest presentation for San Francisco State University, BMSG's strategic communication specialist and health equity coordinator introduced first-year public health students to basic media advocacy concepts. The students learned... In this guest presentation for San Francisco State University, BMSG’s strategic communication specialist and health equity coordinator introduced first-year public health students to basic media advocacy concepts. The students learned the differences between social marketing and media advocacy and considered differences in how individual versus environmental news frames can alter how readers perceive public health issues. --- ## Preparing for interviews with the media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/preparing-for-interviews-with-the-media/ Type: events Modified: 2020-12-11 Words: 95 > In this two-part online training for the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, BMSG provided a brief introduction to put media interviews in the context of an overall media and policy... In this two-part online training for the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, BMSG provided a brief introduction to put media interviews in the context of an overall media and policy strategy. BMSG also offered tools — including message development recommendations — to help participants prepare for media interviews, gave an overview of working with reporters, and led the group through a series of hands-on exercises to practice interviewing skills and receive feedback. The first session, held Sept. 30, focused primarily on housing, while the second, held Oct. 14, related to child and youth mental health. --- ## How The New York Times ceded the election narrative to Trump — and what their coverage should include instead URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-the-new-york-times-ceded-the-election-narrative-to-donald-trump-and-what-their-coverage-should-include-instead/ Type: post Modified: 2020-10-02 Words: 846 > The New York Times is known for its high caliber of journalism and its commitment to holding powerful people to account, but Thursday morning's front page infuriated me. On the... The New York Times is known for its high caliber of journalism and its commitment to holding powerful people to account, but Thursday morning’s front page infuriated me. On the surface, the headline, which spans the entire page, seems to pull back the veil on Donald Trump, noting that he is escalating his efforts to erode trust in the voting process. And the writers no doubt think they’re countering his message by describing Trump’s tactics as “baseless attacks.” But, dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that, instead, the Times has lost control of the narrative. For years — and, now, almost by the hour — Trump has undermined trust in the election (unless, of course, he wins). By repeating this frame, the Times and other media outlets have now cemented sufficient doubt in the public’s mind. For evidence of the mounting damage, see the paper’s own story on Wall Street’s jitters. Just saying “he’s wrong” doesn’t counter the narrative because the counterpoint is occurring inside of a frame that the president has already set. Although not all reporters are steeped in framing theory and cognitive linguistics, New York University’s Jay Rosen has been explaining this concept to the Times for years. Additionally, Berkeley Media Studies Group regularly reminds journalists and advocates to establish their own frames because repeating false or misleading statements, even to rebut them, inadvertently reinforces them. As George Lakoff’s book Don’t Think of an Elephant demonstrates, when we tell audiences not to focus on something, we are putting the very thing we want to avoid top of mind and creating a hurdle that we now must jump over. Thursday’s front page was a stampede of elephant triggers. In letting Trump control the narrative, the media lost the real election story: One of the longest and most vexing problems in United States elections is the large part of the electorate who does not vote. Compare us to any other country. Compare any year. The numbers are appalling. The New York Times needs to tell that story. When the real problems are voter apathy and voter suppression, shouldn’t we have much more reporting on that? What about the stories on all the groups that have been working diligently to reverse those trends? What are they doing? Are their strategies expected to work? Where are these efforts the most robust? Where do they need to be bolstered? Take the youth vote. It has never reached its potential but could have a huge impact if large numbers of young people vote. Will this year be different? March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg thinks so. Is he right? Where’s the big story on the youth vote? Also, what’s happening with Stacey Abrams (founder of Fair Fight and the Southern Economic Advancement Project) and voting in Georgia and elsewhere in the South? Voter intimidation is certainly not new there. Where are the big stories on all the voting work being done? Even philanthropy has stepped up. The Langeloth Foundation and others are supporting efforts to get out the vote. Where’s the story on what philanthropy is doing? What about rural counties? When the (very problematic) electoral college has such an impact on election outcomes, shouldn’t we be hearing more about that? I shouldn’t have to learn about innovative efforts to challenge it from John Oliver. Problems with election reporting are similar, believe it or not, to issues with violence reporting. BMSG research shows that when the most unusual and rare form of violence dominates the news, it makes it seem like homicide is the norm when, in fact, it’s relatively rare. Important, yes, but rare. Homicide, it turns out, is a distraction from the many types of violence we need to prevent. This distortion matters because if audiences don’t have a strong grasp on the nature and extent of a problem, then we can’t begin to agree on solutions. Election news can’t just consist of Trump’s extreme cries. They are a distraction that allow him to set the terms of debate away from where we should focus. Readers need to hear the harder-to-tell but more important story about what is really going on with voting in the U.S. Although news outlets like the Times are publishing stories about the tribulations of voting amid a pandemic, we also need clearer, more robust coverage about the challenges of voting while Black and not voting at all. Why isn’t the president using every power at his disposal to make sure people vote? To make it easier to vote? To be sure voting is safe? Where is that story? Where is that narrative? Major outlets like the Times have the ink; they need to use it. I just hope it’s not too late. --- ## Media advocacy and strategic communication URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-and-strategic-communication/ Type: events Modified: 2020-12-11 Words: 50 > In this interactive, digital three-part series with members of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, BMSG covered how framing works and why it matters, why it's important to align overall strategy... In this interactive, digital three-part series with members of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, BMSG covered how framing works and why it matters, why it’s important to align overall strategy with strategic communication efforts, and ways to reframe messages to center systems change and racial equity. --- ## Staying on message during a media interview URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/staying-on-message-during-a-media-interview-2/ Type: events Modified: 2020-09-11 Words: 96 > To be effective messengers, advocates need to be prepared to talk confidently with reporters, frame the issue to connect to their policy goal, and stay on message even when answering... To be effective messengers, advocates need to be prepared to talk confidently with reporters, frame the issue to connect to their policy goal, and stay on message even when answering hard questions. In this workshop for the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, BMSG discussed media interviews as a component of an overall media advocacy strategy. Our trainers also provided tools to prepare for a media interview, including an overview of what reporters are looking for when working on a story, and led the group through a series of hands-on exercises to practice interviewing skills. --- ## Tips for communicating about masks in the midst of misinformation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/tips-for-communicating-about-masks-in-the-midst-of-misinformation/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 122 > Public health practitioners provide policymakers, the media, and the public with accurate, timely information. But how do they do this as misinformation proliferates and efforts to prevent illness become politicized?... Public health practitioners provide policymakers, the media, and the public with accurate, timely information. But how do they do this as misinformation proliferates and efforts to prevent illness become politicized? Although BMSG typically focuses on communication aimed at shaping health policy, as mask mandates become more common, local health departments are increasingly seeking ways to overcome the challenges they face in supporting residents in adhering to such mandates. Turning to other public health issues — like wearing seatbelts or practicing safer sex — reminds us that while widespread shifts in individuals’ behavior toward health-promoting actions can be challenging, it is possible. There’s no one easy communication solution, but this tip sheet offers some quick tips and examples to help. Download resource > --- ## Working with reporters and getting our message across URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/working-with-reporters-and-getting-our-message-across/ Type: events Modified: 2020-08-26 Words: 73 > The news cycle hasn't slowed amid the pandemic, and neither have we. BMSG had the honor this week of working with Mobilize Recovery, an initiative that supports grassroots efforts to... The news cycle hasn’t slowed amid the pandemic, and neither have we. BMSG had the honor this week of working with Mobilize Recovery, an initiative that supports grassroots efforts to address the ongoing drug epidemic. Our strategic communication specialist Shaddai Martinez Cuestas introduced the group to media advocacy during a plenary session on August 19 and led an online session August 20 focused on message development and building relationships with reporters. --- ## Keeping equity at the forefront: How local health departments can help create the new normal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/keeping-equity-at-the-forefront-how-local-health-departments-can-help-create-the-new-normal/ Type: events Modified: 2020-08-26 Words: 52 > In this health equity presentation, BMSG's Dr. Katherine Schaff discussed ways to shape the debate and create a new normal that centers around racial and health equity. She also shared... In this health equity presentation, BMSG’s Dr. Katherine Schaff discussed ways to shape the debate and create a new normal that centers around racial and health equity. She also shared resources to help public health practitioners communicate more effectively about COVID-19 as it intersects with other important health issues. --- ## Worksheet: Crafting effective op-eds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/worksheet-crafting-effective-op-eds/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-13 Words: 1060 > Op-eds are a powerful way to bring public health and social justice issues to the public's attention, and to reach policymakers with suggestions for concrete policy solutions. An op-ed is... Op-eds are a powerful way to bring public health and social justice issues to the public’s attention, and to reach policymakers with suggestions for concrete policy solutions. An op-ed is a proactive media tactic that can help you expand the frame and shift the narrative around your issue to encourage readers to consider structural change to solve the problems in our society. Writing one can help support your overall social change strategy. To get started, use the components of a message to describe the problem, name the solution or change you would like to see, and remind audiences why your perspective matters. Use this worksheet to organize your ideas. Structure and content Headline: What headline about your issue do you want to see? Although editors (rather than reporters or guest authors) usually write headlines, it doesn’t hurt to provide your preferred headline. It’s a chance to frame the piece strategically, and some editors will take the suggestion. First paragraph: Op-eds are opinion pieces, but they still need news hooks. Editors will want to know what makes your issue important now. See the elements of newsworthiness for ideas. Use personal or professional stories to illustrate the issue, but be sure to connect the stories to the structural and systemic parts of the problem. Body paragraphs: Preview the solution you are advocating for in the first few paragraphs — if you leave it until the end, people may not read that far. Let the reader know where you are going; then take them there. Additionally: Use values to emphasize why your solution is needed and inspire readers to act. Provide some background that explains how we got to this point. Describe with a few tangible examples how the solution is going to address the problem. Name the person or organization that needs to take action to put your solution in place. Use metaphors or analogies to paint a picture of the problem or the solution and show that change is possible. Be judicious about the data you present; data can be overwhelming or make people tune out. Use social math to make numbers or data points compelling and easy to understand. Concluding paragraph: Reiterate your values and the vision you have for society that your solution can bring. Invite readers to join you in that vision. Planning worksheet Use these prompts to organize your thoughts about an op-ed you would like to write. After making notes, try writing without stopping or editing for several minutes to get your thoughts flowing. Then you can begin to shape a first draft. The subject I would like to cover in my op-ed is: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ The personal or professional stories I can tell to illustrate the issue are: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ The specific policy solution I want to advocate for is: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Key points that would convince policymakers that this is the right solution are: (Address the core message questions: What’s wrong? Why does it matter? And, what should be done?) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ The compelling facts or social math that can help make my case are: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ The metaphors or images that might help reinforce the point are: (Consider what picture should come to mind when the target reads the op-ed) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Submission considerations Word limits Because op-eds are brief, you will need to be strategic about the solutions you focus on and the angle you take. Op-eds are just one part of a communication strategy — be selective; you don’t have to comprehensively communicate everything about your issue in a single piece. Most publications have a 600-word limit; check the news outlet’s guidelines. Authors Be strategic in choosing your authors. Is there a group you want to partner with on an op-ed so your voices can be heard together? Think about whose voice is missing in the current conversation, who is an authentic voice that can leverage lived experience, and who might get the attention of the target audience. Limit your authors to no more than three people. Publication The news outlet you select must be able to reach your target. While there may be many options, make sure to only ... --- ## Introduction to media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/introduction-to-media-advocacy/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-28 Words: 67 > In a presentation to graduate students in the criminal justice law and public health advocacy programs at Touro University, BMSG Health Equity Coordinator Katherine Schaff introduced basic concepts in media... In a presentation to graduate students in the criminal justice law and public health advocacy programs at Touro University, BMSG Health Equity Coordinator Katherine Schaff introduced basic concepts in media advocacy. She helped students understand the news media’s role in shaping debates on community health, and provided an overview of the questions that advocates need to answer before crafting messages or pitching stories to the media. --- ## A Black-led COVID Recovery: Black leaders on their work tackling the dual crises of COVID and racism — and building a better world for all of us URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/a-black-led-covid-recovery-black-leaders-on-their-work-tackling-the-dual-crises-of-covid-and-racism-and-building-a-better-world-for-all-of-us/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-28 Words: 137 > This roundtable connected the media to the Black leaders guiding us through COVID response and recovery while reimagining the Bay Area to protect people of color’s health. These leaders included... This roundtable connected the media to the Black leaders guiding us through COVID response and recovery while reimagining the Bay Area to protect people of color’s health. These leaders included youth organizing for Black Lives and defunding the police in Vallejo, teachers dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, Black community development leaders working to stave off the next foreclosure crises in Richmond, bus drivers organizing to protect residents and essential workers, Black entrepreneurs trying to keep small businesses afloat during the state of emergency, and formerly incarcerated people fighting to eliminate discrimination against inmates released during COVID. Reporters joined to hear these untold stories. Listen to all of the speakers at via San Francisco Public Press and read more in the business section of the San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland Group Keeps Focus on Black-Owned Business. --- ## Communicating about housing and COVID-19: Tips for responding to reporters URL: https://www.bmsg.org/communicating-about-housing-and-covid-19-tips-for-responding-to-reporters/ Type: post Modified: 2020-07-06 Words: 1146 > Housing policy is always complex, and even more so during COVID-19, which adds another layer of challenge to communicating about it. BMSG recently created a guide to help advocates craft... Housing policy is always complex, and even more so during COVID-19, which adds another layer of challenge to communicating about it. BMSG recently created a guide to help advocates craft effective messages that show how housing is a public health and health equity issue, using several examples of recently published op-eds. But advocates aren’t always in full control of the message. What happens when, instead of proactively writing your own opinion piece, you must respond to questions from a reporter? The good news is that with some nimbleness and practice, you can still shape the narrative around housing and health, and you can touch on all three components of an effective message: the problem, solution, and values. This came across when BMSG joined the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, Council of Community Housing Organizations, and Public Advocates in May 2020 to host a reporter roundtable to help reporters connect to a broad range of sources who can illustrate the link between these issues. During the event, “Bay Area Community Stories on Housing, Health, and COVID-19,” advocates prepared brief opening remarks — they were given just two minutes — and then had to respond on the spot to reporters’ questions. Sarah “Fred” Sherburn Zimmer, the executive director of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, gave a terrific response to a reporter’s question that encapsulated many communication recommendations for framing the debate and shifting the narrative, including: naming who is responsible and who benefits from the problem; describing systemic solutions, not just individual problems; keeping a strong focus on values; incorporating the landscape view so the context is visible (and not just the portrait); using powerful metaphors and simple language to make it easier to understand the context, problem, and solutions; and showing people power by reframing tenants as effective organizers demanding change, rather than victims of hard situations. As an example of how to more confidently and effectively discuss housing and health with journalists, we’ve posted Fred’s introductory comments below, as well as her response to a reporter’s question. At the end of the blog, we’ve included the same comments but with each message component highlighted. Fred’s brief introductory remarks We see over 5,000 people calling the hotline a year in five different languages here in San Francisco. And we build tenant councils throughout the city of San Francisco both in private and public housing focusing on building up the rights of low-income tenants, and we’re in an unprecedented crisis. Many tenants already were stretched too thin, paying too much of their income in rent. And San Francisco and Oakland, who won some of the strongest eviction moratoriums during this crisis, still have another crisis coming down the pike. It’s a dam that’s going to break. And an eviction moratorium that says you have to pay months of rent money back at the end of it or face eviction just means that tens of thousands of tenants are just holding off until [then], for a moment to be able to be safe, a moment to be able to stay home. Our hotline has been flooded with calls. We’ve been getting two or three times the volume we usually get of tenants who are just desperately afraid and whose landlords are still harassing them. In the tenant councils in some of the biggest corporate landlord buildings in San Francisco, [including] Veritas, the tenants are still feeling pressured to pay rent at any cost. While in the same buildings, hundreds of corporate rentals sit empty. And what we really need to fight for here is a cancellation of rent and mortgages. We’re in an international crisis. Everyone was asked to tighten their belts, to be able to keep the community safe. We need to not punish tenants for doing what they needed to do to protect their neighbors and community members. Reporter’s question: What are advocates working toward next? Advocates are working beyond just the cancellation of rent, which I think is actually one of the crucial things hanging over tenants’ heads, but a wider discussion about debt in this moment. We’re pushing more and more debt on everyone, whether it’s for utility payments, whether it’s for other debts, the ongoing burden of student loan debt. This debt comes back to haunt low-income people, especially tenants, over and over. Part of the question isn’t only about cancelling rent. It’s a bigger question around how we help make it so that we don’t just do continual bailouts of the people at the top. We bail out the airline industry without bailing out workers in airlines, or even guaranteeing their basic safety in this moment. We don’t want to move into a moment where we just guarantee we bail out landlords, and in San Francisco, the majority of landlords are larger landlords. We organize against the landlord, or with the tenants of a landlord named Veritas. They own over 8,000 units in San Francisco. They... --- ## Staying on message during a media interview URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/staying-on-message-during-a-media-interview/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-28 Words: 79 > This two-hour online workshop with the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative and partners was for housing rights and Black leaders. BMSG provided a brief introduction to put media interviews... This two-hour online workshop with the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative and partners was for housing rights and Black leaders. BMSG provided a brief introduction to put media interviews in the context of an overall media advocacy strategy. Participants learned tools to prepare for a media interview, including an overview of what reporters are looking for when working on a story, and engaged in a series of hands-on exercises to practice interviewing skills and receive feedback. --- ## Bay Area community stories on housing, health, and COVID-19 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/bay-area-community-stories-on-housing-health-and-covid-19/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-27 Words: 114 > BMSG joined the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, Council of Community Housing Organizations, and Public Advocates to host a reporter roundtable to help reporters connect to a broad range... BMSG joined the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, Council of Community Housing Organizations, and Public Advocates to host a reporter roundtable to help reporters connect to a broad range of sources who can illustrate the link between housing and health equity. During the event, the executive director of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco gave a terrific response to a reporter’s question that encapsulated many of BMSG’s communication recommendations for framing the debate and shifting the narrative. To learn more, check out our blog post, with excerpts and insights from the conversation: https://www.bmsg.org/blog/communicating-about-housing-and-covid-19-tips-for-responding-to-reporters/ --- ## Communicating about racial equity and COVID-19: Connecting data to context URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-about-racial-equity-and-covid-19-connecting-data-to-context/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 1359 > Because we are steeped in the research demonstrating the longstanding health harms from inequities, most of us in public health were not surprised by the headlines from Chicago, and now... Because we are steeped in the research demonstrating the longstanding health harms from inequities, most of us in public health were not surprised by the headlines from Chicago, and now other places, reporting the disproportionate number of Black, Latinx, Native, and Asian and Pacific Islander infections and deaths from COVID-19. But for the general public, and even policymakers, the interpretation of those data is likely to be different. Without the background knowledge, when people hear statistics reporting disproportionate impact, they are likely to attribute the cause to individual behavior. When people view the root cause of disparities as individual failings, the only solutions that seem plausible are telling individuals to do better or moving resources away from them since it appears like current resources are not helping. To help people understand the full meaning of data about the distribution of COVID-19, we must connect the context to the statistics every time we mention them. Berkeley Media Studies Group talks about this as the difference between depicting a landscape versus a portrait. Statistics alone will trigger people to think about portraits of individuals. Our job when communicating about COVID-19 is to embed the portrait in a broader landscape. Depending on local circumstances and data, there may be different ways to embed the data in a larger landscape. Typically, you won’t be able to talk about every social determinant of health or public system, so you will have to choose some aspect of the landscape to use as an example. Being strategic, you could pick one part of the landscape for which you are actively seeking policy solutions, such as around providing stable housing or food access. In that case, when you describe disparities in data, you could highlight the fact that it is not surprising to see higher rates of illness and death of any kind, including COVID-19, among people who have been deprived of the basic necessities of well-being like food and shelter. Even if you don’t have a strategic reason to choose one aspect of the landscape over another, pick something to use as an example to make it easier for your audience to see that the context matters. In this instance, the data about disproportionate impact comprise the problem statement. The part of the landscape that you describe to provide context also points to the solution. And, with every communication about COVID-19, be sure to express your values so your audience knows why this matters to you personally and to our whole community and region. Below are some examples of statements that bring the landscape into view. Bring history into view We need to show why we have different rates of underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes; otherwise, people will assume that individuals are solely to blame for not taking better care of themselves. Dr. Michael Lu, dean of U.C. Berkeley School of Public Health, explained this well, including the connection to institutional racism, when he said: “Differential access to health care is only one of many social determinants which determine who gets sick from COVID-19. Living in crowded housing or on the streets increases your risk exposure. Breathing toxic air from nearby brownfields, oil refineries, and freeways increases your risk for asthma and chronic lung disease, two major risk factors for COVID-19. Growing up in a food desert with limited access to healthy food increases your risk for obesity and diabetes, also major risk factors for COVID-19. What does this have to do with racism? Because residential segregation, income inequality, food insecurity, environmental injustice, and many other social ills that disproportionately affect communities of color are often the results of racist policies … it’s racist policies, rather than personal irresponsibility, that are making most people of color sick.” In just a few sentences, Dr. Lu explained the connection among COVID-19, social determinants of health, and racial disparities. He also took the next step of making it personal while still explaining the science: “And it’s putting up with all the anti-Asian xenophobia that is making me sick. Once or twice we can put up with, but experiencing racism over and over again across the life course takes a toll. It creates wear and tear, or allostatic load, on our body and soul. So even if the virus doesn’t kill us, racism will. The only antidote to racism is anti-racism.” Explain the disproportionate chance for exposure and less access to treatment We can explain that the data reflect the fact that certain populations, including essential workers who toil for low wages, are at much greater risk for exposure — a group that includes many people of color. In New York City, for example, 75% of frontline workers — nurses, subway staff, sanitation workers, drivers, grocery cashiers — are people of color. While some are able to shelter in place and work remotely, many workers of color have no choic... --- ## Pitching your prevention story to journalists URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/pitching-your-prevention-story-to-journalists/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-27 Words: 88 > Everyone is looking to credible media sources for information about health and safety right now. Your prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic are newsworthy and important — and media advocacy... Everyone is looking to credible media sources for information about health and safety right now. Your prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic are newsworthy and important — and media advocacy can help you reach parents, elected leaders, and other important audiences audiences. In this webinar for the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CalCASA), BMSG’s Pamela Mejia joined a panel of journalists and other communication professionals to discuss what makes a compelling story about prevention, and how to pitch it. --- ## Tax Day should be a public health holiday URL: https://www.bmsg.org/tax-day-should-be-a-public-health-holiday/ Type: post Modified: 2023-10-12 Words: 939 > After more than 30 years in public health, I've long thought that April 15 should be designated as a holiday to celebrate the field. Now that we're in the throes... After more than 30 years in public health, I’ve long thought that April 15 should be designated as a holiday to celebrate the field. Now that we’re in the throes of COVID-19 it will be easier to see what I mean. April 15, of course, is when our income taxes are usually due, though in 2020 because of the coronavirus, the deadline was extended to July 15. By paying taxes, we pool our resources so that together we can do what not one of us can do alone. It’s from our taxes that Dr. Anthony Fauci draws his salary — something I’m ever more grateful for as I type these words while safely sheltering at home. Taxes are the fundamental collective act that allows our systems to function, from simple things like keeping street lights on to the complexities of disaster response. Before coronavirus, when I shared my dream of making April 15 a public health holiday with family and friends, they would look at me quizzically. Now, as never before, they are understanding what it means for our society to have a robust infrastructure for public health. Taxes demonstrate how connected we are to one another. And COVID-19 demonstrates how much our well-being depends on that interconnection. Taxes give shape to communities physically by providing the basis for structures like roads, mass transit, schools, parks, and playgrounds. They enable us to move about the landscape to get where we need to go and do what we need to do. And taxes give moral shape to our community by allowing us to prioritize what we collectively care about: Will we feed hungry children? Shelter people without homes? Bring art and music into spaces we can all share? Taxes are embodied in first responders like fire fighters and ambulance drivers. At the systems level, we can see taxes at work in public health practitioners’ efforts to “flatten the curve” so our hospitals will be open to everyone who needs them. Yet this simple act — pooling our resources — has been demonized for decades by a small force of ideologues who want to shrink government. This strategy has been hugely successful: Starving government of resources diminishes its functioning, which fuels the perception that government can’t get the job done, which then reinforces the argument that taxes take away more than they give. Certainly, we need accountability for how our taxes are used. Personally, I’m horrified at the public dollars spent to militarize local police or build new jails when crime is at an all-time low. Those tax dollars would be far better spent on the prevention every community could enjoy if we had, for example, strong mental health systems, quality child care and a college education for everyone who wants it, and repairs for our crumbling sewer and water lines. Fortunately, U.S. taxpayers understand that taxes are necessary and important. According to research from Vanessa Williamson at the Brookings Institution, across the political spectrum, people see paying taxes as a civil good and civic duty. And we can create a fairer tax system by eliminating the corporate manipulation of the tax code and adjusting the marginal tax rate so the wealthy pay their fair share — even Warren Buffet agrees that the ultra-rich should be paying higher taxes. A public health holiday on April 15 would remind us that taxes are how we build and maintain all our complex systems for health and safety so we can avoid getting sick or injured in the first place. Supporting our interconnected systems is crucial for the public’s health beyond the immediate provision of medical care. In fact, the data show that medicine accounts for less than 20% of a population’s health status. The other 80%? Genetics plays a role, but mostly our health is determined by whether we have safe homes and neighborhoods, quality education, adequate employment, affordable food, clean water, air, and soil — even connections to family and neighbors have an impact on health status. Our national response to COVID-19 is making the need for functioning, well-prepared, and integrated response networks abundantly clear. Public health departments everywhere are using tax dollars to mobilize residents across the country to participate in prevention. These crucial and selfless acts will protect millions of us from infection with coronavirus and save lives. But even without a global pandemic, we need strong infrastructure to navigate our daily lives. By ensuring our systems and structures support every community — with special attention to those who suffer the most from preventable health problems — public health can equitably, effectively, and efficiently address the conditions that limit educational, economic, and social opportunity, all of which affect health. But this is only possible with taxes. A holiday on April 15 would help us make what is usually invisible, visible. When Tax Day is a public health holiday, at least once a year we can focus on the importance of interconnection and celebrate what our taxes should do for our families, ... --- ## Talking about health, housing, and COVID-19: Keeping equity at the forefront URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-health-housing-and-covid-19-keeping-equity-at-the-forefront/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 1708 > Advocates across the country have long been working to ensure that everyone has access to healthy, safe, and affordable homes. COVID-19 has brought to the forefront solutions that advocates have... Advocates across the country have long been working to ensure that everyone has access to healthy, safe, and affordable homes. COVID-19 has brought to the forefront solutions that advocates have called for — tenant protections, stopping the sweeps of people who are unhoused, and more — as advocates push for additional, urgent ways to ensure people are sheltered during this pandemic. For those working at the intersection of housing and health, the link is clear, yet the connection is rarely apparent in the news media. In national news coverage from March 2020, we found that fewer than 1% of stories about COVID-19 or coronavirus also mentioned housing issues like evictions, foreclosures, or homelessness. The news media play a significant role in reaching decision-makers. If the link between housing and health is not explicit in the news, decision-makers and the public may not prioritize addressing housing needs. At this moment, we must highlight the urgent need to ensure everyone has safe shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasize that homes are a crucial foundation for a healthy society. As Tram Nguyen from the Alameda County Public Health Department put it, “We want safe and affordable housing to be increasingly seen as a social good — a human right — that market-based solutions will not necessarily provide.” Just like the benefits of education extend beyond students in classrooms to the society they build or how child care helps the families who use it and boosts our economy because it allows parents to work, housing is fundamental to a society as interconnected as ours. Investments we make in housing will create benefits that extend far beyond any individual during this pandemic and beyond. We developed this working document to support public health practitioners, community organizers, and others who are striving, amid COVID-19, to elevate equity-focused solutions in housing and health news and before policymakers. The guide is focused on shifting the narrative from safety during the pandemic to the importance of treating housing as essential to public health. As we continue to work closely with partners on housing and health, we will adapt it and provide other tools. We would love to hear about what you are learning — and what you seek guidance on — as you bring equity to the fore in your communication about housing and health. Components of a COVID-19 message about housing and health Whatever the circumstances are in your city or region, when you talk about housing and COVID-19, make sure your message includes values, the solution, and a quick overview of the problem, whether you are writing talking points, news releases, handouts, or other pieces. Lead with values. An effective message reaches people not just in their heads but in their hearts. Whatever the specific housing solution we’re seeking, our messages need to explain why they matter for everyone, even those who may not always see their personal connection. The values part of the message expresses how we are connected to one another. Our values — like unity, dignity, and justice — are what motivate us, far beyond facts or figures. Use the word “our” to convey interconnection and illustrate that we are in this together with our neighbors and our community. Express your values to build a vision of where we want to go together that includes what housing should look like during this urgent moment and in our future. State the problem clearly. We have a problem when people don’t have shelter; this is easy to illustrate in the context of COVID-19. Our message can move from a narrow definition of the problem like the spread of coronavirus (portrait) to a broader definition that focuses on why all people and communities need safe, secure, and affordable homes (landscape). The definition of the problem should lead logically to the specific system change or policy we are seeking in the moment. Name a specific solution. Clear solutions help people avoid the feeling that the problem is so big that nothing can be done. Housing advocates are proposing solutions that will address the urgent needs around COVID-19 and that support the long-term health of our communities. These include moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures, banning rent increases, finding immediate and then permanent shelter for people who are unhoused, and ensuring banks and credit card companies suspend fees, foreclosures, and payments, including mortgages, for residents and small businesses. Policies will differ by jurisdiction and audience; in your message, include the solution that is your current priority. People are more likely to believe change is possible if they see tangible examples, so be concrete about the solution and direct about demanding who should do what. This level of specificity can help people understand that our housing problems are the result of policy decisions made by people and can be changed to shape the community we want to create. Tips for developing mess... --- ## COVID-19: Addressing discrimination and racism: Local health department support guidance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/covid-19-addressing-discrimination-and-racism-local-health-department-support-guidance/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 42 > These rapid response guidelines, developed by an equity-focused subcommittee of the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (Alliance) with input from BMSG, can help local health departments use language and... These rapid response guidelines, developed by an equity-focused subcommittee of the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (Alliance) with input from BMSG, can help local health departments use language and images that fight discrimination and stigma while remaining consistent with science. --- ## Food marketing to kids: Excesses in capitalism URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/food-marketing-to-kids-excesses-in-capitalism/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-28 Words: 79 > In a plenary session of “lightening rounds" for the annual meeting of Healthy Eating Research, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman described how food marketing shapes the current nutrition landscape for kids... In a plenary session of “lightening rounds” for the annual meeting of Healthy Eating Research, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman described how food marketing shapes the current nutrition landscape for kids in the U.S. She also discussed how and why marketers target children of color more aggressively with ads for unhealthy foods and touched on the ways in which tech platforms like Google’s YouTube have knowingly and illegally monitored, tracked, and served targeted ads to young children. --- ## How can we best educate others about the impact of violence on boys and young men of color? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/how-can-we-best-educate-others-about-the-impact-of-violence-on-boys-and-young-men-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 154 > As members of the Healing Justice Alliance, we believe all boys and young men of color (BYMOC) deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, especially those who have been... As members of the Healing Justice Alliance, we believe all boys and young men of color (BYMOC) deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, especially those who have been victims of violence. We know that, in order to heal, they must have unfettered access to support services when they need them. And yet, we know a lot needs to change for this to be a reality, as many of the young people we work with have been treated poorly as they interact with our systems. If this experience of poor treatment by systems that are supposed to serve them is a result of misconceptions by the staff at these institutions about young men of color, and their experiences with violence, we started to wonder: What would it take to change that narrative? This brief contains research and recommendations for creating messages that bring compassion and healing to the fore. Download the resource > --- ## Community engagement toolkit: A participatory action approach towards health equity and justice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/community-engagement-toolkit-a-participatory-action-approach-towards-health-equity-and-justice/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 100 > When those who are most impacted by inequities have an equal voice in designing and implementing solutions, we are more likely to achieve lasting results. This toolkit, created by the... When those who are most impacted by inequities have an equal voice in designing and implementing solutions, we are more likely to achieve lasting results. This toolkit, created by the Center for Wellness and Nutrition, with input from BMSG, will guide local public health leaders, community liaisons, and coalitions through a step-by-step process of incorporating effective community engagement strategies into their local programs. The toolkit includes easy-to-use, action-focused activities and resources to support community members in exploring issues affecting their communities; it also contains tips for organizing, educating, and advocating for change. Download PDF > --- ## Want to advance health equity for all Californians? Look to local health departments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/want-to-advance-health-equity-for-all-californians-look-to-local-health-departments/ Type: post Modified: 2020-03-30 Words: 851 > More than medicine or even genetics, the conditions in which people live are the biggest predictor of how healthy our communities will be. These conditions — like access to safe... More than medicine or even genetics, the conditions in which people live are the biggest predictor of how healthy our communities will be. These conditions — like access to safe and affordable housing, good jobs, and quality schools — are shaped by our decision-makers and the policies, systems, and structures they create. But, in many places, these policies have led to deeply ingrained racial and health inequities. Like many of you, we at Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), believe that every Californian, regardless of their race, income, or where they live, deserves good health. We also know that we don’t need to start from zero. Local health departments (LHDs) are already working to advance health equity in communities across California. By collaborating with and investing in groups that are making major progress toward equity, we can turn this vision into reality. Why invest in local health departments? More than 60 LHDs are already playing an important and unique role in advancing racial and health equity in California. However, scaling these efforts so that they impact health across the entire state requires all of us, including LHDs and the groups that support them, to take new approaches. That’s why investments in LHDs matter. With a recent grant from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, BMSG is helping to build the communication capacity of three regional bodies, the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (Alliance), the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), and the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium (SJVPHC), as they work with LHDs to bring racial and health equity to every Californian. For example, the Alliance has been gathering data so California residents and policymakers can easily see how to shift resources and investments to address gaps so every neighborhood can thrive. The California Healthy Places Index (HPI) maps the community conditions known to affect health and ties them to viable, systemic actions that health departments and their partners can take. Since its launch in June 2018, governmental and philanthropic organizations have used the HPI to make equity-based decisions about more than $450 million in regional and state grant programs. Nearly 90 agencies, businesses, and community groups are using HPI to integrate equity and public health into their work. BARHII members identified housing as a critical issue affecting public health in their region, as they saw Bay Area residents struggling under the rising rents, with some paying more than 50% of their monthly income for a roof over their heads, leaving little for food, healthcare, and other vital needs. This crisis has exacerbated existing health disparities, falling much more heavily on lower-income Black and Brown neighborhoods that already experience decades-shorter life expectancy compared to their whiter, wealthier neighbors. BARHII’s members led a regional response to the housing crisis to preserve existing affordable housing, protect tenants at risk of displacement, and produce additional affordable housing. This “3Ps” model has already shaped housing policy in the Bay Area and beyond. SJVPHC has focused on supporting regional movements to improve access to healthcare in rural areas, develop cross-county action plans to address diabetes, and support member health departments in building capacity to change the policies, systems, and environments that make it harder for residents to be healthy. SJVPHC is building strong relationships that bolster equity-focused work. For example, member LHDs have partnered with tribal councils to focus on the needs of tribal elders, youth, and women, as well as general needs. Scaling equity-based solutions across California Urgent public health issues like housing and climate change do not affect one community or region alone, but touch every part of the state. Connecting local strategies while building a statewide approach can bring solutions at the scale we need. Regional coalitions like the Alliance, BARHII and SJVPHC are uniquely positioned to build capacity inside LHDs to make racial and health equity a reality. Because they partner with community stakeholders, they can help mobilize public and private sector power to support policy, system, and environmental improvements occurring outside any one LHD’s span of control. Collaboratively, the regional coalitions magnify the public health voice to marshal support for enduring racial and health equity. Should your zip code determine your life expectancy? Local health departments say, no! Every person in the state should have the foundation for health: a safe, stable home; affordable and accessible food; a job they can get to in a reasonable time to make a living wage; and the infrastructure that sustains health everywhere. BMSG is proud to support these regional bodies and their partners as they create a state where health abounds no matter where you live. In December 2019, Blue Shield of California F... --- ## Media advocacy lecture at U.C. Berkeley’s School of Public Health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-lecture-at-u-c-berkeleys-school-of-public-health/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-28 Words: 54 > BMSG Director Lori Dorfman provided students in Leonard Syme & Linda Neuhauser's Interventions course a general overview of media advocacy in the context of our current social and political moment.... BMSG Director Lori Dorfman provided students in Leonard Syme & Linda Neuhauser’s Interventions course a general overview of media advocacy in the context of our current social and political moment. She discussed basics in framing, why message is never first, and the role of values in shaping audiences’ understanding of an issue. --- ## frank2020 talk: What happens when we’re not afraid to talk about sexual violence? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/frank2020-talk-what-happens-when-were-not-afraid-to-talk-about-sexual-violence/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-11 Words: 160 > How can advocates striving to prevent sexual violence get better at communicating about their work? What does that look like in practice? What is holding us back? Those are some... How can advocates striving to prevent sexual violence get better at communicating about their work? What does that look like in practice? What is holding us back? Those are some of the questions that BMSG Head of Research Pamela Mejia addressed during her talk at the frank2020 gathering in Gainesville, Florida. One key to improving messages about sexual violence prevention, she explained, is to start by acknowledging our fears and other difficult emotions regarding this issue. Doing so can make messengers more credible and relatable, help audiences feel validated, and allow people to envision and discuss solutions more easily. Listen to her presentation, “What Happens When We’re Not Afraid to Talk About Sexual Violence?,” in the video below, starting at 33:36. And check out our messaging guides and other resources, developed in collaboration with partners from NSVRC and RALIANCE, at https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-projects/message-development-for-sexual-violence-prevention-advocates/. --- ## Media advocacy lessons to build power and change policy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-lessons-to-build-power-and-change-policy/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-11 Words: 46 > In a guest lecture at the University of California, San Francisco, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman introduced students to basic media advocacy concepts, including strategy development, message framing, and the types... In a guest lecture at the University of California, San Francisco, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman introduced students to basic media advocacy concepts, including strategy development, message framing, and the types of stories — and values — that appear in health news and shape our understanding of health outcomes. --- ## Synthesizing knowledge and gaps in research to inform communication strategies in building a culture of health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/synthesizing-knowledge-and-gaps-in-research-to-inform-communication-strategies-in-building-a-culture-of-health/ Type: events Modified: 2020-07-28 Words: 98 > In this presentation, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed several lessons learned that can inform communication strategies to build a culture of health. Her first lesson, “message is never first,” highlighted... In this presentation, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed several lessons learned that can inform communication strategies to build a culture of health. Her first lesson, “message is never first,” highlighted the idea that before you can know what to say, you have to know what you’re going to do. Her second message, “make the landscape visible,” discussed how episodic/portrait/individual stories dominate in news media and why we need to try to bring out more thematic/landscape stories. Her third message, “bring history forward,” emphasized that we have to understand the history behind our current policies. --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2019 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-of-2019/ Type: post Modified: 2019-12-16 Words: 1578 > Each year, one of our favorite blogs at BMSG is our annual Top 10 list of media bites. Our staff members narrow the selections from dozens of favorites that have... Each year, one of our favorite blogs at BMSG is our annual Top 10 list of media bites. Our staff members narrow the selections from dozens of favorites that have grabbed our attention during research analyses and the daily news monitoring we conduct. Looking back at the year in quotes allows us to reflect not only on challenges the public health community, and our country more broadly, have faced, but also on the progress we’ve made together. As is often the case, this year’s list covers a variety of topics; however, one theme that unifies the quotes is their ability to help move news coverage from stories about individuals to stories about communities. As Bay Area resident and disability rights activist Stacey Milbern said in a recent article for KQED, “A lot of activism work is trying to shift people to think about interdependence rather than independence. I believe if you view the needs of the most marginalized people impacted by an issue, then ultimately the entire community benefits.” We couldn’t agree more. Many of our selections below elevate the themes of interdependence and equity. 2019 has been an intense, difficult year in many ways, but these quotes, and the voices behind them, help us approach the new year with renewed passion and enthusiasm for the issues we hold dear. We hope they do the same for you. Equity “Nothing I have in my black bag improves the health of a homeless person … other than housing.” -Dr. Joshua Bamberger, associate clinical professor of family and community medicine at UC San Francisco. Appeared May 29, 2019 in KQED. Why we like it: This quote pushes the narrative about health upstream to show that housing is not only a social determinant of health — it’s foundational to it. A growing number of health departments are taking a housing-first approach to health; however, media portrayals of housing often fail to reflect this shift, and many articles still treat housing as separate from, instead of integral to, health. Quotes like this one from Dr. Bamberger show that practitioners can use their voices to help to change this. “Black children don’t get a PR firm and a softball interview when they are in need of redemption. They get an open casket and a good sermon when it’s time to appeal for grace.” -Elie Mystal, reflecting on Savannah Guthrie’s interview with Nick Sandmann and the fundamental inequity that it represents. Appeared January 24, 2019, in The Nation. Why we like it: When a widely circulated video revealed white high school student Nick Sandmann smirking at and blocking a Native American man from gaining access to the Lincoln Memorial, he was widely accused of racism. Yet, national news producers nevertheless invited Sandmann on the air to explain his side of the story. As Elie Mystal explains using a powerful juxtaposition, the same isn’t true for Black children. They, too, have a story, but we don’t get to hear from youth like Tamir Rice or Trayvon Martin. Too often, they are denied more than just a voice; they are denied their lives. Photo by Zoran Kokanovic on Unsplash “The original ‘American Dream’ was not a dream of individual wealth; it was a dream of equality, justice and democracy for the nation. … Our ideas about the ‘American Dream’ froze in the 1950s. Today, it doesn’t occur to anybody that it could mean anything else.” -Sarah Churchwell, a professor of American literature at the University of London. Appeared January 21, 2019, in the Huffington Post. Why we like it: We all know the up-by-your-bootstraps, rags-to-riches frame that dominates so much of the United States’ mainstream cultural landscape. The media often reinforce this frame through “hero” stories that elevate individuals who triumph despite great odds and amass material forms of success. This quote challenges that deeply held frame, shifting our understanding of the American Dream from individual wealth to the collective good. Photo by Micheile Henderson @micheile010 // Visual Stories [nl] on Unsplash Violence “It takes more work and more effort to get a driver’s license in Pennsylvania than it [does] to buy a gun of any kind. And something’s wrong with that.” -Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia. Appeared August 15, 2019 in The New York Times. Why we like it: In this media bite, an elected official uses a strong comparison and irony to challenge lax gun restrictions. In doing so, he helps to move our understanding of gun violence prevention from that which is controversial to that which should be common sense. “[M]ore children die from firearms in the United States every year than all the police and American military deaths worldwide combined. No gate attendant, though, is saying to airplane passengers, ‘Children under 19 may board first because we thank you for your sacrifice of dying in your homes and schools to give men thrills and keep the gun industry profits high.'” -Thom Hartmann. Appeared June 4, 2019 in CommonDreams. Why we like it: Besides putting a lump in our throat, this quote o... --- ## Overcoming common communication challenges: A 3-part series for advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/overcoming-common-communication-challenges-a-3-part-series-for-advocates/ Type: post Modified: 2019-12-16 Words: 177 > Three steps for getting started with media advocacyDuring BMSG's recent work with grantees of The California Wellness Foundation, common themes emerged among their questions about strategic communication. This blog, the... Three steps for getting started with media advocacyDuring BMSG’s recent work with grantees of The California Wellness Foundation, common themes emerged among their questions about strategic communication. This blog, the first in the series, is designed to help answer some of the most common media advocacy questions we received from both seasoned and novice advocates. Using values and framing to create messages that motivateRelying too heavily on data to make your case, inadvertently reinforcing opposition arguments, and simply getting tongue-tied are all common communication pitfalls. The good news is they can be avoided. This blog, the second in the series, draws on our work with advocates and captures lessons that they can apply to any public health or social justice issue. Delivering effective messages: Lessons for advocatesOne of the biggest communication challenges advocates face is delivering messages effectively under pressure. In this blog, the final in the series, we highlight common challenges and lessons from our spokesperson trainings and show how they can be applied, using a case example from one of our clients. --- ## Delivering effective messages: Lessons for advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/delivering-effective-messages-lessons-for-advocates/ Type: post Modified: 2019-12-16 Words: 1355 > One of the biggest communication challenges advocates face is delivering messages effectively under pressure. We've all had that experience of preparing a rock-solid argument to make our case, only to... One of the biggest communication challenges advocates face is delivering messages effectively under pressure. We’ve all had that experience of preparing a rock-solid argument to make our case, only to have it fall apart when we get to that critical meeting or do an interview with the press. The fear of saying things wrong is probably why one of the most frequent requests BMSG receives is for our spokesperson training. This training is designed to help advocates at any level, from novice to seasoned, learn tried-and-true techniques for high-stakes conversations. However, these techniques are most beneficial when advocates have clarified their overall strategy and crafted advocacy messages that align with it. With an opportunity for practice and expert feedback, the spokesperson training is one of the best ways to polish your message delivery. The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), a grantee of The California Wellness Foundation, recently participated in a training to do just that. During the training, common challenges surfaced, as well as lessons that could benefit any group working to refine its spokesperson skills. This blog, the final in a three-part series, highlights those challenges and lessons and shows how they can be applied, using the case example from CAIR-SFBA. The case of the Council on American-Islamic Relations CAIR-SFBA, a regional office of a national organization whose mission is to “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims,” reached out to BMSG for support preparing their team for media inquiries. CAIR-SFBA receives many calls from local media outlets seeking CAIR’s response to policies that directly affect Muslim Americans, such as the Muslim Ban, workplace discrimination, and student bullying, among others. While CAIR-SFBA has a strong voice around these issues through its executive director, the organization was eager to elevate the voices of staff members so they can also be effective spokespersons for the organization. Through mock, on-camera interviews, we worked with the CAIR-SFBA team on strengthening their spokesperson skills. Here are a couple of excerpts from those interviews, along with insights to help advocates — even those with deep experience — improve their message delivery across a variety of issues. Lesson 1: Shift the frame from portrait to landscape. It’s common for news stories to focus on individual behavior, as “human interest” stories are often the ones that gain the most traction. To this end, many interviewers will ask questions about individual behavior. But we know that social change can only happen in the context of recognizing and changing the systems and structures that affect whole populations. When we’re talking to a reporter or policymaker about our systems change goals, we need to stay focused on the systems and structures that affect individuals. In BMSG’s terms, our goal as advocates is to widen the frame from the narrow portrait perspective into a broader landscape perspective that shows the larger systems that shape individuals’ lives but are often out of their control. Here’s an example of what that looks like in practice: One CAIR-SFBA training participant was working to encourage local cities to refuse to comply with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies that CAIR-SFBA deemed discriminatory or unlawful. Examples included efforts to locate, question, or detain Muslim residents based solely on their demographic profile. In interviews, it was common for CAIR-SFBA staff to be asked questions like, “Wasn’t the immigration official just trying to keep our country safe?” and “If the individuals being detained weren’t doing anything wrong, then immigration officials wouldn’t have to detain them, right?” It is natural when asked these kinds of questions to want to respond with answers about individual behavior, and this is what one CAIR-SFBA participant did in our first practice interview with her. In the example below, our participant talked about the fear instilled in communities and people not feeling safe to reach the police. While this is true, the frame remains at the individual level, highlighting what people will or will not do: BMSG: Isn’t ICE doing something to protect our country, to protect our jobs from criminals who are here illegally? CAIR-SFBA: What ICE is doing is effectively tearing families apart. What they’re doing is creating fear, and not only with ICE but with other government agencies. So communities are not going to be reaching out to police, or reaching out for other government services that would keep our whole community safe — not just those who are the most vulnerable — but our whole community safe. With further probing, our participant was able to further widen the frame from portrait to landscape, and her answer was then much more systems focused, thus leading to systems-based solutions: BMSG: ... --- ## Using values and framing to create messages that motivate URL: https://www.bmsg.org/using-values-and-framing-to-create-messages-that-motivate/ Type: post Modified: 2019-12-16 Words: 1066 > You know that moment when you see or hear an absurd argument, and you want to respond but are at a loss for what to say? Or you pepper your... You know that moment when you see or hear an absurd argument, and you want to respond but are at a loss for what to say? Or you pepper your audience with so much data that your passion for the issue gets lost behind the facts? Most public health and social justice advocates have experienced these and other common communication challenges at some point — the good news is that there are clear steps advocates can take to avoid such pitfalls. We recently worked with grantees of The California Wellness Foundation to help them sidestep such problems and strengthen their communication tactics. Through strategic consultation sessions, these dedicated community advocates crafted effective messages to advance their overall social change goals, including complex challenges like improving local job prospects for formerly incarcerated individuals. Several lessons emerged from the consultation process that could be applied to any issue, from climate change to violence prevention to reproductive justice. This blog, the second in a three-part series, captures those lessons to help advocates make sure that what they say reflects their underlying values and resonates with their target audience. Message development basics Developing a message strategy requires crafting succinct, powerful messages that 1) clearly articulate the problem needing attention; 2) provide a specific, actionable solution including who should be held accountable for implementing the solution; and 3) make a compelling case for why the action matters for the whole community. The steps to developing a message are similar to the steps involved in outlining the problem and solution of your overall social change strategy, which, as we describe in the first part of this series, forms the foundation for your communication strategy. In fact, the problem and solution in your overall strategy can become the problem and solution statements of your message. The more descriptive, the better: Your message can (and should) paint a picture of what the problem looks like (e.g. “There are more junk food vending machines than water fountains in our school,” or “When our playgrounds are locked after school, children can’t get the activity they need to be healthy even when they’re eager to play.”) We also encourage advocates to frame their issues in a way that moves away from individual responsibility toward institutional or social responsibility. You can do this in part by articulating your values and evoking the reasons that motivate or inspire you and your target to take action, even when it’s hard, expensive, or unpopular. Often, advocates present data, thinking that knowing the extent of the problem will activate people. However, the truth is that while data are important, people mobilize and act based on the core values they hold deeply. When your message answers the question, “Why does this matter?”, your values come through for your target audience. Common values include fairness, health, children, unity, equity, education, and many more. Take some time to name your values, and infuse them into your messages. The case of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency The team from Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) came to BMSG for help determining how best to engage employers in their program to secure sustainable employment for formerly incarcerated employees. We worked with the BOSS team to determine some messaging that would help strengthen their partnerships with prospective employers. As always, we started by asking about the specific problem they wanted to solve: Problem: Many formerly incarcerated individuals can’t find work, leading to deep poverty and perpetual homelessness. Good start; however, the concept that someone “can’t find work” is largely characterized by an individual frame, reinforcing the view that it is all the individual’s fault for being homeless or poor. We asked the BOSS team to share more about the roots of this problem. Here’s what they said: Problem: Many prospective employers worry that hiring formerly incarcerated individuals is a liability to their business, making it difficult for re-entering citizens to find a job. We’re getting there, but this frame still needs broadening to include the systems and structures that are preventing employment. (It also includes an “elephant trigger,” which will diminish the power of your frame). We asked BOSS to dig deeper into why employers weren’t more open to hiring all qualified candidates, regardless of their record. We also suggested to the BOSS team that they can frame the problem in terms of the solution they want to see. In this case, BOSS has a dedicated program that partners with prospective employers to educate them around hiring re-entering citizens and provide support to both employer and employee over the long-term to ensure a beneficial relationship for all involved. This allowed the BOSS team to better envision their frame and state the problem, solution, and why it mat... --- ## Three steps for getting started with media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/three-steps-for-getting-started-with-media-advocacy/ Type: post Modified: 2019-12-16 Words: 1200 > Over the past couple of years, advocates have faced formidable challenges in their efforts to stop continued assaults on a wide range of public health and social justice issues. Knowing... Over the past couple of years, advocates have faced formidable challenges in their efforts to stop continued assaults on a wide range of public health and social justice issues. Knowing that the media can provide a powerful way to influence public narratives — and public policy — on these issues, advocates often approach BMSG for help with messaging and media advocacy. That was the case for many grantees of The California Wellness Foundation, to whom we provided strategic consultation between 2017 and 2019. Grantees faced big problems during this time, attacks on immigrants’ rights and racial equity being at the top of the list. As BMSG worked with these dedicated community advocates, we noticed some common themes among their questions about communication that could offer valuable insights to other advocates working to advance racial and health equity. This blog, the first in a three-part series, is designed to help answer some of the most common media advocacy questions we received from both seasoned and novice advocates. Each post in the series can be used as a stand-alone or together with either of the others. Crafting your overall strategy The questions advocates have about communication are simple and not-so-simple. On the one hand, they are simple because there are a few tried-and-true formulas to help you think through the answers. On the other hand, they are not so simple because the formulas have to be applied to specific issues, in real time, so they can be meaningful in the context of your advocacy. Plus, sometimes the answers depend not just on what you or your organization thinks but also what your allies (or opponents!) do and say. We often hear questions like, “There are so many issues we work on, how do we know where to start our communications?” and “Where does communication fit into our strategy today if our goals are very long-term?” To answer these questions, we often ask advocates to step back and reflect on how their communication needs relate to their bigger-picture goals. More specifically, we ask them: 1. What is the problem you want to address? 2. What policy solution will you be advocating? 3. Who is your target — the person or group with the power to make the change? These are the first three steps toward conducting a power analysis and identifying your overall strategy, which shapes a larger strategic process we refer to as the Layers of Strategy. In working through the first step, narrow your focus as much as possible in order to identify a specific, measurable problem. To do this, it’s important to know what is contributing to the problem, so you can better identify a solution that aligns with your problem. But even when the problem(s) and solution(s) are clear, most social justice issues are layered with complexity, making it feel untenable to make progress toward achieving a solution. It also might be frustrating to choose an immediate “next” step when so much needs changing. Let’s look at an example. The case of Mentoring in Medicine & Science The grantees from Mentoring in Medicine & Science (MIMS) approached BMSG for help communicating about their programs, which have a mission to diversify the health professions. As always, BMSG started by asking the MIMS team, “What is the problem you are trying to solve, what is your proposed solution, and who has the power to make the changes you seek (target)?” MIMS’s answers: Problem: The health professions do not represent the diverse demographics of our country. As a result, underrepresented communities, including people of color and monolingual non-English speakers, do not see themselves in their health care providers. This often results in less culturally competent care, among other issues. We want to attract and support more underrepresented students to pursue careers across the breadth of health professions. Solution: Increase the number of people of color and bilingual speakers in health care professions. Target: Prospective employers, like hospitals and clinics, who can increase recruitment efforts to include more underrepresented professionals. While these are all important steps to increasing the number of underrepresented health care providers, this solution and target are still many steps removed from the MIMS mission of exposing underrepresented students to health care careers. So we asked MIMS to narrow their focus on the student population. They shared another one of their proposed solutions and prospective targets: Solution: Provide appropriate support and resources to underrepresented students applying to medical school. This may include holistic application review, mentorship, and financial support. Target: Health and medical graduate schools, who need to know about the benefits of educating a diverse health care workforce and the barriers that many underrepresented students face. We’re getting closer, but this solution still assumes a number of steps have been taken to ensure high school students are interested in... --- ## APHA 2019: Creating the healthiest nation. For science. For action. For health. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/apha-2019-creating-the-healthiest-nation-for-science-for-action-for-health/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-12 Words: 93 > BMSG presented three posters as part of the 2019 gathering of the American Public Health Association. During the poster sessions, our researchers highlighted findings from news analyses on cannabis legislation,... BMSG presented three posters as part of the 2019 gathering of the American Public Health Association. During the poster sessions, our researchers highlighted findings from news analyses on cannabis legislation, police violence, and housing instability, noting how these issues are portrayed, whether journalists are making links to health and equity clear, implications for public health practitioners, and recommendations for shifting these narratives in ways that better support racial equity and health. For more detailed descriptions of each poster session, check out our blog: https://www.bmsg.org/blog/join-bmsg-at-apha-2019/. --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2019 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-at-apha-2019/ Type: post Modified: 2019-11-20 Words: 767 > BMSG is excited to be among the nearly 13,000 people participating in this year's annual meeting of the American Public Health Association. We'll be presenting three posters this year as... BMSG is excited to be among the nearly 13,000 people participating in this year’s annual meeting of the American Public Health Association. We’ll be presenting three posters this year as part of the conference theme: “Creating the healthiest nation. For science. For action. For health.” One often overlooked factor that shapes how people think about, talk about, and act on health issues and scientific research is media coverage. With that in mind, our research team analyzed California news coverage of three important public health and social justice issues — cannabis legislation, police violence, and housing instability — to find out how they are portrayed, and whether journalists are making links to health and equity clear. In each of our poster sessions, we will share key findings, implications for public health practitioners, and recommendations for shifting these narratives in ways that better support racial equity and health. You can find more details on our sessions below and browse other presentations from our parent organization, the Public Health Institute, at https://www.phiapha.org/. You can also view the full APHA program here. We hope to see you in Philadelphia! Cannabis coverage: An analysis of news about cannabis policy from four California counties Sunday, Nov. 3: 2 – 3 p.m. Legalizing cannabis has generated heated public debate about its potential impact on public health and health equity outcomes. To understand the nuances of that debate, we analyzed news coverage from selected California counties in the months before and after legalization in January of 2018. We found that few articles addressed health or safety concerns about cannabis legalization (13% of articles) — and that even fewer talked about racial equity or economic justice concerns, such as efforts to ensure that small, local farmers were not “squeezed out” by larger corporate entities. In this poster session, we will discuss our findings, consider what they could mean for efforts to shift public narratives about cannabis, and explore opportunities for public health practitioners and other stakeholders to elevate health and racial equity issues. Beyond the headlines: News coverage of officer-involved shootings in California Monday, Nov. 4: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Police violence is a pressing public health and social justice issue, but not all officer-involved shootings capture the attention of the news media. Complete and accurate news coverage of these shootings is critical because we can’t solve a problem we don’t know is happening. To find out how the news reports on officer-involved shootings and their victims in California, our researchers analyzed coverage from more than 70 California newspapers. We found that most of those killed were men of color, and coverage of their deaths was sparse: Most shootings generated an average of two articles, and for almost one-third of all shootings (31%), we found no coverage at all. In this poster session, we will discuss these findings in greater depth and talk about what they could mean for efforts to shape public dialogue about officer-involved shootings, keep victims’ stories in the spotlight, and include prevention in the conversation. News about the Bay Area housing crisis: An analysis of coverage on the CASA compact Tuesday, Nov. 5: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. While the link between housing and health is well documented, there is less research on how public health practitioners can talk about housing as a social determinant of health. To support local public health organizations that are engaged at the intersection of housing and health, we analyzed news coverage about the Bay Area housing crisis, focusing on the work of a diverse, multisector set of partners (The Committee to House the Bay Area, or CASA) who created a set of local, regional, and state policy and funding recommendations. Specifically, we looked at who was quoted and how, if at all, issues of equity and health appeared in connection to housing. Our analysis revealed that only about a quarter of articles discussed equity, such as the displacement of communities of color and low-income families. As part of this poster session, we will discuss what these omissions in coverage mean for efforts to change public narratives about housing and will provide public health practitioners with recommendations that can inform current and future work to address housing as a social determinant of health. We’ll be sharing highlights from APHA 2019 on our social media channels! Follow our updates @BMSG and on Facebook, and join the conversation by tweeting our sessions using the hashtags #PHIAPHA and #APHA2019. --- ## HJA media training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/hja-media-training/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-12 Words: 33 > As part of BMSG’s work with the Healing Justice Alliance (HJA), BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas provided a day-long training to the HJA Newark site on media engagement and interviewing skills. As part of BMSG’s work with the Healing Justice Alliance (HJA), BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas provided a day-long training to the HJA Newark site on media engagement and interviewing skills. --- ## Junk food marketing to children: The current reality and what we can do about it URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/junk-food-marketing-to-children-the-current-reality-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/ Type: events Modified: 2025-11-05 Words: 88 > In a Grand Rounds lecture for the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed the scourge of food marketing that is targeted at... In a Grand Rounds lecture for the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed the scourge of food marketing that is targeted at children of color, with significant implications for health. Dorfman explained common tactics for such marketing, such as the use of digital influencers, underscored how this contributes to disparate health outcomes in communities of color, and noted ways we can take action. Download the slides for use in your own presentations about target marketing, and view her presentation below: --- ## War metaphors and ‘strong’ survivors: Do the words we use to discuss breast cancer help or hurt patients? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/war-metaphors-and-strong-survivors-do-the-words-we-use-to-discuss-breast-cancer-help-or-hurt-patients/ Type: post Modified: 2019-10-15 Words: 933 > It's October, and that means Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here. With that comes a flurry of fundraisers, seemingly endless pink-themed products, and ample media coverage highlighting how everyone from... It’s October, and that means Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here. With that comes a flurry of fundraisers, seemingly endless pink-themed products, and ample media coverage highlighting how everyone from researchers to physicians to individual patients are fighting against this deadly and often disfiguring disease, which is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Many news stories and casual conversations alike include words like “warrior,” “battle,” and other militaristic terms to describe efforts to end breast cancer. But how do the people whose lives are at stake feel about these words? Do they confer a sense of strength and empowerment? Or do they do more harm than good? That’s a question that a fellow journalist and woman with breast cancer recently posed in one of my online support groups, and it’s one that I’ve been asking myself a lot lately, now that I’ve been diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease. Before I became a patient myself, I had strong opinions on the subject. As a communication manager for the Berkeley Media Studies Group, which studies language and news portrayals of health issues, I know that words are rarely neutral. And as the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I worried that referring to people with breast cancer — or any cancer — as warriors could pressure them to put on a brave face and appear strong when they may feel anything but. Beyond that, when someone dies from cancer, journalists and others often say they “lost the battle,” potentially giving the impression that they didn’t fight hard enough. But as anyone with the disease knows, no amount of determination guarantees a positive prognosis. Then there’s the fear that war metaphors can evoke. When my oncologist told me, referring to the start of chemotherapy, that I needed to be “in Afghanistan” within two weeks, I was terrified. If treatment is that brutal, how will I ever survive it? Is my body strong enough to handle this? Will I have the endurance needed to complete all my infusions? Although I have several other health issues that complicate my treatment plan, research shows that I’m far from alone in reacting with fright. Battle metaphors make people more fatalistic and may cause them to ignore important symptoms or even discourage them from taking steps to reduce their disease risk, according to a new study on the psychological impact of how we communicate about cancer. The study also found that people who read about cancer patients’ experiences rated cancer treatments as more difficult when the descriptions included war metaphors, as opposed to journey metaphors or no metaphors. However, the researchers did not assess how one key population views such language: people currently living with cancer. To find out more, I went back to my online support group. An informal scan of patients’ posts showed mixed results. Many women with breast cancer said they reject war-based language, noting that they did not choose to fight; they did not choose to be strong. They are strong because they have to be. Still, many others said they find battle-oriented phrases empowering and feel that “war” is the right word to describe the grueling treatment process and all its lasting effects on physical and mental health. Such language, they explained, conveys the seriousness of the issue and legitimizes our struggle. Receiving my first round of chemotherapy infusions. My own views on the matter have become more nuanced since I was diagnosed. While my doctor’s war metaphors scared me, I’ve gathered strength from my family and friends’ use of similar terms, especially “warrior.” On my first day of chemo, which involved several unexpected issues and lasted 14 hours, I carried their voices and their votes of confidence with me. Every “keep fighting” and “you can beat this” made it just a little easier to look at my IV drip — and the protective suits the nurses had to wear to administer it — and trust that I can handle the 17 other infusions I still have ahead of me. Those words didn’t dissipate after I left the hospital either. I clung to them the following week as I endured debilitating fatigue, severe pain, and a range of other serious side effects. And those phrases will stay with me as I approach my next round of chemo, allowing me to face it with courage instead of complete dread. I’ve even embraced war metaphors on social media, often adding #warriorinpink to my posts. Ultimately, each person deals with cancer differently. Just as friends and family should find out what language resonates with a loved one facing cancer, journalists writing awareness-raising stories should ask their sources who have cancer how they want to be characterized. As for me, call me a warrior. Call me strong. Call me brave. Whether I am any of these things is debatable, but if I’m going to get through a year of chemo, surgery, and another 5+ years of other treatments, I need to believe that they’re true. And with eno... --- ## Advocating for Children Together Conference URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/advocating-for-children-together-conference/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-12 Words: 51 > Advocating for Children Together (ACT) is a newly formed coalition of Bay Area pediatricians interested in leveraging their voices to advocate for change. BMSG facilitated two sessions to introduce participants... Advocating for Children Together (ACT) is a newly formed coalition of Bay Area pediatricians interested in leveraging their voices to advocate for change. BMSG facilitated two sessions to introduce participants to media advocacy and help them become effective spokespeople. Other workshops included advocacy strategies, social media, op-ed writing, and more. --- ## Giving effective public testimony to support health equity: 9 tips for advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/giving-effective-public-testimony-to-support-health-equity-9-tips-for-advocates/ Type: post Modified: 2019-10-31 Words: 2634 > On a recent day, I was reminded that despite being in the thick of BMSG's daily work on media advocacy and communication, it can still be intimidating to be the... On a recent day, I was reminded that despite being in the thick of BMSG’s daily work on media advocacy and communication, it can still be intimidating to be the one at the microphone. In my personal time outside of my work at BMSG, I had joined many other advocates at a meeting of the Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to voice our concerns about proposed legislation to expand the city’s ability to confine people in a locked psychiatric facility when they are experiencing a mental health crisis — a process known as conservatorship. Currently, the process in San Francisco involves medical and mental health treatment staff at hospitals initiating a process to conserve a person when they believe that the need for potential confinement outweighs the deprivation of a person’s personal liberty. While a conservatorship law is already on the books across California, the new law transfers the impetus for conserving people from medical and mental health professionals who make decisions on medical grounds to the police and criminal justice system. In San Francisco, like so many communities around the country, policies have put affordable, quality homes out of reach for many of our city’s residents. A lack of housing options coupled with cuts to an already limited mental health system creates severe instability in many people’s lives and makes accessing much-needed services challenging. Rather than depriving people of personal liberty, fellow advocates and I wanted to make the case for increasing services and housing options that people can access voluntarily. But first I had to prepare my comments and get ready to speak in front of a large crowd. Fortunately, plenty of tools exist to help advocates plan and practice. While I was at City Hall, I also asked some experienced activists their advice for effectively giving public testimony. Here are nine tips that can help you or your organization do just that: Get the details for your meeting. This was my first time giving public comment in San Francisco, and while there are similarities across jurisdictions, my first step was getting more information on the local process. I used the social media pages of organizations that had been at the forefront of organizing on this issue to stay updated on the date, time, and room number at City Hall. I checked the Rules Committee page on the Board of Supervisors’ website to see how long I’d have to speak. The time limits may be short — I was hoping for three minutes but found out we only got two — so you have to be strategic about what points to prioritize. When you arrive, you’ll likely need to fill out a comment card, indicating your agenda item number. I found mine on a handout by the door, but these are also usually available online. Even if meetings are listed as running only a few hours, try to bring plenty of coffee, snacks, and a charged phone because meetings often run longer than planned. Connect and coordinate with allies. Speaking out at City Hall is just one part of a broader policy and communication strategy, and connecting with organizers at the forefront of the work can help not just with developing your comments but also with staying engaged in the campaign. “Align with organizations and movement builders who have been doing the work as well, so that you can have more coordinated messaging,” recommended Sam Lew, the policy director at the Coalition on Homelessness. This advice held true for me — handouts from the coalition helped me determine which parts of their message I could lift up as a public health worker. When I arrived at City Hall, I was easily able to identify allies in the fight for housing, services, and health — they were wearing “Docs not Cops” stickers and gave me one, too. Connecting to them helped me learn more about the issue, stay updated on logistics and evolving strategies, and ensure that I was supporting efforts to prioritize community members most impacted by the proposed legislation. For example, on the first day I went, organizers let us know that one of the Board members was leaving early and wouldn’t be able to hear all the comments. The organizers quickly worked to make sure people with lived experience, such as being previously conserved or facing housing instability, moved to the front of the line. The organizations leading the efforts may also have talking points and trainings to support commenters in case reporters are at the meeting and want to interview people. If you are delivering public comments on behalf of your organization, it’s critical to know your organizational policy and whether you can speak to the media on behalf of your organization. If you are not the media contact at your organization, direct reporters to the designated spokesperson or to someone else in the coalition who is prepared to speak to the media. Prepare and practice. Just like playing sports or a musical instrument, there are no shortcuts with practicing public speaking. If you are... --- ## Changing the narrative about gun violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/changing-the-narrative-about-gun-violence/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-20 Words: 122 > We were honored to participate in the 2019 Healing Justice Alliance conference in Sacramento, where our head of research, Pamela Mejia, and strategic communication specialist, Shaddai Martinez Cuestas, joined Brian... We were honored to participate in the 2019 Healing Justice Alliance conference in Sacramento, where our head of research, Pamela Mejia, and strategic communication specialist, Shaddai Martinez Cuestas, joined Brian Malte of the Hope and Heal Fund for an energetic discussion about changing the narrative about gun violence. BMSG research has found that media portrayals of violence often overrepresent Black and Latinx men as perpetrators, while leaving out important context and underreporting solutions. Advocates and journalists can both play a role in changing this narrative. To learn more and to get tips for communicating about gun violence in ways that advance prevention and equity, read our study: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/gun-suicide-community-domestic-violence-news-narratives-california/. --- ## Messaging for tobacco prevention in Santa Clara County URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/messaging-for-tobacco-prevention-in-santa-clara-county/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-20 Words: 49 > BMSG trainer Shaddai Martinez Cuestas worked with the Tobacco Free Coalition of Santa Clara County to create healthy communities through developing strong messages for tobacco prevention, identifying compelling messengers, and... BMSG trainer Shaddai Martinez Cuestas worked with the Tobacco Free Coalition of Santa Clara County to create healthy communities through developing strong messages for tobacco prevention, identifying compelling messengers, and delivering advocacy messages in high-stakes settings, such as interactions with decision-makers, potential allies, and the news media. --- ## Strategic communication workshop for Tobacco Free Coalition of Santa Clara County URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/strategic-communication-workshop-for-tobacco-free-coalition-of-santa-clara-county/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-12 Words: 24 > In this workshop for members of the Tobacco Free Coalition of Santa Clara County, BMSG helped participants learn to develop and deliver effective messages. In this workshop for members of the Tobacco Free Coalition of Santa Clara County, BMSG helped participants learn to develop and deliver effective messages. --- ## Strategic communication to support prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/strategic-communication-to-support-prevention/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-11 Words: 66 > During this day-long training Lori Dorfman and Pamela Mejia introduced the policy and communications teams of the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to... During this day-long training Lori Dorfman and Pamela Mejia introduced the policy and communications teams of the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to BMSG’s research-informed guides on strategic communication about sexual violence prevention. Participants practiced developing and delivering their own messages and communications strategies, and brainstormed opportunities to incorporate the recommendations into other communications efforts. --- ## What’s in a frame? Communicating effectively about preventing sexual violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/whats-in-a-frame-communicating-effectively-about-preventing-sexual-violence/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-11 Words: 62 > Pamela Mejia facilitated a 3-hour presentation/abbreviated training at the 2019 National Sexual Assault Conference, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which brings together advocates, researchers, practitioners and community leaders from around the... Pamela Mejia facilitated a 3-hour presentation/abbreviated training at the 2019 National Sexual Assault Conference, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which brings together advocates, researchers, practitioners and community leaders from around the country. Participants learned about BMSG’s research-informed guide to sexual violence prevention messaging, participated in a discussion of framing challenges, and developed key components of effective prevention messages. --- ## Communicating strategically about public charge: An introduction to media advocacy and storytelling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-strategically-about-public-charge-an-introduction-to-media-advocacy-and-storytelling/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 577 > Recent immigration rule changes from the Trump administration will make it easier to deny migrants lawful permanent residence based on their use of public benefits. Under this so-called "public charge"... Recent immigration rule changes from the Trump administration will make it easier to deny migrants lawful permanent residence based on their use of public benefits. Under this so-called “public charge” test, an expanded number of programs, including those related to health, nutrition, and housing, will influence green card status. This storytelling module from Berkeley Media Studies Group, can help advocates communicate more effectively about these rule changes, what’s at stake, and what can be done. The module, which includes a script to help guide presenters, was developed as part of the Public Charge Training Modules for Advocates & Service Providers, a package of train-the-trainer style presentations to support frontline staff, enrollers, community health workers, promotoras, service providers, health department staff, and others in discussing public charge with patients, the community, and the media. The modules are among the many resources you can find on the California Primary Care Association’s (CPCA) Immigration Resource Page, including videos of the presentations. The workgroup members are also willing to help provide a training to your organization. If you’re interested in learning more please contact Elizabeth Oseguera at loseguera@cpca.org. For more tools and resources, visit Protecting Immigrant Families. Other BMSG resources and projects on immigration and health 8 ways to communicate strategically about proposed federal immigration rule changesTo help local groups frame the issue in ways that further public health and social justice goals we prepared these tips to strengthen their op-eds, comments to the Federal Register, and other messages opposing the administration’s proposed public charge expansion. Messages for health departments to useBerkeley Media Studies Group facilitated a workshop to support the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) in developing messages on the proposed public charge rule change for local health departments and their partners. BARHII created this helpful handout to support health departments in the Bay Area and beyond. REPORT: Immigration in the news: An analysis of coverage from four California countiesThe hostile political climate facing immigrants in many parts of California means that communicating strategically and centering equity in those narratives is both challenging and urgent. To better understand the current conversation around immigration, BMSG conducted a news analysis of media coverage in four California counties (those that are part of TCE’s Spread & Scale work). We explored the factors driving coverage, whose voices are over- or 5 under-represented, the degree to which health is present, and whether the news about immigration contains stigmatizing language. BLOG: How news coverage perpetuates harmful language about immigrationDespite some progress in removing stigmatizing language from coverage of immigration, we found that the “i-word” still appears in a significant amount of news coverage. Immigration: A dialogue with Alameda County Public Health DepartmentImmigration policy can have profound impacts on the health of our communities. In this webinar, part of a “Communicating About Health Equity” series supported by The California Endowment, Berkeley Media Studies Group engages the Alameda County Public Health Department in a conversation about how they are working to bring public health to the forefront of public discourse on immigration. What can we learn from media coverage of trauma and family separation?A BMSG analysis shows how the news about immigrant family separation, detention, and childhood trauma stands out from reporting on many other public health issues and offers insights for elevating trauma in other types of coverage. --- ## HJA message development workshop URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/hja-message-development-workshop/ Type: events Modified: 2020-02-12 Words: 51 > In this visit to Kansas City as part of our work with the Healing Justice Alliance (HJA), BMSG provided a short workshop to staff at AIM for Peace, a violence... In this visit to Kansas City as part of our work with the Healing Justice Alliance (HJA), BMSG provided a short workshop to staff at AIM for Peace, a violence prevention program of the Kansas City Health Department. The workshop was focused on developing effective messages for recruitment of youth participants. --- ## Webinar: Using social media to advance health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-using-social-media-to-advance-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2019-08-01 Words: 64 > This webinar for the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium focuses on how local health departments can use social media strategies to support efforts to advance health equity. The webinar... This webinar for the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium focuses on how local health departments can use social media strategies to support efforts to advance health equity. The webinar covers basics in framing, message development, and why it’s critical for a health department to connect its social media strategy to its broader goals. Download the slides or view the recording below. --- ## Junk food marketing: New resources show how the industry targets communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/junk-food-marketing-new-resources-on-how-the-industry-targets-communities-of-color/ Type: post Modified: 2019-07-25 Words: 1143 > A new series of briefs from BMSG explores how the food and beverage industry strategically sets prices, leverages cutting-edge technology, and exploits cultural sensibilities to build brand loyalty and sell unhealthy products to low-income communities and communities of color. Drive within a few miles of a fast-food restaurant or grocery store, and a mobile message could pop up on your phone with a coupon enticing you to stop by — but don’t expect it to be an ad for kale or bananas. In 2018, McDonald’s partnered with the navigation app WAZE to send promotions and turn-by-turn directions to travelers within range of a McDonald’s billboard. Not to be outdone, Burger King then used geolocation technology to send mobile coupons through their app, offering a 1-cent Whopper to any customer approaching McDonald’s. These geotargeting tactics are among the many ways that food and beverage marketers reach communities with advertising for mostly unhealthy products. Junk food and sugary drink marketing contributes to rising rates of obesity and diabetes, which is why public health advocates are increasingly concerned not only about what is being marketing but also about which consumers are being targeted. Junk food and soda companies often aggressively market their least healthy items to low-income communities and communities of color, especially youth — the very groups that have been the hardest hit by the current epidemic of nutrition-related diseases. A new series of briefs from Berkeley Media Studies Group explores how the food and beverage industry strategically sets prices, leverages cutting-edge technology, and exploits cultural sensibilities to build brand loyalty and sell unhealthy products to low-income communities and communities of color. “Targeted marketing is a health equity issue — one that needs a public health response,” BMSG Director Lori Dorfman said. “Soda and fast-food companies have been following the tobacco industry’s lead and using many of the same marketing practices with the explicit goal of increasing junk food consumption among African Americans and Latinxs.” BMSG’s four new briefs examine how the food and beverage industry engages in target marketing using what’s known as the 4 Ps (Place, Price, Product, and Promotion), provide examples to illustrate how target marketing contributes to health inequities, and offer recommendations for how advocates can combat this all-too-common practice. Below, we offer a few excerpts. Place Billboards and banners are staples of place-based marketing. However, in our current digital age, place is becoming more and more virtual, experienced on a laptop, tablet, or smart phone. New advances in digital marketing -— including the previously discussed examples of geotargeting from McDonald’s and Burger King — allow marketers to track and target consumers and gather demographic characteristics. This digital targeting is likely to disproportionately impact youth of color, as they are greater users of smart phones and other mobile technology than white youth. In a more traditional example of place-based marketing, Coca-Cola literally covered the streets of Miami’s Calle Ocho 2015 festival, which celebrates the city’s Latinx community, with banners and logos. Coke, which was the official soft drink of the festival, also ran an extensive local TV, radio, and social media campaign. Price Fast-food restaurants and the wider food and beverage industry carefully set prices — through dollar menus, for example — to appeal to certain groups in certain neighborhoods. However, many of the foods and beverages marketed to low-income communities and communities of color — and sold at low prices — are also low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats. With digital marketing that goes directly to mobile devices, prices can also be set for individuals. This imbalance in the cost of healthy versus unhealthy food is perhaps most evident in Indian Country. A 2016 report from the First Nations Development Institute showed how most healthy food staples, such as eggs, milk, apples, and tomatoes, cost considerably more than the nationwide average. One item they found less expensive: Cheetos. Product Although food and beverage companies market junk foods heavily through advertisements and social media promotions, the item being marketed, or the product, is itself a form of marketing. Companies develop products that are specifically designed to entice people of color. Food companies see communities of color, particularly youth, as trendsetters in entertainment, fashion, and even food. For companies designing products for communities of color, their wider crossover appeal makes them an appealing target. This may account for what seems like a recent explosion of potato chip brands and other salt-laden snacks featuring spicy flavors ranging from Sriracha sauce to pico de gallo salsa. Promotion Whether its McDonald’s using Instagram influencers to tout a new menu item, or a more traditional Pepsi billboard, promotion is what often comes to mind when people think of marketing because it is so visible. In one example of influencer marketing, McDonald’s partnered with Instagram influencers to create sponsored posts to promote its McCafé beverages, buttermilk cri... --- ## The 4 Ps of marketing: Selling junk food to communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-4-ps-of-marketing-selling-junk-food-to-communities-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 430 > The 4 Ps — place, price, product, and promotion — form the foundation of today's marketing practices. However, food and beverage marketers often use these tactics specifically to target low-income... The 4 Ps — place, price, product, and promotion — form the foundation of today’s marketing practices. However, food and beverage marketers often use these tactics specifically to target low-income groups and communities of color, raising a range of privacy and health concerns. This series of briefs describes each strategy, shows real-world examples of how they are used, and offers suggestions for advocates to take action and rein in marketing for unhealthy foods and beverages. Place Using place-based marketing to increase food sales is not new. But in today’s digital age, cutting edge technology can be used to target low-income families and communities of color, including youth, more precisely than ever with ads for junk food and sugary drinks. Marketers can now understand a person’s entire location history — where they go and what they do every minute of the day, including what they buy in stores and online. In this brief, we explain how companies engage in place-based marketing in ways that contribute to health inequities. Price Many of the foods and beverages marketed to low-income communities and communities of color — and sold at low prices — such as sodas, processed snacks, and fast-food meals, are also low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats. So-called “value menus” are a prime example; despite their low cost, people pay a high price — with their health — to eat them. In this brief, we examine how the food and beverage industry carefully sets prices to appeal to specific groups, particularly those already at an increased risk of diet-related diseases. Product Although food and beverage companies market junk foods and sugar drinks heavily through advertisements and social media promotions, the product being marketed is itself a form of marketing. For example, McDonald’s has created a special jalapeño-loaded double cheeseburger to appeal to Latinx populations, and Oreo developed a rainbow cookie in support of gay pride. In this brief, we explain how food and beverage companies develop products to appeal specifically to low-income communities and communities of color. Promotion Whether it’s McDonald’s using Instagram influencers to tout a new menu item, or a more traditional Pepsi billboard, promotion is what often comes to mind when people think of marketing because it is so visible. In this brief, we show how marketers use both online and offline promotion tactics to target unhealthy foods and drinks to specific groups, discuss how this contributes to health inequities, and offer suggestions for addressing the issue. --- ## Promotion: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/promotion-the-4-ps-of-marketing-selling-junk-food-to-communities-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 2961 > During Black History Month in 2018, Coca-Cola ran a TV ad titled "History Moves Forward," which juxtaposed the evolution of the iconic Coke bottle with landmark moments in Black history.... During Black History Month in 2018, Coca-Cola ran a TV ad titled “History Moves Forward,” which juxtaposed the evolution of the iconic Coke bottle with landmark moments in Black history. The ad paid homage to the Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. AdAge reported that the ad aired 115 times that month, generating more than 56 million TV ad impressions across networks.1 As this example from Coca- Cola shows, unhealthy food and beverages, such as sodas, processed snacks, and fast-food meals, are often promoted in communities of color by exploiting cultural sensibilities and using images, symbolism, and language to sell products and build brand loyalty. Such promotions raise health concerns because the foods and beverages most aggressively marketed are low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats.2 These junk foods are likely to increase disease risk or interfere with management of chronic conditions — especially in the absence of healthier food and beverage options. Meanwhile, communities of color have been the hardest hit by the current epidemic of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.3 Whether it’s McDonald’s using Instagram influencers to tout a new menu item, or a more traditional Pepsi billboard, promotion is what often comes to mind when people think of marketing because it is so visible. Yet, promotion is just one way that companies engage in target marketing, the practice of using tailored approaches to sell products to specific individuals and communities, such as communities of color. What is target marketing? Target marketing applies the “marketing mix” principles: product, price, place, and promotion. The “4 Ps” model is foundational to today’s digital marketplace and is widely adopted by both marketing practitioners and academics. Some business experts also add other Ps, such as “personalization,” to the mix. The targeted marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to communities of color is common across all four marketing mix categories, as companies have designed: products especially for communities of color; prices designed to appeal to specific income groups, such as “value menus” targeting low-income neighborhoods, as communities of color are disproportionately represented within them; places that are saturated with unhealthy food products, due to zoning in certain communities that allows concentrations of fast-food restaurants or proliferation of outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and sugary beverages4; and promotions that exploit cultural images, symbolism, and language that are recognizable to communities of color to sell products or build brand loyalty. In this brief, we explain how the marketing mix principle of “promotion” works and why targeting foods and drinks high in sugars, salt, and fats to communities of color contributes to health inequities. We speak your language Of the “4 Ps,” promotion is likely to be the most varied and sophisticated — and exploitative. According to Key Concepts in Marketing by Jim Blythe, promotion refers to “the marketing communication used to make the offer known to potential customers and persuade them to investigate it further.” Promotion elements include “advertising, public relations, direct selling, and sales promotions.”5 In communities of color, junk foods and sugary beverages are frequently promoted in ways that perpetuate stereotypes and exploit cultural identities. Even sponsorships by junk food and beverage companies of much-needed programs, such as college scholarships for Latinx students, ultimately serve to promote a particular brand or company. Simply put, unhealthy food and beverages are promoted more often in communities of color, especially to youth within these communities. For example, in 2017, in 2017, Black children and teens saw 90% more ads for snacks and sugary drinks on TV compared with white teens, according to a 2019 report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.2 Unhealthy foods represented 86% of food advertising spent on Black-targeted television programming and 82% of advertising spending on Spanish-language television, the Rudd study found. In addition, youth of color get what researchers call a “double dose” of unhealthy food and sugary beverage marketing because they are exposed to both targeted and mainstream campaigns, particularly via digital media, which is consumed by youth of color more frequently than white youth.6 Marketers also target youth of color because they are deemed trendsetters and, therefore, exploited for what marketers call their “brand ambassador” capabilities.7 But it’s not just peer influence on youth of color that’s used to drive sales of junk food and soda. Companies exploit the popularity of celebrities of color as role models by hiring them to promote unhealthy products. These include musicians, athletes, and even historical figures. Influencers: The new way to reach young people The meteoric rise of social media over the past tw... --- ## Place: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/place-the-4-ps-of-marketing-selling-junk-food-to-communities-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 2237 > Drive within a few miles of a fast-food restaurant or grocery store, and a mobile message with a coupon enticing you to stop by could pop up on your phone.... Drive within a few miles of a fast-food restaurant or grocery store, and a mobile message with a coupon enticing you to stop by could pop up on your phone. Whole Foods Market began using this marketing tactic in 2015, offering specials not only to mobile customers near its stores but also to customers near the stores of its competitors.1 In 2018, McDonald’s employed a similar approach, partnering with the navigation app Waze to send promotions and turn-by-turn directions to travelers within range of a McDonald’s billboard.2 And Burger King has used geolocation technology to send mobile coupons through its app, offering a 1-cent Whopper to any customer approaching McDonald’s.3 Marketing practices such as these, known as location- or place-based marketing, to increase food sales is not new. But in today’s digital age, food and beverage companies have an ever-expanding set of tools at their disposal, using geofences and other cutting-edge technology to detect nearby shoppers and send personalized ads directly to their mobile devices. Such technology now allows marketers to understand a person’s entire location history — where they go and what they do every minute of the day, including what they buy in stores and online. Besides prompting privacy concerns, these and other place-based practices raise health concerns because many of the foods and beverages being marketed, such as sodas, processed snacks, and fast-food meals, are low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats. Additionally, many businesses market these items more aggressively to communities of color, which are more likely than predominantly white communities to rely on mobile devices for internet access.4 These junk foods are likely to increase disease risk or interfere with management of chronic conditions — especially in the absence of healthier food and beverage options. Meanwhile, communities of color have been the hardest hit by the current epidemic of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.5 Place-based marketing is just one of several ways that companies engage in target marketing, the practice of using tailored approaches to sell products to specific individuals and communities. What is target marketing? Target marketing applies the “marketing mix” principles: product, price, place, and promotion. The “4 Ps” model is foundational to today’s digital marketplace and is widely adopted by both marketing practitioners and academics. Some business experts also add other Ps, such as “personalization,” to the mix. The targeted marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to communities of color is common across all four marketing mix categories, as companies have designed: products especially for communities of color; prices designed to appeal to specific income groups, such as “value menus” targeting low-income neighborhoods, as communities of color are disproportionately represented within them; places that are saturated with unhealthy food products, due to zoning in certain communities that allows concentrations of fast-food restaurants or proliferation of outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and sugary beverages6; and promotions that exploit cultural images, symbolism, and language that are recognizable to communities of color to sell products or build brand loyalty. In this brief, we explain how the marketing mix principle of “place” works and why targeting foods and drinks high in sugars, salt, and fats to communities of color contributes to health inequities. Where products are sold and consumed Of the traditional 4 Ps, “place” is the marketing principle that is perhaps the most debated in terms of its relevance in today’s marketplace. That’s because place is becoming more and more virtual — experienced on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. In a blog about the 4 Ps, Eduardo Conrado, chief marketing officer for Motorola, wrote that business owners should focus on access instead of place. “Many organizations are moving their business model from ownership to ‘access to,'” he said. “Nowadays, many businesses operate around always-on, high-speed internet access.”7 A screenshot of Burger King’s “Whopper Detour” geolocation promotion. Cleveland-based marketing firm Purely Branded offers the following explanation of place: “Often you will hear marketers saying that marketing is about putting the right product, at the right price, at the right place, at the right time. It’s critical, then, to evaluate what the ideal locations are to convert potential clients into actual clients. Today, even in situations where the actual transaction doesn’t happen on the web, the initial place potential clients are engaged and converted is online.”8 New advances in digital marketing, including geotargeting that allows marketers to track and target consumers and gather demographic characteristics, are likely to disproportionately impact youth of color, as they are more likely to use smartphones and other mobile technology than white youth. Just as the 4 Ps wo... --- ## Product: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/product-the-4-ps-of-marketing-selling-junk-food-to-communities-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 1928 > What do Pepsi Limón, Doritos Salsa Verde, and Tapatío hot sauce-flavored Fritos all have in common? The food and beverage industry created these unhealthy products to attract Latinx consumers.1,2 Companies... What do Pepsi Limón, Doritos Salsa Verde, and Tapatío hot sauce-flavored Fritos all have in common? The food and beverage industry created these unhealthy products to attract Latinx consumers.1,2 Companies like PepsiCo develop products that are specifically designed to entice people of color — and this practice is nothing new. For example, in the 1990s, McDonald’s developed products aimed at Latinx communities called the “Fiesta Menu,” which included guacamole and beef tortas.3 Many food and beverage products promoted and sold to communities of color, such as sodas, processed snacks, and fast-food meals, are low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats.4 These junk foods can increase disease risk or interfere with management of chronic conditions — especially in the absence of healthier food and beverage options. Meanwhile, communities of color have been the hardest hit by the current epidemic of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.5 Although food and beverage companies market junk foods heavily through advertisements and social media promotions, the product being marketed is itself a form of marketing.6 Product development is just one of several ways that companies engage in target marketing,6 the practice of using tailored approaches to sell products to specific groups, such as communities of color. While there are benefits to food and beverage companies being inclusive with the products they offer and appealing to many cultures and ethnicities, doing so becomes a problem when such products are unhealthy. What is target marketing? Target marketing applies the “marketing mix” principles: product, price, place, and promotion. The “4 Ps” model is foundational to today’s digital marketplace and is widely adopted by both marketing practitioners and academics. Some business experts also add other Ps, such as “personalization,” to the mix. The targeted marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to communities of color is common across all four marketing mix categories, as companies have designed: products especially for communities of color; prices designed to appeal to specific income groups, such as “value menus” targeting low-income neighborhoods, as communities of color are disproportionately represented within them; places that are saturated with unhealthy food products, due to zoning in certain communities that allows concentrations of fast-food restaurants or proliferation of outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and sugary beverages7; and promotions that exploit cultural images, symbolism, and language that are recognizable to communities of color to sell products or build brand loyalty. In this brief, we explain how the marketing mix principle of “product” works and why targeting foods and drinks high in sugars, salt, and fats to communities of color contributes to health inequities. Special flavors and designs In a 2014 list compiled by business2community.com, of the top six brands that succeeded at understanding Hispanic marketing, McDonald’s ranked first. According to the business website, McDonald’s had recently been named Marketer of the Year by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, citing the fast-food chain’s “commitment to leading with ethnic insights, consistent focus on Latino research and business practices, and budgeting of multi-cultural business strategies.”8 A screenshot of McDonald’s jalapeño double burger advertisement. The image used to promote the article featured an ad for the “Nueva Jalapeño Double Latin American-issima!,” a special jalapeño-loaded double cheeseburger. While the article highlighted the strategic use of the marketing mix to reach Latinx consumers and other communities of color, it was “product” that best illustrated how the 4 Ps work. Junk food products that are specially designed for communities of color have been a long-standing target marketing practice, one that holds special appeal for youth and brand loyalists. For example, consider the iconic Oreo cookie. Over the course of its century-long history, variations have included the dulce de leche Oreo,9 watermelon Oreo,10 and even a rainbow Oreo, launched in support of gay pride.11 And while some junk food and beverage companies use special ingredients and flavor formulations to appeal to communities of color, others rely on packaging. In a separate brief, we discuss how Coca-Cola manufactured special Coke cans with Hispanic surnames on them and created temporary tattoos attached to those cans to target Latinx consumers. Sometimes, it’s simply a product’s name that’s directed at communities of color. In 2003, Hip Hop artist Nelly launched an energy drink named “Pimp Juice,” after one of his songs, stirring controversy among African Americans and nutrition advocates alike.12 Ethnic flavors with crossover appeal Communities of color, particularly youth within these communities, are seen as trendsetters in entertainment, fashion, and even food.13 Therefore, when companies design products f... --- ## Price: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/price-the-4-ps-of-marketing-selling-junk-food-to-communities-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 1765 > Last year, Burger King announced that it would be selling 100 chicken nuggets for $10.1 Taco Bell's Cravings Value Menu includes options such as the Beefy Fritos Burrito or the... Last year, Burger King announced that it would be selling 100 chicken nuggets for $10.1 Taco Bell’s Cravings Value Menu includes options such as the Beefy Fritos Burrito or the Cinnabon Delights 2-pack for $1.2 And when McDonald’s relaunched its Dollar Menu at the beginning of 2018, the company included cheeseburgers for $1 and Happy Meals for $3.3 The price of a product may not seem like marketing, but the low costs of these menu items are not by chance — they represent a strategic marketing tactic to attract people from low-income communities. Fast-food restaurants and the wider food and beverage industry carefully set prices to appeal to certain groups. However, many of the foods and beverages marketed to low-income communities and communities of color — and sold at low prices — such as sodas, processed snacks, and fast-food meals, are also low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats.4 These junk foods can increase risk of diet-related diseases or interfere with management of chronic conditions — especially in the absence of healthier food and beverage options. Meanwhile, communities of color have been the hardest hit by the current epidemic of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.5 Adjusting prices is just one of the many ways that companies engage in target marketing, the practice of using tailored approaches to sell products to specific groups, such as communities of color. What is target marketing? Target marketing applies the “marketing mix” principles: product, price, place, and promotion. The “4 Ps” model is foundational to today’s digital marketplace and is widely adopted by both marketing practitioners and academics. Some business experts also add other Ps, such as “personalization,” to the mix. The targeted marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to communities of color is common across all four marketing mix categories, as companies have designed: products especially for communities of color; prices designed to appeal to specific income groups, such as “value menus” targeting low-income neighborhoods, as communities of color are disproportionately represented within them; places that are saturated with unhealthy food products, due to zoning in certain communities that allows concentrations of fast-food restaurants or proliferation of outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and sugary beverages6; and promotions that exploit cultural images, symbolism, and language that are recognizable to communities of color to sell products or build brand loyalty. In this brief, we explain how the marketing mix principle of “price” works and why targeting foods and drinks high in sugars, salt, and fats to communities of color contributes to health inequities. Unhealthy foods and drinks are the best bargains In low-income neighborhoods, where communities of color are disproportionately represented, healthier foods and beverages are often priced out of reach or lose out to less expensive but less healthy options at the local grocery store — that is, if there is one. In urban and rural areas alike, there are food deserts that lack affordable grocery stores or produce markets, as well as “food swamps.” Food swamps offer an abundance of fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, and corner liquor stores where soda is cheaper than bottled water or other healthier beverages, and fresh fruit and vegetable selections are limited.7 Fast-food restaurants, with their low-cost pricing strategies that include “value menus,” also play a significant role in the spread of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases among communities of color. There is often a preponderance of fast-food establishments in these communities that capitalize on sizeable target markets and less restrictive zoning rules. And it’s no secret that fast food is largely unhealthy food, with many products high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.8 A high price to pay for low-cost food Price was among the strongest — if not the strongest — influence on food purchases, particularly among low-income consumers, according to a 2013 American Journal of Public Health study, “What ‘Price’ Means When Buying Food: Insights from a Multisite Qualitative Study with Black Americans.”9 The study showed how food price can affect caloric consumption by the types or quantities of foods purchased. “For example, people may buy relatively inexpensive snack foods and convenience foods that are high in fat and sugar. They also may feel less guilty about buying unhealthy foods if they are discounted and may eat relatively more of the products acquired at low cost or stockpiled because of quantity discounts.”9 More recently, a January 2018 report in Preventive Medicine concluded that “foods that are energy dense [high in calories] and generally considered unhealthy tend to be the most affordable. The price of food is associated with food purchasing decisions and consumption, and thus price differences between healthy and unhealthy foods are expected to be assoc... --- ## More than a message: Using strategic communication to support health & racial equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/more-than-a-message-using-strategic-communication-to-support-health-racial-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-20 Words: 64 > BMSG's head researcher, Pamela Mejia, delivered a presentation to REACH grantees to help them learn how an overall strategy and message strategy can work together to support racial and health... BMSG’s head researcher, Pamela Mejia, delivered a presentation to REACH grantees to help them learn how an overall strategy and message strategy can work together to support racial and health equity work. She also discussed the political and cultural context for messaging, the importance of selecting messengers strategically, and ways to reframe messages to focus on institutional, rather than solely individual, accountability. --- ## Exploring the role of targeted junk food marketing in childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/exploring-the-role-of-targeted-junk-food-marketing-in-childhood-obesity/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-20 Words: 96 > At the 2019 annual Childhood Obesity Conference in Anaheim, California, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman presented a poster detailing ways the food and beverage industry targets youth of color with unhealthy... At the 2019 annual Childhood Obesity Conference in Anaheim, California, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman presented a poster detailing ways the food and beverage industry targets youth of color with unhealthy products. As the poster notes, this is a health equity issue that most affects the very communities that have been hardest hit by diabetes, obesity, and other nutrition-related conditions. Check out BMSG’s PPT slide deck we created to help advocates learn more and spread the word: https://bit.ly/2Twmixm. Feel free to download and use as is or adapt for your own audience. --- ## Presentation on junk food marketing to children of color at the Nutrition Policy Institute URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/presentation-on-junk-food-marketing-to-children-of-color-at-the-nutrition-policy-institute/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-06 Words: 91 > BMSG's Lori Dorfman gave a presentation on junk food marketing to children of color at the Nutrition Policy Institute in Berkeley. In her presentation, Lori discussed the current landscape of... BMSG’s Lori Dorfman gave a presentation on junk food marketing to children of color at the Nutrition Policy Institute in Berkeley. In her presentation, Lori discussed the current landscape of junk food and sugary drink targeted marketing and shared concrete actions that families, advocates, researchers, and policymakers can take to help hold industry accountable. The slide deck that Lori presented is available for download, and we encourage advocates and others to adapt and use the presentation to help raise the visibility of targeted marketing as a health equity issue. --- ## GOTMME media advocacy planning tool URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/gotmme-media-advocacy-planning-tool/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 51 > This worksheet is designed to help media advocates plan their communication work in a strategic, coordinated manner. Using "GOTMME," a 6-step planning process, advocates can identify their policy goals, objectives,... This worksheet is designed to help media advocates plan their communication work in a strategic, coordinated manner. Using “GOTMME,” a 6-step planning process, advocates can identify their policy goals, objectives, and target audiences; craft their messages; identify their messenger(s); and evaluate their results. Download the worksheet > --- ## Media Advocacy training for California Wellness grantees in the Bay Area URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-training-for-california-wellness-grantees-in-the-bay-area/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-06 Words: 76 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow gave a training in Oakland for grantees of The California Wellness Foundation. The full-day session covered using media advocacy strategically to advance... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow gave a training in Oakland for grantees of The California Wellness Foundation. The full-day session covered using media advocacy strategically to advance policy, recognizing the news media’s role in shaping debates on community health, and developing strategic messages for advocacy campaigns. After learning about why framing matters, attendees had the chance to practice framing their issues in the context of hands-on exercises. --- ## Communicating for health equity: A conversation with San Mateo County Health System and Youth Leadership Institute URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-for-health-equity-a-conversation-with-san-mateo-county-health-system-and-youth-leadership-institute/ Type: events Modified: 2019-07-03 Words: 191 > Across California and the country, a growing number of health departments are working to uncover and combat the root causes of health inequities by focusing on social issues like education,... Across California and the country, a growing number of health departments are working to uncover and combat the root causes of health inequities by focusing on social issues like education, housing, and poverty. In 2017, San Mateo County Health System’s Health, Policy, and Planning Program was recognized by The California Endowment for their innovative efforts to advance equity. Their work includes partnering with the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), an organization dedicated to promoting policy change that makes our communities more just and equitable for young people, especially young people of color. In this webinar, BMSG’s Katherine Schaff talks to Shireen Malekafzali, Senior Manager for Policy, Planning, and Equity at San Mateo County Health System, and Eduardo “Lalo” Gonzalez, Program Manager at YLI, to learn more about their work, especially how their partnership helps them build better communication strategies for their health equity work. View the webinar recording below, listen to the audio file, or download the transcript. Want to learn more about the amazing work happening in San Mateo? Check out this case study, developed by BMSG with support from The California Endowment. --- ## Media Advocacy training for California Wellness grantees in Los Angeles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-training-for-california-wellness-grantees-in-los-angeles/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-06 Words: 56 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow gave a training in Los Angeles for grantees of The California Wellness Foundation. The full-day communication session covered using media advocacy strategically... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow gave a training in Los Angeles for grantees of The California Wellness Foundation. The full-day communication session covered using media advocacy strategically to advance policy, recognizing the news media’s role in shaping debates on community health, and developing strategic messages for advocacy campaigns. --- ## Stay on point: How to infuse your communications with an agenda to advance racial and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/stay-on-point-how-to-infuse-your-communications-with-an-agenda-to-advance-racial-and-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2019-07-03 Words: 66 > In this webinar for the National Collaborative for Health Equity, BMSG's Katherine Schaff and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas introduced participants to message framing. They also discussed the components of an effective... In this webinar for the National Collaborative for Health Equity, BMSG’s Katherine Schaff and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas introduced participants to message framing. They also discussed the components of an effective message, shared ways to ground messages in shared values, and offered insights from narrative research that suggests advocates should name race overtly in their communication about social justice. Access the webinar recording and slides. --- ## How can we connect racial and health equity with housing in news coverage? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-can-we-connect-racial-and-health-equity-with-housing-in-news-coverage/ Type: post Modified: 2019-05-29 Words: 2321 > Some Bay Area communities centuries away from meeting housing goals. Even tech workers can't afford to buy homes in San Francisco. As Bay Area's housing crisis continues, segregation grows. If... Some Bay Area communities centuries away from meeting housing goals. Even tech workers can’t afford to buy homes in San Francisco. As Bay Area’s housing crisis continues, segregation grows. If you live in the Bay Area, chances are, you’ve read a headline like one of these. And as options for affordable, quality housing become harder and harder to find across the country, similar headlines are popping up in more and more places. However, despite this groundswell of news, what’s often missing is coverage of what to do about it. Solutions are few and far between, making the housing crunch seem like an inevitable and intractable problem. When solutions do appear, they often leave out the voices, needs, and ideas of those hardest hit by the housing crisis. But we have good news — public health practitioners and their partners can change this story. In our latest report, “Equity and Health in Housing Coverage: A Preliminary News Analysis from Northern California,” we take a look at how Bay Area housing justice and public health organizations are advancing both policy and media strategies to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable homes and what comes with them: better health. Housing and racial and health equity For many of us in public health and medicine, the relationship between housing and health is clear. We treat kids with asthma but send them back to a home with mold. A dad faces high blood pressure and fatigue from a two-hour commute because his family can’t afford a home closer to work, and his kids miss his help with homework and his bedtime stories. A new mom ends up having her “home visit” on the street because her landlord evicted her so he could raise the rent. Research backs up these stories: It shows that housing is a critical social determinant of health and intersects with education, transportation, climate change, and many other issues. Housing policy is also a driver of racial inequities — the legacy of redlining and segregation undergird our modern-day racialized policies and unfair outcomes. How society situates people based on immigration status, disability status, income-level, gender, and sexuality influences access to quality, affordable homes as well, leaving housing, a key foundation for health, out of reach for many. The Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) has taken this research to the regional level and shown what this means for the Bay Area: “The recent Bay Area housing crisis poses significant threats to the health of the region’s residents and families,” notes a BARHII analysis of housing and health. “Homeless rates have jumped by at least 20-40% in some cities in recent years, and over a third of Bay Area families with young children pay more than they can afford for their housing. More than half of low-income Bay Area households live in neighborhoods at risk of or already experiencing displacement and gentrification pressures. Displacement disproportionately affects low-income households and people of color.” Leveraging policy and media strategies to create a home for everyone Creating a Bay Area where everyone can afford a quality home may seem out of reach, but Bay Area activists, public health practitioners, and some elected officials have been working to make it a reality. The Bay Area housing crisis cuts across the region and is a bigger issue than any one jurisdiction can solve on its own, which makes BARHII, the coalition of 11 Bay Area local health departments, well-poised to bring both a regional and health equity lens to addressing housing in the Bay Area. In 2017, a diverse, multisector set of partners called The Committee to House the Bay Area, or CASA, came together to develop local, regional, and state policy and funding recommendations, called the CASA Compact. To push CASA to emphasize equity and health, BARHII facilitated an equity cabinet of public health, housing justice, and tenants’ rights organizations that was funded by the San Francisco Foundation. This cabinet worked to insert equity and health into the public conversation on CASA and successfully influenced the CASA process to ensure that it included some of the priorities of renters, communities of color, and others most affected by the health impacts of the Bay Area’s housing instability. As with much policy work, keeping equity at the center is challenging, and while there is opportunity in advancing key parts of the Compact, there are also concerns about if and how the recommendations will advance equity. The opportunities for organizing — and for using media advocacy to advance housing policy that focuses on equity and health — are far from over. However, there has been a substantial amount of news coverage of CASA, which offers a chance to analyze this coverage and provide recommendations for public health practitioners in the Bay Area as well as those working on housing across the country. Housing and health in the news: Findings and recommendations As Berkeley... --- ## Equity and health in housing coverage: A preliminary news analysis from Northern California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/equity-and-health-in-housing-coverage-a-preliminary-news-analysis-from-northern-california/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 2919 > Housing impacts health in widespread, well-documented ways that affect both quality and length of life.1 As a key determinant of health, housing instability stands to widen already stark racial and... Housing impacts health in widespread, well-documented ways that affect both quality and length of life.1 As a key determinant of health, housing instability stands to widen already stark racial and health inequities. As such, a growing number of public health organizations and practitioners are seeking ways to ensure all residents have access to safe, affordable homes. While the connection between housing and health is clear, there is less research and even fewer recommendations on how public health practitioners can engage in addressing this challenging issue. This is especially true when it comes to communication, leaving public health practitioners with little guidance on how they can talk about housing strategically to support policy and systems changes that decrease racial and health inequities. Understanding how the news media frame housing policy — and whether a health frame is included — can help address this research gap and support practitioners in more effectively strengthening housing policy. That’s because news coverage provides a window into the public discourse around any issue and sets the agenda for what issues the public and policymakers think about — and how they think about them.2,3,4,5,6 News coverage also influences what solutions people support. To better understand how the housing crisis is portrayed in the news, Berkeley Media Studies Group analyzed coverage from the San Francisco Bay Area — the epicenter of the crisis — and paid special attention to how equity and health appear in the news, providing insights for housing advocates working across the country.7 Background Complex policy decisions at the local, state, and federal levels contribute to increasing housing costs, housing instability, and poor health outcomes. In response to the San Francisco Bay Area’s housing crisis, a diverse, multisector set of partners called The Committee to House the Bay Area, or CASA, created a set of local, regional, and state policy and funding recommendations, called the CASA Compact. To push CASA to emphasize equity and health, the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), a coalition of 11 Bay Area local health departments, facilitated an equity cabinet of public health and tenants’ rights organizations. The cabinet was funded by the San Francisco Foundation and worked to ensure equity and health appeared in both the CASA recommendations and news coverage. This group inserted equity and health into the public conversation about CASA and successfully influenced the CASA process to ensure that it included some of the priorities of renters, communities of color, and others most affected by the health consequences of the Bay Area’s housing instability. One of the equity cabinet’s key policy and communication strategies has been focusing on what BARHII, and now CASA, refers to as the 3Ps: protecting people from displacement, preserving existing affordable housing, and producing new affordable housing. This focus on setting and meeting concrete goals for the 3Ps kept the conversation solutions-focused and maintained many of the protection and preservation strategies championed by tenants, despite strong political pressure to weaken or remove them. Like many health equity issues, the causes and solutions to the housing crisis in the Bay Area are complicated. Even with the equity cabinet working to keep equity and health at the forefront, cabinet members and other groups have been concerned that the recommendations do not go far enough to advance equitable solutions for the communities hardest hit by the housing crisis and could lead to further displacement of communities of color from urban areas. Additionally, some smaller jurisdictions with wealthier populations have voiced concerns that the CASA Compact’s regionally focused recommendations infringe on local control and will diminish the “small-town” atmosphere by increasing density and affordable housing; this will make keeping policy and communication focused on health equity an ongoing challenge. What we did The complex CASA process makes it a unique window through which to evaluate news about housing. In BMSG’s news analysis, we wanted to know: When the CASA Compact appeared in Bay Area news coverage, how did it compare with coverage of the housing crisis more broadly? How did the 3Ps (preservation, protection, and production) appear in news coverage about CASA and about the wider housing crisis? Were equity and health part of the news conversation about CASA? What can we learn from this analysis that helps others working at the intersection of housing and health and points to future research questions? In this news analysis, we collected articles that mentioned CASA or the CASA Compact, using the Nexis database. The first article we identified was published in May 2017, and we gathered all coverage through February 15, 2019. Trained coders analyzed the articles to assess how CASA was framed in the news, who was quoted, and how i... --- ## Media advocacy training for End Hep C SF URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-training-for-end-hep-c-sf/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-06 Words: 43 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training in San Francisco for End Hep C SF in May. In this hands-on strategy session, Shaddai introduced End Hep C SF partners to... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training in San Francisco for End Hep C SF in May. In this hands-on strategy session, Shaddai introduced End Hep C SF partners to media advocacy and helped them to develop their media tactics. --- ## Lecture for health policy class at San Francisco State University URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/lecture-for-health-policy-class-at-san-francisco-state-university/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-06 Words: 47 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Katherine Schaff gave a lecture to undergraduate health education students at San Francisco State University in April. This intro to media advocacy session included an... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Katherine Schaff gave a lecture to undergraduate health education students at San Francisco State University in April. This intro to media advocacy session included an exercise for the students on generating ideas for moving conversations about health upstream, toward prevention. --- ## Advocacy and Leadership Accelerator workshop for Rise Up California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/advocacy-and-leadership-accelerator-workshop-for-rise-up-california/ Type: events Modified: 2019-09-06 Words: 71 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training in Redwood City for participants of the Advocacy and Leadership Accelerator workshop, part of the Gender Equity Initiative with Rise Up. BMSG's session... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training in Redwood City for participants of the Advocacy and Leadership Accelerator workshop, part of the Gender Equity Initiative with Rise Up. BMSG’s session focused on supporting advocates’ efforts to strategically shape media coverage around key issues impacting gender equity, so as to move their advocacy strategies forward and improve the lives of womxn and girls in communities across California. --- ## Telling a more complete story about child welfare URL: https://www.bmsg.org/telling-a-more-complete-story-about-child-welfare/ Type: post Modified: 2019-04-16 Words: 1228 > Gabriel Fernandez. Anthony Avalos. Zymere Perkins. Those are the names that immediately come to mind when I think about how the news media cover the child welfare system. All three... Gabriel Fernandez. Anthony Avalos. Zymere Perkins. Those are the names that immediately come to mind when I think about how the news media cover the child welfare system. All three were young boys of color and victims of extreme child abuse that resulted in their deaths. The media covered the details of their abuse in haunting detail, leaving images of each one seared in my mind. The same is true for stories about domestic violence. Although the issue is underreported, when journalists do cover domestic violence, high-profile cases of individual survivors, like Janay Rice or Paula Patton, often dominate headlines. And in today’s digital age, coverage sometimes even includes video footage documenting the abuse. This trend is not new. Much of our research at Berkeley Media Studies Group shows that when the media report on violence, they tend to focus on specific incidents while overlooking larger patterns and social context. But, when it comes to news about the child welfare system, our team’s latest study reveals that something else is absent from coverage: its connection to domestic violence. Child abuse occurs in up to 60 percent of households where domestic violence is identified, but you’re unlikely to learn that from reading the news. In “The Child Welfare System in U.S. News: What’s Missing?“, our researchers found that domestic violence appeared in only 12 percent of stories about the child welfare system, and most of those stories only mentioned domestic violence in passing. Only 12% of U.S. news from July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 about child welfare mentions domestic violence (n=3,522) “The news shapes how we view issues like family violence, its causes, and what we can do about it,” said BMSG Head of Research Pamela Mejia. “We can’t solve a problem that we don’t know is happening. When important aspects of issues like child abuse and domestic violence are left out of coverage, the people who create policies may be operating with limited information because they often learn about violence the same way the rest of us do — through the media.” This omission may reflect the reality that child welfare and domestic violence services historically have responded to victims separately. However, in recent years, the Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare has been building on prior efforts in many states to bridge that gap. Reflecting this and other context in news coverage is an important step toward better understanding — and preventing — family violence. “When news stories highlight programs making a difference in communities through collaborative prevention and service efforts that support the healing and resiliency of families, it’s an opportunity to educate the public about the issue — and to show that change is possible,” said Brian O’Connor, director of public education campaigns and programs at Futures Without Violence, a health and social justice nonprofit aimed at creating violence-free communities. In addition to obscuring the link between domestic violence and child abuse, BMSG’s study also found that news about the child welfare system often framed the issue from a criminal justice perspective; underlying social inequities were rarely included; and photographs accompanying coverage frequently pictured children of color as victims of abuse, while government officials, child welfare employees, and criminal justice representatives were mostly white. The good news is that solutions appeared in more than half of news coverage — an unusual finding that breaks from patterns we’ve observed in our news analyses of other forms of violence — and there are ample opportunities for improving coverage. Based on findings from our report on media coverage of the child welfare system, here are a few steps practitioners can take to strengthen the news about family violence: Write op-eds and other opinion pieces. Very few opinion pieces appeared in coverage of child welfare or its connection to domestic violence. This means practitioners have an opening to get their perspectives included through authoring op-eds and letters to the editor or by meeting with editorial boards and suggesting new angles for them. New to writing opinion pieces? Check out our tips for getting your op-ed published and writing letters to the editor. Create newsworthy story hooks for reporters. Practitioners can create news by releasing studies, giving awards, hosting or promoting community events, and finding other creative ways to attract journalists’ attention and expand the frame to focus on the context for family violence. One reason why journalists may report on child abuse and domestic violence from a criminal justice perspective is because they have access to police and court records, which show key dates for events like arraignments and trials. They may be less knowledgeable about the strategies communities are using to prevent violence — or the successes that are already happening. Developing creative news h... --- ## The child welfare system in U.S. news: What’s missing? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/child-welfare-system-news-united-states-whats-missing/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 8541 > Many of the United States’ most vulnerable children are served by the child welfare system, an integral part of how we care for children who have been hurt or neglected:... Many of the United States’ most vulnerable children are served by the child welfare system, an integral part of how we care for children who have been hurt or neglected: In 2015, more than 3.3 million children were involved in a child protective services investigation or alternative intervention in response to reports of abuse.1 Communicating effectively about the child welfare system, a complex network of public and private agencies, nonprofits, and community-based organizations, can be challenging, especially if it means talking about socially or politically fraught issues like family dynamics or funding for public services. When the child welfare system is strong, everyone benefits — not just children, but parents, families, and whole communities. One promising approach to strengthen the child welfare system is bridging the disconnect between child welfare and domestic violence services. These services have historically responded to victims separately,2 although many families who are involved in the child welfare system also experience domestic violence. In fact, in up to 60 percent of the families where domestic violence is identified, some form of co-occurring child abuse is also present,3 and, too often, that abuse has fatal consequences.4 In recent years, child welfare organizations and domestic violence programs have begun collaborating to better meet the needs of adults affected by domestic violence and children experiencing family violence. The Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare, funded by the Children’s Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health & Human Services, is leading a five-year project in sites around the country to determine best practices for how the child welfare system can better serve families experiencing domestic violence. How can practitioners highlight those approaches and make the case for implementing them at the local, state, and national level? An important first step is to understand the current discourse about child welfare and how related issues like domestic violence appear. News coverage gives us a window into that discourse: The way issues are portrayed in the news affects how the public and policymakers understand them. If news coverage doesn’t illustrate the broader environments that surround specific incidents of child abuse or neglect, it may be harder for the public and policymakers to see the impact of environments and systems, including the child welfare system. News coverage also sets the agenda for public policy debates.5-7 Journalists’ decisions about which issues to cover can raise the profile of a topic, whereas topics not covered by news media may remain outside public dialogue and policy debate.7, 8 In this study, we set out to understand the narrative about the child welfare system as it is reflected in the news. We wondered: how is the child welfare system portrayed in news coverage? Is it mentioned only when the system fails? Who is held responsible for resolving problems in the child welfare system? How, if at all, does domestic violence appear? How do issues of race and gender appear in coverage? And perhaps most importantly, what could patterns in the coverage mean for practitioners around the country working to build and maintain stronger child welfare protections that address the needs of families experiencing domestic violence? What we did We searched the Nexis database for news and opinion articles published in the top 50 circulating U.S. newspapers and The Associated Press between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Using Nexis’ subject tags, we searched for articles that only discussed the child welfare system and articles that discussed both child welfare and domestic violence. We developed a coding instrument based on our review of the existing peer-reviewed literature, as well as our previous analyses of child abuse,9 childhood trauma,10 and domestic violence11, a in the news. We also incorporated themes that emerged from our preliminary analysis of a sample of articles published in “Child Welfare in the News,” a news digest disseminated by the Child Welfare Information Gateway. After selecting a representative sample of articles, we evaluated each story to assess how the child welfare system is characterized, whether domestic violence is discussed, and how, if at all, connections between the two issues are illustrated. To better understand how the news frames issues of race and gender, we also coded images of people associated with the articles. We identified the role of the person who was pictured in the photos, as well as the race and gender of the photo subjects. Before coding the full sample, we used an iterative process and a statistical test (Krippendorff’s alpha12) to ensure that coders’ agreement was not occurring by chance. We achieved an acceptable reliability measure of >0.8 for each variable. What we found We found 3,522 articles that mentioned the child welfare s... --- ## Building relationships with editorial boards: A strategy to increase news coverage of health and social justice issues URL: https://www.bmsg.org/building-relationships-editorial-boards-strategy-to-increase-news-coverage-health-social-justice/ Type: post Modified: 2019-03-29 Words: 4426 > Fetal assault. Child abuse. Manslaughter. Those are just a few of the many charges that a woman in the United States could now face for terminating or even losing her... Fetal assault. Child abuse. Manslaughter. Those are just a few of the many charges that a woman in the United States could now face for terminating or even losing her pregnancy through miscarriage. Although a woman and fetus are connected, the rise of so-called fetal personhood — the concept that a fetus should be recognized as a completely separate entity with the status of a fully formed person — has led to a growing number of state and federal regulations that give fetuses extra legal protections while stripping them from women. These regulations will come as no surprise to the advocates who are working tirelessly to preserve a women’s reproductive freedom and support our health. But they may be surprising to the broader public because such laws typically garner little attention from mainstream news outlets. That’s why a recent eight-part series on this subject from the editorial board of The New York Times caught our attention at BMSG. It covers everything from the connection between the war on drugs and fetal rights to the trauma inflicted on children when their mothers are jailed to the disproportionate impact of feticide laws on poor women and women of color. Such in-depth coverage on any topic would be remarkable, even more so for an issue as fraught as fetal personhood. We wondered: How did this issue come to the Times’ attention, and what led to their editorial board’s decision to cover it so thoroughly? Turns out there is an important back story, one involving a months-long process and the deep expertise and steadfast work of reproductive health and justice advocates who helped make the series a reality. According to the website of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW), a nonprofit that works to protect pregnant and parenting women’s rights, health, and dignity, the coverage captures “the core issues, frameworks, and cases NAPW has worked on for more than 17 years.” To learn more about the context for the series, the process of working with editorial boards, and how other advocates can use similar strategies to shape news coverage and advance policies that support health, I talked with Lynn M. Paltrow, NAPW’s founder and executive director. Below is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. With the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade earlier this year, we saw a lot of news coverage about the right to abortion being at risk. And fetal rights, at their core, are about ending legal abortion. Can you explain how the two are linked? Those who oppose the right to abortion have looked very carefully at that Supreme Court decision and tried to find its weak places where it could be attacked. One of the core findings in Roe v. Wade is that there is no stage of development when fertilized eggs, embryos, or fetuses constitute separate constitutional persons. One of the long-term strategies of the anti-abortion movement has been to use that to create a basis for overturning Roe. Their strategy has been to try and establish in as many different places, in as many different laws, this idea that fetuses are, in fact, now being recognized as separate constitutional persons, or as “persons in the whole sense.” And now, the focus is no longer only on fetuses; the laws that they try to pass would treat fertilized eggs and embryos as completely separate entities. In other words, there would be a recognition of state power on behalf of the, quote unquote, “unborn” from the moment a woman is carrying a fertilized egg. Still, abortion is not the only right at risk. What are some of the less frequently reported restrictions that women could face when laws treat a fetus or fertilized eggs and embryos as completely distinct from, rather than still inside of, the pregnant woman? It is clear to us, based on all of the different kinds of cases National Advocates for Pregnant Women has worked on or documented, that there is no way to add fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses to the community of constitutional persons without subtracting pregnant women. If there comes a time where fertilized eggs are recognized as separate persons, it will mean that women, the people with the capacity for pregnancy, will be relegated to a separate, unequal second-class status. Virtually every single right we associate with constitutional personhood would be taken away from pregnant women — and even women who are not yet pregnant. Can you give some examples? When Angela Carder was critically ill and somebody in the hospital raised the question of whether she could be forced to have cesarean surgery to give her 25-week fetus a chance for life, the judge ordered that surgery over the objections of Angela, her Catholic parents, her husband, and all of her doctors. The surgery was ordered with the understanding that it could kill Angela Carder. They took her out of the intensive care unit. They brought her down to the surgical ward. They cut her open, and they delivered what was a nonviable fetus. The fetus survived f... --- ## Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) 2019 keynote URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/society-for-public-health-education-sophe-2019-keynote/ Type: events Modified: 2019-04-11 Words: 63 > BMSG's director Lori Dorfman and founding director Lawrence Wallack delivered the plenary at SOPHE 2019 in Salt Lake City. In their session, Dr. Dorfman and Dr. Wallack illustrated the importance... BMSG’s director Lori Dorfman and founding director Lawrence Wallack delivered the plenary at SOPHE 2019 in Salt Lake City. In their session, Dr. Dorfman and Dr. Wallack illustrated the importance of understanding existing values and beliefs related to a proposed health policy change, the strategy employed to make the change, and the benefits of articulating core messages that express shared values. --- ## Getting your op-ed published: Lessons from a media advocate URL: https://www.bmsg.org/getting-your-op-ed-published-lessons-from-a-media-advocate/ Type: post Modified: 2026-08-24 Words: 1301 > Have you ever picked up a newspaper and flipped through the opinion pages, or clicked on the opinion section of your favorite news outlet's website, and wondered how a non-journalist... Have you ever picked up a newspaper and flipped through the opinion pages, or clicked on the opinion section of your favorite news outlet’s website, and wondered how a non-journalist came to have their story published? Op-eds provide a platform for members of the public to make their voices heard. Whether you’re an advocate who wants to expand the dialogue on an issue, or an academic who sees a gap in the current conversation around your area of expertise, op-eds provide an opportunity to have your ideas and perspective amplified. These opinion pieces are a powerful tool not only for bringing public health and social justice issues to the public’s attention, but also for reaching policymakers and promoting concrete policy solutions. Yet this media advocacy strategy often goes overlooked. When we research the news here at BMSG, we always look at what percentage of stories on public health and social justice issues are news versus opinion coverage. Usually, we find that the majority of them are news articles and few are opinion pieces. This points to an important lesson for advocates: There is an opportunity to expand the frame or shift the narrative around your issue by contributing an op-ed to a newspaper or other news outlet. While getting an op-ed placed is no small feat, once you know what goes into writing and submitting one of these pieces, having your own published is within reach. A recent example comes from Michael Bakal, a former BMSG trainer, whose op-ed was published in the Sacramento Bee at the end of 2018. Michael, who previously founded a nonprofit in Guatemala, co-wrote the piece with Professor Lisa Maya Knauer, chairwoman of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Their op-ed about the tragic deaths of two young Guatemalan children who were in U.S. Border Patrol custody demonstrates how advocates can use the opinion pages to respond to high-profile news issues — and provide much-needed context and history. Here are some tips to increase your likelihood of getting an op-ed published, drawing both from Michael’s recent experience and BMSG’s experience of working with advocates around the country over the past 26 years. Consider newsworthiness. The qualities that attract a reporter to a news issue can also persuade an opinion page editor to run your piece. Your op-ed is more likely to be published if it’s timely, takes a strong stand, localizes a national story, presents new information, connects to a personal story, or relates to a meaningful anniversary or milestone. In Michael’s case, timing was critical. Responding successfully to news stories involves a combination of planning for action and serendipity. Michael and his co-author, Lisa Maya Knauer, actually tried publishing their piece twice. The first time was after learning of the death of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquín; however, it was not published, and Michael suspects that this was because they waited too long and the timeliness had diminished. “Jakelin’s death was followed a few weeks later by the death of another Guatemalan child, Felipe Gómez Alonso, in Border Patrol custody on Christmas day. It was another heartbreaking story,” said Michael, discussing the impetus for trying to get their op-ed published again. “This time, we wasted no time updating the piece, adding in a holiday peg: Christmas.” Make a compelling case. Explain what is at stake for the individuals, organizations, or communities involved. Tell stories that help to paint a vivid picture of the issue, and describe what should be done, when, and by whom to solve the problem. It also helps if you can speak from personal experience or professional authority, which may mean inviting influential individuals or organizations to submit or co-author your op-ed. Michael’s article, for example, highlighted the many threats facing families in rural Guatemala and invoked his connection to the issue: “As members of a human rights delegation organized by the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, we visited a rural hamlet of Q’eqchi subsistence farmers in Alta Verapaz — not far from Jakelin’s home town — several months ago,” Michael said. “Families there told us that they felt like prisoners in their own homes not only due to endemic poverty and racism but because transnational agribusiness, hydroelectric, and mining companies are using armed assaults and sexual violence to steal their lands.” Be persistent. Writing an op-ed and getting it placed often takes a lot of time and energy, and it can be discouraging not to see immediate results. “To get [the op-ed] published, I had to constantly follow the story as it developed, reading as many outlets as possible and making small tweaks to keep the article updated,” Michael said. “I found I had to mostly drop everything to focus on the op-ed. It took more persistence and many more hours of work than I thought it would.” Ultimately, that persistence paid off and resulted in widespread expo... --- ## The Dolores Huerta Foundation training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/the-dolores-huerta-foundation-training/ Type: events Modified: 2019-04-11 Words: 54 > If all you knew about a health justice issue that you care about was from media coverage, what would you know? What wouldn't you know? BMSG explored these and other... If all you knew about a health justice issue that you care about was from media coverage, what would you know? What wouldn’t you know? BMSG explored these and other questions as part of a training in Bakersfield for the Dolores Huerta Foundation. The session covered media advocacy and strategic message development. --- ## Health and racial equity training for the Rhode Island Department of Health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/health-and-racial-equity-training-for-the-rhode-island-department-of-health/ Type: events Modified: 2019-04-11 Words: 46 > BMSG's health equity coordinator Katherine Schaff traveled to Rhode Island in March to deliver a training in partnership with The Praxis Project for the Rhode Island Department of Health. The... BMSG’s health equity coordinator Katherine Schaff traveled to Rhode Island in March to deliver a training in partnership with The Praxis Project for the Rhode Island Department of Health. The training focused on supporting health department staff to communicate about racial and health equity. --- ## Media advocacy training in Eureka URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/media-advocacy-training-in-eureka/ Type: events Modified: 2019-04-11 Words: 49 > BMSG's Lori Dorfman and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas traveled to Eureka, California, at the end of February to give a training to the Community Building Initiative (CBI) and Intersections Initiative (II).... BMSG’s Lori Dorfman and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas traveled to Eureka, California, at the end of February to give a training to the Community Building Initiative (CBI) and Intersections Initiative (II). The participants learned media advocacy basics to help them elevate community health and safety issues in Eureka. --- ## How news coverage perpetuates harmful language about immigration URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-news-coverage-perpetuates-harmful-language-about-immigration/ Type: post Modified: 2019-02-28 Words: 1093 > A declaration of a "national emergency" at the border. A "zero tolerance policy" creating a crisis of separated and detained families and children. An attack on Deferred Action for Childhood... A declaration of a “national emergency” at the border. A “zero tolerance policy” creating a crisis of separated and detained families and children. An attack on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status for refugees. These are just a few of the immigration-related developments that have garnered widespread media coverage in recent months. The national conversation about immigrants and immigration has reached a fever pitch, with each day bringing new headlines on a wide range of issues, including calls for increased deportations and threats to sanctuary cities, a government shutdown over funding for a wall that would disrupt entire communities and ecosystems, and a policy proposal that would force people to choose between accessing vital services and naturalization. Federal policies are threatening immigrants’ dignity, security, and health, but is that the dominant narrative we see and hear in the news? Recent research published in the journal Politics, Groups, and Identities suggests it isn’t. Because news coverage provides a window into how the public and policymakers understand critical public health and social justice issues, we wanted to learn more about how immigration is portrayed by reporters. So, our researchers conducted an analysis of immigration-related articles, looking specifically at the news in four California counties with diverse political and social climates: Monterey, Sacramento, Kern, and San Diego. We found that, from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018, news coverage was largely driven by federal actions and controversies coming out of the White House. Articles rarely quoted immigrants, leaving out the voices of the people who are affected most by these issues. What surprised us most, though, was the kind of dehumanizing, derogatory language still being used to talk about immigrants. Photo courtesy of Miko Guziuk on Unsplash. For years, advocates have been calling on news outlets to stop using terms like “illegal” and “aliens” to refer to people. And there has been progress: In 2013, Race Forward’s Drop the I-Word campaign was successful in getting major news outlets, including the Associated Press, to stop using these terms in their reporting. However, in our analysis of news coverage from Monterey, Sacramento, Kern, and San Diego, we found that many articles still contained this stigmatizing language. For the most part, in the news coverage we examined, reporters weren’t using the problematic terms in their own writing, but it was still present in quotations from sources. A lot of the dehumanizing language came directly from President Trump and his administration, who consistently used terms like “aliens,” “criminal aliens,” or even “illegals” to describe immigrants (in fact, at the direction of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in July 2018, the Justice Department specifically instructed U.S. attorneys offices to only describe immigrants as “aliens”). In the summer of 2018, during the height of public outrage about family separations at the border, the Monterey County Herald (along with many other news outlets) amplified a Tweet from President Trump using the term “illegals”: “Judges run the system and illegals and traffickers know how it works. They are just using children!” Many news outlets also printed letters to the editor that used these dehumanizing terms. We wanted to know if this pattern was limited to the news coverage in the counties we had analyzed, or if it was a larger issue, so we expanded our analysis and looked at the language used in articles published in 2018 from top national newspapers. We found that on average, about 15% of articles about immigration contained derogatory, misleading, or racist terms in reference to immigrants. The New York Post, Washington Post blogs, The Washington Post, and The New York Times had the most articles with stigmatizing language about immigrants. We found the same pattern in California newspapers. Just like in the top papers nationally, around 15% of articles (14.8%, to be exact) contained stigmatizing language about immigrants. The Chico Enterprise-Record, the Monterey County Herald, and Los Angeles Daily News were the most egregious offenders. Language matters. “It’s the words and headlines used combined with the images and videos we see that perpetuate this otherizing of undocumented immigrants in our communities,” said veteran journalist and BMSG Strategic Communication Specialist Fernando Quintero. Quintero initiated a campaign to stop the use of the word “illegals” as a noun by media outlets when he served on the board of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists more than 20 years ago. “A journalist’s role is to cut through jargon and report a fair and balanced story. When reporters incorporate terms like “illegals” or “aliens” or “caravans,” they are essentially using coded language presented as government jargon designed to dehumanize and demonize immigrants,” Quintero said. “And whe... --- ## Immigration in the news: An analysis of coverage from four California counties URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/immigration-in-the-news-an-analysis-of-coverage-from-four-california-counties/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 2738 > Immigration is a central issue for racial and health equity in California. Community leaders from across the state have expressed their commitment to changing narratives around immigration and immigrant communities... Immigration is a central issue for racial and health equity in California. Community leaders from across the state have expressed their commitment to changing narratives around immigration and immigrant communities as part of their broader advocacy and racial justice work. The hostile political climate facing immigrants in many parts of California means that communicating strategically and centering equity in those narratives is both challenging and urgent. Understanding the current narrative around immigration as it is reflected in news coverage can reveal gaps in the story about immigration and provide direction for strategic communication. Berkeley Media Studies Group explored how a broad range of immigration issues appear in news coverage from four counties: Monterey, Sacramento, Kern, and San Diego. These counties represent a diverse set of circumstances and regions, including border communities, the Central Valley, and the state Capitol. Advocates working in these locations aim to build public awareness of the social and environmental dimensions of health — including health and racial equity — to mobilize advocacy for structural and policy changes in their counties. In this report, we summarize our analysis and provide an overview of how immigration is being framed by local media in the four counties, including the challenges, limitations, and opportunities the portrayals present for changing the narrative. What we did We searched the Lexis-Nexis database for news and opinion articles discussing immigration published between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018 in newspapers representing media markets from the four counties. We analyzed the topics in the coverage and the language used. We also hand-coded a sample of articles to identify who was quoted in the news about immigration and whether the voices and perspectives of immigrants appeared. What we found From September 1, 2017 through August 31, 2018, we found 2,519 articles about immigration published from outlets in the four counties. San Diego County had by far the most news coverage about immigration (1,347 articles), with The San Diego Union-Tribune, the main newspaper for the region, covering the issue extensively. Sacramento County (580 articles) and Monterey County (499 articles) also had substantial coverage, while news coverage in Kern County was less frequent (93 articles). Federal immigration issues dominated California coverage. The news narrative about immigration was largely driven by policy actions and communication at the federal level, with more than two-thirds of articles referencing President Trump or his administration. * Articles could include more than one topic. Of the Trump administration policies discussed, there was substantial coverage of disputes over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA (20% of news articles), the proposed “border wall” (15%), and the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy and ensuing family separation crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border (13% of articles). There was also some coverage of the Trump administration’s so-called “travel ban” or “Muslim ban” (3% of articles) and its moves to restrict the Temporary Protected Status program (1%). State and local sanctuary policies garnered substantial coverage. News from the four counties sometimes discussed California- and county-specific immigration issues, although these were largely in reaction to federal policies. In the fall of 2017, for example, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 54, which turned California into a sanctuary state to counter expanded deportation orders from the Trump administration. Coverage of the bill accounted for nearly a quarter of news articles about immigration in Sacramento County, home to the state Capitol. Overall, coverage of state and local sanctuary policies accounted for 17% of news articles across the four counties. In San Diego County in particular, immigration coverage often focused on border-specific issues. Over half of the news coverage in San Diego discussed the U.S.-Mexico border in some way (52%), including, for example, stories about Border Patrol arrests in the area. Public health was not part of the news narrative. Though there is increasing concern about the public health impact of immigration policies, health was largely invisible in news coverage of immigration. Efforts by the California legislature to expand Medi-Cal to cover undocumented immigrants received little news attention (<1% of articles). Similarly, the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the “public charge” rule, which aims to penalize legal immigrants for using benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid (<1%), were largely absent from the coverage. In fact, the term “public health” never appeared in the coverage. Stigmatizing language about immigrants sometimes appeared. In recent years, activists have called on news outlets to stop using terms like “illegal” and “aliens” to refer to immigrants without documentatio... --- ## Local health departments addressing the social determinants of health: A national survey on the foreclosure crisis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/local-health-departments-addressing-the-social-determinants-of-health-a-national-survey-on-the-foreclosure-crisis/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 103 > The foreclosure crisis has had more than just financial consequences for families throughout the United States; it has also been linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes and has... The foreclosure crisis has had more than just financial consequences for families throughout the United States; it has also been linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes and has disproportionately harmed communities of color. What role, then, should local health departments (LHDs) play in addressing social determinants of health, such as housing? In this article for the journal Health Equity, BMSG’s Katherine Schaff and Lori Dorfman report that more than a quarter of LHDs engaged in work related to the foreclosure crisis, and 30 percent of those surveyed said that LHDs should work on this issue. Download the article > --- ## Using strategic communication to support the Oakland teachers’ strike URL: https://www.bmsg.org/using-strategic-communication-to-support-the-oakland-teachers-strike/ Type: post Modified: 2019-02-21 Words: 657 > As a BMSG employee for more than eight years, I've repeated our mantras about developing an effective message more times than I can count: Lead with values, state the problem... As a BMSG employee for more than eight years, I’ve repeated our mantras about developing an effective message more times than I can count: Lead with values, state the problem concisely, and be clear about the change you want to see. We’ve applied that rubric to communication challenges ranging from tobacco control to sexual violence prevention, but this week I had the opportunity to apply it in a whole new way: talking to my 7-year-old about picket lines. Frankie and a friend show solidarity for Oakland teachers. It all started when the Oakland Education Association announced plans to hold a strike after years of stalled negotiations with the district. My husband, a proud public school teacher, and I were committed to supporting the striking teachers and showing our solidarity with their cause, but we knew we needed to talk with our 7-year-old, whose life was going to be most directly impacted by our decision to keep her home from school to avoid crossing picket lines. We sat down with her and, almost without thinking, fell into the messaging guidelines: Lead with values: “Honey, I know we talk a lot about being fair — being fair at home, being fair at school. That’s one of the things you like best about Mr. W [her second-grade teacher] — he’s fair to everyone. Remember you told us that he makes sure that everyone at the table does the same amount on group projects, and when you do more work or do it really well, he gives you a star by your name? Well, we want to make sure that Mr. W and all the teachers get treated fairly, too.” State the problem concisely: “Right now, teachers like Mr. W aren’t getting paid the amount of money that they need to live here in Oakland. They’ve been asking and trying to work together with the district — the people in charge of money — for a long time. It just hasn’t been working. It’s not fair that they’re working so hard for kids in Oakland and can’t even afford to live here.” Be clear about the solution: “On Thursday, the teachers in Oakland are going to strike — that means not go to work — to show how important the work they do is, and that they deserve the money they’re asking for. And we can show that we think teachers are important and we want them to be treated fairly by not going in, either. When the district sees that people support teachers, they might try even harder to find a way to give them the money they deserve for all the hard work they do for you and all your friends. What do you think?” After a long moment, my daughter nodded. “We should help Mr. W and the teachers.” I have to admit, I felt pretty pleased with myself — but of course, she wasn’t finished: “I mean, teachers, should get money, because things cost money, so they need money to buy things, like at Target!” she said. “Plus, if I don’t go to school that day, we can go see The Lego Movie!” Well, you can’t win ’em all. Maybe my kid isn’t going start singing “Solidarity Forever” quite yet, but as a parent I’ve learned to take my victories where I can find them. If nothing else, this story is further evidence that strategic communication can help anyone make the case for the change they want to see — no matter how large or how small the audience. If you want to learn more about how to put messaging strategy to work in your own life, check out our media advocacy resources. --- ## Guest lecture at Dominican University on gun violence narratives in the news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/guest-lecture-at-dominican-university-on-gun-violence-narratives-in-the-news/ Type: events Modified: 2019-04-11 Words: 69 > BMSG researchers gave a guest lecture to a Dominican University class on global health issues in violence and social justice in February. As part of the session, they explored how... BMSG researchers gave a guest lecture to a Dominican University class on global health issues in violence and social justice in February. As part of the session, they explored how gun violence is framed in California news — and what’s missing from the current media narrative. If you’re interested in learning about how gun violence appears in California news coverage, check out recent research from BMSG. --- ## California Wellness Foundation training in Oakland URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/california-wellness-foundation-training-in-oakland/ Type: events Modified: 2019-04-11 Words: 33 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Fernando Quintero gave a training at the Public Health Institute for California Wellness Foundation grantees. This February session covered media advocacy 101 and strategic message... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Fernando Quintero gave a training at the Public Health Institute for California Wellness Foundation grantees. This February session covered media advocacy 101 and strategic message development. --- ## San Francisco Department of Public Health training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/san-francisco-department-of-public-health-training/ Type: events Modified: 2019-02-04 Words: 60 > BMSG's Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training for the San Francisco Department of Public Health Community Health Equity & Promotion (CHEP) program. The session focused on strategic storytelling for prevention... BMSG’s Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training for the San Francisco Department of Public Health Community Health Equity & Promotion (CHEP) program. The session focused on strategic storytelling for prevention programs, and, through the training, program leads learned how to frame to their stories in ways that show the broader context for public health. Click images to enlarge. --- ## How to make the roots of inequality more visible in the news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-to-make-the-roots-of-inequality-more-visible-in-the-news/ Type: post Modified: 2019-01-17 Words: 1841 > Think about a public health or social justice issue you feel passionate about and ask yourself: Is it on the public's radar? Does prevention seem possible? Are solutions frequently framed... Think about a public health or social justice issue you feel passionate about and ask yourself: Is it on the public’s radar? Does prevention seem possible? Are solutions frequently framed as actions that individuals must take, or is the shared responsibility of our institutions and government clear? Because news coverage affects the way the public — and policymakers — view problems and what to do about them, we at Berkeley Media Studies Group continually strive to answer these questions by studying how the media characterize health and equity issues. We then harness lessons from our research to help journalists improve their coverage and to help advocates work more closely with reporters to shed light on important issues that affect our daily lives and well-being. But the learning process isn’t a one-way street. To better understand the ever-evolving media landscape and to ensure that our recommendations are actionable in real-world situations, we regularly talk with advocates and journalists about the challenges, setbacks, and successes they’ve experienced. One of these individuals is Venise Wagner, a longtime reporter, associate professor of Journalism at San Francisco State University, and co-editor, with fellow journalist Sally Lehrman, of “Reporting Inequality: Tools and Methods for Covering Race and Ethnicity.” Forthcoming in February, the book offers strategies for journalists to go beyond conventional reporting techniques and more effectively cover the structural inequities that fuel racial and health disparities. I recently spoke with Venise to find out more about the benefits and challenges of community reporting, why newsrooms need to prioritize staff diversity, and how advocates can build stronger relationships with reporters. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. For the uninitiated, what is community reporting, and how does is it different from conventional reporting? In community reporting, reporters don’t see themselves as separate entities, or as flies on the wall, watching and seeing what is going on. Rather, they see themselves as stakeholders. Of course, they still must be careful of bias, but they understand that they have a stake in what happens in their community. There is also an attempt to really have a deep conversation with communities. Rather than just writing about the community, you’re checking in with the community to find out what their needs are and even including them in the direction of the reporting. That is, depending on what they say, that helps direct where the reporting goes. I’ve heard a lot about the idea that reporters must remain objective and can’t be advocates. Is that a problem with community reporting? Have you encountered any resistance about community reporting from journalists or your students? I don’t think you have to be an advocate to be connected to your community. You’re not advocating for any one issue — you are writing in the interest of your audience. If you really are a member of the community, then you write about what has an impact in the community in which you live. Your book, “Reporting Inequality,” discusses ways to enhance community reporting and show the roots of structural inequities. What do you hope journalists will take away from the book? Our book focuses on helping reporters write about the policy rather than the individual — to really look at the impact of policy on people’s lives that leads to disparities. BMSG always encourages reporters to incorporate a focus on systems, but, at the same time, individual stories can help draw a reader in and make abstract issues a bit more relatable. Do you have any suggestions on how journalists can strike the balance? Yes, I think you need the individual story, but you have to be careful how you tell it. First, you need to look at the system, at a policy, and then you use the individual to show the impact that a particular policy has on people’s lives. You also have to incorporate patterns and data, and then use the individual story to illustrate the impact of those patterns. It can be tricky because it’s hard for the audience not to focus on the individual, but journalists have to make sure they’re showing the bigger picture, which is why it’s very, very important to keep bringing it back to the policy. We talked about how, ideally, in community reporting, reporters would not see themselves as separate from the community. But thinking about people who might be a little harder to reach — like immigrants — do you have any thoughts on how reporters can build trust with groups who might be nervous about talking with journalists or going on the record? First of all, journalists have to give it time. They can’t just parachute into a situation. And it’s hard — journalists have to go out and get the story, and they have multiple deadlines, and the demands on their time are greater than ever before. But if they’re going to get these really important stories, they have to be spending time in... --- ## Women Against Gun Violence roundtable discussion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/women-against-gun-violence-roundtable-discussion/ Type: events Modified: 2019-02-04 Words: 77 > BMSG's Pamela Mejia traveled to Los Angeles to present at a Women Against Gun Violence roundtable on how the news media and entertainment cover gun violence in America. As part... BMSG’s Pamela Mejia traveled to Los Angeles to present at a Women Against Gun Violence roundtable on how the news media and entertainment cover gun violence in America. As part of the talk, she discussed BMSG’s work with the Hope and Heal Fund to uncover gun violence narratives in the California news. If you’re interested in learning about how gun violence appears in California news coverage, check out recent research from BMSG. --- ## CALCASA training on making the case for prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/calcasa-training-on-making-the-case-for-prevention/ Type: events Modified: 2019-02-04 Words: 72 > BMSG's Pamela Mejia and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a two-day training in Sacramento with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) to help staff from rape crisis centers across California... BMSG’s Pamela Mejia and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a two-day training in Sacramento with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) to help staff from rape crisis centers across California make the case for prevention. Over the course of the training, advocates learned the basics of overall strategy and framing and delved into the components of a message for effectively communicating about sexual violence prevention. Click photos to enlarge. --- ## Strength in vulnerability: Why advocates must make self-care a priority in 2019 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/strength-vulnerability-why-advocates-must-make-self-care-priority-2019/ Type: post Modified: 2018-12-20 Words: 416 > To say it's been a challenging year for advocates would be a huge understatement. The almost daily barrage of outrageous social and political events has been overwhelming and paralyzing for... To say it’s been a challenging year for advocates would be a huge understatement. The almost daily barrage of outrageous social and political events has been overwhelming and paralyzing for many of us. But as another insufferable year marked by tyranny, gun violence, and other ills comes to close, it is optimism, not outrage, that inspires this writing. What has sparked such hopefulness? First, the record-setting number of people who voted in this year’s midterm elections. Second — and more importantly — is the inspiration that has come from working with advocates and their supporters who exemplify humanity at its best. At BMSG, we’re fortunate enough not only to provide strategic communication trainings to advocates and share our research with them, but also to learn from them. Perhaps the most invaluable lesson we take from advocates is the true power of resilience. In addition to working with advocates on a wide variety of public health issues, we also attend many convenings with them. Over the past year, a number of these events have featured healing circles that aim to help advocates working on the ground cope with the tremendous emotional and physical toll the work they’re so dedicated to takes on them. For proof, one need look no further than the untimely death of Ferguson activist Bassem Masri, who was found unconscious and unresponsive on a bus in suburban St. Louis last month. He was 31. Masri was among the group of protesters that organized marches following the August 2014 police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. He joins a growing list of activists who have recently passed away — a tragic reminder of the toll racism and other societal troubles take on our health. Many of these issues have only gotten worse and, in some cases, are fueled by the current administration. At these healing circles, leaders from indigenous communities and others have summoned the resilience and wisdom of our ancestors and Mother Nature herself to help guide and protect us as we march forward. The fellowship and emphasis on mutuality as well as self-care at these gatherings have had a transformative effect: I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about toughing it out. It’s about being vulnerable enough to seek out the help we need to feel nourished and keep us going. As we head into a new year, that’s a lesson we all could benefit from. --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2018 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-of-2018/ Type: post Modified: 2018-12-13 Words: 1710 > Research has found that reading too much news can fuel stress, anxiety, and depression. It can make us feel tired and cause us to lose sleep. Studies even suggest that... Research has found that reading too much news can fuel stress, anxiety, and depression. It can make us feel tired and cause us to lose sleep. Studies even suggest that viewing traumatic images can trigger PTSD-like symptoms. Given the amount of outrageous and emotionally charged news this year — and the breakneck speed at which it has been reported — it should be no surprise that 2018 has left many of us on edge. But as I reflect on some of the major issues and events that dominated the news cycle over the past 12 months — mass shootings, data privacy scandals, ongoing sexual harassment and assault — I realize there is an upside. If you know what to look for and where to look, the news can be more than just a source of frustration; it can also be one of inspiration, comfort, and courage. At BMSG, it’s our job to monitor and study the news. When I scan headlines each morning, although I still have plenty of “you’ve got to be kidding!” moments or “nothing should shock me anymore” reactions, I also often find myself thinking, “What a fresh perspective!” or wondering, “How can I get involved?” Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious, but the news is peppered with novel approaches to well-worn subjects and new solutions to old problems. They come from advocates, young people, parents, physicians — a range of individuals who all have one thing in common: They are using the power of their voices — and the power of the media — to create change. Each year at BMSG, we collect and share memorable media bites that help us to better imagine the type of world we want to live in, set goals for getting there, and motivate us to act. Here are 10 of our favorites from 2018, organized by topic: Equity “It’s a recipe for a sick society, literally. Without preventative care, sick kids become sick adults.” -Hospital social worker Rebecca Ribiero, speaking about threats to CHIP and the real-life consequences of not having medical coverage for children. Appeared Jan. 11, 2018 in The New York Times. Why we like it: Several bodies of science show that what happens to us during our childhood years stays with us, often with harmful health consequences throughout our lives. Yet, that science can be difficult to distill for broader audiences. Here, the concept comes through loud and clear without any jargon. Additionally, the recipe analogy offers a powerful way to show that these outcomes are expected (because they were baked in from the beginning) and changeable (because we can remake the recipe). “Men get attacked for their opinions, and women get attacked because they have opinions.” -Liz Plank, a senior producer, correspondent, and host at Vox. Appeared July 3, 2018 in Forbes. Why we like it: At BMSG, we often tell advocates that who speaks matters as much as what’s said. Although we typically say that to help people figure out what messengers will resonate the most with their audience, this quote illustrates that sexism can have a chilling effect on who feels safe enough to speak out in the first place. Women in journalism are at a higher risk of online abuse and even threats of physical violence compared to their male colleagues. This media bite highlights that double standard, which is dangerous both for women’s emotional and physical safety and for our careers, as we are already underrepresented in the news media. Violence “Do you have any idea how many bullets I pull out of dead bodies weekly? This isn’t just my lane. It’s my f-ing highway.” -Dr. Julie Melinek, a pathologist, tweeting in response to the NRA saying, “Someone should tell those self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane.” Appeared November 13, 2018 in the San Francisco Chronicle. Why we like it: This bold statement went viral following the National Rifle Association’s attempt to silence doctors in the conversation about gun violence prevention. Using hashtags like #ThisIsMyLane and #ThisIsOurLane, it, along with a chorus of other tweets and images from medical professionals, brings the firsthand perspectives of emergency room doctors and nurses into prevention efforts in a very public way, adding credibility and urgency to the movement to end gun violence. “We are survivors not only of gun violence, but of silence. We are survivors of the erratic productions of poverty. But not only that. We are the survivors of unjust policies and practices upheld by our Senate.” -D’Angelo McDade, a high-school senior and activist from Chicago. Appeared March 27, 2018 in The Nation. Why we like it: Pulling back the lens to reveal the connections among root causes, legislation, and gun violence can be challenging even for the most seasoned spokespeople. Leading with a powerful juxtaposition between violence and silence, this youth advocate pulls it off beautifully. “People say it’s too early to talk about [gun violence]. If you ask me, it’s way too late.” -Cameron Kasky, a high school student at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida. Appeared Feb. 16, 2018 in The N... --- ## APHA 2018 Annual Meeting and Expo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/apha-2018-annual-meeting-and-expo/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 133 > This year at APHA, BMSG is presenting research on a range of topics, from violence prevention to the child welfare system to racial equity in the news. The theme of... This year at APHA, BMSG is presenting research on a range of topics, from violence prevention to the child welfare system to racial equity in the news. The theme of this year’s conference, “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now,” reflects a value that is deeply rooted in the work we do here at BMSG. Whether we are looking at media narratives around gun violence so that advocates can be better equipped to communicate about prevention, or addressing gender inequity in health care through the lens of nurses’ representation in the news, the research we’re sharing at APHA all comes back to equity. You can read more about all of our APHA 2018 sessions on the BMSG blog: http://bmsg.org/blog/join-bmsg-apha-2018. --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2018 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-apha-2018/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1559 > Are you heading to San Diego for the American Public Health Association's annual meeting this month? BMSG will be there, too, and we will be presenting our research on a... Are you heading to San Diego for the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting this month? BMSG will be there, too, and we will be presenting our research on a range of topics, from violence prevention to the child welfare system to racial equity in the news. The theme of this year’s conference, “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now,” reflects a value that is deeply rooted in the work we do here at BMSG. Our commitment to health equity runs through all our projects because we know that improvements in health stem from improvements in social conditions — such as access to affordable housing, healthy food, quality early care and education, and safe neighborhoods — rather than changes in individual behaviors. Whether we are looking at media narratives around gun violence so that advocates can be better equipped to communicate about prevention, or addressing gender inequity in health care through the lens of nurses’ representation in the news, the research we’re presenting at APHA this year all comes back to equity. You can find more details on our sessions below and browse other presentations from our parent organization, the Public Health Institute, at https://www.phiapha.org/. You can also view the full APHA program online. We hope to see you there! BMSG’s 2018 APHA sessions Communicating the message: How to discuss gun violence prevention with the community, the media, and policymakers Monday, Nov. 10 at 8:30 a.m. Communication strategies and language are critical elements of moving toward policy that can help prevent firearm violence. This presentation will focus on effectively communicating with people who have varying opinions and beliefs about gun violence prevention, from gun owners who aim to decrease restrictions on access to firearms, to advocates who seek to eliminate guns in the home, to policymakers who are faced with the debate over firearms on a regular basis. In this panel presentation, we will discuss the importance of using stories to illustrate the data, identify the core features of an effective, but brief, story, and explore the ways in which stories influence policy and advocacy. Bridging the gap: Findings from an analysis of news about the child welfare system and domestic violence Monday, Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m. Many families involved in the child welfare system experience domestic violence, so efforts to coordinate child welfare and domestic violence services are critical. Futures Without Violence is leading a five-year project to pilot approaches that will help the child welfare system better serve families experiencing domestic violence. To better understand the public discourse around these issues, BMSG researchers analyzed U.S. news and wire stories for portrayals of child welfare issues, domestic violence, and frames around accountability and community action. We found that the news rarely illustrated the connections between child welfare and domestic violence issues; overwhelmingly depicted the child welfare system as failing, struggling, or overwhelmed; and rarely included success stories or solutions. We know promising practices exist, and highlighting them is an important step in educating the public and policymakers to focus on improving the system. In this oral presentation, we will discuss opportunities and recommendations for practitioners and researchers to shift the public conversation around the intersections between domestic violence and the child welfare system, in light of the gaps and opportunities that our analysis revealed. Twenty years of nurses in the news: Findings from an updated analysis of health care coverage Monday, Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m. Engaging the public in conversations around the quality and safety of health care is crucial for improving the delivery of care. How journalists cover the factors that can undermine or support high-quality, safe patient care can put relevant issues on the public’s agenda and help hold health care professionals and systems accountable. Unfortunately, nurses’ perspectives are largely absent from the media conversation about health care. A landmark study from 1997 found that nurses were rarely cited as sources in health news stories. Twenty years later, in collaboration with researchers from the George Washington University School of Nursing’s Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement, we replicated this study and discovered that little has changed in the news media’s representation of nurses and the nursing profession. Additionally, among speakers overall, there was a large gender gap: Men were quoted roughly twice as often as women in the health care articles in our sample. Nurses also rarely appeared in the photographs and illustrations in our sample. Instead, male physicians and CEOs were frequently represented. In this poster session, we will share our findings and discuss opportunities and recommendations for nurses, journalists, communication directors, health care executives, and others to elev... --- ## What’s in a frame? Framing and effectively communicating about sexual violence in Missouri URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/whats-in-a-frame-framing-and-effectively-communicating-about-sexual-violence-in-missouri/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 52 > The BMSG team gave a training in Columbia, Missouri, to help educators, advocates, law enforcement, and others communicate more effectively about sexual violence prevention. Thanks to Missouri Partners in Prevention,... The BMSG team gave a training in Columbia, Missouri, to help educators, advocates, law enforcement, and others communicate more effectively about sexual violence prevention. Thanks to Missouri Partners in Prevention, the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services for making the event possible. --- ## Improving media coverage of violence: What journalists want advocates to know URL: https://www.bmsg.org/improving-media-coverage-of-violence-what-journalists-want-advocates-to-know/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1725 > If we want to prevent violence, policymakers and the public at large must understand its root causes and the social context in which it occurs. After all, we can't address... If we want to prevent violence, policymakers and the public at large must understand its root causes and the social context in which it occurs. After all, we can’t address a problem if we don’t entirely understand it. Yet, as research conducted by Berkeley Media Studies Group has shown, news coverage of violence provides a distorted view of the issue. It tends to focus more on individual acts than on the many social factors that lead to violence. It also overreports rare tragedies and extreme events like mass shootings while underreporting more common types of violence, like suicide, domestic violence, and street-level violence. What’s more, shrinking newsroom budgets and tight deadlines in today’s always-on media environment make it increasingly challenging for journalists to tell broader stories about violence that include social factors such as poverty, disinvestment, or trauma. That’s why advocates must build relationships with reporters and help them include more of the social context for violence in their stories. What, then, can advocates do to become trusted sources and, ultimately, bring prevention to the fore? As it turns out, a lot. A new BMSG toolkit, “Changing the Discourse About Violence,” can help advocates refine their communication strategies and leverage the power of the media to reframe violence. Additionally, BMSG sat down with several experienced journalists to ask what it would it take to bring public health and social justice perspectives into their coverage of violence. Here are five lessons that we learned: 1: Know how to deliver an effective story pitch The reporters we spoke to told us that an effective pitch can make all the difference between whether or not a story gets coverage. “If you see a well-written press release or a well-written email, I’m much more likely to pick up on that story, especially if that email mentions sources I can interview,” said Mercury News reporter Tammerlin Drummond. An effective pitch should be concise — no more than a few paragraphs in an email — and it should answer a few basic questions, such as: “What’s the story?” and “Who can be interviewed for it?” But getting a journalist excited about your story idea is not a guarantee that it will make the news the next day. It also depends on whether the journalist is able to successfully pitch the story to their editor. With this in mind, advocates should consider what makes their story newsworthy. Drummond noted that, as a reporter, she has to consider whether her editor will say, “This is a snooze fest.” Drummond advised advocates that when pitching stories to a reporter, they should be prepared to answer the question, “Why cover this story now?” If you can successfully make the case that your issue is timely and connected to current events, you’ll increase the chances that your story gets selected for the news. 2: Use email wisely For the majority of journalists (92 percent, according to one study), email is the preferred means of receiving a pitch from a source. Your email should be short, respectful, and to the point. It also needs to be directed to the right person. Knowing who to pitch your story to requires an understanding of the media landscape. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan told us that advocates “have to know who the key person [is] covering a particular issue.” Read your local newspaper and listen to or watch your local TV or radio news to see who’s covering violence and related community issues. Pay attention to what angles particular journalists take with their stories. What do they tend to prioritize? When you find a journalist whose perspective aligns with the story you are trying to tell — or if you see the potential for alignment — that’s a good person to pitch your story to. Rather than trying to pitch your story to the editor of a particular section of the news, Fagan recommended going directly to the journalist covering that beat. “Editors are bombarded,” Fagan said. 3: Know what resources reporters want When pitching stories to journalists, advocates should “have their package together,” Drummond said. Journalists want advocates to know they operate on tight timelines — they may have as little as three to four hours to pull together a story. By providing them with the key resources they need, the odds of your pitch being successful will be higher. While there are no standard requirements for what such a “package” should contain, here are some ideas for resources you may wish to have at your fingertips: If your organization plans to hold a news conference or other press event, make sure you have a media advisory and a news release ready to circulate in advance. A media advisory is a brief alert to journalists of an upcoming press event; it informs them of the time, date, location, and other logistics and provides a brief summary of the event. A news release provides more detailed information for reporters and may include quotes from spokespeople, context about the sto... --- ## Changing the discourse about violence: A strategic communication toolkit URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/changing-discourse-about-violence-strategic-communication-toolkit/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 94 > To end violence, we need to invest in the communities most affected by violence and the solutions that we know are effective. Doing that requires changing the way policymakers and... To end violence, we need to invest in the communities most affected by violence and the solutions that we know are effective. Doing that requires changing the way policymakers and the public think, talk, and write about violence. BMSG developed this toolkit to help practitioners, advocates, residents, and others frame violence from a community perspective and harness the power of the media to achieve change. This toolkit is designed to allow organizations involved in all aspects of violence prevention — regardless of experience and organizational capacity — to strengthen their strategic communication. Download the toolkit > --- ## How typical news narratives undermine the public’s health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/how-typical-news-narratives-undermine-the-publics-health/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 127 > Research shows that in the U.S. most people think that individuals are masters of their own destiny. These values extend to people's perceptions about health: Their gut-level assumption — the... Research shows that in the U.S. most people think that individuals are masters of their own destiny. These values extend to people’s perceptions about health: Their gut-level assumption — the default frame — is that individuals can control their own health outcomes if they make the right choices. The problem with the default frame is that it hides the influence of the places where people live, work, learn, and play. To understand health, especially at the population level, the conditions surrounding individuals need to be part of the story. In this public lecture at the University of Washington, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discussed how public health struggles with — and sometimes wins — this framing battle across different public health issues, from tobacco to soda to violence. --- ## 8 ways to communicate strategically about proposed federal immigration rule changes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/immigration-public-charge-strategic-communication-tips/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1944 > When the Department of Homeland Security released a proposal this month that would deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits, it sent waves of concern — and mobilization... When the Department of Homeland Security released a proposal this month that would deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits, it sent waves of concern — and mobilization — throughout immigrant communities, public health organizations, and other social service providers. At BMSG, with our mission rooted in the values of public health and social justice, we, too, are deeply disturbed by the far-reaching health impacts and repercussions on future citizenship applications that could result from expanding the so-called “public charge” rule. Investing in the health of our communities, including our immigrant families, reaps benefits for everyone. But the current administration’s “us versus them” rhetoric around immigration undermines the importance of our interconnection and our country’s cultural diversity. Although the federal government must go through several more steps to finalize the rule, which means there are opportunities to intervene, it has already created fear. There are mounting reports of immigrant families and children dropping out of legally available health, food, and housing supportive services, all of which will impact health outcomes. Public health practitioners and many others across the country are speaking out against this proposed change in op-eds, letters to the editors, social media posts, and news stories. To support these efforts, we worked with Public Health Awakened to create an easy way for advocates to submit tailored comments to the Federal Register — make sure to comment before December 10! We also developed some messaging tips to help advocates communicate effectively about the proposed federal changes and frame the issue in ways that further public health and social justice goals. What is the public charge test? Before developing talking points for the proposed expansion of the public charge regulation, it’s important to understand what it is. Part of federal immigration law for more than a hundred years, the public charge test was designed to identify people who may use specific government programs and services that support health and well-being; until now, those programs have meant long-term nursing home care or cash-based assistance. Using the public charge test, the government can deny a person admission to the U.S. or deny lawful permanent residence (or green card status). To deter people who are seeking to immigrate into or remain in the U.S., the current administration seeks to expand the public charge test so that it includes additional and essential health, nutrition, and housing programs. This has already created fear among immigrants and is having a chilling effect by discouraging people from using services they are legally allowed to access. As important context, the history of the public charge test is an ugly one of discrimination. It was developed in 1882, the same year the Chinese Exclusion Act was created. Later, it was used to prevent Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany from entering the U.S. It also has been used to prevent people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, immigrants, and unmarried women from entering the U.S. The proposed expansion threatens evidence-based programs with proven track records of success in improving health. The result: a sicker, hungrier, poorer nation. Here are some tips and resources on the best ways to communicate about the proposed rule change: 1. Lead with your own frame, not your opposition’s. When we focus on rebuttals, we often inadvertently repeat — and reinforce — our opposition’s argument. Maintain your own voice and perspective, reframe the issue, speak about why it matters to you, and explain what you envision as the solution. For example, if we say, “Actually, data show that immigrants are not a drain and burden on our system and use fewer services than others in America,” we have already primed people to think about immigrants as burdens and as “others.” Instead, we can say, “Immigrants make enormous contributions to our economy, culture, and communities and use fewer services than others in America.” Then, quickly move on to show what the proposed change will mean: children and families not accessing essential services and, ultimately, poorer public health for our communities. Additionally, the archaic term “public charge” itself is problematic, as it presents the frame of immigrants as an expense to the public. If you reference the public charge test, we recommend using language such as “the proposed public charge expansion,” rather than language that describes people as “public charges,” which is dehumanizing. Based on advice from immigrant rights’ groups, we recommend using it once to clarify which rule you are discussing, and then moving on from using the term. 2. Avoid the good/bad immigrant trap. People come to the United States in many ways, under many circumstances, and for many reasons. However, we still see people communicating about the public charge test in a way that falls into the “good/b... --- ## Using media advocacy to create healthy communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/using-media-advocacy-to-create-healthy-communities/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 71 > BMSG's strategic communications specialists Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Michael Bakal gave a training in San Jose, where they spent the day with Tulare County's Friday Night Live group leaders who... BMSG’s strategic communications specialists Shaddai Martinez Cuestas and Michael Bakal gave a training in San Jose, where they spent the day with Tulare County’s Friday Night Live group leaders who work with young people on tobacco prevention. In this “train the trainer” session, Friday Night Live leaders learned the basics of media advocacy and framing, and practiced developing powerful messages as well as message delivery. --- ## ACEs conference 2018 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/aces-conference-2018/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 65 > BMSG's senior media researcher, Laura Nixon, attended at this year's ACEs conference in San Francisco, where she presented BMSG's poster, "Talking About Trauma: Equipping the Field with the Language and... BMSG’s senior media researcher, Laura Nixon, attended at this year’s ACEs conference in San Francisco, where she presented BMSG’s poster, “Talking About Trauma: Equipping the Field with the Language and Skills for Communicating About Childhood Trauma.” View the poster below, and see more of our research on adverse childhood experiences at https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications. --- ## What can we learn from media coverage of trauma and family separation? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-coverage-trauma-family-separation-what-can-we-learn/ Type: post Modified: 2026-08-24 Words: 1615 > "It's moments like these that we have to look in the mirror and ask, who are we as a country?" - California Senator Kamala Harris This summer, Americans confronted a... “It’s moments like these that we have to look in the mirror and ask, who are we as a country?” – California Senator Kamala Harris This summer, Americans confronted a moral crisis as they learned about the surge in families who are being separated and detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. In April, the Trump administration implemented a “zero tolerance policy” that treated parents arriving at the border with their children as criminals, detaining their children separately before prosecuting the parents.1 Children ripped away from their families were placed in shelters with inhumane conditions: Shelter staff were not permitted to comfort or console crying children; some were being drugged without parental consent; and despite public outcry, government officials admitted they had no plan for reuniting children with their parents. Visuals of kids sleeping in cages and on floors with foil blankets and heartbreaking audio clips of separated children crying for their parents went viral and sparked intense negative reactions and around-the-clock discussions on traditional and social media. And just this past Saturday, the Trump administration announced that it is considering a new family separation policy to deter migrants from coming to the U.S. At the center of this public outrage is trauma: The physical, mental, and emotional health of hundreds of families and their children are being harmed. Experts and advocates for children’s health and immigrant rights have spoken out against the separation and detention of these families. “[These] children are essentially living their worst nightmare,” Wendy Cervantes of the Center for Law and Social Policy told Newsweek. “A kid’s worst nightmare is the boogeyman coming in the middle of the night and taking away their parents. That’s what’s happening.” The American Academy of Pediatrics even released a policy statement for the protection of immigrant and refugee children’s health and well-being, urging that they be treated with dignity, respect, and the appropriate care. “We are hearing reports about children who have been detained, even for a short time, who are showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems,” said Marsha Griffin, MD, a co-author of the policy statement. From a previous Berkeley Media Studies Group news analysis, we know that childhood trauma is rarely discussed in the news. But has it appeared more often in the midst of this intense, nationwide focus on family separations? We wanted to know, what does the coverage of trauma and family separation and detainment look like? And what lessons can advocates and journalists learn from how trauma is discussed in news coverage of family separation? What we did Using Media Cloud, an open-source archive of print and online news publications, we collected articles published in major mainstream and online news outlets from September 1, 2017 to September 1, 2018. We searched for and examined articles that discussed family separation and those that also mentioned “trauma,” “toxic stress,” or “adverse childhood experiences.” What we found Before April 2018, there was minimal coverage about childhood trauma and family separation: Between September 2017 and March 2018, an average of three articles per month were published that discussed both childhood trauma and family separation. Then, in April, The New York Times published an article with new revelations that hundreds of children had been separated from their parents, sparking public outrage and high levels of media coverage. From April to September 2018, the average number of articles that discussed both childhood trauma and family separation skyrocketed to 130 per month, increasing nearly fortyfold. The coverage about family separation and childhood trauma peaked at 482 articles published in June alone. Overall, we found 13,703 articles about family separation. Of these, only about 5% mentioned trauma2 (n=675). While explicit discussions of trauma only came up in a small portion of the news about family separations and detentions, compared to everyday coverage about childhood trauma, this represented a notable spike. This coverage was not only notable because of its overall volume but because it featured a wide range of perspectives, unlike most coverage about childhood trauma, which tends to quote mostly health care representatives. Reporters sought perspectives from child health and welfare experts and advocates to describe the trauma caused by family separation and its long-term effects on children’s health. For example, a New York Times article cited a statement in which heads of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child Welfare League of America, along with other advocates, strongly urged the homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, not to break up families: “Separation from family leaves children more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, no matter what the care setting. In addition, traumatic separatio... --- ## SOPHE Annual Advocacy Summit URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/sophe-annual-advocacy-summit/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 77 > BMSG's head of research, Pamela Mejia, attended the SOPHE Annual Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., where she shared findings from our analysis of how the media cover different types of... BMSG’s head of research, Pamela Mejia, attended the SOPHE Annual Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., where she shared findings from our analysis of how the media cover different types of gun violence, as well as possible opportunities to reframe the narrative around gun violence to include broader environmental contexts and support prevention strategies. You can read the full study here: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/gun-suicide-community-domestic-violence-news-narratives-california --- ## The Woodhull study revisited: Nurses’ representation in health news media 20 years later URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/woodhull-study-revisited-nurses-representation-health-news-media/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 6699 > Authors: Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN; Laura Nixon, MPH; Barbara Glickstein, MSN, MPH, RN; Sarah Han, BA; Kristi Westphaln, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC; Laura Carter, MPH First published: 27 September... Authors: Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN; Laura Nixon, MPH; Barbara Glickstein, MSN, MPH, RN; Sarah Han, BA; Kristi Westphaln, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC; Laura Carter, MPH First published: 27 September 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12429 Abstract Purpose To determine if nurses are represented in health news stories more frequently today than 20 years ago when Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honorary Society published The Woodhull Study on Nursing and the Media, which found that nurses were cited as sources in only 4% of the stories. Design Content analysis of health news stories for the month of September 2017 in the same publications used in the original Woodhull study. Methods Searches with Nexis and Webhose identified 2,243 articles related to health care published by the news outlets in September 2017. A random sample of 537 of these articles was obtained: 258 from seven newspapers, 127 from three weekly newsmagazines, and 152 from three health industry publications. After removing irrelevant articles or those with only passing references to health, 365 articles were reviewed and coded, using the original study’s coding schema. Findings Nurses were identified as the source of only 2% of quotes in the articles and were never sourced in stories on health policy. When quoted, nurses mainly commented on the profession itself. Nurses or the nursing profession were mentioned in 13% of the articles. Nurses were identified in 4% of photographs or other images that accompanied the articles. Conclusions Nurses remain invisible in health news media, despite their increasing levels of education, unique roles, and expertise. Clinical relevance Nurses’ clinical expertise is accompanied by unique perspectives on health, illness, and health care; but the public is not benefiting from the wisdom and insight that nurses can provide in health news stories. Article full text In 1998, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Nursing Honorary Society published The Woodhull Study on Nursing and the Media: Health Care’s Invisible Partner (STTI, 1997), examining nurses representation as sources in health news stories in leading print publications of the day. The study found that nurses were identified as sources in only 4% of quotations and other sourcing. Nurses were invisible in public news media. Thirteen years later, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) report on The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (IOM, 2011) brought attention to the importance of nurses in transforming health care and improving the health of the public. The Campaign for Action was launched at the same time to generate strategies for ensuring movement on implementation of the report’s recommendations. Progress has already been documented on improving the education of nurses, removing barriers to full practice authority by advanced practice nurses, and increasing the number of nurses appointed to boards and other policy related entities (Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, 2018). Given these advancements, are nurses being recognized as experts on health, health care, and policy more frequently than in the past? To what extent has nurses’ representation in health news media improved over the past 20 years? This article presents the findings of a replication of the original Woodhull study. Background News media play an important role in setting the agenda for the public and policymakers (Gardner, Glickstein, & Mason, 2016; McCombs & Shaw, 1972). The news determines what issues people think about and how they think about them (McCombs & Reynolds, 2009). The agenda-setting role of media is represented in the selection of topics to be covered. Issues that are seldom covered in the news are often absent from the public discourse. “Framing” includes topic selection but goes beyond agenda setting. It entails the way a journalist organizes, presents, and assigns meaning to an issue, thus providing people with a way to think about it (Entman, 1993; Scheufele & Tewksbury, 2007). A particular interpretation of an issue can be embedded in the minds of the public by multiple replications of a frame that uses words and symbols connected with cultural associations familiar to many of the recipients (Entman, Matthes, & Pellicano, 2009). Framing becomes a powerful tool to shape how society thinks about an issue. Framing of a news story can start with the editor who assigns a story to a journalist, but the sources the journalist relies upon can shape that frame. Sources often reflect the larger power dynamic of society, and sources in positions of authority may lend credibility to a news story (Berkowitz, 2009). When reporters rely on such sources repeatedly, these sources will be more likely to get their voices into the news and can have substantial power over how issues are framed. Berkowitz (2009, p. 109) asks, “Who gets a voice [in the media]?” Women have long been underrepresented as sources in news media. The Global Media Monitoring Project has tracked ... --- ## On the road toward prevention: What advocates need to know about how sexual violence is framed URL: https://www.bmsg.org/sexual-violence-framing-prevention-what-advocates-need-to-know/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1364 > "Believe women." "Me too." "Time's up." Sexual assault is in the spotlight now more than ever as conversations about its pervasiveness — and what can be done to address it... “Believe women.” “Me too.” “Time’s up.” Sexual assault is in the spotlight now more than ever as conversations about its pervasiveness — and what can be done to address it — unfold on a national stage. Like other widespread public health and social justice problems, sexual violence is preventable. But many people don’t realize that because the messages we receive about sexual violence often leave us with the impression that the issue is too large and too complex to do anything about it. A Berkeley Media Studies Group news analysis found that media coverage of sexual violence often focuses on details of a violent act, or what happens after the fact, but rarely addresses what can be done to prevent this violence. And journalists aren’t the only ones who struggle to communicate about prevention. “Practitioners and experts tend to be really good at talking about how to respond to assaults and support survivors after the fact,” said Pamela Mejia, BMSG’s head of research. “But it’s harder to communicate about the changes we need to make in our schools and businesses and workplaces and communities to prevent harassment, abuse, and assault from happening in the first place.” So, how can advocates, practitioners — anyone who wants to play a role in prevention — get better at communicating about it? Framing is a big part of the answer. Before we can educate the public about what it means to prevent sexual abuse and assault, we need to understand the background against which people form their opinions about sexual violence and how to prevent it. There are no blank slates: People already have their own ideas and beliefs about sexual violence. These points of view come from mental structures known as cognitive frames, which develop as a result of personal experiences, cultural norms, and media narratives. Nearly six years ago, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center called BMSG to ask if we could help them reframe sexual violence to focus on prevention. This question marked the start of a five-year journey, involving meetings with experts, a listening tour, and extensive research, which culminated in “Moving Toward Prevention: A Guide for Reframing Sexual Violence.” The resource, developed with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, summarizes best practices in framing sexual violence, examines how the media portray the issue, and provides tools and resources to help shift the conversation toward prevention. Here are some of the most common frames about sexual violence, many of which, unfortunately, may make people less open to receiving messages about prevention. Knowing these potential roadblocks and preparing for them can help keep us on track to communicating effectively about prevention. Common frames about sexual violence Isolated, terrible — but inevitable — incidents: Sexual violence is part of a continuum of behaviors that can sometimes culminate in extreme violence or assault — but that may not. People feel uncomfortable, anxious, and disgusted when they think or talk about sexual violence, and many doubt it can be prevented. These strong emotions can make them avoid thinking or talking about the problem, so they’re less open to discussing how to solve it — especially if they think there aren’t any tangible ways to act on that anxiety to make things better. Clearly describing what prevention looks like and providing concrete examples of prevention in action can help people overcome these obstacles. People who commit sexual violence are “bad apples” who can’t be changed: For years, prevention experts have pointed out that sexual violence isn’t a crime committed just by “the monster in the bushes” but, instead, by the people we know and trust. There’s still a lot of resistance to that idea, though. One barrier that may keep people from accepting this reality is the belief that once someone commits sexual violence, their path is set. People have trouble believing that a person can change their own behavior or stop harming others. One way to counter this frame is by showing that intervening early can change a person’s behavior. Sexual violence is too big a problem to solve: People feel powerless when they think about trying to address a problem as big as sexual violence. That overwhelmed feeling can lead to fatalism — the view that sexual violence is just an unfortunate part of life. We can help people overcome that fatalism and sense of overwhelm when we model the journeys that people take to make prevention part of their lives and their work — whoever and wherever they are. For example, a journey can be as simple as telling stories about people whose starting point is discomfort, or who once believed that sexual violence is “just something that happens.” Then, we can show what motivated these people to act to prevent abuse and assault in their institution and describe what they did. Disconnection from prevention: Some people have negative reactions to vague examples of prevention progr... --- ## Media relations toolkit: Engaging the media to elevate sexual violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/media-relations-toolkit-elevate-sexual-violence-prevention/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 124 > Coverage in local, regional, and national media is important — news coverage across formats keeps communities and leaders up to date on key issues and informs public understanding. When sexual... Coverage in local, regional, and national media is important — news coverage across formats keeps communities and leaders up to date on key issues and informs public understanding. When sexual violence prevention practitioners engage the media, it is an opportunity to elevate sexual violence prevention, connect with new audiences, and increase your organization’s credibility and recognition. This toolkit includes a range of resources to help build relationships with journalists and elevate prevention in news coverage about sexual harassment, abuse, and assault. Download the tools: –Introduction –Preparing for an interview –Writing a press release to create news –Crafting a media advisory to engage journalists –Contributing to news coverage –Planning media relations throughout the year –Reusing the news --- ## Moving toward prevention: A guide for reframing sexual violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/moving-toward-prevention-guide-reframing-sexual-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 171 > In this guide, developed by BMSG in partnership with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we review best practices... In this guide, developed by BMSG in partnership with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we review best practices in framing sexual violence to inform the public about preventing sexual assault. We also highlight ways to communicate with the media, which play an important role in educating the public. We hope readers will come away able to: identify and address problematic and inaccurate frames around sexual violence, including news frames; develop effective messages about preventing sexual harassment, abuse, and assault that will resonate with different audiences and in many contexts; identify the value of the media as a tool for informing and educating the public around sexual violence and how to prevent it; be more accessible and effective sources for journalists covering sexual violence in general and sexual violence prevention in particular; include prevention in news stories about sexual violence; and pitch engaging and newsworthy stories that can make prevention visible to a broad audience. Download the full guide > --- ## Webinar: Values-based messaging: Using words that work (Sept. 26, 2018) URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-values-based-messaging-using-words-that-work-sept-26-2018/ Type: events Modified: 2018-10-09 Words: 78 > During this webinar for California Wellness Foundation grantees, Berkeley Media Studies Group discussed best practices for getting messages to target audiences. We addressed why understanding your target's values — and... During this webinar for California Wellness Foundation grantees, Berkeley Media Studies Group discussed best practices for getting messages to target audiences. We addressed why understanding your target’s values — and aligning them with your work — is the key to inspiring action. Whether you are seeking to influence decision-makers, reach funders and collaborators, or recruit volunteers, crafting values-based messages should be at the foundation of your communications plan. Download the slides or view the recording below: --- ## Presentation at the State of Black Health on junk food marketing to children of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/presentation-at-the-state-of-black-health-on-junk-food-marketing-to-children-of-color/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-27 Words: 82 > BMSG's Laura Nixon presented in a session on healthy food access for communities of color at the State of Black Health conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In this session, Laura discussed... BMSG’s Laura Nixon presented in a session on healthy food access for communities of color at the State of Black Health conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In this session, Laura discussed junk food and sugary drink targeted marketing — the practice in which food and beverage companies target kids of color with ads for junk food and soda — which is compromising the health of young African Americans. You can learn more about targeted marketing, and what can be done about it, here. --- ## Building people power to advance health equity: 3 lessons from community-driven initiatives URL: https://www.bmsg.org/building-people-power-advance-health-equity-3-lessons-community-driven-initiatives/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1667 > What do early literacy in Del Norte County and Tribal Lands, urban agriculture in Sacramento, reentry efforts in Richmond, and restorative justice in Kern County all have in common? They're... What do early literacy in Del Norte County and Tribal Lands, urban agriculture in Sacramento, reentry efforts in Richmond, and restorative justice in Kern County all have in common? They’re each part of a 10-year, $1 billion initiative to advance health equity throughout California. They’re also evidence that real change happens when residents have a voice in identifying the top issues facing their communities and are involved in crafting solutions. The California Endowment launched this comprehensive community initiative, known as Building Healthy Communities (BHC), in 2010 “to advance statewide policy, change the narrative, and transform 14 of California’s communities devastated by health inequities into places where all people and neighborhoods thrive.” To better understand the work happening in these locations so that the efforts can be replicated in other places, Berkeley Media Studies Group conducted case studies of four communities that received funding through the grant. During our background research and interviews, we identified several key strategies that helped advocates in each location overcome obstacles and lay the foundation for health: 1. Engage community at every step. Whether advocates are working to increase literacy rates or end the school-to-prison pipeline, accomplishing major social change requires collaboration. And the strongest partnerships go beyond top-down approaches; instead, they involve community members from a project’s inception to its implementation and evaluation. In Del Norte, for example, efforts to improve school readiness consisted of six co-design stages that actively engaged the community, including families, educators, schools, and early child care providers. Together, the group defined its overarching goal — to have 100 percent of third-graders in Del Norte and Tribal Lands reading at third-grade level by 2023 — and identified specific targets like improving access to quality child care and increasing access to preschool slots. They also developed many projects to reach those targets, such as the Un-homework initiative, which calls for homework policies to eliminate lengthy homework assignments requiring time commitments from parents. Finally, they analyzed results together to see what was and wasn’t working. “It was a transformational experience for everyone,” said Geneva Wiki, TCE program manager in Del Norte. “The old model was, ‘We know what’s best for you.'” But, under the new model, she explained, advocates used empathy-based research methods to gather stories from educators and families to learn about the challenges they were facing in helping children learn to read. “It was getting out of sympathy to empathy: I feel and understand your pain.” Although the details differ, advocates working to create a healthier school environment for students in Kern County reported a similar experience. When education data revealed that the Kern High School District was suspending and expelling its students of color at higher rates than its white students, local organizers collaborated with parents, students, faith leaders, educators, and members of the community to address inequities within the school system. The group’s efforts have resulted in several victories, including a landmark legal settlement that is requiring the Kern High School District to make its data on suspensions and expulsions more transparent; engage the community through twice yearly forums; implement a new data system to track disciplinary issues in real time; change disciplinary policies and practices to be less punitive; and educate teachers, staff, and administrators on implicit bias. Building community members’ leadership for advocacy took time and investment. However, without doing so, advocates would not have gotten the results they did, nor would they now be in a position to monitor the reform process and hold school administrators accountable. Advocates in Kern County stressed that it is important to engage residents throughout the process, noting that they know how to interpret data, provide testimony, and can sit on decision-making bodies where policy is crafted. 2. Elevate authentic voices. Messengers are often just as important as messages. A prime example of this comes from Richmond, where a coalition of city residents, local law enforcement, and formerly incarcerated residents were able to create a reentry network that owes much of its success to the power of storytelling. One reentry organization, the Safe Return Project, was launched with the help of a BHC grant and has helped elevate the voices of formerly incarcerated residents so they can advocate for resources and push for policy change. Another group, the Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization, has built civic engagement and harnessed the power of authentic voices by hiring formerly incarcerated people to help with research. “The room was always filled with ‘experts,’ but there were no former prisoners there,” ... --- ## Reading for health: A reimagined, community-driven approach to early literacy in Del Norte County and Tribal Lands URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/reading-health-community-early-literacy-del-norte-tribal-lands/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 3413 > In the downstairs den of Katie Creed's Crescent City home, seven preschool-age children formed a scattered half-circle for afternoon story time. The room was an organized jumble of plastic bins... In the downstairs den of Katie Creed’s Crescent City home, seven preschool-age children formed a scattered half-circle for afternoon story time. The room was an organized jumble of plastic bins overflowing with Legos, dolls, action figures, and other toys. Butterfly decals, Hello Kitty posters, and a large corkboard with photographs of children Creed has cared for covered the walls. As Creed, a home-based child care provider, sat down to read, one of the children got up from the plush-carpeted floor and grabbed a chair to sit on. Suddenly, the other six followed suit. Once the children were settled, Creed announced the title of the book to a chorus of approving cheer. The story, The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark, was a group favorite. Seconds into the story, a wide-eyed little girl with curly blonde hair interrupted: “I don’t like big fish. Big fish eat you.” “Sharks!” a young boy shrieked. Creed continued with the story of the big fish that was scared of the dark. “Are you guys scared of the dark?” Creed asked. The children nodded. “I am, too, sometimes. But it’s OK. Your parents are there to keep you safe,” she said. “Shall we see what happens next?” “The pirates got ’em!” said the boy who yelled “sharks!” Creed was reading one of several books in the Wee Read School Readiness and Literacy curriculum, one of a myriad of efforts to improve early literacy in Del Norte County and Tribal Lands. The curriculum, which was designed by three community members, aims to improve kindergarten readiness with a specific focus on literacy. “Before, I would read to them and just try to get through the story,” Creed said. “With these books, they connect the stories with their own personal stories. It makes them think and use their own imagination. I never thought about that concept and how beneficial it could be.” In Del Norte County and Tribal Lands, early literacy is more than a local educational effort. It is a major community-wide cause aimed at improving life outcomes and health, with strong support and involvement from residents, educators, and business leaders. Early literacy first gained momentum as a community priority in 2009 when The California Endowment (TCE) selected Del Norte County and Tribal Lands among its Building Healthy Community sites. The 10-year, $1 billion community initiative launched by TCE in 2010 aims to “advance statewide policy, change the narrative, and transform 14 of California’s communities most devastated by health inequities into places where all people have an opportunity to thrive.” Del Norte residents and representatives from local schools, businesses, and other stakeholders were initially charged with coming up with top community development priorities. “A top priority was economic development,” recalled Geneva Wiki, TCE program manager in Del Norte. “I expected from the business community what they had been complaining about for decades: our infrastructure — improving our commercial harbor, the airport, sewer system. Surprisingly, they came to the conclusion that what needed to be fixed was the school system. Finding qualified workers had become a big challenge. Of course, we understood the connection between education and health.” Del Norte: Spectacular scenery, devastated economy Located adjacent to the Oregon border in the far northwest corner of the state, Del Norte County boasts spectacular scenery with dramatic rocky shorelines and towering Redwoods. But the postcard-perfect landscape belies the social and economic struggles that have plagued this community. Del Norte County makes up part of what The New York Times in a recent article dubbed “California’s Great Red North, a bloc of 13 counties that voted for President Trump … and that make up more than a fifth of the state’s land mass but only 3 percent of its population … with a political ethos that bears more resemblance to Texas than to Los Angeles. Two-thirds of the north is white, the population is shrinking and the region struggles economically, with median household incomes at $45,000, less than half that of San Francisco.” With a population of about 29,000 residents, which includes individuals incarcerated at Pelican Bay State Prison, Del Norte County is 73 percent white, 17 percent Latino, and nearly 8 percent Native American. The area was and is still inhabited mostly by the Tolowa Dee-ni’ and Yurok nations. The median household income in Del Norte is $29,642. About 20 percent of county residents are below the poverty line, including 26 percent of those under age 18. “We were a lumber and fishing town. You could leave high school and support a family,” said Chris Howard, a member of the Del Norte Literacy initiative’s Schools Systems Implementation Team. “In the early 90s, the jobs and money disappeared. Soon, you not only saw the business community losing its tax base at a rapid pace, you saw social services ramping up, providing services for a population at a younger age.” Meanwhile, businesses began seeing t... --- ## Junk food marketing to children of color: The current reality and what we can do about it — Slides for the field URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/junk-food-marketing-to-children-of-color-the-current-reality-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-slides-for-the-field/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 134 > All children deserve the opportunity to be healthy and thrive, but an all-too-common marketing practice in which food and beverage companies target kids of color with ads for junk food... All children deserve the opportunity to be healthy and thrive, but an all-too-common marketing practice in which food and beverage companies target kids of color with ads for junk food and soda is compromising the health of young African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. In this presentation, we outline the current landscape of junk food and sugary drink targeted marketing, and we share concrete actions that kids, parents, advocates, researchers, and policymakers can take to help hold industry accountable. This PowerPoint slide deck, developed by Berkeley Media Studies Group with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is available for free download, and we encourage advocates and others to adapt and use the presentation to help raise the visibility of targeted marketing as a health equity issue. Download the slide deck > --- ## Communicating effectively about housing and maternal and child health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-effectively-about-housing-and-maternal-and-child-health/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-27 Words: 54 > BMSG’s Fernando Quintero, Kathi Schaff, and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training for the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative. The session focused on... BMSG’s Fernando Quintero, Kathi Schaff, and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas gave a training for the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative. The session focused on housing insecurity messaging and communication strategies for improving community health, and featured a special segment of our mock TV talk show, Fernando Live! --- ## Where we’re going and where we’ve been: Making the case for preventing sexual violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/sexual-violence-prevention-messaging-guide/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 107 > Helping people understand that sexual violence can be prevented is a critical step toward a future where abuse and assault are rare. And to make the case for prevention, we... Helping people understand that sexual violence can be prevented is a critical step toward a future where abuse and assault are rare. And to make the case for prevention, we need to go beyond the scope of the problem and articulate what to do about it. This messaging guide, developed in collaboration with RALIANCE, a national partnership dedicated to ending sexual violence in one generation, provides concrete guidance for advocates to build effective messages that highlight the need for prevention. To view the full guide, download this PDF. And check out this handout to help people build their own journey metaphors, an important part of prevention messaging. --- ## Mapping the road forward: 6 steps for building effective messages about sexual violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/6-steps-for-building-effective-messages-about-sexual-violence-prevention/ Type: post Modified: 2019-05-07 Words: 1480 > In 2017, the #MeToo movement took the internet by storm. More than just a hashtag, the campaign, which was created in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke, became a global movement... In 2017, the #MeToo movement took the internet by storm. More than just a hashtag, the campaign, which was created in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke, became a global movement and shifted the public conversation about sexual violence. #MeToo opened the door to discussions about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault — and created space for many voices that had previously been denied a platform. As we consider how best to support and empower survivors, we also need to consider what it will take to prevent sexual violence from happening in the first place — and raise a generation for whom #MeToo stories are the exception, not the norm. Helping people to understand that sexual violence can be prevented is a critical step toward achieving that goal, but communicating about prevention is challenging, even for experts with decades of experience. That’s in part because sexual violence makes people feel upset, overwhelmed, and anxious, which means they often want to avoid talking about it, especially when they feel powerless to stop it from happening. There are other challenges, too — like the fact that prevention efforts tend to be less visible than work to support victims of past abuse or assault. “When people talk about prevention, they typically focus on individuals changing their own behaviors: taking self-defense classes, for example, or managing how much alcohol they drink,” said Pamela Mejia, BMSG’s head of research. “These approaches or other personal safety steps may reduce the risk of sexual violence for some, but if we are to arrive in a world where everyone is safer, where sexual violence isn’t tolerated, then we need to change systems, structures, and institutions.” Additionally, experts, advocates, and other stakeholders will need the tools to help community members and decision-makers understand these changes and see what prevention can look like in different settings, such as college campuses and youth-serving organizations. “We know it is possible to prevent sexual assault, and we are going to make progress when we can communicate effectively about the concrete actions every person can take to reduce risks and increase safety,” said Julie Patrick, national partners liaison for RALIANCE, a national partnership dedicated to ending sexual violence in one generation. To equip people in the field with the tools needed to do so, we developed “Where We’re Going and Where We’ve Been: Making the Case for Sexual Violence Prevention,” a resource for advocates that provides concrete guidance on how to use strategic communication to make the case for changing how institutions and systems approach prevention. With support from our partners at RALIANCE, this guide is the culmination of a journey that began five years ago with the question, “What will it take to reframe sexual violence to focus on prevention?” As part of that process, we commissioned Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, a public opinion research firm, to help us understand underlying attitudes around sexual violence and sexual violence prevention, to identify barriers and potential opportunities for communicating more effectively, and to develop messaging approaches that help to build support for prevention efforts. That research informed our recommendations in the guide. Here are some key steps for building effective messages about preventing sexual violence, excerpted from the main guide. However, before we delve into these suggestions, it’s important to note that message is never first. Before you can decide what to say, you must know what you want to change, who has the power to change it, and why it needs to be changed. Having this clear overall strategy can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your communication by helping you allocate time, money, and effort only where they will truly help advance your goals. For more information on how to develop your overall strategy, see Chapter 1 of “Where We’re Going and Where We’ve Been.” Once you have identified your overall strategy, effective messaging can help people manage their complicated emotions and attitudes about sexual violence, understand that prevention is possible, and take action. An effective message about sexual violence prevention does the following: 1) Evokes shared values People’s deeply held shared values — the principles that guide how they think the world should work — are the motivating spark that turns communication into action. Framing our messages around core values — such as innovation, caring for the next generation, safety, and protection — can also help audiences remain open to our ideas and overcome the doubt they may feel about whether prevention is possible. Leading with shared values gives people an entry point into a difficult conversation they may not otherwise feel ready to have. 2) Acknowledge negative feelings, like discomfort, fear, or lingering doubts Audiences have many negative and complicated feelings about sexual violence, like fea... --- ## Webinar: Values-based messaging: Using words that work (Aug. 22, 2018) URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-values-based-messaging-using-words-that-work-aug-22-2018/ Type: events Modified: 2018-10-09 Words: 78 > During this webinar for California Wellness Foundation grantees, Berkeley Media Studies Group discussed best practices for getting messages to target audiences. We addressed why understanding your target's values — and... During this webinar for California Wellness Foundation grantees, Berkeley Media Studies Group discussed best practices for getting messages to target audiences. We addressed why understanding your target’s values — and aligning them with your work — is the key to inspiring action. Whether you are seeking to influence decision-makers, reach funders and collaborators, or recruit volunteers, crafting values-based messages should be at the foundation of your communications plan. Download the slides or view the recording below: --- ## 5 ways that journalists can tell a more comprehensive story about early childhood URL: https://www.bmsg.org/5-ways-journalists-can-tell-more-comprehensive-story-about-early-childhood/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1346 > The foundation for who we become as adults is constructed during early childhood. Multiple bodies of science show us that what happens from pre-conception into early childhood has a profound... The foundation for who we become as adults is constructed during early childhood. Multiple bodies of science show us that what happens from pre-conception into early childhood has a profound impact on health outcomes later in life. This holds true whether researchers examine the lifelong impacts of childhood trauma, the multigenerational effects of neighborhood conditions, or the societal benefits of early education. What’s more, policymakers’ decisions shape children’s experiences in fundamental ways. From funding for preschool and nutrition to transformative laws like paid family leave, the decisions a society makes today about how to support early childhood development will influence the future health, educational, and economic prospects of entire communities. Yet, research from our colleagues at Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health has found that these interconnections are missing from much news coverage. Rather, the media tend to report on early childhood in narrow ways. Robust, well-reported news coverage can inform and improve the decisions we make together, as a society, about early childhood. So what would it take to tell a more comprehensive story about this complex but critical period? And how can journalists incorporate scientific findings into everyday news stories about children? To begin to answer that question, BMSG’s partners at OHSU-PSU School of Public Health conducted an analysis of news coverage on early childhood. We then talked with journalists whose stories stood out as exemplars of comprehensive, nuanced reporting on the issue. Finally, we convened a group of experienced journalists to discuss the challenges of reporting comprehensively on early childhood and to generate recommendations for how to do better. Our findings and recommendations — for journalists and newsrooms — are detailed in “From Beating the Odds to Changing the Odds: Recommendations for Journalists Covering Early Childhood.” In the report, we also articulate a public health framework for understanding the emerging science on early childhood and provide concrete examples for improving news reporting by applying our recommendations to real-world stories. Below, we offer five of our recommendations for journalists to expand reporting on early childhood, excerpted from the main report. 1. Report on environments. Americans famously believe that hard work, discipline, and self-determination are all it takes to succeed; underlying this rugged individualism frame is the value of personal responsibility — even when talking about very young children. However, while individual efforts are important for children’s health, the problem with relying exclusively on the individual frame is that it hides the influence of other factors in people’s success: the social, economic, and physical conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play. Widen the lens on early childhood by telling stories that extend beyond the details of an individual’s experiences to examine the effect that systems and environments have on children’s health and well-being in the long term. Journalists can bring the broader context into stories about early childhood by describing the environments that contribute to poor health or by describing the kind of place that supports health for everyone. For example, poverty shapes what opportunities are or aren’t available to us in our communities. It is the product of policy and societal decision-making: There is clear evidence that groups in our society have been systematically excluded from home ownership, education, and economic opportunity. When reporting on poverty or any root cause of inequality, explore what factors give rise to it and what its real-life consequences are. Ask: What factors lead to certain communities shouldering the burden of poverty? Why are people of color faced with greater disadvantages than white people? Why are members of low-income communities faced with greater disadvantages than those with more power and economic resources? Then, explore how these broad societal issues have taken hold locally and how they affect child development and health across the lifespan. 2. Cultivate sources who understand science and systems. Sources in your story can illuminate the broader social contexts that impinge on early childhood. These might be researchers, advocates, or residents who can explain the connections between environments, social context, and the health and development of young children. For example, economists could explain the interconnections between early childhood education and the history of economic development — or lack thereof — in communities. Sources could also be workforce specialists who can describe how early childhood programs enhance job opportunities now and in the long term, or environmental quality experts and city planners who can illustrate the collective decision-making that led to placing polluting industry and highway... --- ## From beating the odds to changing the odds: Recommendations for journalists covering early childhood URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/recommendations-for-journalists-covering-early-childhood/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 10155 > This report was prepared by: Daphne Marvel, BA Laura Nixon, MPH Lori Dorfman, DrPH Fernando Quintero, BA Sarah Han, BA, Berkeley Media Studies Group Liana Winett, DrPH Lawrence Wallack, DrPH,... This report was prepared by: Daphne Marvel, BA Laura Nixon, MPH Lori Dorfman, DrPH Fernando Quintero, BA Sarah Han, BA, Berkeley Media Studies Group Liana Winett, DrPH Lawrence Wallack, DrPH, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” —Nelson Mandela1 Introduction: The connection between journalism and early childhood Early childhood is a critical developmental period because it influences the adults we become. Beyond glib affirmations that “children are our future,” there is real science behind the notion that young children’s experiences are shaped in fundamental ways by policymakers’ decisions. From funding for preschool and nutrition to transformative laws like paid family leave that support children and families, policy has a direct impact on early childhood experiences, the adult health and social outcomes those children will experience, and, ultimately, the well-being of our society as a whole. The decisions a society makes today about how to support early childhood development will influence the future health, educational, and economic prospects of entire populations. Robust, well-reported news coverage can inform and improve the decisions we make together, as a society, about early childhood. News coverage is an important part of the public conversation about early childhood. The media can elevate issues, influence how the public and policymakers perceive them, and set the stage for a policy response.2-5 Journalists, editors, and op-ed contributors make decisions on a daily basis, consciously or unconsciously, about how to frame issues like early childhood. Aspects of framing include the language used, perspectives included or left out, sources quoted, information highlighted, and the potential solutions that are reported and considered. Early childhood development — and the crucial role of journalism in covering it — is important not simply because of warm, fuzzy feelings for little kids, but because of growing insights, from multiple bodies of science, showing that what happens from pre-conception into early childhood has a profound impact on health outcomes into and throughout adulthood. This holds true whether researchers examine the lifelong impacts of childhood trauma,6 the multigenerational effects of neighborhood conditions,7 or the societal benefits of early education.8 The story of early childhood is complicated because it happens across time, effects interact, and findings come from different but complementary bodies of science. How, then, can journalists incorporate complex scientific findings into news stories about children that are typically focused on immediate events? To begin to answer that question, we first examined existing news coverage on early childhood, analyzing 127 news articles from 15 of the nation’s major newspapers. Then, we talked with journalists whose stories stood out as exemplars of comprehensive, nuanced reporting on the issue; we were particularly interested in those news stories that linked findings from across scientific disciplines. Finally, we convened a small group of experienced journalists to discuss the challenges of reporting comprehensively on early childhood and to generate recommendations for how to do better. We explored how reporting could reflect the full continuum of human development and opportunities to improve conditions in which children are born, grow, and develop. In this report, we present what we’ve learned. We first articulate a public health framework for understanding the emerging science on early childhood, and we then assess what that means for news coverage. Based on our discussions with journalists, we recommend how individual reporters and the field of journalism can achieve more thorough reporting on early childhood. In the last section of this resource, we provide concrete examples by applying these recommendations to four stories from our news analysis to demonstrate how new questions might help expand reporting on early childhood. We conclude with an appendix annotating key research papers, organizations, and other resources. We offer our recommendations against the backdrop of a challenging time for journalism. Newsrooms are under-resourced, as many grapple with how to sustain revenues in the digital age. Even so, as a society, we rely on journalists to find the stories that help us navigate and make decisions about our world. The stakes are high, and we believe solid journalism will make a difference in the health of future generations. The recommendations we present are a starting point. We welcome your thoughts, further suggestions, and ongoing dialogue about how to improve reporting on early childhood. Foundation: A public health framework for understanding early childhood Our thinking about early childhood is informed by the public health perspective, which identifies how public... --- ## Webinar: Elements of newsworthiness and developing relationships with reporters URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-elements-of-newsworthiness-and-developing-relationships-with-reporters/ Type: events Modified: 2018-10-17 Words: 47 > This tailored webinar for members of the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium focuses on incorporating the elements of newsworthiness into pitches and media events as well as developing relationships... This tailored webinar for members of the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium focuses on incorporating the elements of newsworthiness into pitches and media events as well as developing relationships with reporters, with a specific focus on health equity and the media markets in San Joaquin Valley. --- ## Equity arguments in news reporting on school nutrition policy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/equity-arguments-news-reporting-school-nutrition-policy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 2407 > Authors: Liana B. Winett, Lori Dorfman, Larissa Yoshino, and Laura Nixon. Published online: 1 Jun 2018 https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2017.0061 Abstract Purpose: In two related studies, we examined how equity-based arguments featured in... Authors: Liana B. Winett, Lori Dorfman, Larissa Yoshino, and Laura Nixon. Published online: 1 Jun 2018 https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2017.0061 Abstract Purpose: In two related studies, we examined how equity-based arguments featured in news debate over federal school nutrition policy. Methods: We conducted content analyses of national and local print and broadcast news (September 1, 2014- December 31, 2015), examining arguments rooted in appeals about equity and/or disparities. Results: Equity and/or disparities appeals appeared in 24% television, 14% national print, and 5% local print stories. Socioeconomic inequities were mentioned most; racial/ethnic inequities appeared minimally. Conclusions: Neither equity nor disparity featured prominently in this news debate over policy created to address children’s nutritional inequities. When included, arguments focused on overcoming inequities’ effects rather than addressing root causes. Article full text Purpose Federal policies governing the provision and nutritional quality of school meals have been, since their inception in the 1930s, designed to ensure that all children, irrespective of financial means, have access to the nutrition needed to sustain them during the school day.1 This continuous focus on providing nutritional support for all children in need gives these policies an equity aim. In 2010, these policies were reconceptualized as the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), including both expanded food access standards and more stringent guidelines to increase the nutritional content of foods sold in the nation’s nearly 100,000 public schools. The new policy maintained the equity-promoting orientation of prior laws by providing assurances for low-income students’ access to free and reduced price school breakfasts and lunches, while also increasing student accessibility to these programs and simplifying administrative processes in districts with high proportions of eligible children.2 Speaking to the intent of the law, the then United States Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsak, referred to HHFKA as part of the “critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children.”3 The HHFKA was controversial almost from its inception. The policy was altered by rollbacks and waivers throughout its first 5 years of implementation and continuing through its scheduled September 2015 reauthorization. Debate over the policy, still awaiting reauthorization >2 years later, has played out in the nation’s print and broadcast news. In two related studies, we asked whether the equity-promoting intent of the policy was reflected in news coverage of HHFKA during the highly controversial period of pending reauthorization.4,5 This is important, because a policy debate can easily be circumscribed to particular details of implementation without informing the broader public of how the policy reduces disparities or addresses equity. In particular, we asked how HHFKA’s core function of reducing children’s nutritional disparities was expressed, and whether it, or equity, appeared as the central theme that the policy’s history would suggest. Given the policy’s focus on ameliorating the effects of socioeconomic inequities on children’s nutritional status, and the concentrations of student eligibility and enrollment among children of color,6 we wondered whether these variables would appear in news coverage. Methods To detect patterns in news arguments,7-10 we conducted two coordinated content analyses of HHFKA coverage from September 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015, a period preceding the anticipated reauthorization and the interval after its initial reauthorization delay. In study 1, we analyzed traditional news coverage and opinion pieces in 4 newspapers with national circulation; 16 television (TV) stations including national network, national cable news programming, and local network affiliates in 2 large and diverse media markets (San Francisco and Philadelphia); and public radio. In study 2, we analyzed traditional news coverage and opinion pieces in 63 local and regional newspapers, spanning 11 states selected to represent different regions, demographic makeups, and state-level policy action in response to HHFKA. In total, the two studies captured reporting on HHFKA reauthorization across a breadth of local and national print and electronic news media, nationwide. We searched print and public radio stories online using the Lexis/Nexis and ProQuest databases, and TV news using the Internet Archives platform. Both studies used search strings including terms capturing aspects of HHFKA (e.g., “school lunch,” “school breakfast,” “school meals,” “smart snacks,” “competitive foods,” “free and reduced price,” “school nutrition,” “healthy hunger free kids act”), along with indicators of its related outcomes (e.g., “nutrition,” “nutritious,” “obesity,” or “overweight”). Both studies used the same coding parameters, iteratively developed by both research teams to identify argu... --- ## Facebook’s other problem: How the company blocks the spread of legitimate stories URL: https://www.bmsg.org/facebooks-other-problem-how-company-blocks-legitimate-stories/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1207 > How to describe Facebook precisely — a social media network for staying connected with your friends? A news publisher? A propagator of false news? A threat to democracy? The social... How to describe Facebook precisely — a social media network for staying connected with your friends? A news publisher? A propagator of false news? A threat to democracy? The social giant has been deemed many things since its inception nearly 15 years ago. In a way, the platform defies classification. And, understandably, it’s challenging to neatly categorize something that is so new to us as a society. However, it is undeniable that Facebook is one of the architects of the digital landscape as we know it now. With its role as an online gatekeeper, the platform has shown it has powerful influence over what information we receive — or don’t receive — about a range of topics, with major implications for public opinion and policymaking. After being widely criticized for becoming an amplifier of fake news and being required by the European Union to tighten its data and privacy rules, the social media giant has made sweeping changes to its policies and practices. But in its effort to keep false content from getting through, does Facebook, at times, swing too far in the other direction? Recently, BMSG published a Facebook post about our latest study: “More Than Mass Shootings: Gun Violence Narratives in California News.” Our findings shed light on several underreported forms of gun violence, filling an important research gap. To reach a wider audience, we promoted it on Facebook using the platform’s advertising function, which allows organizations to “boost” posts by paying Facebook to disseminate the content to a broader swath of people on the platform. We expected this to be a straightforward process, involving payment details and the click of a button. However, following Facebook’s review of the post, we received a message that our planned promotion had been rejected because, according to Facebook, our page was “not authorized for ads with political content.” We were surprised at this outcome, as the post was about a BMSG news analysis, and not what we would classify as “political content.” As Facebook did not provide us with much information on why it would not boost our post, we filed an official appeal for a second review. We explained that BMSG is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization and that the post in question was intended to promote the results of our study on how gun violence is covered in California news. And yet, again, we received the same response from Facebook: We could not run the ad. Even though we do not consider our research political, according to the Facebook policy, our ad was categorically political content. To promote the study on Facebook, we would have needed to authorize our page to run political ads, and the post would have then run with a disclaimer stating that it was political content. We chose not to do this because it would have been inaccurate and misleading to our audience. However, this issue is much bigger than one BMSG promoted post. Other nonprofit organizations have had similar experiences. For example, Voices of Monterey Bay, a nonprofit news site, tried to boost an interview with labor leader Dolores Huerta. However, after the promotion ran for about a day, the post was shut down because Facebook deemed it political. Voices of Monterey Bay has said that it refuses to categorize its content this way. Facebook, despite its failings and limitations, can be a useful tool for advocates working to shift the dialogue around a public health or social justice issue. Indeed, social media is one of the means through which those engaged in media advocacy can shape the public conversation and eventually effect change. People who wish to reach a broader audience with a real story about health, the environment, poverty, education, or civil rights should be able to promote this content on Facebook. What does it mean for our digital futures that Facebook stops a nonprofit organization from boosting a non-political post about a study on gun violence, or a child care facility from boosting a post about open spots? Meanwhile, the fight against fake news is far from over, actual political ads are slipping through the net, and the company is increasingly under scrutiny for its role is spreading another form of harmful content: misleading and predatory marketing. For instance, fast food and sugary drink companies can promote their products directly to teenagers on the platform, despite known health risks. Food marketing is one serious obstacle to healthy eating patterns, and food and beverage companies aggressively target communities of color, especially youth, with marketing for foods and drinks that are low in nutrition and high in sugars, salt, and fats. By aligning their marketing practices with the ways that young consumers use social media, one of the ways that food and beverage companies target kids of color is through Facebook. How, then, should the social media giant determine what content is allowed through and what content gets restricted? How can it allow researchers and advocates ... --- ## From ‘bad apples’ to broken systems: How Richmond residents rewrote the narrative on the formerly incarcerated URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/bad-apples-broken-systems-how-richmond-residents-rewrote-narrative-formerly-incarcerated/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 4284 > Ask anyone involved with efforts to help reintegrate formerly incarcerated residents in Richmond, California, and one of the first things they'll mention is the need to change the narrative around... Ask anyone involved with efforts to help reintegrate formerly incarcerated residents in Richmond, California, and one of the first things they’ll mention is the need to change the narrative around this misunderstood population. They’re doing just that — one narrator at a time. A collaboration of city residents, local and county law enforcement, elected officials, community workers, and, most importantly, formerly incarcerated residents has resulted in a nationally recognized reentry network that owes much of its success to the power of storytelling. This approach has helped change misconceptions about the formerly incarcerated among key decision-makers in the local criminal justice system, and it has helped create a greater public understanding about the need for systemic change. “I think the biggest misconception is that if you’ve been incarcerated, it means you’re a bad person,” said Kimberly Gamboa, who was released in 2013 after serving two years in the Contra Costa County jail. Her story not only shares a common theme of past trauma, difficult surroundings and circumstances, it is also reminiscent of countless cases that point to systemic racial bias in our criminal justice system. Gamboa and her sister were raised by a single mother in San Francisco’s Ingleside District, a largely middle class neighborhood. She attended a Catholic high school and went to San Francisco State University. Although she “didn’t grow up poor” and lived in a “nice house,” Gamboa said her mother suffered from mental illness. “There was a lot of physical abuse. A lot of hitting. Screaming.” Gamboa married and had a daughter with her first husband, but they divorced after he got into trouble with the law. She raised her daughter by herself and took in her sister’s daughter after her sister became addicted to drugs. Gamboa eventually remarried, and her family grew to five children. She became a preschool director and did her best to raise her family after her husband struggled to find work. Then came a disciplinary incident with her then 11-year-old son. “He said something disrespectful to me. I was very angry at what he said, and I spanked him on the butt with a belt,” said Gamboa, who later in court-mandated therapy learned about her suppressed anger issues. The next day, her son’s teacher at school saw his welts from the spanking and reported Gamboa to Child Protective Services. Gamboa said she and her husband explained what happened to police and CPS officials and that the case was reportedly dropped. “A year went by, and then I got a knock on the door from Richmond [police],” Gamboa said. “They were arresting me for child abuse. The [District Attorney] had picked up the case. There were no other incidents. I had never been in the system. I was never in any trouble.” A public defender represented Gamboa and suggested she take her case to trial. “The jurors were all White. My witnesses were all Black,” recalled Gamboa, who is African American. “I didn’t think that was fair.” They also put Gamboa’s children on the witness stand. After their testimony defending their mother, Gamboa said prosecutors accused her of coercing her children. The judge handed down the maximum sentence, which included a restraining order prohibiting Gamboa from seeing her children. Looking back, Gamboa said the most difficult part of getting caught up in the criminal justice system was its aftermath. “When I got out [of prison], I thought I could find a job and restart my life,” she said. “I had a pharmacy technician license, an eligibility worker certification, and a teaching background. Everywhere I applied I got denied.” “I made a decision to invest in personal development,” Gamboa added. “I took parenting and anger management classes because my top priority was getting my kids back.” The personal development led to a new self-awareness and, eventually, an interest in social justice for others who have been in a similar situation. “I feel like I got played [by] the system — before and after I got incarcerated,” Gamboa said. Then, Gamboa discovered the Safe Return Project, which focuses on elevating the voices of formerly incarcerated residents so they can advocate for more resources and policy issues. The project has increased understanding among decision-makers — and the public in general — of the challenges as well as successes of formerly incarcerated residents, by involving them in research, information gathering, and, most importantly, highlighting their personal journeys. “After learning about Safe Return and the work they were doing, I was able to channel my energies toward making a difference in our community,” Gamboa said. The Safe Return Project was one of several reentry organizations launched with the help of The California Endowment and the collective efforts of public and private stakeholders. With Safe Return, three supporting agencies were key to its formation: Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO), the R... --- ## Ending the school-to-prison pipeline: A case study of community-led disciplinary reform in Kern County URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/ending-school-prison-pipeline-community-led-disciplinary-reform-kern-county-case-study/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-14 Words: 8989 > In December 2012, Carmen Ramirez, a student at Arvin High School in Kern County, California, was reassigned to an alternative school 30 miles from her home, after being found with... In December 2012, Carmen Ramirez, a student at Arvin High School in Kern County, California, was reassigned to an alternative school 30 miles from her home, after being found with marijuana. The paperwork shared with her father, Mario, to explain the suspension and transfer were in English; however, Mario speaks mostly Spanish and allegedly gave consent without being fully informed. That same semester, Gabriel Elder, a Latino student at Kern Valley High School, was suspended for “talking back,” “engaging in profanity,” and other minor offenses. Elder had recently been diagnosed with major depression and was exposed to domestic violence, but his mother’s requests to have the school provide counseling and special education services for Elder reportedly were refused. Two years later, Jerry Reagor, an African American student who was attending Foothill High School in Kern County reported being harassed, threatened, and assaulted by gang members on his way to school. His mother raised the issue with administrators and school police, yet the school district allegedly did not take action. Instead, staff claimed that Reagor was the aggressor. KHSD later transferred him to another school, citing Reagor’s supposed “gang affiliations.”1 These are just a few of the many allegations that appear in a 2014 lawsuit that a group of parents, students and advocates brought against the Kern High School District, which, data revealed, was suspending and expelling its students of color at higher rates than its white students. The lawsuit referred to this as “systematic discrimination” and said that it had created a “racially hostile educational environment.”2 “The science really is clear: The more you send a kid away, the worse they get, not better,” said Dr. Jeffrey Sprague, a professor of special education at the University of Oregon who, in the late 1990s, helped pioneer Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a proactive approach to behavioral issues, which works to establish socially and emotionally supportive school climates. “For the students most at risk in our communities,” he added, “simply sending them away essentially trains them to become prisoners … it’s called the school-to-prison pipeline.” In July 2017, advocates succeeded in disrupting that pipeline. After three years of public pressure and mounting legal expenses, Kern High School District settled the lawsuit. Under the terms of the settlement, local schools are required to implement disciplinary reforms aimed at helping kids stay in school, rather than pushing them out. “We consider it a landmark civil rights victory for Kern County,” said Dr. Gerald Cantu, benefits and policy director for the Dolores Huerta Foundation and a member of the Kern Education Justice Collaborative (KEJC), which was instrumental in making the reforms happen. The settlement is also a triumph for health. Getting suspended or expelled can exacerbate hidden forms of trauma, such as hunger or violence, that students may be experiencing at home. “If this trauma isn’t treated, it’s giving rise to these behavioral issues,” Dr. Cantu said. “It’s going to pile on additional trauma … and it’s not going to address the root causes of the behavioral issues.” By contrast, non-punitive approaches to discipline, which the school district must now take, can help treat trauma and improve students’ behavior, academic achievement, and likelihood of graduating — a strong indicator of health outcomes later in life. These approaches include restorative practices, which empower students to resolve their own conflicts by bringing offenders and victims together to discuss the harms that occurred and possible solutions. This is the story of how KEJC — the collaborative that drove the lawsuit forward — developed a vision for simultaneously improving health and social justice in their community and, in David-versus-Goliath fashion, toppled the barriers that stood in their way. KEJC’s process speaks to how difficult it can be to address forms of systemic racism in environments like Kern County, California, which is socially and politically conservative. Yet, it also underscores the power of collaboration. Local organizers worked with parents, students, faith leaders, educators, and others and realized a common goal. Although the focus is on a single school district, this case study highlights the challenges, lessons, and ingredients for change that could help advocates in other locations achieve similar reforms. “When we talk about drivers of change — partnership, people power, narrative change — the work of the BHC’s KEJC encompasses all of that,” said Annalisa Robles, senior program manager for The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities (BHC) South Kern, which helps support KEJC. “Each factor on its own is not enough.” A picture of inequality emerges Kern County is a place of great assets but also great barriers. It is home to a robust farm worker population and has a strong traditio... --- ## Webinar: More than mass shootings: What can we learn from an analysis of California news about gun violence? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-more-than-mass-shootings-what-can-we-learn-from-an-analysis-of-california-news-about-gun-violence/ Type: events Modified: 2018-07-17 Words: 102 > When it comes to gun violence, news narratives are dominated by stories about mass shootings and federal policy fights, but day-to-day acts of gun violence — which account for the... When it comes to gun violence, news narratives are dominated by stories about mass shootings and federal policy fights, but day-to-day acts of gun violence — which account for the majority of deaths and injuries — and community level solutions to prevent them are much less visible. In this webinar, BMSG researchers discuss findings from an analysis of how three of the most common types of gun violence (community-level violence, domestic violence, and suicide) are portrayed in California news, and possible implications for journalists and community leaders who want to change the narrative to include hope, healing, and community-level action. --- ## Issue 25: More than mass shootings: Gun violence narratives in California news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/gun-suicide-community-domestic-violence-news-narratives-california/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 10843 > We can't solve a problem that we don't fully comprehend. That's why a key component of stopping the gun violence epidemic in America is understanding the complete picture of what... We can’t solve a problem that we don’t fully comprehend. That’s why a key component of stopping the gun violence epidemic in America is understanding the complete picture of what this public health crisis looks like. Most people have seen at least glimpses of the picture: Gun violence is a leading cause of premature death in the United States, killing more than 38,000 people and causing nearly 85,000 injuries each year.1, 2 The good news, in the face of these staggering statistics, is that gun violence is completely preventable, and communities and leaders around the country are making powerful strides toward ending the epidemic — wherever and however it happens. The bad news is that not enough people recognize that violence is preventable, in large part because of the public discourse around gun violence, which portrays it as extreme and inevitable. Daily news is a key piece of that discourse: Many people learn about gun violence primarily through the filter of what appears in the media. That means that the public’s understanding is significantly influenced by print, broadcast, and social media. Journalists set the agenda for the public debate about any issue by deciding which incidents they report (or don’t report) and how they choose to frame these.3-6 “Framing” refers to how an issue is portrayed and understood and involves emphasizing certain aspects of a story to the exclusion of others.7 Frames shape the parameters of public debates by promoting particular definitions of a problem, its causes, its moral aspects, and its possible solutions.7 Many factors influence what frames get evoked in news stories: the language that’s used, whose perspectives are included or left out, what types of information are highlighted, and the potential solutions that are discussed. We know from decades of research that, in general, news coverage of different kinds of violence can stoke fear by focusing narrowly on the details of the most extreme cases, obscuring solutions,8, 9 and reinforcing the sense that crime and violence are inescapable and unchangeable problems. When it comes to gun violence in particular, news narratives are dominated by stories about mass shootings. These tragedies, while horrific, aren’t the major cause of gun deaths in this country. In fact, most incidents of gun violence are much less visible: More than 60 percent of people in the U.S. who die from guns die by suicide.1 Many of the remaining deaths occur in the context of a domestic violence incident10 (that is, violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the abuse of a spouse or intimate partner). When gun violence does happen in public, it’s more often in the context of community-level or street violence. Urban gun homicide rates often reach 10 times the national average for homicides.11 The public, and the policymakers whose actions and decisions shape our communities, need to understand what everyday, all-too-common gun violence looks like, where it happens, and how it harms people. More than that, they need to know what could be done to end it — and what is being done, in hospitals and homes, in communities and courtrooms, in schools and on streets around the country. In addition to mass shootings, the news media tend to highlight federal gun law policy efforts. The gun lobby is a high-profile figure in many of these debates.12 National gun law reform is important, as are ongoing efforts to hold the gun industry and its representatives accountable for the gun violence epidemic. However, community-level solutions are also a key part of addressing that epidemic, and to lift up these strategies, we need to elevate the solutions that are working and the voices of the people who are involved. When the full, complex landscape of gun violence is in view, then the changes that must happen at every level (individual, family, community, institutional, and societal) to end the epidemic will make sense to people. Because news provides such an important window into the discourse and has a strong influence on what people and policymakers understand, we wanted to know: How do the three most common types of gun violence — suicide, domestic violence, and community violence — appear in news coverage? How, if at all, do solutions appear? Whose voices are part of the stories, and whose are absent? How does coverage of these distinct aspects of gun violence differ, and how is it similar? For the purposes of this analysis, we focus on news from California, the country’s most populous state. California, while unique in many regards, is also in some ways a political microcosm of the United States. For example, despite its reputation as a “progressive bastion” with some of the country’s strongest gun laws, the state has a large conservative presence, particularly in rural and inland areas.13 Since the articles we analyzed come from outlets around the state, the frames and themes that appeared in the news reflect a diverse mix of political ... --- ## Healing Justice Alliance communications toolkit: Tools for changing the narrative about male survivors of violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/healing-justice-alliance-communications-toolkit-tools-for-changing-the-narrative-about-male-survivors-of-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 93 > Trauma is preventable and we, as a society, can and must support our young men of color who are impacted by it, including by changing the public conversation about violence... Trauma is preventable and we, as a society, can and must support our young men of color who are impacted by it, including by changing the public conversation about violence and trauma in our nation. To that end, the Healing Justice Alliance, a partnership between Youth ALIVE!, Cure Violence, the National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (NNHVIP), and Berkeley Media Studies Group, created this toolkit to help organizations of all sizes and strategic aims that are working in this space to identify and achieve their communication goals. Download the toolkit > --- ## How California health departments are advancing health equity: Lessons learned on community, collaboration, and communication URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-california-health-departments-are-advancing-health-equity-lessons-learned-on-community-collaboration-and-communication/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1873 > It wasn't that long ago when health departments began to ramp up their message that racial and health inequities exist and must be addressed. Too many people, they pointed out,... It wasn’t that long ago when health departments began to ramp up their message that racial and health inequities exist and must be addressed. Too many people, they pointed out, were living shorter, sicker lives, and by increasing access to good jobs and housing, safe places to play and work, quality schools, and affordable transit options, these inequities could be prevented. But even as this rallying cry got louder, there were very few examples of what it looks like for a health department to rethink its public health practice and develop solutions that move us toward health equity. That’s why The California Endowment, with help from leaders in the field, created the Advancing Health Equity Awards — a ceremony and set of grants aimed at accelerating progress, lifting up examples of promising initiatives to advance health equity, and inspiring more health departments to take on this challenging but critical work. And while there is much more to be done, new case studies of recent awardees’ work show us just how far we’ve come, as they highlight concrete solutions, community power-building, passionate people, and real change that matters for health. It’s no surprise that strong partnerships with community organizations, coalitions, and residents are essential for local health departments working toward racial and health equity. And these case studies illustrate just how important community partnerships are in every aspect of this work, including building health department capacity, understanding the root of the problem, developing equity-focused solutions, building the political will to move forward, and — the area we spend most of our time on at BMSG — communicating effectively every step of the way. This blog highlights one angle that shines through each of the newly released case studies: Strong communication starts with community collaboration and partnerships. Here’s a look at some of the lessons we can learn from the health department awardees in Monterey, Napa, and San Mateo counties: 1. Effective communication is inclusive While health departments are working to get information out to residents and partners about their commitment to tackling social issues that impact health equity, they are also developing deeper relationships with community members and building infrastructure so that communication can flow the other way, and residents can consistently inform the work of health departments. For example, in San Mateo County, the Health System’s Health, Policy and Planning team held workshops and focus groups and conducted surveys to learn what community members’ top health concerns were and prioritize their work accordingly. San Mateo also conducted interviews to make sure low-income residents, communities of color, and hard-to-reach populations were included in their feedback-gathering process. Similarly, as Monterey County Health Department pursued their community health assessment as part of the accreditation process, they engaged residents in community dialogues to determine how best to meet the region’s health needs. Through those conversations, they realized they needed to shift their perspective — and work — to focus on systemic and structural causes of poor health, rather than primarily looking at services and individual lifestyle changes. They have also engaged a variety of traditional and nontraditional partners, such as other city and county agencies, affordable housing developers, and community-based organizations, to ensure that the whole community understands how their work relates to health. This has allowed the health department to bring a health equity focus to decision-making in areas like land use, which are not typically thought of as health issues, even though they have major implications for health. And, in Napa County, public health leaders changed their approach to data as a first step toward transforming their public health practice and communication to focus on equity. In addition to gathering traditional data from public health sources, they began to conduct outreach to residents and collect qualitative data that tell the story behind the numbers. They used town halls, community surveys, large summits, and more to learn from residents and other stakeholders how one of the area’s main issues – housing – impacts health. This allowed them to understand not only which health inequities were present, but also why they were occurring, and to create community community-supported and, in some cases, community-led solutions. 2. Powerful communication is tied to community power-building Inclusive communication is also a critical step toward creating a transformative public health practice in which health departments and community residents and organizations and working side-by-side to achieve health equity. Monterey, Napa, and San Mateo are all investing in building community power, which, in turn, sets the foundation for powerful communication. In Monterey, a key goal is creating mor... --- ## Advancing Health Equity Awards, 2017: Highlighting innovative health equity practice in California public health departments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advancing-health-equity-awards-2017-highlighting-innovative-practice/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1107 > Our surroundings shape our health. For decades, evidence pointing to this truth has been growing, and we now know that the places where we live, learn, work, and play not... Our surroundings shape our health. For decades, evidence pointing to this truth has been growing, and we now know that the places where we live, learn, work, and play not only influence health outcomes, but that they do so even more than medicine or genetics. We also know that the policies and practices associated with a wide range of environmental and social issues, from air pollution to political disenfranchisement, are causing entire groups to lead shorter, sicker lives than others — and that if we want to address these inequities, we must tackle the power imbalances that underlie them. In recent years, researchers, advocates, and journalists have been working to make the public aware of this reality; after all, the first step in solving a problem is realizing that it exists. For example, in 2008, a groundbreaking documentary series called Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? shined an unsettling light on the connection between oppression and poor health. Three years later, a campaign sponsored by The California Endowment illustrated major disparities in longevity by zip code. The campaign, which drew on data from the Social Science Research Council, showed that as many as 15 years could separate the California neighborhoods with the longest life expectancies from those with the shortest. And, today, headlines about the link between physical and social environments and our health regularly appear in the news. Fortunately, just as our environments can be designed in ways harm health, they can also be redesigned in ways that promote it. To that end, local health departments (LHDs) across California have been busy brainstorming how they can play a role in crafting and implementing solutions. Along with their community partners, a growing number of health departments are expanding their traditional, service-driven scopes of work and striving to advance health equity — the ability of all people to reach their fullest health potential. Although their goal is shared, their approaches vary by location. While some are addressing issues like income inequality, education, or employment, others are working on housing, land use, or transportation. Still others are examining how health can be woven into all city and county decision-making. This transformation from a focus on health services, education, and behavior to a broader approach based on systemic and structural change is beginning to yield results. To recognize exemplary health department practices, support their innovative efforts, and encourage a new standard for health equity practice work in the Golden State and beyond, The California Endowment created the Advancing Health Equity Awards in 2014. To determine the awardees, a planning committee, made up of leaders from several initiatives and organizations representing public health departments across California, reviews applications and considers how well the LHD health equity practices do the following: contribute to building power in communities; work directly with residents and communities most impacted by inequities; work directly with social, economic, racial, environmental, and/or climate justice organizations; use cross-sector collaborations to change public or private policies and practices related to social determinants of health; shift people’s understanding of health from a focus on health care and individual behaviors to a focus on the social determinants of health and health equity; and engage in internal institutional change that drives changes external to the department. In 2017, at a gala in Los Angeles, the planning committee named three awardees: the Public Health Division of Napa County’s Health and Human Services Agency, the Health, Policy and Planning Program of the San Mateo County Health System, and the Monterey County Health Department. Two awards came with a companion grant of $25,000 to bolster health equity initiatives, and one health department — Monterey — received $100,000 as part of the Arnold X. Perkins Award for Outstanding Health Equity Practice.* Read on to learn more about health equity and what these local health departments are doing to advance it. Case studies of the 2017 Health Equity Awardees Reframing housing as a health issue in Napa County, California Get Healthy San Mateo County: How supporting community leadership can help address the root causes of poor health How Monterey County is advancing health equity using a Health in All Policies framework Download the full series or watch highlights of their work in these videos of Napa, San Mateo, and Monterey counties. To view past awardees’ work, visit https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/health-equity-case-studies-california. *To learn more about Arnold X. Perkins, the man whose lifetime commitment to social justice and health equity inspired this award, visit https://youtu.be/dGhshRia_UU. Acknowledgments Thank you to the members of the Advancing Health Equity Awards planning committee for lifting ... --- ## Get Healthy San Mateo County: How supporting community leadership can help address the root causes of poor health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/get-healthy-san-mateo-county-supporting-community-leadership/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7685 > About this case study This case study is part of a series developed by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and supported by The California Endowment (TCE) that highlights the innovative... About this case study This case study is part of a series developed by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and supported by The California Endowment (TCE) that highlights the innovative work local health departments in California are doing to advance health equity. The San Mateo County Health System’s Health, Policy and Planning Program was one of three groups in the state recognized at “Advancing Health Equity Awards 2017: Highlighting Health Equity Practice in California Public Health Departments,” a ceremony and set of awards created by The California Endowment and administered by a planning committee representing leaders in the field, to elevate promising practices among local health departments. The awardees received grants of $25,000, with a grand prize of $100,000 going to the Monterey County Health Department. The awards and case studies, along with a suite of companion videos, were created to inform and inspire other health departments looking to engage in similar work. To access the series on BMSG’s website, visit: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advancing-health-equity-awards-2017-highlighting-innovative-practice To access the series on The California Endowment’s website, visit: http://www.calendow.org/wp-content/uploads/Health-Equity-Case-Studies-2018-web-optimized.pdf To see the award-winning health departments in action, visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLwLn83VLbvxIzuUc28CM2xLQ2GcdeUU1 Introduction When school administrators approached Nicholas Walker, an 8th grade social studies teacher at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City, California, and asked him to help lead the school’s foray into restorative practices — an increasingly popular approach to discipline that helps reduce suspension and expulsion rates by involving students in the conflict-resolution process — he seized the opportunity. “Kids tell me that they do better in my class,” Walker said. “I would like to think it’s as a result of restorative practices and the relationships that I built with them.” Under traditional disciplinary models, students who show signs of behavior problems often get sent to the office, which can lead to suspensions and expulsions, especially for students with disabilities and students of color, who tend to be disproportionately punished. According to federal data, students with disabilities are twice as likely to be suspended, and Black students are three times as likely to be suspended and expelled.1 Once they have been removed from school, these students are more likely to cross paths with the juvenile justice system. Restorative practices help disrupt this pipeline by engaging both teachers and students in new methods for resolving disputes. Instead of immediately sending students to the office, teachers are trained to first try to handle conflict in the classroom. Often, they use a set of questions to guide small, impromptu conferences, where both the student who was harmed and the student who caused the harm come together to discuss any damage done and how they can repair it. “Restorative practices rest on a fundamental hypothesis that people are happier and they’re more productive when people in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them,” said Wini McMichael, wellness coordinator for the San Mateo-Foster City School District. Through restorative practices, victims gain a voice — something that often gets stifled in the justice system — and all students involved gain empathy, emotional awareness, and a sense of connectedness, which makes it easier for them to share their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Teachers and administrators also benefit, by hearing perspectives they may not have considered. Additionally — and perhaps most critically — restorative practices have the potential to improve health. “Research shows us that school connectedness is a very important factor that’s preventive,” McMichael said, explaining that students with high levels of connectedness are less likely to engage in risky behaviors like using drugs, less likely to have mental health issues, and more likely to excel academically. “They’re more likely to graduate; they’re more likely to show that they have strong academic achievement when they’re tested; and so, these things are going to lead to [a] better life and better health outcomes,” she added. This link between educational attainment and health is widely documented. The more education people have, the healthier they tend to be. The work happening at Bowditch is one small but important part of a larger, health-promoting community collaborative called Get Healthy San Mateo County (GHSMC), led by the San Mateo County Health System’s Health, Policy and Planning Program (HPP). Through GHSMC, residents work alongside leaders from cities, schools, hospitals, and various county departments to make San Mateo County a healthy place for all community members to live, regardless of their income, race/ethnicity, age, ability, immigratio... --- ## How Monterey County is advancing health equity using a Health in All Policies framework URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/monterey-county-advancing-equity-health-in-all-policies/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7329 > About this case study This case study is part of a series developed by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and supported by The California Endowment (TCE) that highlights the innovative... About this case study This case study is part of a series developed by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and supported by The California Endowment (TCE) that highlights the innovative work local health departments in California are doing to advance health equity. The Monterey County Health Department was one of three groups in the state recognized at “Advancing Health Equity Awards 2017: Highlighting Health Equity Practice in California Public Health Departments,” a ceremony and set of awards created by The California Endowment and administered by a planning committee representing leaders in the field, to elevate promising practices among local health departments. The awardees received grants of $25,000, and MCHD was selected for the prestigious Arnold X. Perkins award of $100,000, given to the most compelling example of work to boost health equity. The awards and case studies, along with a suite of companion videos, were created to inform and inspire other health departments looking to engage in similar efforts. To access the series on BMSG’s website, visit: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advancing-health-equity-awards-2017-highlighting-innovative-practice To access the series on The California Endowment’s website, visit: http://www.calendow.org/wp-content/uploads/Health-Equity-Case-Studies-2018-web-optimized.pdf To see the award-winning health departments in action, visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLwLn83VLbvxIzuUc28CM2xLQ2GcdeUU1 Introduction Ramona Villagrana, a resident of King City in Monterey County, works nights harvesting spinach. During her 28 years of gathering produce for the agricultural industry, she has often endured extreme temperatures and harsh conditions, but she presses on because she needs the job. Like most residents in Monterey County, Villagrana is Latina. She is also a monolingual Spanish speaker, and without robust social supports, it would be easy for her and others like her to become isolated and unable to weigh in on issues affecting her family and community. To keep that from happening, the Monterey County Health Department (MCHD) is investing in programs like enLACE (Leadership and Civic Engagement Academy), which means “to connect” in Spanish. The eight-week program, offered by the health department, is designed to help residents become more engaged and better understand the link between civic participation and community health. It is part of a larger health department strategy aimed at advancing health equity, or the ability of all people, regardless of their race/ethnicity, gender, age, ability, or income, to be healthy. Through enLACE, residents can learn about everything from safety and prevention to budgeting and policymaking. They also gain insight into the health implications of policies, such as housing ordinances, which may determine how many homes in residential developments are affordable to low-income households, and transportation policies, which can influence how easy or difficult it is for people to walk and bike within their neighborhoods. Villagrana, who joined an enLACE cohort in King City, said she learned about nutrition and health, how government funds are distributed, and where to go to make requests on behalf of her community. “My participation in enLACE has helped me work in a different way, to communicate in a different way, to know where to find information,” Villagrana said, through a translator. “enLACE makes you see life in a different way,” she added. Although the program is transformative for many of its participants, health department leaders are modest about their role in supporting enLACE, which they say is one of MCHD’s responsibilities to the community. “Working in the fields is very hard labor,” County Health Director Elsa Jimenez said. “I feel that it’s our obligation to help those individuals achieve positive health outcomes and be able to obtain their fullest potential.” That Villagrana could participate in enLACE is largely a credit to its locations. Unlike many programs and services, which are concentrated in cities such as Monterey and Salinas, enLACE meets residents where they are. “If all the services come here, people will be there to attend them,” Villagrana said. “Many people don’t attend programs because it’s too far away; they don’t have a way to get there. And even if they take the bus, it stops in every location, so if you have an appointment, you sometimes can’t make it in time. … I would really like [more services] to be in our community. They shouldn’t forget us.” Keeping in mind the county’s demographics — according to U.S. Census Bureau data, about 58 percent of residents are Latino, and more than half speak a language other than English at home — MCHD offers its enLACE sessions in Spanish, when needed. “It’s been a huge success to be able to offer it in Spanish with people who aren’t traditionally at the table,” said Carmen Gil, a Health in All Policies manager at MCHD. “They’re the ones that ... --- ## Reframing housing as a health issue in Napa County, California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/reframing-housing-health-issue-napa-county-california/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 8661 > About this case study This case study is part of a series developed by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and supported by The California Endowment (TCE) that illuminates the innovative... About this case study This case study is part of a series developed by the Berkeley Media Studies Group and supported by The California Endowment (TCE) that illuminates the innovative work local health departments in California are doing to advance health equity. The Public Health Division of Napa County’s Health and Human Services Agency was one of three groups in the state recognized at “Advancing Health Equity Awards 2017: Highlighting Health Equity Practice in California Public Health Departments,” a ceremony and set of awards created by The California Endowment and administered by a planning committee representing leaders in the field, to elevate promising practices among local health departments. The awardees received grants of $25,000, with a grand prize of $100,000 going to the Monterey County Health Department. The awards and case studies, along with a suite of companion videos, were created to inform and inspire other health departments looking to engage in similar work. To access the series on BMSG’s website, visit: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advancing-health-equity-awards-2017-highlighting-innovative-practice To access the series on The California Endowment’s website, visit: http://www.calendow.org/wp-content/uploads/Health-Equity-Case-Studies-2018-web-optimized.pdf To see the award-winning health departments in action, visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLwLn83VLbvxIzuUc28CM2xLQ2GcdeUU1 Introduction When people think about California’s Napa region, they often imagine world-class wines, fine dining and breathtaking mountain views. What they likely don’t think about — and don’t know about — is the area’s struggles with poverty. “People are very surprised when we talk about poverty in Napa County,” said Cara Mae Wooledge, health education specialist for the Public Health Division of Napa County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). “They think that everything is wine and cheese all the time, and it’s really not that. We have a lot of disparity & and it’s something that we’re hoping to bring to the light and to show that this is something that we need to deal with in our community.” More than one-quarter of Napa County residents and one-third of families with children under age 18 live below 200 percent of the federal poverty level,1 making them “at risk of becoming homeless or marginally housed,” explained Dr. Karen Relucio, health officer and director for HHSA’s Public Health Division (NCPH). That concern is compounded by the county’s lack of housing that is affordable. It has been ranked one of our nation’s least affordable areas, and the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment exceeds $2,300 — more than double what is considered affordable.2 Additionally, the wait time for Section 8 affordable housing in Napa is extremely long: Currently, city of Napa staff are helping people who have been on the list for more than six years.3 It is a jarring irony, then, that although the wine and hospitality industries form the backbone of the area’s economy — in 2016 alone, tourists spent close to $2 billion in Napa County4 — the people who serve those tourists often have a hard time keeping a roof over their heads. While some aspects of Napa’s poverty and housing issues are located off the beaten path and away from major tourist destinations, others are hidden in plain sight. Tourists headed to downtown Napa’s tasting rooms and bed and breakfasts can drive past homeless service providers like the Hope Resource Center, which provides showers, restrooms, mail, and laundry services, or The Table, which provides hot, nutritious meals, without even knowing it. And visitors to the Napa Premium Outlets can spend hundreds of dollars on a Coach purse or Cole Haan shoes and never realize that in the houses just behind those stores, many residents can barely pay their rent. Even when people are looking for manifestations of inequality in Napa County, there is not always an easy distinction between poverty and wealth. Unlike in many larger cities, which often have clear signs of segregation, in Napa, low-income areas are scattered throughout the county’s many neighborhoods. Although having integrated neighborhoods can be beneficial, it can also render issues like overcrowding and housing instability (in which more than one-third of a person’s monthly income is spent on rent) invisible. “You can have seven families living in apartments that [are] made for four people,” said Alissa Abdo, the executive director of On the Move, a nonprofit that works closely with NCPH/HHSA on many projects. “But,” she added, “you would only know if you were the person who is experiencing that in our community.” Together with community residents, elected officials, industry leaders, and community-based organizations, NCPH/HHSA is working to make these issues visible and to reframe housing as a health issue — not just for individuals, but for the entire community. They are also using a combination of communi... --- ## 5 ways advocates can use Twitter to elevate the link between racism and childhood trauma URL: https://www.bmsg.org/5-ways-advocates-can-use-twitter-to-elevate-the-link-between-racism-and-childhood-trauma/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1172 > Nearly 12 years after Twitter first launched in 2006, it has become a global behemoth with 330 million monthly active users, supporting 500 million Tweets every day. Tweets are now... Nearly 12 years after Twitter first launched in 2006, it has become a global behemoth with 330 million monthly active users, supporting 500 million Tweets every day. Tweets are now a part of daily life, whether they are public conversations about social movements, individual commentary about current events, or political announcements from elected officials. Because advocates are increasingly leveraging social channels like Twitter to influence policy decisions, researchers at Berkeley Media Studies Group set out to see how the platform is being used to highlight the connection between two critical health and social justice issues: racism and trauma. We know from research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that racism, childhood trauma, and toxic stress are closely linked and can have devastating implications for long-term health outcomes. But how effectively are childhood trauma advocates using social media to convey this message? Are they making the connections between trauma, toxic stress, and racism? Are they participating in the dialogue surrounding #BlackLivesMatter, which saw a meteoric rise on social media and arguably ignited the “movement moment?” And are childhood trauma and racial justice experts and thought-leaders listening to each other on Twitter to strengthen the movement and work toward solutions? “To find out the prevalence of social media conversations that were connecting racism to trauma and toxic stress, we monitored and compared Tweets that focused on childhood trauma, resilience, and #BlackLivesMatter,” said Sarah Han, a BMSG research associate and report co-author. “We discovered that race was barely mentioned in conversations on Twitter about childhood trauma, and trauma was barely mentioned in conversations about Black Lives Matter,” said lead author and BMSG Senior Media Researcher Laura Nixon. “Only 2% of Tweets about childhood trauma mentioned issues of race and a fraction of a percent, 0.004%, of Tweets about #BLM mentioned trauma.” Research shows that prevention works, and there are currently countless policies, such as affirmative action and the Fair Housing Act, that are addressing and untangling the harmful effects of structural racism. However, in the few conversations that did connect race and childhood trauma, BMSG found that most missed the opportunity to discuss solutions. While some solutions referenced school-based actions, access to mental health services, or specific legislation, the majority of them were vague, unspecific calls that “something needs to be done.” In Twitter conversations about Black Lives Matter and trauma, about a third mentioned solutions, which mostly centered on the need for self-care. While a vital component of maintaining one’s physical and mental health in times of stress, these solutions don’t address the role of cultural and institutional factors that can play a bigger role in shaping health outcomes. “Our findings suggest the need to make the connection between structural racism, trauma, and clear policy solutions,” Nixon said. “There are clear gaps and opportunities to address the intersection of childhood trauma and racism in conversations on social media.” The BMSG research team also conducted a social media network analysis of Twitter conversations about racism, trauma, and #BLM. They examined how Twitter users interacted with one another through Retweets, mentions, and comments to explore and map the structure of these dialogues. “We wanted to know what people were Tweeting, but also how this information spreads and how these conversations develop,” Han said. “We found that, overall, these Tweets were rarely Retweeted, and many of these social media discussions were happening in a void.” Elevating these connections is one small but important way that advocates can bolster their efforts to improve community health. Here are five practical steps you can take to bridge the gap on Twitter: 1. Become a thought leader on Twitter. If you work on ACEs, childhood trauma, or toxic stress, let your expertise shine on Twitter. This begins with a current and professional presence on the platform. Since it is often the first impression people will get of your organization if you are engaging with them on Twitter, treat your profile like an elevator pitch. Make sure your profile photo and cover photo are sized correctly, include the location of your organization, and write a description that clearly explains your work. Most adults in the United States get news on social media. Stay up on current events, piggyback off of news that pertains to your topic, and share articles that others in the field should know about. Develop messaging regarding race, trauma, and toxic stress in your organization so that you or your social media manager can clearly make the connection between race and health on Twitter. 2. Seek out diverse voices from #BLM and the ACEs community. Carve out some time to follow and build relationships with authentic voices who are... --- ## Trauma, resilience, and #blacklivesmatter: How do racism and trauma intersect in social media conversations? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/trauma-resilience-blacklivesmatter-racism-trauma-social-media/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4724 > The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente launched a groundbreaking study in 1995 that provided conclusive evidence that traumatic incidents in childhood (like witnessing domestic violence or... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente launched a groundbreaking study in 1995 that provided conclusive evidence that traumatic incidents in childhood (like witnessing domestic violence or experiencing sexual abuse) are associated with a higher risk of many damaging physical and mental health consequences.1 These traumatic incidents are called “adverse childhood experiences,” or ACEs, and cause toxic stress. Toxic stress is the body’s physiological response to extreme, frequent, or prolonged adversity and can disrupt the development of vital organs and the nervous system.2 The more ACEs an individual has, the more toxic stress accumulates, and the greater his or her risk for a range of poor mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood, including diabetes, cancer, substance abuse, and suicide.1 One of the more important findings from the ACE study was that harmful childhood traumas are very common.3 And although trauma can affect everyone, some communities suffer disproportionately. The original ACE study focused on traumatic experiences as a result of abuse or dysfunction within families. Subsequent ACE surveys have expanded the definition of childhood trauma to include trauma related to structural factors, such as exposure to racism, poverty, involvement with the foster care system, and living in an unsafe neighborhood4, 5 — all experiences that disproportionately affect people of color and low-income communities. However, despite the greater burden of traumatic experiences carried by communities of color, communicating about childhood trauma and its connections with race and racism can be challenging. Experts are divided as to whether to emphasize the universality of childhood trauma or to highlight the experiences and needs of communities of color that experience a higher burden of violence and trauma.5 We wanted to better understand how racism and childhood trauma are being discussed, together and separately. One place where conversations about both issues are happening is on social media. Social media provides a particularly important window into the discourse about racism. The Black Lives Matter movement, for example, has made social media central to its strategy: #BlackLivesMatter was the third-most used social-issue hashtag in the history of Twitter in 2016.6 Many policymakers, journalists, and members of the public have learned or are learning about race, racism, and its impact on communities through the work of the Black Lives Matter and its robust social media strategy. We wondered, how are childhood trauma researchers, advocates, and others talking about race on Twitter? Are those conversations drawing the connection between trauma and structural racism? We also wondered whether there were opportunities to bring a trauma lens to existing Twitter conversations about racial justice: Do conversations about Black Lives Matter — which often center on violent and traumatic incidents in communities of color — include discussions of trauma or related topics? In this report, we present the findings from our exploration of how these conversations intersect on social media and consider the implications for communicating about the intersections of trauma, racism, and racial justice. What we did We collected two sets of Tweets posted between July 2014 and December 2016, using the Synthesio social media listening platform. Childhood trauma: We collected any Tweets that focused on childhood trauma and resilience. We searched these Tweets for any mention of race or racism. Black Lives Matter: We collected any Tweets that contained Black Lives Matter phrases or hashtags (e.g., #BlackLivesMatter, #BLM). Among these Tweets, we searched for posts that contained keywords relating to trauma and resilience. We removed Tweets that were irrelevant and those that were privacy-protected by the Twitter user. We also removed Tweets that used the term “trauma” or “traumatized” colloquially, as when Twitter users discussed being “traumatized” by a movie or TV show as a child. We developed a coding instrument based on our review of existing literature and our previous analyses of ACEs in the news7, 8 and in social media.9 Before coding the full sample, we used an iterative process and a statistical test (Krippendorff’s alpha*) to ensure that coders’ agreement was not occurring by chance. For our first level of analysis, we coded only original, unique Tweets, removing Retweets and repeated Tweets. Then, to explore the structure of these Twitter conversations, we conducted a network analysis, which examines the connections and interactions within a social network. Using Python (a programming language), we mapped the connections between all the Tweets in our sample (including Retweets, mentions, and repeated Tweets**) and then visualized these networks using Gephi, a network analysis and visualization software. What we found Race in conversations about childhood trauma Race was rarely mentioned i... --- ## From farm to every fork: Rewriting the narrative on urban agriculture in Sacramento URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/farm-every-fork-rewriting-narrative-urban-agriculture-sacramento/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 8444 > At the corner of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and 12th Avenue in Sacramento, a community garden offers a calm counterpoint to the city's busy streets. With close to 40... At the corner of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and 12th Avenue in Sacramento, a community garden offers a calm counterpoint to the city’s busy streets. With close to 40 plots, a common area, and a fruit tree orchard, it is one of Sacramento’s largest community gardens, and its location within the Oak Park neighborhood — a place where fresh, affordable food is hard to come by — represents the city’s growing commitment to help its residents eat healthier. Yet, a closer look reveals that many of the plots in the city-owned and -run garden are overgrown with weeds, and the padlocked iron gate makes it unclear whether residents are truly being invited in or asked to keep out. Several of the plots are vacant. To use them, residents must pay a monthly rental fee, which means that, however well-intentioned the garden is, many people are priced out of participating. “There’s open spots in these gardens that I can’t fill,” said Katie Valenzuela Garcia, an Oak Park resident, community organizer, and then-consultant for Sacramento’s Urban Agriculture Coalition, which is working to improve food access in the city and surrounding county. “When you’re an extremely low-income family, coming to a space like this is not really welcome, nor sustainable financially.” By contrast, the Broadway Sol Community Garden, located about three-quarters of a mile north of the MLK space, greets visitors with a brightly colored sign, featuring a hand-drawn vine intertwined with the words “love,” “hope,” “respect,” “trust,” “tolerance,” and “justice.” The gate at the entrance is made from repurposed rakes and shovels, painted vibrant shades of red, blue, and yellow. With just 15 plots, the community-run space is smaller, but it exudes warmth and is easier for the public to access. Residents not only grow food there, they also take community classes, use the garden’s outdoor kitchen, and gather with their children, families, and neighbors. “This is a true community space,” Valenzuela Garcia said. “Different people have different plots that they’re working, and they just kind of volunteer, and they have their space and events. It’s beautiful.” If the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Garden embodies where urban agriculture has been in Sacramento, Broadway Sol signifies where it is headed. It reflects a shift in how the city and its residents are thinking about urban agriculture — how food is produced, where it is available, who can afford to buy it, who is allowed to sell it, and what this means for the community’s physical and financial health. A project of the nonprofit Oak Park Sol, the Broadway Sol Community Garden is just one example of how advocates in Sacramento are driving this shift by helping to empower residents to transform their neighborhoods in ways that support health and build community. Moving away from a top-down approach to change, advocates are engaging community members and using a variety of strategies, including policy change and youth development, to make urban agriculture a practice that is available to everyone, not just to the privileged few who have the time and money to participate. To better understand Sacramento’s urban agriculture practices and how other places might replicate them, this case study explores the steps local advocates are taking to strengthen access to healthy food, highlights the victories they’ve celebrated, identifies challenges they’ve overcome, and shares lessons learned in their quest for a healthier community. Why agriculture? Located about 100 miles west of Lake Tahoe and 88 miles northeast of San Francisco, Sacramento is California’s capital and one of its most historic cities. It is home to Sutter’s Fort, made famous in the 19th century for sending aid to members of the Donner Party and, later, for its role in fueling the California Gold Rush. Along the Sacramento River, a 28-acre stretch of land called Old Sacramento harks back to the city’s origins as a trading center for gold miners. Today, tourists and locals alike can stroll the historic district’s boardwalks or visit one of its many museums or restaurants. In addition to its rich history, Sacramento prides itself on being a bastion of diversity, with nearly 27 percent of its population being Latino, 18 percent being Asian, and close to 15 percent being African American.1 Its total population is just shy of a half million, and it is one of the state’s fastest growing cities. Yet, for all its assets, the city faces its share of social challenges. According to health department data, about 20 percent of residents in Sacramento County make less than a living wage, and that economic hardship is more concentrated in communities of color.2 Latino families bear the largest burden, with approximately 35 percent of households below the living wage.3 Like many major urban areas, Sacramento’s history of land use has influenced its current economic reality, with patterns of housing and amenities broken down along racial lines. How, then, ... --- ## Turning the tide: New directions in health communication URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/turning-the-tide-new-directions-in-health-communication/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 107 > As part of strategic messaging panel for the annual Turning the Tide conference at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses the role that environments... As part of strategic messaging panel for the annual Turning the Tide conference at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses the role that environments play in driving health outcomes and how media coverage can influence the policy decisions that create those environments. Studying the news, she explains, can help advocates better anticipate opposition arguments and work with journalists to shape coverage in ways that advance health solutions. Dorfman also highlights basic concepts in framing, addresses ways that the backdrop of individualism in the United States creates obstacles to effective health communication, and gives examples of successful public health campaigns. --- ## Adverse childhood experiences training in Fresno, California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/adverse-childhood-experiences-training-in-fresno-california/ Type: events Modified: 2018-04-26 Words: 42 > The third in a four-part series, this training was designed to help advocates from the ACEsConnection Network access data in their area and use that data to effectively educate key... The third in a four-part series, this training was designed to help advocates from the ACEsConnection Network access data in their area and use that data to effectively educate key stakeholders about how to create trauma-informed practices, services, and systems. --- ## Immigration training in Orange County, California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/immigration-training-in-orange-county-california/ Type: events Modified: 2018-04-26 Words: 54 > In this training, BMSG will help members of the OC Opportunities Initiative, a coalition of service providers and immigrant rights advocates, develop unified messaging, strategy, and talking points. Participants will... In this training, BMSG will help members of the OC Opportunities Initiative, a coalition of service providers and immigrant rights advocates, develop unified messaging, strategy, and talking points. Participants will discuss immigrant rights, share best practices, and brainstorm strategies to create a narrative that uplifts immigrants and challenges the ongoing criminalization of immigrant communities. --- ## How has news coverage of gun violence changed since Columbine? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/columbine-parkland-how-has-news-coverage-of-gun-violence-changed/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 2865 > On April 20, 1999, Columbine students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire in their high school in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and injuring two dozen others before killing... On April 20, 1999, Columbine students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire in their high school in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and injuring two dozen others before killing themselves. Although it wasn’t the first school shooting in the United States, the magnitude of the massacre thrust gun violence into the media spotlight in an unprecedented way and has remained a defining moment in our national memory ever since. News headlines following school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, and Parkland, Florida. In the weeks and months that followed, journalists examined everything from bullying to violent video games to lax gun regulations as possible factors that contributed to the mass shooting. They wanted to know: Were there any warning signs? How did the shooters obtain their weapons? Did they have a history of violence? How can this be prevented? News coverage offers a window into how the public and policymakers understand key issues like gun violence, and so after the Columbine shooting, BMSG set out to study coverage of similar events. Building on our previous research on violence and guns in the news, we analyzed a year’s worth of media reporting on youth violence in California and debates surrounding gun violence in the Midwest, and wrote recommendations for advocates and journalists covering these issues. Tragically, nearly 200 school shootings have taken place in the U.S. since Columbine, and each time the public is left asking the same questions. In the aftermath of more recent tragedies like the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 and this year’s shooting in Parkland, Florida, reporters and public health professionals have also begun to ask: Will this be the wake-up call that finally makes gun violence prevention a reality? As we near the 19th anniversary of the school shooting at Columbine High School, and as BMSG prepares to publish new research on news coverage of gun violence, I sat down with our head of research, Pamela Mejia, to talk about her memories of Columbine, how media coverage of gun violence has changed over the past two decades, what details are often missing from coverage, and how both journalists and advocates can help the public better understand the root causes of and solutions to gun violence. The following is an excerpt of our conversation. Can you tell me a little bit about your memories of the Columbine shooting and how it has impacted your life? I was 13, and I’d been taking some college classes in the afternoons and summers at Washington State University where my mom taught. There had been some discussions about what I would do the following year, but the plan was still to attend the local high school. Columbine changed all that. Suddenly the idea of me being inside a school building was very traumatizing for my mom. I remember images and videos on the news that showed the shooters inside Columbine High School. I could see the cafeteria tables and the hallways and the library, and it was all so recognizable. Places that had been normal before were suddenly dangerous. My mother was so panicked that she didn’t want me going back to a public middle school or a high school. So the following year I enrolled in college full time. It’s a long story and there’s more to it than that, but ultimately, Columbine changed the trajectory of my academic life. Looking back now, even though there had been shootings before Columbine, it definitely felt like a defining moment. If you started going to school after 1999, you grew up in an era where school shootings were just part of your life. How did the Columbine shooting affect your career, and has it influenced the work you are doing as a media researcher? Now that I’m a mother, I can understand what my own mom was going through. My work is shaped by my memories of Columbine, and reading the news, and being surrounded by gun culture in America, but it’s also shaped by my family. I’m raising a child and I’m married to a high school teacher, and I want to figure out how to make a compelling case for gun control so that my husband isn’t expected to be a human shield and so that my daughter doesn’t grow up thinking lockdown drills are a normal part of life. In the long term, we work in public health because we want the world to be better. But with violence prevention, it feels urgent. We’re doing it so next week will be better, or so that tomorrow will be better. What research is BMSG doing to understand how the media are covering gun violence? In much of our research on gun violence, we are deliberately not looking at mass shootings. Mass shootings are terrible tragedies and we need to talk about them, but if you’re looking at the numbers, they actually don’t account for most of the deaths from guns. The majority of gun deaths and injuries are caused by suicide, domestic violence, and community-level violence. We’re trying to understand the gun violence that kills and injures and traumatizes people every day and how it’s covered in the me... --- ## Video: Taxes make health happen URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/taxes-make-health-happen/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-04-01 Words: 22 > Dr. Tony Iton of The California Endowment and Dr. Lori Dorfman of Berkeley Media Studies Group discuss how taxes make health happen. Dr. Tony Iton of The California Endowment and Dr. Lori Dorfman of Berkeley Media Studies Group discuss how taxes make health happen. --- ## Reimagining public space to benefit health and foster community: A case study of Salinas’ annual Ciclovía URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/salinas-ciclovia-reimagining-public-space-benefit-health-and-foster-community-case-study/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4190 > It's a warm, sunny October afternoon in Salinas, California, and along East Alisal Street, one of the city's busiest roads, not a car is in sight. A mile-and-a-half stretch of... It’s a warm, sunny October afternoon in Salinas, California, and along East Alisal Street, one of the city’s busiest roads, not a car is in sight. A mile-and-a-half stretch of the street has been closed off to automobiles and is bustling with another kind of activity. In one direction, children are playing in a bouncy castle; in another, dancers are performing carefully choreographed routines; and everywhere in between, people are walking, biking, talking and celebrating their community as part of Salinas’ fourth annual Ciclovía, which is Spanish for “bike path.” With music and laughter filling the air, the event looks and feels like a giant kid- and family-friendly block party. However, a stroll down East Alisal reveals that it is much more than that. Each side of the street is flanked by dozens of booths, with local nonprofits, community groups, city staff and others engaging with local residents and offering a range of resources on everything from health care to housing discrimination. One group is busy registering new voters, while another is helping to educate people about water conservation amid the state’s ongoing drought. Yet another is reaching out to young people in an effort to improve their literacy skills. Ciclovía Salinas’ purpose and benefits, then, have many layers. “You’re asking people to reimagine what a space can be,” said Salinas resident Eric Mora, who ran a booth at the 2016 Ciclovía on behalf of the National Steinbeck Center. “Especially with this area — it’s a very high-traffic area. People seldom walk here. There’s a lot of cars, so it’s kind of hard. It’s nice to give people the opportunity to see what the street looks like from a different angle when they’re not rushing to get from point A to point B.” For many, that reimagining starts with health. As the name suggests, Ciclovía provides an opportunity for community members to ditch driving for a day and be active, and each booth that participates in the event is required to include some type of physical activity component at its station. At the same time, the event aims to improve community cohesion in Salinas, which has a long history of racial division and tension between the city and community, among other social challenges. Krista Hanni, the planning, evaluation and policy manager at the Monterey County Health Department, said that as Ciclovía participants bicycle and walk, “they are creating community as they go along. They’re interacting with neighbors and people from other neighborhoods that they might not have had a chance to interact with as much before — and certainly not in a parklike atmosphere and on a street. You don’t expect the street to be like a park.” Others say they hope the event will increase safety and help Salinas discard its image as a hotspot for violence. “We have a real bad negative stigma,” said Israel Villa, a Ciclovía volunteer who also works for Motivating Individual Leadership for Public Advancement (MILPA). “There’s definitely too much violence here. However, there’s a lot of good people in this community of all colors. We care about our community. It’s not just all the stuff you see on the media.” Finally, Ciclovía is helping to empower community members, especially youth, to play a central role in making these changes happen. The entire event is youth-led, with high-school students doing everything from coordinating logistics to recruiting volunteers and promoting the event widely to ensure a strong turnout. Although addressing the root causes of racial injustice, violence and inequitable health outcomes is beyond the scope of Ciclovía — or any single event — organizers hope that it will help encourage further action. To learn how it is doing that, this case study explores the origins of Ciclovía, some of its successes and setbacks, the community’s vision for the future and lessons learned. Why Ciclovía? Salinas is a mid-sized city of just over 161,000 people, located fewer than 10 miles from the Monterey Bay and roughly 85 miles from the San Francisco Peninsula. Known as the birthplace of the late Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck, who based many of his works there, the city boasts a robust agricultural industry and lush vineyards. It has a mild climate, with average temperatures in the low 60s to mid-70s yearround. Set against the backdrop of the Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountains, Salinas is rich in natural beauty. It is also rich in cultural diversity, with large populations of Latinos, Asian Americans and undocumented immigrants. But in spite of the city’s many assets, it experiences significant social and economic struggles. Generations of systemic racism, exploitation and disinvestment have fueled racial injustices and led to high rates of poverty and related issues, such as low high school graduation rates, low homeownership rates, and a median household income that falls below both the state and national average. And although the city’s violent crime rate has been declining, Salinas remain... --- ## The forgotten victims of officer-involved shootings URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-forgotten-victims-officer-involved-shootings/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 833 > His name was Stephon Clark, and he was 22 years old. He was a father, a son, a neighbor, a friend, and a member of his community. He was in... His name was Stephon Clark, and he was 22 years old. He was a father, a son, a neighbor, a friend, and a member of his community. He was in his grandparents’ backyard in Sacramento when police shot 20 rounds of bullets at him, killing him, on the evening of March 18. As a mom and a Californian, I was moved by the tragedy. As a media researcher, I know it is not unique. Clark was the 225th person shot by police this year alone (at publication time, that number had risen to 244). Almost 1,000 people were killed by police in 2017. But many people probably would not know how high the numbers are because, although other forms of gun violence dominate the news, when a police officer shoots someone, news outlets sometimes don’t report the story. Accurate and complete news coverage is important because we can’t mourn victims unless we know about their deaths, and we can’t fix a problem we aren’t told about. To support communities as they grapple with the death of yet another young man of color shot by the police, BMSG set out to understand more about how the news commemorates or ignores those who have been killed. We examined the data on fatal California officer-involved shootings kept by the Washington Post and Killed by Police. These sites collect data from “news reports, public records, social media and other sources,” so they may not represent the total number of killings. We found no other databases that track officer-involved shootings across the country, though individual police departments have released data about incidents in their jurisdictions. We cross-referenced each shooting with news from 75 newspapers (and their online equivalents) from around California.* We found 162 officer-involved fatal shootings in California in 2017 and 330 news articles about them. For almost one-third of all shootings, we found no news coverage in the outlets we examined. More than half of the victims of the shootings without news coverage were African American and Latino men (at least 53 percent, though there could be more because there were 11 incidents without coverage where the race of the victim was not indicated in the Washington Post database). How many articles did officer-involved shootings generate in California newspapers in 2017? (n=162 incidents) When stories about officer-involved shootings did appear, they were usually brief and provided little background information. The coverage included only a few articles about each killing: Nearly half of the fatal police-involved shootings in 2017 produced only one or two brief stories (48 percent of incidents). The few cases (10 percent) that generated five or more articles drew attention because the victim’s family continued to call for justice (as in the case of Desmond Phillips from Chico, who, like Stephon Clark, was in a family home when he was shot), or because the “suicide by cop” details of the case inspired discussion about teen suicide. These findings (and observations from our partners and colleagues around the country) suggest that our key public narratives — including our news narratives — about police violence may be missing important pieces of the story. When most of the victims whose stories we don’t hear are Black and Latino, the unfair burden of police violence that these communities suffer is also harder to see. Of course, there are still a lot of questions to be answered: What about non-fatal shootings? What does coverage from television and social media look like? What information should be part of the news narrative if we are to better understand what’s needed to build communities where everyone is truly safe? What is the role and responsibility of journalists, of community members, of allies, of leaders, of politicians, of each one of us? We hope we’ll have the chance to explore the answers. In the meantime, Berkeley Media Studies Group will continue monitoring the news and asking questions — about Stephon Clark’s story and anyone whose stories come after his. Advocates — and anyone who wants to know the true toll of officer-involved shootings — must keep insisting that we see the stories of anyone killed by police whose death doesn’t make the front page. Methods *Based on data from the Washington Post and killedbypolice.net, we used the Lexis-Nexis database to search all California newspapers for any reference during 2017 to the shooting victim, along with the word “police.” When we were unable to find the name of the victim, we searched Google News and Lexis-Nexis for the phrase “officer-involved shooting” or “police shooting,” along with the location of the incident and the approximate date to find the name of the victim. We then read each article to determine whether or not it was related to the specific police killing. --- ## Taxes and health equity — letter to the editor tips URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/taxes-and-health-equity-letter-editor-tips/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2458 > Adapted from Berkeley Media Studies Group's Tips for Writing Effective Letters to the Editor. Letters to the editor can signal community interest about a particular public health issue and send... Adapted from Berkeley Media Studies Group‘s Tips for Writing Effective Letters to the Editor. Letters to the editor can signal community interest about a particular public health issue and send a message to policymakers. But what makes for a compelling letter, and how can advocates increase their chances of getting published? To support public health advocates in writing effective letters to the editor on the importance of how taxes can advance health and equity, the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) and Public Health Awakened created this resource. This resource includes: General tips for writing effective letters to the editor Specific tips on writing letters to the editor about the role of taxes to advance health and equity A letter to the editor template about the importance of taxes to protect everyone’s health Examples of framing taxes as a public good for health and equity General tips for writing effective letters to the editor Letters should be short and punchy, about 100 to 200 words, and if the subject matter is in response to a news article, it’s best to respond the same day the article is published. As with other media strategies, always keep your overall objective in mind. It can be tempting to respond with anger to an article or column “to set the record straight,” but will your response further your overall advocacy goal? What would you like readers, or your policy target, to do? What solutions would you like them to support as a result of reading your letter? When writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine, keep the following tips in mind: Respond quickly. If you read or see something you want to respond to, send your letter by email (or use the news site’s online form if they have one) the same day, or by the next day at the latest. Mention your reason for writing, preferably in the first sentence. If you are responding directly to an article you’ve read in the publication, state the article headline and publication date. If you are commenting on a local current event, be specific about the issue or event. Take a strong position. Editors look for fresh facts, honest statements of opinion, and creative takes on news. If you can, offer a compelling fact that shows the urgency or importance of your issue. Include a call to action. Make sure to include your full name and contact information. You may be contacted to verify your identity before the letter is published. Check with your organization before including any information about their work in the letter. Organizations will have different policies about how employees interact with the media, and it’s important to understand them before identifying yourself as an employee. You can always use more generic terms if you want to include info about yourself, such as, “As a public health worker/nurse/researcher/student, I’m concerned about …” Look up the editorial policies for each outlet you submit to. Some have different word count restrictions or policies on how many letters they will accept from the same individual in a specific time period. Don’t send the same letter to competing publications. Newspapers and magazines want to publish original content. Engaging your allies may be a way to have several different letters published that are worded differently but point to the same policy solution. Also, follow the news your target follows. Your choice of where to submit your letter should be a strategic one. Tips for writing effective letters to the editor on taxes and health Upcoming events will trigger news stories related to taxes — Tax Day, new legislation, anniversaries of key events, like the Boston Tea Party, government shutdowns, presidential speeches and tweets, Congressional decisions, political campaigns, disasters and emergencies, and budget shortfalls are just a few. There might also be positive stories on government-funded programs that you can link to taxes and health. You can also tie stories about public health issues to the need for taxes and a strong social safety net. For example, you could respond to articles about opioid use with a letter about how taxes fund education, job training, housing options, and more — all of which are needed to address opioid use. Use the tips below to take as many opportunities as you can to expand our public discussion about the relationship between taxes and health. Start with a goal and stick to it. What do you want to achieve and who has the power to make that change? Are you concerned about federal, state, or local tax policy? Is there an upcoming decision you care about? Who will be making the decision and what do you want them to decide? Knowing what you want before you start writing will help you prioritize what info goes into the letter and what information you reserve for another time. Limit the content to one or two key points. A letter to the editor is a concise statement or argument, not an in-depth analysis. Since letters typically respond to current news, think abo... --- ## Getting attention for prevention: Guidelines for effective communication about preventing sexual violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/sexual-violence-prevention-effective-communication-guidelines/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1770 > It can be difficult to convey that sexual violence is preventable and to illustrate what prevention can look like. The way we communicate about sexual violence can make a big... It can be difficult to convey that sexual violence is preventable and to illustrate what prevention can look like. The way we communicate about sexual violence can make a big difference in how our intended audience understands the problem and what to do about it. With an issue so big and seemingly intractable, it can be tempting to focus solely on driving home the scope of the problem. We need to talk about what to do about it — not just after the fact, but also what needs to happen to prevent abuse and assault in the first place. We know from opinion research that people are hungry to learn more about what prevention looks like in concrete, measurable terms. How will you illustrate that preventing sexual violence is possible and that there are tangible steps your audience can take to get there? Here we explore the nuances of framing sexual violence and provide building blocks for constructing messages about prevention. Shift from portrait to landscape Communication is not just about what we say or how we say it. Persuasive messages emerge from an overall strategy — the change we want to see in the world and how we think it will happen. In other words, message is never first: Messages about preventing sexual assault will derive from the specific policies, programs, systems or cultural changes we want to put in place. Messages, then, must be considered in tandem with who will deliver them (messengers) and to whom they will be delivered (specific audiences). Messages don’t exist in a vacuum; in addition to being connected to specific strategies, messages are delivered in political and cultural contexts that can influence how they are understood. That’s why messages have to be fluid — developed from strategy (which changes), delivered by messengers (who change) to a target audience (which might also change) in a specific context (also in flux). Framing is the process our minds use to recognize patterns of ideas, categorize them and make meaning from them. Framing is powerful — sometimes, all it takes is a single word or image to activate an entire frame. Once they are activated, frames can trigger emotions, associations, values, judgments and causal explanations. Frames create tracks for a train of thought that can be difficult to shift or derail. How do we construct a persuasive message about preventing sexual assault amidst all this motion? By framing them effectively. A dominant frame that pervades life in the U.S. is that of “personal responsibility”: In other words, the idea that individual actions — like alcohol intake, choice of clothing, pornography use, personal morals or spending time with the “right kind of people” — outweigh any other factors in acts of sexual assault. The dominant frame is like a portrait that focuses on individuals and their actions. When it comes to sexual violence, the default frame keeps the focus on individual victims, perpetrators and incidents of assault or abuse. That narrow focus can obscure the environments that surround us. In the case of sexual violence, the frame can hide the policies and institutions (like college campuses, youth-serving organizations and others) that can foster a climate where sexual violence happens. It can also obscure what can be changed in those institutions to promote prevention. Effective prevention messages need to broaden the default landscape perspective to make visible the external factors that can shape sexual violence outcomes. By painting a broader picture, we can help people see how, for example, institutional policies, cultural norms or historical contexts can normalize sexual violence or make it seem inevitable. With that landscape view, the policy, environmental and systemic strategies that can prevent assault and abuse will make sense to people. For more information on framing, visit https://www.bmsg.org/resources/framing-101. Illustrate the landscape with statistics Use statistics to illustrate preventing sexual assault and make it meaningful by connecting it to examples found in everyday life. One simple way to break down big numbers is to relate them to time or geography, as when an article in Vox reported sexual assault statistics in various charts using social math1: For more information on social math, see BMSG’s blog:https://www.bmsg.org/blog/social-math-support-public-health-policy. Articulate the change you want to see People are more likely to embrace the possibility of prevention when they see concrete examples of prevention approaches in action, whether that is in schools, on university campuses, in youth-serving organizations or elsewhere. Those kinds of concrete strategies and tactics are crucial for helping people realize that prevention is possible and inspiring them to become part of it. Your message should be connected to the prevention strategy you are seeking in the near term, even though you may support a broad range of approaches. Your message is specific enough if it is able to answer the 5 Ws (though you won... --- ## Beyond reading, writing and arithmetic: Lessons in media advocacy from a first-grader URL: https://www.bmsg.org/lessons-media-advocacy-first-grader/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 995 > A few weeks ago, my daughter came home upset about the "vote" that was needed to secure her much-awaited snowshoeing trip into Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which is just... A few weeks ago, my daughter came home upset about the “vote” that was needed to secure her much-awaited snowshoeing trip into Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which is just a mile north of where we live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. When I was confused about which vote she meant — hadn’t the teachers already confirmed the trip? — she told me that her first-grade teacher had explained the sobering reality to her class: Like all national parks and other government agencies, GTNP might be closed if Congress didn’t vote to fund the federal budget. Since the vote was scheduled for the night before the field trip, her teacher also had the class write letters to Congress about what the snowshoeing trip meant to them. I was thrilled that my daughter’s teacher took this important opportunity to teach a lesson about government and civic participation and ways to use media advocacy as a vehicle for policy change. And I was glad to talk with my daughter about how decisions in Washington affect our lives every day. But, I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell her that it wasn’t the field trip that would be so disappointing for some of her classmates, but instead the dinner they wouldn’t be getting because the Women, Infants and Children’s nutrition program wasn’t funded. That some of her friends’ parents wouldn’t have a job to go to the next day, which might mean they couldn’t pay their rent at the end of the month. That some kids’ grandparents wouldn’t get to refill their medication because their health insurance was in the balance. Or, a palpable, daily fear in our community, that some children’s parents could be deported at a moment’s notice. And yet, I didn’t say any of this. Because I’m white, educated and was born in the U.S. to parents (and grandparents) also born in the U.S., I could choose what I wanted to share with my sensitive 6-year-old and what difficult topics to avoid. Unlike many families, mine is fortunate enough to have private health insurance, secure jobs and enough resources to pay for our basic needs, despite — at least so far — what happens at the federal level. Not all parents were so lucky that night to put off difficult conversations, to allow children just to be children, and to worry only about fieldtrips instead of job security, access to medical care or even their family’s ability to stay in this country. Adults — all of us — can and should have these conversations with their children. In hindsight, I know I missed an important opportunity to connect my many roles — as a parent, advocate and media advocacy trainer — with my belief that the most important conversations about class and racial equity start at home and extend into the public sphere. From now on, I will say more. Even if it’s hard (or, perhaps, precisely because it is). Clearly one of the most important lessons from this experience isn’t for my daughter, but for me and other adults who are similarly privileged: If we are going to effect change, our kids need parents and caregivers to have conversations that plant the seeds for personal growth and social progress. I know — from history and the systems designed for white supremacy and other forms of oppression — that my kids will almost certainly grow up to enjoy the same privileges that I do. But, if I do my job well, they will also learn how important it is for families like ours to use civic engagement to advance racial and economic equity. They’ll learn that we — those of us with such privilege — must speak out to demand better, not just for ourselves, but for our neighbors and classmates and friends, and even for people we don’t even know. They’ll also learn that outrage is not best applied to cancelled field trips, but to real issues, like injustice and discrimination. In her own way, my daughter is already just as outraged as I am that the people in charge of taking care of this country aren’t doing their job. And I’m happy to see her channeling that outrage in a productive way. Her class has already received a response to their letters. Sen. Michael Enzi wrote to my daughter’s teacher earlier this month, noting that he understood the students’ concern about National Parks availability and that he voted on Jan. 19 to keep the government open and again on Jan. 22 to re-open the government. “We need to ensure Wyoming’s National Parks remain safe, accessible, and open,” he wrote. “I too grew up spending time enjoying our public lands and treasured those experiences. I try to visit Grand Teton every year. I maintain contact with both park superintendents and share my experiences with them as [well] as the experiences my constituents share with me, so thank you for your note and letters. I hope you were able to go snowshoeing.” Even with an unprecedented number of people contacting Congress over the past year, letter-writing it is still an effective way to reach our elected officials. And thanks to an early lesson in media advocacy, I know that this is only the first of many lette... --- ## 5 steps public health can take to tell the health equity story of opioid use URL: https://www.bmsg.org/5-steps-public-health-can-take-tell-health-equity-story-opioid-use/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 2213 > "Opioid crisis blamed for sharp increase in accidental deaths in U.S." "Lawmakers look at ways to combat the opioid crisis." "County facing opioid crisis; Officials looking at solutions." These are... “Opioid crisis blamed for sharp increase in accidental deaths in U.S.” “Lawmakers look at ways to combat the opioid crisis.” “County facing opioid crisis; Officials looking at solutions.” These are just a few of the many headlines on opioids that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. Because it’s often a struggle to get media coverage of the public health issues that ravage our communities, the steady stream of news on opioids can seem like a win — especially as public health faces a political environment where budget cuts and intense policy battles are the norm. But are these news stories getting us where we need to go to really tackle the inequities at the root of increased opioid use? And if not, what are some of the steps public health advocates can take to shape the debate and bring health equity to the forefront? Why does current news coverage matter? The news media continue to set the agenda for policy debates. But it’s not just whether an issue is in the news that matters; how the news media define the problem influences what solutions seem relevant and possible. Current media coverage has effectively raised the visibility of opioid use, and some news stories are shifting from covering it as a criminal justice issue to treating it as a public health issue. That’s important, but it won’t address underlying equity issues — or solutions. We know that a big part of the opioid problem stems from social, political and economic conditions: For example, when people experience trauma or when they can’t access quality housing, good jobs or opportunities for education, drug use rises. We also know that access to these and other social determinants of health are deeply influenced by our country’s past and ongoing struggle to acknowledge and address structural racism, classism, gender-based discrimination and other inequitable systems. These threats shred the very social fabric that prevents drug use. Attacks against housing, education, health care and transit infrastructure — all of which are deeply tied to structural racism — fuel inequity and drug use. If most news stories lack this context in describing the problem of opioids, we will surely have a hard time getting to the solutions that put changing systems front and center. Current coverage: What’s missing from a health equity perspective? While news coverage of opioid use has increased, a recent BMSG news analysis found that in California, coverage often focused on perceived increases in crime attributed to drug use, individual drug treatment and addressing overdoses. There’s also been some coverage of policy solutions, like holding pharmaceutical companies accountable, but public health professionals were seldom quoted. One takeaway is that if we want to see news about equity issues related to opioid use, we must explicitly raise them. At a time when we have never had more information and clarity about the root causes of health inequities, public health’s role in elevating this information is vital. Public health advocates can leverage the current media spotlight to communicate about opioid use — and, ultimately, make change — using a racial and health equity lens. But if more public health professionals were talking about this issue in the news, what would we want them to say? And what are some of the steps that public health professionals can take to get there? Here are five steps we recommend for getting started: 1. Track the media One of the first steps in shaping the debate is understanding how the issue is being framed. Who is covering opioid use in your city, county and state, including through newer forms of media, like blogs? How are they writing about it? What’s done well? What’s missing? Do they quote public health professionals? Does coverage include how opioid use is related to deeper racial and health equity issues? If you see that reporters are already linking drug use to factors like housing or jobs, consider pitching stories to them, sharing news releases and reports on opioid use and social determinants of health, and making yourself available as a source. If few stories include a health equity perspective, it’s still helpful to track reporters and then develop ways to create news that shines a light on why the causes of and solutions for drug use go well beyond the doctor’s office and clinics. One way to make contact with journalists is by following them on Twitter and messaging them to let them know you have resources that can help in their reporting. 2. Bring the system into the picture The U.S. news media frequently portray public health issues as matters of individual behavior. That can make it harder for news consumers to understand why policy interventions are needed. Advocates can broaden the conversation from this narrow portrait view to a landscape view that illustrates the context, history and environments that contribute to inequities, as well as systems-level solutions. Although no single news story will be able to cov... --- ## Webinar: What’s in a frame: Communicating effectively to get attention for sexual violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-whats-in-a-frame-communicating-effectively-to-get-attention-for-sexual-violence-prevention/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-06 Words: 124 > It can be hard to communicate about sexual violence clearly and effectively, and one key fact too often gets lost: Sexual violence can be prevented. BMSG and the National Sexual... It can be hard to communicate about sexual violence clearly and effectively, and one key fact too often gets lost: Sexual violence can be prevented. BMSG and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center have partnered to explore what it takes to communicate with different audiences that preventing sexual violence is possible — and there are tangible steps everyone can take to be a part of the solution. During this Feb. 15, 2018, web conference, we highlighted key lessons from our latest framing brief; shared real-life examples of what’s worked and what hasn’t; and discussed challenges and opportunities communicating strategically in the current moment. Related resources Framing brief: Getting attention for prevention: Guidelines for effective communication about preventing sexual violence PowerPoint slides [PDF] --- ## Big Data and the transformation of food and beverage marketing: What can public health advocates do about it? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/big-data-and-transformation-food-and-beverage-marketing-what-can-public-health-advocates-do/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1282 > How many times have you checked your phone today? If your cell phone use is on par with the average American, the most recent data tell us that you will... How many times have you checked your phone today? If your cell phone use is on par with the average American, the most recent data tell us that you will have looked at your phone 80 times before you go to bed tonight — and that doesn’t account for the other digital devices that you may have used throughout the day. Every time we use one of these devices, marketers are gathering increasingly sophisticated data about us. They can glean details about our lives ranging in specificity from what we eat for breakfast, to our household income and where we live. With this information, digital advertisers can target individuals in real time with marketing tailored to their behaviors and preferences. While this can sometimes seem like a harmless feature of modern life — for instance, the shoes that you previously considered buying online suddenly appear in a Facebook ad — this unprecedented ability for marketers to gather data about the most personal aspects of our lives also raises significant concerns. Aside from the undeniable questions around privacy, there is concern in the public health community about how the food industry is using this data to target people with advertising for unhealthy products. Consider that Kantar, a major market-research firm, used individualized, digital marketing techniques to analyze the behavior of Latino Facebook users who had declared themselves “brand fans” of McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell. Kantar used the data to help these fast-food restaurants reach the same Latino users directly with their advertising. In this way, digital marketers have introduced new methods for identifying and targeting consumers more precisely than ever based on their ethnicity and race. Known as “culture coding,” the practice is one of six individualized digital marketing techniques that the authors of a recent commentary, published in Critical Public Health, say are transforming the food marketing system. The paper, co-written by BMSG’s Laura Nixon and Lori Dorfman, along with our colleagues at American University and the Center for Digital Democracy, explains these six marketing techniques and highlights the ways in which food and beverage companies are using powerful new targeting tools to promote junk food, sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy products to the public — and how they could ultimately undermine public health efforts to reduce obesity. In their commentary, the authors argue that the confluence of new ways to quickly gather, analyze and use large volumes of information — so called “Big Data” — coupled with our society’s widespread and increasing use of digital devices, has reshaped food marketing in ways that, left unchecked, will worsen health outcomes and increase health inequities. They point out that while public health professionals and other stakeholders have suggested that Big Data techniques could be harnessed to improve nutrition, there is little research on the impact of these new marketing techniques on food consumption patterns and the obesity epidemic. To inform public health interventions, the authors call for a bold research agenda that addresses how these practices influence health. We spoke with our colleague Jeffrey Chester, director of the Center for Digital Democracy and a co-author of the Critical Public Health commentary, to learn more about the implications of Big Data marketing strategies. Based on your research, which emerging marketing tactics do you think will be most harmful for populations’ health? A powerful package of digital marketing practices — fueled by both Big Data and our reliance on online devices and applications — enable advertisers to gain unprecedented insight into our personal behaviors. These advertisers now know which of our “touchpoints” can be leveraged to encourage us to buy fast food, ask our physician to prescribe branded medications or seek unnecessary medical treatments. A key concern is the ability of advertisers to take advantage of our real-time geo-location, made possible by our mobile phones, to deliver targeted marketing. Could you share an example of how Big Data marketing plays out in real-life situations? Nearly all marketing today is data-driven and used to track individuals across their devices (mobile phones, computers, digital TVs). Food and beverage advertisers, for example, gather and analyze our information so that we can be sent an ad when we are at the grocery store or a fast-food outlet. They also target us with these ads when we are shopping online. One growing tactic used by fast-food restaurants relies on what’s known as a “geo-fence.” Even if you are several blocks away from one of these restaurants, marketers can recognize your mobile device, which triggers ads, offers and coupons. This is an unprecedented form of commercial surveillance. How do these marketing techniques affect children? Young people are key targets for digital advertisers. More research is needed to understand how these ads influe... --- ## ACEs in the news: How can advocates communicate more effectively about childhood trauma? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/aces-in-the-news-how-can-advocates-communicate-more-effectively-about-childhood-trauma/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1055 > In the 1990s, researchers at the CDC and Kaiser Permanente conducted a pivotal study, which showed that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — stressful or traumatic events, such as abuse, divorce... In the 1990s, researchers at the CDC and Kaiser Permanente conducted a pivotal study, which showed that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — stressful or traumatic events, such as abuse, divorce and neglect — are linked to a wide array of poor mental and physical health outcomes that persist well into adulthood. The more ACEs someone experienced as a child, the higher their risk for conditions like diabetes, cancer, substance abuse or suicide. The ACEs study introduced a groundbreaking new framework for understanding how children’s early experiences affect their health as adults, with profound implications for every sector in our society — especially those dealing directly with children and youth. However, communicating about ACEs can be challenging, even for members of the public health community who are familiar with the lifelong impact of trauma. So how can we help the public and policymakers understand the importance of this issue? At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we know that the way an issue is framed in the news shapes our view both of the problem and of potential solutions. One step toward developing more effective strategies to communicate about ACEs is to find out how they appear in the news. BMSG’s latest Issue examines media coverage of childhood trauma to see how advocates, community leaders and journalists are communicating about ACEs and how they can be prevented. In our news analysis, we found that: Coverage of ACEs has increased dramatically since 2008, but the overall volume of coverage has remained relatively modest even at its highest. The coverage is solutions-focused, but prevention is overshadowed by after-the-fact interventions. Speakers from the health care sector are well-represented, but representations from other sectors are missing. Issues of health equity are scarce in the discussion of ACEs. Types of adverse childhood experiences in U.S. news, 2008-2015 (n=172) With this information, we can shape the way that communities and policymakers view childhood trauma and how to end it by thinking strategically about opportunities and potential pitfalls in this rising tide of coverage. Our news analysis shows us that child health and welfare advocates have successfully advanced the conversation about ACEs with a focus on solutions. To build on this progress, we offer the following recommendations for advocates: 1. Make prevention part of the conversation To do this well, be clear about what prevention looks like. Help the public visualize the different ways communities can prevent childhood trauma by providing specific, detailed examples. For example, in this article from Memphis, Tennessee, advocates spoke about their newly launched Universal Parenting Places — “judgement-free” family resource centers where parents can access professional counseling, information and emotional support. In a follow-up opinion piece, the advocates wrote, “The centers are open at no cost to every family regardless of education, race, income or neighborhood, because we know that parenting challenges are universal.” By painting the picture of prevention, advocates not only combat the idea that childhood trauma is overwhelming and intractable, but they also provide blueprints for others to do prevention work in their own communities. 2. Build capacity among leaders from a range of sectors to talk effectively about ACEs As the old adage goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It’s vital to recruit people from different sectors to comprehensively prevent childhood trauma. However, even though schools and local businesses play such an important role in child development and community health, the news rarely quotes stakeholders from the education and business sectors. Enlist more people from different fields and give them the capacity to talk about ACEs from their perspectives: Build coalitions of leaders from different sectors, develop a shared vision for advocacy and provide media advocacy training so that they can speak about childhood trauma effectively. For example, the Trauma Smart program developed by the Crittenton Children’s Center in Kansas City trains parents, caregivers, teachers and staff about ACEs and childhood trauma. In this article, an assistant principal is quoted about the effectiveness and importance of trauma-informed instruction in helping kids: “Every school should have this. … Teachers are seeing results.” The more teachers, school administrators, business owners and community members who are aware of ACEs and can talk about solutions, the more people who can raise the profile of ACEs as a critical and preventable issue for the entire community. 3. Talk about race and equity issues and the community context of childhood trauma We know that racism, poverty, community violence and other structural inequities are inextricably linked with childhood trauma. Central to making prevention visible is talking about the communities in which trauma happens. However, the news rarely makes conn... --- ## Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2017 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-and-social-justice-media-bites-2017/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1393 > Every day, our team at BMSG monitors the news to see how important public health and social justice issues are being portrayed. We look at whose voices are being elevated... Every day, our team at BMSG monitors the news to see how important public health and social justice issues are being portrayed. We look at whose voices are being elevated or overlooked, note successful techniques that advocates have used to garner media attention, and consider how we can use these insights to help advocates frame conversations in ways that further their policy goals. In a year when the media are under constant attack, that task has never felt more challenging — or more important. Dictionary publisher Collins has named “fake news” its term of the year. This choice is unsurprising — after all, last year, the top pick of the Oxford dictionaries was “post-truth“; however, the implications are chilling. As Katie Peter wrote in the Associated Press, “When people start to distrust all news sources is when people in power are just allowed to do whatever they want.” As Peters’ quote suggests, we cannot have a strong democracy without a robust, free press. One small but important way to help keep trust in our media outlets alive is to continue pitching stories, engaging with reporters and making sure our voices are heard. Despite the extra degree of difficulty in navigating today’s chaotic media environment, that is exactly what advocates have been doing. On issues ranging from racial injustice to sexual assault to gun violence to climate change, advocates have been using the media strategically to challenge beliefs and actions that threaten health and to hold power to account. Each time advocates raised their voices, we took notice. Throughout the year, we gathered memorable media bites — quotable quotes that make people reflect on or think differently about an issue — and we often return to them for inspiration. Below are 10 of our favorites, which we hope will motivate others and encourage them to speak out as well. Equity “The best way to serve our city is to make sure we look like our city.” —NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, discussing the need to change the city’s culture of policing. Appeared Jan. 3, 2017, in The Crime Report. Why we like it: This short, pithy media bite brings power imbalances to the fore, underscores why diverse representation matters for entire communities and speaks to the need for institutional accountability. Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov on Unsplash “Character, talent and insight are evident in individuals from all income classes. But not all individuals get an equal chance to prove their mettle.” —Mary Coleman, senior vice president of Economic Mobility Pathway, a Boston-based nonprofit group, commenting on Census data that showed African Americans are making less than they did in 2000. Appeared Sept. 15, 2017, in the Washington Post. Why we like it: This quote invites readers to think about what social and political factors might prevent certain groups of people in the United States from having an equal chance at opportunity. In doing so, it challenges the notion of rugged individualism, a frame that is prevalant in media coverage, and shifts the narrative toward a broader understanding of economic mobility. “Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe neighborhood with access to jobs, health care, affordable housing, green spaces and healthy food, but you can’t address one of these without addressing them all.” —New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Appeared March 13, 2017, in The Architect’s Newspaper. Why we like it: Without using jargon, this media bite highlights how multiple social determinants of health are interconnected, and it is a good example of how advocates can appeal to values — in this case, fairness — to make issues resonate with readers. Violence “Sexual harassment routinely feeds on income inequality. After all, it’s much harder to exploit an equal.” —Alissa Quart, contributor at the Guardian and executive editor of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, talking about how sexual abusers hold financial power over their victims. Appeared Nov. 9, 2017, in the Guardian. Why we like it: While stories about sexual assault have been a major part of news cycles in recent months, this media bite captures a truth that most coverage leaves out: Sexual harassment is inextricably linked to other social issues. It is not only a gender issue but an economic one, rooted in power disparities. “Why is the most powerful country in the world, the country which regularly produces the most Nobel laureates and is home to most of the world’s leading companies, not capable of curbing its addiction to guns?” —Michael Knigge, discussing gun violence after the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Appeared Nov. 7, 2017, in DW. Why we like it: This powerful statement uses irony to highlight the absurdity of the argument that America is incapable of changing its relationship to guns. As Clark suggests, it’s not for lack of ingenuity or can-do spirit, values that are evident in many other aspects of U.S. culture. Photo by Jens Lelie on Unsplash Reproductive justice “What’s a right if y... --- ## Using media advocacy to influence policy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/using-media-advocacy-to-influence-policy-2/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 114 > Media advocacy is one of the few public health education tools we have that allows us to work "upstream" to address the conditions and inequities that harm the public's health. Media... Media advocacy is one of the few public health education tools we have that allows us to work “upstream” to address the conditions and inequities that harm the public’s health. Media advocacy, used as a tool to accelerate and amplify community organizing and policy advocacy, can direct the public and policymaker attention to the policies that can reshape our social and physical environments so public health concerns can be effectively addressed. This chapter, from “Community and Public Health Education Methods: A Practical Guide,” teaches students to think strategically about working with the news media to advance public health policy. Purchase the book through the publisher or Amazon. --- ## Issue 24: Adverse childhood experiences in the news: Successes and opportunities in coverage of childhood trauma URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-24-adverse-childhood-experiences-trauma-news-coverage-successes-opportunities/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 8021 > In the 1990s, a new framework emerged for understanding how children's early experiences affect their health as adults. In some ways, it came as no surprise that experiencing traumatic events... In the 1990s, a new framework emerged for understanding how children’s early experiences affect their health as adults. In some ways, it came as no surprise that experiencing traumatic events or circumstances as a child (such as being abused or neglected or witnessing violence within the home) could have lasting impacts. But for the first time, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente found conclusive evidence linking adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a wide array of poor mental and physical health outcomes that persist well into adulthood.1 The more traumatic factors someone experienced as a child, the higher their risk for conditions like diabetes, cancer, substance abuse or suicide.1, 2 This research has profound implications for every sector in our society — especially those dealing directly with children and youth — but communicating about ACEs can be challenging. One step toward developing more effective strategies to communicate about ACEs is to find out how they appear in the media, particularly in news coverage. The news can inform discussion about and development of public policies that could prevent or address childhood trauma or adversity.3-6 Investigating the news about a topic can provide important clues about what information the public and policymakers are exposed to about that issue. If news coverage doesn’t discuss childhood trauma, or doesn’t make connections to the conditions that give rise to childhood trauma, it is less likely that policymakers and the public will see the issue as a priority or recognize it as a problem that can be prevented. Due largely to the efforts of child health and trauma-prevention advocates, public conversations about childhood trauma are becoming more common, including in the news.7 We wanted to assess the strengths of that news coverage and to identify gaps in reporting that must be addressed if advocates and journalists are to successfully communicate about ACEs. We know that much of the work on childhood trauma is happening in local communities, so we were especially interested in exploring the nuances in local news coverage and how they compared to coverage in major news outlets like The New York Times or the Huffington Post. Specifically, because news reporting can shape attitudes and public policy outcomes, we wanted to know: How do adverse childhood experiences appear in the news? How do solutions appear? Who tells the story of childhood trauma, and what do they say? How, if at all, does news coverage illustrate the links between the environments in which children live and the trauma they experience? Another key question was driven by the reality that although trauma can affect everyone, some communities suffer disproportionately. The CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE study and its subsequent studies included 10 types of adverse childhood experiences that can be divided into two categories: abuse (including physical neglect, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse and verbal abuse) and family dysfunction (including alcohol/drugs, domestic violence, loss of a parent, mental illness and incarceration).8 Since the first ACE study, subsequent ACE surveys have expanded the list beyond the 10 types of ACEs to include involvement with the foster care system, racism, living in an unsafe neighborhood and poverty9, 10 — structural factors that were not included in the original study. Because women, people of color, low-income communities and LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by traumatic experiences such as racism, sexism, discrimination and poverty,10, 11 researchers and advocates are working to expand the definition of adverse childhood experiences to capture the long-term health impact of structural and environmental trauma, including homelessness, community violence and racism.12-15 We wondered: To what extent have these new insights around trauma and structural inequities made their way into the news about adverse childhood experiences? In this Issue, we present findings from our analysis of news coverage and consider the implications of news framing for advocates, community leaders, journalists — indeed, for anyone who seeks to communicate not only about the details of childhood trauma, but also how to end it. What are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)?* The term “ACEs” comes from the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, ground-breaking research that examined how 10 types of childhood trauma affect long-term health.2 They include: physical, emotional and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; living with a family member who is addicted to alcohol or other substances, or who is depressed or has other mental illnesses; experiencing parental divorce or separation; having a family member who is incarcerated; and witnessing a mother being abused. Subsequent ACE surveys include racism, witnessing violence outside the home, bullying, losing a parent to deportation, l... --- ## Health equity & junk food marketing: Talking about targeting kids of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/health-equity-junk-food-marketing-talking-about-targeting-kids-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5216 > To ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, we must remove obstacles to health.1 In the United States, junk food marketing to... To ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, we must remove obstacles to health.1 In the United States, junk food marketing to children is one of those obstacles because it encourages unhealthy diets and, ultimately, fuels disease. Such marketing is also a racial and health equity issue because junk food companies specifically target children and youth of color. Understanding and communicating effectively about this type of targeted marketing is a critical step toward achieving health equity. Research shows that our preferences for food are established when we are very young,2 so advocates are increasingly recognizing and concerned about the harms of junk food marketing to kids. We wanted to know: When advocates communicate about junk food marketing, do they talk about health equity? To find out, we analyzed reports, websites and other materials from organizations around the country that are working on issues related to food marketing. We found some mention of the disproportionate amount of junk food marketing targeting children and youth of color, but we also identified many gaps in that discussion. In this framing brief, we describe what we learned, show why children of color should be at the forefront of our conversations about and actions to reduce target marketing, and suggest how we all can get better at discussing this critical public health and social justice issue. Target marketing: What is it and why does it matter? Communities of color have been the hardest hit by diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases. Food marketing is one serious obstacle to healthy eating patterns that can help prevent these disease risks. Food and beverage companies aggressively target communities of color with marketing for foods and drinks that are low in nutrition and high in sugars, salt and fats — the very foods and beverages that contribute to these diseases.3 Almost no marketing is for foods and beverages that families should eat more of, like fruits, vegetables or whole grains. With the rise of digital technology, targeted marketing for sugary sodas, energy drinks, salty snacks, candy and fast food has become especially pervasive. Food and beverage companies align their marketing practices with the ways that consumers use social media, cell phones, gaming platforms and other digital devices to target consumers wherever they are at all hours of the day, particularly on their mobile devices, where marketers concentrate their spending.4 For example, digital marketers can follow Snapchat users through the app’s McDonald’s filters on their smartphones or use GPS coordinates to locate them as they approach a fast-food restaurant. Using digital tools, marketers collect an unending stream of data about purchases, location, preferences, behaviors and more. Those data can exacerbate inequalities because they are shaped by current and past discriminatory policies and practices. For example, Jim Crow laws such as redlining have kept people of color out of certain neighborhoods5, 6 and limited their access to affordable, fresh and healthy food. That impacts purchasing patterns, since where people live — and the products made available to them there — influences what food people prefer and buy. Once a community has shown a preference for a product, the food and beverage industry then uses purchasing data to inform additional spending to continue marketing that product, regardless of whether it is healthy. This pattern reinforces inequities and keeps communities of color on the receiving end of junk food marketing, which cements adverse health outcomes in the future. A digital bull’s-eye on kids of color Data mining is even more problematic when it is used to target children, who are especially vulnerable to advertising. A child’s online viewing and activity data can be used instantly to determine what content they’ll be shown — and what junk food ads they’ll be served — in the future. Since kids of color are at the vanguard of using digital media, their exposure to digital marketing is even higher. Youth of color get what researchers call a “double dose” of unhealthy food and sugary beverage marketing because they are exposed to mainstream campaigns aimed at all children and youth as well as campaigns targeted to their own communities. In practice, that means that, for example, Black children and teens end up seeing more than twice as many ads for energy drinks and regular soda compared with white children and teens, and 60 percent more fast-food ads.3 Marketers also target communities of color — and youth in particular — because they see them as cultural leaders. According to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, young people of color “are trendsetters and tastemakers for young consumers of all races.”7 Similarly, drawing on Nielsen data, Advertising Age describes young African-Americans as a group that “shapes consumerism and, in many instances, mainstream c... --- ## Winter on the web: Strategic communications on the offense URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/winter-on-the-web-strategic-communications-on-the-offense-nov-14-2017/ Type: events Modified: 2018-04-26 Words: 74 > On January 20, 2018, there will be countless news stories dissecting the impact of the new administration’s first year. What do you want these stories to say? In this webinar... On January 20, 2018, there will be countless news stories dissecting the impact of the new administration’s first year. What do you want these stories to say? In this webinar sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation, BMSG trainers discuss how to use this important milestone to influence the public conversation on the issues most important to you. BMSG held two sessions of this webinar — on Nov. 14 and Nov. 30, 2017. --- ## Case studies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/case-studies/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-09 Words: 899 > Media advocacy, the process of using the media strategically to advance policy change for important public health and social justice issues, is central to the trainings we provide at BMSG.... Media advocacy, the process of using the media strategically to advance policy change for important public health and social justice issues, is central to the trainings we provide at BMSG. But what does that process look like in the real world? How do the principles of media advocacy get applied in different times and places? To help advocates understand how media advocacy unfolds in real-life situations, we produce case studies, blogs and other resources across a range of issues that capture the messy but necessary work that advocates, health departments, and other organizations are doing to create healthier, more equitable conditions, often while using strategic communication to engage with their communities and the media. Through these case studies, we try to glean insights for others who want to get more effective at setting media and policy agendas and framing the debate. To learn more, check out the resources below. related resources Advancing health equity: Case studies of health equity practice in California health departments Across California, a growing number of health departments are going beyond a traditional public health emphasis on programs and services to uncover and combat the root causes of health inequities by focusing on social issues like education, housing and poverty. To help demystify their work and encourage other California health departments to tackle the root causes of health inequities, BMSG developed case studies of California health departments whose award-winning work on health equity was recognized by The California Endowment. Building Healthy Communities: Case studies of place-based efforts to improve health The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities initiative is working in 14 sites throughout the state to build the power of local communities to advance health equity. Berkeley Media Studies Group has developed case studies of several BHC sites to share success stories, challenges, and lessons learned. Blog: Using media advocacy to engage elected officials A small campaign with big impact offers lessons for advocates working to create long-term, lasting social change. Blog: From tragedy to action: Using media advocacy to advance gun violence prevention legislation How one advocate helped pass 11 gun violence prevention bills in the aftermath of the country’s deadliest mass shooting. Blog: Shifting the media conversation on affordable housing In this Q&A, the Alameda County Public Health Department’s Tram Nguyen discusses how the department has used media advocacy to illuminate the link between housing and health. Nguyen also offers insights for advocates and reporters looking to improve coverage. Blog: Whose voices are missing from news coverage of soda taxes? In this Q&A, Dr. Vicki Alexander, who helped lead Berkeley, California’s successful soda tax campaign, discusses the importance of elevating community voices in public health battles and shares lessons for other cities looking to regulate sugary drinks. Issue 3: Oakland shows the way: The Coalition on Alcohol Outlet Issues and media advocacy as a tool for policy change In September 1993, a small but dedicated group of prevention advocates in Oakland, Calif., had the alcohol industry running scared. This Issue describes how the coalition used media advocacy successfully in its four-year struggle to rectify the over concentration of alcohol outlets in Oakland. Issue 6: Youth radio: Broadcasting violence prevention Youth Radio is dedicated to bringing the voices of youth to young and adult audiences. This is a story of young people using radio to create their own representations as a mechanism for violence prevention. Issue 16: Moving from head to heart: Using media advocacy to talk about affordable housing This is the story of how a group of dedicated but frustrated affordable housing advocates learned to tell their story so it reflected their values and the values that resonated with policy makers. What they thought would be a simple refresher course in working with the media transformed their own understanding of affordable housing, how to talk about it, and, ultimately, what was done about it. Issue 20: Struggling to breathe: How a health department is working with community members to reduce air pollution and improve health equity in Oakland If you want to reduce and prevent health inequities, then you have to tackle their root social, economic and political causes. For busy health departments with tight deadlines and funding constraints, this no easy task. But, as one health department in California’s Alameda County is showing, the results are worth it. And a few key strategies like collaborating with community and engaging the media can improve prospects for success. Working upstream: Skills for social change [pdf] Public health needs more practitioners who can bridge the gap between research and practice, and more students who can advocate for social change. Unfortunately, degree-granting public hea... --- ## Immigration: A dialogue with Alameda County Public Health Department URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/immigration-a-dialogue-with-alameda-county-public-health-department/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 59 > Immigration policy can have profound impacts on the health of our communities. In this webinar, part of a “Communicating About Health Equity” series supported by The California Endowment, Berkeley Media... Immigration policy can have profound impacts on the health of our communities. In this webinar, part of a “Communicating About Health Equity” series supported by The California Endowment, Berkeley Media Studies Group engages the Alameda County Public Health Department in a conversation about how they are working to bring public health to the forefront of public discourse on immigration. --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2017 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-at-apha-2017/ Type: post Modified: 2019-10-16 Words: 968 > Will you be attending APHA 2017 in Atlanta this November? BMSG is thrilled to be presenting several sessions at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting. We'll be sharing findings... Will you be attending APHA 2017 in Atlanta this November? BMSG is thrilled to be presenting several sessions at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting. We’ll be sharing findings and highlights from our recent research, ranging in topic from the intersection of trauma and race on social media to shifting the narrative around incarceration in Northern California. While our posters and presentations will touch on a wide variety of themes, through all of them we seek to better understand how the media characterize issues affecting the public’s health. Two of our sessions will look at how these issues appear on social media ‰— a research area that BMSG has increasingly been exploring. You can find more details on our sessions below and browse other presentations from our parent organization, the Public Health Institute, at https://www.phiapha.org/. You can also view the full APHA program here. We hope to see you in Atlanta! BMSG’s APHA 2017 sessions Making the case for investing in community health: A media analysis of efforts to change the discourse around prevention and incarceration in Northern California Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3:00 p.m. What does it take to shift the public narrative away from punitive interventions focused on incarceration and, instead, shift the conversation toward policies that support early investment in strong, equitable communities? We conducted a media analysis to explore how four northern California communities are shifting the public discourse in their regions to elevate the concerns of communities of color and make the case for investing in prevention, economic development, and equity. We partnered with Building Healthy Communities (an initiative of The California Endowment) sites in Salinas, Richmond, Oakland and Sacramento to systematically evaluate how investing in health and prevention versus crime and punishment appeared in English and Spanish-language news outlets before and after the unveiling of narrative change campaigns crafted by the sites. In this poster session, we will share highlights from our analysis and discuss how our findings could inform and strengthen the work of other groups in California and beyond who are engaged in shifting public narratives from punishment and incarceration to building prevention and health. Trauma, resilience and #BlackLivesMatter: How do racism and trauma intersect in social media discourse? Monday, Nov. 6 at 12:30 p.m. In the current, charged political climate, many practitioners, advocates and other stakeholders argue that addressing childhood trauma should include the impact of structural oppressions, like racism, on the physical and mental health outcomes associated with other types of adverse childhood experiences. Since policymakers, the public and journalists are learning about racism and its impact on communities through social media hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter. Social media offers a window into the current discourse about these complex issues. We examined how the intersections between trauma and racism appear in evolving social media conversations and assessed the implications of this discourse for advocacy and action to prevent childhood trauma. In this poster session, we will share insights on how themes related to trauma and resilience appear in the #BlackLivesMatter discussion. We will also investigate how race and structural racism appear in Tweets about childhood trauma and adversity. Additionally, we will discuss the opportunities that our work uncovers for researchers, public health practitioners and others who seek to expand the discussion of childhood adversity to include the impact of race and racism and to increase the visibility of childhood trauma in social media spaces. Pizza is a vegetable?: Findings and lessons learned from news coverage and legislative debates on school food nutrition guidelines in 11 states Monday, Nov. 6 at 2:30 p.m. In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), was the first piece of legislation in more than 30 years to include substantial reforms to school nutrition guidelines. In the ensuing five years, those guidelines were subject to opposition from the food industry and its allies, but public health advocates remained committed to improving school food environments. We wanted to know: How did discussions of school food nutrition policies unfold in the news and legislative debates in in the wake of this landmark national policy? Berkeley Media Studies Group conducted a content analysis of state-level news coverage about school nutrition guidelines from August 2012 to December 2015. Our colleagues at Public Health Advocacy Institute collected and evaluated legislative data from these debates. In this oral presentation, we will share insights from our research and discuss several lessons and possible strategies for advocates as they continue to communicate about improving school food environments. Tweets, posts and health claims: A preliminary analysis of social medi... --- ## Communicating for change: Making the case for health with media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-making-the-case-for-health-with-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 74 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, introduces advocates to tactics for engaging the media strategically to advance policy goals. The module... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, introduces advocates to tactics for engaging the media strategically to advance policy goals. The module discusses the news media’s role in shaping debates on community health, helps advocates clarify their overall strategy and describes how that relates to a media strategy, message strategy and media access strategy. Other trainings in the series are available here. --- ## Communicating for change: Planning ahead for strategic media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-planning-ahead-for-strategic-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 72 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, takes advocates through each step of developing a media advocacy plan: setting goals and objectives,... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, takes advocates through each step of developing a media advocacy plan: setting goals and objectives, identifying strategies and tactics, assessing resources, determining time-lines, and specifying who will do what. The module also shows advocates how to integrate communications planning organizationally and develop timely, proactive news coverage. Other trainings in the series are available here. --- ## Communicating for change: Shaping public debate with framing and messages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-shaping-public-debate-with-framing-and-messages/ Type: publications Modified: 2020-08-04 Words: 46 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, explains framing — what it is and why it matters — and helps advocates apply... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, explains framing — what it is and why it matters — and helps advocates apply that knowledge to developing messages in advocacy campaigns. Other trainings in the series are available here. --- ## Communicating for change: Creating news that reaches decision-makers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-creating-news-that-reaches-decision-makers/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 72 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, explores different news story elements so advocates can gain access to journalists by emphasizing what... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, explores different news story elements so advocates can gain access to journalists by emphasizing what is newsworthy about their issue. Advocates will explore how to create news, piggyback on breaking news, meet with editorial boards, submit op-eds and letters to the editor, and develop advocacy ads. Other trainings in the series are available here. --- ## Communicating for change: Engaging reporters to advance health policy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-engaging-reporters-to-advance-health-policy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 49 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, allows advocates to practice being spokespeople for their issue. The module helps advocates learn to... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, allows advocates to practice being spokespeople for their issue. The module helps advocates learn to anticipate and practice answering the tough questions reporters ask. Other trainings in the series are available here. --- ## Communicating for change: Targeting audiences with new communication tools URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-targeting-audiences-with-new-communication-tools/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 52 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, gives advocates an overview of basic digital communications tools, including blogs and viral marketing, so... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, gives advocates an overview of basic digital communications tools, including blogs and viral marketing, so they can tailor their advocacy communications to specific goals and audiences. Other trainings in the series are available at here. --- ## Communicating for change: Training allies in strategic media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communicating-for-change-training-allies-in-strategic-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 47 > This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy's Communicating for Change training series, provides resources and interactive teaching techniques for advocates who want to train others in their... This module, created as part of the Health ExChange Academy’s Communicating for Change training series, provides resources and interactive teaching techniques for advocates who want to train others in their organization on the fundamentals of media advocacy. Other trainings in the series are available here. --- ## Letters to the editor: A useful advocacy tool in today’s media environment? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/letters-to-the-editor-a-useful-advocacy-tool-in-todays-media-environment/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 943 > When you think of letters to the editor, what comes to mind? An effective way of joining the conversation and getting your issue into the news, or an outdated practice... When you think of letters to the editor, what comes to mind? An effective way of joining the conversation and getting your issue into the news, or an outdated practice that belongs to a time when news was consumed differently? According to Pew Research, the rate at which Americans are writing letters to the editor is decreasing. The latest data indicate that in 2012, only 3 percent of U.S. adults had sent a letter to the editor to a newspaper or magazine by regular mail, and 4 percent had done so online, by email or by text message. These numbers are down from 10 percent in 2008. To put these numbers into context, in 2012, 18 percent of Americans had commented on an online news story or blog post to express their opinion about an issue. This suggests that although the number of people writing letters to the editor has declined, people are still in dialogue with news outlets. It is simply the way they are engaging that has changed: The medium is increasingly digital. These low numbers are not a reason to discount letters as a valuable form of engagement — because more important than how many people write letters to the editor is who reads them. Mark Chekal-Bain, district director for California Assemblymember Phil Ting, noted that legislators and their staff monitor and respond to letters to the editor from their district. That makes letters a low-risk way of garnering a specific policymaker’s attention and demonstrating community interest in a public health or social justice issue. Another reason to consider writing letters to the editor is that they can be simple to execute. When you know your issue inside and out, writing a letter doesn’t demand a big time commitment. Additionally, letters can be a nimble way to join a conversation that is unfolding in media outlets and add your perspective on the issue while the topic is still part of the news cycle — or even introduce a whole different aspect of the issue that’s missing from the article. Your letter can take advantage of the legitimacy and credibility news outlets afford to the issues they choose to publish. Take, for example, this letter from Cheryl Erwin, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, which piggybacks off a story that the newspaper published about foster youth. She took the opportunity to expand the frame to include childhood trauma, writing, “By definition, children in foster care have experienced trauma: domestic violence, substance abuse, and neglect, culminating in their removal from their parents and families.” In this way, a letter can be used to present a new angle that policymakers may not have been considering. Another example of a letter to the editor that shifts the conversation comes from BMSG’s director, Lori Dorfman. In a 2016 letter to The New York Times, she stressed that when shaping policy, advocates and researchers should be careful not to focus on a single variable and should instead pull back the lens and examine all of the various intertwined social determinants of health. Underlying all of our work at BMSG is the notion that to change the public’s health, we need to focus on strategies that improve social conditions. Through the platform afforded by The New York Times, this letter may have reached both advocates in the field and decision-makers who have the power to change policies. With letters to the editor, as with other forms of media advocacy, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Not all media outlets are equal for your purposes; your choice of where to submit your letter should be a strategic one. When choosing which article to respond to, consider the media outlet and its audience. For example, a letter submitted to a local news outlet can be an effective way of capturing the attention of local officials or lawmakers, who often pay close attention to these media. For advocates trying to shift policy, remember that you don’t necessarily need a large audience to effect change — a major newspaper with a huge circulation may not be the right place for your letter — what matters is getting your message in front of the right people. In this example from the Santa Fe New Mexican, Amparo Elisa Guerrero-Acevedo wrote in the lead-up to the city’s soda tax vote and used the platform to talk about putting pre-kindergarten education for Santa Fe children above the beverage industry’s financial interests. This powerful message was more likely to reach her target audience through a local news outlet. If you’ve decided to write your own letter to the editor, here are a few tips to help you get started. Newspapers, magazines and online media provide this free platform for people to speak out, and if it can help advocates garner support for their issue or shift the debate, why not make use of it? It can shape the dialogue around a public health or social justice issue, and if written compellingly and placed strategically, the letter could reach decision-makers and play a small but important part in bringing about policy chan... --- ## Generation of change: Communicating about prevention today, tomorrow and beyond URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/generation-of-change-communicating-about-prevention-today-tomorrow-and-beyond/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 99 > Prior to the 2017 National Sexual Assault Conference in Dallas, Texas, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center hosted the 2017 RPE Leadership Training. Ignite Talks sparked important conversations about advancing... Prior to the 2017 National Sexual Assault Conference in Dallas, Texas, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center hosted the 2017 RPE Leadership Training. Ignite Talks sparked important conversations about advancing prevention work. In this Ignite talk, BMSG’s Pamela Mejia reflects on the journey she took from believing that sexual violence was just an unfortunate part of life to realizing that it can be prevented. Pamela shares her insight into what it takes to move other people’s hearts and minds to support prevention and to communicate that sexual violence prevention is possible, achievable and happening. --- ## Oxford Bibliographies article: Media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/oxford-bibliographies-article-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 119 > Media advocacy is the strategic use of the mass media to support community organizing to advance a social or public policy initiative. Media advocacy differs from other health communication strategies... Media advocacy is the strategic use of the mass media to support community organizing to advance a social or public policy initiative. Media advocacy differs from other health communication strategies in its target audience: Rather than targeting the people experiencing a particular health problem with information, media advocates target policymakers and those who can be mobilized to influence them. This article, published in Oxford Bibliographies’ Public Health section, provides an annotated bibliography of the foundational literature on media advocacy, agenda setting, framing, and communicating about health equity. The article also provides case studies and practical resources to help practitioners use media advocacy. Access the article at https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/abstract/document/obo-9780199756797/obo-9780199756797-0111.xml. --- ## Using media advocacy to engage elected officials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/using-media-advocacy-to-engage-elected-officials/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 2719 > The inauguration of Donald J. Trump was a pivotal moment for the Public Health Justice Collective (PHJC), a volunteer-run group of public health professionals, students and advocates in the San... The inauguration of Donald J. Trump was a pivotal moment for the Public Health Justice Collective (PHJC), a volunteer-run group of public health professionals, students and advocates in the San Francisco Bay Area who use a public health lens to support progressive social movements. As the Trump Administration moved rapidly to undercut a wide array of health, environmental and social programs, participation in the group surged. Yet despite its growing membership, many in PHJC reported feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the face of a growing tide of white supremacist, xenophobic and misogynist policies and rhetoric that would undermine hard-fought public health and social justice wins that the group was actively working to protect, including women’s access to reproductive health care. This is the story of how PHJC — originally known as Occupy Public Health because of its origins in the Occupy movement of the early 2010s — overcame that overwhelm and organized an effective media advocacy campaign to elevate their issue, gain access to elected officials, and build power. PHJC members knew that taking urgent action would be critical and quickly identified a top priority: opposing the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States. According to Amber Piatt, an organizer with PHJC, the group focused on Gorsuch for two reasons: “First and foremost, Supreme Court appointments have long-standing and far-reaching consequences on all the issues we care about — from environmental regulations to abortion access,” she said. “We were taking cues from groups like the Alliance for Justice and the Leadership Conference who shared why Gorsuch is such a grave threat to civil rights, women’s rights and workers’ rights.” “Second,” Piatt continued, “we did our research on the process to get a Supreme Court Justice confirmed and knew that we were at a crucial intervention point where California voters specifically had power. California Senator Dianne Feinstein was the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which gave her authority over the cross-examination process that happens before the Senate could vote to confirm him. As California voters, we had the responsibility to push our Senator in the right direction.” Although Gorsuch has since been confirmed, PHJC’s campaign offers several key insights that advocates can apply to future public health and social justice efforts. Planning the action Developing clarity and accountability around goals — who needs to do what by when — is key to successful media advocacy. For PHJC, the demand was clear: that Senator Feinstein strongly question Judge Gorsuch and lead a filibuster if necessary to block his nomination. Once the group established this goal, there were several additional strategic questions that had to be considered. One of these was whether media attention would help or hinder the cause. “The unfortunate reality is that there are two effective ways to pressure most elected officials: to threaten to cease giving financially to their campaigns and/or to threaten implicitly or explicitly to not vote for them,” Piatt said. “Because we were unsure if Senator Feinstein would run for office again, we could not rely on those pressure points.” PHJC ultimately decided to involve the media for three reasons. First, members of PHJC had been unable to communicate with Senator Feinstein’s staff because their phone lines were consistently busy. They were frustrated that their voices would not be heard on a crucial issue and felt that using the media could be an effective means of breaking through the impasse. Second was the question of Senator Feinstein’s own comments in the media: the Senate vote on whether to nominate Gorsuch was quickly approaching, and her only publicly available statements suggested she may favor his nomination. The group urgently wanted to shine a light on his conservative track record, including his ruling in the original Hobby Lobby case that functionally declared corporations people who can claim religious rights. Finally, PHJC saw media coverage as a way deliver the message that Judge Gorsuch’s stances were dangerous to public health to a broader audience. The group hoped that a news story might mobilize other concerned constituents to contact Senator Feinstein’s office. Once the decision to use the media was made, the next question was how to garner media attention and — by extension — catch the attention of Senator Feinstein’s office. “We decided to invoke a conversation about her legacy and reputation,” Piatt said. “Senator Feinstein is the oldest currently serving United States Senator. She has been the first woman to hold many political posts over the years, but we wanted to remind her that her story is not finished.” To do so, the group developed a creative visual: a super-sized children’s book titled “Dianne Feinstein’s Legacy!” The book provided a biographical sketch of Senator Feinstein as a pioneering woman who finds herse... --- ## Circulating health: From research to practice: New collaborations, new ways of mediatizing health? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/circulating-health-from-research-to-practice-new-collaborations-new-ways-of-mediatizing-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 110 > In this panel as part of the 2017 Circulating Health Conference hosted by the U.C. Berkeley Center for Social Medicine, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses the intersection between media and... In this panel as part of the 2017 Circulating Health Conference hosted by the U.C. Berkeley Center for Social Medicine, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses the intersection between media and public health, including the role environments and policy play in shaping population health; the way the news helps set the agenda for public debate of issues that affect health; and how health is framed in the media — often as an outcome of individual behavior, rather than social factors. Dr. Dorfman also explains the difference between media advocacy and social marketing, and she highlights the role of journalism in holding government to account for its actions that impact health. --- ## The Oscars of the ad industry showcase latest techniques by junk food marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-oscars-of-the-ad-industry-showcase-latest-techniques-by-junk-food-marketers/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 976 > A Coke bottle that becomes a selfie stick. An online campaign that invites snack lovers to upload unusually-shaped Cheetos that are then showcased in a Cheetos museum. A Pepsi-sponsored online... A Coke bottle that becomes a selfie stick. An online campaign that invites snack lovers to upload unusually-shaped Cheetos that are then showcased in a Cheetos museum. A Pepsi-sponsored online series on social media that features NBA star Kyrie Irving, who after hours of makeup and cosmetics is transformed into a trash-talking 80-year-old street baller. These are just a few examples of marketing campaigns highlighted in this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a sort of Academy Awards for the advertising industry. The annual event is held in France and draws participants from around the world. What became increasingly clear after watching a sample of videos about the award winners was just how ubiquitous online consumer engagement has become as a marketing tool. Out with passive consumerism. In with digital campaigns, advergames, online film series and contests that primarily target youth and engage them so that they in essence become brand ambassadors. Gone are the days when parents could monitor TV, radio and print advertising for candy, soda and other junk foods directed at their children. Today, companies can not only advertise to children directly, away from parental supervision, they can do it in a way that entices children with games and campaigns that offer prizes, cash awards, and most coveted of all by both advertisers and young consumers alike: opportunities to share and expand their presence on social media. Take the Coke “Selfie Bottle” for example. A video about the campaign, a winning entry in the “Promo and Activation” category, opens with the following explainer: “Millennials are a photo-driven generation. Their lives are contained in digital albums where there’s almost no room for brands. 2 out of 3 millennials block all web advertising. So how do we become a part of their lives? Simple, by becoming a part of their photos. With just a small tweak, we transformed the most famous bottle in the world … into a “Selfie Bottle.” The small “tweak” consisted of a manufacturing adaptation that allows the plastic cap at the end of the Coke bottle to attach to a mobile phone’s screen, ensuring that the bottle — and the Coke brand — is prominently featured in the photos. This consumer-driven marketing is accomplished by users sharing their photos on social media. Not only is this a prime example of companies using social media to extend their brand, it’s also an example of personalization — a marketing tool that is being used more and more in the Digital Age. Coke has become a master at manipulating consumers’ desire to feel special, unique and a part of something bigger. A recent campaign featured first or last names on cans of Coke. The campaign included a commercial spot aimed exclusively at members of the Latino community, many whom consider their Hispanic surname as source of cultural pride. There was also Coke’s “Share a Coke and a Song” campaign two years ago, which put favorite song lyrics on packaging and invited consumers to upload their favorite songs. The campaign was supported by social media, music-themed TV spots featuring Pop princess Selena Gomez, and a summer-long “experiential tour.” (After noticing the lyrics to a popular song on a Pepsi can during a trip to the corner store, I joined with several health advocates to start our own counter-marketing campaign with song lyrics and titles like “Toxic” and “Killing me Softly.”) While Gomez and other celebrities from music and sports have been used by marketers to target youth for decades, the use of “influencers” has grown to include anyone “with the power to affect the purchase decisions of others because of their real/perceived authority, knowledge, position, or relationship,” according to Boston-based marketing firm Mavrck. “An influencer doesn’t necessarily have to be some sort of celebrity, journalist, or blogger. He or she can be an everyday person with the right connections and social pull. People may not trust brands very much, but 90% of people believe brand recommendations from friends.” Mavrck explains how influencers work: “Say you’re scrolling through your newsfeed during your lunch-break and see Kimberly from your yoga class posted about her new Lululemon leggings. There’s a good chance you might click her link, check out the leggings she bought, and potentially buy your own pair based on her recommendation. Kimberly may not be Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, or a famous journalist, but she’s influenced your purchase decision and therefore she is an effective influencer.” This technique becomes problematic when instead of leggings, the pre-teen version of Kimberly is being encouraged to post a video, photos or a favorite song title on social media that promotes an unhealthy product. Sodas and other sugary drinks, for example, are the No. 1 source of excess calories in the American diet. These and other junk foods and beverages have contributed to the alarming rise in diabetes and other nutrition-related dise... --- ## 9 tips for crafting effective media bites URL: https://www.bmsg.org/9-tips-for-crafting-effective-media-bites/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1026 > "Kids need sports, not sports drinks." "In the final analysis, it comes down to what you want to save: sales or lives." "Medicaid is more than a health care program.... “Kids need sports, not sports drinks.” “In the final analysis, it comes down to what you want to save: sales or lives.” “Medicaid is more than a health care program. It is a life-giving program.” We’ve all read or heard strong media bites like these that grab our attention and either solidify or make us rethink our views on an issue. Beyond being memorable, these quotes can help advocates convey core messages on public health and social justice issues in a way that resonates with the public and prompts action. The ability to craft a compelling media bite is an indispensable part of media advocacy strategy. But what makes for a strong media bite? And how can you increase your odds of getting quoted in the news? Media bites are the most effective when they support your policy change goals. To build them, begin by identifying your core message, which should answer three questions: What is the problem? What is the policy solution you seek? Why does it matter? Media bites should communicate elements of that core message but may be tailored to respond to specific questions from journalists or to emphasize a key point. Brevity is also critical. Because journalists often face serious space constraints in their stories, being strategic in what you say can boost the likelihood that your most vital points are quoted. No matter how complicated your issue might be, only a small portion of what your spokesperson says is likely to appear in the final article or news segment, so it is important that your media bites make your policy issue both clear and relatable to reporters and readers alike. While you won’t always speak in media bites when interacting with reporters, it is useful to have a succinct quote that summarizes your position at the ready. Here are a few tips for crafting effective media bites, as well as examples to illustrate how they can be put into practice: 1. Keep it short and simple. Media bites should be shorter than 15 seconds, or two to three sentences. One punchy sentence is even better. “Public health saved your life today. You just didn’t know it.” -Dr. Leana Wen, health commissioner of Baltimore, on the often invisible but vital role of public health. Appeared March 20, 2017 in Governing. 2. Speak to values. Stress themes that link your values to those shared by others, such as fairness, common sense or protection of children. “If a child can’t open a bottle of aspirin, we should also make sure she can’t pull the trigger of a gun.” -President Barack Obama. Appeared January 7, 2016 in an op-ed for The New York Times. 3. Talk about what is at stake. Who is affected? What will this mean for their lives? Make your values explicit so that other people recognize them, too. “This is not politics for us. This is fear that the youngest, most vulnerable population in the United States will be denied health care they need. The voices of more than 30 million children are not being heard.” -Steve Allen, the CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Appeared March 20, 2017 in The Atlantic. 4. Use plain language. Avoid speaking in jargon or acronyms. “It’s not enough to just have one grilled chicken breast amongst a minefield of fat, sugar and salt.” -Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, arguing for state and local governments to pass measures encouraging restaurants to offer more healthy menu options for children. Appeared March 9, 2017 in The Birmingham Times. 5. Use irony. When used appropriately, irony can highlight the absurdity of an assertion by your opposition. “We know that it makes sense to keep kids in school for $9,000 a year versus individuals in prison for $62,000 a year.” -Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chief justice for the California State Supreme Court. Appeared November 20, 2014 in ACEs Too High News. 6. Evoke pictures. If you can make your audience visualize what you are talking about, your point is more memorable and will have greater impact. “[S]oda is a candy bar in a can.” -Dr. Barbara W. Gold, board vice chair, Food Trust, Philadelphia. Appeared April 14, 2016 in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 7. Take a stand — present a solution. “Cigarettes are toxic. They have warning labels. Alcohol is toxic. It has warning labels. Well, guess what? Sugar is toxic at the doses we are currently consuming. And half of it comes from a single source: soft drinks. It’s time for a warning label.” -Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and president of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition. Appeared March 27, 2015 in the East Bay Times. 8. Frame the problem and your proposed solution in terms of institutional accountability, rather than just individual responsibility. “This is one of those moments that defines what’s next. Will technology companies protect the privacy of their users or will they do work for the U.S. government? You can’t do both.” -Malkia Cyril, executive director of the Center for... --- ## Video: The Berkeley sugar-sweetened beverage tax: A transdisciplinary approach to evaluating the impact URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-the-berkeley-sugar-sweetened-beverage-tax-a-transdisciplinary-approach-to-evaluating-the-impact/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 80 > In November 2014, voters in Berkeley, California, overwhelmingly approved a measure to tax sugary drinks. In this video, BMSG's Laura Nixon and U.C. Berkeley's Karen Sokal-Gutierrez discuss research on the... In November 2014, voters in Berkeley, California, overwhelmingly approved a measure to tax sugary drinks. In this video, BMSG’s Laura Nixon and U.C. Berkeley’s Karen Sokal-Gutierrez discuss research on the soda tax, including how public debate surrounding it appeared in the media, what parents of young children think about sugary drinks and efforts to tax them, and how advocates can harness lessons from Berkeley to help pass sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in other locations. --- ## Beyond Brexit, the elections & false news: Implications of the changing information ecosphere for health promotion, policy & advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/brexit-false-news-implications-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 128 > BMSG Director Lori Dorfman moderates "Beyond Brexit, the Elections & False News: Implications of the Changing Information Ecosphere for Health Promotion, Policy & Advocacy," a panel discussion held in May... BMSG Director Lori Dorfman moderates “Beyond Brexit, the Elections & False News: Implications of the Changing Information Ecosphere for Health Promotion, Policy & Advocacy,” a panel discussion held in May 2017 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The panel was organized by David Jernigan, an associate professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society and features the Center for Digital Democracy’s Jeff Chester, who investigates how marketers collect and use our data; Daniel Kreiss, who has been exploring how social media systems influence political debates; Jonathan Albright, who has extensively researched the influence of fake news; and American University’s Kathryn Montgomery, who studies the promises — and pitfalls — of using wearable devices to collect individual consumers’ health data. --- ## Countermarketing alcohol and unhealthy food: An effective strategy for preventing noncommunicable diseases? Lessons from tobacco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/countermarketing-alcohol-and-unhealthy-food-an-effective-strategy-for-preventing-noncommunicable-diseases-lessons-from-tobacco/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 67 > Countermarketing campaigns, an effective component of comprehensive tobacco control, use health communications to reduce the demand for unhealthy products by exposing industry motives and undermining producers' marketing practices. Could countermarketing... Countermarketing campaigns, an effective component of comprehensive tobacco control, use health communications to reduce the demand for unhealthy products by exposing industry motives and undermining producers’ marketing practices. Could countermarketing campaigns also be used to reduce the consumption of alcohol and unhealthy foods? This review describes common elements of tobacco countermarketing and assesses the strategy’s potential for being applied to other public health endeavors. --- ## contact us URL: https://www.bmsg.org/contact-us/ Type: page Modified: 2024-08-23 Words: 20 > [formidable id=3] Contact Us Subject * First name * Last name * Email * Organization Comments * reCAPTCHA Submit If you are human, leave this field blank. --- ## BMSG at a Glance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/bmsg-at-a-glance/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-30 Words: 63 > BMSG is a nonprofit organization and project of the Public Health Institute. We are dedicated to expanding advocates' ability to improve the systems and structures that determine health. We do... BMSG is a nonprofit organization and project of the Public Health Institute. We are dedicated to expanding advocates’ ability to improve the systems and structures that determine health. We do so in large part by helping them learn to practice media advocacy, the strategic use of mass media to support community organizers’ efforts to advance social or public health policy initiatives. --- ## eye on marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/eye-on-marketers/ Type: page Modified: 2024-03-13 Words: 69 > 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... 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. --- ## events URL: https://www.bmsg.org/events/ Type: page Modified: 2024-03-13 Words: 2 > BMSG events BMSG events --- ## framing 101 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/framing-101/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 1052 > framing From addressing sexual violence prevention to targeted junk food marketing to health equity, much of our work at BMSG centers around a concept known as framing. When we conduct... framing From addressing sexual violence prevention to targeted junk food marketing to health equity, much of our work at BMSG centers around a concept known as framing. When we conduct research or provide trainings, we do so with the understanding that there are no blank slates. All people come to new information they see or hear with ideas already in their heads about the way the world works. Those existing notions form the mental structures, or conceptual frames, that allow us to integrate new information into our brains into a coherent way. Without even knowing it, we use frames to categorize information, identify patterns and derive meaning from them. Frames matter because they can foster certain understandings and hinder others. Often, all it takes is a single word or image to activate an entire frame that then determines the deeper meaning of that word or image. Once activated, frames trigger emotions, associations, values, judgments, and causal explanations. They create tracks for a train of thought. And once on that track, it’s hard to get off. news frames Frames don’t just exist in our minds. They also exist in our language in the way we talk and write about the world around us. In news coverage, the frame is the way an issue is defined, packaged, and presented in the story. When covering stories, journalists select certain arguments, examples, images, messages, and sources to create a picture of the issue. This selection — or omission — of arguments and voices functions similar to a frame around a photograph, telling us what information is important and what information we can ignore. One way to distinguish types of news frames is to think of the difference between a portrait and a landscape. In a news story framed as a portrait, audiences learn a great deal about an individual person or event. A landscape story, on the other hand, takes a broader view to include the context or environment surrounding them. News stories tend to be framed as portraits, reinforcing a strong cultural tendency in the United States to focus on the role individual behavior plays in most situations. This can work against public health goals, which require pulling back the lens and looking at the context of a given problem, including its root causes, to find its solution. implications for advocates Because much of what we know about the world — beyond what we see or hear firsthand — is crafted in newsrooms, it is especially important for advocates to understand how journalists frame public health issues. Understanding how an issue is framed can help advocates anticipate what people think about the issue and what they’ll need to do to help people see the issue differently. This is especially important when policies are being considered. Advocates should also be aware that people can hold multiple, even contradictory, frames in their heads at the same time. The one that gets triggered and repeated more often has a better chance of influencing people’s interpretation of the text. frames, values and strategy Effectively framing and communicating a message is a delicate balancing act. While there is no exact formula and the details will differ depending on the situation, in general, the message must be rooted in policy goals aimed at structural, environmental changes. But communicating those goals using only landscapes and detailed policy language is almost sure to lose audiences. To connect with their audiences, advocates need to establish their shared values (e.g. community, justice) and link those values back to the issue at hand and the policy changes needed. The story should be framed as a landscape to highlight the systemic or structural nature of the issue but peppered with individual quotes and anecdotes to help readers connect to the story. putting framing to work Advocates can use what they know about existing health arguments to frame — or reframe — them. At BMSG, that’s exactly what we help them do. For example, BMSG provides Healthy Eating Active Communities, an Initiative of The California Endowment, support for framing food and activity issues from a public health perspective. BMSG has also recently helped the California WIC Association and UC Davis Human Lactation Center analyze the frames present in its reports on hospital breastfeeding rates and the way those reports have been characterized in the news. We helped them find out to what extent their messages were supporting or working against their broader goal of creating an infrastructure that makes it easier for women to breastfeed. BMSG is also working with local health departments in California on successfully framing issues related to health equity, like housing, opioid use, and immigration in conversations with the media and beyond. framing and health equity While framing is critical for all public health issues, it plays an especially important role in working toward racial and health equity. In the United States, there are some frames that dominant new... --- ## other interests URL: https://www.bmsg.org/our-commitment-to-public-health/other-interests/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-26 Words: 66 > BMSG is interested in many public health issues. But we can only research the areas we have funding for. Below are the topics our research and training teams want to... BMSG is interested in many public health issues. But we can only research the areas we have funding for. Below are the topics our research and training teams want to tackle in greater depth. If you’re a funder interested in helping us to jump start one of these projects or an organization who would like to collaborate, please contact us and let us know! --- ## children’s & family health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/our-commitment-to-public-health/children-family-health/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-26 Words: 399 > the problem We know from decades of research on children's health that when kids experience abuse, neglect and other forms of trauma, they are more likely to experience a range... the problem We know from decades of research on children’s health that when kids experience abuse, neglect and other forms of trauma, they are more likely to experience a range of negative mental and physical health consequences later in life. We also know that when children are healthy, they are more likely to thrive as adults and, ultimately, everyone benefits. Families are happier; businesses are more productive; communities are stronger. Our society can help parents raise healthy kids by passing policies to protect them from violence and trauma, provide access to healthy food and safe places to play, ensure support for breastfeeding and paid sick leave, and more. Yet, in many ways, our current social safety net doesn’t reflect these priorities. And although news coverage of some issues like childhood trauma is growing, children’s health receives little attention compared to other public health problems. Additionally, legislation that does support children’s health is frequently bogged down with dense language that obscures the policy’s underlying values such as compassion and fairness. This decreases the chances that reporters will pick up the story and that the public will embrace it. the path to success Ensuring children’s and family health starts with healthy public policy. That includes policies in areas like education, which has strong connections to health even though the links may not be immediately obvious. To be healthy, children and families need a range of resources, such as safe parks nearby, affordable fresh produce, schools with high-quality curricula, affordable medical care, and the ability to take time off work when a child or other family member gets sick. BMSG’s connection At BMSG, we conduct news analyses to reveal how issues related to children’s health appear in the news. We then use insights from that research to help advocates articulate the values behind their legislative goals, giving children’s health policy the visibility it needs to be both understood by and persuasive to the public and to policymakers. We help advocates talk and write about the structural policy changes needed to support children’s and family health without drowning in a mire of technical detail. Once advocates have communicated the values guiding their efforts, they are in a better position to explain why the policy matters and what its implications are for real people. --- ## violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/our-commitment-to-public-health/violence-prevention/ Type: page Modified: 2024-12-16 Words: 408 > the problem Violence is a public health problem that happens as a result of many complex environmental factors like poverty, racial discrimination, and easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons.... the problem Violence is a public health problem that happens as a result of many complex environmental factors like poverty, racial discrimination, and easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons. Like many other public health issues, it is also preventable. But policies that invest in prevention are in short supply, and messages that reflect the need for those policies don’t often reach the public. Instead, much of what we know about violence — beyond what we experience personally — comes to us through the filter of what news reporters, editors, and publishers think is important. This means that the most shocking (and rare) crimes like school shootings tend to get the most attention, compared to other, more common crimes like domestic violence. Crime reporting also typically focuses on isolated incidents of violence instead of exploring trends, asking why it happens, or seeking out solutions that could prevent it from happening again. This police-blotter style of reporting instills fear, discourages positive action, and reinforces American cultural assumptions that violence cannot be prevented. It also makes it harder for advocates to shape crime policy to include investments in prevention. the path to success To end violence, we need to enact policies that change the conditions that give rise to it. Besides improving police enforcement, policy solutions should help increase wages, improve the quality of schools, ensure access to quality early care and education, provide better, more affordable health care and mental health care, restrict the availability and marketing of alcohol to youth, fight racism, decrease the availability of drugs and weapons, and improve social support for families with children. BMSG’s connection BMSG has helped advocates move policymakers toward creating prevention-oriented legislation in many ways: We have monitored the media for news on violence and shown advocates how to respond to problematic coverage; we have researched narratives on different types of family and community violence to provide advocates and practitioners with a window into the discourse and opportunities to shift it toward prevention and community action; we have developed and refined research-informed messages and communication strategies to support advocates and practitioners in making the case for primary prevention in schools, workplaces, faith communities, and other institutions; we have taught advocates how to develop media strategies and pitch prevention-related stories to reporters; and we have developed tools and conducted workshops to train journalists on how to include a data-driven, prevention-focused approach in violence coverage. --- ## health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/our-commitment-to-public-health/health-equity/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-26 Words: 469 > the problem At BMSG, we believe that all people deserve to live a long and healthy life. Advocates, researchers, and public health champions already know many of the things we... the problem At BMSG, we believe that all people deserve to live a long and healthy life. Advocates, researchers, and public health champions already know many of the things we need to do to make this a reality. These include ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable housing and reliable transportation; creating jobs that offer a living wage and dignity; protecting our environment and creating safe places to play, work, and learn; increasing access to healthy foods; providing every child with access to quality early care and education; preventing violence by addressing its root causes; and understanding the intersecting structural forces of racism, classism, sexism, xenophobia and other forms of oppression that influence who has access to the building blocks for good health and who doesn’t. While we have a good sense of what is needed to create communities where everyone can be healthy, we rarely see this story in the news. Historically, the mass media have largely ignored the connection between social, economic, and political power and health. Instead, the media have presented health issues mostly in medical terms, with a focus on personal health habits, physician heroics, or technological breakthroughs. Similarly, social and health programs often focus on giving people skills to beat the odds rather than removing the structural barriers to having successful and healthy lives. the path to success Though individual behavior plays a role in health, in the long run it makes more sense — and is more just — to change the environments that shape health outcomes. Public health is just one part of a larger movement for equity and justice, but, together with our community partners, we can use data and storytelling to help foster a deeper understanding of what creates health inequities and what we can do about them. When we communicate effectively about health equity, we broaden the support for — and deepen the commitment to — work for justice. Telling our story is one critical piece of a comprehensive approach for equity. BMSG’s connection Whether we are working on violence prevention, childhood trauma, or another public health issue, we are committed to bringing an equity lens to our work at BMSG. We help advocates bring their voices to the debates about health and shift power away from the status quo and back to our communities. We do this by helping advocates and community groups develop and fine-tune their strategies so that they can make better use of the media to advance policies that improve the social determinants of health. For example, we are working with health departments to strengthen their capacity to communicate about racial and health equity. We also work with advocates and journalists to improve and increase news coverage of issues related to health equity, and we have developed case studies outlining effective health equity strategies. --- ## alcohol, tobacco, & other drugs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/our-commitment-to-public-health/alcohol-tobacco-other-drugs/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 523 > the problem Despite tremendous progress over the last 50 years, tobacco remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States, and alcohol is the No. 1 drug... the problem Despite tremendous progress over the last 50 years, tobacco remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States, and alcohol is the No. 1 drug used by kids. Both industries survive by replacing their dying customers with new ones. Although age restrictions are in place to limit access and use, children and teens are not only able to obtain tobacco and alcohol, but many become addicted to these products in their youth. One of the key factors that influences whether youth will begin — and continue — using tobacco or alcohol is marketing. And with the rapid growth of digital marketing, advertisers are focusing their attention on new ways to reach young consumers — especially youth of color who use digital media more than their white counterparts — without parents or policymakers even knowing. Research also shows that e-cigarettes, which are on the rise among youth, may be driving up youth smoking rates. Marketers often target teens with kid-friendly vaping flavors, such as cotton candy and gummy bears. Still, tobacco and alcohol are far from the only drugs that affect our communities. Opioid use, for example, has become a major public health problem — one that is receiving significant media coverage. However, current news reports rarely discuss the underlying social, political and economic factors, such as a lack of jobs and educational opportunities, that drive up drug use. Without this context, it is harder for people to understand and support solutions that address root causes. the path to success To decrease drug use over the long term, we must support social determinants of health like quality housing, transit infrastructure and education access. These and other factors form the social fabric that prevents drug use. We must also hold drug makers accountable for their products’ harms and change the environments those products are sold and consumed in. Steps to do that include passing excise taxes to increase the cost of tobacco and alcohol, regulating aggressive marketing practices aimed at youth, and reducing exposure — for alcohol, that might mean reducing the number of places that sell it; for tobacco, it could be decreasing the places where people are exposed to cigarette smoke. For opioids, reducing harm requires us to approach the issue of addiction as a public health problem rather than strictly a law enforcement matter. Doing so means we must also confront our country’s racialized history with drug use, including disparities in sentencing policies and practices, which disproportionately harm communities of color. BMSG’s connection To make these changes happen, advocates need to pressure decision makers to take action, often using the media as their megaphone. That’s where BMSG comes in. We study the media to better understand how opioids appear in the news and how the tobacco and alcohol industries are portrayed; conduct research to keep up with changes in digital marketing (via social media, online video, mobile phones and virtual communities) and how tobacco and alcohol advertisers use it to reach youth; and then use our findings to help advocates get their perspectives and policy suggestions into the media and onto the radar of policymakers. --- ## food & activity environments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/our-commitment-to-public-health/food-activity-environments/ Type: page Modified: 2022-11-15 Words: 453 > the problem Our surroundings affect how healthy we are. Yet, too often, our communities don't provide the conditions necessary to eat well and be active. In many cases, this leaves... the problem Our surroundings affect how healthy we are. Yet, too often, our communities don’t provide the conditions necessary to eat well and be active. In many cases, this leaves adults and kids with easier access to fast food than fresh produce, more broken sidewalks than safe parks, and a greater chance of getting sick than living well. And the ubiquity of food and beverage marketing only complicates the matter. Advertisers are increasingly finding new ways to sidestep parents and market high-calorie, nutritionally bankrupt products directly to youth — especially young people of color, who are already at higher risk for diabetes and other diet-related diseases. With marketers now using Big Data and digital techniques to reach children and teens through websites, social platforms and mobile devices, even most vigilant parents are fighting impossible odds to keep their kids healthy. the path to success Healthy populations live in communities that offer easy access to nutritious, affordable food and safe places to exercise and play. Supporting healthy public policies can help us get there. Examples include stricter regulations to reduce junk food marketing to kids; smart growth zoning laws, which locate homes closer to schools and public transportation, thus making it easier for people to walk more and drive less; and shared use agreements, which allow schools and communities to share resources like gyms and athletic fields, giving people more places to be active. BMSG’s connection At BMSG, we help advocates communicate to policymakers and the public that people’s environments affect their health. For example, we helped advocates at the California WIC Association fine-tune their messages about the community-wide health benefits of breastfeeding. We have conducted several content analyses to see how arguments for and against soda taxes appear in the news, so that advocates are better equipped to make the case for this health-promoting strategy. And for more than a decade, BMSG provided training and technical assistance to the community-based advocates of The California Endowment’s Healthy Eating Active Communities. Through our trainings and the development of a toolkit and other resources, we helped HEAC groups plan how to mobilize the community on the issue of junk food marketing and how to use media advocacy to advance specific policy goals. Today, our work on this critical issue continues: With our partners at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, we co-convene the Food Marketing Workgroup, a coalition of more than 225 experts and organizations committed to ending junk food marketing to kids. We also lead the group’s target marketing subcommittee, which is focused on protecting children of color and low-income kids from marketing for unhealthy food. --- ## Using proactive and reactive media strategies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/using-proactive-and-reactive-media-strategies/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-14 Words: 480 > Advocates typically engage with the news media in two ways: by responding to reporters’ requests for information and by creating their own news so reporters seek them out. In either... Advocates typically engage with the news media in two ways: by responding to reporters’ requests for information and by creating their own news so reporters seek them out. In either case, it’s important to be familiar with your targeted media outlets before taking a call or pitching a story. Start by following the outlets’ content to learn how they cover — or don’t cover — your issue. Then, gather relevant reporters’ bylines to create a media contact list and identify reporters or editors you want to build relationships with. Once these relationships are in place, it will be easier to become a trusted source and to shape news coverage of your issue. Advocates can create news using proactive or reactive strategies. Proactive strategies include authoring compelling op-eds and letters to the editor, releasing research reports, and creating news, while reactive strategies involve piggybacking on breaking news to shed light on your issue. Both approaches require learning to think like a reporter and developing a keen sense for what makes something newsworthy. Other tactics for influencing public dialogue include the use of paid advertising and social media campaigns. As more people adopt digital tools, conversations on platforms like Twitter are increasingly catching the eye of reporters and affecting what stories the news media cover and how they cover them. Knowing this, advocates are now using social media to get coverage for everything from environmental protections to trans rights to violence prevention. Want to learn more about how you can use proactive and reactive media advocacy strategies to support your community organizing efforts and policy change goals? Check out the resources below or contact us to discuss training options. Related resources Creating news that reaches decision-makers [pdf] This training manual explores different news story elements so participants can learn to emphasize what is newsworthy about their issue. Participants will explore how to create news, piggyback on breaking news, meet with editorial boards, submit op-eds and letters to the editor, and develop advocacy ads. Worksheet: Elements of newsworthiness [pdf] Media coverage can provide a powerful way for advocates to shape public conversations and public policy. But gaining coverage requires understanding what makes an issue newsworthy. Use this worksheet to brainstorm ways to make your issue relevant to the media. How advocates can make their issue more newsworthy: Tips from a veteran reporter Getting media coverage of a public health issue or policy goal can seem daunting. Here’s how advocates can turn one common challenge for journalists into an opportunity to make headlines. Worksheet: Creating a media advocacy calendar [pdf] Creating a media advocacy calendar can help you identify key moments in the political process or opportunities — such as holidays, anniversaries or other key dates — that you can leverage to garner media attention. Use this worksheet to help you identify news hooks and prepare for newsworthy events in advance. --- ## Delivering your message URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/delivering-your-message/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-14 Words: 496 > It’s common for even seasoned media advocates to feel nervous during media interviews. While a little bit of nervousness can help you focus, too much can throw you off track,... It’s common for even seasoned media advocates to feel nervous during media interviews. While a little bit of nervousness can help you focus, too much can throw you off track, causing you to forget key points or get stumped by tough questions. To make sure the conversation goes smoothly, plan your messages and practice them in advance. The first step in preparing to engage with the news media is to decide who the right messengers are, which may or may not include you. Ask yourself, who supports your advocacy goals? What unique perspective can they offer? Who will resonate with your target audience? Preparing a range of potential spokespeople ahead of time will allow you to put forward the person who can most effectively make the case at a particular point in time. Next, work together with your spokespeople to anticipate reporters’ questions and practice answering them. During this process, brainstorm difficult questions related to your opposition’s arguments, but don’t forget to also practice answering seemingly simple questions like, “Why are you concerned about this issue?”, “Who is the most affected by this issue?”, and “What will happen if nothing is done?” When the day of the interview arrives, stay on message by keeping your goals in front of you, using clear, plain language and resisting the urge to say everything. Additionally, although consistency is important, spokespeople should not use the exact same, pre-scripted messages each time; rather, they should strive to convey the same meaning, trigger the same frame and evoke the same underlying values, even if the language, spokesperson or political context changes. To learn more about ways to become an effective spokesperson, common traps to avoid (such as inadvertently reinforcing your opposition’s argument), or to schedule a spokesperson training with the BMSG team, contact us. Related resources Engaging reporters to advance health policy [pdf] This training manual will help advocates learn to anticipate and practice answering the tough questions reporters ask. Activity: Delivering effective messages [pdf] It’s one thing to develop a strategic message. It’s an entirely different skill to deliver your message in a strategic way. Use this mock interview activity to help you stay on message and further your policy goals. Worksheet: Answering hard questions [pdf] Being strategic means anticipating your opposition’s arguments and preparing for hard questions, whether they’re from a news reporter, your target decision-maker(s), or even a community member who could one day become an ally. Use this worksheet with colleagues or others to brainstorm hard questions and practice your responses. Are you reinforcing your opposition’s arguments? Do you ever find yourself bringing up your opposition’s frame before she or he does? By raising the precise frames we intend to counter, even to refute them, we are creating hurdles we now must jump over. And we may be suggesting these arguments to those who had not yet considered them. --- ## Developing your message URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/developing-your-message/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-14 Words: 459 > To advance public health policy goals, advocates must learn how to communicate strategically about three things: the issue they want to address, why it matters and what should be done... To advance public health policy goals, advocates must learn how to communicate strategically about three things: the issue they want to address, why it matters and what should be done about it. Together, these elements form the core of any message and can be incorporated into a variety of campaign communications, from blogs to op-eds to websites. They can also be tailored to answer most of the questions that a reporter or decision-maker might ask. Too often, advocates prepare for interviews or news conferences by compiling exhaustive lists of facts and policy details, using those to form their messages and to counter opposition arguments. While facts and figures are important, alone they are not enough to form a compelling narrative or sway audiences. To make sure your message resonates with your audience, you must communicate shared values and show how your proposed solution reinforces them. In addition, BMSG has identified several “story elements” that are commonly included in the news. By strategically using these elements — visuals, social math, authentic voices and media bites — advocates can increase the visibility of their issue and make it more understandable to audiences. To learn more about message development, check out the below resources or contact us. Related resources Creating news that reaches decision-makers [pdf] This training manual explores different news story elements so advocates can gain access to journalists by emphasizing what is newsworthy about their issue. Advocates will explore how to create news, piggyback on breaking news, meet with editorial boards, submit op-eds and letters to the editor, and develop advocacy ads. Worksheet: Developing strategic messages [pdf] Use this worksheet with your partners to practice developing messages for your target audience. Worksheet: Crafting effective op-eds Op-eds are a powerful way to bring public health and social justice issues to the public’s attention, and to reach policymakers with suggestions for concrete policy solutions. Writing one can help support your overall social change strategy. Use this worksheet to organize your ideas. Using social math to support your policy issue How advocates can make dense data meaningful for reporters, policymakers and the public. Tips for writing effective letters to the editor Letters to the editor can signal community interest about a particular public health issue and send a message to policymakers. Here are some tips to help advocates craft compelling letters and increase their chances of getting published. Blogging tips for media advocates Blogging can be a powerful communications tool for media advocacy. Blogs can help you establish your online identity, share expertise, and, ultimately, advance your social change goals. Whether you are just getting started or have been blogging for years, here are some tips and tricks to help your organization build and maintain a better blog. --- ## Lessons in framing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/lessons-in-framing/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-09 Words: 567 > "Framing" refers to how an issue is portrayed and how audiences interpret messages. News frames shape the parameters of public debates by promoting particular definitions of a problem, its causes... “Framing” refers to how an issue is portrayed and how audiences interpret messages. News frames shape the parameters of public debates by promoting particular definitions of a problem, its causes and what to do about it. For example, if the news media report on childhood obesity solely as a consequence of what kids eat without including contextual factors like whether they live in a neighborhood with access to fresh, healthy food, then the public will be less likely to see the need for policy solutions to create environments that support children’s health. Additionally, the language that’s used, whose perspectives are included or left out, and what types of information are highlighted or omitted all affect how issues are characterized in the media and understood by the public. Although many reporters strive to be objective, BMSG’s and others’ research confirms that several types of bias — however unintentional — are common in U.S. media coverage, with implications for public health and social justice efforts. Coverage tends to: focus on problems and underreport solutions; reinforce cultural beliefs of “rugged individualism” and personal responsibility to the exclusion of the common good and collective responsibility; elevate “expert” voices over community voices; and exclude important social and historical context. For advocates to successfully make the case for a policy solution to a public health problem, they must shift these frames — often in the face of a well-funded opposition. For example, when advocates in Berkeley, California, sought to pass the nation’s first tax on soda, they couldn’t match the beverage industry’s deep pockets, but they were able to identify frames that resonated with the community and, in November 2014, voters approved the tax by an overwhelming margin. Want to learn more about how your issue is portrayed in the news? Check out our news analyses on violence, trauma, abortion stigma, food and beverage environments and more. Don’t see your issue? Contact us to learn more about our research and training options. Related resources Framing 101 An introduction to news frames and why they matter. Shaping public debate with framing and messages [pdf] This training manual explains framing — what it is and why it matters — and helps advocates apply that knowledge to developing messages in advocacy campaigns. Advocates can use it to practice framing their issue within the context of policy advocacy. What surrounds us shapes us: Making the case for environmental change This framing brief helps advocates explain that what surrounds us — our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces — influences our health. When people understand that, it becomes easier for them to see why policies to support healthy environments are needed. (Look here for a version that applies to tobacco control.) The problem with obesity Obesity has become the popular term for a set of problems that result in premature death and injury from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is a convenient term, but we should stop using it. This framing brief explains why. Moving from them to us: Challenges in reframing violence among youth This report explores how youth and violence have been framed in the news, how the issue of race complicates depictions of youth and violence, and how public attitudes about government can inhibit public support for violence prevention. It also includes recommended next steps for reframing violence among youth for UNITY, a national effort addressing the root causes of violence. --- ## Getting started with media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/getting-started-with-media-advocacy/ Type: page Modified: 2024-02-02 Words: 378 > When advocates are ready to start a media campaign, they often begin by asking what messages they should use, what language works the best or what words they should avoid.... When advocates are ready to start a media campaign, they often begin by asking what messages they should use, what language works the best or what words they should avoid. But when it comes to media advocacy, message is never first. That’s because, unlike with social marketing, the goal of media advocacy isn’t to raise awareness — it’s to change policy. Before crafting their messages, media advocates should ask: What problem do I want to solve? What policy solution am I advocating? Who has the power to make the change I am seeking? What is the best way to communicate with my target audience? Will engaging the media help me reach them? Only after answering these questions should advocates start developing messages and pitching stories to reporters. To learn more about using media advocacy strategically to advance healthy public policy or to request assistance in developing a media advocacy plan, contact us. Related resources Media advocacy 101 An introduction to using mass media to support policies that improve health. Making the case for health with media advocacy [pdf] This training manual introduces media advocacy, describes the news media’s role in shaping debates on community health, and can help advocates clarify their overall strategy and learn how it relates to a media strategy, a message strategy and a media access strategy. Planning ahead for strategic media advocacy [pdf] This training manual takes participants through each step of developing a media advocacy plan: setting goals and objectives, identifying strategies and tactics, assessing resources, determining timelines and specifying who will do what. Layers of strategy [pdf] This 1-pager outlines BMSG’s four-stage approach to media advocacy planning, a process we call the layers of strategy. Before deciding what to say, advocates need to know what they want their targets to do. That involves developing an overall strategy tied to an advocacy campaign’s specific policy goal. Media, message and media access strategies follow. GOTMME media advocacy planning tool This worksheet is designed to help media advocates plan their communication work in a strategic, coordinated manner. Using “GOTMME,” a 6-step planning process, advocates can identify their policy goals, objectives, and target audiences; craft their messages; identify their messenger(s); and evaluate their results. --- ## Understanding the agenda-setting role of news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/understanding-the-agenda-setting-role-of-news/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-09 Words: 294 > News coverage is an important driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues. It influences not only what issues people think about but also how they think about... News coverage is an important driver of public conversations about health and social justice issues. It influences not only what issues people think about but also how they think about them. Time, newsroom budgets, and how diverse newsroom are — or aren’t — are just a few of the many factors that determine which issues get front-page or primetime coverage and which ones get buried or overlooked entirely. In spite of these challenges, media advocates can leverage the agenda-setting function of the news to capture the attention of decision-makers and opinion leaders, garner support for policy change and move people to take action. Advocates can do this through timely op-eds, letters to the editor and pitching stories to reporters, among other tactics. Advocates can also use social channels to shape news conversations. While traditional news outlets remain a key source of information for the majority of news consumers, digital media platforms are quickly changing the way people consume the news. Because blogs, tweets and other social media content don’t have to go through the filter of an editor before being published, advocates can use digital venues to highlight voices that are often overlooked in mainstream coverage and shift the balance of power in the media landscape. To learn more about the agenda-setting function of the media and how you can use it to promote equitable policies, check out the below resources or contact us. Related resources Making the case for health with media advocacy [pdf] This training manual introduces media advocacy, describes the news media’s role in shaping debates on community health, and can help advocates clarify their overall strategy and learn how it relates to a media strategy, a message strategy and a media access strategy. --- ## past partners URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-partners/past-partners/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 505 > funders [partners status="past" designation="funder"] clients [partners status="past" designation="client"] other partners [partners status="past" designation="partner"] funders The Kresge FoundationHope and Heal FundSan Francisco Department of Public HealthA.L. Mailman Family FoundationBlue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota FoundationCenters for Disease Control and Prevention FoundationCommunity Clinics InitiativeHealth TrustICF Macro InternationalS.H. Cowell FoundationThe Ford FoundationKansas Health FoundationThe Joyce FoundationMs. Foundation for WomenW.K. Kellogg FoundationSierra Health FoundationThe David and Lucile Packard FoundationThe John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationUniversity Research CorporationFoundation for a Healthy KentuckyGlobal Obesity Prevention Center at Johns Hopkins UniversityHealthy Eating Research, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson FoundationKaiser PermanenteSan Francisco Municipal Transportation AgencyUC Berkeley Food InstituteAmerican Heart Association clients Center for Wellness and NutritionPublic Advocates OfficeRhode Island Department of HealthFutures Without ViolenceStrategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity EnvironmentsSubstance Abuse Policy Research Program, a program of RWJFThe Public Health TrustTrauma Foundation (Pacific Center for Violence Prevention)Turning Point Social Marketing CollaborativeUniversity of California, Los AngelesUrban Peace MovementUser Liaison Program, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, USDHHSViolence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los AngelesYale University Rudd Center for Food Policy and ObesityIndependent Living Research Utilization, Inc.Labor Project for Working FamiliesMinnesota Department of HealthNational Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO)Partners for Peace, Salinas, CAPartnership for the Public’s HealthPolicyLinkSanta Cruz County Office of EducationStrategic Alliance for Health Food and Activity EnvironmentsChild Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo CountyCoalition on Alcohol Outlet Issues, Oakland, CAColeman Advocates for Children & YouthCommittee for Economic DevelopmentCommunication WorksCommunications Consortium Media CenterEarly Edge California (formerly Preschool California)Fenton CommunicationsFrameworks InstituteIdaho Department of Health and WelfareAlcohol Justice (formerly The Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems)Alliance to End Childhood Lead PoisoningAmerican Lung AssociationAmerican Medical Association Matter of Degree ProgramBuilding Blocks for YouthCalifornia Department of Health ServicesCalifornia Project LEANCalifornia WIC AssociationCanadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) — Institute of Population and Public Health, at the University of OttawaCentral California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP)California Department of Public HealthConsumer Health FoundationCuyahoga County Board of HealthHealing Justice AllianceNational Sexual Violence Resource CenterSea ChangeTransformative Schools Network other partners National ROPS Rebate ProgramNortheast Center for Occupational Health and SafetyHousing Opportunities Mean Everything (HOME) CohortCalifornia Work & Family CoalitionResolve PhillyCollaborative on Media & Messaging for Health and Social PolicyNew York Center for Agricultural Medicine and HealthCouncil of Community Housing Organizations (CCHO)UnidosUSUnerased | Black Women SpeakCenter for Health Policy and Media Engagement, School of Nursing, George Washington UniversityProtecting Immigrant FamiliesYouth ALIVE!RALIANCEAmerican University Professor Kathryn MontgomeryAmerican University Professor Sonya GrierCalifornia Center for Public Health AdvocacyCalifornia Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA)California ConvergenceCenter for Community Health and EvaluationChild Care Action CampaignEDK PollsEsther ThorsonInvestigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)Justice Policy InstituteLinda Gerber Productions, Inc.Multimedia journalist Jane Ellen StevensNational Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), a project of ChangeLab SolutionsPreventConnectShasta Public Health DepartmentThe Advocacy InstituteUniversity of Missouri, Columbia, School of JournalismYouth Media International (Youth Radio)PACEsConnectionCenter for Digital DemocracyCenter for Science in the Public InterestCommunities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE)InterEthnica, Inc.MIG CommunicationsPublic Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University Law SchoolVision Zero Network --- ## lunchtime learning URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events-lunchtime-learning/ Type: page Modified: 2022-09-27 Words: 2111 > Not every organization has a motto, but BMSG has two. After 29 years, they still fit the bill. First, from Dr. Suess: Make every Who holler! Make every Who shout!... Not every organization has a motto, but BMSG has two. After 29 years, they still fit the bill. First, from Dr. Suess: Make every Who holler! Make every Who shout! In Dr. Seuss’s story, Horton the elephant hears a tiny voice on a speck of dust. Turns out the whole town of Whoville lives on that little speck. Horton organizes every Who so, together, they can raise their collective voice and be heard. We still take our cue from Horton and use the media to amplify what advocates do on the ground to improve the health of their communities. And then, from BMSG longtime friend Dan Buckley who coined the motto on our first staff T-shirt: All questions answered. All answers questioned. This motto describes what we do when advocates come to us for help getting their voices heard. We start by asking questions that aim for the heart of the matter: Why do we want the change in the first place? Then, how do we get there? Our collaborations since our founding in 1993 have helped advocates insist that public officials from city hall to our nation’s capital answer their toughest questions. So what questions will advocates be asking in the years and decades? And what answers will we be questioning? Whatever the issues, whatever the media landscape, one thing isn’t likely to change: Advocates will still be pushing to create a better world — one where everyone, no matter their zip code, can be healthy. And if BMSG has any say, we’ll still be using the power of the media to help them do it. In 2013, in celebration of our 20th anniversary, BMSG invited some of our friends and colleagues to share their media advocacy expertise and reflections with us in guest blog posts and in lunchtime talks. We’ve continued the learning series ever since and have captured many of the talks on video. We invite you to pull up a chair, turn up your speakers and enjoy the conversation like we did. Lunchtime learning discussion and guest blogger series Creating newsrooms that better represent and serve their communities Martin G. Reynolds, co-executive director of the Maynard Institute, visited BMSG in 2019 to discuss the Maynard Institute’s work to build diversity in newsrooms. Reflecting on the perception gaps that we all hold, Martin noted that “a community can’t be healthy if it has an inaccurate view of itself.” He also emphasized that health and journalism are among the sectors in society that should not be driven by unbridled profit. Learn more about the Maynard Institute at https://www.mije.org/. Using stories to drive change In this summer 2019 installment of our lunchtime learning series, Amy Hill from StoryCenter came to the BMSG office to speak with the team about digital storytelling. Amy discussed the power of stories to drive change, the acts of listening and sharing stories as a means of transforming communities, and the importance of anchoring your storytelling within an overall strategy. Learn more about StoryCenter and see examples of their digital storytelling work here: https://www.storycenter.org. Community development at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco In this January 2019 installment of our lunchtime learning series, Bina Patel Shrimali, DrPH, and Laurel Gourd from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco discussed the work they’re doing to address the social determinants of health as part of the Community Development team at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco — and how this fits in with the Federal Reserve’s mandate. They explored, for example, how credit deserts are a public health issue, how capital and services can be brought to low-income communities with a history of disinvestment and discrimination, and how the Fed can communicate more effectively about gentrification. Other key areas of focus include: place and health; mental health; housing stability; climate resilience, especially in low- and moderate-income communities; and innovations in financing. Beyond the individual: Telling a systems story How can journalists make readers care without centering the story of an individual? In this talk, Bernice Yeung, author and reporter at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, came to the BMSG office to discuss her work covering sexual assault against America’s most vulnerable workers. Bernice touched on the importance of reporting that brings solutions to the fore and how journalists can incorporate a systems focus into their storytelling. She also spoke to the need for increased diversity in newsrooms, noting, “If we’re not diverse, then we’re not covering our communities accurately.” You can order Bernice’s book, “In a Day’s Work,” here: https://thenewpress.com/books/days-work. What is left to debate about Donald Trump’s ‘base’? Breaking down the results of the 2016 presidential election What happened in the 2016 election? What didn’t happen? In this talk, Josh Clark, Tides senior fellow at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, discussed class, race, health and resentment as t... --- ## join our team URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/join-our-team/ Type: page Modified: 2025-12-08 Words: 84 > Content and News Curation Specialist This is a part-time, temporary, 37.5% FTE position that is expected to begin on January 12, 2026, and last 12 weeks. The incumbent will be... Content and News Curation Specialist This is a part-time, temporary, 37.5% FTE position that is expected to begin on January 12, 2026, and last 12 weeks. The incumbent will be expected to work mornings with a schedule of 15 hours per week. This is a fully remote position but must be based in the United States. Learn more and apply here. You can view other open positions through our fiscal sponsor, the Public Health Institute, on their job application site. --- ## journalist education URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/journalist-education/ Type: page Modified: 2020-09-02 Words: 252 > Part of BMSG's mission is to help journalists improve their coverage of public health issues by asking better questions about the causes of and solutions to public health problems. Because... Part of BMSG’s mission is to help journalists improve their coverage of public health issues by asking better questions about the causes of and solutions to public health problems. Because we research news coverage from our public health perch, we often uncover potential story ideas and new questions for reporters to ask. Reporters can find research-based story suggestions within our publications on health equity and environmental justice, children’s health, childhood trauma, paid family leave, breastfeeding, childhood nutrition policy, the sale of soda and junk food in schools, soda taxes, school shootings and other violence among youth, sexual violence, abortion stigma and more. We have partnered with journalists and journalism professors to create tools and bring trainings on public health perspectives directly into newsrooms. See details from our Reporting on Violence project. Additional resources, including media contacts, are available in our newsroom and publications. However, the learning process with journalists goes both ways. In addition to sharing our public health expertise with journalists, we regularly invite reporters, editors, and journalism instructors to share their knowledge and experiences with us. Through our Journalism Brain Trust, these media professionals, from a range of organizations, publications, and beats, offer feedback on our research findings. This helps us develop recommendations that are informed by current journalism practice and disseminate our work to the journalists best equipped to use it. Interested in joining our Journalism Brain Trust or in having us do a training for your newsroom? Contact us at info@bmsg.org. --- ## media advocacy training URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/media-advocacy-training/ Type: page Modified: 2024-05-14 Words: 97 > Interested in shifting the public debate on health or other social justice issues? We offer strategic communication trainings for advocates, community groups, youth leaders and others. Whether you are new... Interested in shifting the public debate on health or other social justice issues? We offer strategic communication trainings for advocates, community groups, youth leaders and others. Whether you are new to media advocacy or a seasoned advocate looking to further build your team’s capacity or apply their skills in a targeted campaign, we can custom-tailored our trainings to meet your needs. Trainings are available in English and Spanish and range from one-time half-day sessions to in-depth series developed over a longer period. Contact us to learn more or to request a training. --- ## research URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/research/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 146 > The research team at BMSG investigates how issues affecting the public’s health are presented in the media. The goal of our work is to use our findings to support the... The research team at BMSG investigates how issues affecting the public’s health are presented in the media. The goal of our work is to use our findings to support the media and policy efforts of public health advocates to create healthy environments for all communities. Our research falls into two categories. For advocates in the field, we deliver a variety of policy-oriented materials, such as framing briefs and case studies. These documents offer incisive, timely analyses of how much coverage a public health issue is getting, how it is being framed in news or marketing media, and how effectively advocates have used the media to further their policy agenda. We also publish content analyses for the academic and policy communities. These projects use scientific methods to explore in greater depth the nature and extent of a public health issue’s coverage and framing. --- ## consultation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-services/consultation/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 94 > media advocacy consultation Organizations that want to change policy or influence decision-makers enlist BMSG to help them develop a media advocacy plan, a message strategy, and an access strategy for... media advocacy consultation Organizations that want to change policy or influence decision-makers enlist BMSG to help them develop a media advocacy plan, a message strategy, and an access strategy for becoming part of the public debate in the news media. strategic consultation We help public health advocates plan strategic media opportunities and provide feedback and coaching during every step of implementation, from writing letters to the editor or preparing for a tough media interview to refining their overall strategy. To find out more about our consultation work, contact us at info@bmsg.org. --- ## our history URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-history/ Type: page Modified: 2026-08-20 Words: 185 > BMSG was founded in 1993 in Berkeley, California, by Lawrence Wallack, DrPH, then-professor of public health at the University of California at Berkeley, and Lori Dorfman, DrPH, then a graduate... BMSG was founded in 1993 in Berkeley, California, by Lawrence Wallack, DrPH, then-professor of public health at the University of California at Berkeley, and Lori Dorfman, DrPH, then a graduate student at the School of Public Health, to help public health professionals and community groups become more savvy about using the power of the media to advance public health. Since 1993, BMSG has worked with organizations on a range of issues, including violence and injury prevention, alcohol, tobacco, children’s health, child care, affirmative action, food and activity environments, health inequities and sexually transmitted diseases. We have published numerous case studies, research papers, books, and media advocacy training curricula. We have come to be known as a leading public health media advocacy organization in the United States. BMSG is a project of the Public Health Institute. The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation, and around the world. PHI houses a variety of local, statewide, national and international public health research and education projects. --- ## our mission URL: https://www.bmsg.org/about-us/our-mission/ Type: page Modified: 2024-05-19 Words: 123 > At BMSG, we believe that the mass media, especially the news, have a significant influence on people's beliefs and actions regarding public health and social issues. We work with community... At BMSG, we believe that the mass media, especially the news, have a significant influence on people’s beliefs and actions regarding public health and social issues. We work with community groups, journalists and public health professionals to use the power of the media to advance public policies and systems changes that foster racial and health equity. We help people make their voices heard in a powerful public forum, and increase their participation in the democratic process. To do this we must understand how news, entertainment, and advertising present health and social issues. That’s why we monitor the media, study the process of news gathering, and analyze media content to support our media advocacy training, professional education, and strategic consultation. --- ## privacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/privacy/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 755 > Last updated April 24, 2012 Berkeley Media Studies Group takes your online privacy seriously and we established this policy to show our commitment to fair information practices and the protection... Last updated April 24, 2012 Berkeley Media Studies Group takes your online privacy seriously and we established this policy to show our commitment to fair information practices and the protection of privacy. A summary of fair information practices can be found at http://bobgellman.com/rg-docs/rg-fips.pdf.This policy is only applicable to bmsg.org, and not to any other websites that you may be able to access from bmsg.org. Other websites have data collection and use practices and policies that differ materially from this policy. We recommend you review the privacy policies at outside sites to see how they handle your personal information. Your personal information will be subject to this policy. Please do not use this site or provide information if you do not agree with all of the terms of this policy. How BMSG collects and uses personal information Basic information In operating our website, BMSG may include newsletter sign-ups and other online forms that ask users to volunteer their names, email addresses, and other contact information. Automated data collection Our servers automatically record and maintain logs of visitors’ IP addresses (the number assigned to computers on the Internet). We don’t normally use IP addresses except to analyze traffic on our website for website improvement or in cases of hacking, harassment, or illegal activity. Browser settings/cookies A cookie is a string of information a website sends to and stores on your computer. BMSG may set and access cookies on your computer to help us increase our website’s effectiveness. Additionally, we may use services such as Google Analytics, which place cookies on web browsers, allowing us to track visitors’ interactions with the site. This helps us determine our audience size and improve bmsg.org based on which parts of the site users are most interested in. You can turn off your computer’s ability to receive and store cookies by adjusting your browser’s settings. To learn more about Google tracking or to opt out, visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/analytics/privacyoverview.html. Disclosure of personal information Unless we have your consent, we do not normally rent, sell or share personal information that you provide us, including your name, email address, and phone number. We may disclose personal information to our contractors and consultants who help us to maintain our online functions; however, if we do, we require them to use and disclose the information only in accordance with this policy. In addition, we may disclose personal information if compelled by law, if our website is hacked, if we have evidence of criminal activity, or if we believe it is necessary to protect and defend the rights, interest, property, or safety of BMSG or the users of bmsg.org. Access to information/subscription preferences You can review or request changes to the information that we collect about you, free of charge, by contacting BMSG at the email address supplied below. Additionally, you may request that we remove all information about you from our database, and you can choose to unsubscribe from our free e-alerts at any time. You can do so by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any e-alert or other online subscription. Security Our website has security measures in place to prevent the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information that we obtain from you; however, we make no assurances about the adequacy of our security. Policy changes We may change this policy at any time and will post a notice of any significant changes on our home page. We will also indicate at the top of the policy the most recent date it was modified. Contact If you have any questions about our privacy and usage policy, please email us at info@bmsg.org. Copyright Bmsg.org contains material that is protected by copyright or other intellectual property rights, and the website itself is protected by U.S. law — and the laws of many other countries — as a copyrighted collective work. Users do not need permission to download, quote, link to or otherwise share information on any page of the website for noncommercial purposes, as long as appropriate credit is given and as long as the information is not shared in a way that portrays our organization, website or employees in a false or misleading light. However, users do need written permission to adapt BMSG’s work or to share it for commercial purposes. --- ## support us URL: https://www.bmsg.org/support-us/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 202 > fund a project Foundations support BMSG's work by commissioning research or hiring us to work with their grantees. BMSG is interested in many public health issues, but we can only... fund a project Foundations support BMSG’s work by commissioning research or hiring us to work with their grantees. BMSG is interested in many public health issues, but we can only work in the areas we have funding for. If you’re a funder interested in helping us jumpstart a new project or supporting our ongoing work, contact us and let us know! donate Help support BMSG’s research, which explores how public health issues are portrayed in the media; our training program, which shows advocates how to shape news coverage of those issues; and our resources for journalists, which help reporters and editors improve their coverage of public health. Make a donation to BMSG through our parent organization, the Public Health Institute (PHI). Please be sure to designate Berkeley Media Studies Group as the donation recipient. Gifts can be one-time or recurring and will be tax-deductible. Donate online PHI gladly accepts credit card donations. Donate now! Donate by mail Please make your check or money order payable to Public Health Institute and mail it, along with this completed donation form, to: Public Health Institute 555 12th Street, 10th Floor Attention: FR/Dev Oakland, CA 94607 --- ## resources URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/ Type: page Modified: 2018-11-26 Words: 94 > framing 101 An introduction to how people's minds take in new information and what that means for advocates trying to develop effective messages about public health media advocacy 101 A... framing 101 An introduction to how people’s minds take in new information and what that means for advocates trying to develop effective messages about public health media advocacy 101 A primer on the strategic use of mass media to advance policies that improve health publications Reports, journal articles, Issue, webinars and other resources for advocates and journalists eye on marketers Each day, BMSG monitors online media to see what new tactics the food and beverage industry is using to market to children. This is a digest of what we’ve found. --- ## Home URL: https://www.bmsg.org/ Type: page Modified: 2026-03-11 Words: 13 > This area isn't used on your homepage. Use it for notes! This area isn’t used on your homepage. Use it for notes! --- ## From tragedy to action: Using media advocacy to advance gun violence prevention legislation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/from-tragedy-to-action-using-media-advocacy-to-advance-gun-violence-prevention-legislation/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1507 > How one advocate helped pass 11 gun violence prevention bills in the aftermath of the country's deadliest mass shooting. On Sunday, June 12, 2016, Mark Chekal-Bain was looking forward to... How one advocate helped pass 11 gun violence prevention bills in the aftermath of the country’s deadliest mass shooting. On Sunday, June 12, 2016, Mark Chekal-Bain was looking forward to a rare day of rest during his busy week as district director for California Assemblymember Phil Ting. As it turned out, that day would be anything but restful. In the morning, Chekal-Bain was awakened by a TV broadcast about tragic news from the night before: An armed gunman had entered Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub to carry out the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. News of the attack hit Chekal-Bain hard. As a gay man, he knew that this was not a random act of violence; it was an assault on a safe haven for largely Latino members of the local LGBTQ community. And, as one of California’s leading experts on gun violence prevention legislation, Chekal-Bain also knew that this was a strategic opportunity to transform his grieving into action. By coincidence, the California legislature would be voting in just two days on 11 pieces of gun violence prevention legislation that Chekal-Bain and others had been working to craft for the past several years. He knew that media advocacy could increase the odds of the bills becoming law. “If I had anything to do with it, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass,” Checkal-Bain said. Chekal-Bain’s experience with media advocacy — the strategic use of media to support community organizing and promote policy change — and longstanding relationships with advocates and policymakers throughout the state uniquely positioned him to create impact. It was as a graduate student in public health at U.C. Berkeley that Chekal-Bain was first introduced to the idea that policy advocacy could be a public health strategy. Prior to that, Chekal-Bain had largely understood public health as a matter of encouraging people to make healthier life choices. His time at Berkeley taught him “to look at policy and environmental change as opposed to behavioral change,” Chekal-Bain said. It was a lesson he would carry with him. After completing doctoral work in public health at UCLA, Chekal-Bain immediately began working on public policy as the director of state and external relations at Americans for Gun Safety, a nonprofit group. A formative experience in this stage of Chekal-Bain’s career — and in the history of violence prevention in California — was the successful, coordinated effort to ban the manufacturing of so-called “junk guns”: cheaply manufactured weapons that had a propensity to discharge accidentally. Despite their inherent dangers (junk guns were also disproportionately used in crimes), junk guns remained poorly regulated due in large part to the strength of the gun lobby. In 1996, by coordinating their efforts, advocates were able to overcome their formidable opposition and achieve the passage of a series of bans on the sale and manufacture of these junk guns in cities and counties throughout the state. Chekal-Bain brought this experience to Sacramento, where in 2003 he was offered a special assistant position under California Attorney General Bill Lockyer to focus on gun violence prevention legislation. The experience helped establish Chekal-Bain as a statewide expert in gun legislation, and he would frequently testify at hearings and lobby for gun violence prevention legislation on behalf of the state. After working on gun violence prevention legislation for many years, Chekal-Bain had learned a sobering lesson: When gun violence was not in the news and not on the minds of lawmakers, legislation tended to stall. “When there is a mass shooting, people introduce gun bills,” he said. Sadly, over the past year, it was a pair of tragedies that created the political pressure necessary to push forward gun control legislation. First there was the San Bernardino attack of Dec. 2, 2015, in which 14 people were killed and 22 were seriously injured. In the aftermath of this shooting, Chekal-Bain worked with a number of representatives to help them draft legislation that would, among other steps, prohibit “bullet buttons” that allow for quick reloading of magazines, restrict the purchase of long guns to one per month, and prevent individuals who falsely report lost or stolen guns from purchasing firearms. Then, there was the June 11, 2016 shooting in Orlando, which killed 49 people and injured 53 others. The day after the tragedy — just two days before the key vote on the 11 gun violence prevention bills — Chekal-Bain suggested to Assemblymember Phil Ting that they hold a news conference the next day. Ting agreed, and gave Chekal-Bain free rein to organize the event. Chekal-Bain’s first step was to contact Ting’s colleagues in the California Assembly who were also champions of gun-control legislation. He also reached out to gun violence prevention groups and leaders of the Islamic and LGBTQ communities in San Francisco. Because some media and pundits were blaming Muslim communities for the Orlando shooting,... --- ## Issue 23: Shaping stigma: An analysis of mainstream print and online news coverage of abortion, 2014-2015 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-23-shaping-stigma-an-analysis-of-mainstream-print-and-online-news-coverage-of-abortion-2014-2015/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 10306 > Access to abortion is fundamental to women and couples' right to self-determination: the right to shape their own reproductive lives and to decide freely if, when and how to have... Access to abortion is fundamental to women and couples’ right to self-determination: the right to shape their own reproductive lives and to decide freely if, when and how to have children. In addition, there are well-documented societal benefits when people are able to plan when and whether to have children, such as greater educational attainment, ability to care for other dependents, and increased earning power.1 It is through access to contraception and safe, legal abortion that women,* their partners, their families and their communities may enjoy their basic rights and reach such benefits.1 Abortion is one of the most common and safe medical procedures in the United States2, 3: By age 45, nearly one-third of all women in the United States will have had an abortion.4 Nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. each year are unintended, and four out of 10 of those end in abortion.5 Low-income women and women of color are more likely to have abortions than white, high-income women, largely because they experience higher rates of unintended pregnancy and poorer access to contraception.6, 7 Research also shows that the majority of Americans support at least some level of access to abortion.8 Hidden behind these facts about abortion is the context in which decisions about abortion are made. Abortion, like all medical decisions, is inherently private, and, therefore, the circumstances around abortion decisions are not typically part of our public conversation. A variety of factors related to families, relationships, communities and economic conditions may play into decisions about when and whether to have children. At the same time, abortion is a highly politicized and controversial issue, and decisions about abortion are portrayed differently in the public sphere than other health or family planning decisions. Adding to an already complex and personal decision, lawmakers across the country have proposed and passed a slew of restrictions on the procedure in recent years,9 which affects how and whether women can access abortion at all. Both women who have abortions and abortion care providers experience stigma in a number of ways, with profound implications for them on a personal level and for our public discourse about the issue.10, 11 In fact, almost all those attached to abortion can face stigma, including the journalists who write about it, either in the form of editorial pressure or backlash from their readers. If abortion is one of the most common and safe medical procedures in the United States,2-5 why is it still so shrouded in shame, stigma, and controversy? There are many factors, certainly. We suspect one of them is media coverage. In this Issue, we examine news coverage of abortion to determine how it might reflect and reinforce stigma. Why abortion stigma The word stigma is used to describe how individual behaviors, attributes or identities can be discrediting for the individual overall, reducing “an individual from a whole person to a tainted, discounted one.”12 Research has documented how stigma is connected to a number of public health issues, such as mental health, obesity and HIV.1 Abortion stigma is a “shared understanding that abortion is morally wrong and/or socially unacceptable.”10 Like other kinds of stigma, abortion stigma causes some individuals to be labeled as different, associated with negative stereotypes and subjected to status loss, interpersonal negativity and legal discrimination.14 Women who seek abortion can be shamed and marginalized, and abortion providers are harassed, threatened, and some have even been attacked or killed.11 Fear of judgment (one manifestation of abortion stigma) can prevent people from sharing their abortion experiences with loved ones and others and perpetuates a “mutually reinforcing cycle of silence” in which this exceedingly common and safe procedure comes to be viewed as unusual and deviant.15 This cycle manifests similarly for abortion providers in what is known as the “legitimacy paradox” — a phenomenon in which providers’ own selfprotective silence and self-censorship contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes of abortion providers as dirty and outside of mainstream medicine.16 Abortion stigma goes beyond the individual: Women who have abortions and abortion providers not only are subject to interpersonal ostracism but also are targeted by onerous regulation. Structural stigma reverberates throughout society — it’s embodied in laws and policies, present in institutional and community norms, and reinforced in interpersonal communications and in various aspects of the public discourse, such as the popular and news media.10, 15 Previous analyses of issues such as mental health and HIV in the news have shown that the media perpetuate stigma by reinforcing negative stereotypes and misperceptions, and by including unsubstantiated judgments and opinion-based condemnations.13, 17 We wanted to know how the public discourse in mainstream U.S. print and ... --- ## The Fourth Estate and the 45th president: Four ways journalists can help hold Trump accountable URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-fourth-estate-and-the-45th-president-four-ways-journalists-can-help-hold-trump-accountable/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1939 > Today Donald Trump's presidential inauguration ushers in a new era in American politics. During his campaign, Trump's rhetoric helped create an environment that has allowed bigotry and violence to proliferate.... Today Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration ushers in a new era in American politics. During his campaign, Trump’s rhetoric helped create an environment that has allowed bigotry and violence to proliferate. Since his election, hate crimes and hate speech have spiked around the country, as membership in hate groups reached new highs — and as Trump stooped to new lows by taunting congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis as “all talk, talk, talk — no action or results” on Martin Luther King Day weekend. Over the past weeks and months, many watched with horror as Trump’s appointees raised the prospect of bringing his xenophobic, racist, misogynist ideology to fruition. For example, Trump’s pick for attorney general, Jeff Sessions, vigorously defended Alabama’s use of the death penalty, opposed reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, staunchly advocated against immigration reform, and allegedly referred to the NAACP and ACLU as “un-American.” Conflicts of interest and lack of qualifications for the job have not impeded the pathway to nomination for other appointees, such as education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross, and secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson, all of whom hail from the same billionaire class as Trump. The combined net worth of the Trump cabinet is now estimated at $11 billion. Without question, we must reignite the capacity of civil society to demand justice and accountability from its elected officials. And in these efforts, a strong and independent press — the Fourth Estate — is more vital than ever. To quote award-winning actress Meryl Streep in her well-publicized speech at the recent Golden Globes ceremony, it is up to “the principled press to hold power to account, to call him on the carpet for every outrage.” Yet journalists face unprecedented challenges with Trump and his incoming administration. How can journalists hold accountable a president whose rise was allegedly facilitated by news reports of questionable origin, who “gaslights” the American public by denying actual events and who regularly attacks the press and blocks their access? We see four things journalists in the age of Trump can do to preserve the integrity of the Fourth Estate and its crucial role as watchdog in a functioning democracy. 1. Use accurate language. Even as news stories reveal Trump’s and his cabinet’s views on immigration, Muslims, the LGBTQ community and communities of color, the news often describes them with vague and imprecise terms. Language matters: As a host of progressive commenters and media sites have pointed out, this kind of soft-pedaling only grants bigoted viewpoints an unwarranted aura of legitimacy. Not only that, but we know that since the media shape and reflect the national dialogue, the language used in news stories can influence how people talk about, think about and ultimately act on issues.1-4 That same kind of imprecision in language parallels problems we at BMSG have seen in the news about sexual violence, where, too often, violence is described using euphemistic terms to the same effect: The terrible reality is obscured, which makes it harder to talk about and harder to change. Even amid challenges like shrinking newsrooms, tightening budgets and questions about “fake news,” the media must hold our president and his cabinet accountable for the impacts their actions have on our most vulnerable communities. To soft-pedal or avoid the truth of what these actions mean for communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ groups and women is to normalize them. 2. Provide historical context. In today’s 24/7 news environment, attention spans are short, which means journalists have to work harder to provide context. It’s important though. Contextualizing a Trump presidency through the lens of history is vital if we are to understand aspects of the Trump administration that are simply beyond the pale of normal democratic discourse and policy. Former labor secretary and professor Robert Reich did this by listing 15 characteristics of tyrannical leaders throughout history, such as “threaten[ing] mass deportations, registries of religious minorities and refugees bans,” and “appoint[ing] family members to high positions of authority.” The parallels to Trump are not difficult to spot. New York Times columnist Charles Blow also provided historical context for Trump’s Twitter attack on congressman John Lewis by situating it within the historical context of the civil rights movement. Blow notes that while Lewis was marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump was busy dodging the draft: “In fact, one of Trump’s five deferments was in 1965, the same year as the Selma marches and ‘Bloody Sunday,’ during which Lewis was struck so violently by a state trooper wielding a billy club that Lewis’s skull was fractured. Coincidentally, Trump finally received his permanent exemption from the draft, a 4-F status, in the year before he and his father were sued by... --- ## War is not the answer: Framing collective action for road safety URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/war-is-not-the-answer-framing-collective-action-for-road-safety/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2328 > The recommendations in this Framing Brief are based on our analysis of traffic safety in San Francisco Bay Area English, Spanish and Chinese news outlets and our ongoing work on... The recommendations in this Framing Brief are based on our analysis of traffic safety in San Francisco Bay Area English, Spanish and Chinese news outlets and our ongoing work on media advocacy with community groups across the country. Equity. Community. Shared responsibility. Those values are the foundation of Vision Zero, an international movement built on collaboration across sectors to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries and ensure safe mobility for everybody. Equity is central to the Vision Zero frame because everyone deserves to be safe on the streets we share. It’s hard to imagine who would oppose a campaign that promotes safety for everyone. But there’s a dominant frame that pervades the conversation about traffic safety that undermines equity and shared action. This frame characterizes city streets as a battleground and movement on those streets as a war in which every road user must look out for him or herself. In this Framing Brief, we explore the nuances of the divisive frame applied to city streets and identify ways that traffic safety and Vision Zero proponents can move the conversation toward community, cohesion and shared action for safety. Framing traffic safety: “Psycho bikers” and “dangerous drivers” “Keep honking, I’m reloading.” “I’m walkin’ here!” Traffic as battle pervades our pop cultural landscape. But it goes much deeper than that: The metaphor pervades even news coverage, which is a uniquely credible source that sets and reflects the public agenda. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s recent analysis of San Francisco news coverage uncovered heated language that echoes a larger sense of frustration and division, as when a San Francisco Chronicle columnist argued for a policy that would target “psycho-bikers, the ones who roar through intersections, barely missing pedestrians, challenging cars and generally behaving like morons.”1 Blame is a central feature of the battle frame: Collisions are the fault of “dangerous drivers,” “distracted pedestrians” or “aggressive bikers.” Calls for policy change are then framed in the context of penalizing different groups, as when a San Francisco advocacy group called on the police to “focus enforcement on autos, as they’re the source of the most dangerous collisions.”2 In the face of this divisive, accusatory frame, it’s perhaps not surprising that road users feel frustration, isolation and anger, all of which can bubble over with public safety consequences. What are the implications of such a divisive frame for building a citywide movement that requires collective action? How can we move toward a community where everyone on the road shares the goal of safety and is willing to invest in Vision Zero? Shifting from portrait to landscape The current framing around traffic safety supports the “default frame” of personal responsibility. Most Americans’ gut-level understanding of any problem is that individual actions like work, discipline and self-determination will outweigh other factors, such as the conditions in which they live. The problem with the default frame is that it hides the environment we move within and keeps the focus narrowly on the details of a single person. In the case of traffic safety, often that narrow, individual focus perpetuates blame and overshadows the very real systemic changes that could be made to improve safety, such as changes to the built environment or to policies that influence people’s behavior. To make the case for Vision Zero, proponents need to broaden the default frame from its emphasis on individual road users to a landscape perspective that makes visible the external factors that shape individuals’ behavior in the environment. By painting a broader picture, supporters can help people see that built environment and policy decisions influence safety for people walking, biking, riding transit and driving. With that landscape view, the policy and systemic strategies needed to address the most substantive barriers to road safety will make sense to people. Incorporating values Vision Zero stakeholders must also shift the frame around traffic and mobility to evoke values like community, equity and shared responsibility. By highlighting those values, stakeholders will be better able to connect with residents and policymakers and create support for the concept of Vision Zero and the policies needed to carry it out. Why do values matter? An effective message goes beyond facts and figures to connect with people on the level of their deeply held values — the principles and standards that guide how they think the world should work. Cognitive linguist George Lakoff describes the importance of values within three conceptual levels of understanding.3 Values ground the frame and the message and are prioritized at level one. Level two articulates the issue area, such as transportation or health. Level three is about the details of the policy approach. Too often, stakeholders communicating about a particular issue get stuck a... --- ## Beyond the traffic report: The news about road safety and Vision Zero in San Francisco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/beyond-the-traffic-report-the-news-about-road-safety-and-vision-zero-in-san-francisco/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4421 > One traffic-related death is too many. That is the premise on which Vision Zero — an international movement rooted in collaboration across sectors to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries,... One traffic-related death is too many. That is the premise on which Vision Zero — an international movement rooted in collaboration across sectors to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries, and to ensure safe, equitable mobility for everybody — is built. In 2014, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) adopted the Vision Zero SF program and set the city on a path toward modeling a community in which safe mobility is the norm for all road users. Building public and political will toward the overall Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2024 requires an understanding what the public — and policymakers — in San Francisco currently know about traffic safety. News coverage offers a window into the public discourse about this and other issues related to road safety: Apart from personal experience, the public gets exposed to issues through the filter of the media. News coverage, in particular, sets the agenda for public policy debates.1, 2 Journalists’ decisions about which of the day’s many pressing problems to cover can raise the profile of an issue, whereas topics not covered by news media remain largely outside public discourse and policy debate.3, 4 5 Across all forms of media, social and health issues are “framed” or portrayed through a complex process of organizing information to create meaning.2, 6, 7 The selection — or omission — of arguments and voices works like a frame around a picture, telling us what information is important and what information we can ignore. For example, people and viewpoints that are included in a news story are perceived as more credible than those that are excluded. In general, most news stories are framed like portraits — they emphasize an event or individual’s role in causing or fixing problems.8 Stories that are framed this way leave little room to talk about the context of a problem and potential solutions.7, 9 Far less frequently, the news pulls back the lens to frame stories like landscapes and show the larger social conditions behind an issue.7, 10, 11 When people see “landscape” stories, they are more likely to view the government, businesses or other institutions as having a role to play in solving the problem.7, 12 In short, how an issue portrayed in news coverage has an important impact on the public’s and on policymakers’ understanding of and response to that issue. To understand the framing of traffic safety and related issues, as well as the implications of that framing for SFMTA’s ongoing promotion of Vision Zero SF, Berkeley Media Studies Group analyzed news coverage of traffic safety in San Francisco. What we did We conducted an ethnographic content analysis, which involves assessing, mapping and analyzing media portrayals of a specific issue so that news coverage can be viewed in a methodical, meaningful way. First, using circulation data, expert guidance from project partners, and our previous research, we compiled a list of media outlets that serve the Bay Area media market, specifically San Francisco. We focused our attention on newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle. Although digital media platforms are changing the way people consume the news, newspapers (including their online components) continue to influence local and national policy debate, and traditional news outlets remain a key source of information for the majority of news consumers.13 We also searched local online news sources and blogs like Hoodline and SFist. We developed a search string that captured articles about Vision Zero as well as a range of traffic safety issues (including those involving people driving, walking and bicycling) in San Francisco. We then took a random, generalizable sample of the coverage from 2015 to analyze in depth. We designed and refined a coding protocol that drew on multiple sources, including existing literature and conversations with expert project partners, to document the persistent themes in news coverage of traffic safety issues. We paid particular attention to how the news characterized solutions, especially solutions that fell within the three traditional approaches used in this work: engineering, education and enforcement.14 Before coding the full sample, we used an iterative process and statistical test (Krippendorff’s alpha15) to ensure that coders’ agreement was not occurring by chance. We achieved an acceptable reliability measure of >.8 for each coding variable. Multilingual coding Any true assessment of the public discourse in San Francisco must take into account the perspectives of and narratives within multicultural communities. In San Francisco, Asians comprise a significant portion of the population,16 and the Chinese-speaking community has historically been the largest Asian subgroup.17 Latinos also make up a large portion of the city’s population.16 Therefore, we evaluated Spanish-language news and worked with InterEthnica, a multicultural marketing firm based in... --- ## Shifting the media conversation on affordable housing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/shifting-the-media-conversation-on-affordable-housing/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1421 > It's no secret that the San Francisco Bay Area has become an increasingly unaffordable place to live. As rapidly rising rents outpace incomes, many residents are being displaced, while others... It’s no secret that the San Francisco Bay Area has become an increasingly unaffordable place to live. As rapidly rising rents outpace incomes, many residents are being displaced, while others are doubling up into overcrowded units to make staying in their homes possible. Local media have made the severity of the situation clear, with one Marinscope headline describing the issue as a “crisis without a cure,” and the East Bay Express reporting that affordable housing in East Bay cities like Oakland and Fremont is disappearing faster than anywhere in the country. Yet, until recently, much local coverage of affordable housing has largely overlooked one critical factor: its link to health. Additionally, many articles have missed an opportunity to explore root causes and solutions. The good news is that groups like the Alameda County Public Health Department are working change that. While ACPHD’s ultimate goal is to shape policy so that Bay Area residents no longer suffer from housing-related health issues, they are leveraging the power of the media to help them get there faster. To learn more about ACPHD’s strategies for using the power of the media to influence policy, BMSG talked with Tram Nguyen, a former journalist who leads the department’s housing policy workgroup. In 2014, ACPHD won an award from The California Endowment for the department’s innovative efforts to advance health equity, particularly its work to make housing more affordable, safe and accessible. What are some of the specific policies that ACPHD is trying to change? We are focused on the affordability crisis because it is so fundamental to the instability and hardships that undermine health. Reducing displacement and expanding access to safe and affordable housing requires an array of policy strategies that include tenant protections as well as increasing affordable housing production. We have been working on promoting rent stabilization and just-cause eviction ordinances. We also participated in discussions about our county’s housing bond, which will raise capital for the county for affordable housing development and stabilization. We also continue to partner with code enforcement to implement policies addressing mold, which can put children at risk for asthma, and to explore strategies to improve substandard housing conditions without displacing the tenants. How important is media coverage to the department’s work? Media coverage is a very important tool for us, because one of our core functions as a health department is to assess and report on the health status of the community, and to communicate health risks and recommended strategies to local governing bodies, stakeholder organizations, health care providers, and the general public. This communication can take the form of public hearings, testimonies and reports, but we also try to keep in mind the power of media narratives in shaping public awareness and developing political will for policy action. Last summer, dozens of Bay Area news outlets joined an effort to investigate the region’s struggles with homelessness. Did ACPHD play a role in that? Our parent agency, the Healthcare Services Agency, led the effort to inform that coverage by pulling together a comprehensive packet of information on our county’s homelessness issues and the related programs and services that address it. ACPHD contributed information on our work to address housing policies and to frame housing as a central component for public health. More recently, ACPHD got coverage in SF Gate and the East Bay Express that explicitly linked public health problems in Oakland to the city’s housing crisis. How did ACPHD go about garnering that media attention, and what challenges did you face? We were asked by community organizations working on renter protections in Oakland to participate in a press briefing to share data about the impacts of displacement. We created a housing and health brief. Along with PolicyLink, which presented demographic findings about displacement trends, our county health officer Dr. Muntu Davis shared several key findings from our analyses that raise serious public health concerns correlated with the housing crisis. One was a survey on housing that we conducted with staff from programs in Public Health and Behavioral Healthcare, which together serve thousands of clients across the county. This housing survey indicated that displacement and rising rents were identified as exacerbating health risks, as well as undermining our ability to effectively provide services. The second data insight we shared was from epidemiological analysis that showed high correlation between housing stressors (severe rent burden and overcrowding) and key health indicators, such as mental health emergency department visits, asthma emergency department visits, and hypertension hospitalization rates. These findings were of great interest to local media, I think, because the housing crisis has reached a high level of concern for... --- ## Examining the public debate on school food nutrition guidelines: Findings and lessons learned from an analysis of news coverage and legislative debates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/examining-the-public-debate-on-school-food-nutrition-guidelines-findings-and-lessons-learned-from-an-analysis-of-news-coverage-and-legislative-debates/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4329 > In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), the first piece of legislation in more than 30 years to include substantial reforms to the United States... In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), the first piece of legislation in more than 30 years to include substantial reforms to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) school nutrition guidelines. In the five years since it passed, the new standards for the National School Lunch Program have been implemented in schools across the country. Some of the new guidelines include increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods, increasing daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and offering only fat-free or low-fat milk. “Smart Snacks in School,” another program implemented under HHFKA in 2014-15, requires that all foods sold at school during the school day outside the meal program — foods sold in vending machines, at fundraisers or events, which are known as “competitive foods” ‰— also meet the same nutrition standards. These programs are intended to provide nutritionally balanced meals and snacks to U.S. schoolchildren in an effort to address child hunger and promote good nutrition. Since these programs target low-income children across the country, the new nutritional standards could improve the health of the children most at risk for diabetes and other chronic health problems related to diet. While Congress and the USDA are responsible for developing nutritional guidelines for school meals and competitive foods, implementation falls under state jurisdiction, and execution varies across the country. While many states have embraced the guidelines, others have undermined support for robust school nutrition policies, insisting they will impede individual liberties, fail to adequately feed children or result in massive food waste. It is important to understand how debate about this precedent-setting policy has unfolded in either the news media or legislative spheres at the state and local level. Previous analysis of HHFKA in print and television news at the federal level showed a national conversation with many opportunities for advocates to improve their messaging.1 An understanding of how school nutrition has been framed in news coverage and policy debates at the state and local level since the passage of the HHFKA could provide valuable insights for advocates who are eager to see strong implementation in their schools. News coverage influences both how the public and policymakers perceive an issue and what they think should be done about it. Understanding the coverage is key for advocates working to build support around the country for policies that promote and maintain healthy school environments. To that end, we examined state- and local-level debates about school food nutritional guidelines since implementation of the HHFKA in a divergent group of states. We explored questions like: What topics were discussed, who speaks about school nutrition guidelines in state- and local-level news and policy debates, and how do they talk about the issue? This study provides a look at how discussions of school food nutrition policies unfolded in the selected states in the wake of a landmark national policy. What we did To understand how advocates, schools, the food industry, policymakers and others have shaped discussions about school nutrition at the state and local level since the passage of the HHFKA, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) and the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) systematically examined news coverage and legislative and regulatory documents from 11 states. We analyzed how school meal and competitive food guidelines debates have been framed at the local and state level, who spoke about the guidelines and what they had to say, and how arguments and framing differed between states and between the news and legislative testimony. With input from our advisory group, we selected 11 states representing a range of regions, demographic make-ups, political leanings and responses to the guidelines: Massachusetts, California, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Washington, Mississippi and West Virginia. For the news analysis, BMSG searched the Nexis database for coverage that appeared from August 2012 to December 2015. This timeframe allowed us to capture the discourse from the first year of HHFKA’s implementation through the most recent full calendar year. We collected news coverage from each state that referenced any school nutrition guidelines, whether HHFKA-related or those pertaining to separate state or local initiatives, and excluded newswires to ensure a greater focus on state and local news. From the articles collected (n=2645), we randomly selected 20% to be coded. We developed a comprehensive coding instrument* to capture the range of ways state- and local-level news coverage about school meal and competitive food guidelines were discussed. Our coding instrument provided a framework for gathering information related to the type of article, policies mentioned, arguments for and/or against the guidelines, and speakers. Before coding th... --- ## Top 10 public health media bites of 2016 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-media-bites-of-2016/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1323 > From soda taxes to mass incarceration to gun violence prevention and more, public health issues have made headlines throughout the year. Advocates have been instrumental in shaping this coverage and... From soda taxes to mass incarceration to gun violence prevention and more, public health issues have made headlines throughout the year. Advocates have been instrumental in shaping this coverage and using media advocacy to push forward the issues that matter. In light of this year’s presidential election and the new political context advocates face, it is now more important than ever that we engage with the media to advance and protect policies that serve our most vulnerable communities. Every day, Berkeley Media Studies Group monitors the news to understand how public health issues are circulating in mainstream and social media. As we do our daily news scans, memorable media bites often catch our eye, make us reflect more deeply about an issue, and when used successfully, even inspire us to take action. Every year, we collect our favorite media bites and share them with our colleagues, family and friends. Listed below are our Top 10 for 2016, organized by topic. Equity “If you work full-time in America, you should be able to get by; when you work extra, you should be able to get ahead.” -U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez said in a statement about new overtime rules that went into effect December 1. Appeared Sept. 27, 2016 in Rewire. Why we like it: Short and concise, this media bite packs a punch because it appeals to readers’ sense of fairness and equity. Labor has been a dominant issue this year, and this quote gets right to its heart. “It doesn’t take three months to raise a child. Paid leave is a drop in the bucket. It’s a very important drop, but it’s a very empty bucket.” -Joan Williams, founding director of the Center for Work Life Law at the University of California, Hastings, said regarding a proposed 12-week paid leave bill. Appeared Jan. 7, 2016 in The New York Times. Why we like it: This vivid metaphor moves away from the individual frame, which is all too common in U.S. media, and highlights the fact that we need a strong safety net and institutional support systems to raise children. “If incarceration had come to define the lives of men from impoverished black neighborhoods, eviction was shaping the lives of women. Poor black men were locked up. Poor black women were locked out.” -From Barbara Ehrenreich’s review of the book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” by sociology professor and ethnographer Matthew Desmond. Appeared Feb. 28, 2016 in The New York Times. Why we like it: This media bite uses irony — black men locked in, black women locked out — and expands the attention surrounding the mass incarceration of men of color to the plight of housing in communities of color. Violence prevention “Nobody thought we could beat the cigarette companies, nobody thought we would beat the automobile companies when they tried to convince us you don’t need safety belts. One day, we will look back with the same belief and awareness that we stopped and changed the culture of guns.” -Filmmaker Robert Greenwald said in a talk about gun violence. Appeared April 10, 2016 in the Daily Nexus. Why we like it: This media bite offers advocates hope and motivation, which are especially needed during this difficult post-election era. Sometimes it is important for advocates to remember the hard-won victories of the past, particularly those that happened in the face of immense opposition. “If a child can’t open a bottle of aspirin, we should also make sure she can’t pull the trigger of a gun.” -President Barack Obama. Appeared Jan. 7, 2016 in an op-ed for The New York Times. Why we like it: Drawing a startling comparison, President Obama takes a controversial issue and boils it down to an obvious conclusion. Using familiar items to explain complex issues can be an effective way for advocates to point out skewed priorities and push for policy change. Reproductive justice “It’s safer to have an abortion than to get your wisdom teeth out. Yet in recent years, states like Texas have passed hundreds of restrictions on abortion for the sake of ‘protecting women’s health,’ and none on dental surgery.” -Star-Ledger editorial board. Appeared Feb. 29, 2016 at in New Jersey’s Star-Ledger. Why we like it: A forthcoming BMSG news analysis has found that factual information about abortion’s safety is rarely mentioned in news stories, while policies to restrict the procedure based on alleged health risks are common in coverage, leaving room for anti-abortion myths to take hold. By comparing abortion to another familiar medical procedure, this statement dispels a common myth about safety in a memorable way. It also highlights the irony of basing policy decisions on myths, rather than facts. Food and beverage “The success of Philadelphia’s effort is another win for the little guy, in an ongoing David-and-Goliath fight that is proving that science and common sense can beat the big bucks, media blitz and lobbying efforts of soda companies.” -Public Health Institute statement on Philadelphia’s historic soda tax victor... --- ## Investigating the digital path to purchase for food and beverages: A research agenda for the modern marketing age URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/investigating-the-digital-path-to-purchase-for-food-and-beverages-a-research-agenda-for-the-modern-marketing-age/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5280 > The food and beverage industry is at the forefront of conducting research and innovation in digital marketing to maximize product sales and revenue. The industry works with advertising agencies, marketing... The food and beverage industry is at the forefront of conducting research and innovation in digital marketing to maximize product sales and revenue. The industry works with advertising agencies, marketing firms and digital media specialists to design campaigns that take advantage of the ways that consumers are engaged with social media and mobile devices. Many of these marketing techniques use “Big Data” — extremely large datasets of consumer and other information — to interact with potential consumers in new ways, with unprecedented precision and immediacy to promote brand awareness and loyalty. Food and beverage companies engineer a consumer’s path to purchase by using mobile technology, location tracking and other innovation to influence attitudes and behaviors of customers as they make decisions about what, where and when to buy products.1, 2 When the National Academy of Medicine published its landmark report on food marketing to children and youth in 2006, the expert committee that issued recommendations had documented that a majority of food, beverage and restaurant companies that targeted young people promoted branded products that were high in sugars, fats and salt, and low in nutrients.3 The committee concluded that food and beverage marketing influences children’s preferences and dietary choices, and that current marketing practices create an environment that puts young people’s health at risk for obesity and other diet-related diseases. The report acknowledged the increasingly important role that the internet and other new marketing practices play in promoting branded food and beverage products to consumers, and the need for future research on the diet and health effects of digital marketing on youth. A decade later, we find ourselves fully immersed in a society permeated with an “Internet of Things” in which every common device (e.g., smartphone, camera) has network connectivity that allows the sending and receiving of data from the internet.4 We now have a clearer understanding of the newer marketing methods used by food, beverage, restaurant and entertainment companies to target young and older consumers in retail and other marketplace settings. However, scholars still lack the knowledge about how these novel methods influence people’s diet-related behaviors and community health. There is a large infrastructure of proprietary marketing research collected for consumers in the United States and globally about interactive media in retail settings and other environments. These efforts are primarily intended to support commercial marketing and advertising. Therefore, the implications of digital and interactive marketing on public health is limited in the published literature.5 Similarly, ethnographic scholars have conducted research on the use of social networking platforms, but for the most part have done so without consideration of the effects of digital food and beverage marketing.6 In this memo, we briefly review existing research on the digital marketing strategies used in retail settings and their potential to impact nutrition and health outcomes for individuals and populations. We also share recommendations for future research developed at a convening held with leading experts in the disciplines of communications, media, food and nutrition policy, law, privacy, marketing and public health. Academic research on digital marketing strategies in retail Marketing researchers have explored the impact and effectiveness of emerging retail marketing strategies that use consumer data, often called “shopper marketing,” in supermarkets and in other retail locations.7-15 Some of this literature focuses specifically on the use of geo-location mobile tracking technologies to create “hyperlocal” or “location-based” advertising.16-24 Researchers have also examined the potential impact of “smart labels”25-29 or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that track the products that consumers place in their shopping carts, as well as the privacy issues associated with using this technology.30-37 There is a robust marketing literature about mobile and online marketing (e.g., online coupons, mobile advertising and mobile e-shopping, etc.) and how these strategies affect online and in-store purchases.38-43 Some of this research focuses specifically on food retailing.44, 45 Marketing researchers have also analyzed consumer attitudes toward data-driven marketing practices,46-50 particularly U.S. citizens’ concerns about privacy.51-53 However, this body of research is focused on activating consumers and increasing profits and revenues. As a result, existing analyses of the best use of these new techniques does not consider the effects or consequences that they may have on the diet and health outcomes of children and teens or communities. Additionally, the majority of the marketing literature focuses on large retailers, such as supermarkets and big box stores, leaving us with little information as to how these techni... --- ## Does news coverage of opioids reinforce stereotypes about addiction? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/does-news-coverage-of-opioids-reinforce-stereotypes-about-addiction/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 731 > Before joining Berkeley Media Studies Group in 2010, I was the health and science writer for the Orlando Sentinel. Prior to working there, I had never been to the Sunshine... Before joining Berkeley Media Studies Group in 2010, I was the health and science writer for the Orlando Sentinel. Prior to working there, I had never been to the Sunshine State, and as a native Californian found it to be a strange, hostile environment with dangerous wildlife and extreme weather. One particular quirk I recall was the preponderance of billboards for “pain clinics” as I drove throughout the state, especially in south Florida. These were essentially places where opioid medications could be obtained relatively easily. But interestingly, much of the news coverage around the growing opioid epidemic seems largely focused on heroin users. Recently, the Palm Beach Post decided to profile all 216 people who died of an opioid overdose in Palm Beach County last year. Titled “Heroin: Killer of a Generation,” the “stark display of photos of the dead, accompanied by brief profiles, effectively served The Post’s goal — drawing attention to the magnitude of crisis in a way statistics could not, while bringing addiction out of the shadows,” wrote Susannah Nesmith in a Columbia Journalism Review write-up about The Post series. For Lisa Aliferis, a communications officer for the California Health Care Foundation, the report was a “major lost opportunity.” “It’s heartbreaking that they call it ‘heroin epidemic’ because how did so many of these people get started? Likely (it was) a doctor-prescribed opioid,” said Aliferis, whose foundation has made addressing opioid abuse a top priority. “Think how differently readers might think about this crisis if the title had been ‘Prescription Painkillers: Killer of a Generation.'” One finding from a preliminary BMSG news coverage analysis of opioid abuse and overdose in Northern California suggests a similar trend, although more research is needed: Only a small number of articles from Shasta and Humboldt counties — where the opioid epidemic is particularly severe — mentioned the role of doctors in addressing the opioid crisis. While a positive shift in reporting may be emerging — the report found that news about opioid addiction ” is routinely framed in the news as a public health issue as well as a criminal justice issue,” unlike previous responses to drug use, which were focused mostly on crime — significant gaps remain. “[P]ublic health advocates and medical practitioners are currently absent from the coverage,” the report concludes. Our preliminary findings lay the groundwork for additional research questions. One that stands out is whether news coverage of the opioid epidemic reinforces existing stereotypes of the disease. How do these stereotypes impact prevention efforts and other potential solutions? One profile in The Post’s series highlighted the story of Jessica Rose, a former Florida assistant state attorney with “brimming talent and promise” who, just before 9 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2015, was found dead on the bathroom floor of her West Palm Beach apartment, a white unplugged electric cord in her left hand, a syringe and spoon with heroin residue on the sink above her. She was 32. As Aliferis mentioned is the case with many heroin users, Rose began by misusing prescription drugs and had been fired from a previous job with the Public Defender’s Office in Jacksonville for performance problems related to addiction issues with alcohol and pain pills. Michael J. Cohen, executive director of a Florida program that offers help to attorneys with substance abuse disorders said existing stereotypes about opioid addiction that focus more on heroin users and less on pain pill addiction just makes the problem worse. “The stigma is there. The shame is there. Part of that [is] because people’s pictures of an opiate addict is somebody with a needle in their arm, not a lawyer who is taking 15 OxyContin,” Cohen told The Post. “Your [stereotypical] picture of the junkie under the bridge is not the only picture.” Among the questions the BMSG opioid report poses: What are opportunities for public health and medical professionals to become part of the narrative around opioid abuse and overdose? Perhaps by taking advantage of these opportunities, public health and medical professionals can help reframe the conversation to include the problem of over-prescribed pain medications and help address the stigma and shame that in large part has helped fuel this silent epidemic. --- ## The opioid epidemic in the news: Findings from an analysis of Northern California coverage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-opioid-epidemic-in-the-news-findings-from-an-analysis-of-northern-california-coverage/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1859 > More people died in 2014 of opioid overdose than in any other year on record,1 and the epidemic is only worsening. The problem is particularly severe in Northern California, especially... More people died in 2014 of opioid overdose than in any other year on record,1 and the epidemic is only worsening. The problem is particularly severe in Northern California, especially in rural communities.2 Key to addressing — and ultimately reversing — this epidemic is understanding the public discourse around it, including how, if at all, solutions appear. News coverage provides a window into that discourse. In June of 2016, the California Department of Public Health commissioned Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) to monitor print and online news from Northern California about the growing epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose. Below we present the findings of our analysis, which spanned June 27, 2016, through September 30, 2016. What we did The news plays a critical role in setting the agenda for public policy debates. Journalists’ decisions about whether and how to cover the pressing problems of the day can raise the profile of an issue and influence how the public and policymakers consider problems and potential solutions. To examine how the news is shaping the discourse around the opioid epidemic, we developed and tested a media search strategy that allowed us to compile and assess print and online news coverage related to prescription opioid abuse and overdose. The search was designed to capture coverage related to a broad range of stories about opioid issues, as well as hyper-local media responses from rural Northern California. We used a combination of the following three news-tracking tools to monitor opioid coverage using search terms including “opioid,” “opiate,” “overdose,” “fentanyl,” “safe prescribing,” “Narcan/Naloxone” and “doctor shopping”: Twitter and Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds: We established a list of 13 Northern California media outlets based on information from the California Department of Public Health about the highest burden counties and regions of interest. Using the social media tracking tool Hootsuite, we constructed RSS feeds and Twitter alerts for each outlet, filtered through the keywords listed above, to find online media and print media with an online component. Google news: We augmented our scans of Twitter and RSS feeds with daily news monitoring using Google’s news search service. We limited our results to the Northern California region and searched for coverage containing at least one of the search terms listed above. We also searched for stories outside of Northern California to capture national news about opioids that had relevance to the discourse in Northern California. Nexis: To ensure representation of hyper-local coverage from rural Northern California, we searched for news articles using the Nexis database. This method allowed us to add articles from the Shasta and Humboldt County regions. However, even with this more advanced strategy, we were unable to access the smallest community papers that serve most remote areas of rural Northern California, since many lacked an online component or social media channel. After we identified relevant articles, we analyzed them for key information, story elements and themes. We included many of these short analyses in our daily “In the News” newsletter, which is distributed to nearly 400 public health and policy advocates, practitioners and researchers around the country. What we found Over the three months of our monitoring, we identified 76 unique news pieces about the opioid epidemic that related either to Northern California or were national stories with implications for the region. Of these articles, 32 percent were specific to Shasta County, 22 percent were articles from Humboldt County and 14 percent were national stories. The remaining articles originated from news sources operating out of the San Francisco Bay Area, Northeastern California and Southern California. The majority of articles came from Shasta County’s local daily newspaper the Record Searchlight (28 percent) and Humboldt County’s Eureka Times-Standard (18 percent). In light of the severity of the epidemic in Northern California and the California Department of Public Health’s particular interest in narratives from that area, we include below an in-depth analysis of those articles in particular. What were stories from rural Northern California about? When stories about opioids appeared in news coverage from rural Northern California, they focused on hyper-local issues, such as local addiction interventions or rising crime rates resulting from the opioid epidemic. However, almost all provided an overview of the opioid epidemic on a local or national scale and included data or statistics to illustrate the scope of the problem facing their communities. For example, a North Coast Journal piece on falling opioid prescription rates in Humboldt County shares that the “amount of opioids prescribed in the county has dropped by 23 percent since 2010, falling from 1.29 prescriptions per person to 1.14.”3 News from Shasta County Stories from Shasta County ... --- ## Leaked Coca-Cola emails reveal an opportunity for advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/leaked-coca-cola-emails-reveal-an-opportunity-for-advocates/ Type: post Modified: 2019-01-31 Words: 357 > With document leaks coming at us left and right, one particular leak that has healthy food and drink advocates buzzing is the recent release of hacked Coca-Cola emails that show... With document leaks coming at us left and right, one particular leak that has healthy food and drink advocates buzzing is the recent release of hacked Coca-Cola emails that show the company’s apparent growing concern about current soda tax proposals like the ones in San Francisco and Oakland. The leaked internal emails released by the anonymous hacker site D.C. Leaks show how Coca-Cola is fighting soda taxes in the U.S. and abroad. In the California cities of San Francisco, Oakland and Albany as well as Boulder, Colorado, Big Soda has spent big money to defeat soda tax proposals. Since 2014, when Berkeley became the first city in the country to approve a soda tax measure — and the Navajo Nation Council approved a 2 percent sales tax on sweetened beverages and junk food on top of a 5 percent sales tax for foods of minimal to no nutritional value — the soda industry has more than doubled its spending on lobbying and campaigning against soda tax proposals, from $14 million to $37.7 million, according to Vox.com. The leaked emails show just how aggressively Big Soda continues to fight legislation in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to the California and Colorado measures, Coca-Cola targeted two soda tax proposals in Connecticut and in West Virginia, according to a recent MarketWatch story. The report also excerpted internal emails that characterized a soda-tax proposal in France as “worrying.” Most noteworthy was a classified leaked document from Coca-Cola Europe that included a “public policy risk matrix & lobby focus” that placed marketing and advertising restrictions high on “business impact” but low on “likelihood to materialize.” Click image to enlarge. And, according to a follow-up MarketWatch story, “the leaked emails show how Coca-Cola has actively and successfully lobbied against legislation in multiple countries that would have prevented it from advertising to kids.” Sounds like we advocates have our marching orders. It’s our job, along with our partners and allies, to make advertising restrictions to children waaaay more likely. --- ## Webinar: Examining the public debate on school food nutrition guidelines: Findings and lessons learned from an analysis of news coverage and legislative debates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-examining-the-public-debate-on-school-food-nutrition-guidelines-findings-and-lessons-learned-from-an-analysis-of-news-coverage-and-legislative-debates/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-06 Words: 191 > In 2010, Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), the first piece of legislation in over 30 years to include substantial reforms to school nutrition guidelines. Yet, no... In 2010, Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), the first piece of legislation in over 30 years to include substantial reforms to school nutrition guidelines. Yet, no research has explored how the public dialogue about these new guidelines has unfolded at the state and local levels. To better understand how advocates, the food industry, policymakers and others have shaped discussions about school nutrition guidelines since the passage of HHFKA, Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Public Health Advocacy Institute examined news coverage and legislative documents from 10 states around the country. With support from the Healthy Eating Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we explored how school food guidelines are framed, whose voices are included in news coverage, how the conversation differs among states, and how arguments and framing differ between news coverage and legislative and regulatory testimony and comments. This Oct. 27, 2016 webinar recording includes a summary of our findings, as well as a discussion of how they might inform future communications efforts around healthy school food environments at the state and local level. View the webinar above or download the transcript here. --- ## Rejected. Reflected. Altered: Racing ACEs revisited URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/rejected-reflected-altered-racing-aces-revisited/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2277 > It's 2016. Local and national protests rise against an ongoing stream of state-sanctioned murders. African-American lives are being lost at a frequency and in a manner that decry ethnic cleansing.... It’s 2016. Local and national protests rise against an ongoing stream of state-sanctioned murders. African-American lives are being lost at a frequency and in a manner that decry ethnic cleansing. Sacred Indigenous land is being desecrated for profit. African-American, Native American, Latino American, Asian American, and poor communities are facing dislocation, police violence, and a range of traumas that compose the frayed ends of America’s historically racist national fabric. It’s August 2016. In the middle of an election season replete with racially charged rhetoric, immersed in Black Lives Matter actions and the rich local history of social justice movements, a group of practitioners, researchers, and community advocates come together in Richmond, California. Participants were recruited based on their affirming belief that racial oppression and white privilege contribute to trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and subsequently to health. On the agenda: an exploration of how racial justice its values, investments, strategies and practices can be centered at the heart of trauma-informed work. The meeting is called “Racing ACEs,” a reference to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. This landmark epidemiological study caught up to and validated centuries of community-known and community-grown evidence and practice to name, understand, and heal from the physical, social, emotional, and relational impacts of childhood adversity and harm. Though the ACEs study is a valuable tool that brings a wider audience to what clinicians, researchers, and advocates working in the field of child and adolescent trauma have said for decades, the study is also deeply problematic. Simply put, in confirming that experiences of violence, neglect, and trauma are harmful to a person’s long-term health, the ACEs study fails to name racism — structural, personal, and historic — among specific root causes of modern trauma. This absence limits the study while conveying and compounding pathologies surrounding young people of color in the midst of ongoing trauma ‰— pathologies that lead to misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and false assignments that render youth as problematic and risk-laden. When they are translated into policies, practices, and investments, these inaccurate pathologies further perpetuate and codify racial oppression and the dehumanization of young people, youth of color especially. Who will provide a counterweight to this glaring oversight at time when racial disparities are a life-and-death equation? In the Racing ACEs room, we are more than two-dozen carefully selected representatives engaged at the nexus of the trauma-informed and racial justice fields, forming a circle on behalf of our ancestors, our children, and ourselves. What brings us to the room, to the work? Colonialism brought us here. Imperialism brought us here. The spine of western civilization and plunder of nations brought us here. Slavery, ethnic cleansing, all things that made this country possible, that make possible the hoarding of wealth in the hands of a few, all the ramifications of those things, of race as a structure that cages us — that is what brings us here. Oscar Grant brings us here. Mike Brown brings us here. Tamir Rice and Sandra Bland bring us here. Eric Garner. Alex Nieto. Terence Crutcher Korryn Gaines Philando Castile Alton Sterling Anthony Nuñez Jessica Williams Loreal Tsingine As kin of the murdered, we share an urgent and crucial need to speak. For them. For us. Beyond the unacceptable travesties of inhumanity that move us forward in the names of our murdered extended-family members, we are here to heal, to move forward in a different world, one we shape daily with the momentum of our teachers, in the tradition of our ancestors who have asserted their dignity, liberty, and ideals for centuries before us. Despite the would-be indoctrination of hate that is a global force against African and Indigenous people, we are rising somewhat intact and steering our collective communities toward liberation and healing. We first confront the fallacy of race. Since we are here alive, awake, and active, we understand race is pure fiction. We understand that although it is a fictive concept. The very notion of race (much less the implementation of sordid and hideous mechanics it makes possible) has been adopted and made concrete and serves as a basis for deadly practices targeted at people of color. We are here, then, to reveal the fantasy of race to those who suffer under it, who assume that it is real when in fact it is an idea. A boogieman. A lie. We see it as our duty to reveal this fiction without compromise to those who carry on in its privilege, to counter and to dismantle it brick-by-brick, day-by-day, body-by-body, wresting our safety from any supremacists who guard power and work against equity. We recognize that whiteness is not a person, it’s not a culture or nation, no single people can say they are its proprietors. White ha... --- ## Join BMSG at APHA 2016 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/join-bmsg-at-apha-2016/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1276 > Headed to Denver for this year's annual meeting of the American Public Health Association? We invite you to check out BMSG's presentations and posters. We'll share highlights from a wide... Headed to Denver for this year’s annual meeting of the American Public Health Association? We invite you to check out BMSG’s presentations and posters. We’ll share highlights from a wide range of our latest research, from abortion stigma in the media to news portrayals of community violence. To view the full APHA online program, visit https://apha.confex.com/apha/144am/meetingapp.cgi. To tweet our sessions, use #phiAPHA or #APHA16. We hope to see you there! BMSG’s APHA sessions Traffic safety in the news: Implications and opportunities for prevention-centered collective action Monday, Oct. 31 at 10:30 a.m. Hundreds of people are seriously injured or killed traveling San Francisco streets each year. These tragedies are preventable — but they’re not often seen that way. To better understand the public discourse around the issue and to support the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Vision Zero campaign, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths, we analyzed how debates about safe and equitable mobility are framed in English- and Spanish-language news and blogs around the Bay Area. In this poster presentation, we will share the results of our analysis, which suggests framing and messaging challenges and opportunities that can help advocates, journalists and policymakers improve news coverage and build support for traffic safety policies and equitable mobility. Follow the leader: Comparing Coca-Cola’s current obesity strategy to Philip Morris’ ‘societal alignment’ makeover strategy Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 9:30 a.m. In 1999, Philip Morris (PM) unveiled a campaign to improve its image in order to stave off increasingly harsh public scrutiny, litigation and impending regulatory the company continued to conduct business as usual, yet it helped the company directly influence legislation authorizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate its products. In 2013, Coca-Cola debuted a pair of advertisements and a website trumpeting its intention to be part of the solution in addressing obesity, and in 2015 it launched a website disclosing its contributions and partnerships with various institutions, community interest groups, medical facilities, and federal and state anti-obesity efforts. In this presentation, we will share findings from an examination of the similarities and differences between Coca-Cola’s and Philip Morris’ corporate social responsibility tactics and rhetoric. We will discuss how Coca-Cola uses these tactics to enhance its corporate image, sell more product and influence regulatory action. We will also provide information to help advocates develop effective counter-strategies that can reframe perceptions of the soda and junk food industries as disease vectors on par with Big Tobacco, neutralize Coca-Cola’s CSR tactics through denormalization, and build support for the robust policy agenda necessary to combat obesity. ‘Regret’, ‘Risk’, and ‘Murder’: An analysis of abortion stigma in the news Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 10:30 a.m. Abortion regularly makes headlines, but do those headlines help or hurt efforts to destigmatize the issue? Berkeley Media Studies Group has partnered with the Sea Change Program to identify abortion stigma in the media and develop strategies to address it. As part of that project, we explored news coverage, which shapes and reflects how the public and policy makers understand issues. During this presentation, we will share insights from our analysis of how abortion is framed in mainstream news coverage, as both a political and a women’s health issue. We will also discuss strengths of the coverage and opportunities to build upon them, as well as offer recommendations for journalists, health practitioners and advocates on how to improve news coverage of abortion to address stigma and best inform the public and policymakers. Talking about sexual violence: Identifying messages that build support for prevention Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m. Sexual violence attracts lots of media attention, but one key fact often gets too little attention: Sexual violence is preventable. Berkeley Media Studies Group is collaborating with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) to help advocates and practitioners get better at talking about prevention. During the first two years of a five-year project, we conducted research and partnered with field leaders to identify challenges and opportunities in communicating about sexual violence prevention. We then collaborated with a message-testing firm to explore which messages about prevention resonate with policy makers and the general public. In this round table discussion, we will highlight key findings from the message testing process, including answers to questions like: Which messages increase the perception that prevention is possible? Which messages boost support for the specific types of prevention policies? Who should deliver prevention messages to activate policy makers, decision-makers, and the general public toward policy change... --- ## Mother and child promotion: A preliminary analysis of social media marketing of infant formula URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/mother-and-child-promotion-a-preliminary-analysis-of-social-media-marketing-of-infant-formula/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 74 > One potential — but often overlooked — barrier to successful breastfeeding is the widespread marketing of infant formula. Infant formula marketers spend millions on direct-to-consumer advertising each year, exposing women... One potential — but often overlooked — barrier to successful breastfeeding is the widespread marketing of infant formula. Infant formula marketers spend millions on direct-to-consumer advertising each year, exposing women to marketing in health care settings, retail stores, print ads and online. However, digital infant formula advertising is understudied and poorly understood. To help address this research gap, we’ve conducted a preliminary analysis of how infant formula is marketed through social media. --- ## Preliminary review of consumer protection and self-regulation of infant formula marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/preliminary-review-of-consumer-protection-and-self-regulation-of-infant-formula-marketing/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 81 > Historically, the infant formula industry has focused heavily on health care provider-directed marketing to reach new mothers. Now, it also seeks to engage women with an ever-expanding range of direct-to-consumer... Historically, the infant formula industry has focused heavily on health care provider-directed marketing to reach new mothers. Now, it also seeks to engage women with an ever-expanding range of direct-to-consumer marketing tactics that include traditional marketing on television, coupons, elaborate websites, rewards programs, infant feeding advice hotlines, social media marketing and product packaging. This memo provides a preliminary overview of consumer protection policies that govern infant formula marketing and related self-regulation and international codes of conduct. --- ## Advocating for soda taxes: How oral health professionals fit in URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advocating-for-soda-taxes-how-oral-health-professionals-fit-in/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 140 > BMSG's recent analysis of how soda tax debates are characterized in the news revealed that oral health professionals seldom appear. By elevating their expert voices, oral health practitioners can contribute... BMSG’s recent analysis of how soda tax debates are characterized in the news revealed that oral health professionals seldom appear. By elevating their expert voices, oral health practitioners can contribute new and salient arguments for soda taxes to the public discourse and help advance public policy that improves oral health outcomes. In this journal article for the California Dental Association, we propose media advocacy strategies that oral health professionals can use to increase their visibility in the news to make the case for soda taxes. Download the full article here, or hear lead author Alisha Somji, MPH, speak about the findings in the above video. To view the full October 2016 issue of the CDA Journal, visit http://www.cda.org/Portals/0/journal/journal_102016.pdf. Reprinted with permission from the California Dental Association, copyright October 2016. --- ## Webinar: Changing the discourse about community violence: To prevent it, we have to talk about it URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-changing-the-discourse-about-community-violence-to-prevent-it-we-have-to-talk-about-it/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-06 Words: 74 > It will be easier to make the big changes our communities need to prevent violence if we change the narrative around it and make prevention a visible part of the... It will be easier to make the big changes our communities need to prevent violence if we change the narrative around it and make prevention a visible part of the conversation. In this webinar, Berkeley Media Studies Group, Prevention Institute and the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Department discuss their recent study on news portrayals of community violence and how to shift the media’s discourse to elevate prevention and multi-sector collaboration. --- ## What’s missing from news coverage of violence? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/whats-missing-from-news-coverage-of-violence/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 865 > This summer, we witnessed the murders of unarmed black men by police across the United States and the frustration, grief and righteous anger that ensued as a result. Using social... This summer, we witnessed the murders of unarmed black men by police across the United States and the frustration, grief and righteous anger that ensued as a result. Using social media, communities effectively captured the emotion and response to the violence and injustice embedded in policing tactics, moving the country to a national dialogue surrounding one of America’s toughest questions: How do we address violence and the complex social and environmental factors surrounding it? News coverage of crime and violence is an important venue for our society to answer that question. But research has shown that, historically, crime stories have largely neglected to include the community conditions — poverty, structural racism, unequal access to educational opportunity, and more — that foster violence. Without this context, the general public will have a harder time understanding violence as a multi-dimensional issue. Instead, violence will be seen as a one-dimensional problem, often confined within the realm of criminal justice. Such narrowly focused news coverage has tremendous implications for reinforcing stereotypes about who commits violent acts. It also fosters assumptions that violence is an inescapable norm in society, when in fact, like most other public health issues, there are solutions and ways to prevent future violence. In contrast, when journalists broaden their coverage of violence to include the conditions surround it, the public is more likely to make connections to policies and strategies that can prevent it. So, what will it take to change the discourse around violence to elevate solutions instead of feelings of hopelessness? And has news coverage occurring alongside the Black Lives Matter movement begun to shift our understanding of violence in this direction? With support from Kaiser Permanente and in partnership with the Prevention Institute, BMSG investigated these questions. To do this, we analyzed the current news narrative about community violence. We reviewed key California media outlets for three years to identify trends in news coverage of community violence and community safety. We found several main themes throughout the coverage: 1. News about individual crimes dwarfed coverage of violence prevention and community safety. Stories about community violence were much less common than stories about individual crimes. Between 2013 and 2015, articles about individual murder appeared 10 times more frequently than articles addressing violence in the community as a whole. An example of the latter would be a story that pulls back the lens from an individual victim and perpetrator to include the lack of economic and/or educational opportunity, trauma from unstable living conditions, or other social determinants that led to the violent act.We found that when articles were framed around community violence and safety, the discourse included solutions and preventive approaches to stop violence before it occurs. These types of articles highlight the importance of collective action from politicians, educators, community leaders and others to build and maintain safe communities. 2. Criminal justice professionals consistently dominated the news conversation about community violence and safety. Violence prevention involves health care, schools, businesses, public health and many other institutions. However, speakers from these sectors were largely absent from the conversation about community safety. The majority of speakers quoted in news stories were criminal justice professionals and representatives of state and local government. In 2013, community residents and those directly impacted by violence were quoted in only 1 in 10 articles. When those most affected by the violence are not shaping the story, it reduces the reader’s understanding of the experiences that led to violence. The absence of community residents and speakers from different sectors also reinforces the frame of violence as only a criminal justice issue. A more diverse array of speakers could bring to light the impact of other systems and institutions that led to violence. 3. Local news mirrored nationwide dialogue about racism and community violence. In previous news coverage, articles typically only mentioned race in passing, e.g. a report that mentioned the race of the young men involved in a murder. However, the motivation for mentioning race dramatically shifted in 2013 after the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and many others that gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2015, nearly one-third of articles about community safety discussed race or racism and its impact on community safety. The Black Lives Matter movement likely also significantly changed the media discourse on police reform: Now, instead of framing heavier policing as the sole solution to community violence, news stories often call for addressing racism as a strategy to build safer communities. So, how can advocates use these results to reframe th... --- ## Changing the discourse about community violence: To prevent it, we have to talk about it URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/changing-the-discourse-about-community-violence-to-prevent-it-we-have-to-talk-about-it/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5940 > Community violence* happens when complex environmental factors like poverty, structural racism and lack of access to mental health services intersect with easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons. Like other... Community violence* happens when complex environmental factors like poverty, structural racism and lack of access to mental health services intersect with easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons. Like other public health problems, violence is preventable, but it’s not often understood that way. In fact, violence at the community level can feel inescapable — even people who haven’t directly experienced it are inundated by a culture and a discourse that presents violence as constant, extreme and inevitable. To prevent violence, we have to change the discourse about it. The discourse includes who speaks about violence and what is said, but even more than that, the discourse reflects who is deemed legitimate spokesperson and what solutions are considered credible. The public, and the policymakers whose actions and decisions shape communities, must understand and be able to talk about violence as a problem that every one of us, no matter what sector of society we occupy, has a role in solving. The essential role of the media. The media have an especially important role to play in ending violence because the public gets exposed to violence (apart from personal experience) through the filter of what appears in the media. News coverage puts front and center the perspectives of leaders, celebrities and other individuals from every sector, so our understanding of community violence is influenced by what we see in print, hear in broadcast and experience in television and social media. Journalists (including the social media users who craft news) set the agenda for public policy debates2-5 by deciding which incidents of violence they report (or don’t report) and how. Unfortunately, we know from decades of news studies that patterns in news coverage may instill fear by highlighting the most extreme cases,7 reinforce stereotypes about who commits and is affected by violence,8, 9 and discourage positive action by buttressing assumptions that community violence is intractable. When news coverage doesn’t include the community conditions that foster violence, policymakers and the public are less likely to make the connections to policies and strategies that can prevent violence. News coverage without context sets the stage for an “us versus them” debate and polarizes people and opinions, instead of providing a collaborative platform for developing effective solutions. Reframing “community” violence Changing the discourse is essential if the public, community leaders and decision-makers are going to embrace prevention. A first step is pulling back the lens on stories about individual victims and perpetrators to include the entire landscape in which violence occurs, along with the many possibilities for stopping violence before it starts and the role we each can play in preventing it. Countless studies and public service organizations have demonstrated that multifaceted, community-based approaches, such as case management that includes counseling, education and job training for people who commit violence, are highly effective in reducing recidivism. However, these successful solutions are less visible than after-the-fact criminal justice responses, which the news tends to highlight. The challenge, then, is to reframe violence so it is understood as a public health problem in which after-the-fact responses are coupled with strategies for preventing violence before it starts. “Community violence” and its converse, “community safety,” are emerging as useful terms for understanding that change. Practitioners in the public health field are already using this language, which they describe as “more holistic” and preferable “because of the negative connotations of ‘youth violence.'”1 Indeed, many practitioners avoid saying “youth violence” or “gang violence” because the terms may reinforce harmful stereotypes about who commits or experiences violence. With this reframing in mind, wanted to know: What will it take to change the discourse around violence to elevate preventive solutions? What we did To learn what it will take to change the discourse and elevate prevention, we turned to the news — a highly credible source that influences how the public and policymakers understand issues. We systematically reviewed key California media outlets for three years to identify trends in news coverage of community violence and community safety, as well as limitations of that coverage and opportunities for key sectors to elevate and expand the frame (for a complete review of our methods, see Appendix A). We also drew from in-depth interviews conducted by Prevention Institute in its quest to understand how senior-level violence prevention advocates and public health practitioners are seeing how the community violence frame plays out in their work of providing programming and services for people who commit or experience violence. What we found Although changing the discourse is a complex and long-term process, our analysis suggests that we are at ... --- ## Why media representations of corporations matter for public health policy: A scoping review URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/why-media-representations-of-corporations-matter-for-public-health-policy-a-scoping-review/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 131 > Media representations play a crucial role in informing public and policy opinions about the causes of, and solutions to, ill-health. This paper, co-authored by BMSG's Lori Dorfman and published in... Media representations play a crucial role in informing public and policy opinions about the causes of, and solutions to, ill-health. This paper, co-authored by BMSG’s Lori Dorfman and published in BMC Public Health, reviews studies analyzing media coverage of non-communicable disease debates, focusing on how the industries marketing commodities that increase disease risk are represented. The findings indicate that the limited research that has been undertaken is dominated by a focus on tobacco; comparative research across industries/risk-factors is particularly lacking; and coverage tends to be dominated by two contrasting frames and focuses either on individual responsibilities or on the need for population-level interventions. View the full article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5006262/pdf/12889_2016_Article_3594.pdf. --- ## Kill Em With Soda: An open letter to Selena Gomez and other pop stars shilling sugary drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/kill-em-with-soda-an-open-letter-to-selena-gomez-and-other-pop-stars-shilling-sugary-drinks/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 675 > Ay! Selena. You've broken my heart. As a longtime fan I can forgive your taste in men (Justin Bieber). Or your refusal to speak Spanish (Selena Quintanilla, the slain Tejano... Ay! Selena. You’ve broken my heart. As a longtime fan I can forgive your taste in men (Justin Bieber). Or your refusal to speak Spanish (Selena Quintanilla, the slain Tejano superstar you were named after, at least tried). But your latest role as spokesperson and participant in Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke and a Song campaign is, well, hard to swallow. As the nation’s most famous Latina (sorry JLo, but Selena just broke the record for the most liked Instagram post ever — a photo of her drinking a Coke) and a major role model for young people, you have a responsibility to understand the severity of the problem you are contributing to. Coke and other sugary drinks are the leading source of excess calories and a major contributor to diabetes, heart disease and other nutrition-related illnesses. What’s worse is that communities of color, particularly Latinos and African Americans, suffer the most from these diseases. By being the face of Coke’s new campaign and lending your hit song titles for Coke to display on its labels, you are in essence encouraging our youth to drink what some scientists have called poison. You’ve shared in promotional social media and video posts that you’re an avid Coke drinker and your alleged BFF Taylor Swift drinks Diet Coke, and that your participation in the campaign was “a no-brainer.” But there is an obvious disconnect between your words and the impact soda has on young lives. The science is clear: Staying away from soda and other sugary drinks is a no-brainer. The same can be said about Beyoncé and her 2013 gig as the face of Pepsi. While the pop superstar has recently taken up the theme of racial justice in her music, it is a contradiction to her endorsement of Pepsi. She may not have realized that aggressive target marketing of a product that negatively and disproportionately impacts youth of color is also a racial justice issue — a problem she could join us in fighting. A number of studies and media reports have shown that celebrities endorse mostly junk food and sugary drinks. The most recent study from New York University is the first to conduct a thorough nutritional analysis of the food and beverage products marketed by pop music stars, revealing millions worth of big money endorsements for sugary drinks, fast food and sweets. The report found only one pop star promoting healthy food — pistachios, plugged by one-hit wonder PSY, whose song “Gangnam Style” was a favorite at big sporting events. The study’s authors concluded that their results “can inform policies designed to address the use of celebrities in food marketing. Many food and beverage companies have agreed not to target children under 12 years old, but these pledges should include adolescents as well.” Sure, I understand the desire to build wealth through endorsements and that celebrities have a limited window of opportunity to capitalize on their fame. But there are options. Take NBA star Stephen Curry, who eschewed sugary drinks for H2O as spokesman for Brita water filters. Research suggests that using celebrity spokes-characters to promote healthy foods to children might be just as effective in changing children’s diets for the better. Real live celebrities are sure to have the same impact. Selena, we hope you follow suit and next time promote healthier products to kids. In the meantime, advocates have no other choice but to include you in our counter to Coke’s campaign. We’ve come up with our own song titles for Coke labels and shared them on Twitter and Facebook: “Toxic” by Britney Spears and “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack, to name a few. In your case, it would be fitting to alter the title of your latest single and video, “Kill Em With Kindness.” I’d suggest “Kill Em With Soda.” --- ## What Philadelphia’s soda tax can teach us about health framing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-philadelphias-soda-tax-can-teach-us-about-health-framing/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 878 > In the days following Philadelphia's historic passage of a tax on sugary drinks, many public health advocates have been asking what this means for soda tax messaging efforts in other... In the days following Philadelphia’s historic passage of a tax on sugary drinks, many public health advocates have been asking what this means for soda tax messaging efforts in other cities. Although Philly’s tax will ultimately benefit health — funds will go toward universal preschool, which is linked to better health outcomes — the tax wasn’t framed that way. One of the main messages coming from the city was much broader, with local leaders portraying the tax as a much-needed source of revenue that would help ease the city’s struggles with poverty and build a better future for all Philadelphians, especially its children. Should other locales follow Philly’s lead and think outside of explicit health frames, or should they take a cue from Berkeley, California, whose 2014 passage of the country’s first soda tax was more overtly health-focused? The answer: It depends on the community. A one-size-fits-all approach to messaging rarely works for public health policy. In some places, and with some issues, a health-forward lens may be the perfect fit. With others, it may be counterproductive. For example, BMSG research on the public debate surrounding fast-food zoning found that land-use policy proposals that focused on nutrition faced the fiercest opposition and were characterized as an unwelcome government intrusion. In contrast, proposals that focused on other benefits, such as protecting the local economy or reducing nuisances like litter, met less resistance and were more likely to pass. Health framing has also proved insufficient when it comes to boosting support for breastfeeding. A 2010 BMSG analysis of breastfeeding news and advocacy materials found that an exclusive focus on the health benefits of breastfeeding had the unintended consequence of placing sole responsibility for babies’ health on mothers. This, in turn, masked the policies and practices, such as short maternity leaves and a lack of lactation rooms in the workplace, that undermine women’s efforts to breastfeed. Without those policies in view, it’s hard to garner support for changing them. We can also learn a lot about health messaging from tobacco control. According to Glenn Schneider, chief program officer for The Horizon Foundation, in the early part of the movement, tobacco taxes were not passed in response to health concerns. Between 1921, when Iowa passed the first state excise tax on cigarettes, and 1970, when cigarette taxes had become the norm, states passed such taxes to satisfy their need for revenue and programs. “It wasn’t until Prop 99 in California (1988) that a cigarette tax was passed that included a significant health component to the funding,” Schneider said. “This was many years after it was well established scientifically and in the minds of the public that tobacco products caused disease.” So, just because health framing may not be ubiquitous for soda taxes yet doesn’t mean that won’t be the case in the future. “As [soda taxes] become more commonplace, we will have more evidence on consumption and health impact,” Schneider explained. “That’s when we’ll see a renaissance of additional taxes passed to improve health, prevent further sugar-sweetened-beverage addiction, and further reduce chronic diseases caused by sugary drinks.” In the meantime, advocates will need to get to know the needs of their communities to determine what will work best for them. “Tie your efforts to tangible initiatives that people care about,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a recent news conference. “When it comes up, acknowledge that it is a good thing to drink less sugar-sweetened beverages, but tie it to things that people care about.” In fact, that is something Berkeley and Philadelphia have in common: Both put their ears to the ground and put the desires and voices of the community first. In doing so, both cities also put forth a strong message of equity — one that they made all the more powerful by bringing together multiple sectors, from nonprofits to local government, and presenting a united front. “There were more similarities between the two campaigns than have gotten played up in media,” Sara Soka, the campaign manager of Berkeley’s soda tax campaign, wrote recently in an email to public health advocates. “In Berkeley, we did talk more about health and health disparities — especially diabetes — than Philly chose to, but there was an important similarity in our framing,” Soka added. “In Berkeley, we always pointed back to the soda industry and their target marketing. Mayor Kenney made similar points from the beginning: ‘And the argument [our opposition will] make is that this is a tax on the poor. Well, [the soda industry has] been taxing the poor for generations, and what we’re looking to do is take some of that profit and put it back into the neighborhoods.’ Berkeley had the exact same intent.” Whether advocates lead with health, poverty or some other community concern in their attempts to reduce soda consumption, our collective ... --- ## Whose voices are missing from news coverage of soda taxes? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/whose-voices-are-missing-from-news-coverage-of-soda-taxes/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 2299 > Low-income families and communities of color — the same groups who suffer disproportionately from diabetes and are targeted most aggressively by the sugary drink industry — tend to support efforts... Low-income families and communities of color — the same groups who suffer disproportionately from diabetes and are targeted most aggressively by the sugary drink industry — tend to support efforts to tax soda as much as or more than their wealthier, white counterparts. For example, in Philadelphia, 56 percent of both white and black voters support a tax. And in California, 55 percent of low-income voters strongly favor a tax, as do 70 percent of African Americans and 57 percent of Latinos, according to a 2016 Field Poll. By contrast, 42 percent of white voters and 45 percent of higher-income voters show strong support. However, you wouldn’t know this from most news coverage of soda taxes. That’s because the voices of those who have been the most harmed by soda industry products and marketing are seldom featured in the media. This is a problem for public health advocates because it makes them vulnerable to anti-tax arguments, especially the industry claim — recently echoed by Senator Bernie Sanders — that soda taxes are regressive for low-income and communities of color. These communities can and should speak for themselves. When the public hears directly from the people sitting in Big Soda’s crosshairs, it becomes easier for them to see that what’s really regressive is the health toll of soda. Exposing this truth and elevating the voices of those who know firsthand what it’s like to see their families and communities ravaged by sugar-related diseases was central to Berkeley, California’s successful passage of a soda tax in 2014. “The most powerful moments of the Berkeley versus Big Soda campaign,” explained Berkeley resident Anna Lappé, “were hearing community members describe their direct experience with the costs of diabetes: from forfeited wages because of days spent caring for parents or kids to lifelong health problems including heart disease, comas, infertility, vision loss, insulin replacement, even amputations.” To learn more about the role of community voices in public health battles, I spoke with Dr. Vicki Alexander, a retired Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Director for Berkeley, who was instrumental in the city’s soda tax victory. In this Q&A, Alexander explains how the soda industry has affected her family, how the Berkeley soda tax campaign highlighted authentic voices to push back against industry rhetoric, and what lessons public health advocates in other cities can learn from Berkeley. Below is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. Dr. Vicki Alexander speaks out against the harms of the soda industry. Photo courtesy of Berkeley vs. Big Soda. Your career as a physician and public health professional has covered a lot of ground, from lead poisoning to violence prevention. Why did you decide to get involved in Berkeley’s campaign to pass a tax on sugary drinks? My motivating force in terms of what I get involved in usually is related to social justice — issues where there is very blatant disparity, statistically and historically. In this particular case, that was true. In addition, we had just formed an organization called Healthy Black Families, and the Healthy Black Families board approved that the organization join on to this endeavor and that I be a representative. Has the soda industry and its aggressive marketing of sugary drinks negatively affected your own family or community? What have you seen or experienced firsthand that’s made you feel passionate about this as a social justice issue? A couple of things, I think. In terms of family, I do have diabetes in my family. My uncle had his leg amputated. And, currently, the father of my grandchildren is a soda drinker. He just won’t stop, and so I was really torn apart by that, not knowing how to individually and personally address it. Getting involved in this movement really fortified my strength to be able to handle the personal level; my personal circumstances totally overlapped with the endeavor. Also, the particular expertise I have in terms of being a doctor helps — I can understand this data, and I can also understand it, having seen patients that have been affected by these illnesses that are caused [by sugar]. And so the combination of my expertise and my passion about social justice has really been [a major part of] my life. How did the voices and personal stories of Berkeley residents make a difference in the city’s soda tax fight? It helped us mold the language and how to respond. The personal story is so much more powerful than me as a doctor talking about statistics. Those personal little vignettes that were coming up — that stuff really is powerful. Not only do personal stories strengthen what the impact is, but it also forces you to go back and be able to talk about your own personal story. What values did Berkeley residents evoke as they argued in favor of a tax? The first thing that comes to my mind is family — they valued the quality of life for their family. Also, I think the values of fai... --- ## Three compelling ways to visualize how much sugar is in soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/three-compelling-ways-to-visualize-how-much-sugar-is-in-soda/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 606 > Soda taxes are in the news now more than ever. Momentum began with early attempts from Richmond and El Monte, California, to tax sugary drinks, picked up steam when Berkeley... Soda taxes are in the news now more than ever. Momentum began with early attempts from Richmond and El Monte, California, to tax sugary drinks, picked up steam when Berkeley delivered a crushing blow to the beverage industry with its 2014 approval of a tax, and has been catapulted into the mainstream media spotlight with Philadelphia’s recent soda tax proposal — and the controversy surrounding it. With that news coverage, some of the soda industry’s favorite anti-tax talking points are being rehashed on a national stage. Among them is the bogus claim that regulating sugary drinks would hurt low-income families. As advocates work to combat industry-perpetuated “regressivity” arguments and steer the conversation back toward health, it’s important to remember that for people to fully grasp what’s really regressive here — a heavily marketed, disease-promoting product — they must also understand just how harmful sugary drinks are. If Bernie Sanders’ recent statements against Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposed soda tax are any indication, public health advocates still have more work to do in educating people. Last week, after presidential rival Hillary Clinton said that she supported Kenney’s proposal, Sanders spoke out against it and called it a tax on the poor. Mayor Kenney promptly issued a response to reframe the conversation and show that the real issue at hand is the soda industry and its aggressive target marketing to low-income communities and communities of color. Public health advocates were quick to amplify Kenney’s message, but instead of reconsidering the issue, Sanders doubled down on his argument by penning this op-ed for Philadelphia Magazine. The Democratic senator’s message reveals an important lesson: Changing deeply embedded social norms takes time and requires repeated reframing of beverage industry talking points. Sanders is widely considered a progressive politician, so if he does not see soda as a public health and equity issue, it’s not a stretch to think that other elected officials may have a similar blind spot. To that end, incorporating strong visuals and social math into messages can help advocates illustrate soda’s health harms, specifically by showing exactly how much sugar it contains. BMSG has compiled several such examples, culled from the tireless work of advocates across the country who are exposing soda for the aggressively marketed, diabetes-fueling, teeth-rotting sugar water that it really is. In no particular order, below are three compelling ways to visualize how much sugar is in soda and other sweetened drinks. Although these campaigns are aimed at educating individuals, they can also help educate policymakers, garner media attention and, ultimately, boost support for policy change. 1) Photograph sugary drinks next to their sugar equivalent in cubes, teaspoons, or other easy-to-understand metrics. Get Healthy San Mateo County and sugarstacks.com offer great examples of this tactic. Although beverage labels list the amount of sugar a product contains in grams, these visuals help make those numbers more meaningful. 2) Juxtapose beverages like soda, sports drinks, energy drinks and juice against candy and desserts that contain the same amount of sugar. These fantastic examples come from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and Sugar Free Kids Maryland. 3) Bring visuals to life with video. In an effort to show that juice drinks are not as healthy as people think, Delta Dental compares apple juice and orange juice to liquefied donuts and cupcakes. The 15-second clips are effective not only because they are memorable but also because they are short and easy to share. --- ## Why Trump’s manipulation of the media is more serious than many journalists care to admit URL: https://www.bmsg.org/why-trumps-manipulation-of-the-media-is-more-serious-than-many-journalists-care-to-admit/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 578 > When billionaire real estate investor Donald Trump announced he would run for president, the media blanketed the Internet and airwaves with news of his candidacy. Since then, wittingly or unwittingly,... When billionaire real estate investor Donald Trump announced he would run for president, the media blanketed the Internet and airwaves with news of his candidacy. Since then, wittingly or unwittingly, they have built a platform for his (often hate-filled) messages, with every headline and sound bite making his already outsized brand that much bigger. Trump has now garnered close to $2 billion in free, or “earned,” media coverage — that’s about twice the cost of the most expensive presidential campaigns in history. He has also attracted more airtime than all other candidates combined, receiving a total of 175 minutes on ABC, CBS and NBC, compared to just 60 minutes for Hillary Clinton, 44 minutes for Bernie Sanders, and 32 for Ted Cruz. As the media continue their wall-to-wall coverage, I, along with countless others, watch aghast. That’s because more than unbalanced coverage is at stake. As someone who works for an organization that analyzes news coverage I know that the media have tremendous power to influence public opinion and politics. We have seen this connection again and again, on issues ranging from vaccines to violence prevention. And if Trump’s performance in the primaries is any indication, the media’s amplification of his campaign is having an effect on voters. In many ways, Trump’s media maneuvering should come as no surprise. Although his rhetoric, bullying and bravado are shocking, particularly for someone striving to become the country’s commander-in-chief, his tactics for gaining media coverage are not. In determining what stories are newsworthy, the media have long favored the extreme over the mundane, the famous over the obscure, and pithy sound bites over long-winded policy explanations. Trump no doubt knows this and appears to be treating the media like a marionette. But journalists are not puppets. They can, and should, recognize Trump’s bait when they see it. And when reporters find themselves defending their coverage because it is newsworthy, or because Trump makes himself so accessible to the media — two of CNN’s favorite rebuttals — they may want to ask themselves this: What other newsworthy stories are not being covered because of our focus on Trump? Responsible journalists don’t rely solely on sources to come to them; they seek out their own sources and stories, ask critical questions, and dig deeply to find answers. Responsible journalists also know that, while they may strive for objectivity, they are far from impartial observers. News reporting requires all journalists to make choices about how to frame events for the reader, what information to include, and what to omit. The way journalists characterize issues, and the language they use to describe them, shapes how people think about and act on those issues. Each time the media put one of Trump’s outrageous statements on a repeat reel, his messages of violence and intolerance become a little more firmly embedded in our social fabric. Ultimately, responsible journalists understand that a free press is a cornerstone of democracy. Threats to that freedom come in many forms, from attempts at suppression to the co-optation of news reporting. That co-optation is easy for reporters to see when it comes from an overtly propagandist government like China or North Korea. But when it happens close to home and comes in the form of a wealthy, influential businessman, will journalists recognize it? This blog also appears on AlterNet. --- ## Webinar: The news about childhood trauma: Findings and implications URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-the-news-about-childhood-trauma-findings-and-implications/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-06 Words: 83 > As part of a Futures Without Violence webinar series about children’s exposure to trauma, BMSG’s Pamela Mejia shares BMSG research on news portrayals of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The research... As part of a Futures Without Violence webinar series about children’s exposure to trauma, BMSG’s Pamela Mejia shares BMSG research on news portrayals of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The research found that news coverage of ACEs is on the rise but is still minimal compared to other public health issues. Mejia discusses opportunities for increasing the visibility of trauma in the media, showing how it is connected to other issues, and framing it as preventable. View the webinar slides or transcript. --- ## What surrounds us shapes us: Making the environmental case for tobacco control URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/what-surrounds-us-shapes-us-making-the-environmental-case-for-tobacco-control/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5279 > Part I — Making the case for environmental change Creating healthy environments starts with knowing what you want to change. Then you have to find the right language to effectively... Part I — Making the case for environmental change Creating healthy environments starts with knowing what you want to change. Then you have to find the right language to effectively talk about it. Language is important because how an issue is described, or framed, can affect whether it has popular or political support. Linguists say that framing is how our minds recognize patterns of ideas, categorize them, and derive meaning from them. Framing is the translation process between incoming things we see, read or hear — and the ideas already in our heads. Frames are important to advocates because they influence how people react to ideas. When the tobacco industry frames point of sale tobacco marketing as ‘freedom of speech’ or as ‘providing customers with information,’ people may not feel inclined to see this marketing as harmful. When the issue is framed differently — ‘certain communities are unfairly burdened by retail marketing’ — people may be more inclined to recognize the problem. Language can create a “frame of mind” that makes some ideas attractive and others not. This framing brief suggests how to create messages based on frames that can help people see that environments affect health. When people understand that connection, they are more likely to support policies that improve those environments. Shifting from portrait to landscape Research shows that in the U.S., most people think that individuals are masters of their own destiny. People believe that hard work, discipline, and self-determination are all it takes to succeed; underlying this rugged individualism frame is the value of personal responsibility. This value extends to people’s perceptions about health as well: their gut-level assumption — what we call the default frame — is that individuals can control their own health outcomes if they make the right choices. The problem with the default frame is that it hides the influence of other factors in people’s success: the conditions of the places where people live, work and play. The default frame is like a portrait, focused narrowly on the details of a single person. To create a conversation that is conducive to change, issues need to be framed more like landscapes — frames that include people, but also the context that surrounds them. Those who want to encourage positive public health changes can slip into the default frame when they encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer fatty foods, without mentioning the need for all neighborhoods to have stores that sell healthy foods at affordable prices; or when they tell parents to make sure their children get enough exercise but don’t make the case for neighborhoods and schools that offer safe, crime-free places for children to play; or when they tell people not to smoke while ignoring the ubiquitous tobacco marketing bombarding certain neighborhoods. To create a positive change in the environment, the default frame needs to be broadened from its exclusive focus on the individual — or portrait — to a landscape perspective that makes visible the external factors in the environment. Painting a broader picture can help people see that neighborhoods, schools and workplaces influence health. Only then will polices that improve places make sense to people. To make the landscape visible, those who advocate for an environmental change need to think about what they say and ask themselves: What assumptions does our language trigger? What pictures are we bringing to mind? Do our words lead to support for our policy and reinforce our values? Messages should start with a frame that brings to mind the place. Then the conversation can lead to the people in those places and the policies that will improve everyone’s health. Triggering an environmental frame How can language trigger the idea that contexts shape individual’s health? Reminding people that where we live, work, or play (including homes, schools, offices, businesses, stores, parks and any other physical spaces), influences our daily lives, including our health. When we improve and maintain these environments, the health of the people who live and work there improves as well. A message can trigger an environmental frame by starting with a vivid description of the environment that contributes to poor health, as well as the kind of place that supports health. Those who support an environmental change will help their audiences connect with their message if they state the value that motivates them to make the change they seek. To that they can add a clear, simple description of the solutions they support. The task is to create an image of the world that is based on values, accommodates policy solutions and creates the desired place-based frame. Below is an equation that incorporates each of the variables needed to create the desired frame: Environmental Trigger + Value + Policy = Desired Frame For example, community members concerned about point of sale tobacco advertising could combine their ... --- ## Marketers want you to get your Valentine a bouquet of Doritos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-want-you-to-get-your-valentine-a-bouquet-of-doritos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2016-02-12 Words: 47 > Doritos is using Valentine's Day to market its ketchup-flavored chips in Canada. The company is encouraging people living in certain parts of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to forego flowers and... Doritos is using Valentine’s Day to market its ketchup-flavored chips in Canada. The company is encouraging people living in certain parts of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to forego flowers and give 12 long-stemmed “roses” made of Doritos to their significant others. --- ## Webinar: Mind the gap: Framing the relationship between community retailers and community health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-mind-the-gap-framing-the-relationship-between-community-retailers-and-community-health/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 71 > Developing effective, values-based messaging is an essential aspect of public health advocacy. In this webinar, Phil Wilbur, a consultant for the Berkeley Media Studies Group, discusses message framing as a... Developing effective, values-based messaging is an essential aspect of public health advocacy. In this webinar, Phil Wilbur, a consultant for the Berkeley Media Studies Group, discusses message framing as a crucial part of an overall strategy for tobacco control. Phil explains the concepts and contexts behind public health messages of prevention, and leaves viewers with takeaways for future message development that can help programs link problems to effective policy solutions. --- ## McNuggets with a side of ‘Paddington’: McDonald’s serves books in Happy Meals for 2016 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcnuggets-with-a-side-of-paddington-mcdonalds-serves-books-in-happy-meals-for-2016/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2016-02-02 Words: 69 > In yet another case of goodwashing, McDonald's has partnered with literacy nonprofit Reading is Fundamental to put books into Happy Meals. The author of this piece misses an opportunity to... In yet another case of goodwashing, McDonald’s has partnered with literacy nonprofit Reading is Fundamental to put books into Happy Meals. The author of this piece misses an opportunity to highlight the absurdity of the situation: while the partnering organizations are claiming to be investing in children’s futures, giving books to kids doesn’t offset the detrimental health effects of selling them unhealthy food. --- ## McDonald’s launches “Nuggets of Knowledge” campaign in yet another goodwashing attempt URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-launches-nuggets-of-knowledge-campaign-in-yet-another-goodwashing-attempt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2016-02-01 Words: 72 > In honor of Black History Month, McDonald's in Atlanta has launched a campaign called "Nuggets of Knowledge," which focuses on highlighting the accomplishments of African American community leaders. This strategic... In honor of Black History Month, McDonald’s in Atlanta has launched a campaign called “Nuggets of Knowledge,” which focuses on highlighting the accomplishments of African American community leaders. This strategic initiative is a typical example of the fast food giant’s goodwashing efforts, as the company ironically demonstrates public “support” of African Americans while simultaneously targeting them when marketing their unhealthy food products. --- ## Soda tax debates in Berkeley and San Francisco: An analysis of social media, campaign materials and news coverage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/soda-tax-debates-in-berkeley-and-san-francisco-an-analysis-of-social-media-campaign-materials-and-news-coverage/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7155 > In 2014, voters in the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco, California, were asked to decide whether to place an excise tax on sugary drinks sold within their borders. Berkeley... In 2014, voters in the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco, California, were asked to decide whether to place an excise tax on sugary drinks sold within their borders. Berkeley made history when it passed the nation’s first tax on sugary drinks, despite an aggressive anti-tax campaign from the beverage industry. San Francisco’s measure was approved by the majority of voters but failed to reach the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. Given the prominence of these two policy battles and the likelihood that more will follow, we wanted to evaluate social media, campaign materials and news coverage of the soda tax debates in Berkeley and San Francisco. What stories did tax advocates and opponents tell? How were the soda industry, its products and its spending characterized? Who was quoted in the news coverage, and what did they say? What lessons can the coverage offer advocates and other stakeholders seeking to improve health in their communities by regulating sugary drinks? Why study media? Much of what we know about the world around us comes to us through the filter of the media. Mainstream news coverage sets the agenda for public discussion and debate, shapes how we perceive and respond to social issues, and informs policymakers.1, 2 In recent years, social media has also become an important driver of news and political agendas: Social platforms like Twitter and Facebook are changing how people communicate and rally to influence election campaigns.3, 4 In addition, campaign mailers, television and radio ads have proven influential in political campaigns, affecting both voter attitudes and intent to vote.5-8 What we did Each of the pro-tax campaigns, Berkeley vs. Big Soda and Choose Health SF, and anti-tax campaigns, No Berkeley Beverage Tax and No SF Beverage Tax (also known as the Coalition for an Affordable City) communicated their messages to potential supporters through various media channels, including social media, campaign materials such as mailers and advertisements, and the news media. To explore how campaigns communicated directly to voters, we collected and analyzed all campaign Facebook and Twitter posts, radio and television advertisements, and mass mailers. For more details about our methods, see Appendix 1. To analyze how arguments for and against the taxes appeared in the news, we searched the Nexis news database for newspaper articles published online or in print that mentioned the Berkeley or San Francisco tax proposal. We supplemented this search with reviews of the online archives of local English- and Spanish-language newspapers not included in the Nexis database. What we found: How soda tax proposals appeared in social media and campaign materials What did the campaigns communicate to the public? Social media and campaign materials reveal the pro- and anti- campaigns’ key arguments in both San Francisco and Berkeley. The pro-tax campaigns were more engaged on social media than the anti-tax campaigns. We found 2,422 relevant tweets and 579 relevant Facebook posts published by the pro- and anti- soda tax campaigns in San Francisco and Berkeley between January 2014 and June 2015. Together, soda tax proponents in the two cities posted four times more frequently than did anti-tax representatives. In fact, pro-tax tweets and posts accounted for over 80% of the conversation on each channel (though in the month before the November election, the San Francisco anti-tax campaign did begin to overshadow the city’s pro-tax campaign). The two pro-tax campaigns used the grassroots and capacity-building nature of social media9 not only to make the case for soda taxes, but also to inform the public about events and canvassing opportunities, encourage voters to head to the polls, discuss other sugary drink policies, and in Berkeley, celebrate the victory. A range of speakers used social media to call for soda taxes in Berkeley, while the anti-tax Twitter conversation was driven by official sources. To learn more about the broader Twitter conversation beyond the campaigns’ posts, we also reviewed tweets containing three top Berkeley soda-tax-specific hashtags between May 2014 and April 2015: #YesonD, #BerkeleyvsBigSoda and #BerkSodaTax. Figure 1: Generation of arguments used in Berkeley and San Francisco soda tax hashtags, 2014-2015 (n= 729) We found that aside from the official anti-tax campaign, there were few Twitter users (15) who posted tweets arguing against the tax. Indeed, almost 80% of all anti-tax posts came from the anti-tax campaign’s @Berkeleybevtax account. Another 12% came from news outlets, as when local news site Berkeleyside live-tweeted an event and quoted representatives of the anti-tax campaign. On the other hand, there were 478 Twitter users who posted in favor of the tax, many of them Berkeley residents or members of the public health community. Interestingly, the anti-tax campaign often used the #YesonD and #BerkeleyvsBigSoda hashtags that were popularized by the pro-tax campaig... --- ## Soda tax debates: A case study of Berkeley vs. Big Soda’s social media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/soda-tax-debates-a-case-study-of-berkeley-vs-big-sodas-social-media-campaign/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1692 > Social media is changing how communities and groups communicate and rally to build capacity in election campaigns.1-4 Social platforms like Facebook and Twitter can support citizens' civic action and have... Social media is changing how communities and groups communicate and rally to build capacity in election campaigns.1-4 Social platforms like Facebook and Twitter can support citizens’ civic action and have the potential to drive news and political agendas.3, 5 In 2014, voters in Berkeley, California, were asked to decide whether to place an excise tax on sugary drinks sold within city borders. Berkeley vs. Big Soda, the city’s pro-tax campaign, turned to social media to communicate with residents and other audiences. The city made history in November 2014 when it passed the nation’s first tax on sugary drinks, despite the beverage industry spending more than $2.4 million on an anti-tax campaign.6 Advocates and stakeholders in other communities can use this case study to strategize about using social media in their campaigns to pass sugary drink taxes, fight chronic diseases and protect public health. What we did To better understand the pro-tax campaign’s social media efforts, we conducted a content analysis of Berkeley vs. Big Soda’s Twitter7 and Facebook8 posts and examined their social media analytics. Our analysis includes pre- and post-election posts from February 2014, when the campaign launched its social media strategy, through June 2015. We obtained Twitter data from Twitter and Twitonomy and Facebook data from the campaign’s Facebook account. Our unit of analysis for Tweets and Facebook data was the post, including the text and, for Facebook posts, associated images. When the campaign posted a photo album, we coded only the first three images. We assessed native analytics from Twitter, Facebook and Twitonomy (Twitter only). We catalogued the gender, location and age (Facebook only) of channel audiences, impressions, and engagement (including likes, comments and shares for Facebook, and retweets, likes — formerly called “favorites” — and replies for Twitter). For posts that @BerkvsBigSoda retweeted, we analyzed the content of the tweet, but data on engagement were not available, so we excluded these posts from our analyses of engagement. Although the campaign also used an Instagram account, we did not include it in our analysis because there were a small number of posts. To determine how the posts were framed, we first read a small number of Tweets and Facebook posts and, informed by our previous research on sugar-sweetened beverage framing in the news,9 developed a preliminary coding instrument. Before coding the full sample, we used an iterative process10 and statistical test (Krippendorf’s alpha,11 ≥ .8) to ensure that coders’ agreement was not occurring by chance. See Appendix 1 for a summary of the arguments contained in the posts and Appendix 2 for a glossary of social media and analytics terms. What we found We found 1,731 tweets and 250 Facebook posts from February 2014 through June 2015. We excluded 13 posts because they were not about sugary drinks, such as when the campaign promoted unrelated issues or posted links with no descriptions. Most of Berkeley vs. Big Soda’s relevant posts occurred before the November 2014 election month (77% of Twitter posts; 87% of Facebook posts), with a large fraction during the two months leading up to the vote (42% of Twitter posts; 49% of Facebook posts). Who was following the campaign on social media? As of September 2015, the campaign had 594 followers on Twitter, and its Facebook page had 729 “likes” (followers). Across both channels, the majority of followers were women (59% and 69%, respectively) between the ages of 35 and 44 (25% of Facebook followers), and were located in California (see Figure 1 for geographic breakdown). According to Facebook data, while roughly half of followers (49%) were located in Berkeley, 28% were located in other California cities, many of them in the Bay Area (primarily San Francisco and Oakland). Over half of Twitter followers were located in California (53%); however, more specific location data were not available for Twitter (see Appendix 3, Table 2). Interestingly, 17% of Twitter followers were located outside of the U.S. Among Twitter followers, 80% were identified by Twitter as having an interest in “politics and current events” and 77% in “business and news” (similar data were not available for Facebook followers). Figure 1: Location of Facebook and Twitter followers Engagement and impressions Between February 2014 and June 2015, the Berkeley vs. Big Soda campaign published 1,731 tweets and 250 Facebook posts. On Twitter, there were approximately 3.5 tweets per day, including both original posts and retweets of others’ messages (39% of posts). Tweets received an average of five engagements per post (engagement includes retweets, favorites and replies) resulting in a 9% average engagement rate. Each tweet was retweeted an average of 1.67 times. While there were fewer posts on Facebook overall, these posts produced more impressions (the number of times a post was delivered to users’ news feeds or search results) and ... --- ## Soda wars: What advocates can learn from Berkeley vs. Big Soda’s social media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/soda-wars-what-advocates-can-learn-from-berkeley-vs-big-sodas-social-media-campaign/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 482 > In November 2014, the small city of Berkeley, California passed the nation's first tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (aka "soda tax") with 76% of the vote. The campaign's success was largely... In November 2014, the small city of Berkeley, California passed the nation’s first tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (aka “soda tax”) with 76% of the vote. The campaign’s success was largely due to grassroots advocacy efforts but was part of a larger, nationwide movement to address our growing obesity epidemic. Using social media to reach voters and health advocates was a key part of the pro-tax campaign strategy. One year after the tax went into effect, a new case study from JSI and partner Berkeley Media Studies Group discusses findings from an analysis of social media content created by the Berkeley sugary drink tax campaign (Berkeley vs. Big Soda). Continuing BMSG’s research on soda tax debates, we sought to understand the pro-tax campaign’s social media efforts both before and after the tax passed (from February 2014 to June 2015). To do so, we examined the campaign’s Twitter and Facebook posts using content analysis methodology paired with social media analytics. The case study analyzes the different pro-tax arguments used in campaign posts and offers lessons learned and suggestions for how advocates can best utilize social media to support sugary drink tax efforts. We found that the campaign primarily used social media to argue in favor of a soda tax in Berkeley, but also used channels to converse with other health advocates, promote local events, encourage voters to head to the polls, discuss other sugary drink policies (such as San Francisco’s similar proposed ballot measure), and celebrate the successful passing of the tax. One of the key arguments that the campaign used was how the beverage industry was behaving badly; using this frame resonated well on both Facebook and Twitter, resulting in higher than average engagement with online audiences. Berkeley vs. Big Soda illuminated how the industry was acting inappropriately in the election (e.g., spending $2.4M on the opposition campaign in Berkeley) as well as the soda industry’s marketing tactics. Somewhat surprisingly, posts mentioning the negative health effects of sugary drinks (such as chronic disease) were less likely to generate engagement. Lastly, we offer nine specific recommendations for how soda tax advocates can most effectively use social media as a communication tool (see “Nine Recommendations for Sugary Drink Tax Advocates“). As the anti-sugary drink movement continues to gain momentum, with soda taxes and other policies as potential interventions to effect community-wide health improvements, health advocates should consider the use and impact of social media to spread their messages. Using Facebook and Twitter as advocacy tools can help shape soda tax debates and be part of a successful strategy to help pass sugary drink taxes. For the latest soda tax news, follow @BMSG and @BerkvsBigSoda, and sign up for weekly updates. This blog also appears at http://thepump.jsi.com/. --- ## Frito-Lay celebrates Black History Month by calling all artists for a chance to win a grand prize of $10,000 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-celebrates-black-history-month-by-calling-all-artists-for-a-chance-to-win-a-grand-prize-of-10000/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 53 > In a typical example of goodwashing, Frito-Lay is funding a national Black History Month art contest. Strategic acts of generosity such as these are common tactics used by large corporations... In a typical example of goodwashing, Frito-Lay is funding a national Black History Month art contest. Strategic acts of generosity such as these are common tactics used by large corporations to distract consumers from the company’s otherwise nefarious practices, especially in regards to their ceaseless target marketing of minority communities. --- ## Media advocacy in the age of Trump URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-advocacy-in-the-age-of-trump/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 780 > After reading a recent Washington Post article titled, "Why Trump may be winning the war on 'political correctness,'" it struck me just how much our organization, Berkeley Media Studies Group... After reading a recent Washington Post article titled, “Why Trump may be winning the war on ‘political correctness,’” it struck me just how much our organization, Berkeley Media Studies Group — and countless other groups similarly dedicated to social change — is caught in the crossfire. The Jan. 4 article reports that “in the 2016 Republican presidential primary season, ‘political correctness’ has become the all-purpose enemy. … [I]t is the explanation for seemingly every threat that confronts the country: terrorism, illegal immigration, an economic recovery that is leaving many behind, to name just a few.” Others argue, and I would agree, that “growing antipathy to the notion of political correctness has become an all-purpose excuse of the inexcusable. … [I]t has emboldened too many to express racism, sexism and intolerance, which endure even as the country grows more diverse.” Or, as the subheadline for author Alyson Cole’s take on this issue for Slate reads: “Let’s be honest: The war on p.c. is really a war on minorities and others who dare raise their voices in protest.” But has Trump’s impact on the public discourse reached even some advocates? Has it changed their starting point? As an organization that trains community and public health groups to practice media advocacy — the strategic use of mass media to advance policies that improve health — BMSG studies how framing affects how people understand what to do about community health problems. Framing helps people make sense of what they see and hear by triggering ideas and concepts that already exist in their minds. A common or default frame is the idea that people’s behavior is determined by personal motivation, not the situations they find themselves in. This frame fails to make the environment visible and show that what surrounds us shapes us. For example, residents, especially children, who live near trucking routes experience higher rates of asthma. And people who live in neighborhoods where there are few grocery stores that sell healthy food suffer higher rates of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases. The personal responsibility frame, on the other hand, says to decision-makers and voters: Why do we need a new law or regulation when people should simply make better choices? We teach advocates the importance of reframing the conversation so that their target audiences see factors often outside of a person’s control that undermine efforts to be healthy. This kind of reframing helps audiences look beyond the “portrait” so that they can see the landscape more clearly, and therefore, the benefits of policy change. But in Trump’s war, this type of reframing would surely be attacked. As the Republican candidate and his supporters would see it, we are teaching victimhood. “In the 1990s, anti-victimism aimed to dismantle the welfare state, and to disparage multiculturalism, progressive politics in general, and feminism and racial politics in particular,” Slate’s Cole continues. “Once again, we are told that the problem we face as a nation is not growing inequality or intractable forms of injustice, but those churlish individuals and perpetually aggrieved groups who insist on complaining, draining our limited resources of compassion.” I’m reminded of a recent training in the San Joaquin Valley, where one of our participants, a Latina mom who volunteered with a local charity, challenged me as I explained the reframing process. “I’m tired of our community being portrayed as victims” of their environment, she countered, saying she believed people are masters of their own destiny. I explained to her that not everyone has the same choices — owning a car gave her the option to buy healthy food; working as a professional rather than as a farm laborer or service worker allowed more time and energy to prepare healthy meals; even speaking English gave her options her fellow monolingual workshop participants did not have. While it was obvious she was there because she cared about her community and was willing to fight for it, I couldn’t help but wonder whether she had been swayed by the enemy. “One thing is clear,” summed up the authors of the Washington Post article. “Trump is channeling a very mainstream frustration.” If that is the case, it’s important now more than ever to reframe the conversation. As people continue to misdirect their anger and frustration, the work of bringing the larger context into view may be more challenging. But this work is essential to bringing about needed change. --- ## Cartoon characters could help children embrace fruits and veggies, study finds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cartoon-characters-could-help-children-embrace-fruits-and-veggies-study-finds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 58 > This article discusses recent research that demonstrates how digital marketing tactics influence children to consume more junk food. Dutch researcher Folkvord argues that although teaching children to be more media... This article discusses recent research that demonstrates how digital marketing tactics influence children to consume more junk food. Dutch researcher Folkvord argues that although teaching children to be more media savvy would be helpful, the most salient solution would be to enact policy change that would restrict such ads from appearing in children’s media environment altogether. --- ## Coca-Cola teams up with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to target Latino youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-teams-up-with-the-hispanic-scholarship-fund-to-target-latino-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 69 > Coca-cola announced that it will be contributing $150,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, building on a 34-year partnership with the organization. In addition to the funding, Coca-Cola will also provide... Coca-cola announced that it will be contributing $150,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, building on a 34-year partnership with the organization. In addition to the funding, Coca-Cola will also provide “Educational Toolkits” which include a backpack and a thumb drive with information about navigating the road to college…but only available to those with proof of purchase of a Coke product. --- ## Top 10 public health media bites of 2015 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-media-bites-of-2015/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1232 > Every day, Berkeley Media Studies Group monitors the news to learn how public health and social justice issues are being portrayed. We scan headlines and scour content to find out... Every day, Berkeley Media Studies Group monitors the news to learn how public health and social justice issues are being portrayed. We scan headlines and scour content to find out what arguments are being made, whose voices are coming through the loudest, and which perspectives are being left out. Along the way, memorable sound bites — or, as we call them, media bites — often catch our eye or ear. Sometimes they come from journalists, other times from advocates or elected officials, but they all have something in common: They make us stop and reflect on an issue, and they stay in our heads long after the news cycle has moved on to the next big thing. Advocates can use media bites to make their policy issues relatable to readers and reporters — and to produce outrage or prompt action. A well crafted quote can illicit a reaction like, “That’s right!” or, “I hadn’t thought about it like that,” or, most critically, “We need to change this.” Each year, we collect dozens of media bites and share our favorites with our colleagues, family and friends. Narrowing the list gets a little harder every year, as advocates keep getting savvier at using the media as a megaphone for change. Below are our Top 10 picks of 2015, organized by topic. Do you have a favorite that’s not on our list? Share it with us at info@bmsg.org or @BMSG. Equity “When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.” -President Barack Obama, after the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality nationwide. Appeared June 26, 2015 in the Huffington Post, among other places. Why we like it: The power in this short, memorable media bite comes from its appeal to shared values. Specifically, it expands our ideas about freedom and shows that equality and freedom are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they go hand in hand. “By design, we have left whole communities behind. By design, we can reverse that and reclaim our nation and all of its people.” -Rachel Davis, managing director, Prevention Institute. Appeared June 5, 2015 in New America Media. Why we like it: Part of a commentary on violence prevention, this quote pulls back the lens on community well-being to show that inequitable outcomes are the result of policies and systems that can be remade to focus on prevention. This sentiment is filled with hope, can-do spirit, and provides a powerful antidote to the “us vs them” rhetoric so common in news on crime and violence. “If we want people to climb the economic ladder through education, then we need to ensure that ladder rests on a stable foundation of work that pays enough to live on.” -Maureen Conway, executive director of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Appeared in the May/June edition of The Aspen Journal of Ideas. Why we like it: This vivid metaphor makes tangible the idea that we all need support systems. It provides much-needed context for the up-by-your-bootstraps rugged individualism narrative so dominant in American culture. If forces us to ask, what if the boots have no straps? What if the ground beneath us is crumbling? Gun violence “To protect the public, we regulate toys and mutual funds, ladders and swimming pools. Shouldn’t we regulate guns as seriously as we regulate toys?” -Nicholas Kristof. Appeared Aug. 26, 2015 in The New York Times. Why we like it: Drawing a startling comparison, Nicholas Kristof takes a controversial issue and boils it down to common sense. Comparing familiar items or issues can be an effective way for advocates to point out skewed priorities and push for policy change. Sexual violence “It is time to make our culture a more comfortable place for victims than perpetrators.” -Dani Bostick. Appeared June 10, 2015 in the Huffington Post. Why we like it: Media coverage of sexual assault often focuses disproportionately on those who have committed crimes, rather than those who experience them. Such coverage reflects and reinforces attitudes, policies and rhetoric that foster abuse and can keep victims/survivors from coming forward after the fact. In just 15 words, this quote puts that culture under the microscope and calls for change. Food and beverage environment “Cheap soda has taxed this nation dearly. It’s time to tax it back.” -Jim O’Hara, director of health promotion policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C. Appeared July 28, 2015 in the Atlanta Forward, a blog of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Why we like it: This media bit is short, pithy and empowering. Simply put, it places the focus on the product, not the people who consume it. “Cigarettes are toxic. They have warning labels. Alcohol is toxic. It has warning labels. Well, guess what? Sugar is toxic at the doses we are currently consuming. And half of it comes from a single source: soft drinks. It’s time for a warning label.” -Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and president of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition. Appeared Mar... --- ## Campbell’s Soup targets Latino families with ‘Arturito Soup’ ad URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbells-soup-targets-latino-families-with-arturito-soup-ad/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-12-14 Words: 43 > Campbell's Soup targets Latino families in this commercial featuring a child asking for Arturito soup. This turns out to be a soup branded with R2D2, a popular Star Wars character,... Campbell’s Soup targets Latino families in this commercial featuring a child asking for Arturito soup. This turns out to be a soup branded with R2D2, a popular Star Wars character, and is aligned with the release of the blockbuster hit. --- ## Coors Light aims to connect with HBCU community through scholarships, events URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coors-light-aims-to-connect-with-hbcu-community-through-scholarships-events/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 55 > Coor‰Ûªs Light continued its 25-year relationship with Historically Black Colleges and Universities this year by providing $100,000 in scholarships, and sponsoring six Classics -- college-wide celebrations that center around football.... Coor‰Ûªs Light continued its 25-year relationship with Historically Black Colleges and Universities this year by providing $100,000 in scholarships, and sponsoring six Classics — college-wide celebrations that center around football. The brand organized tailgate parties in each city featuring live music, celebrities, alcoholic refreshments, and “cooking-with-beer” demonstrations. --- ## Coke apologizes for ad showing hipsters bringing soda to indigenous Mexicans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-apologizes-for-ad-showing-hipsters-bringing-soda-to-indigenous-mexicans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-12-07 Words: 67 > Indigenous activists are taking a stand regarding a recent Coca-Cola advertisement aired in Mexico. The ad features a group of young white "philanthropists" bringing bottles of Coca-Cola to an indigenous... Indigenous activists are taking a stand regarding a recent Coca-Cola advertisement aired in Mexico. The ad features a group of young white “philanthropists” bringing bottles of Coca-Cola to an indigenous community in Oaxaca, and constructing a Coke-branded Christmas tree. The ad has been criticized as “colonialist branding,” and powerful backlash has forced Coke to pull the ad and apologize. --- ## McDonald’s targets Latino demographic through American football URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-latino-demographic-through-american-football/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-12-02 Words: 53 > McDonald's continues its "Game Time Gold" campaign, which targets Latinos who watch American football. The fast food giant has used sweepstakes, partnered with famous Latino sports commentator Enrique "El Perro"... McDonald’s continues its “Game Time Gold” campaign, which targets Latinos who watch American football. The fast food giant has used sweepstakes, partnered with famous Latino sports commentator Enrique “El Perro” Bermudez, and held weekend “Half-Time Breaks” at select locations to lure Latino customers. --- ## Junk-food-funded curriculum teaches kids to “exercise off” cookies and candy bars URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/junk-food-funded-curriculum-teaches-kids-to-exercise-off-cookies-and-candy-bars/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-12-02 Words: 68 > A growing number of elementary schools nationwide have been using a curriculum called Energy Balance 101 to teach kids about healthy lifestyles, which emphasizes the need for exercise and fails... A growing number of elementary schools nationwide have been using a curriculum called Energy Balance 101 to teach kids about healthy lifestyles, which emphasizes the need for exercise and fails to mention the role of harmful foods and beverages. Unsurprisingly, this educational campaign is funded by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, which is funded by soda and junk food corporations, such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and General Mills. --- ## YouTube kids app faces new complaints over junk food ads URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/youtube-kids-app-faces-new-complaints-over-junk-food-ads/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-11-24 Words: 82 > Two consumer advocacy groups, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, have filed complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about advertising content in the YouTube... Two consumer advocacy groups, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, have filed complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about advertising content in the YouTube kids app. They argue that “online video aimed at children is too commercialized and is not held to the same standards that apply to cable and broadcast television.” Jeff Chester, a BMSG collaborator and executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, is quoted criticizing these deceptive marketing strategies. --- ## Video: How news media shapes our understanding of youth violence and sexual assault URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-how-news-media-shapes-our-understanding-of-youth-violence-and-sexual-assault/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 82 > As part of an Institute of Medicine workshop on the social and cultural norms that underlie the acceptance of violence, BMSG's Lori Dorfman discusses the role of the news media,... As part of an Institute of Medicine workshop on the social and cultural norms that underlie the acceptance of violence, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman discusses the role of the news media, how connections among violence, youth and race get distorted in news reports on crime, and the prevalence of language in the news that minimizes the act of sexual violence. She also addresses the need to reframe news coverage in ways that highlight the social context for violence and potential solutions. --- ## How childhood trauma appears in the news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-childhood-trauma-appears-in-the-news/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 584 > We see the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) everywhere we turn: from the child "acting out" or falling behind in class, to the employee struggling to succeed in spite... We see the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) everywhere we turn: from the child “acting out” or falling behind in class, to the employee struggling to succeed in spite of mental illness, to the patient hospitalized once again because of chronic disease. The term ACEs describes traumatic childhood experiences, such as losing a parent, experiencing abuse or neglect, or witnessing domestic violence or drug use. A groundbreaking study from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente found that the more ACEs an individual experiences, the greater his or her risk for chronic disease, mental illness, violence, and being a victim of violence. In other words, ACEs contribute to some of our biggest health and social challenges. Therefore, if we want to build a healthier society, we need to understand and address ACEs. At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we know that the first step in addressing a problem is talking about it. That’s because the way an issue gets discussed shapes our view both of the problem and of potential solutions. So, our research team conducted a news analysis to find out if ACEs were being talked about in the news, and how. Since ACEs affect every sector of society, we were interested in the connections that could be made beyond the health sector, particularly in education and business coverage. Unsurprisingly, we found that while coverage of ACEs is growing, it is still minimal. Health care professionals are typically called on to speak about the issue — usually because of an initiative designed to raise awareness about childhood trauma. Otherwise, there is a lack of coverage. In education, articles abound with overarching themes that directly relate to ACEs, but the connection to trauma is seldom made explicit. Education writers could make the link between ACEs and opportunities for low-income and minority students, academic achievement, community violence, sexual abuse and poverty. In business stories, mention of ACEs is even more rare, but there are plenty of opportunities to change this. For example, reporters could demonstrate how an economically sound society could play a role in preventing ACEs. Expanding coverage of ACEs from health stories to other sectors could help the public understand how all sectors can address and prevent trauma. By teasing out how education and business sectors influence ACEs, the responsibility of dealing with trauma would shift from the health sector to all members of society. To improve coverage, journalists need to be equipped to ask the questions that will get them a complete story. Advocates can help journalists do this by connecting them with sources and data that can illuminate how all institutions play a role in childhood trauma prevention. To learn more about the type of work being done to increase ACEs awareness, come to BMSG’s Dec. 9 screening of Paper Tigers, a movie documenting how a high school in Washington is changing how our education system deals with trauma. The event, co-hosted by the ACEs Connection Network, will be held in downtown Berkeley. Appetizers and refreshments will be provided, and we will hold a panel discussion after the screening to talk about trauma-informed practices happening in the Bay Area. The event is free, but registration is required. For more details about the event and to register, visit bit.ly/berkeley-paper-tigers. We hope to engage a diverse audience, so spread the word! UPDATE: Registration is full for the Paper Tigers event. Join the waitlist at bit.ly/berkeley-paper-tigers. --- ## How perceptions of the tobacco, alcohol and food industries differ in public health debates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-perceptions-of-the-tobacco-alcohol-and-food-industries-differ-in-public-health-debates/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1442 > In a session jointly sponsored by Policy & Politics and the University of Glasgow Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, leading international experts explored how public health professionals perceive the... In a session jointly sponsored by Policy & Politics and the University of Glasgow Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, leading international experts explored how public health professionals perceive the role of the alcohol, tobacco and food industries in shaping public policy. The international panel of speakers, appearing at the 8th European Public Health Conference which took place in Milan on 14-17 October was chaired by Professor Oliver Razum, Dean of the School of Public Health at Bielefeld University, Germany. It included Professor Nicholas Freudenberg of City University New York, Dr. Lori Dorfman from the Berkeley Media Studies Group and the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Dr. Benjamin Hawkins from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Heide Weishaar from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow and Policy & Politics’ Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Kat Smith from the Global Public Health Unit, University of Edinburgh. The session was organised by Heide and Kat along with Dr. Shona Hilton of the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. This blog sums up the issues discussed and sets out an agenda for future research in this area. The venue in Milan for the Policy & Politics sponsored panel on Corporations & Health Tobacco, alcohol and processed food industries — Why are they viewed so differently? One of the few undisputable truths in life is that we will all, eventually, die but what we will die of, and at what age, is changing across the world, with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increasingly accounting for excessive morbidity and mortality burdens. The growing prevalence of NCDs is triggering substantial policy concern, evident, for example, in the 2011 UN high level meeting on NCDs. Yet, it is clear there are very different ways of thinking about this “epidemiological transition“: It has been framed, on the one hand, as a consequence of the choices that individuals make and, on the other, as a consequence of the strategies that corporations pursue. For some, it is the consequence of economic development which has led, among other things, to more sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles. Those who take this view tend to focus on the choices available to individuals, arguing that we can all take personal responsibility and “choose to be healthier” by doing more exercise, eating healthier foods and avoiding health-damaging products such as tobacco and alcohol. The CEO of Pepsi Co, Indra Nooyi, endorses this viewpoint, arguing that PepsiCo is an ‘ethical’ company because it provides consumers with a choice of products, ranging from healthy to less healthy. Similar views on individual responsibility and choice are promoted by other corporations, and accepted by governments and their citizens, across the world. This emphasis is frequently reinforced in the media through advertising, news stories and television programmes that promote the idea that individuals chose unhealthy lifestyles, and via a focus on individual-level solutions to improve health. From this perspective, corporate interests involved in the production and marketing of health damaging products should be “part of the debate,” or even “part of the solution” to the emerging health crisis (e.g. by reformulated products, changing labelling and implementing self-regulatory codes) Yet, if we turn to tobacco, a sector which has been extensively researched for several decades now, a very different approach is evident. Here, the prevailing view in public health and, increasingly, in policy is that the tobacco industry is a primary “vector” of the growing NCD burden. Investigative journalism and research centring on internal tobacco industry documents has made public the extent to which senior managers of tobacco companies have (amongst other things): lied about the addictiveness of the product, worked to make their products more addictive; targeted young children as ‘new markets’ for their products; and worked to limit tobacco control policies. Consequently, the political and public legitimacy of tobacco industry actors has plummeted, triggering some desperate efforts to regain a seat at the policy table. As Heide Weishaar demonstrates with Social Network Analysis of a European Union consultation on smokefree legislation, we are now at a stage (at least in some contexts) where tobacco industry actors are almost entirely separated from public health policy debates (although the rise of e-cigarettes is beginning to challenge the cohesiveness of the tobacco control movement). In part, this reflects public health efforts to denormalize tobacco and routine business practices of the tobacco industry. The clear differences in perception of the tobacco industry, on the one hand, and the food and alcohol industries on the other, among policymakers and the wider public, warrant deeper consideration. A small number of researchers have investigat... --- ## Proposition 47: Are health and equity included in news coverage? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/proposition-47-are-health-and-equity-included-in-news-coverage/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 798 > Proposition 47 was an initiative passed by California voters in 2014 that recategorized a number of petty crimes as misdemeanors rather than felonies. The savings from the reduced prison sentences... Proposition 47 was an initiative passed by California voters in 2014 that recategorized a number of petty crimes as misdemeanors rather than felonies. The savings from the reduced prison sentences that resulted from this measure are earmarked for mental health and substance abuse treatment, education retention programs, and victim services. This seminal piece of legislation has profound implications for health and equity in the state — but is that reflected in the news? How Proposition 47 is framed in the news matters because we know that media coverage of an issue shapes the public’s and policymakers’ understanding of it, which, in turn, can influence policy. We wanted to know, does news coverage of Proposition 47 connect the initiative with issues of health or racial equity? Conversely, to what extent does the coverage link the initiative to increases in crime, either real or anticipated? What we did We looked at news articles that discussed Proposition 47 from July 2014 (the first time any news articles about the Proposition appeared) through October 2015 (a year after the initiative passed). We noted how often they made mention of health and/or equity, as well as any references to crime increases. What we found Coverage of the issue started off with a strong emphasis on health implications. Of all the Proposition 47 articles leading up to the election, over half of them mentioned health (175 articles). For example, in October 2014, a quote from a public health advocate in the Los Angeles Sentinel demonstrated the power of this framing: “While many people associate health with what goes on inside of a doctor’s office, many Prop 47 supporters are seeking to change that. ‘What’s happening in our homes and schools and neighborhoods has a substantial bearing on people’s health status,’ said Tamu Jones, program manager for the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities South LA.” Pre-election, health as a theme appeared five times more often than crime (175 articles and 35 articles, respectively). However, post-election, the health framework tapered off and now risks being overtaken by the discourse on crime. Proposition 47 was often linked with crime increases when local law enforcement announced crime statistics or discussed crime trends and put the blame on Proposition 47. In a typical conflation of Proposition 47 with crime, one opinion piece declared, “In November, voters approved Proposition 47, which downgraded drug possession and many property crimes — including theft of goods worth under $950 — from felonies to misdemeanors. What a gift to shoplifters. And it’s no coincidence San Francisco saw a 47 percent spike in car break-ins in the first half of this year.” Number of times crime increases, health and equity were mentioned in news and opinion articles about Proposition 47, July 2014 — October 2015 We also found that equity was rarely mentioned in coverage of Proposition 47 either before or after the election, appearing in only 6% of total articles. When it did appear, speakers often pointed to the racial disparities present in California’s criminal justice system. For example, an opinion piece in the Sacramento Bee pointed out, “If Proposition 47 stalls, women of color will be hit hardest. California is the world’s No. 1 jailer of women, who are three times more likely than men to be in prison for low-level, nonviolent offenses. With racial bias playing a significant role in sentencing, the numbers are even higher for black and brown women.” Implications Examining the trends in coverage of Proposition 47 is important because the news plays a critical role in shaping public opinion of the measure. This quick examination suggests that health is no longer as prominent in the news conversation as it was prior to the election. This marks a decline in holistic coverage of the initiative. The negligible mention of equity also represents a missed opportunity for journalists to explore the ways in which Proposition 47 can contribute to social justice. In the absence of coverage linking Proposition 47 to these broader issues, stories blaming the initiative for increased crime — largely driven by law enforcement representatives critical of the measure — have the potential to dominate the debate and shift public opinion against this precedent-setting policy. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive media coverage on the implementation of Proposition 47 that does more than focus on crime statistics. One opportunity to expand the coverage may be the rollout, in 2016, of funding for substance abuse treatment, mental health services and other programs, made possible by the savings from the measure. Highlighting the links between decriminalization and these prevention measures could provide an important opportunity to bring health and equity back into the conversation. --- ## Honey Bunches of Oats use Latin GRAMMYS and “goodwashing” to target Latino population URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honey-bunches-of-oats-use-latin-grammys-and-goodwashing-to-target-latino-population/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-11-17 Words: 93 > Honey Bunches of Oats is engaging the Latino community by launching #LatinosConDedicacion at the 16th Annual Latin GRAMMY Gift Lounge. At the award show, company representatives will interview guests and... Honey Bunches of Oats is engaging the Latino community by launching #LatinosConDedicacion at the 16th Annual Latin GRAMMY Gift Lounge. At the award show, company representatives will interview guests and celebrities about what they are passionate about. Viewers watching at home are encouraged to share the hashtag #LatinosConDedicacion on social media. For every person that posts, Honey Bunches of Oats will donate $1 to Feeding America. While donating meals to the hungry is a worthy cause, this campaign uses the guise of “doing good” to target Latinos with a sugary product. --- ## McDonald’s launches “Game Time Gold” campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-launches-game-time-gold-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-11-16 Words: 56 > This month, McDonald's is targeting its Latino demographic by holding sweepstakes for tickets to the Super Bowl, collaborating with sports commentator Enrique "El Perro" Bermudez, and hosting "Half-Time Breaks" at... This month, McDonald’s is targeting its Latino demographic by holding sweepstakes for tickets to the Super Bowl, collaborating with sports commentator Enrique “El Perro” Bermudez, and hosting “Half-Time Breaks” at select McDonald’s to bring “f̼tbol Americano one step closer to the cultura Latina.” --- ## 2015 McDonald’s Flavor Battle targets African-American community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/2015-mcdonalds-flavor-battle-targets-african-american-community/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-11-16 Words: 40 > Earlier this week, McDonald's co-hosted the 2015 McDonald's Flavor Battle competition for DJs, along with Complex Media. This event is part of McDonald's 365Black platform, which specifically targets the African-American... Earlier this week, McDonald’s co-hosted the 2015 McDonald’s Flavor Battle competition for DJs, along with Complex Media. This event is part of McDonald’s 365Black platform, which specifically targets the African-American community. --- ## Moms manipulated into buying their kids unhealthy food, study says URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/moms-manipulated-into-buying-their-kids-unhealthy-food-study-says/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-11-09 Words: 38 > Researchers at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine found a "dual-pronged approach" employed by packaged food and drink advertisers which simultaneously creates demand for the product among children, and misleads parents... Researchers at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine found a “dual-pronged approach” employed by packaged food and drink advertisers which simultaneously creates demand for the product among children, and misleads parents into believing it is healthy. --- ## Black and Latino kids see more junk food advertising than their white counterparts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/black-and-latino-kids-see-more-junk-food-advertising-than-their-white-counterparts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 87 > A recent report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity examined TV snack advertising to children and teens from 2010-2014. Over the course of five years, the study... A recent report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity examined TV snack advertising to children and teens from 2010-2014. Over the course of five years, the study found that “Black children saw 99% more ads for savory snacks and Black teens saw 129% more, compared with white children and teens.” In response to the report, soda industry officials use the conventional argument that it’s up to individuals to self-regulate rather than the industry to maintain equitable practices. --- ## Fast food TV ads linked to child’s restaurant choice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-tv-ads-linked-to-child%c2%89uas-restaurant-choice/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 62 > New research published in the Journal of Pediatrics demonstrates the effect TV advertising has on children's food choices. The study found that children who are exposed to TV advertisements for... New research published in the Journal of Pediatrics demonstrates the effect TV advertising has on children’s food choices. The study found that children who are exposed to TV advertisements for fast-food restaurants (particularly ones offering toys) are significantly more likely to ask to eat there. Once they receive a toy, 83% of them want to come back. --- ## Corporate portrayals and perceptions in public health debates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/corporate-portrayals-and-perceptions-in-public-health-debates/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 223 > At the Eighth European Public Health Conference in Milan, Italy, public health researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom examined how portrayals of corporate practices that influenced health... At the Eighth European Public Health Conference in Milan, Italy, public health researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom examined how portrayals of corporate practices that influenced health are characterized in the media in the United States and Europe and how public health professionals and policymakers perceive the role of the alcohol, tobacco and food industries in shaping public policy. The session, held on Oct. 17, 2015, was sponsored by the University of Glasgow Social and Public Health Sciences Unit and the journal Policy & Politics. The presentations included: Nicholas Freudenberg Lori Dorfman Ben Hawkins Left to right: Oliver Razum, Katherine Smith, Shona Hilton View the presentations Nicholas Freudenberg (USA). The influence of corporate business and political practices on NCD risk. Download his presentation. Heide Weishaar (UK) and Katherine Smith (UK). Better the devil you (don’t) know? A comparison of the tobacco, alcohol and processed food industries’ perceived political legitimacy. Download their presentation. Lori Dorfman (USA). U.S. news coverage of corporate actors in food and beverage policy debates. Download her presentation. Benjamin Hawkins (UK). also presented on Tensions and contractions in policy discourses and media coverage of the alcohol industry. You can read about his work here. The session was chaired by Oliver Razum from Germany. These presentations are cross-posted from Corporations and Health Watch. --- ## Talking about trauma: Findings and opportunities from an analysis of news coverage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-trauma-findings-and-opportunities-from-an-analysis-of-news-coverage/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4519 > The findings were paradigm-shifting: In the 1990s, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente's Health Appraisal Clinic in San... The findings were paradigm-shifting: In the 1990s, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente’s Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego, provided conclusive evidence that when children face trauma (such as witnessing domestic violence or drug abuse, or experiencing sexual abuse), they may experience damaging physical and mental health consequences as a result. Indeed, the higher an individual’s “ACE score,” the greater his or her risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood, including diabetes, cancer, substance abuse and suicide.1 Yet, in spite of the profound implications that ACEs research has for nearly every sector in our society — especially those dealing directly with children and youth — describing the problems ACEs uncover, and how to address them, has proved challenging. One step toward developing more effective strategies to communicate about ACEs is to find out how ACEs and childhood trauma currently appear in the media. Investigating news coverage in particular can provide important clues about what information the public and policymakers are likely to be exposed to about the issue. Although new media platforms are changing the way people consume the news, newspapers (including their online components) continue to influence local and national policy debates, and traditional news outlets remain a key source of information for the majority of news consumers.2 News coverage can set the agenda for debates regarding public policies that could prevent or address childhood trauma.3-6 If news coverage doesn’t discuss childhood trauma or doesn’t make connections to the societal conditions that foster childhood trauma, it is less likely that policymakers and the public will see the issue as a priority or recognize it as a problem that can be prevented. Comprehensive strategies to prevent and address ACEs and build resilient communities require the participation of multiple sectors, including education, business, health care and criminal justice. However, the connections between these sectors and childhood trauma may not be visible in the news, obscuring the fact that schools, businesses and other actors have an important role to play in preventing or addressing ACEs and their impact on individuals and communities. In other words, news about childhood trauma may discourage positive action and reinforce assumptions that the problem is intractable if it obscures the interconnections among trauma and various sectors of our society. The larger social context in which childhood trauma occurs, and the many stakeholders who are impacted by it, could be explained in stories about crime and violence, but also in business news, in education news, or in stories about any sector that has a role to play in preventing or addressing trauma. The question, then, is how do ACEs appear in news coverage, and do connections to childhood trauma appear in stories from multiple sectors? For this study, we first established how ACEs currently appear in news coverage. We then asked, does childhood trauma appear in articles about education and business, and if not, where could it appear in the news about these sectors? We examined the business and education sectors for this analysis because we know that trauma can interfere with employee productivity and retention7, 8 as well as educational outcomes,9-11 and both sectors can play an important role in preventing or addressing childhood trauma. Both businesses and schools, for example, can mitigate the impact of employees’ or students’ past trauma by becoming trauma-informed.12-16 What we did To understand how ACEs appear in the news, we searched for news stories that mentioned adverse childhood experiences from 2008 to 2014 in more than 500 U.S. newspapers, wire services and blogs archived in the Nexis database. We analyzed a random sample to determine how these stories characterized ACEs, why they were in the news, who spoke about ACEs, and how, if at all, they discussed preventing or addressing ACEs. Then, to explore how ACEs could appear in the news about education and business, we conducted a content analysis to identify stories that explicitly mentioned, or were closely related to, ACEs or childhood trauma in six major California newspapers (the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Sacramento Bee, and Los Angeles Times) and used the Nexis and NewsBank databases to collect all stories that were tagged “business” or “education.” We used a constructed week sampling methodology to accurately reflect patterns in the news cycle and avoid oversampling a slow news day or undersampling a heavy news day.17, 18 To determine what themes about childhood trauma a reader might reasonably expect to see in the news, we consulted public health literature and with experts in ACEs and violence prevention.7, 8, 19-23 For example, unaddressed childhood ... --- ## Worksheet: Developing strategic messages [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/worksheet-developing-strategic-messages-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 54 > To advance public health policy goals, advocates must know how to communicate strategically about the issue they want to address, why it matters, and what should be done about it.... To advance public health policy goals, advocates must know how to communicate strategically about the issue they want to address, why it matters, and what should be done about it. Use this worksheet to practice developing messages for your target audience. Download worksheet > Download the Spanish version (Descarga la hoja de ejercicios) > --- ## Worksheet: Elements of newsworthiness [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/worksheet-elements-of-newsworthiness-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-03-19 Words: 40 > Media coverage can provide a powerful way for advocates to shape public conversations and public policy. But gaining coverage requires understanding what makes an issue newsworthy. Use this worksheet to... Media coverage can provide a powerful way for advocates to shape public conversations and public policy. But gaining coverage requires understanding what makes an issue newsworthy. Use this worksheet to brainstorm ways to make your issue relevant to the media. --- ## McDonald’s testing sales of Monster energy drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-testing-sales-of-monster-energy-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 51 > Amid declining sales, the fast food chain is testing energy drinks in about 20 of its U.S. locations. This Wall Street Journal article mentions the health concerns associated with energy drinks but... Amid declining sales, the fast food chain is testing energy drinks in about 20 of its U.S. locations. This Wall Street Journal article mentions the health concerns associated with energy drinks but misses the important context that energy drinks have been under scrutiny for youth-directed marketing --- ## Food Loves Milk campaign targets Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-loves-milk-campaign-targets-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 58 > The California Milk Processor Board teamed up with Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Grupo Gallegos to launch a multimedia "#FoodLovesMilk/#MeGustaConLeche" campaign targeting English and Spanish speakers. This campaign will utilize... The California Milk Processor Board teamed up with Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Grupo Gallegos to launch a multimedia “#FoodLovesMilk/#MeGustaConLeche” campaign targeting English and Spanish speakers. This campaign will utilize a wide range of mediums including billboards, commercials, Twitter hashtags and a nine-part online video series featuring Hispanic celebrities Eddie G! and Yarel Ramos. --- ## How McTeacher’s nights and Coke science betray us URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-mcteachers-nights-and-coke-science-betray-us/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 89 > 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... 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 --- ## Hot sauce marketers target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hot-sauce-marketers-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 91 > 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... 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. --- ## “540 Meals:” A McDonald’s infomercial coming to a school near you URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/540-meals-a-mcdonalds-infomercial-coming-to-a-school-near-you/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 88 > 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... 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.” --- ## Studying the news as a public health strategy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/studying-the-news-as-a-public-health-strategy/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1434 > Knowing how the news media cover a given health issue can offer advocates critical insights into how the public is likely to understand the issue, and, subsequently, how to shape... Knowing how the news media cover a given health issue can offer advocates critical insights into how the public is likely to understand the issue, and, subsequently, how to shape strategies to address it. At BMSG, we study the news in an attempt to answer two key questions driving our organization’s work: “If the public’s information about a health topic came only from the media, what would they know? What wouldn’t they know?” By researching trends in how the news reports on health — from which health topics are covered to how these topics are framed — we also begin to understand the sources and messages policymakers are paying attention to: a necessary vantage point for mobilizing successful policy change. As BMSG Media Researcher Laura Nixon puts it, “If you want to understand policy, you need to study the news.” By doing so, public health practitioners and community groups can better leverage media advocacy to shape future news coverage, advocate for policy change and implement other strategies to support the systems and structures that foster health. New research from BMSG showcases many ways in which media monitoring can inform public health. We will share findings from this new research across five presentations at this year’s American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Chicago from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, 2015. Read on for more information about each presentation: Teen dating violence: How is it framed in California newspapers and education news sources? As a part of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence’s DELTA FOCUS prevention project (funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), BMSG recently approached news monitoring as a tool to educate school administrators about and develop policies around teen dating violence prevention in schools. While middle and high schools are a promising point of intervention for preventing teen dating violence, there are multiple obstacles to implementing effective school policies, including a lack of knowledge about the issue among staff. To craft effective strategies to engage educators, it is important to know how they currently understand teen dating violence and how it appears in the news sources where they are likely to learn about the issues affecting their students. To this end, BMSG studied how California news and education news sources covered teen dating violence from 2012-2014. As part of a session on dating violence prevention, BMSG will present the results from this research and provide recommendations for how health practitioners, advocates and journalists can increase and improve news coverage of teen dating violence prevention. Join us Monday, Nov. 2, from 3:30-3:50 p.m. to learn more. Berkeley’s soda tax: What can we learn from the news coverage? In addition to studying the news as a tool for violence prevention, recent BMSG research approached the news as a lens through which to learn from trends in previous public health campaigns — namely, the soda tax initiatives in Berkeley and San Francisco, California. In 2014, voters in Berkeley passed the nation’s first tax on sugary drinks. The recent soda tax initiative in San Francisco gained support from the majority of voters, but ultimately did not meet the goal of 2/3 pro-tax votes necessary to implement the policy. The soda tax campaigns in both cities inspired vigorous public debate and drew widespread media attention, in part due to the beverage industry’s aggressive anti-tax campaigning. BMSG studied how local and national news sources, social media platforms, and campaign materials framed the debates in each city, as well as how pro- and anti-tax arguments evolved, to better understand the public discourse around the initiatives. As a part of the APHA session “Eliminating Sugar Sweetened Beverages: Policy, Research, Partnerships and Media,” BMSG will share findings and explain how public health practitioners and policymakers can draw on lessons learned from these campaigns, as policies to limit sugary drink consumption are debated around the country. Our presentation is Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 9:30-9:50 a.m. Development of a tool to assess the nature and extent of school based digital food and beverage marketing New work from BMSG will also be featured in three poster presentations. The first highlights a project that BMSG’s research team consulted on, leveraging media monitoring as a strategy to address unhealthy food and beverage advertising to youth. Marketers target children with ads for unhealthy foods in many settings and through a variety of channels, including in schools and through electronic media. While spending on school food and beverage marketing dropped between 2006 and 2009, spending on digital marketing both on and off school grounds increased by over 50% during the same period. Many students receive school-issued laptops and tablets and have access to smartphones during the school day, through which they are receiving targ... --- ## The Hershey Co. capitalizes on Latino community’s family values to push candy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-hershey-co-capitalizes-on-latino-communitys-family-values-to-push-candy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-08 Words: 66 > 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... 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.” --- ## Doritos targets young superhero fans with this year’s Crash the Super Bowl contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/doritos-targets-young-superhero-fans-with-this-years-crash-the-super-bowl-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-08 Words: 75 > 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... 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. --- ## Goodbye, Snickers. Hello, cashews: Target pilots a program to increase healthy items in the checkout aisle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/goodbye-snickers-hello-cashews-target-pilots-a-program-to-increase-healthy-items-in-the-checkout-aisle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-08 Words: 89 > 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... 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. --- ## New market research helps marketers target “super mobile” Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-market-research-helps-marketers-target-super-mobile-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-08 Words: 55 > 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... 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. --- ## Nestle tapping baby bloggers to make sure U.S. Latino moms know what Nido is URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-tapping-baby-bloggers-to-make-sure-u-s-latino-moms-know-what-nido-is/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-08 Words: 44 > 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... 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. --- ## NYC councilman introduces ‘Happy Meals’ bill to fight child obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nyc-councilman-introduces-happy-meals-bill-to-fight-child-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-08 Words: 63 > 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... 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. --- ## McDonald’s sponsoring Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Football Classics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-sponsoring-historically-black-college-and-university-hbcu-football-classics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-10-05 Words: 63 > 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... 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. --- ## Parents sue fruit snack company for advertising its candy as a healthy choice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/parents-sue-fruit-snack-company-for-advertising-its-candy-as-a-healthy-choice/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 56 > Plaintiffs Aliza Atik and Winnie Lau are leading a class-action lawsuit against Welch's Food, Inc. for a "deceptive marketing campaign" that portrays its Fruit Snacks as a healthy option... Plaintiffs Aliza Atik and Winnie Lau are leading a class-action lawsuit against Welch’s Food, Inc. for a “deceptive marketing campaign” that portrays its Fruit Snacks as a healthy option for children, made primarily from actual fruits. In reality, 40% of ingredients in the product are food coloring and sugar. --- ## Infographic for Childhood Obesity Awareness: Targeting Children With Treats URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/infographic-for-childhood-obesity-awareness-targeting-children-with-treats/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-09-28 Words: 51 > This infographic highlights the connection between food companies' aggressive marketing to kids and the effects on children's health. It's a nice example of using social math to break down large... This infographic highlights the connection between food companies’ aggressive marketing to kids and the effects on children’s health. It’s a nice example of using social math to break down large numbers: it notes, for example, that 8-12 years olds see 21 food ads a day. --- ## Critics call Coke’s Hispanic Heritage Month campaign “hispandering” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/critics-call-cokes-hispanic-heritage-month-campaign-hispandering/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-09-18 Words: 108 > For this year's Hispanic Heritage month, Coca-Cola rolled out bottles featuring temporary tattoos of Latino last names. This article quotes Latino Rebels blogger Marce Gutierrez, who says that the "More... For this year’s Hispanic Heritage month, Coca-Cola rolled out bottles featuring temporary tattoos of Latino last names. This article quotes Latino Rebels blogger Marce Gutierrez, who says that the “More and more [Hispanic Heritage Month] is turning into some extended Cinco de Mayo marketing free-for-all and people see through that.” This type of controversy could be a great opportunity for letters to the editor, op-eds, etc. that bring in a public health lens and highlight the fact that Coke is targeting a community that is already at high risk for diabetes and other ailments that sugary drinks contribute to. --- ## How food and beverage companies are shaping public conversation on obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-food-and-beverage-companies-are-shaping-public-conversation-on-obesity/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 817 > "We feel vending machines can be part of the solution [to obesity]."-National Automatic Merchandising Association "The government doesn't have the right to social engineer."-Center for Consumer Freedom "To fight obesity,... “We feel vending machines can be part of the solution [to obesity].”-National Automatic Merchandising Association “The government doesn’t have the right to social engineer.”-Center for Consumer Freedom “To fight obesity, let’s educate people. Taxation doesn’t equal good health.” -National Supermarket Association As seen in the quotes above, the food and beverage has a lot to say about obesity and diet-related diseases — and public health measures to prevent them. In their new paper for the American Journal of Public Health, “‘We’re Part of the Solution’: Evolution of the Food and Beverage Industry’s Framing of Obesity Concerns Between 2000-2012,” authors Laura Nixon, Pamela Mejia, Andrew Cheyne, and Lori Dorfman of the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), along with Cara Wilking and Richard Daynard of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, analyzed news statements made by food and beverage industry spokespeople to find out how the industry is shaping public conversation on nutrition-related diseases. The team studied statements from trade associations, individual companies, and food-industry funded non-profit groups to see what messages appeared, who said what, and how food industry messaging tactics have shifted over time. In this Q&A, lead author Laura Nixon of BMSG offers insights on some of the paper’s key findings and discusses the team’s approach to studying the news from a public health angle. Why study the news from a public health perspective? What can public health advocates learn from monitoring the media? The news media play a crucial role in setting the agenda for public policy debates, including the debate about how to prevent nutrition-related health problems like obesity and diabetes. Examining how the food industry is talking about the issue in the news gives us a window into how they are attempting to shape public perception of the issue. In this paper, you analyzed statements from food and beverage industry stakeholders on obesity and diet-related disease. What were some of the main findings? Did anything surprise you? We were surprised to find such an emphasis on the idea that the food industry was already taking care of the problem. We saw lots of statements like “the beverage industry is doing it’s part to help,” or “[we’re] engaged in innovative programs that encourage a healthy lifestyle.” In light of our previous research on tobacco industry rhetoric in the news, we expected to see more arguments about consumers’ personal responsibility to not eat unhealthy food, or the idea that people should know that junk food is unhealthy. How did messages vary across stakeholders? We found that spokespeople for individual food and beverage companies almost never directly criticized proposed public health policies. Instead, they made statements like ones above and pointed to their voluntary self-regulatory programs, with the implication that the food industry was addressing the problem, and there was no need for government action. On the other hand, trade associations and nonprofits funded by the food industry were much more open in their criticism of proposed government policies. This may be a strategy to protect companies’ reputations and brands, so that individual companies are not tied in the public’s mind to opposition to public health measures. What steps can advocates take to help denormalize industry tactics and hold stakeholders accountable for their role in health? One possible strategy is to highlight specific actions by individual companies that are harmful, such as irresponsible marketing campaigns, or disingenuous corporate social responsibility initiatives. Pointing out specific companies keeps them from being able to shield their reputations behind neutral industry associations. In addition, it’s important for advocates to be familiar with the research that’s been done on the food industry’s self-regulatory programs, so that they can talk about the limitations of that approach. Advocates can also encourage journalists to investigate food industry spokespeople’s claims about their voluntary programs, rather than taking them at face value. How can this study inform future research? I think it would be fascinating to see how the public debate about nutrition-related diseases changes as the policy landscape shifts over time, particularly with the success of sugary drink taxes like the one here in Berkeley, Calif. In addition, food and beverage companies are certainly not the only industry that has been called to respond to public concerns about the health consequences of their products. This research could provide a jumping off point to examine how other types of industries have used the media to respond to public health issues, and, unfortunately, to oppose public health initiatives. Read the study at http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302819. This blog is cross-posted at AJPH Talks. --- ## Issue 22: What’s missing from the news on sexual violence? An analysis of coverage, 2011-2013 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-22-whats-missing-from-the-news-on-sexual-violence-an-analysis-of-coverage-2011-2013/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 9654 > Man convicted in rape case sentenced.Alleged child predator indicted.Sexual harassment endemic in medical work environment. We see the headlines every day: Sexual violence often makes front-page news. But in the... Man convicted in rape case sentenced.Alleged child predator indicted.Sexual harassment endemic in medical work environment. We see the headlines every day: Sexual violence often makes front-page news. But in the flood of articles that inundate us, it can be challenging to see the larger patterns in the coverage and even harder to see how those patterns may limit our understanding of sexual violence and how to prevent it. What will it take to prevent sexual violence? Sexual violence prevention advocates* are still grappling with the answer, though most agree it requires a comprehensive approach that involves policy, practice, norms change at every level of society, and coordination between prevention advocates, people who have experienced sexual violence, and those who work with people who have committed sexual violence. Advocates and practitioners working to end sexual violence across the lifespan have identified a range of promising practices to stop sexual violence before it happens: Some of these practices include policy reform in institutions like schools and churches,1-3, 4 public education and outreach,1, 2 strategies to prevent individuals from committing the first act of sexual violence,4 and changes in cultural norms around sex and power,4 among many others. Experts believe preventing sexual violence is crucial and attainable, but advocates are worried that the general public may have a limited and limiting view of what sexual violence prevention entails.5 In 2014, Berkeley Media Studies Group began a multi-year collaboration with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) to explore the framing of sexual violence and implications for prevention efforts across the country. We consulted with advocates and other practitioners nationwide to learn more about how they define prevention, and we explored the public conversation about sexual violence and prevention through the window of news coverage. News coverage is important because it sets the agenda for public policy debates.69 Journalists’ decisions about which of the day’s many pressing problems to cover can raise the profile of an issue, whereas topics not covered by news media can more easily be neglected because they remain largely outside public discourse and policy debate.8, 10 How issues are portrayed in news coverage also has an important impact on how those issues are understood by the public and policymakers. Many news stories are framed like portraits — they emphasize an individual’s role in causing or fixing problems.11 Stories that are framed this way leave little room to talk about the context of the problem and potential solutions.12, 13 Far less frequently, the news frames stories like landscapes — these stories show the larger social conditions behind the issue.13-15 When people see “landscape” stories, they are more likely to view businesses, the government or other institutions as having a role to play in solving the problem.13, 16 When it comes to sexual violence in particular, news coverage is important in shaping people’s perceptions of the issue and what to do about it,17, 18 especially when they don’t have personal experience with it. In some cases, news coverage can dramatically increase the visibility of sexual violence, as with the 2012 rape trials in Marysville, Missouri, and Steubenville, Ohio, both of which were further amplified by social media.19, 20, 21, 22 Still, the way journalists report on sexual violence is just as important as the volume of coverage they dedicate to it. Patterns of coverage can reinforce misconceptions and perpetuate stereotypical, harmful views of those impacted by or involved in sexual violence and the nature of sexual violence itself,23-25 which in turn hinder effective policy solutions.26, 27 Because news coverage can shape attitudes about prevention policy, we wanted to know: How does sexual violence appear in the news? How do solutions appear? Is prevention discussed? Does the news reinforce problematic stereotypes about who experiences sexual violence and who perpetrates it? In this Issue we explore how sexual violence is portrayed in the news and consider the implications of these portrayals for prevention advocates and journalists interested in discussing not just the details of sexual violence, but also how to end it. What we did Using circulation data,28 expert guidance from our colleagues at NSVRC, and our previous research, we compiled a list of newspapers to search. The final list included several outlets with national reach, such as The New York Times, as well as prominent regional papers from each of the nine census districts defined by the United States Census Bureau.29 We examined newspapers because they continue to drive the agenda for national and local policy debates30, 31 and remain a key source of information for the majority of news consumers.32 We also analyzed prominent blogs and online magazines that focus on policy and culture issues, such as Slate. All told... --- ## How can we make preventing sexual violence headline news? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-can-we-make-preventing-sexual-violence-headline-news/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 610 > "It's always the same story — crimes and consequences," said one prevention advocate, sharing thoughts on how the news frames sexual violence at a 2014 research and practice symposium for... “It’s always the same story — crimes and consequences,” said one prevention advocate, sharing thoughts on how the news frames sexual violence at a 2014 research and practice symposium for the National Child Advocacy Center. Those words from more than a year ago accurately predicted the findings of BMSG’s latest news analysis: When it appears in the news, sexual violence is typically framed as a criminal justice problem — one that demands only criminal justice responses after the fact. Milestones like arrests or trial dates drive coverage about sexual violence, and the voices of police officers, detectives and other criminal justice representatives dominate the news. At times, these stories also use language that perpetuates troubling rape myths. Why does news framing of sexual violence matter? Criminal justice responses are a vital component to comprehensively address the issue, but when stories are framed exclusively as a criminal justice problem, crucial context is missing. Data from the U.S. Department of Justice shows 63% of sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement, meaning criminal justice coverage leaves out the majority of incidents. To tell the whole story, reporters will have to look beyond arrests and trials. As well, troubling language can make it harder to understand who commits or experiences sexual violence, and what should be done to stop it before it happens. “Talking about context is critical,” says Karen Baker, director of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. “Only with the context in view can we understand that sexual violence is a public health and social justice issue, and that it’s preventable.” How, then, can advocates and reporters provide the information needed for readers to better understand the issue? Making prevention part of public conversation about sexual violence requires drawing attention to the broader environment. This includes discussing the root causes of sexual violence, actors with responsibility and power to prevent it, and social norms that shape how we understand it. For example, reporters can interview sources representing institutions like hotel chains or universities to see how they are working to prevent sexual violence. Reporters and prevention advocates can also call for institutions to take action by highlighting both incidence data and preventive strategies and solutions. Our analysis suggests some reasons for optimism. Institutions such as universities and the military are already a part of the news conversation. The few times when responsibility for addressing sexual violence does appear in the news, it’s most often laid at the feet of institutions, rather than individuals. This type of story frame — we call it a “landscape” for the context it provides — matters because it reveals how the environments that help shape us can support prevention solutions and policies. Without those depictions in news, most readers will default to individual blame. In one article, U.S. Attorney General Joseph Hogsett responded to a child pornography case with the assertion that “protecting the most vulnerable of our citizens remains one of the highest priorities of my office.” While Hogsett did not offer specifics, his mere mention of ending sexual violence is important. The fact that ending sexual violence is part of the coverage at all suggests exciting opportunities to build on that groundswell of attention and shift the conversation towards prevention. To read the full news analysis and to learn more about the implications for journalists, prevention advocates, and others who seek to create and sustain a future in which preventing sexual violence is headline news, check out our report, “What’s missing from the news on sexual violence? An analysis of coverage, 2011-2013.” --- ## Advancing health equity: Case studies of health equity practice in four award-winning California health departments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/health-equity-case-studies-california/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 713 > Call any local health department in the United States and, chances are, you won't have much trouble finding information on the health problems its surrounding communities face. You might learn... Call any local health department in the United States and, chances are, you won’t have much trouble finding information on the health problems its surrounding communities face. You might learn that a county’s populations of color have higher rates of asthma than white community members, or that its low-income adults are more likely to experience a heart attack. Or you might discover that the region experiences excellent health overall but still struggles with wide differences in life expectancy from one neighborhood to the next. That’s because health departments are increasingly focused on understanding health inequities unjust differences in health outcomes and longevity that can’t be explained by genetics or individual behavior and how to prevent them. Going beyond public health’s traditional purview of infectious disease control and clinical services, many health departments are now exploring how social, economic and political inequalities, all of which are rooted in power differences, are causing some groups to live sicker and die younger than others. These inequalities show up in indicators like education and income levels, rates of violence, and policies and practices that create advantages for some populations and disadvantages for others, based, for example, on race, gender or sexuality. Health departments’ growing emphasis on health inequities echoes the United States’ early days of public health, which centered around social reform efforts, such as improving housing conditions, reducing pollution from factories, and eliminating child labor. Health equity is now so widely regarded as important that Healthy People 2020, a federal agenda for improving the nation’s health, has revised its overarching goals to include achieving health equity. Yet, at the same time that health equity is gaining traction, state and local health departments across the country are facing budget cuts, leaving them hard-pressed to maintain even basic programs and services, let alone to tackle health inequities and their root causes. California in particular has suffered a significant loss of public health resources in recent years. In 2012, the state received only about $18 per capita in federal public health funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and $23 per capita in grants from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. California also lacks a dedicated funding stream to address health inequities; each health department individually has to find resources to create environments that support health. In spite of these challenges, health departments across California are getting creative and finding ways to advance health equity anyway. In fact, health departments in Shasta, Sonoma, Los Angeles and Alameda counties are making such great strides that The California Endowment (TCE) has recently honored them for their work. At a December 2014 gala in Sacramento, TCE presented the four groups with awards as part of a larger effort to recognize and further progress among local health departments and the organizations and regional coalitions they work with that are engaging in innovative work to address health inequities. TCE supported a planning committee, which came together both to design the awards and to develop a process for sharing insights from local health departments throughout California. The goal is to help set a new standard of health equity practice among health departments by showcasing effective initiatives that can serve as examples for others to follow, as well as by providing much-needed funds to bolster promising approaches. Three awards came with a companion grant of $25,000, and one health department Alameda took home top honors: the Arnold X. Perkins Award for Outstanding Health Equity Practice and a grand prize of $100,000. The following case studies explore what the award-winning health departments are up to their successes, challenges, vision for the future, and lessons learned in their efforts to ensure health equity. This introduction was excerpted from the case studies full report. Download the series here. Or, download the individual case studies: Shasta County Public Health: Health equity award winner for a small county practice [pdf] Sonoma County Department of Health Services: Health equity award winner for a medium county practice [pdf] Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: Health equity award winner for a large county practice [pdf] Alameda County Public Health Department: Grand prize winner for outstanding health equity practice [pdf] --- ## Pepsi targets kids with Gatorade’s ‘Sweat it to Get it’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-targets-kids-with-gatorades-sweat-it-to-get-it-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-26 Words: 49 > Just as Coca-Cola teaches "energy balance," Pepsi's latest Gatorade campaign commercial features NFL's Manning brothers telling a couple of boys that two minutes of sweating earns them the sugary drink... Just as Coca-Cola teaches “energy balance,” Pepsi’s latest Gatorade campaign commercial features NFL’s Manning brothers telling a couple of boys that two minutes of sweating earns them the sugary drink – a beverage that has 100% of its calories coming from sugar. --- ## Why is everything suddenly lime flavored? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-is-everything-suddenly-lime-flavored/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-25 Words: 67 > From soda to chips, an increasing amount of unhealthy products are being flavored with lime to target the growing and lucrative Latino market. Food companies believe this audience is "ready... From soda to chips, an increasing amount of unhealthy products are being flavored with lime to target the growing and lucrative Latino market. Food companies believe this audience is “ready for a hint of time on almost any food,” as seen through the previous success of McCormick’s mayonesa – a mayonnaise with a hint of lime that gained mass appeal in the country. --- ## General Mills will remove artificial colors, but continues with character-shaped fruit snacks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-will-remove-artificial-colors-but-continues-with-character-shaped-fruit-snacks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-25 Words: 57 > While the company plans remove artificial colors and flavors by the end of 2017, General Mills continues to mark its snack products like Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot and... While the company plans remove artificial colors and flavors by the end of 2017, General Mills continues to mark its snack products like Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Gushers with kid-favorite characters. In fact, the brand is increasing its character equity licensing to bring SpongeBob shaped fruit flavored snack in January 2016. --- ## ‘Let them be kids, and not consumers’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/let-them-be-kids-and-not-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-25 Words: 53 > This mom-blogger calls out the industry on grocery store marketing targeting children. She uses the experience of shopping with her kids to explain the tactics being used by the food... This mom-blogger calls out the industry on grocery store marketing targeting children. She uses the experience of shopping with her kids to explain the tactics being used by the food industry: “Colors popped out, familiar characters danced across packaging, and “prizes” were promised. All at kid eye level.” --- ## Coca-Cola teaches “energy balance” to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-teaches-energy-balance-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-19 Words: 58 > Through the "Get the Ball Rolling" campaign, Coca-Cola hands out branded soccer balls, distributes soda and gets kids to race around in giant cans of Coke to supposedly help fight... Through the “Get the Ball Rolling” campaign, Coca-Cola hands out branded soccer balls, distributes soda and gets kids to race around in giant cans of Coke to supposedly help fight obesity. In addition, the “Mixify” promotion instructs teens to eat “whatever you’re craving” after a “sweaty workout.” --- ## McDonald’s target marketing: 365Black awards on BET URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-target-marketing-365black-awards-on-bet/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-18 Words: 79 > For the 12th year in a row, McDonald's will televise its award ceremony on August 23. The Big Food brand is trying to build loyalty with this target market by... For the 12th year in a row, McDonald’s will televise its award ceremony on August 23. The Big Food brand is trying to build loyalty with this target market by showing McDonald’s is connected with the black community: “McDonald’s is committed every day to being deeply rooted in the community and it’s a great feeling to connect with another media entity that seeks to uplift our community as well.” --- ## Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes sponsors Little League World Series URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-frosted-flakes-sponsors-little-league-world-series/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-18 Words: 46 > Trying to attract kids to the sugary cereal, Tony the Tiger and Cumberland Rhode Island coach David Belisle will highlight memorable moments of young athletes through the "Hall of Stripes,"... Trying to attract kids to the sugary cereal, Tony the Tiger and Cumberland Rhode Island coach David Belisle will highlight memorable moments of young athletes through the “Hall of Stripes,” and are featured in the brand’s “Kids of Summer” video. --- ## Junk food companies want black and Latino consumers the most URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/junk-food-companies-want-black-and-latino-consumers-the-most/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-14 Words: 93 > This blog post highlights last week's findings from the Rudd Center's report on the food industry's targeting of black and Latino kids. The blog also highlights the connections between the... This blog post highlights last week’s findings from the Rudd Center’s report on the food industry’s targeting of black and Latino kids. The blog also highlights the connections between the Rudd Center’s findings and recent efforts to pass soda taxes and other measures to reduce consumption of junk food. Blog author Brentin Mock speculates that “…as cities take a more serious look at this, corporations may find this a tougher problem to advertise their way out of. As the tobacco industry learned.” --- ## Study: Black and Latino kids are advertising targets for unhealthy, high-calorie foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-black-and-latino-kids-are-advertising-targets-for-unhealthy-high-calorie-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-12 Words: 97 > A report on target marketing from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, African American Collaborative Obesity Research and Salud America! is making headlines. Among its findings, the report... A report on target marketing from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, African American Collaborative Obesity Research and Salud America! is making headlines. Among its findings, the report revealed that black and Latino kids are exposed to more ads for candy, sugary drinks and snacks than their white peers. “This is a clear case of tactics that must be profitable from the business perspective but at the cost of fostering an environment that promotes poor health in black and Hispanic youth in particular,” said AACORN’s Shiriki Kumanyika in a news release. --- ## Dr Pepper Snapple Group makes inroads into the sports drink market – and the targeting young men of color market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-snapple-group-makes-inroads-into-the-sports-drink-market-and-the-targeting-young-men-of-color-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-12 Words: 53 > Sports drink advertising is notorious for aggressively targeting young men, especially young men of color - and now the Dr Pepper Snapple Group has joined Coca Cola and PepsiCo in... Sports drink advertising is notorious for aggressively targeting young men, especially young men of color – and now the Dr Pepper Snapple Group has joined Coca Cola and PepsiCo in making inroads with this lucrative market. The company just purchased a significant stake in a sports drink startup whose investors include Kobe Bryant. --- ## Tips for writing effective letters to the editor URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/tips-for-writing-effective-letters-to-the-editor/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-10-15 Words: 456 > Letters to the editor can signal community interest about a particular public health issue and send a message to policymakers. But what makes for a compelling letter, and how can... Letters to the editor can signal community interest about a particular public health issue and send a message to policymakers. But what makes for a compelling letter, and how can advocates increase their chances of getting published? Letters should be short and punchy, and if it the subject matter is in response to a news article, it is best to respond the same day the article is published. As with other media strategies, always keep your overall objective in mind. It can be tempting to respond with anger to an article or column “to set the record straight,” but will your response further your overall advocacy goal? What would you like readers to do? What solutions would you like them to support as a result of reading your letter? When writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine, keep the following tips in mind: Respond quickly. If you read or see something you want to respond to, send your letter by email (or use the news site’s online form if they have one) the same day, or by the next day at the latest. Mention your reason for writing, preferably in the first sentence. If you are responding directly to an article you’ve read in the publication, state the article headline and publication date. If you are commenting on a local current event, be specific about the issue or event. Limit the content to one or two key points. A letter to the editor offers the chance to make a concise statement or argument, not an in-depth analysis. Focus on the overall message you want readers to get from your letter. Take a strong position. Letters section editors look for fresh facts, honest statements of opinion, and creative takes on news. If you can, offer a compelling fact that shows the urgency or importance of your issue. Include a call to action. Make sure to include your full name and contact information. You may be contacted to verify your identity before the letter is published. Look up the editorial policies for each outlet you submit to. Some have different word count restrictions or policies on how many letters they will accept from the same individual in a specific time period. Don’t send the same letter to competing publications. Newspapers and magazines want to publish original content. Engaging your allies may be a way to have several different letters published that are worded differently but point to the same policy solution. Also, follow the news your target follows. Your choice of where to submit your letter should be a strategic one. Practice. Use this letter to the editor template to help you organize your ideas. --- ## Great American Cookies urges parents to “Bribe Your Child” with a free cookie URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/great-american-cookies-urges-parents-to-bribe-your-child-with-a-free-cookie/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-11 Words: 88 > A survey conducted by the cookie company found that the vast majority of parents "incentivize their children with treats," and in an effort to capitalize on this phenomenon (which is... A survey conducted by the cookie company found that the vast majority of parents “incentivize their children with treats,” and in an effort to capitalize on this phenomenon (which is itself driven by aggressive junk food marketing to children), the company is launching “National Bribe Your Child Week” – “Your child’s next reward is on us. We hope parents will stop by Great American Cookies and reward their children for good behavior with a delicious chocolate chip cookie-for free!” --- ## Juicy Juice upgrades marketing in time for back-to-school season URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/juicy-juice-upgrades-marketing-in-time-for-back-to-school-season/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-06 Words: 50 > The new Juicy Juice website features "lots of activities for kids" and "videos of cute kids doing testimonials" for the brand's products. The brand has also launched new juice pouches... The new Juicy Juice website features “lots of activities for kids” and “videos of cute kids doing testimonials” for the brand’s products. The brand has also launched new juice pouches with added water (and therefore less sugar), possibly reflecting pressure to market healthier products. --- ## Big Soda uses creepy youth campaign to hook the next generation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-soda-uses-creepy-youth-campaign-to-hook-the-next-generation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-05 Words: 94 > In this Al Jazeera article, Anne Lapp̩ draws alcohol industry and Big Tobacco comparisons to sugary drink marketing tactics. Launched earlier this year, Mixify is an American Beverage Association campaign... In this Al Jazeera article, Anne Lapp̩ draws alcohol industry and Big Tobacco comparisons to sugary drink marketing tactics. Launched earlier this year, Mixify is an American Beverage Association campaign targeting youth that promotes balance in what you “eat, drink and do.” Big Soda tries to sound hip in its messages, and is promoting the campaign through social media and free events for teens across the country this summer, but this targeting is troubling as the campaign gets youth to market for the ABA and heavily markets to youth of color. --- ## Hispanic Fact Pack ranks aggressive marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hispanic-fact-pack-ranks-aggressive-marketers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-03 Words: 48 > Marketing to Latinos continues to outpace overall ad growth in the U.S. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co. are once again big spenders, both increasing ads targeting this community of colour. PepsiCo... Marketing to Latinos continues to outpace overall ad growth in the U.S. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co. are once again big spenders, both increasing ads targeting this community of colour. PepsiCo spent $46.7 million, while Coca-Cola Co. put $38.4 million into the Latino market. --- ## Arby’s targets kids facing hunger gap URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/arbys-targets-kids-facing-hunger-gap/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-03 Words: 61 > In this corporate social responsibility promotion, the fast food brand is asking customers to donate to Arby's Foundation. Funds are being used to provide kids with free lunches, but what... In this corporate social responsibility promotion, the fast food brand is asking customers to donate to Arby’s Foundation. Funds are being used to provide kids with free lunches, but what the company doesn’t speak to is the nutritional value of the meals and the underlying motive to create brand loyalty with this young and vulnerable population. --- ## 9 crazy ways junk food giants target kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/9-crazy-ways-junk-food-giants-target-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-08-02 Words: 40 > In this blog, Anna Lapp̩ uses visuals and social math to expose some of the tactics, such as branded report card jackets and partnerships between education and candy companies, marketers... In this blog, Anna Lapp̩ uses visuals and social math to expose some of the tactics, such as branded report card jackets and partnerships between education and candy companies, marketers use to undermine parents and push unhealthy products on kids. --- ## Kids saw 14 candy ads and 31 fast food ads or every 1 fruit or vegetable commercial in 2014 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kids-saw-14-candy-ads-and-31-fast-food-ads-or-every-1-fruit-or-vegetable-commercial-in-2014/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-29 Words: 78 > Lainie Morgan at NEA Healthy Futures discusses some of the harmful effects of and strategies behind unhealthy food and beverage television marketing to kids, including the deceit involved in marketing... Lainie Morgan at NEA Healthy Futures discusses some of the harmful effects of and strategies behind unhealthy food and beverage television marketing to kids, including the deceit involved in marketing to young children who might not be able to differentiate an ad from a television show. Morgan zeroes in on what adults can do to limit a child’s exposure to unhealthy marketing, but misses an opportunity to discuss the need to change food marketing practices themselves. --- ## ACEs in the headlines: Coverage takes off in 2015 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/aces-in-the-headlines-coverage-takes-off-in-2015/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 443 > Scholars and practitioners have made tremendous strides in making news about the trauma caused by several types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that lead to damaging physical, mental and social... Scholars and practitioners have made tremendous strides in making news about the trauma caused by several types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that lead to damaging physical, mental and social health consequences. But why does this matter? Why should ACEs be in the news? At Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), we study how the news media characterize health issues. What the public learns about ACEs — apart from personal experience — comes through a filter of what appears in the media. Journalists, in turn, play an important role in setting the agenda for public policy debates by deciding what to report on, and what not to cover. If news coverage doesn’t include ACEs and the root causes that foster childhood trauma, it will be harder for policymakers and the public to make connections to policies that can prevent ACEs. The good news is that we are seeing an increase in coverage about childhood trauma. If the trend continues, we can expect to see about 14 times as much news on ACEs this year than we did a decade ago. The increase in news over the years is important because it means that more people will become familiar with the concept, why it matters, and, if the coverage is thorough, what we can do about it. The jump in the number of stories is a testament to the work of those connected to ACEsTooHigh and ACEsConnection. However, even with that good news, there is more to do. Public conversations about ACEs are still underrepresented compared to other health issues. For example, there was approximately the same amount of news coverage mentioning child sexual abuse in just 10 days in 2015 (June 22-July 1, 2015) as there was for ACEs in the last 10 years. Still, BMSG’s research indicates that there are many reasons for optimism in ACEs coverage to date. In addition to the growing number of articles, our preliminary data shows that unlike most public health issues, when childhood trauma or ACEs is named in the news, systematic solutions about prevention and intervention are also included. So what should prevention advocates do? Continue to makes news about childhood trauma through opinion spaces such as op-eds and letters to the editor, so prevention voices can shape the conversation about ACEs and what should be done to prevent and lower the risk of trauma’s consequences in communities. Stay tuned for an upcoming analysis from BMSG that examines how ACEs are portrayed in national, state and online news along with an analysis of how trauma could be covered in business and education news. This blog originally appeared on ACEs Connection. --- ## McDonald’s partners with California State University (CSU) to target multicultural audiences URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-partners-with-california-state-university-csu-to-target-multicultural-audiences/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 46 > McDonald's will provide free transportation from select restaurant locations to the CSU Super Saturday event: a day for students to learn about attending college. Hoping to create goodwill with multicultural... McDonald’s will provide free transportation from select restaurant locations to the CSU Super Saturday event: a day for students to learn about attending college. Hoping to create goodwill with multicultural students and their families, the fast food brand will also promote its scholarship program. --- ## Campbell revamps soup cans with Star Wars theme URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbell-revamps-soup-cans-with-star-wars-theme/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 50 > With sluggish sales, the soup brand turns to marketing. Part of its strategy is a new lineup of Star Wars cans, a product aimed at children. Campbell is also giving... With sluggish sales, the soup brand turns to marketing. Part of its strategy is a new lineup of Star Wars cans, a product aimed at children. Campbell is also giving itself a health halo by removing MSG from its kid-targeted condensed soups and creating more organic soups for children. --- ## Industry backs relationship between Minions and junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-backs-relationship-between-minions-and-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 49 > This industry piece is a response to the Center for Science in the Public Interest's open letter to NBCUniversal asking for stronger nutritional standards when using children's characters. The candy... This industry piece is a response to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s open letter to NBCUniversal asking for stronger nutritional standards when using children’s characters. The candy industry uses classic defense arguments and says that comparisons of sugar to tobacco are extreme. --- ## News must highlight links between community violence and education URL: https://www.bmsg.org/news-must-highlight-links-between-community-violence-and-education/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1023 > School's out for the summer. But that apparent distinction — school versus no school — is not so distinct. All year long, what happens in neighborhoods affects schools, which in... School’s out for the summer. But that apparent distinction — school versus no school — is not so distinct. All year long, what happens in neighborhoods affects schools, which in turns affects what happens in neighborhoods — and beyond. Consider one example: violence. Students can’t learn in unsafe schools or when they are traumatized from exposure to violence outside the classroom. Research is clear that violence disrupts the social networks crucial for maintaining supportive learning environments. The students feel it with stress, anxiety and fear. They can’t concentrate. They might miss school. They miss out on learning. Our whole society feels the effects of violence with depressed graduation rates, students’ unrealized potential and lost productivity. Most immediately, the effects of violence are felt in the schools by students, teachers, principals and volunteers. If we want to do something about how violence shapes the climate of a school, and vice versa, how do we learn about it? News coverage can help. News is the baseline of our public conversation. It’s easy to ignore issues the news doesn’t spotlight, and hard to turn away from what is in its glare. It’s important, then, how the link between schools and violence is told by news outlets. The questions reporters ask, and the connections they make in their stories, reveal the context around violence, and around schools. When journalists started regularly reporting whether drivers and passengers were wearing seatbelts in news about car crashes, that small bit of information in stories helped establish a new norm of seatbelt wearing. Reporters could do the same for schools and violence, but only if they connect the two. This spring, with support from the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Department, Berkeley Media Studies Group examined news coverage in California, asking the question, “Do discussions about or depictions of community violence and safety appear in education stories?” To find out, we examined education stories from five major California newspapers: the Contra Costa Times, The Sacramento Bee, the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle. We looked for themes that research has shown link education to violence or community safety. For example, education stories sometimes report on high school dropout rates. Failure to complete high school is a risk factor for economic instability and contact with the criminal justice system, so ensuring that students graduate is one way that the education system can improve community safety. A news article reporting on high school graduation rates might make that connection to violence explicitly, or it might not. Our goal was to show how education reporting might contribute to greater understanding about the link between community violence and safety and education outcomes. News coverage making those links explicit could help policymakers, educators and the public see how our education system could either alleviate or exacerbate violence. We found that only a few education stories explicitly discussed violence and its impact on students, especially young men of color. But more than 40% of the education stories in our study touched on themes that reporters could connect to violence prevention and community safety: themes like mental health and school discipline, and conditions like poverty and homelessness, that make it harder to educate students. We saw many stories about systemic education issues that could force students out of school, or help them succeed, with implications for students’ economic success and, ultimately, for community safety. For example, we found stories about educational opportunities, such as discounted community college tuition for low-income students, that could increase school retention rates. Students with college degrees are more likely to succeed in the workforce and less likely to be involved in crime and violence. The connection between well-educated students and a more productive, safer society is likely obvious to educators. But those who don’t regularly read the research or consider the implications need to be reminded of those links. We need news coverage that explicitly connects education with student and community safety in the same story, so our policymakers can see those connections, their consequences for our society, and the impact of our education system outside of schools. News is a key way legislators learn about issues. To make the connection explicit in education stories, reporters will have to talk to sources outside of criminal justice currently the most prominent voices in news stories about violence. A broader range of sources can reveal how the education system affects everyone, from students to school superintendents to the broader community. Without a multi-sector approach that includes education’s role in community safety, we perpetuate systems that shortchange students and undermine communities... --- ## McDonald’s targets Latino millennials with a Leslie Grace musical URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-latino-millennials-with-a-leslie-grace-musical/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 44 > Working with Dominican-American singer Leslie Grace, McDonald's has created a three-minute bachata musical, which was first broadcast last Thursday during Premios Juventud on Univision. The fast food brands hopes to... Working with Dominican-American singer Leslie Grace, McDonald’s has created a three-minute bachata musical, which was first broadcast last Thursday during Premios Juventud on Univision. The fast food brands hopes to appeal to Latino consumers with its “razzle-dazzle.” --- ## Restaurants leverage digital marketing to lure in kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurants-leverage-digital-marketing-to-lure-in-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 47 > Understanding that children can strongly influence family dining choices, restaurants are offering digital gaming targeted at kids. For example, Chili's offers tabletop tablets that allows for unlimited gaming at a... Understanding that children can strongly influence family dining choices, restaurants are offering digital gaming targeted at kids. For example, Chili’s offers tabletop tablets that allows for unlimited gaming at a small cost. Marketers are also using restaurant apps to reach this target and their parents. --- ## Marketers pool resources to push s’mores URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-pool-resources-to-push-smores/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 43 > Hershey, Mondelez and Kraft Heinz have come together to create an ad featuring children experiencing their first s'mores. The brands hope to appeal to values through the experience of roasting... Hershey, Mondelez and Kraft Heinz have come together to create an ad featuring children experiencing their first s’mores. The brands hope to appeal to values through the experience of roasting marshmallows, to extend the s’mores season and generate sales. --- ## Celebrity pediatrician endorses diluted sugar water for tots URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/celebrity-pediatrician-endorses-diluted-sugar-water-for-tots/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 62 > Dr. Jim Sears from the television show The Doctors has been quoted in a Mott's press release approving the diluted fruit juice for kids. Mott's is giving its product a... Dr. Jim Sears from the television show The Doctors has been quoted in a Mott’s press release approving the diluted fruit juice for kids. Mott’s is giving its product a health halo with “pediatrician approved” branding that can confuse consumers into thinking it’s a good idea for children to consume the diluted sugary drink. --- ## Dr Pepper partners with Romeo Santos to reach Latino communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-partners-with-romeo-santos-to-reach-latino-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 48 > The Latin superstar and Grammy-nominated Bachata singer has been hired by Dr Pepper to host a private concert for the brand's latest campaign, "Dare to Discover." Through the campaign, the... The Latin superstar and Grammy-nominated Bachata singer has been hired by Dr Pepper to host a private concert for the brand’s latest campaign, “Dare to Discover.” Through the campaign, the sugary drink company is also using scholarships to create goodwill among Latino youth. --- ## Coca-Cola reprimanded over Fanta ad targeting kids in Australia URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-reprimanded-over-fanta-ad-targeting-kids-in-australia/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 63 > Coca-Cola South Pacific has agreed to no longer broadcast the ads after the Advertising Standards Bureau found that the soda giant breached its agreement to not directly target children under... Coca-Cola South Pacific has agreed to no longer broadcast the ads after the Advertising Standards Bureau found that the soda giant breached its agreement to not directly target children under 12. The ads feature a group of animated characters that mirror high school subcultures and appeal to kids’ sense of playfulness. The website remains live, showing the limits of self-regulation. --- ## Nick Offerman’s parody: Pizza farm for healthy school lunches URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nick-offermans-parody-pizza-farm-for-healthy-school-lunches/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 81 > In this video spoof produced by the American Heart Association and Funny or Die, the comedian provides a tour of his pizza factory using irony to pressure Congress to reauthorize... In this video spoof produced by the American Heart Association and Funny or Die, the comedian provides a tour of his pizza factory using irony to pressure Congress to reauthorize the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which sets nutrition standards for schools and is set to expire in September. This is a prime example of media advocacy, with some great media bites such as, “French fries are practically salads, which is why I like mine with ranch.” --- ## Study: Overweight cartoon characters provoke indulgent eating in kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-overweight-cartoon-characters-provoke-indulgent-eating-in-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-13 Words: 81 > A new study finds that kids have a tendency to eat more low-nutrition foods when they observe overweight cartoon characters. The researchers call for companies to be more responsible in... A new study finds that kids have a tendency to eat more low-nutrition foods when they observe overweight cartoon characters. The researchers call for companies to be more responsible in their marketing, highlighting Kellogg’s revamp of Tony the Tiger to be slimmer, but fail to address the issue of using cartoons in general to promote unhealthy food items. These kinds of studies could also present opportunities for advocates to discuss cultural norms around weight — and weight stigma. --- ## Minions: The junk-food peddlers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/minions-the-junk-food-peddlers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-10 Words: 68 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest sent a letter to NBCUniversal urging it to establish nutrition standards for the use of the company's characters in food and beverage... The Center for Science in the Public Interest sent a letter to NBCUniversal urging it to establish nutrition standards for the use of the company’s characters in food and beverage marketing appealing to children. To date, the Minions have been used to sell Fruit Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, Cheese Nips, Pez, Tic Tacs, Jello and McDonald’s Happy Meals — all low-nutrition foods. --- ## McDonald’s uses Minions to connect with kids around the globe URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-uses-minions-to-connect-with-kids-around-the-globe/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-07 Words: 53 > With the new Despicable Me prequel debuting this weekend, McDonald's hopes to win over children around the globe. The multi-platform promotion includes Minion-inspired menu items, social media content, and a... With the new Despicable Me prequel debuting this weekend, McDonald’s hopes to win over children around the globe. The multi-platform promotion includes Minion-inspired menu items, social media content, and a contest with prizes ranging from free McDonald’s food items to trips to Universal or even $250,000. --- ## Wendy’s targets high schoolers with scholarship URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-targets-high-schoolers-with-scholarship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-06 Words: 34 > Through their annual corporate social responsibility scholarship, Wendy's is trying to connect with scholar-athletes by offering financial awards and $10 gift cards to the first 1,000 students to submit applications. Through their annual corporate social responsibility scholarship, Wendy’s is trying to connect with scholar-athletes by offering financial awards and $10 gift cards to the first 1,000 students to submit applications. --- ## Media fall silent on Kraft Singles’ ‘Kids Eat Right’ seal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/media-fall-silent-on-kraft-singles-kids-eat-right-seal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-06 Words: 78 > More than three months after the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) set off a media firestorm by endorsing Kraft Singles processed cheese slices with its "Kids Eat Right" nutrition... More than three months after the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) set off a media firestorm by endorsing Kraft Singles processed cheese slices with its “Kids Eat Right” nutrition seal, news attention to the issue has waned. Although AND has said that it is in discussions to terminate its contract with Kraft, the product remains on store shelves, bearing the controversial label. Advocate Casey Hinds urges continued follow-up to keep pressure on the groups. --- ## Johnny Rockets targets Latino markets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/johnny-rockets-targets-latino-markets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-07-02 Words: 48 > Johnny Rockets is focusing on the growing market of Latino families and millennials with updated flavors and even changes to restaurant design. Research shows that Latinos tend to eat out... Johnny Rockets is focusing on the growing market of Latino families and millennials with updated flavors and even changes to restaurant design. Research shows that Latinos tend to eat out in parties of four or more, so the restaurant plans to offer larger restaurant spaces for social gatherings. --- ## Honey Maid aims to connect with immigrant families for 4th of July URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honey-maid-aims-to-connect-with-immigrant-families-for-4th-of-july/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-30 Words: 44 > Mondelez International, Inc. appeals to values and uses the seasonal peg of Independence Day with its "This is Wholesome" campaign. The documentary-style ads tell the story of a Dominican-American family... Mondelez International, Inc. appeals to values and uses the seasonal peg of Independence Day with its “This is Wholesome” campaign. The documentary-style ads tell the story of a Dominican-American family who have overcome adversity and are now celebrating Independence Day. --- ## 7-Eleven and Sour Patch Kids target youth with new Slurpee flavor URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-and-sour-patch-kids-target-youth-with-new-slurpee-flavor/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-30 Words: 55 > The convenience store is selling a new Sour Patch watermelon-flavored Slurpee, leveraging social media - and the hot days of summer - to promote the sugary new product to kids.... The convenience store is selling a new Sour Patch watermelon-flavored Slurpee, leveraging social media – and the hot days of summer – to promote the sugary new product to kids. “We know teens love Sour Patch Kids as well as Slurpee so this is the perfect collaboration,” said a Mondel?z representative. --- ## Soda tax debates in Berkeley and San Francisco: How were they covered in the news? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/soda-tax-debates-in-berkeley-and-san-francisco-how-were-they-covered-in-the-news/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 438 > In 2014, voters in the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco, California, were asked to decide whether to place an excise tax on sugary drinks sold within their borders. Berkeley... In 2014, voters in the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco, California, were asked to decide whether to place an excise tax on sugary drinks sold within their borders. Berkeley made history when it passed the nation’s first tax on sugary drinks, despite a substantial anti-tax campaign from the beverage industry. San Francisco’s measure was approved by the majority of voters, but failed to reach the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. The campaigns attracted widespread news coverage, which offers a window into all aspects of the debate and may yield important lessons for advocates and other stakeholders interested in implementing sugary drink taxes to promote health in their own communities. To uncover key lessons, we are analyzing news coverage of the soda taxes in both cities during the campaigns and the months following the election. In addition, we are examining campaign materials and Facebook and Twitter posts from the pro- and anti-tax campaigns, as well as the Berkeley Twitter hashtags #YesonD, #BerkeleyvsBigSoda and #BerkSodaTax. In our analysis, we: Identify key messages that appeared in news coverage of the soda tax debate in Berkeley and San Francisco and how those messages evolved over time; Assess frequency and framing of arguments about the tax; Examine the extent to which stakeholders from different sectors were present in news coverage, including the beverage industry, local businesses, schools and health practitioners; Compare news coverage from Berkeley and San Francisco with coverage from previous, unsuccessful campaigns in California and Colorado. As communities across the country propose policies to limit sugary drink consumption in an effort to combat chronic diseases like diabetes and tooth decay, stakeholders can draw on lessons learned from the successful soda tax campaign in Berkeley to anticipate how tax debates might look in their own communities, and to identify messages and media advocacy strategies that could support their efforts. We will be sharing preliminary findings at this year’s Childhood Obesity Conference in San Diego. Please stop by BMSG’s poster June 30 at 3 p.m. or July 1 at 10 a.m. or 2:45 p.m. We’ll be at viewing area #109. Interested in more of BMSG’s work? Check out poster session #51, which features research we are conducting with our colleagues from the Center for Digital Democracy. Together, we are exploring how big data and digital marketing strategies are transforming the retail food marketplace and what this means for advocates working to address childhood obesity. For more details, including a map of poster locations, see the conference program. Hope to see you there! --- ## McDonald’s sees decline in sales of sodas with Happy Meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-sees-decline-in-sales-of-sodas-with-happy-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-25 Words: 49 > Since sugary drinks were removed from the Happy Meal section on U.S. menu boards, there has been an 8% decline in the number of customers selecting sodas with their Happy... Since sugary drinks were removed from the Happy Meal section on U.S. menu boards, there has been an 8% decline in the number of customers selecting sodas with their Happy Meals. It’s a hard-fought victory for advocates working to reduce unhealthy food marketing to children. --- ## Online Pop-Tarts promotion targets teens’ interest in music URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/online-pop-tarts-promotion-targets-teens-interest-in-music/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-24 Words: 62 > Kellogg has created the website RockTheFlavor.com to blend teens' interest in music with the Pop-Tarts brand. In this promotion, young consumers provide their personal information to log-in and vote for... Kellogg has created the website RockTheFlavor.com to blend teens’ interest in music with the Pop-Tarts brand. In this promotion, young consumers provide their personal information to log-in and vote for their favorite flavor, or as Kellogg markets it, “best new artist.” Teens can win prizes such as a year’s supply of the sugary pastries. --- ## General Mills to remove artificial colors and flavors from its cereals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-to-remove-artificial-colors-and-flavors-from-its-cereals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-23 Words: 73 > Kids cereals have the highest rates of artificial colors. This is why GM will start with Trix and Reese's Puffs in its product reformulation, eliminating artificial colors and flavors to... Kids cereals have the highest rates of artificial colors. This is why GM will start with Trix and Reese’s Puffs in its product reformulation, eliminating artificial colors and flavors to position itself on the side of health. And while removing artificial flavors is a good step, as the author of this Fooducate points out, to move beyond a symbolic health halo, the company should also reduce the sugar in its products. --- ## Lessons in public health messaging: Q&A with Fernando Quintero URL: https://www.bmsg.org/lessons-in-public-health-messaging-qa-with-fernando-quintero/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 745 > PreventObesity.net Leader Fernando Quintero is a strategic communications specialist for Berkeley Media Studies Group and often blogs on issues that offer insightful lessons for those managing public health campaigns. Recently,... PreventObesity.net Leader Fernando Quintero is a strategic communications specialist for Berkeley Media Studies Group and often blogs on issues that offer insightful lessons for those managing public health campaigns. Recently, Fernando wrote on how the frame of personal responsibility is damaging to public health campaigns. In short, an exclusive frame of personal responsibility lays the burden of the problem on individuals and their choices, and not on the environment in which they find themselves. But as the public health community seeks policies to change our surroundings so that they support, rather than undermine, health, we need the larger community to view public health issues, such as diet-related illnesses, as environmental and system-based challenges, not just personal shortcomings. Inside Track recently had a chance to ask Fernando some follow-up questions. IT: What do you see as the biggest risks for allowing public health campaigns to be framed through the personal responsibility lens? FQ: As I mentioned in my blog, the personal responsibility frame is the default frame. Our task is to show how our surroundings shape and impact health, making the invisible visible. In public health, we are used to producing messages designed to change individual behavior. What we are not used to is developing and supporting messages aimed at making changes to our environment that support health. Without that broader environmental frame, it can be harder for the public and policymakers to understand why solutions beyond behavior change are needed. IT: In many ways the personal responsibility narrative has become part of the American culture. In what ways is this a barrier to our work? FQ: When we’re asking for meaningful policy, systems and environmental change to improve community health — whether it involves something like removing sugary drinks from city property or advocating for a red light a dangerous crosswalk — the default personal responsibility frame says: Why don’t people simply make smarter decisions about what they drink, or why can’t parents watch what their kids eat and drink? It asks why people crossing the street aren’t more careful and staying off their cell phones and watching where they’re going. Parents should be watching what their kids eat and everyone should be careful crossing the street, but we also need the government to act when our environments don’t support health and well-being. Parents don’t decide which foods are marketed to kids or whether a stop light goes in — that’s something that, as a community, we decide together through our government. IT: Can you provide a real-world example of framing and how it affects public perception? FQ: There are abundant examples all around us. Consider the rise in diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases, especially in communities of color. People looking at this through the default personal responsibility frame are likely to see the issue as one of poor decision-making, lack of willpower and other character flaws. What people often fail to see is how the environment can undermine our efforts to be healthy. Things like a lack of grocery stores and other places to buy healthy food, aggressive marketing that saturates communities with advertising for unhealthy products, pricing strategies that make unhealthy food not only easier to get but also cheaper — all of these are examples of how our environment affects health. But because those things are regular parts of our world, they seem normal and regular, almost natural. That’s how the default frame can impact public perceptions. IT: What are some of the steps campaign managers can take when they are developing a frame or messaging for a campaign? FQ: They can reframe the conversation by making visible the many factors outside of a person‘s control that make us unhealthy. There are several resources available to help with this, including some guides on our website, such as “What Surrounds Us Shapes Us: Making the Case for Environmental Change” and “Making the Case for Prevention: Basic Messages for Health Departments.” It is also important to remember that message strategy is part of a larger strategic framework that should be developed first. Click here for more on our “Layers of Strategy.” To read Fernando’s full post, “How personal responsibility framing undermines efforts to improve public health,” and more of the BMSG blog, visit https://www.bmsg.org/blog. This post originally appeared in PreventObesity.net’s Inside Track. --- ## Restaurants shift spending to Latino targeting URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurants-shift-spending-to-latino-targeting/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-18 Words: 49 > The restaurant industry has cut English ad spending to aggressively market to Latino consumers. In 2014 alone, restaurants increased aggregate advertising to this segment by 68 percent to $559 million.... The restaurant industry has cut English ad spending to aggressively market to Latino consumers. In 2014 alone, restaurants increased aggregate advertising to this segment by 68 percent to $559 million. Big players with this marketing strategy include fast food such as Yum! Brands (including McDonald’s) and Whataburger. --- ## McDonald’s starts Lovin’ video competition with American Black Film Festival URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-starts-lovin-video-competition-with-american-black-film-festival/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-16 Words: 58 > In an effort to target African Americans, the Big Food brand hopes to celebrate "lovin' with its customers" through a competition showcasing aspiring filmmakers. This competition is part of McDonald's... In an effort to target African Americans, the Big Food brand hopes to celebrate “lovin’ with its customers” through a competition showcasing aspiring filmmakers. This competition is part of McDonald’s 365Black, an initiative aimed at supporting black community and culture year round, but which has been heavily criticized for its racial target marketing. --- ## Taco Bell studies ‘hip’ vocabulary to reach Latino teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-studies-hip-vocabulary-to-reach-latino-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-10 Words: 52 > Taco Bell has hired young employees and implemented a teen advisory board to learn about the latest teen culture. Latino youth are expected to account for 35% of the age... Taco Bell has hired young employees and implemented a teen advisory board to learn about the latest teen culture. Latino youth are expected to account for 35% of the age group by 2050, so the Big Food brand has turned to social media to better target and communicate with this growing audience. --- ## Denny’s targets Latino families with free kids dining URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-targets-latino-families-with-free-kids-dining/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-09 Words: 75 > Denny's has joined together with DreamWorks Animation to promote their "Kids Eat Free" program to Latino families. The company says, "Denny's is a family-focused diner because, like our Latino clientele,... Denny’s has joined together with DreamWorks Animation to promote their “Kids Eat Free” program to Latino families. The company says, “Denny’s is a family-focused diner because, like our Latino clientele, we know the importance of sharing a meal together as a family.” With this promotion, the restaurant has also created a Spanish Facebook page for families to share memories of family dining at Denny’s. --- ## Pop-Tarts continues to target teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pop-tarts-continues-to-target-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-08 Words: 57 > Pop-Tarts have stayed popular for 50+ years by aggressively targeting adolescents. Recently the Kellogg brand has turned to social media to communicate and get feedback about product flavors. The company... Pop-Tarts have stayed popular for 50+ years by aggressively targeting adolescents. Recently the Kellogg brand has turned to social media to communicate and get feedback about product flavors. The company has also adapted promotions removing the retro Milton, the talking toaster as “teens will turn away from anything that reminds them of their parents.” --- ## Industry fails in promise to protect kids from unhealthy TV food ads URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-fails-in-promise-to-protect-kids-from-unhealthy-tv-food-ads/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-05 Words: 39 > Despite voluntary industry pledges to focus more advertising dollars on healthy foods, research shows that kids are still exposed primarily to marketing for the least healthy foods. This finding sheds... Despite voluntary industry pledges to focus more advertising dollars on healthy foods, research shows that kids are still exposed primarily to marketing for the least healthy foods. This finding sheds light on the limits of industry self-regulation. --- ## How marketers target communities of color with junk food and sugary drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-marketers-target-communities-of-color-with-junk-food-and-sugary-drinks/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1145 > At a San Francisco Board of Supervisors land use committee meeting, BMSG's Fernando Quintero testified on the tactics food and beverage companies use to target low-income communities and communities of... At a San Francisco Board of Supervisors land use committee meeting, BMSG’s Fernando Quintero testified on the tactics food and beverage companies use to target low-income communities and communities of color with unhealthy products. The committee heard — and later recommended for adoption — three new sugary drinks bills at the June 1, 2015 meeting. A video and full transcript of Quintero’s testimony appear below. Transcript Good afternoon. My name is Fernando Quintero and I am a communication strategist at Berkeley Media Studies Group. Today, I am here to talk to you about the problem of target marketing of sugary drinks to communities of color and low-income families and children. Communities of color have been the hardest hit by the current epidemic of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.1 Meanwhile, communities of color are targeted by marketers of sugary drinks, which contribute to childhood obesity,2 and junk food — products that are high in sugars, salt, and fats. While target marketing to specific individuals and communities is a routine business practice, many foods and beverages marketed to communities of color are likely to increase disease risk or interfere with management of chronic conditions — especially in the absence of healthier food and beverage options. For example, a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that African American communities were among groups most disproportionately exposed to child-directed marketing displays at fast food restaurants.3 Children who eat fast food are likely to consume more total calories, saturated fat, sodium, sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages. And they’re less likely to meet dietary recommendations for fruits, vegetables and dairy. African American children and teens saw more than twice as many ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks on TV compared with white children and teens in 2013, according to a report released last fall by Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Just as beverage companies are spending more money to target black youth, they’re also pursuing Latino youth, as well as other youth of color. Advertising for sugary drinks and energy shots on Spanish-language TV increased by 44%, the Rudd study found. More than 84% of all foods and beverages advertised to children on Spanish-language TV are unhealthy. A comprehensive review by the Institute of Medicine concluded that food marketing affects children’s food preferences, purchase requests, diets and health. Youth of color get what researchers have termed a “double dose” of unhealthy food and sugary beverage marketing because they are exposed to targeted as well as mainstream campaigns, particularly via digital media, which research shows is consumed by youth of color more frequently than white youth.4 Marketers also target youth of color because they are deemed trendsetters and, therefore, exploited for what marketers call their “brand ambassador” capabilities. In addition, companies exploit the popularity of celebrities of color as role models by hiring them to promote unhealthy food and sugary drinks.5 Marketing is generally understood as depending on 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Target marketing of food and beverages to communities of color occurs in all four categories. Companies have designed: products especially for communities of color; prices designed to appeal to specific income groups, such as “value menus” targeting low-income communities — price comes into play with target marketing when communities of color are disproportionately represented in poor neighborhoods; places that are saturated with unhealthy food products and promotions, such as zoning in certain communities that allows concentrations of fast-food restaurants or proliferation of outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and sugary beverages6; and promotions that exploit cultural images, symbolism and language to sell products or build brand loyalty. This target marketing is a problem when the foods and beverages that are marketed using these techniques are unhealthy. In addition to the 4 Ps, soda companies direct corporate social responsibility campaigns and philanthropic support toward organizations of color that are often strapped for resources, including youth-serving organizations. Some companies also provide important financial support to students of color. Further complicating matters, these companies in their marketing have long promoted positive images of people of color — something sadly lacking in other media. But all this support from food and sugary beverage companies does not negate the fact that their products have contributed to the devastatingly higher rates of diet-related diseases in communities of color. What can we do about target marketing of junk food to communities of color? Because communities of color are specifically targeted by the sugary beverage and junk food industries, a targeted approach is needed to address the marketing of the... --- ## How food advertising confuses children about nutrition and health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-food-advertising-confuses-children-about-nutrition-and-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-01 Words: 70 > This article not only describes the problem of junk food advertising to kids and its impact on health, but also points at responsible actors and solutions: "The Institute of Medicine... This article not only describes the problem of junk food advertising to kids and its impact on health, but also points at responsible actors and solutions: “The Institute of Medicine has already spoken…It asked the food industry to reverse the predominance of food advertising on its own. If it doesn’t reverse it in the immediate future, Congress should adopt legislation to achieve that shift.” --- ## Subway uses latest Disney Pixar movie as tie-in URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-uses-latest-disney-pixar-movie-as-tie-in/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-06-01 Words: 45 > To attract kids, Subway is now airing a new 30-second spot featuring "Inside Out" characters. This promotion also includes movie-branded "Fresh Fit for Kids" bags, toys, in-store promotional materials and... To attract kids, Subway is now airing a new 30-second spot featuring “Inside Out” characters. This promotion also includes movie-branded “Fresh Fit for Kids” bags, toys, in-store promotional materials and content on the Subway kids’ app. --- ## Webinar: Findings and opportunities from an analysis of community violence and safety in California news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-findings-and-opportunities-from-an-analysis-of-community-violence-and-safety-in-california-news/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-06 Words: 75 > News coverage of violence shapes how the public and policymakers understand community violence and what should be done about it. With support from the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit... News coverage of violence shapes how the public and policymakers understand community violence and what should be done about it. With support from the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Department, BMSG and the Prevention Institute are exploring how to change the public discourse around violence. In this webinar, we discuss findings from a May 2015 analysis of recent California-based news coverage of community violence and implications for advocates from a range of sectors. --- ## Preventable or inevitable: How do community violence and community safety appear in California news? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/preventable-or-inevitable-how-do-community-violence-and-community-safety-appear-in-california-news/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4706 > Unfortunately, we're all too familiar with violence. We see it reported daily in the news, and large numbers of us have experienced it firsthand. Yet, for all our observations of... Unfortunately, we’re all too familiar with violence. We see it reported daily in the news, and large numbers of us have experienced it firsthand. Yet, for all our observations of and encounters with crime and aggression, it can be challenging to understand larger patterns of violence at the community level, and harder still to understand the factors that affect when, where and how often it happens. Community violence, defined as “intentional acts of interpersonal violence committed in public areas by individuals who are not intimately related to the victim,”1 happens when complex environmental factors like poverty, structural racism, and easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons coincide. Like other public health problems, community violence is preventable — but it’s not often understood that way. Indeed, the public discourse around violence often reinforces the idea that it is inevitable and, as such, can only be addressed after the fact. News coverage helps us peer into that discourse: The public gets exposed to violence (apart from personal experience) through the filter of what appears in the media. Journalists, in turn, play an important role in setting the agenda for public policy debates2-4 by deciding to report on some incidents of violence while ignoring others. If news coverage doesn’t include the community conditions that foster violence, it will be harder for policymakers and the public to make connections to policies that can prevent violence. In fact, decades of studies of news have shown that violence coverage instills fear by highlighting the most extreme cases5 and, in journalists’ selections about what to cover, reinforces stereotypes about who commits and is affected by violence.6, 7 The patterns in news coverage can discourage positive action by buttressing assumptions that the problem is intractable and obscuring the fact that violence prevention requires a multi-sector effort. Indeed, the news usually reflects only criminal justice perspectives,7, 8 ignoring other sectors that must be involved if community violence is to be truly understood as a preventable problem. With the support of the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Department, Berkeley Media Studies Group and Prevention Institute are exploring the public discourse around community violence, and community safety, in Northern California and beyond. The work will yield comprehensive tools and recommendations to help diverse stakeholders expand the frame around community violence to shift the public conversation about community violence so it is clear that violence is preventable, not inevitable, and to make room for all actors who should be part of the work of building healthy and safe communities. A first step is understanding what the public and policymakers can learn about community violence through the news. How do stories about broad issues of community violence and safety compare to coverage of isolated incidents of crime? Who speaks in the coverage, and what do they say? How do solutions, and specifically preventive solutions, appear? In this study we answer those questions. What we did We collected and analyzed news stories about community violence and safety in six major newspapers covering California, with special attention to Northern California (the Contra Costa Times, The Sacramento Bee, Oakland Tribune,a Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Chronicle).b We chose to analyze newspapers because, although new media platforms are changing the way people consume the news, newspapers (including their online components) continue to influence local and national policy debate, and traditional news outlets remain a key source of information for the majority of news consumers.9 What we found Articles about community safety rarely appear in the news, compared with stories about individual crimes. We found a total of 296 stories from which we randomly selected half to analyze. Of the 148 articles in our sample, only 69 substantively discussed community violence. The remainder were irrelevant or included only passing mentions of community safety or community violence. Irrelevant articles tended to focus on issues like traffic safety, terrorism or local political debates in which candidates use terms like “community safety” to describe their platforms. The majority of the coverage about community violence and community safety in California was straight news (69%); about a third was opinion writing, including op-eds, letters to the editor and editorials. Gun violence was mentioned in almost half of relevant articles (48%), usually in connection with a murder or other fatal shooting. Other types of violence mentioned in the news included robbery and property crimes (20%), gang violence (13%), and sexual or domestic violence (9%). Innovations or breakthroughs in policies and programs drive the news about community safety. We wanted to know: When the few stories about community violence are co... --- ## Preventable or inevitable: How could news about community safety appear in California business and education coverage? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/preventable-or-inevitable-how-could-news-about-community-safety-appear-in-california-business-and-education-coverage/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 3947 > It's fair to say that we are all familiar with violence. We see it reported in the news, and many of us have experienced it firsthand. In spite of our... It’s fair to say that we are all familiar with violence. We see it reported in the news, and many of us have experienced it firsthand. In spite of our personal and mediated experiences, however, it can be difficult to understand larger patterns of violence at the community level and harder still to understand who can end it, and how. Community violence (defined as “intentional acts of interpersonal violence committed in public areas by individuals who are not intimately related to the victim”1) happens when complex social issues like poverty, structural racism, and easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons coincide. Community violence is preventable, but it’s not always understood that way. Indeed, the public discourse often reinforces the idea that violence is inevitable, and as such, can only be addressed after the fact with punitive criminal justice responses. News coverage helps us peer into that discourse: The public understands violence (apart from personal experience) through the filter of what journalists think is important to report and what publishers think will sell. News coverage then sets the agenda and tone for debates regarding public policies about violence (as well as other issues) that shape communities.2-6 News coverage of community violence may discourage positive action and reinforce assumptions that the problem is intractable when it obscures the interconnections among violence and various sectors of our society. Comprehensive violence prevention is a multi-sectoral effort that involves not only criminal justice, but also health care, schools, businesses, public health, youth-serving organizations and other groups. Typically, news coverage reflects only criminal justice perspectives7, 8 and ignores the voices and views of other stakeholders. The larger social and economic context, and the many stakeholders that are part of it, must be included if community violence is to be truly understood as a preventable problem. Those connections could be made in stories about crime and violence, but they could also be made in the business pages, in education news, or in stories about any sector that has a role to play in preventing violence. It’s reasonable to expect that news coverage about different sectors include information about violence because we know that other sectors are affected by community violence. We wanted to know: Do discussions about or depictions of community violence and safety appear in business or education stories? Though violence affects every sector, we specifically examined the business and education sectors for this preliminary analysis. We know that community violence can interfere with employee productivity and retention, and it interrupts students’ learning and attendance.9 At the same time, these sectors play an important role in preventing violence and building safe communities. Businesses, for example, can promote community safety by providing economic opportunities and reducing poverty a significant risk factor for community violence.9 The education sector, including the schools where a community’s children spend most of their days, plays an essential role in youth development, which supports safe communities.10 If community violence isn’t explicitly addressed in articles from these sectors, where could violence prevention or community safety appear in news about business and education? What are the existing opportunities in the news to demonstrate the role those sectors could play in preventing community violence and building safer, stronger communities? What we did To identify stories where community violence prevention could appear in the business and education sections, we adapted our usual content analysis methodology not only to explore what appeared in business and education stories already but also to assess where violence and safety could logically be included. Developing a coding protocol Identifying relevant business and education themes We first read multiple samples of business and education stories from California newspapers to develop a list of common story themes in those sections that could relate to systemic causes and effects of community violence and safety. We further refined the list by reviewing selected literature on business11-13 and education14-17 news framing. We also had in-depth conversations with education and journalism professionals and communication consultants who work with the business sector. We identified 16 preliminary themes that appeared in education articles that could relate to community violence prevention. We also identified eight preliminary themes that appeared in business stories that could connect with community safety. Creating a tool for analysis We mapped the 24 themes against a modified version of the Haddon Matrix, a tool developed in the 1970s to assess points of intervention that could prevent injury before, during and after a car crash,18 which has since been used to address a number of public health and saf... --- ## Letters to Kellogg as company pushes sugary foods on Latino families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/letters-to-kellogg-as-company-pushes-sugary-foods-on-latino-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-28 Words: 64 > Salud America! recently sent Kellogg over 23,000 letters from individuals across the nation urging the brand to stop targeting Latinos with sugar-laden foods. Following the letter-writing campaign, the Institute for... Salud America! recently sent Kellogg over 23,000 letters from individuals across the nation urging the brand to stop targeting Latinos with sugar-laden foods. Following the letter-writing campaign, the Institute for Health Promotion Research (which leads the RWJF-funded Salud America! research network) leverages local media to further pressure the company and garner support for its efforts to end Latino childhood obesity. --- ## Watsonville rallies against proposed Taco Bell URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/watsonville-rallies-against-proposed-taco-bell/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-27 Words: 71 > Watsonville, a predominantly Latino community (about 80 percent) strives for a healthy food environment as they struggle with a childhood obesity rate of 49 percent. Using social media, the community... Watsonville, a predominantly Latino community (about 80 percent) strives for a healthy food environment as they struggle with a childhood obesity rate of 49 percent. Using social media, the community is speaking out against yet another fast-food chain addition to their downtown. Advocates are using an online petition and a Facebook page called “Fed Up with Fast Food in Watsonville” to gain support and encourage community involvement. --- ## A conquest to gain market share: KFC’s Colonel Sanders’ Twitter stunt URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-conquest-to-gain-market-share-kfcs-colonel-sanders-twitter-stunt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-27 Words: 51 > KFC's colonel took to social media to offer "clear and concise communication" through the company's Twitter handle. In an example of using humor to appeal to youth, the colonel uses... KFC’s colonel took to social media to offer “clear and concise communication” through the company’s Twitter handle. In an example of using humor to appeal to youth, the colonel uses 18 run-on tweets in a row to communicate his “concise” message. --- ## How junk food ads target kids’ brains URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-junk-food-ads-target-kids-brains/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-25 Words: 61 > The ubiquity of advertising affects young kids' food experiences. A new Dartmouth study finds kids watching food ads react similarly to when a meal is placed in front of them.... The ubiquity of advertising affects young kids’ food experiences. A new Dartmouth study finds kids watching food ads react similarly to when a meal is placed in front of them. This means, “people like the taste of Coke not just because of its formula, but because the Coke brand is imbued with a lifetime of positive commercial messages.” --- ## Energy drink industry goes after gamers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/energy-drink-industry-goes-after-gamers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-22 Words: 38 > G Fuel and other energy drink companies are marketing their products as enhancers for gaming endurance. While they've agreed to stop targeting kids under 12, teenagers are also vulnerable to... G Fuel and other energy drink companies are marketing their products as enhancers for gaming endurance. While they’ve agreed to stop targeting kids under 12, teenagers are also vulnerable to the dangerous ingredients in these beverages. --- ## New Pepsi Limon “captures the tart, refreshing taste Hispanics love” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-pepsi-limon-captures-the-tart-refreshing-taste-hispanics-love/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-20 Words: 52 > In a clear example of product-based target marketing to communities of color, PepsiCo has launched a new beverage "handcrafted and inspired by the preferences of Hispanic consumers." Pepsi developed the... In a clear example of product-based target marketing to communities of color, PepsiCo has launched a new beverage “handcrafted and inspired by the preferences of Hispanic consumers.” Pepsi developed the new product by working with Adelante, a Pepsico employee association that aims to build relationships with the Latino community. --- ## KFC targets youth with rebrand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-targets-youth-with-rebrand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-20 Words: 32 > As KFC loses market share, the company has launchesd a rebrand that includes television and digital media outreach. Its hope is to reach young consumers with an updated look and... As KFC loses market share, the company has launchesd a rebrand that includes television and digital media outreach. Its hope is to reach young consumers with an updated look and contemporary illustrations. --- ## Dairy Queen takes soda off the kids’ menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dairy-queen-takes-soda-off-the-kids-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-19 Words: 72 > The fast food company announced the ban after being encouraged by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and health advocates to make the change in order to combat... The fast food company announced the ban after being encouraged by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and health advocates to make the change in order to combat childhood obesity and diabetes. There is a nice statement in this article about restaurants’ responsibility to address childhood obesity: “Preventing childhood obesity is important, especially among fast food chains who have a responsibility to offer healthy options to Americans.” --- ## Advocates to FTC: Rein in YouTube Kids’ deceptive marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocates-to-ftc-rein-in-youtube-kids-deceptive-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-19 Words: 63 > Advocates told regulators this week that Google is failing to deliver appropriate content through YouTube Kids, and is presenting false and deceptive marketing, including junk food marketing. This week regulators... Advocates told regulators this week that Google is failing to deliver appropriate content through YouTube Kids, and is presenting false and deceptive marketing, including junk food marketing. This week regulators received a video highlighting examples of content available on the Youtube Kids app along with a letter. If these practices were happening on children’s television, they would not be legal. --- ## Video: Epigenetics and equity: The health and social impacts of racism and inequality URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-epigenetics-and-equity-the-health-and-social-impacts-of-racism-and-inequality/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2710 > BMSG co-founder Larry Wallack, who directs public health studies at Portland State University, joins Rachael Banks, manager of Multnomah County's Healthy Birth initiative, to discuss a new area of science... BMSG co-founder Larry Wallack, who directs public health studies at Portland State University, joins Rachael Banks, manager of Multnomah County’s Healthy Birth initiative, to discuss a new area of science that shows how certain lifetime stresses create inheritable changes in our bodies. The science challenges prior understanding of genetic inheritance and has major implications for public policy that seeks to create equal health outcomes for communities of color. Below is a transcript of Dr. Wallack’s talk. Transcript I recently heard someone say, “If you are working on an idea that you can get done in your lifetime, then you’re not thinking big enough.” Aspiration is a powerful force that motivates us. It is a combination of a big idea, a big heart, and a dogged determination to succeed. Obviously, we may have organizations to run, jobs to do, daily tasks to accomplish, and lives to live. But what if we could accomplish something collectively, something that could make a far greater difference than anything we can do individually? The developmental origins of health and disease is an organizing framework for a very big idea, even a social movement. And it is one that can change the world. Let’s get some definitions out of the way: First, developmental origins of health and disease is a body of research that has shown that the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and even some cancers is set pre-pregnancy through the first 1000 days, up to about age two. Risk for problems of cognitive function and significant mental health issues is also established. Second, epigenetics is the process by which our genes respond to environmental cues. These responses can influence how our genes are programmed to regulate biological functions. ‘Epi’ refers to being above or on the genes. The genetic code does not change, but the biological switches that turn those genes on and off do. And here’s the rub: These altered regulatory commands can be passed from parent to child so that altered gene expression patterns that affect one’s health all the way into adulthood can be passed on to the next generation, and the next. Third, health equity seeks to reduce group differences in health outcomes that are unjust, predictable and preventable. Developmental origins is the ultimate social and health equity lens because it helps us understand how history, sociology and biology combine to create lifelong prospects for health and social success at the earliest stages. I’ve worked in public health for 40+ years. This profession is grounded in an ethical framework of social justice ‰ÛÓ the idea that inequality follows from the adverse impact of privilege, power and exclusion, and this social inequality is linked to health inequity. We know that the collective policy decisions we make as a community determine the distribution of risks and benefits, obstacles and opportunities, disease and health. The public policies we debate and implement today will predict the public health problems we face tomorrow. A recent report produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concluded, “When it comes to your health, your zip code may be more important than your genetic code” “… your zip code may be more important than your genetic code.” Epigenetics explains how the environment, our zip code, literally gets under our skin, creates biological changes that increase our vulnerability for disease, and even our kids’ prospects for social success over their life course and into future generations. This science forces us to rethink where disease comes from and the best way to promote health. It identifies the most fundamental social equity issue in our society: that initial social and biological disadvantage, established even prior to birth, in fact even linked to the social experience of prior generations, is made worse by adverse environments throughout the life course. But, at the same time, it provides hope because it tells us that a concerted focus on improving our environments can ultimately change our biology and the trajectory of disease into future generations. Where does the idea of developmental origins come from? In the 1980s, David Barker, an English physician and epidemiologist, published the hypothesis that the risk for chronic diseases originated in the earliest developmental stages and not later in life. Dr. Barker, who died in 2013, had strong Portland ties in the latter part of his life and was a principal at OHSU’s Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness. In a nutshell, David’s data, and data from around the world, found that chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease were programmed into our systems as a result of nutritional deficiency during the critical developmental period of pre-pregnancy up to about age two. Poor nutrition, associated with disadvantaged living conditions, slowed fetal growth and forced tradeoffs that harmed longer-term health. Low birth weight alon... --- ## Subway partners with kids’ science show URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-partners-with-kids-science-show/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-11 Words: 47 > Chicago-area Subways are the news "presenting sponsor" for a local kids' science show called "Moochie Kalala Detectives Club." Subway will be providing catered lunches and science grants to teachers in... Chicago-area Subways are the news “presenting sponsor” for a local kids’ science show called “Moochie Kalala Detectives Club.” Subway will be providing catered lunches and science grants to teachers in the area, as well as distributing DVDs to schools and libraries. --- ## Coca-Cola uses Mother’s Day to target Latinos with hashtag, interactive video URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-mothers-day-to-target-latinos-with-hashtag-interactive-video/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-08 Words: 70 > The Spanish-language video from Coca-Cola allows viewers to toggle between the perspectives of a mother, daughter and grandson - all of whom drink lots of Coke during the video. It... The Spanish-language video from Coca-Cola allows viewers to toggle between the perspectives of a mother, daughter and grandson – all of whom drink lots of Coke during the video. It then prompts viewers to share a Coke with their mother on Mother’s Day (through the Share a Coke website), and to call their mother with a free 3-minute call to anywhere in the world. --- ## Food companies launch “Mexicorico.com” to target U.S. Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-companies-launch-mexicorico-com-to-target-u-s-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-08 Words: 40 > Food companies La Costena and Jumex have launched a bilingual digital website with traditional and contemporary Mexican recipes (featuring products from the two companies). The website will target U.S. Latinos... Food companies La Costena and Jumex have launched a bilingual digital website with traditional and contemporary Mexican recipes (featuring products from the two companies). The website will target U.S. Latinos as well as “general market foodies.” --- ## Pushing back against beverage industry marketing and exploitation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/pushing-back-against-beverage-industry-marketing-and-exploitation/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 709 > Last week another commercialized commemoration of Cinco de Mayo came and went. It was a cringe-inducing reminder of how each year Latino culture is exploited to sell everything from beer... Last week another commercialized commemoration of Cinco de Mayo came and went. It was a cringe-inducing reminder of how each year Latino culture is exploited to sell everything from beer to queso cheese dip to taco shells and even airline tickets (“Celebrate Cinco de Fly-O with a JetBlue Getaways vacation package.”) It also brought to mind another type of exploitation of Latinos and other communities of color — only this exploitation happens every second of every day. And the consequences are dire. Each year beverage companies spend nearly half a billion dollars to market to teens, disproportionately targeting Latino and African American youth. And all that marketing makes a significant impact on what youth buy. Two-thirds of California teens drink at least one sugary drink each day (which significantly increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes) and children of color drink even more. In fact, soda and other sugary beverages are the number one source of added sugar in the U.S. diet. The result is an urgent health crisis: One in two Latino and African American children are predicted to get diabetes in their lifetime. An estimated 40 percent of all children will get the disease, according to research studies compiled by the nonprofit Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. Youth aren’t the only ones targeted. For this past Mother’s Day, Coca-Cola released a dramatic video campaign in Spanish titled: “Give your mother the gift she wants most. Call her.” The video includes a link to call your mother for free if you register your personal information with Coca-Cola — another marketing mechanism to involve consumers as brand ambassadors. Efforts by health advocates to change the way the junk food and sugary beverage industries target communities of color, especially youth, have been met with fierce resistance. The sugary beverage industry is quick to point to consumer health education as the answer to overconsumption of its unhealthy products — a hypocritical stance from an industry whose business model is based on overconsumption (Super Big Gulp, anyone?) What’s more, consumer health education is no match for the spending power of industry marketing budgets. Not to mention corporate social responsibility campaigns that fund everything from scholarships for Latino and African American students to vital programs for organizations of color to the aforementioned free calls to mamá. At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we believe in the power of policy change and its ability to make the largest impact in improving the health of our communities. Assembly Bill 1357, a bill that will create a dedicated revenue source for health promotion and disease prevention, is an important step in preventing diabetes in the communities most affected by the disease. The fee would fund projects such as healthy eating education at schools, farm-to-school programs and child tooth decay prevention efforts (another serious health consequence of sugary drinks). In addition, the fee would be used to provide clean water stations at schools and other facilities for youth. Having been born and raised in west side of the Central Valley, I’m all too familiar with the water quality issues there. Residents in my hometown of Mendota still go out and purchase their water in big jugs because the water from the tap tastes terrible. For many, especially youth, soda and other sugary drinks are an unfortunate alternative. In Mexico, where the majority of the California’s estimated 14 million Latinos originate from, a similar tax on sugary beverages has led to a shift in the beverages that are consumed, starting with a 10 percent reduction of purchases, a 7 percent increase in healthier drink purchases (low sugar drinks, milk, 100% juice), and 13 percent increase in bottled water, according to a study from Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health in conjunction with the University of North Carolina that has been highlighted by the author of AB 1357, Assembly member Richard Bloom. Back home, until there is a more enlightened — and diverse — media and marketing landscape that recognizes and is sensitive to the exploitation of communities of color, prevention programs funded by sugary drink fees will help give our communities a fighting chance in the diabetes epidemic. --- ## Amid complaints about racial insensitivity, Waffle House deletes Cinco de Mayo tweet URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/amid-complaints-about-racial-insensitivity-waffle-house-deletes-cinco-de-mayo-tweet/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-05 Words: 54 > Waffle House's latest tweet using the seasonal peg of Cinco de Mayo was quickly met with criticism. The original tweet, "Oh bacon, you are the juan for me #cincodemayo", spurred... Waffle House’s latest tweet using the seasonal peg of Cinco de Mayo was quickly met with criticism. The original tweet, “Oh bacon, you are the juan for me #cincodemayo”, spurred complaints of racial insensitivity. The company responded by altering their original tweet while still maintaining the Cinco de Mayo hashtag. --- ## Big Food shifts to keep up with Millennials’ taste for quality food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-shifts-to-keep-up-with-millennials-taste-for-quality-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-05-01 Words: 63 > Labeled "a generation of foodies," Millennials are seen as taste makers who like to spend money on quality food. Facing declining sales, Big Food (and Big Fast Food in particular)... Labeled “a generation of foodies,” Millennials are seen as taste makers who like to spend money on quality food. Facing declining sales, Big Food (and Big Fast Food in particular) is trying hard to meet that demand: recently, for example, major corporations have released statements announcing plans to remove controversial products (like antibiotic-treated poultry) from their menus and portfolios. --- ## Video: Communicating to create healthy communities: More than a message URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-communicating-to-create-healthy-communities-more-than-a-message/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 55 > Speaking at a November 2014 Place Matters Conference in Portland, Oregon, BMSG's Lori Dorfman discusses how advocates can use media advocacy to help amplify and accelerate community organizing efforts and... Speaking at a November 2014 Place Matters Conference in Portland, Oregon, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman discusses how advocates can use media advocacy to help amplify and accelerate community organizing efforts and advance policies that improve health. She explains why message is never first, discusses the limits of counter-marketing, and shares insights on framing. --- ## Marketers encouraged to target teens through Instagram URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-encouraged-to-target-teens-through-instagram/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-30 Words: 84 > A survey from spring of 2015 found that 68% of teens regularly engage with brands on Instagram - and marketers are anxious to exploit this finding! This writeup from a... A survey from spring of 2015 found that 68% of teens regularly engage with brands on Instagram – and marketers are anxious to exploit this finding! This writeup from a marketing specialist Casey Arnold urges advertisers to turn young Instagram users into customers by “creating a brand presence that blends in as one of their own peers.” Arnold concludes that targeting teens through Instagram is justified because “this generation actually wants you to become part of their everyday lives.” --- ## How personal responsibility framing undermines efforts to improve public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-personal-responsibility-framing-undermines-efforts-to-improve-public-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1212 > The default frame is alive and well. One of the key lessons in our media advocacy trainings is how framing — how we see and understand the world around us... The default frame is alive and well. One of the key lessons in our media advocacy trainings is how framing — how we see and understand the world around us — affects how people understand what to do about community health problems. In the United States, a common or default frame is the idea that people’s behavior is determined by personal motivation, not by the situations they find themselves in. This makes advocating for health policy challenging since many policies are designed to change the conditions or situations surrounding individuals (the environment) rather than changing individual behavior. On one hand, this frame has provided a compelling cultural narrative for our country, reinforcing the value of personal responsibility for overcoming harsh odds, as in the Horatio Alger “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” myth. This narrative is also reinforced by the media, which thrive on stories of heroes fighting adversity. But this frame is not only pervasive, it’s pernicious, for along with the personal responsibility value comes a blame-the-victim mentality. This frame essentially says that if you’re sick, it’s your fault for not taking care of yourself. If you’re poor, it’s because you didn’t have the wherewithal to succeed financially. If you’re a victim of sexual assault, it’s likely that you dressed seductively or drank too much alcohol. This frame fails to make the environment visible and show that what surrounds us shapes us. For example, residents who live in neighborhoods where there are few grocery stores to buy healthy food or no outdoor places to play and exercise often suffer higher rates of obesity and nutrition-related diseases. Even highly motivated people can’t always surmount surroundings that undermine their efforts to stay healthy. For advocates pushing for policy change to improve the health of their community, this personal responsibility frame — which often gets repeated and amplified through the stories we tell — says to decision-makers and voters: Why do we need a new law or regulation (government interference) when people should simply make better decisions? Two recent related news stories reminded me just how costly this personal responsibility/blame-the-victim frame can be. The first was a story about a new bill proposed in the Missouri legislature that would severely limit the type of food that could be purchased by the state’s food stamp recipients, including steak and seafood. “I have seen people purchasing filet mignons and crab legs with their EBT cards,” State Representative Rick Brattin, who proposed the new law, told the Washington Post. A separate Washington Post story reported this month on House Bill 2258, which if signed into law would prevent families receiving government assistance from using those funds to visit swimming pools, see movies or get tattoos. State Sen. Michael O’Donnell, the Wichita Republican who advocated for the bill, said the legislation is designed to pressure those receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to spend “more responsibly.” O’Donnell’s statement is not only a huge insult to hardworking parents who are doing their best to stretch every penny to cover food, rent, transportation costs, child care and other expenses, it perpetuates the dominant frame of low-income people as irresponsible spenders. It’s as if we’ve entered a time machine and are back in 1976, the year Ronald Reagan declared his thinly veiled racist/sexist war on low-income mothers of color, aka “Welfare Queens.” In a 2013 National Journal article titled “The Return of the Welfare Queen,” it reported that 25 Republican-led states had rebuffed billions of federal funds under President Obama’s health care law to offer Medicaid insurance to more low-income people. To justify this unprecedented rejection of federal aid, these governors and state lawmakers said they didn’t believe Washington would keep its promise to pick up the tab. “But all of this opposition carries an unmistakable undertone of class warfare, a theme easy to exploit in states such as Kentucky, packed with low-income white voters who have a strong distaste for the federal government. To hear the rhetoric coming from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail, Medicaid and food-stamp recipients are a bunch of shiftless freeloaders living high on king crab legs and free health care, all on the backs of hardworking Americans.” New Medicaid recipients “have no personal responsibility for their health,” said Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa in a memo from the state capital, according to the National Journal article. Ernst is not alone. Decision-makers as well as voters throughout the country continue to hold on to a way of thinking that is inaccurate and unjust. And it underscores the urgency for advocates to reframe the conversation and show — and name — the systems and structures in place that make easier for some to succeed and more difficult for others. One example of reframing the conversation to il... --- ## Report: Latino-targeted ad spending increases by 63% URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-latino-targeted-ad-spending-increases-by-63/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-29 Words: 35 > The top 500 US marketers have substantially increased their spending on Latino consumers since 2010, increasing both Spanish language advertising and ads that target Latino consumers in English language media.... The top 500 US marketers have substantially increased their spending on Latino consumers since 2010, increasing both Spanish language advertising and ads that target Latino consumers in English language media. Will other companies follow suit? --- ## Politics over science: U.S. newspaper coverage of emergency contraception URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/politics-over-science-u-s-newspaper-coverage-of-emergency-contraception/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7592 > By Katie Woodruff, MPH, and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, MPH A condom breaks. A rapist strikes. A woman not using birth control has sex and wants to prevent pregnancy. In any... By Katie Woodruff, MPH, and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, MPH A condom breaks. A rapist strikes. A woman not using birth control has sex and wants to prevent pregnancy. In any of these cases, emergency contraception (EC) may be the answer. Based on the same hormones used in regular birth control pills, EC can be taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse to prevent pregnancy. By delaying ovulation and immobilizing sperm, it has the potential to prevent pregnancy in up to 89% of cases.1 Because EC works best when taken shortly after unprotected sex, it is important for a woman to be able to get it quickly when she needs it. For more than a decade, reproductive health advocates have worked to realize the promise of EC by making it available over the counter — without a prescription and without age restrictions — in every drugstore. Advocates’ efforts have been met at the Food and Drug Administration with resistance and roadblocks often driven by politics.2 (See timeline, Appendix.) In 2011, based on abundant scientific evidence that the drug was safe for all ages, the FDA was finally poised to approve over-the-counter status for EC without age restrictions, when Health and Human Services then-Secretary Kathleen Sebelius abruptly overruled the move. Sebelius cited concerns about the safety of the drug for young girls, but many observers concluded that she sought to deflect potential controversy over parental rights and teen sexuality as President Obama headed into his reelection campaign.3 Petitions and lawsuits about EC access continued until spring 2013, when U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman issued a scathing rebuke to the FDA and mandated that EC be made available over the counter within 30 days. Three months and several dramatic twists later, on June 20, 2013, the FDA finally made one form of EC, Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Plan B One-Step, available over the counter without age restrictions. Reproductive health advocates celebrated this long-awaited move; Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards called it “a huge breakthrough for access to birth control and a historic moment for women’s health and equity,” noting that the decision “will make emergency contraception available on store shelves, just like condoms, and women of all ages will be able to get it quickly in order to prevent unintended pregnancy.”4 At the same time, advocates remain concerned about practical access to EC. The market exclusivity granted to Teva means that no other manufacturer will be permitted to sell its EC products over the counter until 2016, making Plan B One-Step the only EC brand available over the counter. Advocates worry that this will keep the price of the branded product high (initially around $50-$60 per dose), presenting a barrier to access for many low-income and young women. They are also aware that the over-the-counter policy is only as effective as its implementation; many pharmacies may still keep the product behind the counter or refuse to sell it to younger women, despite the FDA’s action. In response to the unprecedented new policy on emergency contraception, and in preparation for future work to improve practical access to EC in various settings, Princeton University’s Office of Population Research invited Berkeley Media Studies Group to examine how the issue of EC has been covered in the news. Why analyze news content? Abundant evidence indicates that the news media play a powerful role in setting policy agendas and framing the way the public and policymakers think about and respond to issues.5,6,7 If reproductive health advocates are to advance policies to improve access and protect women, they must understand how the issue is being presented in public discussions. They must be able to make strong yet concise arguments for their perspective, as well as anticipate and counter arguments opposing them. Additionally, advocates and concerned practitioners can look at news coverage as a proxy, albeit an imperfect one, of how the public may understand their issue. If the news served as the public’s only source of information on emergency contraception, what would they know? And what wouldn’t they know? What are the implications for advocates concerned about dissemination of accurate information? Methods To understand how emergency contraception has been covered in the news, BMSG used the Nexis database to search for articles in the four U.S. newspapers with the highest circulation (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times), plus the Washington Post (8th highest circulation in the country, typically included in content analyses due to its role as the paper of record for federal policy), and the Associated Press and Reuters Health News wire services whose stories appear in newspapers around the country. BMSG’s research team searched for all pieces published in January through August 2013 that contained the terms “emergency contraception,” “morning-after pill,” or “Plan B.” Th... --- ## What’s missing from news coverage of emergency contraception? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/whats-missing-from-news-coverage-of-emergency-contraception/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 808 > The United States has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy in the developed world; approximately 3.4 million such pregnancies occur each year. Given this fact, when there's a... The United States has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy in the developed world; approximately 3.4 million such pregnancies occur each year. Given this fact, when there’s a pill that can prevent pregnancy after sex occurs — if taken within hours of unprotected intercourse — you would think it’s just common sense to make that pill as widely available as possible. But of course, in the U.S., nothing about sexuality and contraception is as common sense as I might like it to be. I was reminded of this when I delved into news coverage of the controversy over the Federal Drug Administration’s 2013 decision, after years of delay, to make the emergency contraception (EC) pill available over the counter. What I found is very familiar to those who follow news coverage of public health issues: a battle of values. In this case, it boiled down to a tug-of-war between political outrage over the FDA’s inaction on the one side and parental discomfort with increased access to contraception on the other. On the side against making EC more accessible, the predominant arguments were characterized by a morals-based perspective reflecting parental unease with teen sexuality. Interestingly, this was not portrayed as an extreme right-wing morality; unlike the debate over contraception in the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby case, these were not arguments that life begins at conception. Rather, these were arguments presented as “reasonable,” “common sense” concerns about the implications of making EC available to young teens. On the side in favor of making EC more accessible, arguments chiefly focused on political outrage that this safe, useful drug had not been made available sooner. Reproductive health advocates — and the judge in the EC case himself — rebuked the FDA for the delays and accused the administration of putting politics over science. Unfortunately, the coverage so focused on the political controversy that it failed to convey the public health facts and human reality behind the debate. It missed an opportunity to explore why increased access to contraception matters to everyday people. In a trend that I have now seen in coverage of other reproductive health issues, women’s personal stories were virtually absent from the coverage. Frankly, I am surprised to find myself suggesting that news should include more personal stories. For years, the good folks at Berkeley Media Studies Group have tried hard to shift news coverage away from exclusive individualistic frames on public health issues. Research has shown that news stories that emphasize individuals can discourage the news consumer from thinking about issues in collective terms and can undermine support for policies that would help solve the problem at the governmental or other institutional level. For example, a “positive” TV news story on how a family supported each other to lose weight might lead viewers to believe that if they could do it, anyone can — and to discount the importance of such environmental factors as neighborhood food sources, food and beverage marketing, opportunities for safe exercise, and community poverty. All of these are factors outside any single individual’s control that play critical roles in obesity and health. As a result, part of BMSG’s work has been to help advocates present policy issues in compelling terms and use their own personal stories merely as hooks to shift to the wider issue, rather than dwelling on a narrow individual narrative. The object is to shift news stories from the individual portrait to the broader landscape perspective, illustrating the context within which individuals confronted various public health problems. Without this context, individual stories can often be problematic. However, given the almost total dearth of personal stories in this sample of news on EC, I believe stories that more accurately reflect more women’s real experiences may be necessary to bring the issue to life. A wider range of women’s stories would convey a more balanced picture of why women of all ages need access to EC. This is just one of our recommendations to reporters and advocates in the study. One personal note: The attentive reader will notice that this study focuses on a news event that took place nearly two years ago. I wish publishing research were instantaneous, but alas, getting from raw results to a published paper can take a long time, with many events conspiring to slow the process. In this case, some of those events involved my return to graduate school. As a current doctoral student in public health at the University of California, Berkeley, I’m excited to explore further the issue of how personal stories of reproductive health challenges may impact public empathy, public support for healthy policies, and, ultimately, health itself. More on that to come. --- ## Coca-Cola’s new campaign targets youth with appeals to “true friendship” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-new-campaign-targets-youth-with-appeals-to-true-friendship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-24 Words: 51 > In Mexico, Coca-Cola released a new social media-fueled marketing campaign that targets teens by aligning the product with friendship and popular boy band One Direction. The promotion urges teens to... In Mexico, Coca-Cola released a new social media-fueled marketing campaign that targets teens by aligning the product with friendship and popular boy band One Direction. The promotion urges teens to become part of the campaign by using social media to share images and videos of themselves and their friends. --- ## Companies encouraged to use Nielsen shopper data to target Latino shoppers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/companies-encouraged-to-use-nielsen-shopper-data-to-target-latino-shoppers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-23 Words: 52 > Nielsen shopping data shows that Latino consumers spend more money than other racial groups on packaged foods (as well as other consumer goods), causing analysts to recommend targeting Latino consumers.... Nielsen shopping data shows that Latino consumers spend more money than other racial groups on packaged foods (as well as other consumer goods), causing analysts to recommend targeting Latino consumers. Goya is offered as a specific example of a food company successfully appealing to Latinos by targeting their products to that population. --- ## Despite pledges, a new study finds that the food industry is still advertising unhealthy items to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/despite-pledges-a-new-study-finds-that-the-food-industry-is-still-advertising-unhealthy-items-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-23 Words: 77 > A new report found that more than half of the foods advertised on child-targeted TV shows don't meet the recommended government nutrition guidelines. Some of the framing throughout keeps the... A new report found that more than half of the foods advertised on child-targeted TV shows don’t meet the recommended government nutrition guidelines. Some of the framing throughout keeps the focus off industry actions, though the study’s author does address industry accountability when she suggests that companies advertise those foods that do meet nutritional recommendations. She stops short of calling for policies that would protect children from being bombarded by unhealthy advertisements. --- ## Meijer partners with Produce for Kids campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/meijer-partners-with-produce-for-kids-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-22 Words: 66 > The supermarket company is partnering with the campaign to offer nutrition education concerts across several states. In a corporate social responsibility move, the partnership allows the company to show support... The supermarket company is partnering with the campaign to offer nutrition education concerts across several states. In a corporate social responsibility move, the partnership allows the company to show support for child nutrition while marketing their stores. Meijer has committed to bringing a greater diversity of fruits and vegetables to its store in order to appeal to children and their parents who attend the concerts. --- ## McDonald’s targets African-American youth through award ceremony URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-african-american-youth-through-award-ceremony/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-21 Words: 50 > McDonald's is hosting its Second Annual Community Choice Youth Awards, where African-American youth are honored for service to their communities. The corporate social responsibility move is an opportunity for McDonald's... McDonald’s is hosting its Second Annual Community Choice Youth Awards, where African-American youth are honored for service to their communities. The corporate social responsibility move is an opportunity for McDonald’s to appeal to African-American youth while appearing concerned with the needs of the community. --- ## The new foodies: Target marketing 7-17 year olds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-new-foodies-target-marketing-7-17-year-olds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 87 > A new report released by the digital marketing agency Deep Focus states that Generation Z, 7-17 year-olds, have a lot of power over food choice within their families. The report... A new report released by the digital marketing agency Deep Focus states that Generation Z, 7-17 year-olds, have a lot of power over food choice within their families. The report labels this age group as “the new foodies” and encourages brands to target youth saying, “brands who aren’t targeting them today do need to start paying attention. Companies are also encouraged to target them now because they will be future consumers and building brand loyalty can generate future sales.” --- ## Talking about #trauma: How conversations about childhood adversity are shared on Twitter URL: https://www.bmsg.org/talking-about-trauma-how-conversations-about-childhood-adversity-are-shared-on-twitter/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 314 > Twitter is changing how people communicate all over the world — what are the implications for talking about childhood trauma? In partnership with ACEs Connection and The California Endowment, Berkeley... Twitter is changing how people communicate all over the world — what are the implications for talking about childhood trauma? In partnership with ACEs Connection and The California Endowment, Berkeley Media Studies Group has been assessing how the term “adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs) appears in the media, including social media. Social media can drive the news agenda and influence how much attention topics get from mainstream news outlets. Individuals and organizations working to prevent childhood trauma also use social media to build relationships and share information with each other. A first step to understanding how trauma appears in Twitter conversations is analyzing hashtags about childhood trauma. On Twitter and other social media platforms, hashtags (“#”) help users find others who are tweeting about the same topics. The trauma hashtag on Twitter. We selected a set of hashtags that were used in Twitter conversations about childhood trauma and then gathered data about them for one representative week in early 2015. We found that tweets about childhood trauma used a wide variety of hashtags. However, there was no consistent set of hashtags that a user could search for to capture all tweets about childhood trauma, which could hinder relationship-building among organizations and individuals working on the issue. In addition, two of the most commonly used hashtags — #ACEs and #trauma — were not specific to childhood trauma. As a result, a user searching for tweets with the #ACEs hashtag would be much more likely to learn about the Alaska Aces hockey team than about addressing childhood trauma. In our report, “Talking About Trauma on Twitter: An Overview of Hashtags,” we present our findings for each of the hashtags we analyzed and suggest possible next steps for investigating the social media landscape and identifying hashtags for childhood trauma that could facilitate communication and engagement on social media. This blog originally appeared on ACEs Connection. --- ## Talking about trauma on Twitter: An overview of hashtags URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-trauma-on-twitter-an-overview-of-hashtags/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1590 > Twitter is changing how people communicate all over the world — what are the implications for talking about childhood trauma? In partnership with ACEs Connection and The California Endowment, Berkeley... Twitter is changing how people communicate all over the world — what are the implications for talking about childhood trauma? In partnership with ACEs Connection and The California Endowment, Berkeley Media Studies Group has been assessing how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) appear in the media, including social media. Social media frequently drives the news agenda and plays a role in influencing how much attention topics get from mainstream sources. Individuals and organizations working on childhood trauma also use social media to build relationships and share information with each other. A first step to understanding how trauma appears in Twitter conversations is analyzing hashtags about childhood trauma. One of the benefits of using Twitter is the opportunity to build relationships with individuals and organizations that are working on the same issues. For those concerned about childhood trauma, hashtags can facilitate relationships on social media by helping users find others who are tweeting about the same issues. To find out which hashtags people were using in conversations about childhood trauma on Twitter, starting in July 2014 we used the Hootsuite social media dashboard to monitor several common hashtags used in tweets about adverse childhood experiences to understand how they were being used and identify those that were the most popular. We monitored: #ACEs, #ACEsCx, #ACEsTooHigh, #ACEs2Hi, #toxicstress, #childwelfare, #resilience, #trauma, #childtrauma, #childhoodtrauma, #socialemotional and #traumainformedcare. Based on our preliminary observations, we then selected a group of hashtags to analyze in a more systematic way. We used the Twitonomy social media analysis tool to collect data about how the hashtags were used over the course of one representative week in January 2015 (January 15-22, 2015). We used this data to explore both the content of the tweets and the networks of people using each hashtag. We created word clouds to visualize the contents of the tweets for each hashtag. We also explored which Twitter accounts were most active in using each hashtag (how many times they tweeted or retweeted a Tweet containing the hashtag), as well as which of those users were most influential according to Twitonomy (measured in terms of how many followers the user has).* Results Of the twelve hashtags we searched for, seven had been tagged in tweets during the week we studied. Number of tweets for each hashtag #Trauma: 2,625 tweets Of the hashtags we analyzed, #Trauma generated the most tweets during the selected week. However, while tweets containing this hashtag related to trauma as a health issue, most did not focus on childhood trauma. Instead, this hashtag was commonly used for conversations about issues such as physical injuries or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adults. There were also a number of Spanish-language tweets tagged with #Trauma, which shared stressful or upsetting events in the everyday lives of Twitter users. The most influential users of the #Trauma hashtag did not appear to explicitly work on childhood trauma. Among the most influential and active groups and individuals who used the hashtag were coaching services offering relationship or career coaching (e.g. @SherpaNLP, @Affinitycoaching); the author of a fiction e-novel titled “Trauma Junkie” (@kindlemojo); and a Spanish-language website addressing emotional skills (@hemocional). #ACEs: 1,029 tweets Over the course of the selected week, the #ACEs hashtag was used more than 1,000 times. However, few of the tweets using #ACEs were related to adverse childhood experiences. Instead, the #ACEs hashtag often referred to a popular film website (Filmy Aces), or to professional sports teams. The most retweeted #ACEs tweet during the week we studied, for example, was about an open house event for the Alaska Aces hockey team. #Toxicstress: 50 tweets The #Toxicstress hashtag appeared in only 50 tweets over the course of the week, but these tweets were almost all explicitly focused on some aspect of childhood trauma and adversity. For example, one frequently retweeted post from @myeo3 (Melissa Yeo of Burness Communications/The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) containing the #Toxicstress hashtag read, “Child stress hinders brain growth, executive function, social emotional development #toxicstress #childpoverty.” The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was one of the top users of this hashtag. The @RWJF Twitter account was the most influential user of #Toxicstress and was also one of the most active users of the hashtag. RWJF grantees, former employees, and communications consultants were also among the most influential and active users of the #Toxicstress hashtag. Other influential Twitter users who tagged posts with #Toxicstress included the Century Foundation (@TCFdotorg), the Spark Action journalism and advocacy network (@sparkaction), the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (@nctsn) and physicians working on issues of chil... --- ## Subway partners with the Avengers franchise to appeal to youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-partners-with-the-avengers-franchise-to-appeal-to-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-14 Words: 60 > Movie tie-ins are a classic marketing strategy that food and beverage makers use to appeal to youth, and Subway's latest partnership aligns the brand with one of the most anticipated... Movie tie-ins are a classic marketing strategy that food and beverage makers use to appeal to youth, and Subway’s latest partnership aligns the brand with one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. Subway’s partnership with Avengers: Age of Ultron includes a number of promotions designed to appeal to young customers and their families. --- ## Coca-Cola will bring back the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, popular with teens, for the summer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-will-bring-back-the-share-a-coke-campaign-popular-with-teens-for-the-summer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 56 > Coke plans to expand its popular "Share a Coke" campaign, which specifically targets teens and Millennials using Coke products branded with first names that are common in those age groups.... Coke plans to expand its popular “Share a Coke” campaign, which specifically targets teens and Millennials using Coke products branded with first names that are common in those age groups. This summer, the expanded campaign will feature more names, package sizes, and formats – and presumably will appeal to even more young consumers. --- ## Cleaning the fridge while the house burns: Why dropping soft drinks from kids’ meals isn’t enough URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cleaning-the-fridge-while-the-house-burns-why-dropping-soft-drinks-from-kids-meals-isnt-enough/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-10 Words: 81 > A marketing professor from the University of Oregon succinctly explains complex marketing concepts and how they hijack children's food preferences in this article that pushes for more substantive improvements to... A marketing professor from the University of Oregon succinctly explains complex marketing concepts and how they hijack children’s food preferences in this article that pushes for more substantive improvements to children’s food environments. The article includes the media bite, “It is difficult to celebrate Burger King’s delinquent reform to product offerings directed to children. It is like being self-congratulatory about finally cleaning out the refrigerator as the rest of the house burns.” --- ## Consumer advocates petition the FTC to keep junk food advertising off YouTube kids app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/consumer-advocates-petition-the-ftc-to-keep-junk-food-advertising-off-youtube-kids-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-09 Words: 60 > Digital privacy advocates are pursuing a new frontier in digital marketing to kids - junk food advertising on YouTube for kids. Advocates chide YouTube Kids for mixing advertising and programming... Digital privacy advocates are pursuing a new frontier in digital marketing to kids – junk food advertising on YouTube for kids. Advocates chide YouTube Kids for mixing advertising and programming in a way that deceives young children, featuring branded channels for companies such as McDonald’s, and distributing segments that appear to be user-generated without disclosing business relationships. --- ## Snickers recruits well-known video bloggers to reach youth internationally URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snickers-recruits-well-known-video-bloggers-to-reach-youth-internationally/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-09 Words: 66 > Snicker is using classic digital marketing strategies (infiltrating social networks and soliciting user-generated content) to connect with youth internationally. The company has recruited popular video bloggers to make videos for... Snicker is using classic digital marketing strategies (infiltrating social networks and soliciting user-generated content) to connect with youth internationally. The company has recruited popular video bloggers to make videos for their “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign – the 13 “vloggers” represent eight countries and have more than 7 million subscribers, many of them young people. --- ## 2nd Annual Sabor Latino Food Show focuses on appealing to Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/2nd-annual-sabor-latino-food-show-focuses-on-appealing-to-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-07 Words: 40 > The event brings grocers, restauranteurs, schools, hotels, hospitals and foodservice professionals together with food suppliers and manufacturers to discuss ways in which to appeal to Latino consumers. Food companies want... The event brings grocers, restauranteurs, schools, hotels, hospitals and foodservice professionals together with food suppliers and manufacturers to discuss ways in which to appeal to Latino consumers. Food companies want to capitalize on the growing Latino population to increase revenue. --- ## Advertising Age encourages targeting multicultural consumers in dedicated issue URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advertising-age-encourages-targeting-multicultural-consumers-in-dedicated-issue/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-06 Words: 53 > Advertising Age is dedicating an issue to multicultural marketing, releasing a series of articles on how to target market to people of color. Piggybacking off news that non-Hispanic whites will... Advertising Age is dedicating an issue to multicultural marketing, releasing a series of articles on how to target market to people of color. Piggybacking off news that non-Hispanic whites will be the minority in 2044, Advertising Age is encouraging food, entertainment, and sport companies target this population in order to increase revenue. --- ## Subway uses its oldest brand representative to target “up and coming” consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-uses-its-oldest-brand-representative-to-target-up-and-coming-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 52 > Subway is bringing back its spokesman Jared for a new advertising campaign that's intended to drive social media engagement with the brand. The advertisements, aired during Final Four coverage, reintroduced... Subway is bringing back its spokesman Jared for a new advertising campaign that’s intended to drive social media engagement with the brand. The advertisements, aired during Final Four coverage, reintroduced Jared to Millennials while reinforcing connections with the brand and emphasizing Subway’s “better-for-you” image. --- ## Denny’s partners with DreamWorks to connect with Millennial families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-partners-with-dreamworks-to-connect-with-millennial-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-04-01 Words: 63 > Denny's is using popular characters from DreamWorks Animation films as part of an interactive kids' menu designed to engage kids and their parent with puzzles, games, social media outreach and... Denny’s is using popular characters from DreamWorks Animation films as part of an interactive kids’ menu designed to engage kids and their parent with puzzles, games, social media outreach and digital content. Note that this industry press writeup takes care to mention that some of the items on this menu are approved by Kids LiveWell, which is an industry program. --- ## Using social math to support your policy issue URL: https://www.bmsg.org/using-social-math-to-support-your-policy-issue/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1410 > Every day we are bombarded with news stories involving very large numbers. We hear about billions of dollars being spent by government or industry, or we might learn that hundreds... Every day we are bombarded with news stories involving very large numbers. We hear about billions of dollars being spent by government or industry, or we might learn that hundreds of thousands of people are at risk for a particular disease. More often than not, these numbers do little to inform us because we don’t have a way of putting them into a meaningful context. After a certain point, the numbers stop making sense, which is why advocates must become skilled at social math. “Social math” is the practice of translating statistics and other data so that they become interesting to the journalist, meaningful to the audience, and helpful in advancing public policy. Unlike infographics, which use visuals such as charts and graphics to present data, “social math is the practice of making large numbers comprehensible and compelling by placing them in a social context that provides meaning.” The best social math surprises people and provokes an emotional response. While advocates can use social math together with infographics or other visuals to make information more memorable and shareable, successful examples paint a picture — with or without the use of an image — that helps people see what you are saying. Social math can be created by restating large numbers in terms of time or place, personalizing or localizing numbers, or making comparisons with familiar things. Another approach is using irony to make a point about misplaced societal values, such as how we spend more on products with little social value than we do on solving core health concerns. One powerful example of social math being leveraged effectively comes from the Justice Policy Institute and ACLU of Nevada, whose recent joint social media campaign, launched this month, draws attention to the state’s high cost of youth incarceration. To highlight the need for juvenile justice reform and push policymakers to rethink corrections spending, the groups created a series of infographics showing how funds dedicated to critical social investments such as education — $8,223 per student per year — are dwarfed by spending to jail youth — up to $130,101 per youth per year. Using the hashtag #StickerShock, the campaign features images of pricetags with side-by-side cost comparisons and asks, “Schoolhouse or jailhouse? How would you invest in Nevada’s youth?” Another memorable example comes from advocates concerned about gun violence, who, in 1996, found that there were more than 11,000 gun dealers in the state of California. In a creative use of social math that remains relevant today, they put the issue into context by creating a chart showing the number of gun dealers in comparison to the state’s McDonald’s (850), high schools (2,170), and libraries (1,024). This brought the issue of gun availability to life: McDonald’s restaurants seemed to be everywhere, but there were more than 10 times as many firearms dealers. At the same time, the comparison brought into the frame images related to young people — schools and libraries — so the audience would be reminded of the things society could provide more of for children and youth. Getting started with social math Before making your case for an issue — whether through an interview with a journalist, testimony in front of decision-makers, or a carefully crafted op-ed or blog — collect all the numbers you may need; then consider which ones will best support your policy goals and help you to field tough questions. Ask yourself, How will you describe or quantify the problem? What comparisons to other issues, populations, geographic areas, changes over time, or policy solutions might help you? What does each number or comparison show about the way the world works now or about what should be different? Will you need fiscal estimates to clarify the cost of the problem or policy solution? After you’ve decided which numbers will likely be most effective, make them count by presenting them creatively, perhaps by incorporating them into an infographic. Knowing what advocacy point you are trying to make with them will help you decide what type of social math to create. It will also help you resist the temptation to drown reporters and readers in statistics or graphs. Remember, you can’t be comprehensive and strategic at the same time. Tips for calculating social math 1. Break the number down by time. If you know the amount over the course of one year, what does that look like per day, per hour, or per minute? “The food and beverage industry spends $2 billion a year just targeting kids — that’s more than $5 million every day just to reach children and youth.” 2. Break the number down by place. Comparing a statistic with a well-known place can give people a sense of the statistic’s magnitude. “12.7 million people are physically abused, raped or stalked by their partners in one year. That’s approximately the population of New York City & Los Angeles combined.” 3. Personalize or localize your numbers. Doing so can make an issue mo... --- ## Mountain Dew aims to access young men worldwide with first ever global campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-aims-to-access-young-men-worldwide-with-first-ever-global-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 90 > Mountain Dew plans to bring back its well-known "Do the Dew" slogan for a global campaign that will include social media components. The brand is trying to distance itself from its... Mountain Dew plans to bring back its well-known “Do the Dew” slogan for a global campaign that will include social media components. The brand is trying to distance itself from its previous focus on extreme sports, but they’re still focused firmly on connecting with young men. Executives claim that the brand is well-suited to global outreach because its target audience (male millennials) “has a lot more in common with each other than they have differences” and is highly engaged online. --- ## Unilever targets kids with Frozen-themed popsicles and other new items URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/unilever-targets-kids-with-frozen-themed-popsicles-and-other-new-items/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 32 > Unilever is launching 16 new frozen dessert lines this summer. Several of them, including the Frozen-themed treats highlighted here, clearly aim to reach children through product and promotion-based strategies. Unilever is launching 16 new frozen dessert lines this summer. Several of them, including the Frozen-themed treats highlighted here, clearly aim to reach children through product and promotion-based strategies. --- ## Telemundo partners with Dr Pepper for new ad campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/telemundo-partners-with-dr-pepper-for-new-ad-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 54 > The new campaign aimed at Latino consumers will feature popular Spanish-language television show hosts inviting celebrities to do unusual or challenging tasks they have always wanted to complete. Viewers are invited to... The new campaign aimed at Latino consumers will feature popular Spanish-language television show hosts inviting celebrities to do unusual or challenging tasks they have always wanted to complete. Viewers are invited to share their own photos with the Dr Pepper logo and a caption about something they always wanted to try. --- ## Should healthy foods be marketed to kids? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/should-healthy-foods-be-marketed-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 53 > Law professor Bill Bogart comes down firmly against marketing fruits and vegetables to children, and does some food industry denormalization in the process: for example, he points out that the food industry... Law professor Bill Bogart comes down firmly against marketing fruits and vegetables to children, and does some food industry denormalization in the process: for example, he points out that the food industry will be quick to point to fruit and vegetable advertising as a justification to excuse any marketing to children. --- ## Burger King campaign uses customers’ own phones to promote the return of Chicken Fries URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-campaign-uses-customers-own-phones-to-promote-the-return-of-chicken-fries/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 38 > In order to promote the return of Chicken Fries and target young consumers using digital strategies, Burger King is launching a keyboard of chicken fries emojis. The company will also... In order to promote the return of Chicken Fries and target young consumers using digital strategies, Burger King is launching a keyboard of chicken fries emojis. The company will also run ads for the Fries during March Madness. --- ## Mondelez partnership with Major League Soccer provides more access to Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-partnership-with-major-league-soccer-provides-more-access-to-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 59 > The company signed a deal to become the Official Snacks of Major League Soccer as part of its #PassTheLove campaign, which it uses to market to sports consumers nationwide. Partnering... The company signed a deal to become the Official Snacks of Major League Soccer as part of its #PassTheLove campaign, which it uses to market to sports consumers nationwide. Partnering with the MLS gives Mondelez more access to soccer consumers, a huge section of which are Latinos. It provides them access through television advertisements and products within the stadium. --- ## Five ways McDonald’s markets to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/five-ways-mcdonalds-markets-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 41 > Almost a quarter of schools in the United States sell fast food brands in their school cafeterias. Fast food companies also partner with schools for fundraisers or educational events. This... Almost a quarter of schools in the United States sell fast food brands in their school cafeterias. Fast food companies also partner with schools for fundraisers or educational events. This article outlines five ways McDonald’s targets school-age children. --- ## How energy drink ads target teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-energy-drink-ads-target-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 23 > A new study from Dartmouth College found that nearly half of energy drink advertisements appeared on channels with content that appeals to adolescents. A new study from Dartmouth College found that nearly half of energy drink advertisements appeared on channels with content that appeals to adolescents. --- ## Who is responsible for kids’ health? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/who-is-responsible-for-kids-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 74 > In this op-ed, an Australian mother of three explains how the food environment undermines the healthy decisions she tries to make for her children. The continued targeted marketing of unhealthy... In this op-ed, an Australian mother of three explains how the food environment undermines the healthy decisions she tries to make for her children. The continued targeted marketing of unhealthy products to children leaves parents continually stuck in the bad guy role. She issues a strong call for action, concluding, “there will be no solution without a co-ordinated effort by government, the food and beverage industry, the community and individuals.” --- ## Sour Patch Kids targets teens by housing hip bands URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sour-patch-kids-targets-teens-by-housing-hip-bands/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 32 > The company brings up-and-coming musicians who are "culturally relevant for teens" to stay in their company-owned properties in exchange for social media promotion of the candy. The company brings up-and-coming musicians who are “culturally relevant for teens” to stay in their company-owned properties in exchange for social media promotion of the candy. --- ## Kraft Singles receives kids’ nutrition seal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-singles-receives-kids-nutrition-seal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 78 > Public health advocates are questioning the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' decision to provide Kraft Singles with a "Kids Eat Right" label, which they say perpetuates confusion among parents about... Public health advocates are questioning the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ decision to provide Kraft Singles with a “Kids Eat Right” label, which they say perpetuates confusion among parents about what it means to eat healthy. The Academy has been criticized for having “overly cozy ties” with the food industry. The blog also links to the Rudd Center’s recent report on parents’ perceptions of sugary drinks as “healthy.” --- ## Coke’s PR Strategy Is to Market Soda as a Healthy Snack URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cokes-pr-strategy-is-to-market-soda-as-a-healthy-snack/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 64 > Coca-Cola paid nutrition experts to suggest small sodas or mini-cans of Coke as a "healthy treat" for American Heart Month. The author notes that the campaign highlights "the many ways... Coca-Cola paid nutrition experts to suggest small sodas or mini-cans of Coke as a “healthy treat” for American Heart Month. The author notes that the campaign highlights “the many ways food companies work behind the scenes to cast their products in a positive light, often with the help of third parties who are seen as trusted authorities.” --- ## Researcher James Sargent on the “Philip Morris of fast foods” and how its marketing affects children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/researcher-james-sargent-on-the-philip-morris-of-fast-foods-and-how-its-marketing-affects-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 71 > This piece features an interview with James Sargent, a researcher whose work focuses on how children respond to fast food advertising, about a recently released report on fast food commercials.... This piece features an interview with James Sargent, a researcher whose work focuses on how children respond to fast food advertising, about a recently released report on fast food commercials. Kudos to the interviewer and Sargent for connecting the problems that this research highlights to policy solutions – and also for a nice media bite from Sargent, who describes McDonald’s as “the Philip Morris of fast foods.” --- ## Burger King drops soda from kids menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-drops-soda-from-kids-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-10 Words: 38 > Burger King has become the latest fast-food company to remove soft drinks from its children menu. The company is framing the move as part of an on-going effort to address... Burger King has become the latest fast-food company to remove soft drinks from its children menu. The company is framing the move as part of an on-going effort to address consumers’ desire for healthier options. --- ## Gaming as a means of targeting teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gaming-as-a-means-of-targeting-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-10 Words: 38 > The article identifies games as a way to market to teenagers. Popular platforms for young people to create and consume games open up a space for companies to market directly... The article identifies games as a way to market to teenagers. Popular platforms for young people to create and consume games open up a space for companies to market directly to teens, specifically snack food and soft drinks. --- ## Red Bull tries to appeal to millennials with new flavors and zero calories URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/red-bull-tries-to-appeal-to-millennials-with-new-flavors-and-zero-calories/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-06 Words: 52 > The millennial-targeted products are being launched through billboards and videos that can be shared through social media and are running through Pandora, Spotify, and Thrillist. The advertisements will be placed... The millennial-targeted products are being launched through billboards and videos that can be shared through social media and are running through Pandora, Spotify, and Thrillist. The advertisements will be placed near locations that sell Red Bull, with more than 3,000 billboards going up in multiple cities across the country. --- ## Coca-Cola partners with Adelante to appeal to Latina consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-partners-with-adelante-to-appeal-to-latina-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-04 Words: 51 > The Coca-Cola Company is partnering with Adelante, a grassroots organization that works to empower Latina women. This is part of Coca-Cola's 5by20 initiative, which seeks to empower 5 million women... The Coca-Cola Company is partnering with Adelante, a grassroots organization that works to empower Latina women. This is part of Coca-Cola’s 5by20 initiative, which seeks to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs. The partnership focuses on Latina women and helps connect the sugary drink company to Latino consumers. --- ## Food manufacturers target children and change taste palates through sugary foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-manufacturers-target-children-and-change-taste-palates-through-sugary-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-03 Words: 66 > A study from University of Oregon suggests that children's taste palates are changing in response to the nutrient-poor, calorie-dense food marketing directed at them. The coordinator of the Children's Food... A study from University of Oregon suggests that children’s taste palates are changing in response to the nutrient-poor, calorie-dense food marketing directed at them. The coordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign explains, “Whilst young children may have innate preferences for slight sweetness, manufacturers and marketers have exploited this so that the taste profile/preference of children is warped.” --- ## Coca-Cola and McDonald’s using positivity to appeal to millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-mcdonalds-using-positivity-to-appeal-to-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-03 Words: 64 > The brands are marketing the pursuit of happiness as a means of attracting millennials and promoting the idea that these brands can help millennials achieve happiness through securing a strong... The brands are marketing the pursuit of happiness as a means of attracting millennials and promoting the idea that these brands can help millennials achieve happiness through securing a strong brand loyalty. Strategic insights director for ZenithOptimedia Worldwide explains, “By understanding how millennials find fulfillment in their lives, brands can play a meaningful role to support and enhance their pursuit of happiness.” --- ## Pizza Hut promotes literacy program for children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-hut-promotes-literacy-program-for-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-02 Words: 55 > Pizza Hut is using National Reading Month to encourage literacy program alumni to encourage children to read through posting photos on social media with the hashtag #BOOKITkid for the chance... Pizza Hut is using National Reading Month to encourage literacy program alumni to encourage children to read through posting photos on social media with the hashtag #BOOKITkid for the chance to win a personal pan pizza. The company is using BOOK IT as a means to connect with children while showing corporate social responsibility. --- ## Target revamps groceries in order to appeal to millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/target-revamps-groceries-in-order-to-appeal-to-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-03-02 Words: 50 > Target is moving away from foods millennials don't like in favor of foods they do - they are offering less processed and packaged foods, and more granola and yogurt. Target... Target is moving away from foods millennials don’t like in favor of foods they do – they are offering less processed and packaged foods, and more granola and yogurt. Target is appealing towards this market because they are becoming a greater part of Target’s consumer base. --- ## New advertisements from PepsiCo, Oreo and McDonald’s for Chinese New Year URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-advertisements-from-pepsico-oreo-and-mcdonalds-for-chinese-new-year/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-27 Words: 35 > In a holiday peg, PepsiCo, Oreo, and McDonald's are using Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year) to market their products to Chinese communities, both inside and... In a holiday peg, PepsiCo, Oreo, and McDonald’s are using Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year) to market their products to Chinese communities, both inside and outside of China. --- ## Powerade targets African Americans in new commercial URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/powerade-targets-african-americans-in-new-commercial/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-27 Words: 54 > The sports drink company uses Chicago Bulls player Derrick Rose walking through the south side of Chicago over a recitation of Tupac's "A Rose that Grew from Concrete" to reach... The sports drink company uses Chicago Bulls player Derrick Rose walking through the south side of Chicago over a recitation of Tupac’s “A Rose that Grew from Concrete” to reach African Americans. The commercial uses imagery and language familiar to African Americans in an attempt to seem appealing and accessible. --- ## World Health Organization unveils tool to limit marketing to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/world-health-organization-unveils-tool-to-limit-marketing-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-20 Words: 49 > The World Health Organization states that there is strong evidence linking targeted marketing to unhealthy diets in children. As such WHO has developed a nutrient profiling tool to help countries... The World Health Organization states that there is strong evidence linking targeted marketing to unhealthy diets in children. As such WHO has developed a nutrient profiling tool to help countries identify unhealthy foods based on saturated fat, trans fat, salt and added sugar, and restrict their marketing to children. --- ## CSPI: Taylor Swift should not partner with Diet Coca-Cola URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cspi-taylor-swift-should-not-partner-with-diet-coca-cola/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-19 Words: 66 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has encouraged Taylor Swift to withdraw from her sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola. The center cites her influence on young people as... The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has encouraged Taylor Swift to withdraw from her sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola. The center cites her influence on young people as well as the damaging effect Coca-Cola has on that demographic. Executive Director Michael Jacobson explains, “[Celebrities] shouldn’t use their influence, especially their influence over children, to market junk food.” --- ## Coca-Cola Puerto Rico using emojis to target youth in latest marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-puerto-rico-using-emojis-to-target-youth-in-latest-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-19 Words: 39 > In a novel example of target marketing through language choices, Coca-Cola Puerto Rico is using emojis, the "second language" for young consumers, to "connect on a deeper level with our... In a novel example of target marketing through language choices, Coca-Cola Puerto Rico is using emojis, the “second language” for young consumers, to “connect on a deeper level with our most important demographic.” --- ## Coca-Cola sponsors 2015 ESSENCE Festival URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-sponsors-2015-essence-festival/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-18 Words: 51 > The Festival is a live entertainment event with musicians and comedians performing for around 550,000 attendees. Essence Communications Inc, a media company dedicated to African American women, hosts the festival.... The Festival is a live entertainment event with musicians and comedians performing for around 550,000 attendees. Essence Communications Inc, a media company dedicated to African American women, hosts the festival. Coca-Cola’s sponsorship gives the company an opportunity to expand their consumer base in the African American community. --- ## Coca-Cola Freestyle app partners with Lady Antebellum URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-freestyle-app-partners-with-lady-antebellum/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-17 Words: 39 > In a promotion targeting youth, any time fans create a beverage mix using the app, they can receive a code that allows them to enter a chance to win prizes... In a promotion targeting youth, any time fans create a beverage mix using the app, they can receive a code that allows them to enter a chance to win prizes including a trip to a Lady Antebellum concert. --- ## Dr Pepper targets American Latinos by offering products it sells in Latin America URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-targets-american-latinos-by-offering-products-it-sells-in-latin-america/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-14 Words: 34 > Dr Pepper is bringing its Mexican sparkling mineral water, Pe̱afiel, to the United States. The company believes the popularity of the drink in Mexico will connect with Latino consumers looking... Dr Pepper is bringing its Mexican sparkling mineral water, Pe̱afiel, to the United States. The company believes the popularity of the drink in Mexico will connect with Latino consumers looking for the familiar. --- ## Kraft Foods Group reaching for millennials with Maxwell House Iced Coffee Concentrates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-foods-group-reaching-for-millennials-with-maxwell-house-iced-coffee-concentrates/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-14 Words: 68 > The company believes millennials drink less black coffee than previous generations and are more interested in specialized coffee beverages like mochas or frozen blended coffees, a trend the company hopes... The company believes millennials drink less black coffee than previous generations and are more interested in specialized coffee beverages like mochas or frozen blended coffees, a trend the company hopes to exploit. A food and beverage analyst explains, “Millennials are looking for ways to get coffee more easily and maybe not spend as much as they’d have to at, say, Starbucks or Dunkin’.” --- ## Webinar: Fast-food fights: What can we learn from the news about fast-food land-use policies? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-fast-food-fights-what-can-we-learn-from-the-news-about-fast-food-land-use-policies/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 76 > Strategic zoning and land-use policies can be an effective way to improve the environments that contribute to chronic health problems, but before advocates can implement land-use policies, they must first... Strategic zoning and land-use policies can be an effective way to improve the environments that contribute to chronic health problems, but before advocates can implement land-use policies, they must first know how to make the case for them. In this webinar, Berkeley Media Studies Group, Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), and ChangeLab Solutions discuss how fast-food land-use policy efforts are portrayed in the news and what this means for future policy efforts. --- ## Fast-food zoning for health: Lessons from newspaper coverage and legislative debates about land-use policies in U.S. communities, 2001-2013 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/fast-food-zoning-for-health-lessons-from-newspaper-coverage-and-legislative-debates-about-land-use-policies-in-u-s-communities-2001-2013/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 846 > In the face of rising obesity rates, public health advocates have suggested zoning and other land-use policies as a promising approach to foster healthy food environments,1-3 including land-use policies to... In the face of rising obesity rates, public health advocates have suggested zoning and other land-use policies as a promising approach to foster healthy food environments,1-3 including land-use policies to restrict fast-food restaurants. We identified land-use ordinances to restrict fast-food restaurants proposed around the country between 2001 and 2013 and analyzed news coverage and legislative documents to assess the public debates around them. Findings Which communities proposed land-use policies? We identified 77 communities that proposed 100 separate fast-food-related land-use policies between January 2001 and June 2013. Most of the communities that proposed the polices were small, white and well-to-do. The communities’ populations ranged from 529 to 8 million, but nearly 40% had fewer than 10,000 people, and 56% had fewer than 20,000. More than three-quarters of the communities were predominately white, and in two-thirds the average household income exceeded the U.S. average.4 Why were land-use policies proposed? According to news coverage and legislative documents, land-use policies were most commonly proposed to protect community aesthetics (80%). Supporters also frequently described policies in terms of their potential to protect the local economy (61%) or improve quality of life in the community by reducing nuisances like litter and traffic (53%). Almost a third of policies were characterized as improving the walkability of the community (31%). Improving community nutrition was rarely cited as a rationale for proposing land-use policies (20%). When the nutrition impact of a policy was referenced, policy supporters argued that zoning and other land-use restrictions could prevent obesity, diabetes and other diet-related diseases. What differed when land-use policies were focused on nutrition? More than half (52%) of the policies proposed in communities of color were intended to improve community health and nutrition, compared to a fraction (6%) of the policies debated in predominately white communities. Communities where nutrition-focused land-use policies were proposed also tended to be larger and more urban: 90% of the nutrition-focused policies were proposed in communities with populations exceeding 50,000, compared to 29% of policies that had other rationales. Only about a third (35%) of the nutrition-focused policies passed, compared to 78% of the policies that focused on non-nutrition-related benefits. News coverage of nutrition-focused policies was also more negative: Just 41% of arguments about nutrition-focused policies supported the proposals, while a strong majority (58%) of arguments about other policies were supportive. The most common argument that critics leveled against land-use policies intended to improve nutrition was that they represented an inappropriate government intrusion into individuals’ personal choices. When nutrition-focused land-use policies were proposed in communities of color, critics of the restrictions sometimes took this line of reasoning a step further and argued that the policies unfairly targeted communities of color. In contrast with the nutrition-focused polices, people seldom criticized non-nutrition-focused policies as an inappropriate government intrusion. Instead, opponents of policies without a nutrition focus mainly argued that these measures would negatively affect the local economy by discouraging investment and entrepreneurship in the community. Discussion This analysis found a clear divide between the debates around land-use policies focused on improving nutrition environments and those focused on other concerns. Nutrition-focused land-use policies faced more opposition, including criticisms that framed the proposed measures as “nanny state” restrictions. Public health advocates should be aware that presenting policies solely in terms of changing eating patterns may elicit strong counter-framing that portrays these policies in terms of government overreach. In addition, advocates should keep in mind the role of race in shaping the debate around local land-use policies and be prepared to address arguments about the impact of these policies on communities of color. Authors Laura Nixon,1 Pamela Mejia,1 Andrew Cheyne,1 Sandra Young,1 Lori Dorfman,1 Lissy C. Friedman,2 Mark Gottlieb,2 Heather Wooten3 1Berkeley Media Studies Group2Public Health Advocacy Institute3ChangeLab Solutions References 1. Mair JS, Pierce MW, Teret SP. (2005). The use of zoning to restrict fast food outlets: A potential strategy to combat obesity. Available at: http://www.publichealthlaw.net/Zoning Fast Food Outlets.pdf. 2. Ashe M, Jernigan D, Kline R, Galaz R. (2003). Land-use planning and the control of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and fast food restaurants. American Journal of Public Health; 93(9): 1404-1408. 3. Centers for Disease Control. Healthy Places – Health Food Environment: Zoning. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/healthyfood/zoning.htm. 4. Cens... --- ## Mountain Dew signs partnership with basketball player Russell Westbrook URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-signs-partnership-with-basketball-player-russell-westbrook/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-11 Words: 32 > The partnership with the all-star basketball player is Mountain Dew's attempt to market to young people by having a spokesperson and "cultural icon" popular among younger demographics. The partnership with the all-star basketball player is Mountain Dew’s attempt to market to young people by having a spokesperson and “cultural icon” popular among younger demographics. --- ## McDonald’s targets African Americans through film festival partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-african-americans-through-film-festival-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-10 Words: 60 > McDonald's is partnering with the American Black Film Festival for McDonald's Lovin' Video competition. The competition grants aspiring directors a chance to enter the American Black Film Festival to be... McDonald’s is partnering with the American Black Film Festival for McDonald’s Lovin’ Video competition. The competition grants aspiring directors a chance to enter the American Black Film Festival to be held in New York City later this year. The partnership is an opportunity for McDonald’s to promote itself within the African-American community. --- ## How to advertise to millennials who hate advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-to-advertise-to-millennials-who-hate-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-09 Words: 46 > The latest way of reaching millennials is through content creators. Through partnering with people who have created original content, companies can have access to their audience without appearing to be... The latest way of reaching millennials is through content creators. Through partnering with people who have created original content, companies can have access to their audience without appearing to be directly advertising to millennials, something Maker Studio’s COO believes millennials don’t like. --- ## Online food advertisements targeting children given all clear URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/online-food-advertisements-targeting-children-given-all-clear/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-06 Words: 67 > The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) in the United Kingdom has decided that there is no need to update regulation on advertising to children. Although recognizing that companies target children... The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) in the United Kingdom has decided that there is no need to update regulation on advertising to children. Although recognizing that companies target children online specifically, through techniques like advergames, CAP found regulation to be to be adequate. The Children’s Food Campaign, a lobby group that seeks to end target marketing, has expressed their disappointment in the decision. --- ## KFC uses Spanglish to appeal to Latinos in new advertisement URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-uses-spanglish-to-appeal-to-latinos-in-new-advertisement/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-02 Words: 41 > KFC is trying to reach the Latino demographic with its new video promoting their $5 fill up menu. The ad uses Spanglish - the mix of English and Spanish -... KFC is trying to reach the Latino demographic with its new video promoting their $5 fill up menu. The ad uses Spanglish – the mix of English and Spanish – and uses a play on words to appear familiar to consumers. --- ## Coca-Cola teams up with Kid President for new campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-teams-up-with-kid-president-for-new-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-01 Words: 69 > The new #MakeItHappy campaign uses Internet star Kid President to appeal to millennials and teens. By appealing to a cause (the campaign encourages consumers to fight online bullying) the company... The new #MakeItHappy campaign uses Internet star Kid President to appeal to millennials and teens. By appealing to a cause (the campaign encourages consumers to fight online bullying) the company is trying to appeal to a younger audience, often considered passionate about particular causes. The campaign’s emphasis on social media, encouraging users to engage with Twitter and YouTube, also indicates an emphasis on younger consumers. --- ## Tough Mudder Inc is partnering with Britvic PLC for international children’s event URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tough-mudder-inc-is-partnering-with-britvic-plc-for-international-childrens-event/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-02-01 Words: 68 > The endurance challenge organizer will be collaborating with one of the leading companies that owns major soft drink companies in Europe to put on an obstacle course aimed at children.... The endurance challenge organizer will be collaborating with one of the leading companies that owns major soft drink companies in Europe to put on an obstacle course aimed at children. Britvic produces and sells local sugary beverages as well as PepsiCo brands such as Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew. This partnership offers Britvic another way to target young consumers while appearing to promote a more active lifestyle. --- ## Webinar: The importance of language in advancing health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-the-importance-of-language-in-advancing-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 64 > Health equity language is value laden and full of “shortcut” terminology. Many of our terms, such as “health equity,” “social determinants of health” and “social justice,” are often only meaningful... Health equity language is value laden and full of “shortcut” terminology. Many of our terms, such as “health equity,” “social determinants of health” and “social justice,” are often only meaningful to public health insiders ‰— and sometimes not even to them. This webinar recording, featuring BMSG’s Julieta Kusnir, explores commonly used public health terms and how such language can help or hinder advocates’ work. --- ## Mountain Dew Kickstart targets millennial males URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-kickstart-targets-millennial-males/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-26 Words: 44 > A spokesman for Mountain Dew explains that the new beverage selection, including two new flavors, less caffeine and coconut water, has been "tailored for the preferences of cross-cultural millennial males."... A spokesman for Mountain Dew explains that the new beverage selection, including two new flavors, less caffeine and coconut water, has been “tailored for the preferences of cross-cultural millennial males.” The container was also developed to more closely appeal to consumers. --- ## Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program targets African-American moms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-pay-it-forward-program-targets-african-american-moms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-22 Words: 41 > Coca-Cola is using its corporate social responsibility program to target African-American mothers. The program is developed in order to help mothers empower their children to seek higher education, while also... Coca-Cola is using its corporate social responsibility program to target African-American mothers. The program is developed in order to help mothers empower their children to seek higher education, while also reminding this population about Coca-Cola’s products. --- ## Targeting teenagers through music URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/targeting-teenagers-through-music/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-22 Words: 51 > Companies are encouraged to target teenagers through their love of music, including providing opportunities for teenagers to create their own music by sponsoring music camps. Music is put forward as... Companies are encouraged to target teenagers through their love of music, including providing opportunities for teenagers to create their own music by sponsoring music camps. Music is put forward as the means through which businesses have the opportunity to connect to teens and the author laments marketers not recognizing this opportunity. --- ## Marion Nestle: Voluntary guidelines for marketing to kids will not work URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-voluntary-guidelines-for-marketing-to-kids-will-not-work/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-21 Words: 32 > Marion Nestle argues that only regulation will stop companies from target marketing to children. She cites statistics from a recent article to show that companies will not voluntarily change their... Marion Nestle argues that only regulation will stop companies from target marketing to children. She cites statistics from a recent article to show that companies will not voluntarily change their marketing strategies. --- ## Cheetos Sweetos targets young consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cheetos-sweetos-targets-young-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-21 Words: 36 > The company created the sugary snack in order to target younger consumers. The product is being launched in limited edition in order to try and increase interest and eventually roll... The company created the sugary snack in order to target younger consumers. The product is being launched in limited edition in order to try and increase interest and eventually roll out the product in bigger markets. --- ## To reach millennials, marketers must target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/to-reach-millennials-marketers-must-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-20 Words: 46 > Companies have long targeted their marketing to younger demographics, however, a recent article explains that in order to capture one group of youth, millennials, companies will have to target Latinos... Companies have long targeted their marketing to younger demographics, however, a recent article explains that in order to capture one group of youth, millennials, companies will have to target Latinos specifically. Latinos make up 21% of millennials, a number that will grow to 23% by 2020. --- ## Fast-food advertisements well remembered among millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-advertisements-well-remembered-among-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-19 Words: 63 > According to Nielsen's "Branded Memorability Index", fast-food advertisements were found to be the most memorable for millennials, especially among African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Latinos. Nielsen highlighted fun, humor and originality of... According to Nielsen’s “Branded Memorability Index”, fast-food advertisements were found to be the most memorable for millennials, especially among African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Latinos. Nielsen highlighted fun, humor and originality of concept as being key features of memorability among millennials. We can expect to see companies respond by continuing to target their marketing to this age group. --- ## Wendy’s drops soda from kids’ menus URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-drops-soda-from-kids-menus/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-16 Words: 49 > Wendy's joins several other fast food companies such as Subway, McDonald's, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, in removing the soda option from the kids' menu. The option will no longer appear... Wendy’s joins several other fast food companies such as Subway, McDonald’s, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, in removing the soda option from the kids’ menu. The option will no longer appear in restaurants, drive-throughs or the app used in the United States and Canada. --- ## Marketers are encouraged to “embrace inner weirdo” to reach teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-are-encouraged-to-embrace-inner-weirdo-to-reach-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-15 Words: 56 > Market researchers are encouraging companies to understand that teens are more interested in things that are not mainstream. Marketers are encouraged to embrace this "weirdo" aspect of teens in creating... Market researchers are encouraging companies to understand that teens are more interested in things that are not mainstream. Marketers are encouraged to embrace this “weirdo” aspect of teens in creating marketing strategies targeted to them. They are also advised against being disingenuous but rather encouraged to create a brand that is “authentic”. --- ## Report: Most energy drink companies market to children and teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-most-energy-drink-companies-market-to-children-and-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2015-01-09 Words: 50 > A report released in January from three U.S. Senators found that most energy drink companies are marketing to minors. In 2013, those senators sent letters to sixteen companies asking them... A report released in January from three U.S. Senators found that most energy drink companies are marketing to minors. In 2013, those senators sent letters to sixteen companies asking them to voluntarily submit to marketing restrictions – only four replied that they avoid marketing to people under 18. --- ## What do media portrayals of Bill Cosby mean for prevention? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-do-media-portrayals-of-bill-cosby-mean-for-prevention/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 788 > "Oye, por ahi viene Bill Cosby!" With salsa music playing over the opening credits and a male voice announcing in Spanish, "Hey, here comes Bill Cosby!" I thought The Cosby... “Oye, por ahi viene Bill Cosby!” With salsa music playing over the opening credits and a male voice announcing in Spanish, “Hey, here comes Bill Cosby!” I thought The Cosby Show had finally come to represent the true diversity of our nation in the mid-90s. He even introduced Latino characters to his show like Sonia Braga, the beautiful and talented — albeit oddly cast — Brazilian actress who played Mrs. Westlake, a high school teacher of Theo Huxtable, Cosby’s son on the show. Despite the somewhat bland, squeaky-clean nature of his family comedy, I had gained a new respect for Cosby (save for his later, weird campaign on young black men-blaming). I must admit that my initial reaction to recent allegations of sexual abuse by the veteran comedian was similar to many who grew up watching his shows (including my childhood favorite, the Saturday-morning cartoon series Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids). I felt incredulous. How could a man who had come to represent so many positive values around family, children and even racial and ethnic equality do such horrific things to so many women? At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we’re asking — and currently researching — a much bigger, more important question: How do the media cover the issue of sexual violence and how does it impact the public conversation, and, ultimately, public policy? Working with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, we are seeking to uncover the most effective ways to change the public conversation about sexual violence to include a prevention perspective. To be sure, Cosby is the latest, and likely most tenable, lightning rod on the issue of sexual violence. With alleged victims, once hidden from view, continuing to come forth, as well as defenders (Phylicia Rashad, who played Cosby’s wife on The Cosby Show, this week told a reporter that claims against her TV husband must be “orchestrated”), the ongoing saga of drugging and rape accusations against the comedian will likely continue for weeks to come. But how is media coverage of Cosby different — as well as similar — to other less visible stories of sexual and other types of violence against women? One key finding from our 2003 study of California newspaper coverage of intimate partner violence was that most of these cases went unreported. Readers saw only the most extreme cases. Just as the absence of reporting about more typical intimate partner violence distorted the picture and made it more difficult to understand and address the problem, does that pattern continue today? And have we made any progress toward our goal of the news media including more of a focus on causes, intervention and prevention? Our recent research on news coverage of child sexual abuse could also offer a glimpse into what we may find in current stories about sexual violence. Our 2011 report found that, similar to intimate partner violence, news coverage of child sexual abuse was infrequent. When it did occur, it was often tied to a “moment” in the criminal justice process. This resulted in scant coverage of prevention since most reports focused on an incident after the fact. We also found that language in stories about child sexual abuse was vague and imprecise, making it harder for readers to fully understand what really happened. That same year, as with Cosby, there appeared one name that dominated news coverage of sexual abuse: former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Following a two-year grand jury investigation, Sandusky was arrested and charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse against young boys. In June 2012, Sandusky was found guilty of 45 of the charges. Among the findings in that report was that less than one-fifth of all stories examined discussed the impact of abuse and subsequent cover-up on the survivors — considerably less than the extensive coverage of the consequences faced by Sandusky as well as Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, university officials, and others. When coverage includes more details about alleged perpetrators and less information about those experiencing abuse or violence, these stories may inadvertently provide a sympathetic portrayal of the accused. In the Sandusky coverage, we read about Paterno as a “legendary” and “beloved” football coach whose career had been tainted by the “scandal” brought on by his assistant, who was portrayed as a “monster in their midst.” I have to wonder how Cosby will ultimately be portrayed. A fallen hero or a monster in our popular culture? More importantly, will his venerable celebrity status distract from the real issue at hand: How do we keep sexual assault from happening in the first place? --- ## Top 10 public health media bites of 2014 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-media-bites-of-2014/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1397 > From sugary beverages to structural racism and everything in between, public health issues have been a dominant part of the news this year. And, knowing the power the media have... From sugary beverages to structural racism and everything in between, public health issues have been a dominant part of the news this year. And, knowing the power the media have to influence the public’s and policymakers’ perceptions of these issues, advocates played a major role in shaping their coverage. Advocates wrote op-eds on the need for soda taxes as a way to combat chronic disease; they created hashtags to challenge victim-blaming narratives about domestic violence; they blogged about sexual violence data to help reporters understand the context behind the numbers; they used digital media to reframe conversations about racism and to give voice “to those without a cable outlet or newspaper to speak for them“; and, ultimately, they challenged readers to think about longstanding social issues — all of which affect the public’s health — in new ways. Out of these efforts emerged many memorable media bites — quotable quotes that grab readers’ attention and keep them thinking about an issue long after an article’s end. While a good media bite is too short to be comprehensive and is no substitute for ongoing coverage and robust discussion, an effective one can capture a key argument, nuance, question or contradiction and put an exclamation point on it. Here are 10 of BMSG’s favorites, listed chronologically, and why we chose them: “Getting diabetes is a lot more expensive than paying a sugary beverage tax.” —Scott Wiener, member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a co-sponsor of the city’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax measure. Appeared in SF Gate, Feb. 1, 2014. Why we like it: This pithy media bite reframes the concept of cost, which was a key theme of the soda industry’s multi-million-dollar campaign to oppose San Francisco’s soda tax. The industry continually appealed to residents’ concerns about the Bay Area’s high cost of living in its messaging. Here, Scott Wiener offers a powerful response and turns the conversation back to the issue at hand: health. “We’ve come to the conclusion that cigarettes have no place in a setting where health care is being delivered.” —Larry Merlo, CVS Caremark president and CEO. Appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business, among many other news outlets, Feb. 5, 2014. Why we like it: Advocates often talk about shared responsibility for protecting the public’s health. Said by the head of a major corporation, this statement embodies that sentiment. It also reveals a contradiction between the mission and the practices of companies that say they want to improve health but sell products that damage it. “The right to be healthy trumps the right of corporations to promote choices that lead to premature death and preventable illnesses.” —Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health; Director of the Doctoral Program at CUNY’s School of Public Health at Hunter College. Appeared in The New York Times, Feb. 25, 2014. Why we like it: One of the most persistent arguments used to derail efforts to stem corporations’ health-harming practices is the idea that doing so somehow tramples our freedom or rights. This media bite takes the “rights” frame and flips it on its head. In doing so, it reveals another critical right that often goes overlooked. “[I]n the U.S., patients may get top notch medical care and then return to a life guaranteed to keep them in ill health — because where we live, learn, work, and play can have a far greater impact on our well-being than the treatment administered in a clinic or hospital.” —Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Appeared on LinkedIn, June 12, 2014. Why we like it: Too often, the media conceptualize health narrowly, in terms of individual behavior and access to health care. But, as this quote shows, our surroundings shape our health much more. It moves the conversation further upstream to include social determinants of health, minus the jargon. “Sweeping rhetoric about the value of marriage and father involvement is not just incomplete. For victims of domestic violence, it’s dangerous.” —Sara Shoener, public health researcher. Appeared in The New York Times Sunday Review, June 21, 2014. Why we like it: This media bite shows that there are real-world consequences to the language we use and the cultural narratives we weave. Used as the closing to a thought-provoking piece on the stigma of single motherhood, it shows that something our dominant culture puts a premium on — two-parent households — can actually be a threat to safety. It’s an angle many people may have never considered. “Ronald McDonald is the Joe Camel of fast food.” —Casey Hinds, children’s health advocate and blogger, US Healthy Kids. Appeared in Common Dreams, among other places, July 29, 2014. Why we like it: This media bite is an exercise in simplicity. It connects tobacco and fast food industry marketing practices used to target children and, using just nine words, shows that Ronald McDonald is far more insidious than he may seem. “Part of the ... --- ## Violence and the media in 2014: Q&A with Lori Dorfman URL: https://www.bmsg.org/violence-and-the-media-in-2014-qa-with-lori-dorfman/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1297 > The following post originally appeared on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health blog. A culture of violence is the antithesis to a Culture of Health. As Risa Lavizzo-Mourey... The following post originally appeared on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health blog. A culture of violence is the antithesis to a Culture of Health. As Risa Lavizzo-Mourey recently said in a speech to the American Public Health Association, “We will never be a healthy nation, if we continue to be a violent one.” Violence is always in the news. But 2014 saw several high-profile stories about violence dominating news cycles, including major stories about child abuse (Adrian Peterson), intimate partner violence (Ray Rice), sexual assault on college campuses, and, of course, the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Because media coverage influences the social and political response to violence in America, I wanted to hear from Lori Dorfman, who directs the Berkeley Media Studies Group, a project of the Public Health Institute. She has spent decades monitoring how the media cover violence and other public health issues, helping public health advocates work with journalists, and helping journalists improve their coverage. The following is an excerpt of my interview with her. How would you rate media coverage of violence over the last few months? What we’ve seen is typical coverage. Despite some horrifying events — the decision not to indict St. Louis police officer Darren Wilson who shot Michael Brown, the strangulation of Eric Garner, assault by NFL players, and rape on college campuses — we’ve seen front-page coverage of how the protests about those events have “turned violent” with fewer investigations of what brought us to the point of protest in the first place. We can point to some excellent stories, of course, but overall, the coverage doesn’t go far enough. Why? The problem is, in the aggregate, news coverage of crime and violence presents distorted patterns tied to race, age, and frequency that don’t accurately portray “the big picture.” The consistent depiction of crime or criminal justice as a series of isolated events unrelated to any broader context reinforces the idea that violence is random and inevitable. Instead, research shows us violence is both predictable and preventable. Crime reporting tends to focus on the “next” or “biggest” breaking story. Therein lies the rub: the unusual can seem normal the more it gets repeated. Whether national or local news reporting, we want reporters to follow the full context and consequences of a story, not parachute from one instance to the next. Additionally, crime reporting tends to be primarily episodic, with very little coverage of solutions or prevention efforts that help stop violence before it starts. If journalists brought these efforts to light, then questions about how our systems and institutions respond to violence would make more sense. Have you seen any particularly good examples of violence coverage in the media? Yes. In early 2014, in response to pressure from advocates, the White House established a task force specifically focused on addressing the issue of sexual assault on college campuses and released its first report titled Not Alone. As a result, news media throughout the country turned their spotlights on colleges and held them there. We saw a number comprehensive stories emerge, including a front page piece by The New York Times in July, which investigated a sexual assault at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in central New York. What struck me about this piece, and much of the new coverage about sexual assault at colleges, is the inclusion of institutional actors and broader discussion of the alleged perpetrators. The story was a high-quality, in-depth report into an institution’s systematic failure to protect its students. The recent controversy over a similar story by Rolling Stone at the University of Virginia shouldn’t distract reporters from the need to continue to report on sexual assault or on college campuses need to act on it. How has social media changed the way we cover, interpret or react to violence? Despite the intoxicating reach of social media, by and large it’s still news coverage that sets the agenda for policymakers. While there’s no doubt that social media ups the ante when it comes to public expression, the reason social media could explode is because of news coverage. We are having a national conversation about violence and the NFL because there was a video recorder in an Atlantic City elevator and a news outlet that broadcasted the story first. That said, social media is becoming a stronger influence on news choices and frames. Twitter is now a common way to reach out to reporters, while #BlackLivesMatter, #ICantBreathe, #WhyIStayed, #WhyILeft and other hashtags are becoming news stories themselves as people organize around ideas they don’t see enough of in news coverage. We know from our own research that acts of violence are usually part of an intergenerational cycle of trauma. How can we help the media broaden the lens? In the newsroom, journalists can start by asking better questions, loo... --- ## 5 lessons in media advocacy from battles with Big Soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/5-lessons-in-media-advocacy-from-battles-with-big-soda/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1486 > In the days that have followed Berkeley's history-making passage of the nation's first city tax on soda and other sugary beverages, much has been written about how and why it... In the days that have followed Berkeley’s history-making passage of the nation’s first city tax on soda and other sugary beverages, much has been written about how and why it happened. Journalists, commentators, political pundits and others have examined and analyzed everything from social media’s role in Berkeley’s win to criticism over the lack of leadership from San Francisco’s mayor and others, which, in part, led to the defeat of a similar measure there. At BMSG, we focus on analyzing news coverage of health issues including policy measures, such as earlier soda tax proposals in Richmond and El Monte, California, as well as Telluride, Colorado. Our latest analysis of these proposals and the news coverage they received was published today in Critical Public Health. Since a major role the news media continue to play in a democratic society is setting the agenda for public policy debates, we look at how issues are portrayed or “framed” in news reports, including the selection — or omission — of arguments, messages, images and sources. This helps advocates better understand the public debates around their issue so that they can develop a more strategic media advocacy campaign. With the historic win in Berkeley fresh in our minds, we took another look at the analyses of the El Monte, Richmond and Telluride proposals we released earlier this year. Some lessons from these policy fights were incorporated into soda tax campaigns in the Berkeley and San Francisco battles. Some were not. We will continue our research of recent and future soda tax proposals and the campaign strategies they employed. In the meantime, here are our reflections based on our prior studies. Lessons learned: Embed media advocacy strategy within overall strategy One key lesson gleaned from our analysis of the debate is the importance of having an overall strategy — the cornerstone of any media advocacy campaign and the first of four planning stages that we refer to as the layers of strategy. Developing an overall strategy involves defining the problem, developing a realistic and achievable policy objective, identifying who has the power to make the change sought, mobilizing groups to apply pressure, and planning what advocacy actions supporters will take. From the Richmond and El Monte policy fights, we learned that it was especially important for advocates to embed their media advocacy strategies within a larger advocacy strategy that includes coalition-building across communities. Part of the beverage industry’s success in quashing earlier attempts to enact a soda tax were its economic arguments and community support to build opposition to the soda tax measures, which was contingent upon having the right partners in place from early in the campaign. In Richmond, the lack of early grassroots support allowed industry-funded “community groups” to frame the soda tax proposal as a threat to the local economy, an ineffective solution and regressive, even racist — the latter likely reflecting the industry’s efforts to take advantage of existing racial tensions. In El Monte, where city officials talked more about the soda tax raising revenue for the general fund than about improving the health of residents, the industry was able to characterize the tax as a money grab. By contrast, Berkeley built a diverse coalition early on, which campaign members said was key to its success. “Without the wisdom we gained from Richmond, there is no way we would have been successful here,” Meleah Hall told Berkeleyside, a local online news site. “We knew the tactics of Big Soda ahead of time. We went to the people and warned them: ‘They are trying to buy you out. They are trying to buy your vote.’ This is Berkeley. We don’t do that.” While San Francisco is a much larger city, making diverse coalition-building a bigger challenge, some advocates there bemoaned the lack of widespread grassroots support. This might have helped soda’s well-funded opposition campaign virtually drown out the voices and messages of tax advocates who nevertheless made a gallant effort, garnering 55% of the vote (though not the 66% they needed to pass the tax). Make soda industry spending and influence a part of the debate Multiple policy battles have revealed a soda industry playbook with unprecedented spending on advertising including TV, billboards and direct mail. In Berkeley, these tactics were seen as an intrusion by the beverage industry into the community’s own decision-making and its efforts to create a healthy environment. To be sure, political strategist Larry Tramutola pointed out that the beverage industry undermined itself when it flooded its campaign with so much money: “They had an unlimited checkbook. There was nothing that couldn’t be bought,” he told Berkeleyside. “The combination of all that turned Berkeley voters off.” Perhaps the most effective tactic in the Berkeley campaign — and a lesson for us at BMSG — was its slogan: Berkeley vs Big Soda. Although we might hav... --- ## Study: Social media offers new ways for junk food brands to market to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-social-media-offers-new-ways-for-junk-food-brands-to-market-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-13 Words: 48 > A research team at the University of Sydney in Australia analyzed the Facebook pages of 27 top food and beverage companies. They found that energy-dense and nutrient-poor food brands capitalize... A research team at the University of Sydney in Australia analyzed the Facebook pages of 27 top food and beverage companies. They found that energy-dense and nutrient-poor food brands capitalize on users’ social networks and magnify the reach and personal relevance of their marketing messages. --- ## PepsiCo sponsors bootcamp for African American marketing professionals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-sponsors-bootcamp-for-african-american-marketing-professionals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-11 Words: 62 > The article notes that 2015 is the 75-year anniversary of Pepsi creating a marketing team to specifically target African Americans with their products. While the goal of increasing diversity among... The article notes that 2015 is the 75-year anniversary of Pepsi creating a marketing team to specifically target African Americans with their products. While the goal of increasing diversity among marketing professionals is praiseworthy, this initiative also serves the company’s goals of creating goodwill among African Americans, a community disproportionately impacted by health impacts of Pepsi’s products. --- ## Latino Online Marketing: 2014 in Review URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/latino-online-marketing-2014-in-review/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-11 Words: 41 > Among the developments highlighted in this blog post is Facebook's unveiling of new "Hispanic affinity segments" on its website, giving marketers the options of targeting Latinos according to three language... Among the developments highlighted in this blog post is Facebook’s unveiling of new “Hispanic affinity segments” on its website, giving marketers the options of targeting Latinos according to three language categories: Spanish-dominant, English-dominant, and Bilingual. --- ## General Mills revives French Toast Crunch cereal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-revives-french-toast-crunch-cereal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-09 Words: 44 > The campaign has a dedicated website and Facebook page featuring 1990s era television ads for the cereal. The goals of the relaunch are to "win back" adult MIllennials, and introduce... The campaign has a dedicated website and Facebook page featuring 1990s era television ads for the cereal. The goals of the relaunch are to “win back” adult MIllennials, and introduce the sugary cereal “to a whole new generation of kids.” --- ## Tecate brand partnering with Facebook for ‘Manfidence’ effort URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tecate-brand-partnering-with-facebook-for-manfidence-effort/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-03 Words: 18 > Tecate targets bicultural Latino men with "manfidence" campaign, which will rely heavily on social media outreach. Tecate targets bicultural Latino men with “manfidence” campaign, which will rely heavily on social media outreach. --- ## Coca-Cola launches ‘random acts of kindness’ campaign targeted to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-random-acts-of-kindness-campaign-targeted-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-02 Words: 31 > In addition to a television advertisement on Univision's Sabado Gigante, the campaign includes a Spanish-language hashtag (#Hazalguienfeliz) that social media users are encouraged to share with their friends. In addition to a television advertisement on Univision’s Sabado Gigante, the campaign includes a Spanish-language hashtag (#Hazalguienfeliz) that social media users are encouraged to share with their friends. --- ## Mountain Dew targets young people through music contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-targets-young-people-through-music-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-02 Words: 39 > Mountain Dew has launched a music talent contest as part of ongoing efforts to target young people through its Green Label Art platform, which "reaches out to skateboarders and other... Mountain Dew has launched a music talent contest as part of ongoing efforts to target young people through its Green Label Art platform, which “reaches out to skateboarders and other young people through art activities and promotions.” --- ## Trends for chocolate companies in 2015 include targeting millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/trends-for-chocolate-companies-in-2015-include-targeting-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-02 Words: 62 > Cargill and Innova Market Insights have highlighted ten trends we can expect to see from chocolate companies in 2015. Highlighted is the targeting of millennials, considered to have an impact... Cargill and Innova Market Insights have highlighted ten trends we can expect to see from chocolate companies in 2015. Highlighted is the targeting of millennials, considered to have an impact on food because they spend a lot of time online and are socially conscious. In order to capitalize on this, chocolate companies label their chocolate as containing sustainable and certified cocoa products. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts continues to target college students through on-campus expansion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-continues-to-target-college-students-through-on-campus-expansion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-01 Words: 57 > Dunkin' Donuts currently has locations on 65 campuses, mainly located in the most populated parts of the campus - student unions, dining commons and campus centers. The vice president of... Dunkin’ Donuts currently has locations on 65 campuses, mainly located in the most populated parts of the campus – student unions, dining commons and campus centers. The vice president of global franchising and business development labels campuses “an important area of growth” and mentions a continued plan to incentivize campuses to open a franchise. --- ## McDonald’s introduces new Happy Meal options in bid to target children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-introduces-new-happy-meal-options-in-bid-to-target-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-01 Words: 54 > The company is seeking to appeal to nutrition-conscious parents as well by introducing fruit options in their Happy Meals. The fruit are easy to peel oranges labeled "Cuties" that have... The company is seeking to appeal to nutrition-conscious parents as well by introducing fruit options in their Happy Meals. The fruit are easy to peel oranges labeled “Cuties” that have been tested in Texas before being rolled out nationwide. Go-Gurt will also be included as an option for a side. --- ## The Front Panel: emotional connection key to targeting ‘kidsumers’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-front-panel-emotional-connection-key-to-targeting-kidsumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-12-01 Words: 37 > President and Creative Director of Design Force, Inc is encouraging companies to target children because they infleunce the purchasing power of families. He explains that companies can ensure brand loyalty... President and Creative Director of Design Force, Inc is encouraging companies to target children because they infleunce the purchasing power of families. He explains that companies can ensure brand loyalty through appealing to children’s emotions. --- ## UK bans Youtube Stars’ Oreo Video for lack of advertising label URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-bans-youtube-stars-oreo-video-for-lack-of-advertising-label/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-26 Words: 43 > The Youtube vloggers were hired by Mondelez UK, in a move targeting young consumers, the main audience of these videos. The videos were criticized for not being clearly labeled as... The Youtube vloggers were hired by Mondelez UK, in a move targeting young consumers, the main audience of these videos. The videos were criticized for not being clearly labeled as advertising but rather presented as a challenge in which the audience should participate. --- ## Kellogg’s shifts towards snacks in effort to reach younger consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-shifts-towards-snacks-in-effort-to-reach-younger-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-25 Words: 41 > Claiming to be acting in response to America's changing eating habits, Kellogg's is moving away from breakfast food to focus more on snacks. The article predicts an increase in marketing... Claiming to be acting in response to America’s changing eating habits, Kellogg’s is moving away from breakfast food to focus more on snacks. The article predicts an increase in marketing campaigns that target specific demographics, especially youth. --- ## Barilla pasta targets Latino consumers by partnering with Latino food bloggers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/barilla-pasta-targets-latino-consumers-by-partnering-with-latino-food-bloggers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-25 Words: 52 > Barilla is appealing to Latino consumers by having the bloggers create traditional meals using their pasta. The company explains, "the variety of our pasta shapes allows for Latinas to not... Barilla is appealing to Latino consumers by having the bloggers create traditional meals using their pasta. The company explains, “the variety of our pasta shapes allows for Latinas to not only keep their traditional dishes alive, but also allows them to create new versions of these dishes in creative ways.” --- ## Sugary drinks increasingly marketed to children through ‘advergames’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sugary-drinks-increasingly-marketed-to-children-through-advergames/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-22 Words: 67 > The report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity on soda marketing brings attention to the phenomenon of 'advergames', soda companies use of social media and games to... The report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity on soda marketing brings attention to the phenomenon of ‘advergames’, soda companies use of social media and games to target children. The mobile games are taking the place of advertisements on television. Children often download games with names like Fanta Fruit Slam 2 or Snapple Spiny Lobsters in Snaplantis without their parents’ knowledge. --- ## Tetra Pak encourages companies to use more engaging graphic designs on packaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tetra-pak-encourages-companies-to-use-more-engaging-graphic-designs-on-packaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-22 Words: 67 > Tetra Pak's Suley Muratoglu encourages companies to be more creative in their packaging to better engage with consumers. This includes thinking about the possibility of utilizing smart phones as social... Tetra Pak’s Suley Muratoglu encourages companies to be more creative in their packaging to better engage with consumers. This includes thinking about the possibility of utilizing smart phones as social media becomes more of a place where consumers interact with products. Muratoglu thinks more graphic designs can help target younger consumers, as they are considered to be more visually driven and focused less on text. --- ## Soda companies increase marketing to Black and Latino teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-companies-increase-marketing-to-black-and-latino-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-20 Words: 60 > Soda companies have decreased advertisements aimed at children and teenagers overall but have increased target marketing to Black and Latino children and teenagers. A report by the Rudd Center for... Soda companies have decreased advertisements aimed at children and teenagers overall but have increased target marketing to Black and Latino children and teenagers. A report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University found that Black youth have seen more than twice as many advertisements as white youth. Advertising on Spanish language television has increased 44%. --- ## Video: Soda & kids: A predatory relationship and how we can fight back URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-soda-kids-a-predatory-relationship-and-how-we-can-fight-back/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 63 > BMSG Director Lori Dorfman shares research on soda industry marketing in this panel, as part of a speaker series leading up to the November 2014 election, which featured soda tax... BMSG Director Lori Dorfman shares research on soda industry marketing in this panel, as part of a speaker series leading up to the November 2014 election, which featured soda tax ballot measures in Berkeley and San Francisco. Dorfman discusses how the soda industry has become the number one educator influencing what kids drink and the tactics it uses to target children of color. --- ## Terra encourages culturally relevant digital ads to target Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/terra-encourages-culturally-relevant-digital-ads-to-target-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-10 Words: 57 > The digital content producer is encouraging advertisers to market to Latino millennials, calling them a growing market of consumers, more digitally engaged than other populations. Based on a study they... The digital content producer is encouraging advertisers to market to Latino millennials, calling them a growing market of consumers, more digitally engaged than other populations. Based on a study they conducted, Latino consumers are more receptive to digital advertising than non-Latinos. Terra is one of the largest digital content producers in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. --- ## Dunkin’ Brands executive encourages greater emphasis on multicultural marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-brands-executive-encourages-greater-emphasis-on-multicultural-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-10 Words: 36 > John Costello points to multicultural marketing as being one of the strongest techniques of the brand. He identifies Latinos particularly as being a large market for Dunkin' Brands and targets... John Costello points to multicultural marketing as being one of the strongest techniques of the brand. He identifies Latinos particularly as being a large market for Dunkin’ Brands and targets them as an emerging population. --- ## Domino’s Pizza Australia using social media to target young consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-pizza-australia-using-social-media-to-target-young-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-09 Words: 36 > Through their Pizza Mogul campaign, young people are encouraged to design their own pizza, share it on Domino's website and social media and earn money if the pizza they've designed... Through their Pizza Mogul campaign, young people are encouraged to design their own pizza, share it on Domino’s website and social media and earn money if the pizza they’ve designed is popular. --- ## Mountain Dew targets college students in latest test marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-targets-college-students-in-latest-test-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-07 Words: 53 > Mountain Dew has been offering free tastes of its new flavor, Dewitos, designed to taste like Doritos, to college students. The strategy has been marketed as giving "fans a voice... Mountain Dew has been offering free tastes of its new flavor, Dewitos, designed to taste like Doritos, to college students. The strategy has been marketed as giving “fans a voice in helping decide on the next new product…” but has so far only been seen on college and university campuses. --- ## Fast food restaurants use comfort foods to target millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-restaurants-use-comfort-foods-to-target-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-07 Words: 48 > Checkers and Rally Restaurants are using comfort foods, such as grilled cheese and mozzarella sticks, to target millennials. In order to appeal to this demographic, they are revamping the foods... Checkers and Rally Restaurants are using comfort foods, such as grilled cheese and mozzarella sticks, to target millennials. In order to appeal to this demographic, they are revamping the foods to make them more portable, easier to eat on the go, and aggressively marketing their late night availability. --- ## Mondelez International releases OREO Churros to target Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-international-releases-oreo-churros-to-target-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-04 Words: 21 > The company is partnering with J&J Snack Foods for this product, aimed to expand its market with Latino consumers. The company is partnering with J&J Snack Foods for this product, aimed to expand its market with Latino consumers. --- ## Coca-Cola and (RED) World AIDS Day push uses music to reach Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-red-world-aids-day-push-uses-music-to-reach-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-11-03 Words: 69 > As part of its corporate social responsibility, Coca-Cola is partnering with (RED) for World AIDS Day. This includes a campaign specifically targeted to Millennials and uses a staple of Coke's... As part of its corporate social responsibility, Coca-Cola is partnering with (RED) for World AIDS Day. This includes a campaign specifically targeted to Millennials and uses a staple of Coke’s marketing, music. Joe Belliotti, head of music at Coca-Cola, explains, “…we’re going to use the power of music to bring that message to a teenage Millennial audience around the world.” --- ## PepsiCo foundation announces partnership with Executive Leadership Council URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-foundation-announces-partnership-with-executive-leadership-council/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-30 Words: 38 > In this example of corporate social responsibility, the collaboration is intended to create more black executives. This partnership is an attempt to strengthen the foundation's image, especially among African Americans,... In this example of corporate social responsibility, the collaboration is intended to create more black executives. This partnership is an attempt to strengthen the foundation’s image, especially among African Americans, and portray a commitment to diversity. --- ## Jamba Juices targets children in Halloween marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jamba-juices-targets-children-in-halloween-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-30 Words: 51 > In a move "to promote a healthier Halloween and honor Jamba's commitment to child nutrition", Jamba Juice is using the holiday to promote its product among children by offering free... In a move “to promote a healthier Halloween and honor Jamba’s commitment to child nutrition”, Jamba Juice is using the holiday to promote its product among children by offering free smoothies on October 31st. They are also promoting their Jamba Kids meal which includes a cheesy pretzel. --- ## New study finds fast food restaurants’ marketing to children is more prevalent among certain populations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-study-finds-fast-food-restaurants-marketing-to-children-is-more-prevalent-among-certain-populations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-30 Words: 66 > A research study from Arizona State University finds that marketing directed at children on the inside and outside of fast food restaurants is more prevalent in majority black, middle income... A research study from Arizona State University finds that marketing directed at children on the inside and outside of fast food restaurants is more prevalent in majority black, middle income and rural communities. The lead researcher explains, “marketing food to children is of great concern not only because it affects their current consumption patterns but also because it may affect their taste and preferences.” --- ## Dunkin’ Brands partners with NAACP as part of its corporate social responsibility URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-brands-partners-with-naacp-as-part-of-its-corporate-social-responsibility/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-28 Words: 43 > The parent company of Dunkin Donuts and Baskin-Robbins is partnering with the NAACP to increase the number of franchised businesses owned by people of color. This partnership gives the company... The parent company of Dunkin Donuts and Baskin-Robbins is partnering with the NAACP to increase the number of franchised businesses owned by people of color. This partnership gives the company an opportunity to seem as though it is involved in the community. --- ## Taco Bell targets millennials with its new app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-targets-millennials-with-its-new-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-28 Words: 46 > The app targets millennials by allowing consumers to find nearby locations, checkout with a credit care and save favorite items. The company is trying to generate buzz by launching the... The app targets millennials by allowing consumers to find nearby locations, checkout with a credit care and save favorite items. The company is trying to generate buzz by launching the app and removing its other social media presence, leaving only a post with the hashtag #onlyintheapp --- ## Dr Pepper uses Mexican brand to target Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-uses-mexican-brand-to-target-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-27 Words: 55 > Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) has been selling the Mexican sparkling water brand, Penafiel, aiming to increase its market with Latino consumers. DPS CEO Larry Young explains, "we have very targeted... Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) has been selling the Mexican sparkling water brand, Penafiel, aiming to increase its market with Latino consumers. DPS CEO Larry Young explains, “we have very targeted hispanic markets that we work in — we’re starting to get some real learnings from bringing the Penafiel in from Mexico.” --- ## Eggo is bringing back its ‘L’Eggo my Eggo’ campaign in new advertisements targeting young people URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/eggo-is-bringing-back-its-leggo-my-eggo-campaign-in-new-advertisements-targeting-young-people/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-27 Words: 52 > In a wave of nostalgia, the Eggo waffle brand is relaunching its old campaign as part of a larger online media campaign that will also target Latino markets. The company... In a wave of nostalgia, the Eggo waffle brand is relaunching its old campaign as part of a larger online media campaign that will also target Latino markets. The company is seeking to modernize the campaign by featuring a family using their phones and social media while refusing to share their waffle. --- ## Following groundbreaking ad, General Mills CMO urges targeting of multicultural families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/following-groundbreaking-ad-general-mills-cmo-urges-targeting-of-multicultural-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-17 Words: 58 > General Mills' Chief Marketing Officer reflects on the success of his company's groundbreaking 2013 advertisement, which featured a multicultural family. He urges marketers to target multicultural consumers, since "the growth... General Mills’ Chief Marketing Officer reflects on the success of his company’s groundbreaking 2013 advertisement, which featured a multicultural family. He urges marketers to target multicultural consumers, since “the growth is all in multicultural,” and “there’s still lots of opportunities for marketers to really make them part of their brand. --- ## Chobani targets babies in new product-based marketing push URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chobani-targets-babies-in-new-product-based-marketing-push/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-17 Words: 24 > Chobani is using child-targeted marketing in their push for Chobani Tots. The product will target children aged six months to 2-years old. Chobani is using child-targeted marketing in their push for Chobani Tots. The product will target children aged six months to 2-years old. --- ## Talking about junk food marketing to kids: Is the health argument enough? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/talking-about-junk-food-marketing-to-kids-is-the-health-argument-enough/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 676 > I began this post a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Mexico City, where I was invited by a local nonprofit consumer group to speak about the impact... I began this post a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Mexico City, where I was invited by a local nonprofit consumer group to speak about the impact of junk food and sugary beverage marketing to children — a topic I’ve learned a lot about since I began conducting communications strategy trainings to public health advocates working to combat diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases through public policy. “Diabetes is one of the top two causes of death in the country, alongside (and occasionally overlapping with) heart disease,” according to a 2013 Economist report that cited figures from the Mexican Diabetes Federation. Diabetes alone kills as many as 70,000 people a year in Mexico, and more than 40,000 new cases are being diagnosed each year. Mexico’s prevalence of diabetes has now far surpassed that of the U.S., with one of the highest rates in the western hemisphere. Much of the spike in diabetes is attributed to increased consumption of soda and other cheap sugary drinks, as well as mass-marketed snack foods, which have replaced home-cooked meals, along with fresh fruits and vegetables. While Mexico’s President Enrique Pea Nieto has become known worldwide as a leader in the fight against diabetes following the passage of a national soda tax and other reforms, my hosts, El Poder del Consumidor (The Power of the Consumer), have joined other Mexican health leaders and advocacy groups in calling for stronger regulations, particularly around childhood marketing. Offering an international perspective, I was asked to speak to legislators at the Chamber of Deputies and at a news conference in support of stricter marketing guidelines. At both events, I found it compelling how Mexican health advocates framed the problem of junk food marketing to children as a human rights issue. “Deceitful marketing directed at children violates their right to health and their right to not be manipulated or deceived,” Alejandro Calvillo Unna, director of El Poder del Consumidor and a leading health advocate in Mexico, told audiences. In the U.S. advocates have focused largely on food marketing’s health consequences, and to a lesser extent, the exploitative nature of marketing to kids — especially younger children, who are unable to understand the persuasive intent of advertising. Calvillo also cited provisions in the Mexican Constitution, which outlines special protection and care for children including the duty to promote respect for the dignity of all children and the full exercise of their rights. Mexico’s constitution also provides that children have the right to satisfy their nutritional, health, educational, and recreational needs. Several laws have been enacted in order to implement this mandate, most importantly the federal Law on the Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents. Now, I’m no expert in constitutional law, U.S. or otherwise, but in the U.S., children are generally afforded the same constitutional rights as adults. Like every other citizen, children have the right to due process and to legal counsel, as well as protection against cruel and unusual punishment and unreasonable searches and seizures. However, the law also recognizes that children aren’t physically or emotionally mature enough to handle legal activities like drinking or voting. The law reconciles this idea by implementing “ages of majority” designed to define when a person has the ability to responsibly exercise his or her rights. These usually vary by state, but they govern everything from the right to drive to the right to marry. Wouldn’t it be great if U.S. law also recognized that children under a certain age aren’t mature enough to discern marketing and advertising from other content? Would it be advantageous for health advocates to follow Mexico’s lead and reframe harmful food and beverage marketing as a violation of children’s fundamental rights? Some (non-junk) food for thought. What do you think? Let us know at info@bmsg.org, or on Twitter @BMSG or Facebook. --- ## Advertisers hope to hook teens with appeals to global social consciousness URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advertisers-hope-to-hook-teens-with-appeals-to-global-social-consciousness/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-16 Words: 64 > This industry analysis encourages companies to use corporate social responsibility campaigns with a global focus to reach teens and Millennials. The author urges marketers to "[highlight] the larger international impact"... This industry analysis encourages companies to use corporate social responsibility campaigns with a global focus to reach teens and Millennials. The author urges marketers to “[highlight] the larger international impact” of their programs, which will “help connect teens to the cause and encourage them to see the brand (and themselves for supporting the brand) as part of the global community.” --- ## Video: Testimony of Pamela Mejia: How the news portrays domestic violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-testimony-of-pamela-mejia-how-the-news-portrays-domestic-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1732 > At an October 14, 2014, hearing of the California Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence, BMSG Senior Media Researcher Pamela Mejia speaks about the influence of news coverage on the... At an October 14, 2014, hearing of the California Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence, BMSG Senior Media Researcher Pamela Mejia speaks about the influence of news coverage on the public’s and policymakers’ understanding of domestic violence and how to address it. The hearing, “Changing the Culture of Abuse,” was held about a month after the media received footage of NFL running back Ray Rice attacking his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, in an Atlantic City elevator — an act that prompted widespread news coverage and increased calls, including from CBS sportscaster James Brown, for domestic violence awareness and prevention. Mejia’s testimony begins at 3:15, following a video of Brown’s remarks. A full transcript of her testimony appears below. Testimony Good afternoon. And I want to thank Assemblymember Gomez and this committee for holding the hearing and giving me an opportunity to speak today. As was mentioned, my name is Pamela Mejia, and I head the research program at the Berkeley Media Studies Group, which is based in Northern California. At BMSG, we study the stories that the news tells — and also the stories that it doesn’t tell — about public health and safety. And we do that because the news has a tremendous impact on how the public and policymakers understand public health and safety problems; and the news also shapes their understanding — our understanding — of how to solve those problems. We know that news coverage impacts how the public and policymakers view domestic violence.1,2 In fact, part — not all, but part — of the reason that we are here today is because news outlets received and reported on three and a half minutes of elevator footage from an Atlantic City casino. The statement we just heard from James Brown before the Baltimore Ravens took the field corroborates some patterns that research has consistently documented in the news coverage of violence against women, and domestic violence in particular. As Kathy said earlier, we know that intimate partner violence happens every day, but it’s rarely reported in the news.3, 4 When it is reported, it’s seldom framed or described as domestic violence or intimate partner violence5, 6, 7 — readers and viewers are left to “draw their own conclusions”.6 Now, since domestic violence is both a legal and a colloquial term, reporters are understandably somewhat reluctant to use it to characterize a crime before a verdict has been reached. But calling crimes — labeling them as domestic violence serves an important role in helping news readers and viewers understand isolated incidents as part of a greater social problem to be solved, and it also gives them some language and some vocabulary to use to start talking about that problem.8 The absence of context around domestic violence is especially problematic when news stories include details that humanize or exonerate the perpetrator,9 or that imply that violence is mutual or provoked9 — and we know that that happens more often in news coverage of domestic violence than in any other kind of violence reporting.4 These patterns can subtly shift the blame to victims of intimate partner violence,6, 9 and in so doing reinforce the problematic norms around masculinity and power 10 that James Brown so powerfully denounced in the clip that we just saw. When news organizations report on domestic violence, they usually focus on isolated incidents,3, 7, 11 especially those incidents that are extreme the ones that end in murder, the ones that feature a well-known celebrity; 3, 7, 12 To put it another way, domestic violence as a whole is UNDERREPORTED, but extreme acts are OVERREPORTED.3 In a study that we at Berkeley Media Studies Group did of intimate partner violence news coverage in California papers, we found that domestic violence reporting is more “murder-oriented” than any other kind of violence reporting.4 Now, it’s important to report on those extreme acts, but when that’s all that happens, the picture of domestic violence that emerges is incomplete and distorted — it ignores, for example, the non-physical aspects of domestic violence,3 the coercive control behaviors that we know are part of that range. We can’t expect good, comprehensive public policy around domestic violence to result if it’s based on an understanding of the problem that is itself not comprehensive. Now, obviously, the news can’t report on every incident of domestic violence — unfortunately, there would be no room in the news for anything else. But the patterns that I just enumerated, which we know have held constant for decades, tell us that a big part of the story is missing. The news about domestic violence is often leaving out, for example, the non-physical components of intimate partner violence,6, 7 the coercive control behaviors, the verbal and emotional abuse; it’s leaving out the larger context in which domestic violence occurs3, 5, 6; it’s leaving out the impact of intimate partner violence on survivors, on perpetrators... --- ## Diet Coke uses kittens and teen idol Taylor Swift in latest promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diet-coke-uses-kittens-and-teen-idol-taylor-swift-in-latest-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-15 Words: 52 > Diet Coke's latest advertisement features superstar Taylor Swift playing with "the ultimate video secret weapon: kittens." The ad, which ends with Swift plugging her new album, is part of a... Diet Coke’s latest advertisement features superstar Taylor Swift playing with “the ultimate video secret weapon: kittens.” The ad, which ends with Swift plugging her new album, is part of a larger cross-promotional effort to reach the singer’s huge fan base of teens and children. --- ## Subway uses digital video series to connect with teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-uses-digital-video-series-to-connect-with-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-13 Words: 39 > Subway is marketing to "fickle and unpredictable" teens through a web series about teen Subway employees. "The 4 to 9ers" was designed by content developers to appeal to "what [is]... Subway is marketing to “fickle and unpredictable” teens through a web series about teen Subway employees. “The 4 to 9ers” was designed by content developers to appeal to “what [is] meaningful to teenagers.” --- ## Nestl̩ capitalizes on Dia de los Muertos to sell more “Abuelita” hot chocolate URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestl%cc%a9-capitalizes-on-dia-de-los-muertos-to-sell-more-abuelita-hot-chocolate/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-10 Words: 30 > The company hired a celebrity chef to create recipes using its Abuelita hot chocolate. The campaign will include appearances at supermarkets in Latino communities as well as a Facebook page. The company hired a celebrity chef to create recipes using its Abuelita hot chocolate. The campaign will include appearances at supermarkets in Latino communities as well as a Facebook page. --- ## Sour Patch Kids uses YouTube stars in video marketing series URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sour-patch-kids-uses-youtube-stars-in-video-marketing-series/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-10 Words: 52 > Sour Patch Kids is targeting teens through its use of YouTube stars in its video series "Breaking Out." The series follows four teenagers while also using Sour Patch Kids characters.... Sour Patch Kids is targeting teens through its use of YouTube stars in its video series “Breaking Out.” The series follows four teenagers while also using Sour Patch Kids characters. It is part of Mondel̬z International’s goal to move 10% of its global advertising to online content. --- ## Soda tax debates: An analysis of news coverage of the 2013 soda tax proposal in Telluride, Colorado URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/soda-tax-debates-an-analysis-of-news-coverage-of-the-2013-soda-tax-proposal-in-telluride-colorado/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5325 > In 2013, Telluride, Colorado, became one of the first communities in the country to place a sugary drink tax on its local ballot. Measure 2A asked voters in Telluride, a... In 2013, Telluride, Colorado, became one of the first communities in the country to place a sugary drink tax on its local ballot. Measure 2A asked voters in Telluride, a ski destination of some 2,300 residents,1 to consider a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) sold in the town. The revenues from the tax were to be dedicated to maintaining a program supporting physical activity programs for local youth. The program had been funded by a Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) federal grant that was about to expire.2 The structure of the tax was similar to soda tax initiatives proposed — and, ultimately, voted down — in Richmond and El Monte, California, the previous year.3 As in those communities, the Telluride proposal inspired the beverage industry to mount an extensive campaign against the tax: It installed an onsite lobbyist, published newspaper ads, and funded a “No on 2A” group with a local businessman, Bob Harnish, as the spokesperson.4 Tax supporters formed a group called Kick the Can Telluride, headed by the director of the local PEP grant, Elise Marie (Emo) Overall. In spite of their efforts, the Telluride soda tax was defeated by a large margin in November of 2013. However, as with previous local soda tax proposals, the measure generated controversy and a large amount of news coverage, especially given the town’s small size.This report evaluates the newspaper and blog coverage the proposal generated, including the number of stories, who was quoted, and the pro- and anti-tax arguments that appeared in the news. In addition, we compare key aspects of Telluride news coverage to the coverage of the 2012 soda tax proposals in Richmond and El Monte, California. When did the news appear and what was it about? Articles about the tax appeared most frequently just before the election. We found a total of 103 relevant newspaper articles and blog posts (see Appendix 1 for methods), including seven articles from industry publications, about the Telluride soda tax proposal. Although the measure was first proposed in June, there was scant coverage of the tax until right before the November election: More than 80% of the coverage was published in October or November of 2013. News coverage was dominated by opinion pieces, which tended to oppose the tax. About a third of the articles about the tax were straight news articles (33%), while two-thirds were opinion pieces (67%). About half of these opinion pieces (35) were letters to the editor, many of them published in Telluride’s two local newspapers, the Telluride Daily Planet and The Watch. Other opinion pieces included op-eds (12), columns (10), blogs (9), and editorials (3). The majority of opinion coverage (58%) opposed the measure. Who was quoted in the coverage? The speakers who most commonly appeared in news coverage of the tax were Telluride residents, often because they had written a letter to the editor or an op-ed for one of the local papers. Most community residents who appeared in the news argued against the soda tax proposal (68%) — comparable to the proportion of Telluride voters who ultimately voted against the tax (69%). The main speakers who argued for the tax in the news were representatives of Kick the Can Telluride, the local group formed in support of the tax measure. City officials, public health advocates, and the medical community also spoke in favor of the tax, while opinion writers were slightly more likely to oppose the tax. Speakers who were explicitly identified as representatives of soda companies or soda-affiliated organizations (like the American Beverage Association or Colorado Beverage Association) comprised only 4% of total arguments (all anti-tax). Spokespeople for the local industry-funded anti-tax group “No on 2A” expressed an additional 2% of anti-tax arguments. However, this may underrepresent the influence of the beverage industry on news about the tax, since the news often did not explicitly link speakers with the beverage-industry funded No on 2A, and we only categorized speakers as representatives of No on 2A if this was made clear in the news article. Local businessman Bob Harnish served as the group’s spokesperson, for example, but his affiliation was mentioned in fewer than half of the articles in which he appeared. What arguments appeared in the news? Each article could contain a variety of arguments — on average, each story contained nine arguments, for a total of 897. Overall, pro-tax arguments appeared more frequently than arguments opposing the measure (60% vs. 40%). Table 2 lists the prevalence of these arguments, which fell into three categories. One-quarter of the arguments centered on whether the tax was needed to fight obesity, including debates about the health harms of soda and whether obesity was truly a pressing issue for the community (25% of total arguments). Nearly half of the arguments discussed the potential impact of the taxes on the health and economic future of Telluri... --- ## Marketers are mining selfies for advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-are-mining-selfies-for-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-09 Words: 56 > Marketing companies are using publicly shared photos on Instagram and Pinterest to search, scan, store or repurpose images to draw insights for advertisers. Laying out the potential impact of this... Marketing companies are using publicly shared photos on Instagram and Pinterest to search, scan, store or repurpose images to draw insights for advertisers. Laying out the potential impact of this practice, Joni Lupovitz, vice president at Common Sense Media, explains,”This is an area that could be ripe for commercial exploitation and predatory marketing.” --- ## Advertisers target Millennials as ‘dream demo’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advertisers-target-millennials-as-dream-demo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-06 Words: 29 > Millennials are becoming a more and more popular demographic for marketers. This outlines how advertisers can target this demographic. It includes infographics about what appeals to this particular group. Millennials are becoming a more and more popular demographic for marketers. This outlines how advertisers can target this demographic. It includes infographics about what appeals to this particular group. --- ## Stripes convenience stores’ “El Grito” promotion uses Mexican Independence Day to target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/stripes-convenience-stores-el-grito-promotion-uses-mexican-independence-day-to-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-04 Words: 52 > The "El Grito" contest involves voting for "Best Grito" on the company's Facebook page. The convenience store company is also using National Taco day to sell more tacos by offering... The “El Grito” contest involves voting for “Best Grito” on the company’s Facebook page. The convenience store company is also using National Taco day to sell more tacos by offering consumers free breakfast tacos who upload photos of them eating tacos to Stripes’ Facebook page. --- ## Denny’s launching animated ‘Grand Slams’ series URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-launching-animated-grand-slams-series/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-03 Words: 50 > Denny's is partnering with an animation studio to create videos featuring characters based on items from its Grand Slam breakfast. In a digital marketing technique aimed at Millennials and children,... Denny’s is partnering with an animation studio to create videos featuring characters based on items from its Grand Slam breakfast. In a digital marketing technique aimed at Millennials and children, the series will be promoted through its social media sites – Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. --- ## Snack food company Mondelez strikes global video ad deal with Google URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snack-food-company-mondelez-strikes-global-video-ad-deal-with-google/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-10-01 Words: 37 > Snack giant Mondelez looks to Google technology and child-targeted advertising icons for new deal focusing on online video, which presumably will primarily reach youth. Mondelez spends approximately $200 million on... Snack giant Mondelez looks to Google technology and child-targeted advertising icons for new deal focusing on online video, which presumably will primarily reach youth. Mondelez spends approximately $200 million on measured media in the United States. --- ## 3 phrases public health advocates should use with caution — or not at all URL: https://www.bmsg.org/3-phrases-public-health-advocates-should-use-with-caution-or-not-at-all/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 760 > Language matters. Words have histories and meanings and connotations that can open people up to new ideas and move them to action — or reinforce old ways of thinking. The... Language matters. Words have histories and meanings and connotations that can open people up to new ideas and move them to action — or reinforce old ways of thinking. The words we use activate frames, which are mental structures that allow us to take in information, categorize it and derive meaning from it based on what we already know — or think we know — about the way the world works. As we at BMSG often tell advocates, “Once activated, frames trigger emotions, associations, values, judgments, and causal explanations. They create tracks for a train of thought. And once on that track, it’s hard to get off.” With that in mind, here are three common phrases that may be undermining advocates’ best efforts to make the case for sound public health policy: This policy is not [fill in the blank]. Earlier this year, I read a blog about California’s bold move to put warning labels on sugary drinks. To demonstrate support for the bill and for similar public health efforts, the author wrote, “Public health policy is not about America becoming a communist, or even socialist state.” Yet, taking the reader on a mental detour toward socialism only moves us further from our understanding of why public health policy is important. As my colleague Fernando Quintero has written, “By raising the precise frames we are intending to counter, even if only to refute them, we are creating hurdles we now must jump over. Moreover, we may be suggesting these arguments to those who had not yet considered them.” The next time you or your organization wants to make the case for a policy that would improve the public’s health, stay focused on what it is, not what it isn’t. The opposition has plenty of opportunities to do that for you. Food environment, built environment, beverage environment — you get the idea. We’re as guilty as anyone for overusing the word “environment.” To be sure, our environments affect our health, and if our goal is to change public policy in ways that support our collective health, we have to make those environments visible. Unfortunately, using the word isn’t necessarily the best way to do that. Even though “environment” is accurate, the trouble is that many people still think of the environment as our natural surroundings — trees, grass, water and air. Over time, its repeated use may lead to a new understanding of its meaning to include social environments. In the meantime, to make sure you’re not diluting your message (particularly when talking with reporters or others not already steeped in public health lingo), try substituting or supplementing generic phrases like “food environment” with a vivid description of what you mean. Whether it’s neighborhoods overflowing with fast food outlets or junk food marketing strategically placed at kids’ eye-level in the supermarket, paint a picture of the surroundings you want to change. Use images and active language to show that those surroundings are the result of policy decisions that could have been made differently. As our director, Lori Dorfman, often says, “Never say furniture when you can say chair.” Make the healthy choice the easy choice. This one attempts to reframe the notion of choice and has a nice snap to it. Why, then, might advocates want to rethink it? Although advocates’ goal with this phrase may be to bridge individual behavior with the context it happens in, without making that context explicit, that bridge falls short of taking us where we need to go, as it reinforces the idea that choices are made by people, rather than shaped by our surroundings. It also triggers the dominant cultural narrative of rugged individualism, which contends that people are masters of their own destinies and can control their health outcomes if they simply make the right choices. Instead of taking the risk of unintentionally cuing up the opposition’s argument, it may be more effective to take the focus off of individuals making choices and put it on the barriers that undermine people’s efforts to be healthy. In other words, shift the frame from a portrait to a landscape so that people can more clearly see why policy interventions are needed. What do you think about these phrases? Do you use them? What are some other common words or expressions that public health advocates should use with caution or use more often? --- ## Sesame Workshop characters used in marketing campaign to encourage healthy eating URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sesame-workshop-characters-used-in-marketing-campaign-to-encourage-healthy-eating/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-29 Words: 40 > Designed to encourage children aged 2-5 to eat their vegetables, Sesame Workshop, the Produce Marketing Association and the Partnership for a Healthier America have teamed up to display Muppet characters... Designed to encourage children aged 2-5 to eat their vegetables, Sesame Workshop, the Produce Marketing Association and the Partnership for a Healthier America have teamed up to display Muppet characters on packaging, marketing and in-store signs and promotions. --- ## Subway and Diet Coke use Taylor Swift in latest marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-and-diet-coke-use-taylor-swift-in-latest-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-26 Words: 56 > Through in-restaurant, social media, TV and radio promotions, consumers will be given the opportunity to meet Taylor Swift. Customers have to buy a sandwich and Diet Coke to enter the... Through in-restaurant, social media, TV and radio promotions, consumers will be given the opportunity to meet Taylor Swift. Customers have to buy a sandwich and Diet Coke to enter the contest, in what is a clear example of a celebrity endorsement used to target teens and children, the majority of the Taylor Swift fan base. --- ## Kettle chips target Millennials through unusual flavor profiles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kettle-chips-target-millennials-through-unusual-flavor-profiles/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-26 Words: 52 > The company credits its new flavors, as well as its Non-GMO Project verification process, for its increase in sales, explaining that these "are central to the appeal the brand has... The company credits its new flavors, as well as its Non-GMO Project verification process, for its increase in sales, explaining that these “are central to the appeal the brand has with Millennial consumers.” The company plans to continue to target Millenials as it rolls out its new products. --- ## Miller Lite targets Latinos during Hispanic Heritage Month URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/miller-lite-targets-latinos-during-hispanic-heritage-month/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-25 Words: 42 > Miller Lite is using Hispanic Heritage Month to market to Latino consumers. They are using celebrities Danny Trejo and Richard Rawlings as well as a contribution to the åÁAdelante! U.S.... Miller Lite is using Hispanic Heritage Month to market to Latino consumers. They are using celebrities Danny Trejo and Richard Rawlings as well as a contribution to the åÁAdelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund to boost their image in the Latino community. --- ## Webinar: Social norms change and health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-social-norms-change-and-health-equity/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 39 > In this webinar, the second in a series from The California Endowment, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman and UC Berkeley doctoral candidate Katherine Schaff discuss lessons learned from advocates working to... In this webinar, the second in a series from The California Endowment, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman and UC Berkeley doctoral candidate Katherine Schaff discuss lessons learned from advocates working to develop health-related media campaigns in Alameda County, California. --- ## New market research reports on Latino food shoppers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-market-research-reports-on-latino-food-shoppers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-22 Words: 36 > Latino food shoppers are a fast-growing segment. This latest report is part of the growing body of market research that focuses on the patterns, behaviors, and preferences of Latinos to... Latino food shoppers are a fast-growing segment. This latest report is part of the growing body of market research that focuses on the patterns, behaviors, and preferences of Latinos to help advertisers better target them. --- ## How Coca-Cola targeted teens with its “Share a Coke” campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-coca-cola-targeted-teens-with-its-share-a-coke-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-22 Words: 49 > Marketing reports reveal the techniques Coca-Cola used for its "Share a Coke" campaign to tap into young people's passions. The campaign, which featured personalized bottles of Coke and user-generated promotional... Marketing reports reveal the techniques Coca-Cola used for its “Share a Coke” campaign to tap into young people’s passions. The campaign, which featured personalized bottles of Coke and user-generated promotional materials, capitalized on teens’ and Millenial’s desire for self-expression. --- ## World’s biggest food companies to tighten self-regulatory marketing rules URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/worlds-biggest-food-companies-to-tighten-self-regulatory-marketing-rules/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-22 Words: 56 > Companies that form the International Food and Beverage Alliance have agreed to bring their practices around nutrition labeling and food marketing to children into alignment. The move comes as a... Companies that form the International Food and Beverage Alliance have agreed to bring their practices around nutrition labeling and food marketing to children into alignment. The move comes as a response to the World Health Organization’s call to governments to ensure that children are protected from direct advertisement for harmful food and beverages. --- ## Florida citrus targets children through partnership with Marvel URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/florida-citrus-targets-children-through-partnership-with-marvel/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-18 Words: 51 > The Florida Department of Citrus is using school-based marketing tactics to target children, parents and their families. The department has partnered with Marvel to create an orange juice-promoting superhero who... The Florida Department of Citrus is using school-based marketing tactics to target children, parents and their families. The department has partnered with Marvel to create an orange juice-promoting superhero who will appear in comic books distributed in schools across the country, along with a branded lesson plan for teachers. --- ## CSPI calls for food companies to abandon ‘school-related junk food promotion’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cspi-calls-for-food-companies-to-abandon-school-related-junk-food-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-16 Words: 61 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has called for major companies, including Sunny Delight and Pizza Hut, to end in-school marketing practices that reward unhealthy behaviors. CSPI... The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has called for major companies, including Sunny Delight and Pizza Hut, to end in-school marketing practices that reward unhealthy behaviors. CSPI denounces such promotions as “tawdry, crass and undermin[ing to] children’s health,” and urges companies to set standards for the products they market in schools. --- ## The Taco Bell Foundation’s corporate social responsibility campaign focuses on students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-taco-bell-foundations-corporate-social-responsibility-campaign-focuses-on-students/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-16 Words: 60 > The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens has announced it will provide funding to Junior Achievement (JA), an organization dedicated to empowering young people to pursue higher education. The collaboration enables... The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens has announced it will provide funding to Junior Achievement (JA), an organization dedicated to empowering young people to pursue higher education. The collaboration enables the company to connect with teens – for example, a recent JA back-to-school event offered students free Taco Bell products, distributed from a heavily-branded Taco Bell truck. --- ## New marketing research helps advertisers zero in on Latino communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-marketing-research-helps-advertisers-zero-in-on-latino-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-11 Words: 41 > This article interviews retailers, consultants and agency executives to find out what they have learned about marketing to the Latino community. Those interviewed provide insights on how to most effectively... This article interviews retailers, consultants and agency executives to find out what they have learned about marketing to the Latino community. Those interviewed provide insights on how to most effectively target Latino consumers, emphasizing the importance of price-based marketing strategies. --- ## Webinar: Creating effective health messaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-creating-effective-health-messaging/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 62 > In this webinar, as part of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s Health for a Change series, BMSG trainers Julieta Kusnir and Fernando Quintero help participants understand message development; describe... In this webinar, as part of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s Health for a Change series, BMSG trainers Julieta Kusnir and Fernando Quintero help participants understand message development; describe the difference between media advocacy and health education messaging; and discuss how advocates can frame their messages to show the environmental context for health and demonstrate the need for policy change. --- ## McDonald’s uses Hispanic Heritage Month to appeal to Latino community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-uses-hispanic-heritage-month-to-appeal-to-latino-community/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-10 Words: 52 > McDonald's is honoring baseball icon Mariano Rivera as part of "Celebrando Nuestras Leyendas," its campaign to reach Latinos through Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. As part of its outreach, a local... McDonald’s is honoring baseball icon Mariano Rivera as part of “Celebrando Nuestras Leyendas,” its campaign to reach Latinos through Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. As part of its outreach, a local McDonald’s is also making a donation to a community organization run by Rivera and his wife. --- ## PepsiCo Foundation connects with emerging Latino leaders through leadership grant URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-foundation-connects-with-emerging-latino-leaders-through-leadership-grant/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-08 Words: 52 > Citing its "ongoing commitment to developing Latino leadership" the PepsiCo Foundation has given a $2.5 million grant to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit that develops leadership among... Citing its “ongoing commitment to developing Latino leadership” the PepsiCo Foundation has given a $2.5 million grant to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit that develops leadership among Latino youth. The funds strengthen PepsiCo’s connections with Latino youth and its reputation within the Latino community. --- ## Krispy Kreme uses tongue-in-cheek social media ‘holiday’ to sell doughnuts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krispy-kreme-uses-tongue-in-cheek-social-media-holiday-to-sell-doughnuts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-08 Words: 54 > Krispy Kreme is reaching out to social media users through its Talk Like a Pirate Day promotion. During the popular social media "holiday," which occurs on September 19th, the chain... Krispy Kreme is reaching out to social media users through its Talk Like a Pirate Day promotion. During the popular social media “holiday,” which occurs on September 19th, the chain will give a free doughnut to customers who talk like a pirate – and even more doughnuts to those who dress up. --- ## Taco Bell targets teens with social media-driven scholarship competition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-targets-teens-with-social-media-driven-scholarship-competition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-04 Words: 56 > Taco Bell has partnered with a popular YouTube star to promote its teen-targeted corporate social responsibility initiative, the Graduate for MÌÊs Teen Scholar Contest. Teens are encouraged to submit an... Taco Bell has partnered with a popular YouTube star to promote its teen-targeted corporate social responsibility initiative, the Graduate for MÌÊs Teen Scholar Contest. Teens are encouraged to submit an online video to a branded website for a chance to win a scholarship – and to become part of Taco Bell’s promotional materials. --- ## Video: Engaging communications to create healthy environments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-engaging-communications-to-create-healthy-environments/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 55 > In this July 23 presentation for the 2014 Colorado Health Symposium, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses why health education and data don't go far enough toward improving health at the... In this July 23 presentation for the 2014 Colorado Health Symposium, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses why health education and data don’t go far enough toward improving health at the population-level, and how communication, particularly media advocacy, can be used to change policy and create environments that better support health for everyone. --- ## Big Food ties campaign launches to the start of the NFL season URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-ties-campaign-launches-to-the-start-of-the-nfl-season/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-03 Words: 63 > Food and beverage manufacturers are among the many major companies using the new football season as a launching pad for campaigns. The best known of these is Doritos' "Crash the... Food and beverage manufacturers are among the many major companies using the new football season as a launching pad for campaigns. The best known of these is Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl”, the fan-driven campaign is part of Frito Lay’s effort to market Doritos to “young Millenials, who are harder and harder to market to.” --- ## McDonald’s targets kids with free breakfasts for back to school URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-kids-with-free-breakfasts-for-back-to-school/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-02 Words: 49 > McDonald's is touting a day of breakfast giveaways for kids in California and Nevada. Though the chain trumpets its "wholesome" breakfast options, this marketing campaign will mean that more kids... McDonald’s is touting a day of breakfast giveaways for kids in California and Nevada. Though the chain trumpets its “wholesome” breakfast options, this marketing campaign will mean that more kids start their school day at McDonald’s, where unhealthy foods are also heavily marketed. --- ## Study: Junk food TV ads target the highest-risk youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-junk-food-tv-ads-target-the-highest-risk-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-09-02 Words: 46 > New research from Lisa Powell and colleagues found that low-income and African-American kids were the most likely to be targeted with television ads for fast food and sugary drinks. The... New research from Lisa Powell and colleagues found that low-income and African-American kids were the most likely to be targeted with television ads for fast food and sugary drinks. The researchers used television ratings data to analyze which ads were aired in different markets. --- ## Pizza Patron exec offers marketers insights on targeting Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-patron-exec-offers-marketers-insights-on-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-28 Words: 64 > During the keynote speech for this year's Hispanic Retail 360 conference, an event that brings together marketers and retailers interested in targeting Latinos, Pizza Patron's Brand Director Andrew Gamm focused... During the keynote speech for this year’s Hispanic Retail 360 conference, an event that brings together marketers and retailers interested in targeting Latinos, Pizza Patron’s Brand Director Andrew Gamm focused on making a “cultural connection” with Latinos to generate sales. He instructed marketers to, among other things, “bypass the brain, bypass the wallet, touch the heart.” --- ## Grocers attempt to attract kids to healthy food with junk-food-style packaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/grocers-attempt-to-attract-kids-to-healthy-food-with-junk-food-style-packaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-25 Words: 54 > This type of strategy has been going on for a while: This story from NPR mentions, for example, a baby carrot campaign. There's also a missed opportunity here to talk... This type of strategy has been going on for a while: This story from NPR mentions, for example, a baby carrot campaign. There’s also a missed opportunity here to talk to those advocates (like the folks at Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood) who argue against marketing to children in all forms. --- ## Fanta’s Vine-based comedy series targets teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fantas-vine-based-comedy-series-targets-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-24 Words: 62 > Fanta, the notoriously sugary orange soda, has launched a new media campaign using short six-second Vine videos to engage teens. A Fanta executive sums up the motives behind the campaign:... Fanta, the notoriously sugary orange soda, has launched a new media campaign using short six-second Vine videos to engage teens. A Fanta executive sums up the motives behind the campaign: “The campaign unites teens around their shared desire for fame and their shared passion for humor, while allowing them to be themselves and to connect their way.” --- ## New Orleans will continue to host the Essence Festival — and its Big Food sponsors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-orleans-will-continue-to-host-the-essence-festival-and-its-big-food-sponsors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-22 Words: 52 > The Essence Festival, sponsored by McDonald's and Coca-Cola, announced an extended agreement with the State of Louisiana to host the Essence Festival through 2019. The Big Food sponsorship and pivotal... The Essence Festival, sponsored by McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, announced an extended agreement with the State of Louisiana to host the Essence Festival through 2019. The Big Food sponsorship and pivotal location of the festival in New Orleans reflect marketing tactics to strengthen ties with the African American community. --- ## NYC regulation would ban toys with unhealthy kids’ meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nyc-regulation-would-ban-toys-with-unhealthy-kids-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-22 Words: 71 > Council member Ben Kallos of New York has introduced a bill that would prohibit children's toys from being offered with unhealthy kids meals. To meet the standards of a healthy... Council member Ben Kallos of New York has introduced a bill that would prohibit children’s toys from being offered with unhealthy kids meals. To meet the standards of a healthy meal, the meal must be “fewer than 500 calories, fewer than 600 milligrams of sodium, less than 35% of total calories from fat, less than 10% of total calories from added sugars and/or caloric sweeteners.” --- ## Lessons in communication strategy from Big Soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/lessons-in-communication-strategy-from-big-soda/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1306 > We often tell participants in our media advocacy trainings that many of the tools and techniques we teach health advocates are ones we've borrowed from tobacco control. For example, embedding... We often tell participants in our media advocacy trainings that many of the tools and techniques we teach health advocates are ones we’ve borrowed from tobacco control. For example, embedding memorable sound bites in messages so that audiences remember key points (“Kids need sports, not sports drinks”). Or pivoting away from tough questions or inquiries aimed at derailing the speaker (“That’s an interesting point, but I’m here to talk about …”). Tobacco control advocates taught us that we could use media advocacy to hold a powerful industry accountable for creating unhealthy environments. Their success in passing policies to reduce smoking rates has been partly the result of decades of studying Big Tobacco’s playbook, anticipating the industry’s arguments against regulation, and using the power of the media to reframe the issue and shape the opinions of policymakers and the public. We’re currently seeing striking similarities between Big Soda and Big Tobacco as the sugary drink industry works to combat mounting pressure from health advocates and the public at large for its major role in the national diabetes epidemic. I saw these similarities firsthand at a debate last month between Berkeley City Council member Laurie Capitelli, who is supporting a proposed penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages, and Matt Rodriguez, who was representing the soda industry. Rodriguez did his best to distract the audience from the harm that soda causes to people’s health. His comments and responses were skillful, if not predictable. Advocates can use that to their advantage. Though public health advocates can’t match the money industry is throwing at its efforts to deflect responsibility for the health problems its products cause, we can make sure they don’t control the conversation. Knowing what the opposition is saying is key to coming up with strategic messages and responses. The following is a partial list of communication strategies that Rodriguez employed at the July 28 event. Some of these are effective tools that advocates can use as part of their arsenal. Others are just plain dirty, underhanded tactics that we wouldn’t suggest anyone emulate. However, we wanted to provide a brief glimpse into how big industry operates: Poke holes in your opponent’s proposed policy Rodriguez began his comments with the claim that the proposed soda tax was “not a serious policy effort” and “not a serious attempt to deal with obesity,” but rather a “political move.” He noted that the tax proposal does not earmark money for health programs. (Tax measure proponents chose not to set aside proceeds from the tax for a particular program because that would require a two-thirds majority vote, thanks to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. Instead the measure establishes a committee comprising city and community leaders to help funnel the funds toward children’s health programs.) Malign your opponent’s proposal with short, memorable media bites “This is a grocery tax,” Rodriguez declared. “This is a record-keeping nightmare (for business owners).” Use divisive tactics As Big Soda did in Richmond when that city proposed a similar measure, Rodriguez injected racial and socioeconomic overtones into the debate and framed the soda tax as a regressive policy that would harm low-income communities. “Why put this on the backs of those who can least afford it?” Rodriguez asked. Use coded language At least one audience member noted after the debate that Rodriguez was skilled at using coded language to create racial and socioeconomic division. “If you’re so serious about obesity, why not go after people in the hills?” said Rodriguez, who afterward clarified just whom he meant: “You have wealthier people who can bear that tax. You could have gone to a different source.” Highlight the ever-rising cost of living “The cost of living in the Bay Area is high and rising,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a tough time to be raising prices on groceries.” Use key messengers One of the cornerstones of BMSG’s strategic messaging sessions is that the messenger is just as important as the message. People who can speak about an issue from personal experience are what we call “authentic voices” — a valuable part of any media advocacy campaign. Rodriguez made sure to include a variety of voices that were quoted in his slide presentation. For example: “If you really think this tax will not ultimately take a toll on small businesses, then you believe in Santa Claus.” -Paula Tejada, San Francisco business owner (I’m not quite sure why Rodriguez thought it necessary to use a San Francisco business owner to comment on a Berkeley tax measure). Confuse your audience Rodriguez stated the measure was “not well-crafted” and “riddled with exemptions,” and in his best move of the day, he put up a slide presentation with several drink products and had audience members participate in an impromptu “what’s taxed, what’s not” game. It was a highly effective ploy as audience members struggled with... --- ## Gatorade’s new TV campaign, “Sweat it to get it” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gatorades-new-tv-campaign-sweat-it-to-get-it/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-18 Words: 75 > Gatorade continues its tradition of partnering with athletes to market its products. The latest effort features NFL stars Peyton Manning and Cam Newton in a television ad set in a... Gatorade continues its tradition of partnering with athletes to market its products. The latest effort features NFL stars Peyton Manning and Cam Newton in a television ad set in a convenience store where customers are denied Gatorade if they aren’t sweating. Advertisers describe the Millennial-targeted ad as intended to “create something that might cause someone who reaches for a Gatorade to think, ‘Hold up ‰Û_ have I earned this?'” --- ## Mars capitalizes on social media phenomenon to promote Twix Bites URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mars-capitalizes-on-social-media-phenomenon-to-promote-twix-bites/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-15 Words: 77 > Mars Chocolate is using 90s nostalgia and popular social media phenomena to promote Twix Bites, launched earlier this year. The campaign will feature humorous videos that evoke 90s pop culture... Mars Chocolate is using 90s nostalgia and popular social media phenomena to promote Twix Bites, launched earlier this year. The campaign will feature humorous videos that evoke 90s pop culture to explain why Twix Bites weren’t introduced in that decade. The videos are tied to a social media campaign that urges young fans to upload their own photos and videos, tagged with the already-popular social media hashtag “#TBT” (“throwback Thursday”). --- ## MilkSplash targets Latinos with Horchata Piata flavor URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/milksplash-targets-latinos-with-horchata-piata-flavor/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-14 Words: 26 > MilkSplash, a zero-calorie milk flavoring, recently introduced a variant with flavoring (Horchata) and packaging (featuring a donkey piata) that are clearly intended to target Latinos. MilkSplash, a zero-calorie milk flavoring, recently introduced a variant with flavoring (Horchata) and packaging (featuring a donkey piata) that are clearly intended to target Latinos. --- ## Fast feeders drop “healthier options” and add unhealthy cult favorites to permanent menus URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-feeders-drop-healthier-options-and-add-unhealthy-cult-favorites-to-permanent-menus/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-14 Words: 66 > Facing a "less than spectacular response," Burger King will phase Satisfries, touted as the chain's "healthier fries option," out of most of its North American restaurants. At the same time,... Facing a “less than spectacular response,” Burger King will phase Satisfries, touted as the chain’s “healthier fries option,” out of most of its North American restaurants. At the same time, Wendy’s has announced that its popular Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger, the subject of a high-profile ad campaign earlier in the summer, will become part of its regular menu. --- ## How marketers are targeting teens during the “dog days of summer” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-marketers-are-targeting-teens-during-the-dog-days-of-summer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-14 Words: 57 > Companies are looking for new ways to target to teens through eye-catching multi-media marketing tactics, or through campaigns that encourage them to co-create products. This blog post highlights Coca-Cola's "Ahh... Companies are looking for new ways to target to teens through eye-catching multi-media marketing tactics, or through campaigns that encourage them to co-create products. This blog post highlights Coca-Cola’s “Ahh Effect” campaign as a prime example — the promotion uses games, music, and user-generated content to attract teens. --- ## Burger King brings back unhealthy Chicken Fries URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-brings-back-unhealthy-chicken-fries/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-11 Words: 50 > Burger King brings back unhealthy chicken fries in response to an online consumer campaign that demanded the return of the menu item. The company is marketing the chicken fries with... Burger King brings back unhealthy chicken fries in response to an online consumer campaign that demanded the return of the menu item. The company is marketing the chicken fries with the same TV spot and online with the addition of a “Throwback Thursday hashtag” to appeal to Millennials. --- ## McDonald’s rewards African American leaders to build community connections URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-rewards-african-american-leaders-to-build-community-connections/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-11 Words: 57 > The annual McDonald's 365Black Awards helps the company build connections and goodwill within the African American community by recognizing community leaders. This year, recipients included civil rights activist Reverend Al... The annual McDonald’s 365Black Awards helps the company build connections and goodwill within the African American community by recognizing community leaders. This year, recipients included civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton and motivational speaker Iyanla Vanzant, who stars in a popular reality show and describes herself as a “longtime McDonald’s customer.” --- ## Nestle partners with Mexican chef Pati Jinich in new marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-partners-with-mexican-chef-pati-jinich-in-new-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-07 Words: 79 > In a new campaign that targets bicultural Latina moms, Chef Pati teaches a new recipe every month using "Nestle La Lechera." Marketing Manager Priscila Stanton sums it up by explaining... In a new campaign that targets bicultural Latina moms, Chef Pati teaches a new recipe every month using “Nestle La Lechera.” Marketing Manager Priscila Stanton sums it up by explaining the motive behind the campaign: “We’re delighted to collaborate with Pati Jinich who not only brings incredible recipes to the table, but is able to personally connect with our consumers, most of whom, like her, are bicultural Latinas living in the U.S.” --- ## Pillsbury Toaster Strudel partners with Fruit Ninja App URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pillsbury-toaster-strudel-partners-with-fruit-ninja-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-07 Words: 53 > In response to consumer requests for "more fruit" in Pillsbury Toaster Strudels, the company has launched a new gamevertising campaign with the Fruit Ninja App marketed to moms and Millennials.... In response to consumer requests for “more fruit” in Pillsbury Toaster Strudels, the company has launched a new gamevertising campaign with the Fruit Ninja App marketed to moms and Millennials. The popular game has players try to “virtually slice fruit images thrown onto thescreen,” to win Toaster Strudel coupons. --- ## Ronald McDonald Summer Library Tour returns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ronald-mcdonald-summer-library-tour-returns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-06 Words: 85 > Ronald McDonald returns to the greater Philadelphia region on his "It's Book Time with Ronald" show where he will visit four libraries in a campaign marketed to kids. The campaign... Ronald McDonald returns to the greater Philadelphia region on his “It’s Book Time with Ronald” show where he will visit four libraries in a campaign marketed to kids. The campaign encourages children to read, but also markets McDonald’s unhealthy “Happy Meals.” Once a child has read 10 books they can receive one free Happy Meal. This is a marketing tactic McDonald’s uses to market their food to kids and appear as a socially responsible corporation. --- ## Jell-O uses college football season to target students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jell-o-uses-college-football-season-to-target-students/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-04 Words: 65 > Jell-O is using the beginning of football season to market to college students. As part of a limited time offer, the brand is partnering with 16 universities in a new... Jell-O is using the beginning of football season to market to college students. As part of a limited time offer, the brand is partnering with 16 universities in a new promotion to “celebrate college teams around the country.” Jell-O is selling “University Mold Kits” with their product so students can make university mascots and logos out of Jell-O. --- ## McDonald’s tests new “Shakin’ Flavor Fries” in Greater Philadelphia Region URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-tests-new-shakin-flavor-fries-in-greater-philadelphia-region/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-04 Words: 62 > McDonald's is looking to revamp their unhealthy french fries withmore flavoring - customers can choose from added seasoning flavorsof "Garlic Parmesan, Spicy Buffalo or Zesty Ranch." The special promotion is... McDonald’s is looking to revamp their unhealthy french fries withmore flavoring – customers can choose from added seasoning flavorsof “Garlic Parmesan, Spicy Buffalo or Zesty Ranch.” The special promotion is being tested in the Philadelphia region before it is released at all branches. McDonald’s is also promoting the fries through prize giveaways and social network outreach. --- ## Mondelez launches OREO Mini Surprises campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-launches-oreo-mini-surprises-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-08-04 Words: 74 > To promote OREO Mini, Mondelez has launched a campaign "focused on the small gestures, things, and places in life." 50 small towns across the U.S will be receiving mini packages... To promote OREO Mini, Mondelez has launched a campaign “focused on the small gestures, things, and places in life.” 50 small towns across the U.S will be receiving mini packages of OREOS. Senior Director OREO sums it up with, “OREO Mini Deliveries are our way of saying a little thanks to the people and places who help put a little bit of wonder into the big world every day.” --- ## 9 Most Horrifying Chain Restaurant Concoctions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/9-most-horrifying-chain-restaurant-concoctions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-30 Words: 71 > The Center for Science in Public Interest recently awarded the "XtremeEating Awards," which highlights the unhealthiest menu items promoted by restaurantchains and fast food. At #1 is Red Robin's "A1... The Center for Science in Public Interest recently awarded the “XtremeEating Awards,” which highlights the unhealthiest menu items promoted by restaurantchains and fast food. At #1 is Red Robin’s “A1 Peppercorn Burger with Steak Fries and Monster Salted Caramel Milkshake,” which comes to “3,540 calories, 69 grams of saturated fat, 6,280 milligrams of sodium and about 38 teaspoons of added sugar.” --- ## Ad Age’s 2014 Hispanic Fact Pack URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ad-ages-2014-hispanic-fact-pack/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-29 Words: 78 > According to the report, the Latino media market continues to outpace overall growth in the U.S. advertising industry, "buoyed by marketers' growing interest in Hispanic millennials as consumers and trendsettters."... According to the report, the Latino media market continues to outpace overall growth in the U.S. advertising industry, “buoyed by marketers’ growing interest in Hispanic millennials as consumers and trendsettters.” Ad Age reports that Latino media spending rose by 8.1% to $8.3 billion. Companies capitalized on the 2014 World Cup to target Latinos: Kraft Foods, for example, used social media to promote it’s “Flavor of the Championship” campaign. --- ## Miller Lite targets Latino population in Texas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/miller-lite-targets-latino-population-in-texas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-24 Words: 55 > Miller Lite is marketing to the Latino population in Texas by creating a contest to win tickets to Miller Lite's "Conciertos Originales." Miller Lite is hosting the concert to attract... Miller Lite is marketing to the Latino population in Texas by creating a contest to win tickets to Miller Lite’s “Conciertos Originales.” Miller Lite is hosting the concert to attract the large Hispanic population in Texas by featuring “electronica” music in order to market their product to concert-goers. --- ## TGI Friday’s unlimited appetizer promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tgi-fridays-unlimited-appetizer-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-24 Words: 81 > TGI Friday's has a promotion where they are offering unlimited $10 appetizers, however, the offer encourages overconsumption of unhealthy and high-sodium foods. According to a dietician quoted in this article,... TGI Friday’s has a promotion where they are offering unlimited $10 appetizers, however, the offer encourages overconsumption of unhealthy and high-sodium foods. According to a dietician quoted in this article, “a serving of the Tuscan Spinach Dip- a creamy, white-and-green sauce- includes 1,100 calories and 1,2500 milligrams of sodium. That’s more than the half the sodium the Centers for Disease Control recommends a healthy person consume in an entire day.” --- ## “Have the Feds Made School Food Worse with Government-Approved Junk?” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/have-the-feds-made-school-food-worse-with-government-approved-junk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-23 Words: 64 > 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... 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.” --- ## 7-Eleven continues July promotions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-continues-july-promotions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-22 Words: 69 > 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... 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. --- ## Food and beverage companies continue to infiltrate school lunches URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-beverage-companies-continue-to-infiltrate-school-lunches/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-18 Words: 46 > 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... 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. --- ## Communicating about health equity: Showing the bigger picture to build healthier communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/communicating-about-health-equity-showing-the-bigger-picture-to-build-healthier-communities/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 69 > How do we make the case for implementing wellness policies, for improving menu selections and all of the other community-wide healthy policy changes we want to see? Many professionals are... How do we make the case for implementing wellness policies, for improving menu selections and all of the other community-wide healthy policy changes we want to see? Many professionals are working on health equity issues but have a hard time talking about it. In this webinar, Berkeley Media Studies Group reviews tools to help groups that are working to reframe and effectively communicate the importance of their efforts. --- ## New research released pushes food and beverage companies to adopt more effective target marketing strategies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-research-released-pushes-food-and-beverage-companies-to-adopt-more-effective-target-marketing-strategies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-17 Words: 61 > 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... 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. --- ## Talking about soda warning labels: A Q&A with Xavier Morales and Genoveva Islas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/talking-about-soda-warning-labels-a-qa-with-xavier-morales-and-genoveva-islas/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1973 > At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we keep an eye out for news articles, talking points, and other resources that can help public health advocates more effectively make the case for... At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we keep an eye out for news articles, talking points, and other resources that can help public health advocates more effectively make the case for their issue. Whether it’s giving an interview to a reporter or testifying in front of decision-makers at a hearing, the way we frame an issue and the language we use influences the way people think about a problem and, ultimately, what actions they see as necessary — or even possible — to solve it. That’s why an op-ed published earlier this summer in the Fresno Bee (and later cross-posted at phi.org) grabbed — and held — our attention. Written by Xavier Morales, executive director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, and Genoveva Islas, an award-winning media advocate and regional director for the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program, the commentary makes a strong case for putting warning labels on soda. One thing that struck us about the piece is its lack of emphasis on a particular word that we’ve been encouraging advocates to avoid for years: obesity. Often discussed as a proxy for other health issues, “obesity” cues people to think about individuals’ body weight, obscuring the social and environmental factors at play in shaping our health. In their op-ed, Morales and Islas instead focused primarily on the link between soda and diabetes, a chronic illness that, the authors explain, “comes with a long list of complications, including blindness, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, amputations and premature death.” “The beverage industry has been relentless in crushing anything that highlights the fact that consuming their products can be harmful,” they continue. “In fact, their media campaigns, which not coincidentally target youths of color, intentionally link their products with a happy and exciting life. Individuals who have lost a limb, or a family member, know better. This is why we need a warning label.” Less than two weeks after the article was published, SB 1000, a first-of-its-kind bill that would require sugary drink bottles and cans sold in California to feature a warning label, passed a major legislative hurdle with a 21 to 13 vote in the state Senate. The bill was later voted down by the California Assembly Health Committee; however, advocates will continue to push for policies to reduce sugary drink consumption, knowing that their setbacks are temporary and help to advance public health over the long term. BMSG reached out to Morales and Islas to learn more about the strategy behind their writing and how advocates can improve the way they communicate about soda warning labels and other public health issues: Your piece begins with a startling statistic on diabetes, which is a departure from the usual media spotlight on obesity. Why did you make diabetes your focus? Islas: There is a lot of blaming of individuals and reference to personal responsibility when we talk about obesity in our society. There is less of that stigma when we talk about diabetes. So the focus on diabetes is important to help get our message through. There is an undeniable connection between sugar overconsumption with the development of diabetes. So I think it’s important to really help the general public and decision-makers know about the need to mitigate the overconsumption in order to prevent diabetes. Morales: Another angle is that one does not have to be obese to have diabetes. Also, science is now providing incontrovertible evidence that beverages containing caloric sweeteners disproportionately contribute to fatty livers, which causes the pancreas to go into overdrive, which then can lead to diabetes. We also know that a calorie is a unit of energy, so when industry talks about a calorie of sugar water being the same as a calorie of broccoli, what is being lost is the differential impact these have on our livers and pancreas. Many Latinos have been shown to have a variant of a gene that drives the liver to aggressively produce and store triglycerides which result in fatty liver syndrome, which is a precursor to diabetes. This genetic predisposition, when coupled with social determinant of health issues regarding food security, active transportation, physical activity, safe communities, living wages, trauma, saturation of fast food restaurants, and aggressive marketing of unhealthy products, is a perfect storm for diabetes. Obesity, while it has been described as an outcome of unhealthy living, is really a symptom, and often an intermediary, for diabetes. The media have been reporting this backwards — that obesity causes diabetes. The true relationship is much more dialectical, with environmental conditions being the primary driver. As you both know, effective media advocacy involves not only getting your policy message out but also getting it in front of the right people at the right time. Tell me about the political context for this piece and the planning that went into it. Islas: The article was develop... --- ## Engaging the elusive bicultural Latino audience URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/engaging-the-elusive-bicultural-latino-audience/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-15 Words: 48 > 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%... 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. --- ## Denny’s launches Spanish-language Facebook page URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-launches-spanish-language-facebook-page/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-14 Words: 56 > 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.... 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.” --- ## PepsiCo continues as core sponsor for Major League Baseball URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-continues-as-core-sponsor-for-major-league-baseball/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-14 Words: 45 > 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... 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 decades‰Û_” and uses baseball as a marketing avenue to fans. --- ## Win or lose, San Francisco and Berkeley soda tax measures are public health triumphs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/win-or-lose-san-francisco-and-berkeley-soda-tax-measures-are-public-health-triumphs/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 560 > For advocates of public health policy, the sands of time could fill the Sahara Desert. At least it seems that way as months, years, decades go by before structural and... For advocates of public health policy, the sands of time could fill the Sahara Desert. At least it seems that way as months, years, decades go by before structural and institutional changes are made to improve the health and save the lives of people throughout the nation. These drawn-out battles have surely taxed advocates’ patience and faith in the system. Typically, they’ve been David vs. Goliath fights with advocates being exponentially outnumbered in funds, political clout and other essential resources. They’ve involved countless numbers of defeats, both large and small. And at times they’ve been up against public opinion. In 2012, I wrote about how change takes time shortly after Johnson & Johnson announced plans to remove a host of harmful chemicals from its products by 2015, becoming the first major company to make such a commitment. It was a change environmental health advocates had sought for nearly a decade — a battle we sometimes highlight as a case study in our media advocacy trainings. I was reminded about this important lesson when I attended a rally last week that was held by supporters of Berkeley’s sugary drink tax initiative, just minutes before it was unanimously approved by the city council for the November ballot. The measure proposes a 1-cent-per-ounce charge to distributors of soda and other sugary drinks and is similar to a bill across the bay in San Francisco. Following the defeat of two soda tax measures in nearby Richmond and in the southern California community of El Monte, where it was voted down after a $2.7 million campaign by the soda industry, supporters of the Berkeley and San Francisco measures face formidable odds. At the rally, with its small but enthusiastic band of supporters on the steps of City Hall donning black T-shirts that read “Berkeley vs Big Soda,” I heard both timid and boisterous voices giving heartfelt personal testimonies and summoning support for the tax proposal. I was hopeful the proposals would pass, but cautiously optimistic. But then I remembered the Johnson & Johnson announcement of two years ago, and also the recent news that the board of the Golden Gate Bridge District voted unanimously to approve a $76 million cable net suicide barrier, a topic I’ve blogged about numerous times. For at least two decades, advocates for the barrier fought to help put an end to the more than a thousand suicides that have occurred at the bridge since it was built. Over the years, they employed a number of strategies including media advocacy to reframe the conversation and address the myths and stigma of suicide. They proved that fostering increased dialogue about suicide and mental illness would eventually lead to increased public support, and eventually, the board’s vote on June 27 to approve the funds. I think that if a soda tax measure were to pass anywhere, it would be Berkeley and San Francisco. These victories would surely lead to similar measures in other cities throughout the country as more communities and their leaders raise their voices in support of policies that make industry and government more accountable for their health. Eventually, one public policy at a time, we will stem the tide of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases. It just takes time. --- ## SKYY vodka targets “new generation of vodka drinkers” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/skyy-vodka-targets-new-generation-of-vodka-drinkers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-09 Words: 50 > 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... 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.” --- ## 7-Eleven gives away junk food for birthday promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-gives-away-junk-food-for-birthday-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-09 Words: 49 > 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... 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. --- ## Not in front of the kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/not-in-front-of-the-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-09 Words: 52 > The "Criteria for the Commercial Marketing of Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children" proposal from the Department of Health hopes "to ban any branding or marketing of unhealthy foods in... The “Criteria for the Commercial Marketing of Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children” proposal from the Department of Health hopes “to ban any branding or marketing of unhealthy foods in schools.” The proposal addresses why marketing specifically to kids is problematic and a risk factor for obesity. --- ## Hershey’s and Reese’s are the “sweetest TV spenders” in the candy sector URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hersheys-and-reeses-are-the-sweetest-tv-spenders-in-the-candy-sector/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-09 Words: 61 > 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... 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. --- ## McDonald’s uses Ronald McDonald scholarship to build ties with the Latino community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-uses-ronald-mcdonald-scholarship-to-build-ties-with-the-latino-community/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-08 Words: 56 > 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... 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. --- ## SourPatch Kids team up with Snapchat in new marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sourpatch-kids-team-up-with-snapchat-in-new-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-07 Words: 45 > 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... 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. --- ## How Salud America!’s new sugary drinks campaign advances public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-salud-americas-new-sugary-drinks-campaign-advances-public-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 436 > When I saw Salud America!'s new campaign to get sugary drinks out of summer camps, my first thought was that this is a critical step toward supporting kids' health across... When I saw Salud America!‘s new campaign to get sugary drinks out of summer camps, my first thought was that this is a critical step toward supporting kids’ health across the country — after all, children’s surroundings shape their health. But my second thought was that this is a critical step toward supporting everyone‘s health, even adults — including those without kids. That’s because a policy effort like this one doesn’t just change the rules on what beverages are or aren’t provided to young people when they’re away from home. It changes the public’s collective ideas about health, who’s responsible for ensuring it, and what steps we can take to do so. In other words, it helps to change norms. It will take many voices — and might even take more than one attempt — to persuade the American Camp Association to require camps to have a healthy beverage policy to be accredited. But whether the campaign’s success comes quickly or happens over the long haul, as BMSG director Lori Dorfman would say, it is another pebble in the water. Each time advocates propose a policy to rein in soda sales or consumption, it’s like throwing a pebble into a stream. It may initially disappear beneath the surface, but if we throw enough pebbles in, we will eventually be able to walk across. “The more a policy is proposed, the more people discuss and understand it,” writes Dorfman. “Policy proposals create opportunities for news coverage that set the agenda for public discussion. But each new attempt also communicates the fact that someone — and, as policy attempts mount, growing numbers of someones — support the policy.” Public health advocates have thrown countless pebbles into the river of tobacco control, and we now have a wide bridge spanning it. We can do the same with sugary drinks. With the continued introduction of bold policy proposals like ballot measures to pass a soda tax, California’s recent bill to put a warning label on sugary drinks, and, now, Salud America!‘s push to make summer camps a soda-free space, we can make sure that the next generation of children grows up in a world that protects, rather than undermines, their health. To get involved in the campaign, sign this petition or use the hashtag #NoCampSugaryDrinks on Facebook or Twitter to tell the American Camp Association (@ACAcamps) that you want them to add a “no sugary drinks” rule to their camp accreditation standards. --- ## Coca-Cola and 7-Eleven team up to tap into World Cup fever with in-store promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-7-eleven-team-up-to-tap-into-world-cup-fever-with-in-store-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-03 Words: 55 > 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... 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. --- ## Big Food Uses World Cup as marketing strategy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-uses-world-cup-as-marketing-strategy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-02 Words: 74 > 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... 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. --- ## General Mills uses social media meme Grumpy Cat to market to Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-uses-social-media-meme-grumpy-cat-to-market-to-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-02 Words: 73 > 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... 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. --- ## McDonald’s and Coca-Cola sponsor annual Essence Festival for the African American community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-and-coca-cola-sponsor-annual-essence-festival-for-the-african-american-community/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-01 Words: 54 > 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... 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. --- ## Denny’s uses new game-vertising strategy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-uses-new-game-vertising-strategy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-01 Words: 40 > 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... 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. --- ## Burger King releases the “Proud Whopper” in support of gay rights URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-releases-the-proud-whopper-in-support-of-gay-rights/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-07-01 Words: 45 > 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... 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.” --- ## Doritos uses “Bold Flavor Experiment” to market to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/doritos-uses-bold-flavor-experiment-to-market-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-30 Words: 60 > 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."... 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. --- ## Coca-Cola Canada uses rising athletic star to market products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-canada-uses-rising-athletic-star-to-market-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-23 Words: 40 > Coca-Cola Canada is sponsoring rising Canadian tennis star, Genie Bouchard to demonstrate their commitment to "encouraging active, healthy living." Bouchard signed a three-year agreement that will put her at the... Coca-Cola Canada is sponsoring rising Canadian tennis star, Genie Bouchard to demonstrate their commitment to “encouraging active, healthy living.” Bouchard signed a three-year agreement that will put her at the center of a national promotion campaign. --- ## Pepsi strengthens ties to African American community by sponsoring 2014 African American Festival URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-strengthens-ties-to-african-american-community-by-sponsoring-2014-african-american-festival/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-20 Words: 62 > Large food and beverage companies such as Pepsi are known to sponsor large entertainment events that demonstrate and deepen their ties with communities of color while promoting products. For example,... Large food and beverage companies such as Pepsi are known to sponsor large entertainment events that demonstrate and deepen their ties with communities of color while promoting products. For example, this past weekend was the annual African American Festival in Baltimore, which was sponsored by Pepsi. The event included music performances from prominent African American musicians such as, Brandy, and empowerment seminars. --- ## MiO Liquid Water Enhancer teams up with Columbia Pictures’ 22 Jump Street to target young consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mio-liquid-water-enhancer-teams-up-with-columbia-pictures-22-jump-street-to-target-young-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-19 Words: 91 > Food and beverage marketers are constantly looking for new ways to appeal to their consumers, and one tactic is teaming up with the entertainment industry. The new film 22 Jump... Food and beverage marketers are constantly looking for new ways to appeal to their consumers, and one tactic is teaming up with the entertainment industry. The new film 22 Jump Street targets young adults and MiO is creating a sweepstakes in conjunction with the movie to market their product. A representative for the company states, “MiO is all about giving our fans the freedom to make it original by customizing the perfect beverage, so naturally we’re giving them the same power to customize their very own sweepstakes.” --- ## Marketers’ new tactics in the food label wars – health takes a backseat URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-new-tactics-in-the-food-label-wars-health-takes-a-backseat/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-17 Words: 64 > Amid health concerns about their products, companies such as Coca-Cola and McDonald's are using marketing efforts that focus on branding and are no longer simply limited to the product. For... Amid health concerns about their products, companies such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s are using marketing efforts that focus on branding and are no longer simply limited to the product. For example, McDonald’s boasts that its Happy Meal promotes an “active play lifestyle.” However, public health advocates and others view these tactics as deceiving to consumers, particularly children. --- ## Coca-Cola uses U.S. soccer star to target African-American kids during the World Cup URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-u-s-soccer-star-to-target-african-american-kids-during-the-world-cup/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-13 Words: 94 > As the 2014 World Cup starts up, Coca-Cola has announced that it will be partnering with African-American soccer star DeMarcus Beasley "to promote the passion and benefits of soccer to... As the 2014 World Cup starts up, Coca-Cola has announced that it will be partnering with African-American soccer star DeMarcus Beasley “to promote the passion and benefits of soccer to African-American youth.” However, what the blog post does not mention is that Coca-Cola will also be using this partnership to promote sugary drinks to African-American youth. As part of the campaign, the soda company will donate soccer balls to schools (with Coke’s logo prominently displayed, presumably) when consumers enter product codes on a special website. --- ## Coca-Cola launches “Share a Coke” customizable label campaign for the first time in the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-share-a-coke-customizable-label-campaign-for-the-first-time-in-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-12 Words: 62 > The campaign is specifically targeted to young people ‰ÛÓ the article notes that Coca-Cola selected 250 names popular with teens and Millenials to place on its bottles. "Share a Coke"... The campaign is specifically targeted to young people ‰ÛÓ the article notes that Coca-Cola selected 250 names popular with teens and Millenials to place on its bottles. “Share a Coke” also features digital marketing and social media components ‰ÛÓ consumers are encouraged to share their labels on social media, and enter their friends’ emails to send them coupons. --- ## Corona uses multiple channels to reach multicultural millenials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/corona-uses-multiple-channels-to-reach-multicultural-millenials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-12 Words: 59 > Corona Extra is implementing its "most ambitious marketing program to date" by using bilingual ads to target Latino consumers and support the image of a "multicultural brand." The brand hopes... Corona Extra is implementing its “most ambitious marketing program to date” by using bilingual ads to target Latino consumers and support the image of a “multicultural brand.” The brand hopes that a multi-lingual, multi-channel strategy will “[allow it] to speak to consumers through multiple spots [since] most multicultural millenials are bilingual.” --- ## Blogger: Marketers should research local Latino communities to better target them with advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/blogger-marketers-should-research-local-latino-communities-to-better-target-them-with-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-11 Words: 55 > This piece highlights the diversity of the Latino population in the United States and urges marketers to conduct in-depth research in order to insert themselves more effectively in each local... This piece highlights the diversity of the Latino population in the United States and urges marketers to conduct in-depth research in order to insert themselves more effectively in each local community. While the basic goal of correcting misconceptions about Latino communities is positive, conducting that research in order to market unhealthy products is problematic. --- ## New Oscar Mayer app guides users to the nearest Weinermobile URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-oscar-mayer-app-guides-users-to-the-nearest-weinermobile/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-11 Words: 69 > The app features a racing game ‰ÛÓ likely to attract kids ‰ÛÓ and scanning Oscar Mayer packages allows users to earn "Weiner Bucks" and unlock new features in the game.... The app features a racing game ‰ÛÓ likely to attract kids ‰ÛÓ and scanning Oscar Mayer packages allows users to earn “Weiner Bucks” and unlock new features in the game. The Weinermobile app will also feature a social media component: the “Park in My Driveway” feature encourages users to paste the Weinermobile into one of their photos and share it with their social media contacts. --- ## The beverage industry’s take on public health proposals to discourage soda consumption: We’re “under attack” by activists URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-beverage-industrys-take-on-public-health-proposals-to-discourage-soda-consumption-were-under-attack-by-activists/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-11 Words: 59 > This framing of the issue paints industry ‰ÛÓ rather than the kids and adults struggling with diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease due to the industry's profoundly unhealthy products... This framing of the issue paints industry ‰ÛÓ rather than the kids and adults struggling with diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease due to the industry’s profoundly unhealthy products ‰ÛÓ as the victim. This blog post features commentary from the industry perspective on food stamp restrictions, soda taxes, and taking sugary chocolate milk out of schools. --- ## Industry self-regulation: How food companies (claim) to help kids make healthier choices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-self-regulation-how-food-companies-claim-to-help-kids-make-healthier-choices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-06 Words: 59 > This blog post piggybacks on the controversy around school lunch regulations being debated in Congress to talk about food companies' programs to improve kids' nutrition. The post contains a good... This blog post piggybacks on the controversy around school lunch regulations being debated in Congress to talk about food companies’ programs to improve kids’ nutrition. The post contains a good review of some of the self-regulatory actions that companies are taking and, fortunately, the focus here seems to mostly be on produce and some packaged food. --- ## Gatorade’s real-time tweets mocking LeBron James’ leg cramps generate pushback URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gatorades-real-time-tweets-mocking-lebron-james-leg-cramps-generate-pushback/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-06 Words: 61 > After LeBron James was sidelined by leg cramps at Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Gatorade sent tweets implying that this was because he drinks Powerade (which he endorses) instead... After LeBron James was sidelined by leg cramps at Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Gatorade sent tweets implying that this was because he drinks Powerade (which he endorses) instead of Gatorade. The company later apologized for the tweets. For better or worse, Gatorade continues to insert itself into the conversation that its target demographic (young men and athletes) are having. --- ## Food and beverage marketers see the World Cup as a “premier ad platform” — and an effective way to target junk food to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-beverage-marketers-see-the-world-cup-as-a-premier-ad-platform-and-an-effective-way-to-target-junk-food-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-06-04 Words: 66 > This article in the New York Times ties the expanded interest in the World Cup to the 2010 U.S. Census, which showed how quickly the Latino population was growing ‰ÛÓ... This article in the New York Times ties the expanded interest in the World Cup to the 2010 U.S. Census, which showed how quickly the Latino population was growing ‰ÛÓ and, therefore, caught marketers’ interest. Junk food companies like Mondelez, Coke, Pepsi and McDonald’s are all looking to capitalize on the event, using sophisticated digital media strategies to target Latinos and others. --- ## McDonald’s uses gospel music to target African-American community in Philadelphia URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-uses-gospel-music-to-target-african-american-community-in-philadelphia/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-27 Words: 51 > The performance was part of McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, a project of the company's 365black initiative, which targets African-Americans. The tour is a way for the fast food company... The performance was part of McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, a project of the company’s 365black initiative, which targets African-Americans. The tour is a way for the fast food company ‰ÛÓ and its unhealthy products ‰ÛÓ to stay “deeply rooted” in African-American communities. --- ## Advertisers zero in on how best to target Latino Millennials, the “Holy Grail” for marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advertisers-zero-in-on-how-best-to-target-latino-millennials-the-holy-grail-for-marketers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-22 Words: 67 > "Hispanic Millennials are the single most important consumer group per capita in the U.S.," says marketing executive Jerry Hudson. Why? They're the "most millennial of Millennials," and Millennials are "the... “Hispanic Millennials are the single most important consumer group per capita in the U.S.,” says marketing executive Jerry Hudson. Why? They’re the “most millennial of Millennials,” and Millennials are “the Holy Grail” for marketers. To most effectively target this sector, Hudson urges marketers to take advantage of their habits ‰ÛÓ habits like technology use and interest in soccer. --- ## McDonald’s new child-targeted spokescharacter gets a chilly reception URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-new-child-targeted-spokescharacter-gets-a-chilly-reception/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-21 Words: 81 > McDonald's newest spokescharacter, an animated Happy Meal box, was introduced as part of the chain's effort to " bring fun and excitement to kids' meals" while "serving as an ambassador... McDonald’s newest spokescharacter, an animated Happy Meal box, was introduced as part of the chain’s effort to ” bring fun and excitement to kids’ meals” while “serving as an ambassador for balanced and wholesome eating.” Public health and corporate accountability advocates have derided the move as a “PR gimmick,” while customers and critics have already taken to social media to denounce the anthropomorphic box “hideous” and “#McScary.” --- ## McDonald’s touts upcoming World Cup sponsorship by turning fry boxes into global, digital soccer pitch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-touts-upcoming-world-cup-sponsorship-by-turning-fry-boxes-into-global-digital-soccer-pitch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-20 Words: 107 > McDonald's blends event sponsorship, product packaging, and digital marketing in this high-profile global marketing effort. In the coming months, french fry packaging will be modified to serve as "the entry... McDonald’s blends event sponsorship, product packaging, and digital marketing in this high-profile global marketing effort. In the coming months, french fry packaging will be modified to serve as “the entry point for an augmented-reality game on [a branded] app.” Whether the company admits it or not, the brand is certainly implicitly targeting youth with “fun”: “Our digital vision at McDonald’s is to bring an entirely new level of everyday convenience and fun to the world, and our augmented reality app is just one example of how we are bringing fun to our customers’ lives.” --- ## Lemonhead’s attempts to appeal to a younger audience backfire with “creepy” new mascot URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lemonheads-attempts-to-appeal-to-a-younger-audience-backfire-with-creepy-new-mascot/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-20 Words: 45 > The Ferrera Candy Company, maker of Lemonheads, tried to broaden its youth appeal by introducing a new mascot through Twitter. Critics have declared the "lumpy lemon-headed child" as "creepy," and... The Ferrera Candy Company, maker of Lemonheads, tried to broaden its youth appeal by introducing a new mascot through Twitter. Critics have declared the “lumpy lemon-headed child” as “creepy,” and compared it unfavorably to McDonald’s unpopular new mascot. --- ## McDonald’s targets health-conscious moms by adding Go-Gurt to Happy Meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-health-conscious-moms-by-adding-go-gurt-to-happy-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-19 Words: 65 > McDonald's announced the new menu option just ahead of the company's annual meeting. The article notes that the fast food giant has been under continued pressure about its role in... McDonald’s announced the new menu option just ahead of the company’s annual meeting. The article notes that the fast food giant has been under continued pressure about its role in childhood obesity. The brand will also promote the new addition with an animated character called “Happy,” who is ostensibly designed to “encourage healthy eating habits among children.” --- ## Senators introduce bill that would end subsidies for marketing of unhealthy food to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/senators-introduce-bill-that-would-end-subsidies-for-marketing-of-unhealthy-food-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-16 Words: 85 > Democratic senators Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) have introduced a bill that would end tax subsidies for the marketing of unhealthy products to children. Harkin framed the Stop... Democratic senators Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) have introduced a bill that would end tax subsidies for the marketing of unhealthy products to children. Harkin framed the Stop Subsidizing Childhood Obesity Act as a critically-needed step to promote healthier lifestyles, arguing “our nation is facing a childhood obesity crisis that demands our urgent attention, and one effective way of combating this epidemic is to ensure that our children are not confronted by persistent advertising from soda, snack, and candy makers.” --- ## Latino marketing columnist has mixed feelings on McDonald’s nomination as Best Hispanic Marketer of the Year URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/latino-marketing-columnist-has-mixed-feelings-on-mcdonalds-nomination-as-best-hispanic-marketer-of-the-year/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-14 Words: 48 > Reach Hispanic Columnist Rodrigo Duran notes that McDonald's does a "phenomenal job" of targeting Latinos, but comments that he's "no advocate of fast foods. In fact," he says, "I strongly... Reach Hispanic Columnist Rodrigo Duran notes that McDonald’s does a “phenomenal job” of targeting Latinos, but comments that he’s “no advocate of fast foods. In fact,” he says, “I strongly discourage Latinos from eating at McDonald’s.” --- ## Oreo plans to target children worldwide with Transformers movie tie-in URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-plans-to-target-children-worldwide-with-transformers-movie-tie-in/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-14 Words: 54 > The cookie company's campaign includes product placement in the movie and marketing efforts in 35 countries. Oreo will release special Transformer-themed flavors and movie-themed packaging. The campaign will also contain... The cookie company’s campaign includes product placement in the movie and marketing efforts in 35 countries. Oreo will release special Transformer-themed flavors and movie-themed packaging. The campaign will also contain digital marketing elements: Oreo will be adding movie-themed activities to its popular “Twist, Lick and Dunk” app. --- ## Food companies face pushback against short-sighted X-Men promotions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-companies-face-pushback-against-short-sighted-x-men-promotions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-09 Words: 60 > Partnering with a highly-anticipated summer blockbuster is a well-established marketing technique, but it's not always a successful one. Hardees/Carl's Jr. and Hostess are two of the companies facing criticism for... Partnering with a highly-anticipated summer blockbuster is a well-established marketing technique, but it’s not always a successful one. Hardees/Carl’s Jr. and Hostess are two of the companies facing criticism for “sexist” and “nonsensical” advertising tie-ins to the highly-anticipated big budget film X-Men: Days of Future Past. --- ## Kellogg’s latest content marketing program targets Latina mothers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-latest-content-marketing-program-targets-latina-mothers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-08 Words: 64 > Kellogg's recently launched website, DiasGrandiosas, targets Latina mothers and their families with recipes, tips, and other original content. The website, which encourages Latina mothers to buy Kellogg's products through tie-ins... Kellogg’s recently launched website, DiasGrandiosas, targets Latina mothers and their families with recipes, tips, and other original content. The website, which encourages Latina mothers to buy Kellogg’s products through tie-ins with the existing Kellogg Family Rewards program, is supported through a digital campaign tailored to “[reach] Hispanic women in environments where they are,” including Facebook and Pinterest. --- ## Taco Bell leverages social media to launch Doritos Locos Tacos (DLT), Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-leverages-social-media-to-launch-doritos-locos-tacos-dlt-spicy-chicken-cool-ranch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-08 Words: 77 > After announcing the launch of the new Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco through Snapchat, Taco Bell continues to try to "push the envelope in social media" with a... After announcing the launch of the new Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco through Snapchat, Taco Bell continues to try to “push the envelope in social media” with a multi-part digital campaign to support the product’s limited release. Among other promotions designed to appeal to young fans, the chain has released a GIF-based “comic book” on Tumblr and plans to unveil an internet scavenger hunt in late May. --- ## Coca-Cola’s World Cup sponsorship centers on mobile campaign targeting soccer fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-world-cup-sponsorship-centers-on-mobile-campaign-targeting-soccer-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-07 Words: 77 > Coca-Cola is leveraging mobile marketing strategies to promote its sponsorship of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The multifaceted campaign, which the company hopes will "bring [the] experience to... Coca-Cola is leveraging mobile marketing strategies to promote its sponsorship of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The multifaceted campaign, which the company hopes will “bring [the] experience to life” for soccer fans, includes an interactive mobile activation that allows consumers to collect miniature, special-edition “virtual” Coca-Cola bottles. The World Cup promotion also includes a Facebook tie-in, as well as options for photo-sharing and digital sticker collecting. --- ## Hostess targets kids with limited-edition X-Men Twinkies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hostess-targets-kids-with-limited-edition-x-men-twinkies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-06 Words: 61 > Hostess is partnering with Twentieth Century Fox to launch an X-Men themed Twinkies product. The company will promote their super hero-themed Twinkies using digital product promo codes, social media outreach,... Hostess is partnering with Twentieth Century Fox to launch an X-Men themed Twinkies product. The company will promote their super hero-themed Twinkies using digital product promo codes, social media outreach, and daily prize giveaways.The campaign is part of their larger social branding efforts to stay relevant amongst the “short attention spans of today’s consumers.” --- ## Pepsi invests in mobile games to lure Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-invests-in-mobile-games-to-lure-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-06 Words: 90 > In an effort to stay relevant to Millennials using Apple products, Pepsi invests in brand-saturated mobile games for iPhone and iPad users. Their iAd campaign "fits into a bigger marketing... In an effort to stay relevant to Millennials using Apple products, Pepsi invests in brand-saturated mobile games for iPhone and iPad users. Their iAd campaign “fits into a bigger marketing effort to introduce a line of drinks made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrupto spark new sales with consumers who are concerned about the health risks of high fructose corn syrup.” Their iAd campaign features scramble games and branded image mapping which then directs players back to a Pepsi Wild Cherry Coke YouTube commercial. --- ## Pepsi’s first effort to sell Mountain Dew Baja Blast outside of Taco Bell sets sights on teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsis-first-effort-to-sell-mountain-dew-baja-blast-outside-of-taco-bell-sets-sights-on-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-06 Words: 102 > As soft drink sales are declining, PepsiCo's cult favorite "Mountain Dew Baja Blast," formerly sold only at Taco Bell, is on an upswing. Hoping to capitalize on the popularity of... As soft drink sales are declining, PepsiCo’s cult favorite “Mountain Dew Baja Blast,” formerly sold only at Taco Bell, is on an upswing. Hoping to capitalize on the popularity of Baja Blast, and that it will “offer a halo to the rest of the Mountain Dew lineup,” Mountain Dew will be distributing it in stores over the summer. The short term promotion will be supported by a major teen-targeted push that includes an Ocean’s Eleven-inspired video featuring popular athletes, social media outreach, and a mobile game called “Baja or Bust.” --- ## Taco Bell’s Feed the Beat campaign hooks youth through music URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bells-feed-the-beat-campaign-hooks-youth-through-music/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-05 Words: 75 > In an effort to target youth and stay relevant among young adults, Taco Bell's 2014 Feed the Beat lineup will feature 100 "up-and-coming artists" who will be cross-promoted through product-placed... In an effort to target youth and stay relevant among young adults, Taco Bell’s 2014 Feed the Beat lineup will feature 100 “up-and-coming artists” who will be cross-promoted through product-placed advertisements. Taco Bell will feature the names of the artists on their Big Box and Taco 12-packs, in addition to QR codes which will allow customers to be directed to the Feed the Beat Pandora station. --- ## McDonald’s receives “Marketer of the Year” award for their targeting of Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-receives-marketer-of-the-year-award-for-their-targeting-of-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-05-01 Words: 73 > Following in Walmart's footsteps, McDonald's was named the second annual "Marketer of the Year" at The Voice of Hispanic Marketing conference. The article describes the progression of McDonald's targeting, including... Following in Walmart’s footsteps, McDonald’s was named the second annual “Marketer of the Year” at The Voice of Hispanic Marketing conference. The article describes the progression of McDonald’s targeting, including becoming “deeply involved in music,” publicizing scholarship programs and sponsoring sports events. Their “multicultural” approach to marketing includes having three separate marketing directors for targeting Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans. --- ## McDonald’s uses promotions with Spiderman movie actor Jorge Vega to target Latino youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-uses-promotions-with-spiderman-movie-actor-jorge-vega-to-target-latino-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-26 Words: 67 > New York City McDonald's restaurants are hosting "a series of Meet and Greet events" with the Latino child actor Jorge Vega who is starring in the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man... New York City McDonald’s restaurants are hosting “a series of Meet and Greet events” with the Latino child actor Jorge Vega who is starring in the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie. The campaign also includes a movie-themed Happy Meal which comes with the ability to unlock a game in the “McPlay” app by scanning the Happy Meal package. --- ## Big Soda and Big Alcohol target Latino youth through World Cup sponsorships URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-soda-and-big-alcohol-target-latino-youth-through-world-cup-sponsorships/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-23 Words: 79 > Official sponsors Budweiser and Coca-Cola along with unofficial sponsors MillerCoors and PepsiCo are capitalizing off the event to use both traditional television advertising and social media ads to target young,... Official sponsors Budweiser and Coca-Cola along with unofficial sponsors MillerCoors and PepsiCo are capitalizing off the event to use both traditional television advertising and social media ads to target young, Latino soccer fans. While PepsiCo lost out to Coca-Cola for the official event sponsorship, they are launching a campaign for soccer that is supposed to be the “largest global effort for both the brand and the company” and will be implemented in 100 different markets. --- ## HoneyComb cereal campaign uses Instagram to target teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honeycomb-cereal-campaign-uses-instagram-to-target-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-23 Words: 63 > By using the photo-sharing social platform, Post Foods' campaign seeks to "enlist user-generated content to hopefully build long-term engagement." The campaign incentivizes teens to upload videos of themselves dancing with... By using the photo-sharing social platform, Post Foods’ campaign seeks to “enlist user-generated content to hopefully build long-term engagement.” The campaign incentivizes teens to upload videos of themselves dancing with a chance to win a prize. The article also notes the success of a previous Honey Bunches of Oats campaign targeting Latinos that used a similar strategy. --- ## Ronald McDonald gets a creepy makeover in effort to stay relevant URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ronald-mcdonald-gets-a-creepy-makeover-in-effort-to-stay-relevant/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-23 Words: 73 > In an effort to stay up-to-date in this digital age, McDonald's gave their clown mascot Ronald McDonald a new "designer" outfit as well as his own social media presence with... In an effort to stay up-to-date in this digital age, McDonald’s gave their clown mascot Ronald McDonald a new “designer” outfit as well as his own social media presence with the hashtag #RonaldMcDonald. According to the fast food giant’s Senior Vice President Dean Barrett, “Customers today want to engage with brands in different ways, and Ronald will continue to be modern and relevant.” --- ## Video: Corporations, consumption and protecting public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-corporations-consumption-and-protecting-public-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 76 > Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes cause 7 out of every 10 deaths in the United States. In this video, BMSG's Lori Dorfman and public health attorney... Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes cause 7 out of every 10 deaths in the United States. In this video, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman and public health attorney Michele Simon join Nicholas Freudenberg, author of Lethal but Legal: Corporations, Consumption and Protecting Public Health, to discuss how the business practices of alcohol, tobacco, food and other industries are causing these illnesses and what tools, including policy, advocates can use to prevent them. --- ## Kellogg’s uses “Amazing Spider-Man 2” branded digital gaming to target kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-uses-amazing-spider-man-2-branded-digital-gaming-to-target-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-21 Words: 73 > In an effort to promote its unhealthy products, Kellogg's is releasing a new Spider Man-themed mobile app, as well as announcing a new partnership with Sony for a sweepstakes giveaway.... In an effort to promote its unhealthy products, Kellogg’s is releasing a new Spider Man-themed mobile app, as well as announcing a new partnership with Sony for a sweepstakes giveaway. The mobile app allows users to unlock new parts of the game by scanning codes found on the brand’s products including Pringles, Frosted Flakes, and Pop-Tarts. The sweepstakes features prizes including a trip to New York City. --- ## Food industry messaging pulled from Big Tobacco playbook URL: https://www.bmsg.org/food-industry-messaging-pulled-from-big-tobacco-playbook/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 680 > "Is Big Food the new tobacco?" wondered a group of food and beverage industry executives at a recent New York conference dedicated to addressing legal challenges to their industries. We... “Is Big Food the new tobacco?” wondered a group of food and beverage industry executives at a recent New York conference dedicated to addressing legal challenges to their industries. We don’t often hear it from industry representatives themselves, but it’s not the first time in recent memory a major industry has faced comparisons to the tobacco industry. Debates around estrogenic chemicals in children’s products, gun control and climate change, for example, have prompted advocates to argue that chemical companies and the gun lobby, among others, are taking a page from the tobacco industry’s playbook, a series of tactics the industry designed to spread misinformation about, undermine regulation of, and thwart litigation against its harmful products. A cornerstone of the tobacco industry’s playbook involved using personal responsibility rhetoric — that is, arguments that shifted the responsibility for tobacco-related health harms solely to those who smoke, rather than the companies that produced and marketed toxic (and deadly) products. At BMSG, we have dedicated several years to exploring when and how the tobacco industry first started using personal responsibility arguments in their public conversations. Our first study of the issue, an analysis of news, legislative testimony and industry documents from the early 1950s and 60s, found that early tobacco control arguments — including those made on the heels of the 1964 Surgeon General’s report that declared smoking a public health problem — were striking for their absence of appeals to personal responsibility. Instead, the tobacco industry used the news primarily to raise doubt about whether or not their products were truly harmful. Our latest study revealed that it wasn’t until 1977 that the tobacco industry started using the news to disseminate personal responsibility messages. Those messages became more and more common in the news over time, eventually becoming the industry’s main public argument in the 1980s. Over the course of the more than two decades of news coverage we studied, the industry refined its messages around individual responsibility to address the political challenges it faced: In the early 1970s, Big Tobacco used arguments that characterized smoking as an issue of personal freedom and, therefore, claimed that any efforts to regulate smoking were a violation of that freedom. By the 1980s, when the industry was facing legal challenges from smokers and their families, Big Tobacco framed smoking as an informed choice that consumers knowingly made — a framing that neatly ignored tobacco addiction. Consequently, the argument held, smokers themselves, not the industry, were responsible for the health consequences of that choice. Again and again, we’ve seen Big Food use similar arguments that portray consumers as solely responsible for health harms that result from consuming their products. Food and beverage companies often subtly invoke individual choice and personal responsibility, as the American Beverage Association does with its slogan “Delivering Choices.” At other times, industry attempts to deflect blame are more direct. For example, industry representatives often blame consumers for failing to exercise moderation, like the National Restaurant Association did when one of its executives declared, “People who have a weight problem are making bad decisions. Overeating is a choice.” More recently, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent defended his company in the Wall Street Journal, arguing “Americans need to be more active and take greater responsibility for their diets.” So is Big Food the next Big Tobacco? And what do our findings mean for public health and social justice advocates going forward? Much research and scholarship has compared the food industry’s tactics to Big Tobacco’s playbook. Our work brings the origin and impact of a key element of that playbook into sharper focus and illuminates how the industry strategically adapted its personal responsibility messaging over time. Advocates working on policies that challenge the many industries harming health, from food to guns, should continue to boldly confront this strategy for blocking regulation and insist that the companies themselves exercise some personal responsibility for the products they foist upon the marketplace. --- ## Budweiser and Jay-Z’s “Made in America” music festival targets young men of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/budweiser-and-jay-zs-made-in-america-music-festival-targets-young-men-of-color/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-16 Words: 77 > Jay Z's "Made in America" music festival, sponsored by Budweiser, is adding the city of Los Angeles to its tour this summer and capitalizing off the opportunity to draw "a... Jay Z’s “Made in America” music festival, sponsored by Budweiser, is adding the city of Los Angeles to its tour this summer and capitalizing off the opportunity to draw “a younger and more multicultural crowd to Budweiser.” Pointing out Budweiser’s competing beer brands imported from Mexico and the diverse Latino population in California, one marketing executive emphasizes, “we need to make this festival relevant to Hispanic culture.” --- ## Coca-Cola uses Freestyle machine to lure youth and Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-freestyle-machine-to-lure-youth-and-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-16 Words: 93 > As their sales drop, Coca Cola is investing more in its Freestyle dispenser machine which allows consumers to mix their own sugary drinks. The machine is being heralded as "an... As their sales drop, Coca Cola is investing more in its Freestyle dispenser machine which allows consumers to mix their own sugary drinks. The machine is being heralded as “an admission by Big Soda that they have to endorse a young drinker’s consciousness” and is a blatant effort to stay relevant among youth and young adults. Upcoming promotion for the Freestyle machine will be digitized including a mobile app which will allow consumers to pre-mix their drinks on their cellphones and scan the app to the machine itself. --- ## Budweiser sponsors Latino farm workers with screening and sponsorship of the film “ChÌÁvez” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/budweiser-sponsors-latino-farm-workers-with-screening-and-sponsorship-of-the-film-chiavez/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-15 Words: 55 > In a self-promoting video clip, Budweiser showcases their special screening of the film about CÌ©sar ChÌÁvez for Latino farm workers in Delano, California. Budweiser proudly announces their long-time sponsorship of... In a self-promoting video clip, Budweiser showcases their special screening of the film about CÌ©sar ChÌÁvez for Latino farm workers in Delano, California. Budweiser proudly announces their long-time sponsorship of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the clip, a classic example of targeting Latinos by invoking important cultural figures, events, and language. --- ## Taco Bell uses SnapChat to promote new Doritos Locos Tacos product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-uses-snapchat-to-promote-new-doritos-locos-tacos-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-13 Words: 70 > To promote their new Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, Taco Bell is partnering with the popular mobile app SnapChat. The app will feature a short film featuring the... To promote their new Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, Taco Bell is partnering with the popular mobile app SnapChat. The app will feature a short film featuring the new product and will be launched in conjunction with television, radio, and other social media promotion. The marketing tactic is another example of Big Food turning to the latest in technology to push unhealthy products on young, tech savvy consumers. --- ## New bilingual app for shoppers allows brands to target Latinos with promotions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-bilingual-app-for-shoppers-allows-brands-to-target-latinos-with-promotions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-09 Words: 73 > The new bilingual app Veo was specifically developed for brands like General Mills and Daisy to to target Latinos with coupons, giveaways, and other offers through their smart phones. According... The new bilingual app Veo was specifically developed for brands like General Mills and Daisy to to target Latinos with coupons, giveaways, and other offers through their smart phones. According to one of the app’s developers: “Among Hispanics, shopping and couponing apps rank second, only to social media.” Given a recent article on how coupons advertise unhealthy foods, this is likely to not be good news for Latino health. --- ## Vita Coco launches partnership with Rio 2 to sell sugary coconut drinks to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/vita-coco-launches-partnership-with-rio-2-to-sell-sugary-coconut-drinks-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-07 Words: 85 > Vita Coco, a leading maker of coconut water, is partnering with the upcoming animated film Rio 2 to launch two new flavors of the Vita Coco Kids line. The new... Vita Coco, a leading maker of coconut water, is partnering with the upcoming animated film Rio 2 to launch two new flavors of the Vita Coco Kids line. The new flavors are named after characters in the popular children’s movie and will be promoted using digital, print, social media, and in-store advertisements. While the adult-targeted products in the Vita Coco line are made with 100% juice, the children’s products are made with only 50% juice and have added sugar. --- ## UK ice cream makers target children with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed popsicle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-ice-cream-makers-target-children-with-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtle-themed-popsicle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-04 Words: 59 > Beechdean Ice Cream Group, the UK's largest farm-based ice cream maker, is launching a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-branded ice cream popsicle. The "X-Treme Lime and Chocolate Ice Lolly" capitalizes... Beechdean Ice Cream Group, the UK’s largest farm-based ice cream maker, is launching a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-branded ice cream popsicle. The “X-Treme Lime and Chocolate Ice Lolly” capitalizes on the ongoing popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who will be featured in a high profile movie later this year. --- ## McDonald’s targets young African-Americans with McCafe Fashion Designer Competition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-young-african-americans-with-mccafe-fashion-designer-competition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-03 Words: 52 > The competition asks fashion design students at historically black colleges to create designs inspired by the McCafe brand and offers prestigious apprenticeships and scholarships as prizes. According to a McDonald's... The competition asks fashion design students at historically black colleges to create designs inspired by the McCafe brand and offers prestigious apprenticeships and scholarships as prizes. According to a McDonald’s spokesperson, “McCafe beverages are the perfect complement for aspiring designers as they work tirelessly to pursue their dreams.” --- ## Marketers leverage eye contact between children and mascots on cereal boxes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-leverage-eye-contact-between-children-and-mascots-on-cereal-boxes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-03 Words: 64 > A recent study of 65 cereals indicates that cereals marketed to children are strategically placed at children's eye level on grocery store shelves - and that spokes-characters on child-targeted cereal... A recent study of 65 cereals indicates that cereals marketed to children are strategically placed at children’s eye level on grocery store shelves – and that spokes-characters on child-targeted cereal boxes are positioned to have eye contact with children. A follow-up study indicates that eye contact with branded spokes-characters helps marketers build brand loyalty and trust among children. --- ## McDonald’s All American Game targets student athletes and youth of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-all-american-game-targets-student-athletes-and-youth-of-color/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-02 Words: 81 > April 2nd marks McDonald's 13th Annual Girls and 37th Annual Boys All American Game, an all-star high school basketball game saturated with the McDonald's brand. According to McDonald's, the game... April 2nd marks McDonald’s 13th Annual Girls and 37th Annual Boys All American Game, an all-star high school basketball game saturated with the McDonald’s brand. According to McDonald’s, the game “gives student athletes an opportunity to introduce themselves to the basketball world” and “gives back to the community as well.” Past All-American Gamers include African American basketball star LeBron James, who is now sponsored by the fast food giant. --- ## Keep food marketing out of schools, at any price URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/keep-food-marketing-out-of-schools-at-any-price/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-04-01 Words: 55 > Yale researcher Robin Masheb dismantles the myth that General Mils' Box Tops for Education program is "either philanthropic [or] benign," concluding that the child and parent-directed program "produces just the... Yale researcher Robin Masheb dismantles the myth that General Mils’ Box Tops for Education program is “either philanthropic [or] benign,” concluding that the child and parent-directed program “produces just the type of behavior that General Mills needs in order to build brand loyalty and increase sales of its products.” --- ## Why the stigma of suicide should not sway the debate about nets under the Golden Gate Bridge URL: https://www.bmsg.org/why-the-stigma-of-suicide-should-not-sway-the-debate-about-nets-under-the-golden-gate-bridge/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1219 > Last week I read some encouraging news about the decades-long push by suicide prevention advocates to construct a barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge that would stop people from jumping... Last week I read some encouraging news about the decades-long push by suicide prevention advocates to construct a barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge that would stop people from jumping to their deaths. After 40 years of debate, Caltrans and the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission appear ready to contribute $44 million toward installing giant nets under the 1.7-mile span, according to news reports. The Golden Gate Bridge district would need to kick in as much $12 million in toll funds. It’s an option bridge district directors have long opposed, but increased public and political pressure appears to be making a difference. What struck me the most about these recent reports was the buried news angle: 2013 was a record year for the number of suicides — 46 confirmed deaths. While officials have not kept exact numbers on the total number of deaths since the bridge was built, estimates are as as high as 2,000. The media are often hesitant to report on the issue of suicide to avoid copycat incidents, which is what the Centers for Disease Control recommends in its report, Suicide Contagion and the Reporting of Suicide. It recommends avoiding ongoing or prominent coverage of suicide and leaving out details about the method of suicide. It even suggests reporters not focus on the positive attributes of someone who committed suicide to avoid glorifying those who end their lives. While I understand the logic behind such recommendations, I also worry that by not reporting more comprehensively on suicides, the news media only reinforce the stigma and contempt many people have for those who take their own life. When I last wrote about this issue in May 2012, it was the 75th anniversary of the bridge, and one particular story in the San Francisco Chronicle’s online site, SFGate, reported on the increase in jumps at the time. Reader comments opposing the building of the estimated $45 million barrier were numerous — and they were the same ones that were made when the barrier was first proposed. I was taken aback by how callous and offensive so many of the comments were. “Biggest waste of $45 million ever. Let ’em swim,” wrote one SFGate reader back in July. Similar sentiments were expressed in last week’s stories about the funding package for the barrier coming closer to reality: “It’s dumb to blame an inanimate object for the choices made by people, and worse to force all the rest of us to bear the cost. If certain people want a barrier, let them fund it themselves,” wrote a reader in response to a San Jose Mercury News story. There were also comments about a suicide barrier being a waste of money because of a common belief that those deterred from jumping off the bridge would find some other way of killing themselves, which studies show is not the case. Larry Wallack, a former UC Berkeley public health professor who now teaches at Portland State University and was once part of a coalition formed to advocate for a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, explained why such sentiments are so pervasive and how they remain a major challenge in suicide prevention efforts. “The fact that people are more concerned about the beauty of the bridge or the attractiveness of the view than the relatively small costs of intervention reflects the greater public health struggle we all face,” he said. “This is compounded by the fact that there is a great stigma on suicide, still. For the most part, there is little sympathy for people who take their own lives.” Sadly, I know too well what Wallack is talking about. On July 17, 2008, my brother Ramiro Quintero hung himself from a rafter of a friend’s garage where he had been staying. I don’t know — or can’t remember — what led to his homelessness. I knew he suffered from depression and did not have access to mental health services. One of his last calls to me was filled with the kind of bellowing sobbing that I’ve heard only one other time in my life — when my mother cried before his open casket at his funeral. My oldest brother, Hector, called with the news late at night, when bad news usually arrives. The next day, I called my best friend to give him the news. After a bit of silence — obviously uncomfortable with the topic at hand — he proceeded to ask me about the weather in Florida, where I was working as a reporter at the time. I called another close friend, whose response was trite though concise: “He was a troubled soul,” she said. I soon learned firsthand just how much stigma there is around suicide. Other friends I told responded as my two closest friends had, either with visible discomfort or platitudinous consolations. No sympathy cards in the mail. No phone calls or texts. Recently, I talked about Ramiro when my primary care physician was going through her standard list of family medical history. “Any deaths in the family?” “My father.” “What did he die of?” “Heart disease.” “And my mother. She had Alzheimer’s and Lupus.” “And my brother.” “What did he die of?” “He commi... --- ## Nestle’s Kit Kat targets kids with a Lego set resembling a giant Kit Kat candy bar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestles-kit-kat-targets-kids-with-a-lego-set-resembling-a-giant-kit-kat-candy-bar/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-27 Words: 68 > In a "tribute from Kit Kat to Lego, builders of one of the best breaks ever," Nestle's Kit Kat brand developed an unofficial Lego set that features a giant candy... In a “tribute from Kit Kat to Lego, builders of one of the best breaks ever,” Nestle’s Kit Kat brand developed an unofficial Lego set that features a giant candy bar with Lego people hidden inside the bars of plastic chocolate. The brand-saturated product, while not officially affiliated with Lego, will be sold in toy stores by Kit Kat in the near future. --- ## Pizza chain Pizza Patron uses controversy to sell more pizza URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-chain-pizza-patron-uses-controversy-to-sell-more-pizza/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-26 Words: 75 > The Dallas-based pizza chain who regularly targets Latino consumers with their tagline "Ms pizza. Menos dinero." launched a new item whose controversial name "La Chingona" aims to appeal to younger... The Dallas-based pizza chain who regularly targets Latino consumers with their tagline “Ms pizza. Menos dinero.” launched a new item whose controversial name “La Chingona” aims to appeal to younger Mexican-Americans. Older Mexican-Americans, however, have reportedly found the Mexican slang word vulgar and “cringe at its use.” According to the article, this is not the first time the chain has used cultural controversy to sell pizza. --- ## Kobe Bryant sponsors sugary sports drink targeting youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kobe-bryant-sponsors-sugary-sports-drink-targeting-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-24 Words: 52 > Kobe Bryant's corporation Kobe Inc. invested in the new sports drink BodyArmor, making him the latest athlete to sponsor a sugary sports drink appealing to youth. Not only will Bryant's... Kobe Bryant’s corporation Kobe Inc. invested in the new sports drink BodyArmor, making him the latest athlete to sponsor a sugary sports drink appealing to youth. Not only will Bryant’s famous profile be attached to the drink, but he is the third biggest shareholder of the BodyArmor brand. --- ## Video: The power of the personal voice in media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-the-power-of-the-personal-voice-in-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 96 > Effective storytelling is an important way for advocates to bring media attention to important public health issues. As the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program's Genoveva Islas points out in... Effective storytelling is an important way for advocates to bring media attention to important public health issues. As the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program’s Genoveva Islas points out in this talk as part of BMSG’s 20th anniversary series, if public health advocates don’t tell their own stories, someone else will, but from a different perspective. Along with CCROPP’s Brandie Banks-Bey, Islas shares three steps that advocates can take to get better at articulating the problems in their communities and what can be done to address them. --- ## Coca-Cola and Pepsi target Indian youth through football sponsorships URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-pepsi-target-indian-youth-through-football-sponsorships/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-18 Words: 48 > Pepsi and Coca-Cola are capitalizing off the growing popularity of football in India through youth-targeted sponsorships. While Coca-Cola sponsors a football tournament for Indian youth under age 16, Pepsi has... Pepsi and Coca-Cola are capitalizing off the growing popularity of football in India through youth-targeted sponsorships. While Coca-Cola sponsors a football tournament for Indian youth under age 16, Pepsi has launched a football-themed social media campaign featuring football stunts and publicizing brand-sponsored events. --- ## Dole Fruit Squish’ems targets parents with youth soccer sponsorship URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dole-fruit-squishems-targets-parents-with-youth-soccer-sponsorship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-18 Words: 73 > Dole Fruit Squish'ems is partnering with the American Youth Soccer Organization, and Women's World Cup winner Brandi Chastain, to build brand awareness among parents. As the face of the partnership,... Dole Fruit Squish’ems is partnering with the American Youth Soccer Organization, and Women’s World Cup winner Brandi Chastain, to build brand awareness among parents. As the face of the partnership, Chastain will use social media to connect with parents and promote the product as part of a “healthy, active lifestyle” for children. The squeezable fruit snack will also be featured at local and national youth soccer events. --- ## New digital marketing partnership will increase targeted marketing of Latino Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-digital-marketing-partnership-will-increase-targeted-marketing-of-latino-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-13 Words: 57 > Google and digital analytics company comScore are teaming up in an effort to better understand how to target online consumers and to "optimize their online messages to specific audiences." One... Google and digital analytics company comScore are teaming up in an effort to better understand how to target online consumers and to “optimize their online messages to specific audiences.” One of the goals of the partnership is to better target young Latinos who they have identified as an “elusive, but desirable (marketing) segment.” --- ## Food giant Mondelez uses diversity in ads to promote snack products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-giant-mondelez-uses-diversity-in-ads-to-promote-snack-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-10 Words: 77 > Following in the footsteps of Cheerios and Coca-Cola, Mondelez's Honey Maid commercial features interracial families enjoying their products. According to one brutally honest ad exec from Muse Communications, companies are... Following in the footsteps of Cheerios and Coca-Cola, Mondelez’s Honey Maid commercial features interracial families enjoying their products. According to one brutally honest ad exec from Muse Communications, companies are turning to same-sex, multi-racial, and other representations in their ads because, “As a brand, you don’t really care who buys your product. You just want them happy – and you want them to know that you see them.” --- ## 7Up sponsors popular DJ to reach Latino youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7up-sponsors-popular-dj-to-reach-latino-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-07 Words: 74 > Popular electronic dance music DJ Tiesto is at the center of the latest campaign from beverage giant Dr. Pepper Snapple Group that "tries to reach Hispanics through the music they... Popular electronic dance music DJ Tiesto is at the center of the latest campaign from beverage giant Dr. Pepper Snapple Group that “tries to reach Hispanics through the music they love.” Because beverage industry research shows that Latinos drink more sugary drinks than non-Latino Americans, the demographic is becoming more heavily targeted by marketing that ad execs argue “isn’t just about language, it’s about culture.” --- ## General Mills targets youth with with comics on sugary cereals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-targets-youth-with-with-comics-on-sugary-cereals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-07 Words: 55 > General Mills partnered with DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers Consumer Products to launch a limited edition of their cereals, citing "a certain shared fanaticism among cereal lovers and comic book... General Mills partnered with DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers Consumer Products to launch a limited edition of their cereals, citing “a certain shared fanaticism among cereal lovers and comic book fans.” The “collectible” cereal boxes prominently feature DC Comics’ Justice League characters, which are very popular with kids and teens. --- ## Taco Bell and Kraft launch new kid-focused digital marketing campaign: “Bottled Awesome” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-and-kraft-launch-new-kid-focused-digital-marketing-campaign-bottled-awesome/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-06 Words: 63 > Taco Bell & Kraft joined forces to launch an integrated digital marketing campaign which targets kids and parents with their "Bottled Awesome" game. They are also partnering to launch four... Taco Bell & Kraft joined forces to launch an integrated digital marketing campaign which targets kids and parents with their “Bottled Awesome” game. They are also partnering to launch four new packaged Taco Bell products for the grocery store, part of Taco Bell’s effort to “bring the brand outside of the quick-service category and into retail.” --- ## Oreo debuts custom printed Oreo cookies with “Twitter-Powered Vending Machine” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-debuts-custom-printed-oreo-cookies-with-twitter-powered-vending-machine/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-06 Words: 64 > According to the article, Oreo is using momentum from its viral tweet during the 2013 Superbowl blackout to "connect trending moments to the cookie itself in real time and in... According to the article, Oreo is using momentum from its viral tweet during the 2013 Superbowl blackout to “connect trending moments to the cookie itself in real time and in real life.” The company’s use of social media to “bridge real-world events with online conversations” is evidence of their ongoing efforts to target both youth and Millennials. --- ## McDonald’s ad for 365black.com during the Oscar’s ignites debate on racist targeted marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-ad-for-365black-com-during-the-oscars-ignites-debate-on-racist-targeted-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-06 Words: 76 > McDonald's decision to air a commercial publicizing their targeted marketing site 365 Black during the Oscar's ignited controversy and raised awareness about the fast food giant's efforts to exploit Black... McDonald’s decision to air a commercial publicizing their targeted marketing site 365 Black during the Oscar’s ignited controversy and raised awareness about the fast food giant’s efforts to exploit Black culture for marketing purposes. Negative reactions on Twitter included, “McDonald’s is marketing using some good old-fashioned racial profiling!” and “McDonald’s 365Black campaign is the most racist thing I have ever heard.” --- ## 5-Hour Energy uses branded energy shots to connect with gamers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/5-hour-energy-uses-branded-energy-shots-to-connect-with-gamers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-06 Words: 68 > 5-Hour Energy is targeting gamers with the release of energy shots that feature branding for the highly anticipated first-person shooter Titanfall. Despite the health concerns associated with energy drinks and... 5-Hour Energy is targeting gamers with the release of energy shots that feature branding for the highly anticipated first-person shooter Titanfall. Despite the health concerns associated with energy drinks and shots, gaming bloggers seem optimistic about the partnership – noting, for example, that “since success in Titanfall comes down to how quick your reflexes are . . . a partnership with 5-Hour Energy certainly makes sense.” --- ## “Cool” Taco Bell targets millennial consumer market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cool-taco-bell-targets-millennial-consumer-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-04 Words: 64 > The fast-food company used sophisticated market research to gain popularity among young consumers. According to Taco Bell's chief marketing officer, "We want to be cool. And we want to be... The fast-food company used sophisticated market research to gain popularity among young consumers. According to Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer, “We want to be cool. And we want to be part of culture” that young people create. Social media was key to this transformation so that the brand was “distributing shareable – and share-worthy – information.” --- ## Burger King puts “healthier” fries in kids’ meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-puts-healthier-fries-in-kids-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-03-03 Words: 56 > In an effort to appeal to health-conscious families, Burger King is replacing their regular fries in kids' meals with their 'Satisfries'. According to the fast food giant, 'Satisfries' have less... In an effort to appeal to health-conscious families, Burger King is replacing their regular fries in kids’ meals with their ‘Satisfries’. According to the fast food giant, ‘Satisfries’ have less calories than the typically greasy fast food fries, though they have yet to share their mechanism for producing the fries. --- ## McDonald’s “Flavor Battle” DJ contest targets youth of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-flavor-battle-dj-contest-targets-youth-of-color/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-27 Words: 69 > A McDonald's spokesperson describes the annual event as a way for the company to connect with young people: "As a genre of music that resonates deeply among our millennial consumers,... A McDonald’s spokesperson describes the annual event as a way for the company to connect with young people: “As a genre of music that resonates deeply among our millennial consumers, McDonald’s celebrates this vital and growing art form.” This year marked the fifth year of the competition which uses cash prizes and celebrity DJ’s to encourage youth participation and brand loyalty. --- ## Issue 21: Two communities, two debates: News coverage of soda tax proposals in Richmond and El Monte URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-21-two-communities-two-debates-news-coverage-of-soda-tax-proposals-in-richmond-and-el-monte/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 11671 > In the spring of 2012, the working-class city of Richmond, California, began receiving national attention when city officials decided to put a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages before voters.1 Richmond... In the spring of 2012, the working-class city of Richmond, California, began receiving national attention when city officials decided to put a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages before voters.1 Richmond City Council member and retired cardiologist Jeff Ritterman proposed the tax as a strategy to address rising obesity rates in the city. His concern stemmed in part from the fact that Richmond’s population is largely Latino and African American — groups that are disproportionately targeted with marketing for soda and other unhealthy foods linked to diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.2 Later that summer, the Southern California town of El Monte placed a similar measure on its November ballot.3 El Monte was facing bankruptcy, and city officials intended to use the tax primarily to raise funds for vital city services, though Mayor Andre Quintero also acknowledged the importance of the tax for health programs3 in his predominately Latino city.4 Aware that if the measures passed, Richmond and El Monte could set a national precedent in soda regulation, the soda industry spent $4 million to defeat the two proposals over about six months.5 The industry’s huge investment brought national and international media attention to the small cities and made for the most expensive election in Richmond’s history6 and the costliest individual campaign in El Monte.3 Industry influence wasn’t the only hurdle the measures faced. A change to California’s tax law in the late 1970s limited Richmond and El Monte’s ability to designate tax revenue for a specific, health-oriented purpose. Passed in 1978, Proposition 13 required any tax raising funds for an earmarked purpose to receive two-thirds of the electoral vote, compared to just 50% of the vote if the revenue is not earmarked.7,8 As a result, in both Richmond and El Monte, revenues from the taxes were directed to the general fund. Left vulnerable to critiques about how the money would be spent, tax proponents placed companion advisory policies on the ballot proposing that revenue from the tax should, if passed, go to youth obesity prevention programs in both cities10 and, in El Monte, to other city services as well.11 Both companion policies passed by wide margins in the election that fall; however, the ballot measures they accompanied were ultimately rejected (by 67% in Richmond and 77% in El Monte).12 Despite the defeat, public health advocates remain undeterred and view the Richmond and El Monte campaigns as important steps in the long march toward regulating sugary beverages. Advocates hold the strategy of taxing sugary drinks in high regard because of its potential to lower consumption of these harmful products and to raise money for critical obesity prevention programs.13Taxing harmful products is a well-documented strategy for improving public health outcomes: Evidence from the tobacco control movement, for example, shows that increasing cigarette taxes substantially reduced smoking rates. Given the prominence of these two policy battles and the certainty that more will follow, we wanted to learn from newspaper coverage of the taxes how each side of the debate characterized its position. What stories did tax advocates and opponents tell in the news? How were the soda industry, its products and its spending characterized? Who was quoted in the coverage, and what did they say? What lessons can the coverage offer advocates to help strengthen efforts to regulate sugary beverages in other communities? Why study the news? One major role the news media play in a democratic society is setting the agenda for public policy debates.14-16 Journalists’ decisions about the many pressing issues and problems of the day can raise the profile of an issue, whereas issues not covered by the news media are often neglected and remain largely outside public discourse and policy debate.17,18 Although new media platforms are changing the way people consume the news, newspapers (including their online components) continue to influence local and national policy debate. The majority of newspaper readers are registered voters,19 and traditional news outlets remain a key source of information for the majority of news consumers.20 Newspaper coverage also helps advocates better understand the public debates surrounding their policy of interest. Across all forms of media, social and health issues are “framed” or portrayed through a complex process of organizing information to create meaning.15,21,22As they cover stories, journalists select certain arguments, examples, images, messages, and sources to create a picture of the issue. The selection — or omission — of arguments and voices works like a frame around a picture, telling us what information is important and what information we can ignore. For example, people and viewpoints that are included in a news story are perceived as more credible than those that are excluded. We are concerned with how the news frames public health and social ju... --- ## Panda Express targets Latinos with new fish entree for the Lenten season URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/panda-express-targets-latinos-with-new-fish-entree-for-the-lenten-season/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-26 Words: 34 > The fast casual chain's Golden Szechuan Fish entree features fried cod and vegetables and was developed specifically to appeal to Latino customers who are observing the traditional dietary guidelines required... The fast casual chain’s Golden Szechuan Fish entree features fried cod and vegetables and was developed specifically to appeal to Latino customers who are observing the traditional dietary guidelines required during Lent. --- ## Airheads candy launches campaign to generate crowd-sourced fan videos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/airheads-candy-launches-campaign-to-generate-crowd-sourced-fan-videos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-26 Words: 50 > The national advertising initiative entitled "The World Needs More Airheads" is the brand's first mass marketing campaign. The campaign will feature crossover from social media to traditional TV advertising -... The national advertising initiative entitled “The World Needs More Airheads” is the brand’s first mass marketing campaign. The campaign will feature crossover from social media to traditional TV advertising – fan-produced videos from social media will be shown in Airheads TV commercials later this year. --- ## How far will Big Soda go to keep people from drinking water? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/big-soda-water/ Type: post Modified: 2020-09-01 Words: 933 > Soda companies have no shortage of slick tactics to get people — especially kids — to buy their products. They spend billions to infiltrate schools, plastering buses and billboards with... Soda companies have no shortage of slick tactics to get people — especially kids — to buy their products. They spend billions to infiltrate schools, plastering buses and billboards with their logos; they track and target youth online; they even send ads straight to teens’ cell phones. And although research has shown that sugary drinks are linked to diabetes and other chronic diseases, instead of doing the responsible thing and reining in their marketing, soda companies have been doing the opposite, and ratcheting up efforts not only to sell their products but also to discourage people from drinking water. One of the most shameful examples is Gatorade’s recent “Bolt” video game. Part of an ad campaign that ran during 2013, the game features an avatar of champion Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt running a course in which getting hit by water slows him down and gathering Gatorade makes him go faster. The company explained that this portrayed “Gatorade as the hero, helping fuel a better performance and higher score, and water as the enemy, a choice that will hinder your performance.” Although “Bolt” received some advertising industry awards, it should be recognized for what it really is: a misleading, cynical and potentially damaging attempt to downgrade the healthful properties of water and promote the use of an expensive and, for most people, unnecessary sugar drink. The advergame has been downloaded several million times, and played 87 million times, mostly by Gatorade’s key demographic, 13-24 year olds. Marketers boast that the advergame “drive(s) home the messaging that Gatorade helps you perform better than water.” To undermine the benefits of water is irresponsible. It goes over the line. Gatorade seeks to diminish the value of water because water is Gatorade’s biggest competitor. However, in doing so, Gatorade promotes the largest single source of sugar in the diets of U.S. children and adolescents, accounting for 240 calories per day among 2-19 year old sugar drink consumers. The consequences are dire: precursors of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are already present in obese youth. Compelling randomized studies have demonstrated a clear association of sugar drinks with pediatric obesity, and decreased intake of sugar drinks reduces weight gain and obesity. Although Gatorade’s Bolt entry was removed last month from the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s award winners gallery — likely because of an outcry from public health advocates — the company’s other marketing tactics remain problematic. Gatorade is especially aggressive when it comes to targeting African American youth. Out of all sugary drink websites, Gatorade.com contains the most pages featuring black actors, and 38% of Gatorade TV ads feature black celebrity athletes only. Such targeted advertising reflects an effort to increase consumption among a subgroup of children whose rates of obesity and risks of obesity-related diseases are already substantially higher than those of other populations. A 2007 report from the Institute of Medicine stated that sports drink consumption should be restricted to athletes only during prolonged, vigorous activities. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that pediatricians warn their patients and parents that “routine ingestion of carbohydrate-containing sports drinks by children and adolescents should be avoided or restricted” because they increase the risk of obesity. The Academy urged pediatricians to promote water, not sports drinks, as the principal source of hydration for children and adolescents. Water is free, contains no calories, and is what the body needs. Water is not the enemy. PepsiCo, the parent company of Gatorade, is not alone in its effort to downgrade water consumption. Coca Cola’s “Cap the Tap” campaign is equally culpable. The campaign urges restaurants not to offer water in order to increase sugar drink sales. Big Soda’s programs to promote sugar drinks over water are hypocritical and contradict the companies’ avowed commitment to wellness. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo support Michelle Obama’s “Drink up!” campaign, which is designed to promote the consumption of water. Furthermore, the Bolt advergame belies PepsiCo’s assertions that “major food companies such as PepsiCo are in a unique position to be leaders in health and wellness.” PepsiCo’s VP of corporate affairs in Mexico, Jorge Meyer, has recently said, “We don’t want to be seen as the guilty ones. We want to be seen as part of the solution.” It is hard to understand how campaigns that diminish water — a fundamental pillar of nutrition and health — help accomplish that goal. Although the goals of public health may be at odds with market share and stock prices today, public values and purchasing patterns are shifting. A misleading marketing strategy at odds with core values will undermine trust. Most marketers will likely dismiss our concerns, even if they agree that kids should drink more water. Or they’ll simpl... --- ## Dr Pepper and Mr. Hyde: The many faces of Big Soda in soda tax debates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/dr-pepper-mr-hyde-many-faces-big-soda-tax-debates/ Type: post Modified: 2020-09-01 Words: 749 > You may not have heard of the Coalition for an Affordable City yet, but you will. It's a "community group" dedicated to fighting the proposed tax on sugary drinks that's... You may not have heard of the Coalition for an Affordable City yet, but you will. It’s a “community group” dedicated to fighting the proposed tax on sugary drinks that’s set to be on San Francisco’s ballot this November. The group’s website features a red, white and blue color scheme, and a plethora of buzzwords like “unfair” and “affordability gap.” But below that are a few words that the site’s funders hope you’ll pay less attention to: “Paid for by the American Beverage Association.” The Coalition for an Affordable City is nothing more than an industry front group that will exploit San Franciscans, and their very real fears about inequity, to fight the soda tax. Bankrolled by the soda industry’s millions, the coalition will fund community groups and local politicians to fight the soda tax with arguments that tap into simmering divisions within the city. They know full well that those arguments would carry less weight with voters if they came from beverage industry representatives in sharp suits — better that they should come from neighbors, friends, local business owners and other familiar faces. How can I be so confident that this will be the industry’s strategy? They’ve done it before. As a media researcher for the Berkeley Media Studies Group, I’ve seen a number of interesting policy debates play out in the news as major industries fight to deflect policy proposals that could hurt their bottom line. The debate about soda taxes began in 2012 with the small, working-class California cities of Richmond and El Monte. These two communities were set to become the first in the country to approve a penny-per-ounce soda tax, so we analyzed local and national news coverage to find out more about the tax proposals and the arguments — and strategies — used for and against them. We found that the soda industry, concerned that the taxes could set a precedent if they passed, launched a concentrated — and costly — effort to squash both proposals. All told, the industry spent a total of $4 million on its anti-tax campaigns — in Richmond, they spent as much defeating the tax as it would have raised in a year. Where did the money go? In Richmond, much of it went to funding the Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes, and in El Monte, to El Monte Citizens Against Beverage Taxes. Beverage industry opposition at a Richmond cultural event. Our analysis of news coverage shows that the industry deftly tapped into fears, tensions, and divisions unique to each community. Their arguments differed on the surface, but all helped cast the soda industry as a friend to low-income communities and communities of color — the very groups it has historically targeted with its marketing. In El Monte, a city facing bankruptcy where the tax was proposed to balance the budget, the industry framed the tax as financially ruinous — just one more example of government mismanagement of funds. In Richmond, a city marked by a long history of racial divisions, the industry offensive included allegations of racism. Though it went to great lengths to disguise its presence, Big Soda was everywhere in the news about the Richmond and El Monte beverage tax fights, its anti-tax rhetoric masked behind arguments that tapped into the very real fears of the voters they appealed to. It sounds familiar, doesn’t it? In fact, Chuck Finnie, the local public relations executive who is now representing the Coalition for an Affordable City in San Francisco helmed its Richmond-based counterpart. The failure of the proposals in Richmond and El Monte in November of 2012 must have been a relief to Big Soda — it let them get back to the important work of aggressively marketing sugary drinks to children and youth in the low-income communities of color they earlier claimed they wanted to help. Now, soda taxes are back in the news and back on the ballot in San Francisco. That means Big Soda has a new face, a new community group, and a new name — but it’s up to the same old tricks. Pamela Mejia is a research associate at the Berkeley Media Studies Group, and the lead author of Two communities, two debates: News coverage of soda tax proposals in Richmond and El Monte. This piece has also appeared on BeyondChron. --- ## Michelle Obama targets junk food marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/michelle-obama-targets-junk-food-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-25 Words: 71 > Michelle Obama led the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to announce that a new measure would forbid the marketing of unhealthy foods to kids on school campuses.... Michelle Obama led the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to announce that a new measure would forbid the marketing of unhealthy foods to kids on school campuses. The “Let’s Move” campaign measure follows a 2013 USDA initiative to nutritionally improve school lunches; the policy is notable in its acknowledgement that despite industry self-regulation, kids are still seeing too many junk food advertisements. --- ## Dannon uses “The Lego Movie” to market new yogurt line to Latino kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dannon-uses-the-lego-movie-to-market-new-yogurt-line-to-latino-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-24 Words: 75 > The yogurt company is hoping to capitalize off of the movie's popularity with children to sell its new Danimals Greek Yogurt Superstars line of yogurt to Latino kids and their... The yogurt company is hoping to capitalize off of the movie’s popularity with children to sell its new Danimals Greek Yogurt Superstars line of yogurt to Latino kids and their parents. The campaign is being promoted with select signage in Southern California stores. The advertising campaign features a “text-to-win” mobile campaign with a chance to win a tour of the Warner Brothers studio, movie tickets, or autographed movie posters. --- ## M&M’s markets Peanut M&M’s with a NASCAR race car paint scheme URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mms-markets-peanut-mms-with-a-nascar-race-car-paint-scheme/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-24 Words: 72 > The race car painted in M&M's advertisements is the latest tactic in the brand's "Year of Peanut" marketing campaign. The "Number 18 Peanut Toyota design" will be driven celebrity race... The race car painted in M&M’s advertisements is the latest tactic in the brand’s “Year of Peanut” marketing campaign. The “Number 18 Peanut Toyota design” will be driven celebrity race car driver Kyle Busch. Although it’s not mentioned in the article, the M&M race car is sure to be seen by lots of children, especially boys, watching NASCAR. --- ## Tecate uses popularity of boxing to target ”bicultural” men URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tecate-uses-popularity-of-boxing-to-target-bicultural-men/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-18 Words: 62 > According to Tecate's Brand Manager, Tecate beer aims to "ensure the brand is celebrating the character of all Hispanic bicultural men 21 and older." In an effort to target young,... According to Tecate’s Brand Manager, Tecate beer aims to “ensure the brand is celebrating the character of all Hispanic bicultural men 21 and older.” In an effort to target young, Latino men, Tecate sponsors boxing matches and aligns their product with Latino boxing celebrities through promotions on social media and through mail-in rebate offers with beer purchases. --- ## Lucky Charms uses integrated marketing communications to throw a 50th birthday celebration targeting kids and adults URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lucky-charms-uses-integrated-marketing-communications-to-throw-a-50th-birthday-celebration-targeting-kids-and-adults/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-17 Words: 61 > General Mills is using a wide variety of media channels to promote their Lucky Charms product using an anniversary hook. The campaign includes social media promotions, an online giveaway featuring... General Mills is using a wide variety of media channels to promote their Lucky Charms product using an anniversary hook. The campaign includes social media promotions, an online giveaway featuring chances to win high-top sneakers and skateboards, and 50th anniversary-themed cereal boxes. Notably, Lucky Charms is consciously targeting adults in addition to kids in an effort to push sales. --- ## Mondelez aggressively promotes candy to kids with advergames and misleading health claims URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-aggressively-promotes-candy-to-kids-with-advergames-and-misleading-health-claims/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-14 Words: 74 > Despite the industry's promises not to market to children, Mondelez International is pushing its sugary candy products Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish using a Sour Patch Kids advergame and... Despite the industry’s promises not to market to children, Mondelez International is pushing its sugary candy products Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish using a Sour Patch Kids advergame and the health claim that Swedish Fish are uniquely “fat-free” when, in fact, all gummies are fat-free. The company is also offering free samples of their Sour Patch Kids candy for downloads of mobile games using a rewards feature. --- ## Controversial Coca-Cola ad effectively targets Latino viewers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/controversial-coca-cola-ad-effectively-targets-latino-viewers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-13 Words: 60 > A recent survey found that Coca-Cola's "America the Beautiful" Superbowl ad featuring the song sung in multiple languages, was by far the favorite commercial of Latino viewers despite racist comments... A recent survey found that Coca-Cola’s “America the Beautiful” Superbowl ad featuring the song sung in multiple languages, was by far the favorite commercial of Latino viewers despite racist comments from other viewers.The survey predicts that industry will continue to develop culturally targeted ads in an effort to connect with the growing Latino demographic. --- ## Jack Daniels aims for Latino consumers with sponsorship of Julieta Venegas U.S. tour URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jack-daniels-aims-for-latino-consumers-with-sponsorship-of-julieta-venegas-u-s-tour/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-13 Words: 75 > The Julieta Venegas and Los Amigos tour is the latest effort in the brand's "sustained initiative towards the US Hispanic market" through sponsorship of live music events featuring Latino stars.... The Julieta Venegas and Los Amigos tour is the latest effort in the brand’s “sustained initiative towards the US Hispanic market” through sponsorship of live music events featuring Latino stars. The sponsorship is being promoted as a “solid statement by Jack Daniel’s as a spirit brand that supports authentic and independent music” with promotion including a ticket giveaway and a social media campaign featuring the hashtag #JackSala7. --- ## Monster Energy targets teenage boys with attractive women and sports URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/monster-energy-targets-teenage-boys-with-attractive-women-and-sports/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-13 Words: 71 > Monster Energy Drink knows their main consumer base is made of young males and targets this group with a marketing strategy that appeals to their "desires and ambitions." A marketing... Monster Energy Drink knows their main consumer base is made of young males and targets this group with a marketing strategy that appeals to their “desires and ambitions.” A marketing executive from the company says, “atMonster all our guys walk the walk in action sports, punk rock music, partying, hanging with the girls, and living life on the edge…Monster is a lifestyle in a can.” --- ## How advocates can make their issue more newsworthy: Tips from a veteran reporter URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-advocates-can-make-their-issue-more-newsworthy-tips-from-a-veteran-reporter/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 443 > When I was working as a reporter and had to come up with a new take on an annual holiday, it was often a challenge. Any journalist worth his or... When I was working as a reporter and had to come up with a new take on an annual holiday, it was often a challenge. Any journalist worth his or her salt would try to come up with something other than the usual Thanksgiving Day at a soup kitchen or Veterans Day at a national cemetery. Holiday stories and headlines are vulnerable to clichés because they’re usually covered year after year, Jacqui Banaszynski, a University of Missouri School of Journalism professor, said in blog post for the American Copy Editors Society. “Holidays, anniversaries, weather, traffic accidents, graduation, the first day of school, victory and loss at sports. All can fall into the trap of clichéd thinking,” she said. This challenge for journalists can be turned into an opportunity for public health advocates seeking to get media coverage of their policy goal or a health issue. It just takes a little creativity. This month’s observance of Valentine’s Day will mean lots of stories about romance, chocolate and flowers. But the holiday is also a perennial favorite for advocates to link their issue to. For example, the Orange County Community Foundation used Valentine’s Day and its associated heart symbolism as an opportunity to pitch a story about funding a new program at a free clinic called Mi Corazon/Mi Vida (my heart/my life). The program provided services to reduce women’s risk for heart disease. Environmental advocates once used Valentine’s Day to highlight the use of dangerous pesticides in flower production, including red roses, a holiday favorite. And advocates for marriage equality used the Valentine’s Day to stage a protest in front of San Francisco City Hall, complete with activists donning bridal dresses and tuxedos. Connecting your story, issue or policy goal to a holiday or seasonal event is a strategy that we at Berkeley Media Studies Group encourage advocates to keep in mind when pitching stories to reporters. Doing so can make your story compelling, timely and meaningful. More important, it can increase the chances of your issue getting news media coverage. Advocates can include other newsworthy elements in their stories, such as: controversy or conflict; injustice; irony; broad public interest; a local angle or personal story; a breakthrough or milestone; a celebrity; or compelling visuals. The more newsworthy elements there are, the better. Pitching good stories with a seasonal/holiday link is especially effective because they can help make a journalist’s job easier — always a good way to get your story in the news. So get ready. Washington’s Birthday is just days away. --- ## Beverage makers target Millennials by developing drinks that don’t come in a can URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-makers-target-millennials-by-developing-drinks-that-dont-come-in-a-can/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-07 Words: 56 > Coca-Cola and other beverage giants will not let the popularity of at-home carbonation machines among Millennials interfere with their bottom line. Coca-Cola announced that it would produce a line of... Coca-Cola and other beverage giants will not let the popularity of at-home carbonation machines among Millennials interfere with their bottom line. Coca-Cola announced that it would produce a line of its drinks that consumers can make at home with soda machines, and both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are developing flavored drops for water. --- ## Food industry tries to capitalize off of “ethnic flavors” in foods inspired by food trucks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-tries-to-capitalize-off-of-ethnic-flavors-in-foods-inspired-by-food-trucks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-07 Words: 59 > In an effort to target Millennials who enjoy authentic food truck cuisine, fast food and fast-casual restaurants are developing "ethnic-inspired breakfast items." McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, and... In an effort to target Millennials who enjoy authentic food truck cuisine, fast food and fast-casual restaurants are developing “ethnic-inspired breakfast items.” McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box, and Sonic are all offering breakfast burrito products, while Subway is offering “Asian flavors” by way of Sriracha sauce on its sandwiches. --- ## Squeezable applesauce brand GoGo SqueeZ targets busy families with national campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/squeezable-applesauce-brand-gogo-squeez-targets-busy-families-with-national-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-05 Words: 64 > The applesauce snack line launched a new media campaign targeting parents by touting the product's "100% natural" ingredients and portable packaging. The campaign features the promotion of "Play Day", an... The applesauce snack line launched a new media campaign targeting parents by touting the product’s “100% natural” ingredients and portable packaging. The campaign features the promotion of “Play Day”, an event created by GoGo SqueeZ to strategically associate their products with active, healthy kids. The multi-platform campaign features television commercials, print ads, social media, and digital coupons. --- ## Pizza chains threaten the rest of fast-food industry thanks to digital innovations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-chains-threaten-the-rest-of-fast-food-industry-thanks-to-digital-innovations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-05 Words: 51 > Marketing research shows how the growth of digital marketing is driving change throughout the restaurant industry, specifically via pizza chains such as Pizza Hut and Dominos. These chains are increasingly... Marketing research shows how the growth of digital marketing is driving change throughout the restaurant industry, specifically via pizza chains such as Pizza Hut and Dominos. These chains are increasingly targeting gamers, cost-conscious consumers, and busy families celebrating birthdays and holidays with convenient ordering through mobile apps and game consoles. --- ## Coca-Cola’s multilingual commercial sparks racist commentary URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-multilingual-commercial-sparks-racist-commentary/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-03 Words: 53 > Coca-Cola's commercial featuring "America the Beautiful" sung in multiple languages ignited racist comments on social media platforms. While some responses were positive, the racist remarks posted were an unsurprising response... Coca-Cola’s commercial featuring “America the Beautiful” sung in multiple languages ignited racist comments on social media platforms. While some responses were positive, the racist remarks posted were an unsurprising response after the discriminatory reaction to last year’s Cheerios commercial featuring a biracial couple and their daughter. --- ## Super Bowl ads target families with “warm and fuzzy” commercials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/super-bowl-ads-target-families-with-warm-and-fuzzy-commercials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-02-02 Words: 52 > Coca-Cola, Heinz, Dannon Oikos, and Budweiser all aired family-friendly commercials during their Super Bowl spots this year, clearly targeting parental approval in their efforts to sell junk food to kids... Coca-Cola, Heinz, Dannon Oikos, and Budweiser all aired family-friendly commercials during their Super Bowl spots this year, clearly targeting parental approval in their efforts to sell junk food to kids and alcohol to adults. The ads were a strategic move away from past risque commercials which alienated families as consumers. --- ## Marketers rebrand sugary chocolate milk as the perfect drink for Olympic athletes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-rebrand-sugary-chocolate-milk-as-the-perfect-drink-for-olympic-athletes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-31 Words: 64 > In an effort to reverse declining milk sales, the dairy industry is using celebrity Olympic athletes to market chocolate milk as the ideal workout recovery drink. Their reasoning is founded... In an effort to reverse declining milk sales, the dairy industry is using celebrity Olympic athletes to market chocolate milk as the ideal workout recovery drink. Their reasoning is founded by a dairy industry-funded study that found chocolate milk outperformed compared to other recovery drinks, an example of how industry-funded research can quickly become considered factual in the circles it most targets. --- ## Portada publishes soccer marketing guide in English and Spanish URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/portada-publishes-soccer-marketing-guide-in-english-and-spanish/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-30 Words: 47 > The guide argues that, in the year of the World Cup, soccer marketing is an effective tool for companies to target consumers, particularly Latinos. The guide includes information about soccer... The guide argues that, in the year of the World Cup, soccer marketing is an effective tool for companies to target consumers, particularly Latinos. The guide includes information about soccer teams, soccer stars, and the ways that companies currently use soccer marketing to target Latinos and others. --- ## Olive Garden targets parents with promotion offering free childcare URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/olive-garden-targets-parents-with-promotion-offering-free-childcare/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-28 Words: 65 > Olive Garden is heavily targeting busy parents with their "two for $25 special" by offering free babysitting for one night only at the kids' center chain My Gym. The restaurant... Olive Garden is heavily targeting busy parents with their “two for $25 special” by offering free babysitting for one night only at the kids’ center chain My Gym. The restaurant chain is publicizing their “Parents Night Out” promotion on social media and requesting consumers share their “date night” experience with the hashtag #PGParentsNightOut on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. --- ## Anheuser-Busch signs on as sponsor for first-ever Spanish language Super Bowl broadcast URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/anheuser-busch-signs-on-as-sponsor-for-first-ever-spanish-language-super-bowl-broadcast/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-27 Words: 69 > This year was the first year that the Super Bowl was aired in Spanish, on the Fox Deportes network. There was a television broadcast as well as an online video... This year was the first year that the Super Bowl was aired in Spanish, on the Fox Deportes network. There was a television broadcast as well as an online video stream, both of which allowed marketers to target Spanish speakers watching the game. The blog post also notes that the Taco Bell advertisement was one of the most popular ads among Latinos watching the English-language broadcast last year. --- ## Frosted Flakes spotlights ski jumper and father for family-targeted Olympic promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frosted-flakes-spotlights-ski-jumper-and-father-for-family-targeted-olympic-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-24 Words: 66 > World Champion ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, who recently returned to training after major surgery, is the brand ambassador for Frosted Flakes. Her story has put her at the center of... World Champion ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, who recently returned to training after major surgery, is the brand ambassador for Frosted Flakes. Her story has put her at the center of the brand’s feel-good Olympic promotional campaign, which evokes family togetherness and father/daughter bonding through social and traditional media outreach, such as a commercial that features her father, himself a former ski jumper. --- ## Social media giveaway helps Oscar Mayer leverage nostalgia value of iconic Wienermobile URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/social-media-giveaway-helps-oscar-mayer-leverage-nostalgia-value-of-iconic-wienermobile/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-23 Words: 64 > Oscar Mayer is using the Wienermobile, its "social media star," as the centerpiece of a new promotional giveaway. One fan who tweets with the hashtag #Tweet2Lease will be randomly selected... Oscar Mayer is using the Wienermobile, its “social media star,” as the centerpiece of a new promotional giveaway. One fan who tweets with the hashtag #Tweet2Lease will be randomly selected to win one day of access to the iconic vehicle. The brand has partnered with Motor Trend, a well-known car magazine, to target car enthusiasts and build anticipation for the contest. --- ## Subway’s call for kids to “pile on the veggies” – a good first step toward healthier children’s meals? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subways-call-for-kids-to-pile-on-the-veggies-a-good-first-step-toward-healthier-childrens-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-23 Words: 57 > Marion Nestle expresses optimism about the announcement that Subway will be dedicating $41 million to its "Pile on the Veggies" campaign. She particularly commends the chain for "focusing on foods",... Marion Nestle expresses optimism about the announcement that Subway will be dedicating $41 million to its “Pile on the Veggies” campaign. She particularly commends the chain for “focusing on foods”, but acknowledges that the company’s plan to create nutrition standards to guide its marketing to children is only a first step. --- ## New marketing report highlights 300% growth in mobile video ad spending targeting African Americans, 200% targeting Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-marketing-report-highlights-300-growth-in-mobile-video-ad-spending-targeting-african-americans-200-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-23 Words: 29 > The report aims to assist marketers (including food marketers) to target these communities of color, and also contains information about the demographics of African American and Latino mobile users. The report aims to assist marketers (including food marketers) to target these communities of color, and also contains information about the demographics of African American and Latino mobile users. --- ## Video: Beyond sound bites: The role of power in communication URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-beyond-sound-bites-the-role-of-power-in-communication/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 98 > Values are an important part of communicating, but where do they come from and how are they created? Who gets to matter in public conversations, and how can advocates make... Values are an important part of communicating, but where do they come from and how are they created? Who gets to matter in public conversations, and how can advocates make their voices more powerful? In this talk, a part of BMSG’s 20th anniversary series, Praxis Project Executive Director Makani Themba discusses the role of institutional actors in producing values and encourages advocates to get involved in that process. She urges us to move beyond fleeting sound bites and develop a deeper communication strategy — one that addresses power imbalances and puts advocates in front of the mic. --- ## Twitter hires new marketing guru to capitalize on “Black Twitter” URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/twitter-hires-new-marketing-guru-to-capitalize-on-black-twitter/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-22 Words: 79 > The social media company is hoping to help advertisers target their products to its racially diverse user base. Twitter's new "multicultural strategist" says "advertisers want to know more about racial... The social media company is hoping to help advertisers target their products to its racially diverse user base. Twitter’s new “multicultural strategist” says “advertisers want to know more about racial and ethnic minorities on Twitter, from basic numbers to the languages in which they tweet.” This could have implications for food marketing, as food companies are increasingly marketing on social media, and could use this information to target unhealthy foods to specific communities. --- ## McDonald’s capitalizes on Olympic fever with social media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-capitalizes-on-olympic-fever-with-social-media-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-21 Words: 73 > McDonald's has launched the #CheersToSochi campaign, which encourages fans to use social media to send personalized messages to their favorite Olympic athletes. The promotion includes child-targeted videos that show children... McDonald’s has launched the #CheersToSochi campaign, which encourages fans to use social media to send personalized messages to their favorite Olympic athletes. The promotion includes child-targeted videos that show children how to use the heavily-branded promotional website. The chain is also using its status as the “official restaurant of the Olympics” to launch a number of corporate social responsibility promotions centered on Russian children and the Olympics. --- ## Taco Bell targets Latinos with expanded beverage menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-targets-latinos-with-expanded-beverage-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-20 Words: 72 > As part of a larger effort to double business over the next decade, Taco Bell is ramping up its outreach to Latino consumers by expanding its drink menu. The chain... As part of a larger effort to double business over the next decade, Taco Bell is ramping up its outreach to Latino consumers by expanding its drink menu. The chain plans to debut several beverages that appeal to Latinos, including Manzanita Sol, an apple flavored beverage popular in Mexico. Other additions include two Mountain Dew flavors whose names and flavors evoke connections to Latino culture and foods (Baja Blast and Sangria Blast). --- ## Churro franchise partners with Walmart to forge ties with Latino communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/churro-franchise-partners-with-walmart-to-forge-ties-with-latino-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-20 Words: 81 > Churromania, the largest churro company in the world, began in Venezuela but has gradually expanded to include over 100 franchises all over the western hemisphere. Now, hoping to "target the... Churromania, the largest churro company in the world, began in Venezuela but has gradually expanded to include over 100 franchises all over the western hemisphere. Now, hoping to “target the booming Latino market” in the US, the company’s founders have partnered with Walmart: currently, there are Churromania franchises in stores located in areas with large Latino populations, including Orlando and Tampa, and there are plans to open more than 200 new US stores in the coming years. --- ## Pepsi to produce the Grammys “Best New Artist Program” to align the brand with popular music URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-to-produce-the-grammys-best-new-artist-program-to-align-the-brand-with-popular-music/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-17 Words: 47 > Pepsi is sponsoring a "Best New Artist" video series, which profiles this year's nominees. The campaign, which targets young consumers, also attempts to stay relevant to youth through an Xbox... Pepsi is sponsoring a “Best New Artist” video series, which profiles this year’s nominees. The campaign, which targets young consumers, also attempts to stay relevant to youth through an Xbox Music subscription sweepstakes and a chance to win a trip to the Grammys. --- ## For 80th anniversary Campbell’s targets families with nostalgic social media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/for-80th-anniversary-campbells-targets-families-with-nostalgic-social-media-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-16 Words: 47 > In an attempt to make consumers nostalgic for their products, Campbell's is publicizing the 80th anniversary of their Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup through a digital campaign featuring vintage ads and... In an attempt to make consumers nostalgic for their products, Campbell’s is publicizing the 80th anniversary of their Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup through a digital campaign featuring vintage ads and old television commercials. The campaign especially targets kids with their “Wisest Kid” campaign. --- ## Marketers mine Latinos’ Tweets to shed light on breakfast habits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-mine-latinos-tweets-to-shed-light-on-breakfast-habits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-16 Words: 70 > The national Got Milk? campaign is spearheading "What America Tw(eats)," a data analysis project that will use Latinos' Tweets to identify their breakfast habits. Ultimately, the analysis will be a... The national Got Milk? campaign is spearheading “What America Tw(eats),” a data analysis project that will use Latinos’ Tweets to identify their breakfast habits. Ultimately, the analysis will be a tool for marketers to develop and target breakfast foods that will appeal to Spanish-speaking Latinos. Preliminary findings suggest that the top breakfast foods most tweeted about in Spanish include bread, eggs chocolate, cereal, and pizza. --- ## How many cheers for Cheerios? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-many-cheers-for-cheerios/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-08 Words: 80 > Food advocate Mark Bittman argues that the real reason to be skeptical of General Mills' move to make Cheerios GMO-free is that it is an opportunity for potentially deceptive marketing.... Food advocate Mark Bittman argues that the real reason to be skeptical of General Mills’ move to make Cheerios GMO-free is that it is an opportunity for potentially deceptive marketing. He wonders, “if opportunistic marketers like those at General Mills can cash in by making insignificant changes in their products that lead to significant marketing benefits, what happens to people who’ve actually put work into making their products significantly cleaner – that is, organic?” --- ## Gatorade mobile video game tells young people that water is the enemy of athletic success URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gatorade-mobile-video-game-tells-young-people-that-water-is-the-enemy-of-athletic-success/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-07 Words: 57 > Public health advocate Nancy Huehnergarth shows how PepsiCo's latest promotion, a mobile game that targets young people, undermines the sugary drink industry's stated commitment to health. In the comments, Nancy... Public health advocate Nancy Huehnergarth shows how PepsiCo’s latest promotion, a mobile game that targets young people, undermines the sugary drink industry’s stated commitment to health. In the comments, Nancy urges concerned parents and others to contact their state Attorney General to investigate Gatorade’s claim that it is superior to water. --- ## Marketing experts offer tips on targeting Latinos in 2014 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-experts-offer-tips-on-targeting-latinos-in-2014/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-06 Words: 61 > A marketing executive for Pepsi, for example, comments that the company has begun using the NFL to target Latinos, rather than only focusing on soccer. In addition, the World Cup... A marketing executive for Pepsi, for example, comments that the company has begun using the NFL to target Latinos, rather than only focusing on soccer. In addition, the World Cup is expected to drive up advertising on Latino media properties (such as TV, radio and online), and companies will be looking to capitalize on the event’s popularity with Latinos. --- ## Apple’s latest feature lets marketers target shoppers in grocery aisles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/apples-latest-feature-lets-marketers-target-shoppers-in-grocery-aisles/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-06 Words: 55 > iBeacon, the latest update to Apple's mobile technology, enables Apple to pinpoint the location of a smartphone user to within a few feet. Despite concerns about consumer privacy, companies like... iBeacon, the latest update to Apple’s mobile technology, enables Apple to pinpoint the location of a smartphone user to within a few feet. Despite concerns about consumer privacy, companies like inMarket are already planning to take advantage of the update with services that allow advertisers to access customers’ smartphones while they shop. --- ## What can food marketing advocates learn from the latest edition of Ad Age’s Marketing Fact Pack? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-can-food-marketing-advocates-learn-from-the-latest-edition-of-ad-ages-marketing-fact-pack/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-06 Words: 46 > Marion Nestle highlights the most important data points for food advocates culled from Advertising Age's 2014 Marketing Fact Pack (updated through 2012). The most important findings include ad expenditures from... Marion Nestle highlights the most important data points for food advocates culled from Advertising Age’s 2014 Marketing Fact Pack (updated through 2012). The most important findings include ad expenditures from key companies like McDonalds, and information on new trends in internet and digital advertising. --- ## Dr Pepper taps rapper Macklemore for campaign capitalizing on his unique and polarizing persona URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-taps-rapper-macklemore-for-campaign-capitalizing-on-his-unique-and-polarizing-persona/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-06 Words: 87 > Though Seattle-based rapper Macklemore hit the mainstream in 2012 with a song whose anti-consumerist message was that spending money and buying certain brands won't make you cool, the rapper is... Though Seattle-based rapper Macklemore hit the mainstream in 2012 with a song whose anti-consumerist message was that spending money and buying certain brands won’t make you cool, the rapper is now promoting Dr Pepper as part of its “one of one” campaign, which has highlighted the stories of unique and sometimes polarizing people. Critics suggest that by promoting the soft drink, Macklemore is “suggesting to [his listeners] that if they were truly unique, they’d drink Dr Pepper.” --- ## KFC hopes customers will “rediscover” brand through engagement-focused social media promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-hopes-customers-will-rediscover-brand-through-engagement-focused-social-media-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-04 Words: 68 > KFC has unveiled a new marketing initiative dubbed #HowDoYouKFC that urges fans to "'share what they love' about the brand . . . and 'how KFC fits into their lives... KFC has unveiled a new marketing initiative dubbed #HowDoYouKFC that urges fans to “‘share what they love’ about the brand . . . and ‘how KFC fits into their lives in a relevant, meaningful, and personal way.'” In addition to social media outreach, the promotion will include TV spots that will feature actors playing parents and teens extolling the virtues of the brand and its products. --- ## Pizza Hut’s latest promotion touts the chain as a digital innovator URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-huts-latest-promotion-touts-the-chain-as-a-digital-innovator/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-03 Words: 44 > For its 20th anniversary celebration, Pizza Hut is promoting itself as a digital innovator. Advertisements remind customers that before they could buy "books, clothes, music or vacation packages via the... For its 20th anniversary celebration, Pizza Hut is promoting itself as a digital innovator. Advertisements remind customers that before they could buy “books, clothes, music or vacation packages via the Internet, they could place an online order for a Pizza Hut pizza.” --- ## Pizza Patron plans multiple strategies to target Mexican-born consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-patron-plans-multiple-strategies-to-target-mexican-born-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-02 Words: 59 > The company plans to "Mexicanize" their brand in order to appeal more to its core Mexican-born customers, and to create a "one-of-a-kind experience" for non-Mexican customers. The company's strategy will... The company plans to “Mexicanize” their brand in order to appeal more to its core Mexican-born customers, and to create a “one-of-a-kind experience” for non-Mexican customers. The company’s strategy will include developing new products and Mexican-themed promotions as well as digital advertising, social media, and traditional advertising. --- ## Will Big Food follow General Mills’ lead and phase out some GMOs? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/will-big-food-follow-general-mills-lead-and-phase-out-some-gmos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-02 Words: 54 > In a move heralded by children's health and green economy advocates, General Mills has announced it will stop using genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) in its original Cheerios cereal. Though the... In a move heralded by children’s health and green economy advocates, General Mills has announced it will stop using genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) in its original Cheerios cereal. Though the company has no plans to alter its other products, advocates are hopeful the move will nudge other food manufacturers to follow suit. --- ## Mars Chocolate uses beloved Atlanta tradition to promote M&Ms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mars-chocolate-uses-beloved-atlanta-tradition-to-promote-mms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2014-01-01 Words: 66 > A New Year's tradition in Atlanta was a prime marketing opportunity for Mars Chocolate and M&Ms. The company declared 2014 "Year of the Peanut", and incorporated a giant M&M into... A New Year’s tradition in Atlanta was a prime marketing opportunity for Mars Chocolate and M&Ms. The company declared 2014 “Year of the Peanut”, and incorporated a giant M&M into the traditional New Year’s Eve Peach Drop. The event, the culmination of a larger M&M promotion, also featured well-known Atlanta singer Janelle Monae. --- ## Fast food restaurants need to take responsibility for their mistakes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-restaurants-need-to-take-responsibility-for-their-mistakes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-31 Words: 56 > McDonald's is facing outrage after the reveal of an internal company website that acknowledged the health harms of fast food. The authors of this article deride the chain's defensive response... McDonald’s is facing outrage after the reveal of an internal company website that acknowledged the health harms of fast food. The authors of this article deride the chain’s defensive response to the controversy, and argue,” it’s time for companies to take real responsibility for their mistakes and products.” --- ## McDonald’s announces finalists in its “Flavor Battle” DJ contest targeting young people of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-announces-finalists-in-its-flavor-battle-dj-contest-targeting-young-people-of-color/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-30 Words: 66 > Each finalist represents a different McDonald's burger. A quote from McDonald's marketing director highlights how the contest helps the company build ties with communities of color: he comments that "Music... Each finalist represents a different McDonald’s burger. A quote from McDonald’s marketing director highlights how the contest helps the company build ties with communities of color: he comments that “Music is an essential component of culture and communities.” The competition is part of McDonald’s 365Black program, which creates events and programs to help the company target African Americans. --- ## Top 10 public health media bites of 2013 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/top-10-public-health-media-bites-of-2013/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1310 > Public health advocates often have complex ideas that we need to communicate clearly and succinctly, especially in today's ever-shortening media context. Crafting memorable media bites is one way advocates can... Public health advocates often have complex ideas that we need to communicate clearly and succinctly, especially in today’s ever-shortening media context. Crafting memorable media bites is one way advocates can help shape news coverage of public health issues, demonstrate the role the environment plays in influencing health, express shared values, and offer solutions to collective challenges. Whether they appear in blogs, letters to the editor, op-eds, or news articles, strong analogies and pithy punch lines are often what make the messages stick. This year was filled media bites from advocates making the case for everything from violence prevention to healthier food environments. Here are 10 of our favorites, in chronological order. Add your own top picks to the list by joining the conversation on Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag #bestof2013. “Public health regulations are often controversial at the time but who would want to go back to the days of sitting in smoke-filled restaurants or cars without seatbelts?” —Sarah Wollaston, former general practitioner and conservative member of parliament. Appeared in the Guardian UK, July 15, 2013. Why we like it: The role of public health in preventing injury, disability and death too often goes unnoticed. This commentary brings that role to the forefront and reminds us that change takes time. Whether it’s pushing for tobacco control, improving auto safety or implementing a soda tax, the controversies of one generation become the common sense of the next. “So much of what affects people’s health are the environments they live in, and changing environments is really one of the things that government can do that not a lot of other entities can.” —Giridhar Mallya, director of policy and planning for Philadelphia’s Public Health Department. Appeared on Governing.com, August 2013. Why we like it: Without ever using the word (and thus risking reinforcing the opposition), this quote shows the context for individual “choice,” counterbalances rugged individualism, and underscores the positive role that public systems and structures play in helping people lead healthy, happy, productive lives. “Violence is a contagious disease. … Actually, it’s the number one cause of death in many of our cities of young people, so it’s frankly the cancer or heart disease of the young.” —Gary Slutkin, founder and executive director of NGO Cure Violence. Appeared in Hospitals & Health Networks Magazine, September 16, 2013. Why we like it: The media often frame violence as strictly a criminal justice issue, with a focus on cops and courtrooms. This metaphor from Gary Slutkin reframes violence to show that, like other public health problems, it follows patterns and can be prevented. Knowing it can be prevented allows us explore its root causes, rather than merely wringing our hands after the fact. “The only medical voice on the Big Soda side of the debate is Dr. Pepper.” —Jeff Ritterman, cardiologist and Richmond, Calif., city councilmember. Appeared in the Telluride Daily Planet, October 6, 2013. Why we like it: In only 15 words, Ritterman crushes the credibility of the soda industry and uplifts the science that supports soda taxes, which would provide much-needed funds to help offset rising rates of diabetes and other health harms related to sugary drinks. “Anyone who smokes in multi-unit housing is not just smoking in their own home — they’re smoking in mine.” —C. Denney. Appeared in The Berkeley Daily Planet, October 7, 2013. Why we like it: This pithy line, part of a commentary that makes the case for stronger protections from secondhand smoke, uses a first-person perspective to draw the reader in and shine a light on the environmental factors outside of individual control that influence our health. “The reality is a perverse system in which those who prepare our food are not paid enough to afford three meals a day.” —Alonzo Bell, pastor of Martin Evans Missionary Baptist Church and executive director of Redeem Detroit. Appeared in The Detroit News, October 25, 2013. Why we like it: Bell appeals to readers’ sense of fairness and equity in this letter to the editor in which he exposes how the fast food industry exploits its workers — and how society as a whole suffers the consequences. “We can put a great deal of time, money and effort into teaching health and wellness to students but it goes to waste when the Golden Arches are a part of their school.” —Casey Hinds, blogger and public health advocate. Appeared in the report Clowning Around with Charity: How McDonald’s Exploits Philanthropy and Targets Children, October 29, 2013. Why we like it: It reminds us that kids don’t just learn about health from their parents and teachers; they learn about it from food companies, which, collectively, spend billions of dollars each year targeting young people with products that undermine health. “It is health and vitality we’re after here, not skinniness or a certain BMI.” —Lexie Wolf, blogger and... --- ## Grocery Manufacturers Association wants to label foods containing GMO ingredients ‘natural’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/grocery-manufacturers-association-wants-to-label-foods-containing-gmo-ingredients-natural/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-20 Words: 83 > On December 5, the GMA, which represents many food and beverage companies, sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking the FDA to authorize GMO foods to... On December 5, the GMA, which represents many food and beverage companies, sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking the FDA to authorize GMO foods to be labeled “natural.” The Association argues that such foods do not differ in “any meaningful way” from unmodified foods. The Environmental Working Group and others have decried GMA’s request, arguing that it confuses consumers trying to select products that are truly free from genetically engineered ingredients. --- ## Post taps popular athletes to face off in ‘competition’ between sugary breakfast cereals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/post-taps-popular-athletes-to-face-off-in-competition-between-sugary-breakfast-cereals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-20 Words: 60 > The latest campaign from Post Foods will pit popular wrestler John Cena against basketball player Kyrie Irving in a competition to determine whether Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles is more... The latest campaign from Post Foods will pit popular wrestler John Cena against basketball player Kyrie Irving in a competition to determine whether Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles is more popular with fans. In addition to a social media component and online competition, the promotion includes corporate social responsibility partnerships with nonprofit organizations that work with disabled individuals and veterans. --- ## State law approaches to address digital food marketing to youth: Why digital marketing is different URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/state-law-approaches-to-address-digital-food-marketing-to-youth-why-digital-marketing-is-different/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 5822 > Excerpted from State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Food and beverage marketing that targets youth is fully integrated into print, radio, television, movies, schools, youth serving... Excerpted from State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Food and beverage marketing that targets youth is fully integrated into print, radio, television, movies, schools, youth serving organizations and in the retail space. The rapid proliferation of digital devices and new media platforms is often described as a “shift” to digital. Traditional children’s media outlets like Nickelodeon have “gone digital,” and companies are shifting their media mix to encompass digital and mobile marketing (see Nickelodeon Case Study). Young consumers have not simply shifted away from traditional media, however, but rather “[e]ach month consumers are spending more time with more media, across all devices under the sun.”1 This means that there are more and more opportunities to layer and reinforce food and beverage marketing to youth in educational settings, at home and while otherwise spending time with their friends in person, online or via mobile devices. The use of location data to tailor and target marketing messages in real time makes digital marketing campaigns that much more effective at maintaining and increasing sales of unhealthy foods and beverages. Marketing is no longer a one-way communication Perhaps the starkest contrast between digital and traditional marketing is the way in which food and beverage marketing has gone from a one-way communication to a multi-faceted exchange. Traditional marketing tactics delivered a commercial message on television, radio or in print, and that was the extent of the communication, absent some additional action by consumers typically involving the telephone, mail or in-person interaction with a salesperson. These features of traditional marketing are reflected in state laws governing phone solicitations, promotions conducted through the U.S. mail and door-to-door sales practices. The new food and beverage marketing is delivered online and via handheld devices, and is driven by huge caches of data that consumers generate online, on mobile devices and when they make purchases. Marketers have unprecedented access to a wealth of data about individuals, peer groups and demographic segments of the population that can be used to target and tailor marketing messages to maximize sales. Specific state consumer protection law provisions have yet to catch up with advances in digital marketing, but existing broad prohibitions on unfair and deceptive acts and practices can be utilized to protect children and teens from unfair and deceptive digital food and beverage marketing. Digital marketing is harder for youth to identify as marketing The bulk of social science research into children’s ability to recognize marketing as commercial messages with persuasive intent has dealt with television advertising. Research has found that children can identify commercials by the age of 6, but children under 8 cannot understand the persuasive intent of television advertising.2 A 2013 study compared the ability of children versus adults to identify advertisements on mock webpages.3 The mock webpages contained a total of 27 ads. Every adult in the study identified all ads shown. In stark contrast, 6-year-olds identified just one quarter of the ads, 8-year-olds about half of the ads, and 10-year-olds identified about three-quarters of the ads shown. The authors of the study concluded that “the developmental sequence derived from the television advertising research cannot be applied to children’s awareness of advertising in other media, because we can no longer assume that the ability to recognize an advertisement always precedes the ability to understand the purpose of advertising.”4 This study dealt with ads embedded in editorial webpages; one can imagine that websites for food and beverage brands, like www.frootloops.com, where the entire site’s content is marketing, are even more difficult for children to identify as commercial in nature. Moreover, marketing delivered via handheld devices on small screens likely is even harder to identify. It is an established consumer protection law principle that marketing consumers cannot recognize as advertising is deceptive.5 Whether or not the target audience of children and/or teen consumers can even identify marketing that utilizes new media as advertising should be a starting point in the consumer protection analysis of potentially unfair or deceptive digital food and beverage marketing campaigns. Targeting & measurement In digital media, marketing, sales, content, and measurement are intertwined. The same data collection capabilities online that permit single users to be targeted — regardless of where they may be — are also used to analyze how they respond to the marketing message. Real-time measurement of campaigns permit an advertiser to closely monitor how successful its effort is, and, if necessary, to make substantial or subtle changes. Through so-called marketing dashboards, a flood of data related to the behavior of consumers is col... --- ## State law approaches to address digital food marketing to youth: Executive summary URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/state-law-approaches-to-address-digital-food-marketing-to-youth-executive-summary/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2976 > Excerpted from State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Why focus on digital food marketing? Legal and child development scholars have identified promising theories for why all... Excerpted from State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Why focus on digital food marketing? Legal and child development scholars have identified promising theories for why all marketing, including digital food marketing, targeting children under 8 years of age, is inherently deceptive.1 Prior to age 8, research demonstrates that children cannot understand the persuasive intent of advertising. Food marketing campaigns targeting youth integrate food packaging, websites, mobile applications (apps), and viral marketing techniques to get children and teens to request and consume unhealthy food and beverage products. Our research into the digital marketing tactics currently being deployed with children and teens found a number of clearly articulable and specific state consumer protection law issues that warrant regulatory oversight. State governments are at a critical juncture with respect to ensuring the future health of their residents. Diet-related disease threatens the current and future well-being of children and teens. The Centers for Disease Control projects that by 2050, 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes.2 The number of diabetics living with limb loss is projected to triple by 2050, and African American and Hispanic diabetics are almost 3 times as likely as non-Hispanic white diabetics to lose a limb.3 Medical costs associated with diet-related disease are projected to rise between $22 and $48 billion per year by 2030 with a substantial portion paid for by Medicare and Medicaid.4 This chronic disease burden begins in childhood when eating preferences and food culture are ingrained. Food marketing plays a major role in the foods children and teens desire, perceive as tasting good, request their parents to buy for them and ultimately purchase for themselves. State oversight of digital food marketing is integral to protecting vulnerable child and teen consumers. The state consumer protection approach This report focuses on how state consumer protection law can be used to limit harmful digital food marketing to children and teens. State consumer protection laws grant state attorneys general (SAGs) broad authority to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and self-regulatory bodies like the Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) have, to date, been the primary players in oversight of food marketing to children. The magnitude of the health threats posed by diet-related disease and their impact on state healthcare systems is on par with tobacco-related disease. As occurred with tobacco marketing, intervention by SAGs is the game-changer needed to accelerate progress on food marketing to children. State law profiles Ten states were selected based on the percentage of the child population residing in the state, prior SAG action to address food marketing, prior SAG action to address digital marketing in general, scope of consumer protection authority granted under state law, and geographic diversity. For each of the ten states we generated a digital marketing legal profile of laws and regulations beyond general prohibitions on unfair and deceptive acts and practices that might be used to curtail digital food marketing to children. See Appendix for AR, CA, CT, FL, IL, MA, NY, OR, TX and VA state profiles. Digital food marketing tactics selected for legal analysis Digital food marketing encompasses a broad range of tactics. Marketing tactics were selected for state consumer protection legal analysis based, in part, upon whether the tactic: Is material to the purchase of a food or beverage item by a child, teen or, in some cases, a parent Is unaddressed by self-regulatory guidelines (e.g., marketing targeting adolescents) Falls outside of the scope of the FTC’s current rulemaking authority (e.g., unfair advertising to children) Has been the subject of prior self-regulatory enforcement, but remains relatively unchanged and widespread Exploits age-specific vulnerabilities of child and teen consumers. This report also covers personal jurisdiction issues related to digital food marketing and federal preemption of state regulation of mobile food marketing. Key digital food marketing characteristics Digital food marketing works in conjunction with traditional marketing campaigns using television, print media, and food packaging. There are, however, some key differences between digital and traditional food marketing tactics: Digital marketing is harder for youth to identify as marketing: Digital food marketing works in conjunction with traditional media such as television, print media, and food packaging by integrating websites, mobile applications (apps), viral marketing techniques and location-based tactics to get child consumers to request and consume unhealthy food and beverage products. Research into children’s ability to identify digital marketing as a form of advertising indicates that digital marketing is harde... --- ## State law approaches to address digital food marketing to youth: Full report URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/state-law-approaches-to-address-digital-food-marketing-to-youth-full-report/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 123 > The toll in human suffering and health costs from diet-related disease is stark. Addressing the digital marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to youth is a key step toward easing... The toll in human suffering and health costs from diet-related disease is stark. Addressing the digital marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to youth is a key step toward easing this toll and ensuring a healthy future. This report from the Public Health Advocacy Institute, Berkeley Media Studies Group and Center for Digital Democracy describes state legal approaches available to stem the harmful tide of digital food marketing targeted at children and teens. State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Report Executive Summary Introduction Why Digital Marketing Is Different Packaging: Digital Marketing at the Moment of Truth Personal Jurisdiction Mobile Food & Beverage Marketing Privacy Facebook Advertising Incentives-Based Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing Gaming Appendix: State Law Profiles --- ## State law approaches to address digital food marketing to youth: Gaming URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/state-law-approaches-to-address-digital-food-marketing-to-youth-gaming/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5113 > Excerpted from State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Digital games are a popular way to market foods and beverages to children and teens. Games used to... Excerpted from State Law Approaches to Address Digital Food Marketing to Youth Digital games are a popular way to market foods and beverages to children and teens. Games used to market foods fall into two main categories: (1) food and beverage company-produced advergames for children and (2) the integration of food and beverage marketing into the videogaming experience of older children and teens. Kids: Advergames Advergames target children and are defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as “games designed to promote a particular product … [that are] sometimes based on television commercials, using similar or expanded storylines, and tend[] to use animated depictions of the food or proprietary characters associated with particular brands.”1 Advergames are featured on food company websites and also come in the form of mobile apps that children can play on smartphones, iPod Touch devices, and tablets. The FTC’s 2012 report of food industry marketing expenditures found that “[a]dvergames … were often a key focus on child- or teen-oriented websites.2 Companies spent an estimated $676 million to produce advergames in 2009.3 Advergames also are promoted on retail food packaging to prompt a purchase or a purchase request to a parent. A 2009 study of food and beverage brands that maintain designated children’s areas online found that 85% of the websites examined featured advergaming.4 Here we focus on the tactic of tying advergames to codes on retail food packaging to drive purchases and consumption of unhealthy food and beverage products. What is the harm? Child-development experts and public health experts have voiced concern that advergames “instill brand loyalty in children by inserting the brand within a form of entertainment, blurring the line between advertising and entertainment.”5 Advergames have been found to increase child preference for featured branded products and increase children’s brand memory.6 This is likely because advergames use fun and engagement to increase brand exposure and to instill brand loyalty through repetitious exposure to company products, logos and spokescharacters. A 2011 study found that food company websites with advergames resulted in youth visiting 77% more pages; spending 88% more time per visit on sites with advergames; and visiting such sites 17% more often than other sites.7 Food-related advergames most heavily advertise candy, cereals and fast food.8 The effect of playing advergames on child eating behavior also has been found to be harmful. A 2011 study of the impact of playing advergames on child snacking behavior found that after playing a junk food-themed advergame, children’s consumption of unhealthy snack food increased by 56% as compared to playing a fruit-themed game, and 16% more than playing a game featuring no food.9 This translated to an additional 77 kcal of snacking after playing the junk food advergame and 25 kcal after playing the fruit game. Playing advergames featuring unhealthy food also decreased children’s fruit and vegetable snacking.10 A 2013 study conducted in the Netherlands tested the impact of playing advergames on the caloric intake of children.11 The study found that playing advergames featuring food, including games featuring fruit, cued children to eat. While marketers design their advergames to promote consumption of one particular food product, the study found that the actual effect of food-themed advergames was that children ate not only brand-specific food but also whatever other energy dense products were available to them in greater quantities than they did after playing non-food themed games.12 The study findings were consistent with prior research into the impact of television commercials on eating behavior. Researchers noted, however, that when children play advergames the marketing exposure to the food brand is longer than watching a 30-second television ad and that this likely is part of the reason why the study found such strong effects on food intake from advergames.13 The health harm of increased food consumption after playing advergames is compounded by the fact that the actual act of playing an advergame is a sedentary behavior. Advergames are material to the purchase of unhealthy foods Beyond creating opportunities for brand exposure to build brand loyalty online or via an app, the integration of advergames into food product packaging makes advergames directly material to product purchases. A study examining the content of 77 major child-directed food marketing websites in 2005 found that 39% of the websites integrated direct inducements to purchase food and beverage products into their advergaming marketing strategy. In exchange for a purchase or series of purchases, “[c]hildren were offered special rewards on the Web sites, such as access to ‘secret’ site locations, the chance to play special games, or the opportunity to obtain product-related merchandise.”14 Another approach taken by 20% of the websites analyzed was... --- ## Food industry calls on FDA to extend comment period on artificial trans fats URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-calls-on-fda-to-extend-comment-period-on-artificial-trans-fats/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-19 Words: 45 > The Food and Drug Administration has responded to requests from food manufacturers and others to extend the comment period on its preliminary decision to classify partially hydrogenated oils as food... The Food and Drug Administration has responded to requests from food manufacturers and others to extend the comment period on its preliminary decision to classify partially hydrogenated oils as food additives that must be regulated. The extended comment period will end in March of 2014. --- ## Frito-Lay builds goodwill among Texans by raising money for high school athletics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-builds-goodwill-among-texans-by-raising-money-for-high-school-athletics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-19 Words: 43 > Frito-Lay's recently ended "Score for your school" campaign urged Texas consumers to buy Frito-Lay products to raise money for high school athletics, in part by aligning the program with the... Frito-Lay’s recently ended “Score for your school” campaign urged Texas consumers to buy Frito-Lay products to raise money for high school athletics, in part by aligning the program with the values “leadership, teamwork, and cooperation.” --- ## Wingstop and Dr Pepper urge fans to mobilize social media networks for #FlavorFight promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wingstop-and-dr-pepper-urge-fans-to-mobilize-social-media-networks-for-flavorfight-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-19 Words: 50 > Observing that "[video] game releases and wing cravings go hand in hand with [their] fan base," Wingstop and Dr Pepper have launched #FlavorFight, a holiday promotional contest. Fans who use... Observing that “ game releases and wing cravings go hand in hand with [their] fan base,” Wingstop and Dr Pepper have launched #FlavorFight, a holiday promotional contest. Fans who use social media networks to vote for their favorite Wingstop flavor are eligible to win prizes, including GameStop gift cards. --- ## Chile’s new food labeling rules: Why can’t we do this? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chiles-new-food-labeling-rules-why-cant-we-do-this/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-19 Words: 41 > Marion Nestle provides an overview of the Chilean ministry of health's recently issued rules for food labeling and marketing to children. She points out that the new guidelines are substantially... Marion Nestle provides an overview of the Chilean ministry of health’s recently issued rules for food labeling and marketing to children. She points out that the new guidelines are substantially stricter than anything ever proposed in the United States. --- ## Marketers share tips on effectively reaching low-income Latino shoppers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-share-tips-on-effectively-reaching-low-income-latino-shoppers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-19 Words: 69 > Marketers recognize that low-income consumers, especially low-income Latino consumers, must sometimes make trade-offs as they decide which necessities to purchase. Writer Roberto Siewcyznski urges marketers and retailers to follow "a... Marketers recognize that low-income consumers, especially low-income Latino consumers, must sometimes make trade-offs as they decide which necessities to purchase. Writer Roberto Siewcyznski urges marketers and retailers to follow “a separate set of rules … to reach lower-income Hispanic shoppers,” such as employing innovative media channels that enable advertisers to “dial into this shopper with non-traditional and highly targeted vehicles.” --- ## Pizza Hut uses augmented reality to connect delivery box to racing game URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-hut-uses-augmented-reality-to-connect-delivery-box-to-racing-game/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-17 Words: 52 > A new promotion from Pizza Hut requires customers to download an app to capture an image of the pizza box, which then unlocks additional content in the Xbox Forza 5... A new promotion from Pizza Hut requires customers to download an app to capture an image of the pizza box, which then unlocks additional content in the Xbox Forza 5 Motorsport game. As research shows that young boys and teens are prime gaming audiences, they may be the targets of this promotion. --- ## ‘Built with Chocolate Milk’ campaign posits that Olympic athletes are built with the sugary drink URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/built-with-chocolate-milk-campaign-posits-that-olympic-athletes-are-built-with-the-sugary-drink/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-13 Words: 69 > A quote from one of the marketing executives behind the campaign demonstrates how feel-good promotions play into larger corporate strategies: "The Built with Chocolate Milk campaign gives the industry the... A quote from one of the marketing executives behind the campaign demonstrates how feel-good promotions play into larger corporate strategies: “The Built with Chocolate Milk campaign gives the industry the opportunity to build a legacy product that extends milk’s brand and nutritional equality for years to come, and also builds momentum in other industry areas, such as the defense of chocolate milk in schools.” --- ## Budweiser launches new Vine and Twitter campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/budweiser-launches-new-vine-and-twitter-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-13 Words: 45 > The social media campaign urges users to make holiday music with empty Bud bottles and encourages customers to upload videos of themselves making music using Budweiser bottles. The company plans... The social media campaign urges users to make holiday music with empty Bud bottles and encourages customers to upload videos of themselves making music using Budweiser bottles. The company plans to feature the videos in a compilation that will air on the Times Square Billboard. --- ## McDonald’s attempts at a green image all smoke and mirrors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-attempts-at-a-green-image-all-smoke-and-mirrors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-12 Words: 65 > This blog post from Chef Ann Cooper highlights the new "greenwashing" tactics that companies like McDonald's use to make their food, and the practices that produce it, appear healthy and... This blog post from Chef Ann Cooper highlights the new “greenwashing” tactics that companies like McDonald’s use to make their food, and the practices that produce it, appear healthy and “natural.” “It’s safe to say that most fast-food chains are making their profits at the cost of our children’s health,” says Cooper. --- ## Coke’s ‘Cap the Tap’ program directly opposes company’s stated interest in addressing obesity issue URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cokes-cap-the-tap-program-directly-opposes-companys-stated-interest-in-addressing-obesity-issue/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-12 Words: 84 > In this blog post, writer Jim Hightower pulls back the curtain on Coke's "Cap the Tap" program, which provides a guide for restaurant managers to upsell Coke products in lieu... In this blog post, writer Jim Hightower pulls back the curtain on Coke’s “Cap the Tap” program, which provides a guide for restaurant managers to upsell Coke products in lieu of water. He argues that the program, in conjunction with Coke’s other efforts to circumvent science that would prove the health harms of their products, represent “sneak attack[s] on consumers” that directly contradict the company’s recently stated interest in addressing rising obesity rates. --- ## Scotland abandons proposal for responsible food marketing standard URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/scotland-abandons-proposal-for-responsible-food-marketing-standard/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-11 Words: 70 > The Scottish government announced earlier this year that it planned to develop food marketing guidelines, with the participation of the food industry, in order to cut consumption of food high... The Scottish government announced earlier this year that it planned to develop food marketing guidelines, with the participation of the food industry, in order to cut consumption of food high in fat, salt and sugar. However, food industry participants withdrew from discussions, effectively shelving the project. The food industry argued that it was already doing enough to “encourage balanced diets,” including reformulating and labeling products and educating consumers. --- ## 7 things advocates should know when communicating about health equity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/7-things-advocates-should-know-when-communicating-about-health-equity/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 2296 > Like many people in public health, I'm part of multiple social circles and sometimes find myself in situations where public health, especially health equity, isn't the typical conversation topic. Inevitably... Like many people in public health, I’m part of multiple social circles and sometimes find myself in situations where public health, especially health equity, isn’t the typical conversation topic. Inevitably someone always asks me: So, what is it you do for work? For many years, I struggled to answer this question. Because I wanted to convey my passion for creating the type of society that supports health for everyone, my answer would range from an angry diatribe about some policy issue to a long-winded account of every article I had ever read on the underlying social, political, and economic injustices that cause people in some communities to live shorter, sicker lives than those in other communities. Needless to say, this didn’t get me too far. Why, I wondered, was I struggling to explain the work that inspired so much passion and urgency for me? And if I couldn’t explain it to someone in casual conversation, how could I possibly communicate about such a crucial public health issue in a way that resonates with people and helps build collective action toward creating healthy communities? This struggle, I soon learned, wasn’t unique to me. I see similar challenges across the field of public health: At times, our messages resonate with people and help rally them. However, as we dive into our data or policy recommendations, I see a lot of missed opportunities because our passion gets lost in the language we use. Discussions about equity and social justice that could improve our collective health get tuned out or simply misunderstood. So how can we change this? How can we emphasize the importance of equity in the stories we tell about health? And how can we use these stories to help create communities where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy? As I pursue my Doctor of Public Health degree at U.C. Berkeley, I am delving deeper into these questions. A great part of this process has involved connecting my research to the work of Berkeley Media Studies Group, which helps advocates use the media strategically to advance policies that improve health. While my journey is far from over, here are some of the things that I’ve learned: 1. We have to know what we want to change Anyone who has worked with Berkeley Media Studies Group knows its catchphrase: You can’t have a media strategy without having an overall strategy. While this applies to any type of policy work, it is great advice for health equity advocates. It’s tempting to jump right into creating a message. However, BMSG reminds us that “Creating healthy environments starts with knowing what you want to change” and who has the power to change it, which influences every aspect of a communication strategy. And engaging the media may or may not be a part of that strategy. This means that when we are talking about health equity, we should always make sure it is tied back to our goals. At times, this may be a specific policy recommendation. But even when we are asked to give general presentations on health inequities, we can ask ourselves: What do I want to achieve with this presentation? What do I want the audience to do after they walk away? How does this presentation tie into my long-term work on health equity? 2. Communication should be incorporated from the start While we need to begin with an overall strategy, that doesn’t mean putting communication on the back burner. This is easy to remember but can be hard to do for busy public health practitioners, many of whom have no choice but to be a jack-of-all-trades. Our days may include interpreting data, managing staff and major initiatives, building coalitions, developing policy, navigating complex financial systems, and doing all of this with budgets that are inadequate and frequently under attack. And while we often build data analysis or project meetings into our timelines, communication can get short shrift and become an afterthought, considered once a report has been written or a policy is about to be voted on at city council, rather than incorporated from the beginning. By keeping communication at the forefront, we can more clearly define the problem we are trying to solve and what solutions we are really ready to stand behind, what data we should be collecting, and who our target audience is for any materials we develop. Keeping communication on the agenda helps us work on health equity because it gives more people an opportunity to shape strategy and messages and to surface and discuss differing perspectives of coalition or team members early on rather than right before speaking to decision-makers. 3. Effective communication is collaborative — and flips the script on power Creating strategies and messages isn’t a task for a communications person or team to create alone, behind closed doors. Their focus should be creating space for team and coalition members to develop strategies and messages. “Efforts to separate communications out into some separate process of persuasion disconnected from organizing... --- ## Media advocacy strategy for soda tax measures: Preparing for tough questions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-advocacy-strategy-for-soda-tax-measures-preparing-for-tough-questions/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 946 > Part of our work at Berkeley Media Studies Group is to help health advocates and their allies prepare for media interviews as well as other opportunities to talk about their... Part of our work at Berkeley Media Studies Group is to help health advocates and their allies prepare for media interviews as well as other opportunities to talk about their policy goals. One of the most important lessons in media advocacy is that hard questions are an inevitable and perfectly valid part of any interview or discussion. And successfully responding to those tough inquiries while avoiding common pitfalls — giving weak answers, becoming defensive, or getting sidetracked and going off message — takes practice. A common request from advocates is for assistance with answering tough questions around policy proposals designed to reduce consumption of sugary drinks — the single largest contributor to caloric intake in the United States and a major contributor to the diabetes epidemic and other nutrition-related diseases. The sugary beverage industry has mustered its considerable resources to fight these proposals — particularly soda tax measures like the ones introduced last year in the California cities of Richmond and El Monte. The soda industry launched a $4 million campaign to defeat the two proposals, and the two measures were rejected by wide margins. Despite these defeats, advocates expect more soda tax proposals to follow. As we’ve learned from efforts to limit tobacco and alcohol use, raising the price of products that are dangerous to our health is a proven public health approach. But how should advocates respond to questions about freedom of choice, government intervention, and other common sentiments expressed by the opposition and fomented by the sugary beverage industry? Here are some common hard questions and sample responses. For more information and ideas on talking points, we recommend visiting kickthecan.info. How do you know a tax will reduce soda consumption? Although research (including a 2012 analysis by scientists at the University of California San Francisco that estimates a penny-per-ounce tax would prevent nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease and 26,000 deaths over the next decade) suggests that a tax on sugary beverages would reduce consumption and, as a result, reduce diabetes and other health problems associated with soda, the purpose of the soda tax is to pay for important programs and services to help offset those harms and keep our children healthy — particularly in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color most aggressively targeted by the sugary beverage industry. Revenues from a few pennies on soda could provide nutritious school meals, access to drinking water, physical education, and parks and recreation programs. Isn’t nutrition education the answer to addressing the obesity problem? Education is important but it can’t do the job alone, especially when children are bombarded with more than $1 million a day of soda marketing at every turn: on billboards in their neighborhoods — sometimes attached to their own apartment buildings — in their schools, in the windows of practically every corner store, and in grocery aisles, on TV, computer screens and more. Education simply cannot compete with the relentless marketing from soda companies. Isn’t children’s health parents’ responsibility? Parents making smart choices about what to feed their families play a critical role in preventing childhood obesity, but parents and kids face an enormous challenge because sugary drinks are available everywhere and are heavily marketed: The soda industry spends more than $1 million every day to target their products to children. It’s soda companies — not parents — that are stocking corner store shelves and grocery check-out lanes with sugary drinks that in some places cost less than bottled water. It’s soda companies that are enticing youth with online games and activities. And it’s soda companies that are undermining parental authority by encouraging kids to interact with brands directly on their cell phones with apps like “Spin the Bottle.” No parent can create a shield big enough to protect his or her kids from this level of intense marketing. Isn’t this just a regressive tax that will further hurt poor people trying to feed their families? It’s the disproportionate impact of diabetes on low-income families and communities of color that’s regressive. If soda companies were really concerned about the health of low-income communities, they wouldn’t market to them so aggressively. Research shows many residents in low-income neighborhoods support a soda tax. In California, 78 percent of Latinos and 70 percent of African Americans support a soda tax. And low-income residents support the tax by almost two-to-one if revenues fund obesity prevention programs. Should government be telling us what we should and shouldn’t drink? The truth is, the government is us. One of the great things about democracy is that people have the power, through their elected representatives, to decide what kind of communities they want for themselves and their children. Taxing soda, the leading contrib... --- ## McDonald’s announces the lineup for its 2014 ‘Flavor Battle,’ a yearly event targeting young African-Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-announces-the-lineup-for-its-2014-flavor-battle-a-yearly-event-targeting-young-african-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-09 Words: 52 > The competition features 12 DJs from across the United States who compete for $10,000. Each region of the country is represented by one of McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers. McDonald's uses... The competition features 12 DJs from across the United States who compete for $10,000. Each region of the country is represented by one of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers. McDonald’s uses the competition to market to young people and encourages them to vote online for their favorite DJ. --- ## Budweiser targets Latinos by commissioning art for 2014 World Cup URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/budweiser-targets-latinos-by-commissioning-art-for-2014-world-cup/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-09 Words: 65 > The beer company continues to reach out to Latinos through soccer, this by commissioning an artist to create a piece of art in real time during the "Final Draw" for... The beer company continues to reach out to Latinos through soccer, this by commissioning an artist to create a piece of art in real time during the “Final Draw” for the 2014 World Cup. At the center of the piece is a prominent rendering of the Budweiser logo. The piece was created in Washington, D.C. at the home of the Brazilian ambassador. --- ## Food & Water Watch tackles food monopolies in the grocery store URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-water-watch-tackles-food-monopolies-in-the-grocery-store/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-09 Words: 81 > Food & Water Watch released a report and a series of infographics highlighting the extent to which food purchases are all controlled by a few monolithic players. The report argues... Food & Water Watch released a report and a series of infographics highlighting the extent to which food purchases are all controlled by a few monolithic players. The report argues that food companies don’t want people to know about the monopolies behind many food products, since that would undermine their marketing strategies: “They want you to think you have a choice, so they can offer false deals and other psychological tricks to make you spend more money.” --- ## Pop Secret markets popcorn using game add-on that makes mobile phones smell like popcorn URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pop-secret-markets-popcorn-using-game-add-on-that-makes-mobile-phones-smell-like-popcorn/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-06 Words: 53 > Pop Secret created Pop Dongle, a mobile phone attachment that smells like popcorn and is now being tested in the market. The attachment is supposed to be used by consumers... Pop Secret created Pop Dongle, a mobile phone attachment that smells like popcorn and is now being tested in the market. The attachment is supposed to be used by consumers while they play the branded mobile game Poptopia: When players pop virtual kernels in the game, the Pop Dongle releases a popcorn scent. --- ## MillerCoors uses ‘LÌ_der of the Year’ award to target Latino communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/millercoors-uses-li_der-of-the-year-award-to-target-latino-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-05 Words: 94 > As part of the program, 12 Latino community leaders were nominated by non-profit organizations. MillerCoors then used those nominations to drive a national advertising campaign targeting Latinos and an online... As part of the program, 12 Latino community leaders were nominated by non-profit organizations. MillerCoors then used those nominations to drive a national advertising campaign targeting Latinos and an online public voting competition to determine who would be awarded $25,000 for a community project. This is a good example of how companies use corporate social responsibility programs to build goodwill and bolster their image when, in reality, their benefit to communities is negligible ‰ÛÓ $25,000 is likely a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of this marketing campaign. --- ## Pediasure Sidekicks agrees to remove misleading TV ads for sugary kid drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pediasure-sidekicks-agrees-to-remove-misleading-tv-ads-for-sugary-kid-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-04 Words: 49 > Nonprofits ChangeLab Solutions and the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity have succeeded in pressuring the company to remove its misleading ads for the sugary products Pediasure Sidekicks... Nonprofits ChangeLab Solutions and the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity have succeeded in pressuring the company to remove its misleading ads for the sugary products Pediasure Sidekicks and Sidekicks Clear. The move serves as a warning for other companies who misleadingly market junk food as healthy. --- ## Cheerios to run Super Bowl spot for the first time since 1996 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cheerios-to-run-super-bowl-spot-for-the-first-time-since-1996/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-04 Words: 67 > The spot is being designed by the same company that made this year's ad featuring a mixed race family, which was a success with most consumers in spite of the... The spot is being designed by the same company that made this year’s ad featuring a mixed race family, which was a success with most consumers in spite of the racist comments it generated online. Cheerios has yet to reveal what the storyline of the Super Bowl ad will be, though the company released a statement saying it is “proud of its message.” --- ## Carl’s Jr. uses social media to push branded, vaguely risqu̩ boxer shorts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/carls-jr-uses-social-media-to-push-branded-vaguely-risqu%cc%a9-boxer-shorts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-04 Words: 34 > The fast food giant is selling men's boxer shorts with the slogan, "Eat Like You Mean It." It is using Facebook and Instagram to push sales of the controversial shorts. The fast food giant is selling men’s boxer shorts with the slogan, “Eat Like You Mean It.” It is using Facebook and Instagram to push sales of the controversial shorts. --- ## Coca-Cola Zero sends Latin American fans to Antarctica with Metallica URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-zero-sends-latin-american-fans-to-antarctica-with-metallica/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-04 Words: 61 > Coca-Cola's latest high profile contest promotion is raising environmental concerns. The company is sending 19 Latin American winners of a promotional contest to Antarctica as a part of a 10-day... Coca-Cola’s latest high profile contest promotion is raising environmental concerns. The company is sending 19 Latin American winners of a promotional contest to Antarctica as a part of a 10-day music event featuring Metallica. The expedition is being accused of potentially disrupting the biodiversity of the Antarctic, although Coca-Cola has released defensive statements to the contrary. --- ## Marion Nestle on how the environment influences food choice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-on-how-the-environment-influences-food-choice/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-04 Words: 49 > Marion Nestle exposes how personal responsibility only goes so far when food choices are limited to foods that are highly processed, high in salt and sugar, and served in large... Marion Nestle exposes how personal responsibility only goes so far when food choices are limited to foods that are highly processed, high in salt and sugar, and served in large portions. She proposes a solution by requiring restaurants to serve smaller portions and reduce the sodium in their foods. --- ## McDonald’s plans to amp up marketing efforts to reach Latinos, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-plans-to-amp-up-marketing-efforts-to-reach-latinos-african-americans-and-asian-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-04 Words: 72 > The article notes that Latinos, African-Americans and Asian-Americans make up 40% of McDonald's business and many of its most frequent customers. "We are continuing to invest in the fastest-growing segments... The article notes that Latinos, African-Americans and Asian-Americans make up 40% of McDonald’s business and many of its most frequent customers. “We are continuing to invest in the fastest-growing segments of our business: our ethnic consumers,” the company’s chief creative officer said. “We ensure that it is never an afterthought. In fact, incorporating an ethnic perspective actually begins our marketing process.” --- ## When prevention gets attention: News coverage of Minnesota’s Statewide Health Improvement Program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/when-prevention-gets-attention-news-coverage-of-minnesotas-statewide-health-improvement-program/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5880 > The Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Program in the news In our democratic society, the news plays a key role in setting the agenda for public policy debates. News coverage raises... The Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Program in the news In our democratic society, the news plays a key role in setting the agenda for public policy debates. News coverage raises the profile of a social issue and can influence how the public and policymakers consider the issue. Journalists’ decisions about how to cover the pressing problems of the day influence the discussions that take place. In 2008, the Minnesota Legislature passed a ground-breaking health reform law that included a provision to address the root causes of poor heath, with the aim of reducing quickly rising health care costs. The program became known as SHIP, the Statewide Health Improvement Program, which began funding grants to support local community prevention across the state in 2009. The broad reach of Minnesota’s SHIP provided an opportunity to assess how prevention was being framed in statewide news coverage. To this end, BMSG analyzed news coverage to understand what was said — and left unsaid — and what lessons could help public health advocates inform future discussions on the importance of prevention. The landscape of SHIP news coverage We systematically analyzed a broad selection of print news, television and radio transcripts, and commentary from prominent blog websites for all of the coverage of SHIP between the opening debates over the Minnesota health care reform bill through July 2012, when our study commenced. We also examined a select number of stories about SHIP from late 2012 and 2013, when SHIP was reauthorized, to see if the news coverage of SHIP changed after the initial reports (see appendix for methodological details). Overall, we found 155 news pieces that discussed SHIP. The vast majority (84%) were local news stories about one of the 51 city, county or tribal governments being funded. Far less common were commentaries, such as editorials, op-eds or letters to the editor about SHIP (8%), pieces by newspaper columnists or other feature-length stories (5%), or stories picked up by the national news wires (3%). The news centered on four main topics when discussing SHIP. The most prevalent topic discussed the local governments being funded by SHIP, often in the form of articles announcing a new grant or promoting a community activity related to a grantee. The next most frequent topic encompassed general health items that also mentioned SHIP. This included, for example, a story covering the release of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings, which also mentioned how SHIP was aiming to improve Minnesota’s position in these rankings.1Less often, we saw coverage of the legislature debating SHIP’s budget or general pieces explaining SHIP to the public as the Program launched. How is SHIP portrayed in the news? In the in-depth coverage, news stories discussed SHIP’s work across the three core public health issues addressed by the initiative: increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and reducing tobacco use and exposure. It was most common for articles to mention multiple public health issues (34%), closely followed by articles focusing solely on nutrition (29%) or physical activity (28%) programs; 7% of articles generally discussed how SHIP addresses obesity, without citing specific nutrition or physical activity programs. Three percent mentioned SHIP’s tobacco-related work. News stories almost always portrayed SHIP in a positive light: 90% of articles praised the Program, while 10% offered either a neutral or mixed perspective. Positive articles mentioned, for instance, how SHIP is enabling county governments like Anoka’s to “stop obesity before it starts” by promoting healthy foods in schools and day-care centers, thus helping children improve their nutrition and reducing future health care costs.2 Similarly, when referring to the Minneapolis Healthy Corner Store Program, Blue Cross Chief Prevention Officer Marc Manley indicated that improving residents’ access to healthy foods could effect long-lasting change: “Our eating habits really are habits. If you’re used to having fresh produce, you will keep trying to find it.”3 The few mixed articles included positive depictions and criticisms of SHIP. An article in the St. Cloud Times, for example, included both SHIP officials praising the Program for pushing community health across the state and challenges to the Program’s efficacy from some state legislators.4 No articles offered an entirely negative portrayal. The news coverage of SHIP also consistently portrayed (84%) the Program as a policy-oriented approach to improving health, rather than one that relies solely on changing individual behaviors. Such descriptions by journalists were often straightforward, such as a StarTribune reporter’s overview of Ramsey County’s focus “on community, school, work and health care settings,” and “on policies, systems and environmental changes.”5 For example, the county introduced programs bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to corner stores, prom... --- ## The road to Coke and Pepsi’s future is paved with fake sugar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-road-to-coke-and-pepsis-future-is-paved-with-fake-sugar/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-03 Words: 87 > In an effort to boost sales among consumers who are increasingly critical of sugary drinks, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are investing in science to create better-tasting sugar substitutes. The sugar substitute... In an effort to boost sales among consumers who are increasingly critical of sugary drinks, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are investing in science to create better-tasting sugar substitutes. The sugar substitute “S617” has yet to be approved for consumption, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest stated that the product could make it easier for the industry to reduce the sugar in its products, an action the Center is pushing with a petition for a mandatory limit on added sugar in beverages. --- ## Coca-Cola’s annual event targeting African American women announces headliner URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-annual-event-targeting-african-american-women-announces-headliner/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-03 Words: 67 > Legendary performer Prince will headline the 2014 Essence Festival, an annual multi-day music festival sponsored by Coca-Cola that targets African American women. The event is also an important opportunity for... Legendary performer Prince will headline the 2014 Essence Festival, an annual multi-day music festival sponsored by Coca-Cola that targets African American women. The event is also an important opportunity for Coca-Cola to build relationships with African American youth, many of whom will be participating in #YesWeCode, a community initiative tied to the festival that encourages young people to strengthen their ability to use technology. --- ## First lady’s Sesame Street partnership not enough to curb obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/first-ladys-sesame-street-partnership-not-enough-to-curb-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-02 Words: 75 > First lady Michelle Obama recently partnered with Sesame Street to promote healthy eating among young children. In this article, writer Erin Sagen dismisses the partnership as insufficient and proposes a... First lady Michelle Obama recently partnered with Sesame Street to promote healthy eating among young children. In this article, writer Erin Sagen dismisses the partnership as insufficient and proposes a number of grassroots initiatives that she argues will more effectively combat childhood obesity. Though these initiatives “build reliance by placing the power to create food within the community itself,” none address the overwhelming amount of marketing for unhealthy food that surrounds young children. --- ## Welch’s explores new twist on Vine videos by asking fans to create ‘the world’s longest vine’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/welchs-explores-new-twist-on-vine-videos-by-asking-fans-to-create-the-worlds-longest-vine/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-02 Words: 49 > The juice company is using social media to support the nonprofit 'Family-to-Family,' with the bonus of using the branded social media to drive its sales. The brand is also encouraging... The juice company is using social media to support the nonprofit ‘Family-to-Family,’ with the bonus of using the branded social media to drive its sales. The brand is also encouraging fans to repost the videos on Twitter with the corporate social responsibility-focused hashtag #ShareWhatsGood. --- ## How PepsiCo’s billion-dollar investment in India will fuel obesity and diabetes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-pepsicos-billion-dollar-investment-in-india-will-fuel-obesity-and-diabetes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-12-02 Words: 68 > Writer Amit Srivastava illuminates how Pepsi's latest corporate social responsibility maneuver to invest $5.5 billion in India by 2020 will be a detriment to the country's public health. The investment... Writer Amit Srivastava illuminates how Pepsi’s latest corporate social responsibility maneuver to invest $5.5 billion in India by 2020 will be a detriment to the country’s public health. The investment would scale-up the country’s consumption of junk food and prevalence of obesity and diabetes, which would result in more social and financial problems than the developing country is currently experiencing. --- ## Webinar: Actions to reduce unhealthy food marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-actions-to-reduce-unhealthy-food-marketing-to-kids/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 46 > Addressing food marketing is critical to improving child nutrition and health. This webinar, hosted by ASTHO, the Food Marketing Workgroup and NPLAN, and moderated by BMSG’s Lori Dorfman, explores past... Addressing food marketing is critical to improving child nutrition and health. This webinar, hosted by ASTHO, the Food Marketing Workgroup and NPLAN, and moderated by BMSG’s Lori Dorfman, explores past challenges and victories to help advocates reduce junk food marketing to kids in the present. --- ## Can a healthy snack food maker take on Big Food? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/can-a-healthy-snack-food-maker-take-on-big-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-26 Words: 62 > Extend Nutrition, a healthy snack food company started by the former president of the American Diabetes Association, is taking on the processed food industry with a word-of-mouth campaign and other... Extend Nutrition, a healthy snack food company started by the former president of the American Diabetes Association, is taking on the processed food industry with a word-of-mouth campaign and other outreach activities. The challenges of launching a new, healthier line of snack foods underscore the extent of the food industry’s well-funded and omnipresent advertising for unhealthy products. --- ## KFC claims to ‘aid’ busy families with holiday meal promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-claims-to-aid-busy-families-with-holiday-meal-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-26 Words: 54 > Citing the "stressful" nature of the holiday season, KFC has unveiled the Festive Feast, a family meal deal. The company touts the promotion as an attempt to "offer families a... Citing the “stressful” nature of the holiday season, KFC has unveiled the Festive Feast, a family meal deal. The company touts the promotion as an attempt to “offer families a moment of escape from the frenzy of the holiday season and allow them to simply spend time with one another.” --- ## AirHeads holiday campaign promises winner a year’s supply of candy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/airheads-holiday-campaign-promises-winner-a-years-supply-of-candy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-26 Words: 42 > "Ace of Cakes" star Duff Goldman will launch AirHeads holiday competition, a social media-driven campaign that urges customers to use the candies to decorate holiday creations. The winner will receive... “Ace of Cakes” star Duff Goldman will launch AirHeads holiday competition, a social media-driven campaign that urges customers to use the candies to decorate holiday creations. The winner will receive a year’s supply of the sugary candies. --- ## Australian advocates call for stronger social media regulation as food manufacturers exploit self-regulation loopholes to market to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/australian-advocates-call-for-stronger-social-media-regulation-as-food-manufacturers-exploit-self-regulation-loopholes-to-market-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-25 Words: 70 > Due to the food industry's inadequate self-regulatory initiatives, Australian children are increasingly bombarded with "'subtle and insidious" advertisements for unhealthy food, disguised as mobile phone app games and social media... Due to the food industry’s inadequate self-regulatory initiatives, Australian children are increasingly bombarded with “‘subtle and insidious” advertisements for unhealthy food, disguised as mobile phone app games and social media competitions. Because the “line between entertainment and advertising is increasingly blurred,” health advocates, including consumer group Choice, are calling for stronger regulations on social media, comparable to those that control tobacco advertising. --- ## Social media helps Campbell’s use customer nostalgia for campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/social-media-helps-campbells-use-customer-nostalgia-for-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-25 Words: 35 > Pinterest and holiday nostalgia are at the heart of Campbell's "heartwarming" holiday campaign, which urges customers to share family memories for a chance to win a trip home for the... Pinterest and holiday nostalgia are at the heart of Campbell’s “heartwarming” holiday campaign, which urges customers to share family memories for a chance to win a trip home for the holidays. --- ## The Economist touts the effectiveness of Big Food’s self-regulation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-economist-touts-the-effectiveness-of-big-foods-self-regulation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-23 Words: 48 > While describing Big Food's critics as "scolding" extremists and prohibitionists, The Economist applauds the food industry's self-regulatory efforts, despite evidence from researchers at Yale's Rudd Center and elsewhere that these... While describing Big Food’s critics as “scolding” extremists and prohibitionists, The Economist applauds the food industry’s self-regulatory efforts, despite evidence from researchers at Yale’s Rudd Center and elsewhere that these loose standards actually help the food industry target children. --- ## Marion Nestle on why journals and health professionals should dismiss industry-sponsored studies out of hand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-on-why-journals-and-health-professionals-should-dismiss-industry-sponsored-studies-out-of-hand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-21 Words: 69 > The food advocate comments on how food industry-sponsored research should not be considered science: "Sponsored research is not about seeking truth or adding to public knowledge. It is about obtaining... The food advocate comments on how food industry-sponsored research should not be considered science: “Sponsored research is not about seeking truth or adding to public knowledge. It is about obtaining evidence to defend or sell the sponsor’s product, to undermine research that might suggest that a product is unhealthy, to head off regulation, and to allow the product to be marketed with health claims.” --- ## National Restaurant Association expands corporate social responsibility program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/national-restaurant-association-expands-corporate-social-responsibility-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-21 Words: 35 > The philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association has announced that Philadelphia will be the latest state to join ProStart, a corporate social responsibility initiative that trains high school students... The philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association has announced that Philadelphia will be the latest state to join ProStart, a corporate social responsibility initiative that trains high school students to work in the industry. --- ## McDonald’s targets youth of color with nationwide ‘Flavor Battle’ DJ competition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-youth-of-color-with-nationwide-flavor-battle-dj-competition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-19 Words: 48 > The campaign features a dedicated "Flavor Battle" website where young people can listen to custom music mixes from the participating DJs and then vote on their favorites. There is also... The campaign features a dedicated “Flavor Battle” website where young people can listen to custom music mixes from the participating DJs and then vote on their favorites. There is also a social media component, with users being invited to share their votes on Facebook and Twitter. --- ## Big Food moves away from ‘all natural’ label in fear of being called on their bluff URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-moves-away-from-all-natural-label-in-fear-of-being-called-on-their-bluff/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-18 Words: 69 > This blog describes Ben & Jerry's decision to ditch its 'all natural' labeling in 2010, as well as recent lawsuits filed against PepsiCo, Truvia, Barbara's Foods, and Pepperidge Farms over... This blog describes Ben & Jerry’s decision to ditch its ‘all natural’ labeling in 2010, as well as recent lawsuits filed against PepsiCo, Truvia, Barbara’s Foods, and Pepperidge Farms over their use of the term. The author comments that “natural” labeling has become a liability and predicts that food makers will begin to stop using the term to market their products. --- ## Study: Exposure to fast food logos linked to impatience URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-exposure-to-fast-food-logos-linked-to-impatience/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-18 Words: 47 > A new study from the University of Toronto found that subjects who viewed logos of fast food restaurants were more inpatient than subjects who viewed other photos. The author of... A new study from the University of Toronto found that subjects who viewed logos of fast food restaurants were more inpatient than subjects who viewed other photos. The author of the article calls the logos “arguably the most pervasive reminders of our instant gratification culture.” --- ## Walmart ads target low-income consumers with junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/walmart-ads-target-low-income-consumers-with-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-18 Words: 52 > The company's "Stretch and Save" coupons targeted to low-income consumers feature far more unhealthy items than its general grocery coupons. This is a clear example of how companies use price-based... The company’s “Stretch and Save” coupons targeted to low-income consumers feature far more unhealthy items than its general grocery coupons. This is a clear example of how companies use price-based targeting to sell unhealthy foods and how these strategies impact the health of low-income consumers. --- ## In Swaziland, Coca-Cola holds sway with an un-democratic monarchy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-swaziland-coca-cola-holds-sway-with-an-un-democratic-monarchy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-18 Words: 79 > Coca-Cola's close ties to Swaziland's authoritarian monarchy have prompted criticism and have allowed the corporation to pay taxes at 6% rather than the typical corporate rate of 27.5% in the... Coca-Cola’s close ties to Swaziland’s authoritarian monarchy have prompted criticism and have allowed the corporation to pay taxes at 6% rather than the typical corporate rate of 27.5% in the country. The Coca-Cola Company has become a “cornerstone” in the country’s economy, supporting the royal family to receive an annual allowance of $26 million, while two-thirds of the country’s citizens live below the poverty line. --- ## Post Foods uses Latin Grammy Awards to market sugary cereal to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/post-foods-uses-latin-grammy-awards-to-market-sugary-cereal-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-18 Words: 67 > After partnering with Latin music duo Domino Saints for a song for Honey Bunches of Oats, Post Foods is now promoting the song at the Latin Grammy awards, clearly aiming... After partnering with Latin music duo Domino Saints for a song for Honey Bunches of Oats, Post Foods is now promoting the song at the Latin Grammy awards, clearly aiming to build popularity and connections with Latino consumers. Presenters and performers at the awards show will receive limited-edition boxes of the cereal. The song is part of a national campaign called “Bunch of Beats.” --- ## Broad-scale government regulations are needed to protect Americans from Big Food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/broad-scale-government-regulations-are-needed-to-protect-americans-from-big-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-17 Words: 42 > In this opinion piece, lawyer and writer Jill Filipovic points out the irony of self-regulation and calls for the government to move beyond education campaigns towards comprehensive regulation to protect... In this opinion piece, lawyer and writer Jill Filipovic points out the irony of self-regulation and calls for the government to move beyond education campaigns towards comprehensive regulation to protect the public from the industry’s misleadingly marketed junk food. --- ## McDonald’s targets young sports fans (and their families) with NFL-themed Happy Meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-young-sports-fans-and-their-families-with-nfl-themed-happy-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-15 Words: 86 > McDonald's will distribute toys based on Nickelodeon's "NFL Rush Zone" TV series. An NFL spokesperson comments that kids are a "major priority" for their marketing because research indicates that kids... McDonald’s will distribute toys based on Nickelodeon’s “NFL Rush Zone” TV series. An NFL spokesperson comments that kids are a “major priority” for their marketing because research indicates that kids who become fans of NFL teams in their elementary school years become “locked in for life.” Presumably, McDonald’s is hoping that the same will happen for their brand and that the Happy Meals will “lock in” kids to McDonald’s food. --- ## Coca-Cola’s ‘Cap the Tap’ campaign incentivizes servers to push soda, not tap water URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-cap-the-tap-campaign-incentivizes-servers-to-push-soda-not-tap-water/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-15 Words: 37 > The industry-aimed campaign urges restaurants to "turn the tap off" and trains them on the best ways to push empty calories and unhealthy, high-sugar drinks to customers, all in the... The industry-aimed campaign urges restaurants to “turn the tap off” and trains them on the best ways to push empty calories and unhealthy, high-sugar drinks to customers, all in the name of profit. --- ## Rudd Center’s latest report on food marketing prompts comparison of the fast food and tobacco industries URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rudd-centers-latest-report-on-food-marketing-prompts-comparison-of-the-fast-food-and-tobacco-industries/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-13 Words: 104 > In an interview with The Washington Post, Ad Age reporter Maureen Morrison discusses the implications of the Yale Rudd Center's latest report on food marketing to children. The report found... In an interview with The Washington Post, Ad Age reporter Maureen Morrison discusses the implications of the Yale Rudd Center’s latest report on food marketing to children. The report found that kids and teens remain a primary target for the $4.6 billion a year that the food industry spends on marketing mostly unhealthy products. Asked whether growing comparisons between the food industry and Big Tobacco are fair, Morrison says that food companies “hate” the comparison, but she says that, like the tobacco industry, she can see Big Food becoming “more and more regulated as time goes by.” --- ## New study highlights relationship between media exposure and sugary drink consumption URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-study-highlights-relationship-between-media-exposure-and-sugary-drink-consumption/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-12 Words: 47 > The study, written by Zewditu Demissie and others and published this year, can be found by clicking "Marketing to Youth." The study demonstrates a relationship between media exposure and sugary... The study, written by Zewditu Demissie and others and published this year, can be found by clicking “Marketing to Youth.” The study demonstrates a relationship between media exposure and sugary drink consumption — and an inverse relationship between media exposure and intake of healthy beverages. --- ## Milk promoters claim Olympians are ‘built with chocolate milk’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/milk-promoters-claim-olympians-are-built-with-chocolate-milk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-11 Words: 37 > Hoping to drive sales, the Milk Processor Education Program has launched a chocolate milk campaign that ties into the upcoming winter Olympics. Promotion will feature ads claiming that Olympic athletes... Hoping to drive sales, the Milk Processor Education Program has launched a chocolate milk campaign that ties into the upcoming winter Olympics. Promotion will feature ads claiming that Olympic athletes are “built with chocolate milk.” --- ## Honey Bunches of Oats partners with Latin music act Domino Saints to market sugary cereal to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honey-bunches-of-oats-partners-with-latin-music-act-domino-saints-to-market-sugary-cereal-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-11 Words: 57 > Domino Saints is a pop-duo from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The campaign features a new samba-inspired 'brand anthem' "Smile While You Shake It." The song also has a signature dance... Domino Saints is a pop-duo from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The campaign features a new samba-inspired ‘brand anthem’ “Smile While You Shake It.” The song also has a signature dance that incorporates the cereal box and breakfast utensils as percussion instruments. The campaign will feature bilingual media, social media and websites. --- ## Monster Energy Drinks planning voluntary marketing guidelines: Industry analysts say they could cut chances of regulation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/monster-energy-drinks-planning-voluntary-marketing-guidelines-industry-analysts-say-they-could-cut-chances-of-regulation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-11 Words: 50 > The energy drink company is planning on proposing industry-wide voluntary guidelines on marketing to children. This is a clear example of how companies marketing harmful products use self-regulation to prevent... The energy drink company is planning on proposing industry-wide voluntary guidelines on marketing to children. This is a clear example of how companies marketing harmful products use self-regulation to prevent government regulation that could protect children’s health and limit their exposure to this type of marketing. --- ## Health advocates name the unhealthiest chain restaurant item in America URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/health-advocates-name-the-unhealthiest-chain-restaurant-item-in-america/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-10 Words: 51 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest has announced the "winner" of its Xtreme Eating Awards, prompting Riddhi Shah to muse, "What's most striking ... [is] the way restaurants... The Center for Science in the Public Interest has announced the “winner” of its Xtreme Eating Awards, prompting Riddhi Shah to muse, “What’s most striking … [is] the way restaurants have managed to camouflage unhealthy meals as dishes that sound like paragons of healthful deliciousness.” --- ## Video: The fight to reduce auto hazards URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-the-fight-to-reduce-auto-hazards/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 116 > Automobiles are a major cause of injury and death, yet because they have long been a symbol of freedom and privacy in the United States, efforts to regulate them often... Automobiles are a major cause of injury and death, yet because they have long been a symbol of freedom and privacy in the United States, efforts to regulate them often meet resistance. Even basic protections like seat belts and airbags that we now take for granted were once contested. In this video as part of BMSG’s 20th anniversary series, Ben Kelley, director of injury control policy at the Trauma Foundation and the author of “Death by Rental Car: How the Houck Case Changed the Law,” discusses the evolution of auto industry regulation and changes in the public’s perception of and media reporting on the issue since the early 20th century. --- ## Fast food companies increasingly target Black and Latino youth with marketing for unhealthy food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-companies-increasingly-target-black-and-latino-youth-with-marketing-for-unhealthy-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-08 Words: 36 > A news site that focuses on issues impacting the Latino community emphasizes the implications of a recent Rudd Center report for communities of color -- specifically, the marked increase in... A news site that focuses on issues impacting the Latino community emphasizes the implications of a recent Rudd Center report for communities of color — specifically, the marked increase in fast food advertising to Latino preschoolers. --- ## Cinnabon targets harried shoppers and travelers with on-the-go items URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cinnabon-targets-harried-shoppers-and-travelers-with-on-the-go-items/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-08 Words: 32 > Cinnabon hopes to appeal to harried and stressed holiday shoppers and travelers with a new promotion featuring take-out cups full of the chain's signature processed, sugary, high-fat donuts. Cinnabon hopes to appeal to harried and stressed holiday shoppers and travelers with a new promotion featuring take-out cups full of the chain’s signature processed, sugary, high-fat donuts. --- ## Magazine publishers look to target Latina consumers in English URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/magazine-publishers-look-to-target-latina-consumers-in-english/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-08 Words: 47 > According to AdAge, ad spending targeted at Latinos increased 11% to $7.9 billion in 2012, a faster rate of growth than the general market. Magazine publishers are looking to capitalize... According to AdAge, ad spending targeted at Latinos increased 11% to $7.9 billion in 2012, a faster rate of growth than the general market. Magazine publishers are looking to capitalize on this and have recently launched a number of new Engligh-language products aimed at Latinos. --- ## Similac uses Nat’l Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) partnership to peddle infant formula to Latina moms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/similac-uses-natl-association-of-hispanic-nurses-nahn-partnership-to-peddle-infant-formula-to-latina-moms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-07 Words: 93 > The infant formula company has launched "StrongMoms Espa̱ol," a program that will send weekly emails to Latina moms, including product samples and coupons, from pregnancy through their baby's first year.... The infant formula company has launched “StrongMoms Espa̱ol,” a program that will send weekly emails to Latina moms, including product samples and coupons, from pregnancy through their baby’s first year. The company and the NAHN are billing the program as a public service, given their claim that there are “few comprehensive Spanish-language resources” about infant feeding. However, what is left out of the press release is the possible health effects of targeting Latina moms with infant formula marketing and samples, at the expense of breastfeeding. --- ## Marion Nestle points to food industry influence on obesity in Cornell lecture URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-points-to-food-industry-influence-on-obesity-in-cornell-lecture/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-06 Words: 41 > Marion Nestle spoke to Cornell students last week about how the food and beverage industry has obstructed efforts to decrease obesity rates using arguments that shift responsibility to consumers. She... Marion Nestle spoke to Cornell students last week about how the food and beverage industry has obstructed efforts to decrease obesity rates using arguments that shift responsibility to consumers. She concludes, “Obesity is transforming personal responsibility into corporate responsibility.” --- ## Food marketing to kids: Real progress requires better protections URL: https://www.bmsg.org/food-marketing-to-kids-real-progress-requires-better-protections/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 915 > Food marketers are pioneers on the frontier of marketing, producing some of the most engaging and sophisticated advertising around. Too bad they are using such creativity to target kids with... Food marketers are pioneers on the frontier of marketing, producing some of the most engaging and sophisticated advertising around. Too bad they are using such creativity to target kids with sugar, salt, fat and other junk. The examples come so fast we can barely keep track of them (though we try at Digital Ads). Food marketers are enticing kids to eat unhealthy foods with flashy advergames, contests, and coupons sent directly to their cell phones. Even TV commercials tie into online “webisodes” and other engaging content that can absorb kids for hours on end. Add to that cartoon characters on packages, marketing in schools, and celebrity sponsorships, and there’s no place to hide from food marketing. The situation has gotten so bad that in September, First Lady Michelle Obama called food marketers, media companies, and public health advocates to the White House to see how we might do something about the problem. I was thrilled to be there, not just because I got to meet the First Lady (I was smitten!), but also because food marketing is a daunting problem. It deserves the attention of the White House and policy makers in government, companies, and homes across the nation. Even the most vigilant parents can’t protect their kids from junk food marketing because it physically surrounds young people in their schools, their neighborhoods, in supermarkets, and on their computers and smart phones. The Federal Trade Commission found that food marketers spend about $5 million every day making parents’ jobs harder by enticing kids with foods they should avoid. The marketing is increasingly digital: always on and personalized, with ads designed just for them. Kids are now friends with brands, enabling companies to market to them and their social network each time they share with a friend online. For example, Coca-Cola has nearly 75 million “likes” on Facebook — and this kind of marketing doesn’t cost the company much at all. New research shows that tweens and teens are more susceptible to this sort of marketing than anyone suspected. Teen brains get “fired up” by engaging and immersive digital food ads in ways that fully developed adult brains don’t. This makes them especially vulnerable to junk food marketing, and we’re seeing the results in soaring diabetes rates. It’s even worse for African-American, Latino, and other kids of color who suffer the highest rates of diabetes and other junk food-related diseases. These kids get what marketing professor Sonya Grier calls a “double dose” of junk food marketing. Not only are these kids targeted specifically, they’re also exposed to the same ads other children and youth are. African-American youth see at least 50% more fast food ads than their white peers, nearly twice as many calories as white children see in fast food TV ads every day. It’s just as bad for Latino kids. For example, more than 84% of all foods and beverages advertised to children on Spanish-language TV are unhealthy. At the White House, the first lady reminded us that there has been progress. The Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative has encouraged companies to adhere to pledges to improve their marketing, and some companies are moving in the right direction. But there are some serious gaps. The pledges apply to kids 11 and younger, but because marketing acts on tweens’ and teens’ developing brains, that age sets the bar too low. Older kids need protection too. It’s also confusing when companies say they don’t market to kids when, in fact, children and youth are exposed to ads in so many ways. What this means is that companies don’t market on TV shows where kids 11 and under are a bulk of the audience. But they ignore the marketing millions of kids see otherwise — like when Coke advertises on the “family” program American Idol — even though that marketing still has its effect on its young viewers. And there are some companies that have a huge influence on what kids eat that have refused to join the effort in reducing marketing to kids. Viacom said no to calls for setting nutrition standards for the ads it airs on its children’s network, Nickelodeon. Same goes for national pizza chain Chuck E. Cheese, which markets directly to kids. The chain has gone so far as to create an app that uses “augmented reality” so kids could take their picture with the company’s mouse mascot and share it with friends. The campaign was even nominated for an award. The app has been downloaded more than 400,000 times and 120,000 photos have been shared. Are these the kinds of marketing campaigns food companies should be proud of? Not if they care about kids. Researchers examining the progress agree that it’s been too slow. Professor Dale Kunkel, a national expert on children and media, has said that if we continue at this rate, we won’t see the right balance of food ads until 2033. If you are a sixth-grader this year, you’ll be 31 in 2033, probably with kids of your own. Food marketers shoul... --- ## Fast food companies increasingly targeting Latino kids with junk foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-companies-increasingly-targeting-latino-kids-with-junk-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-06 Words: 74 > The Yale Rudd Center recently released Fast Food FACTS 2013, a study that maps the progress of food marketing to kids. The report found that among Latinos, kids are a... The Yale Rudd Center recently released Fast Food FACTS 2013, a study that maps the progress of food marketing to kids. The report found that among Latinos, kids are a particularly attractive target because of their increasing population size, spending power and media exposure. The article notes that digital marketers in particular are savvy about using music, Latino spokespeople and other means to link cultural values and beliefs with certain food brands and products. --- ## Study offers more evidence that the food industry uses deep pockets to target children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-offers-more-evidence-that-the-food-industry-uses-deep-pockets-to-target-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-05 Words: 56 > A new report from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity was released last week at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting in Boston. The study explores... A new report from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity was released last week at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in Boston. The study explores how food and beverage marketers spend the vast budget at their disposal ($4.6 billion in 2012) to market their products to young people. --- ## Lay’s debuts chocolate-covered potato chips URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lays-debuts-chocolate-covered-potato-chips/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-04 Words: 55 > The product, a new flavor in Lay's Wavy potato chips, is the company's effort to jump on the industry trend of 'innovative' salty/sweet combinations. Currently, it is only sold at... The product, a new flavor in Lay’s Wavy potato chips, is the company’s effort to jump on the industry trend of ‘innovative’ salty/sweet combinations. Currently, it is only sold at Target stores and is more expensive than its other products at $3.49 for a five-ounce bag. --- ## Barilla Pasta attempts to appeal to LGBTQ community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/barilla-pasta-attempts-to-appeal-to-lgbtq-community/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-04 Words: 75 > In an effort to improve its public image after the ignorant, offensive comments made by the brand's president in September (including remarks that the company would never feature a same-sex... In an effort to improve its public image after the ignorant, offensive comments made by the brand’s president in September (including remarks that the company would never feature a same-sex couple in its ads), Barilla Pasta appointed its first ‘Chief Diversity Officer.’ The company also plans to launch a global video contest encouraging consumers to create videos featuring the ‘multifaceted nature of pasta’ while showcasing diversity and equality. --- ## What are ‘natural flavors,’ anyway? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-are-natural-flavors-anyway/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-04 Words: 56 > In this tongue-in-cheek column, environmental advice columnist Umbra Fisk reveals that the food industry uses "natural flavor" as "a catchall term for any number of (naturally derived) chemicals concocted to... In this tongue-in-cheek column, environmental advice columnist Umbra Fisk reveals that the food industry uses “natural flavor” as “a catchall term for any number of (naturally derived) chemicals concocted to enhance the taste of your snack” and reminds readers of the lack of regulation governing how the term is used. --- ## Concerned parents urge Kraft to remove dye from Mac and Cheese URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/concerned-parents-urge-kraft-to-remove-dye-from-mac-and-cheese/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-01 Words: 39 > Almost 350,000 people signed a change.org petition urging Kraft to remove artificial dyes from its macaroni and cheese products. The company agreed but will only replace the dyes with spices... Almost 350,000 people signed a change.org petition urging Kraft to remove artificial dyes from its macaroni and cheese products. The company agreed but will only replace the dyes with spices in certain varieties of the iconic product. --- ## Investigative reporter Michael Moss on using junk food strategies to market healthy food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/investigative-reporter-michael-moss-on-using-junk-food-strategies-to-market-healthy-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-01 Words: 48 > Michael Moss, New York Times reporter and author of Salt Sugar Fat: How the food giants hooked us, explores an idea that is gaining traction with some health advocates: using... Michael Moss, New York Times reporter and author of Salt Sugar Fat: How the food giants hooked us, explores an idea that is gaining traction with some health advocates: using the food industry’s “slick” advertising to promote healthy foods — in this case, broccoli. --- ## Coke targets lower-income consumers via Family Dollar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-targets-lower-income-consumers-via-family-dollar/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-11-01 Words: 91 > When Family Dollar decided to partner with Coca-Cola, Coke worked with the company on ways to drive purchases of its products. Through custom research, Family Dollar learned that 40% of... When Family Dollar decided to partner with Coca-Cola, Coke worked with the company on ways to drive purchases of its products. Through custom research, Family Dollar learned that 40% of its shoppers have an annual income of $40,000 or less, and 30% make less than $20,000 a year. The companies leveraged both Coca-Cola’s and Family Dollar’s Facebook pages to engage shoppers. In a clear example of targeting low-income consumers, bus shelter ads became a key component of the companies’ joint campaign. --- ## Children are eating too much sugar, but Halloween is not to blame URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/children-are-eating-too-much-sugar-but-halloween-is-not-to-blame/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-30 Words: 43 > Unhealthy products are "relentlessly marketed" to kids not just on Halloween but all year. The author, a dietician, brings attention to the dangerous amounts of sugar in products that are... Unhealthy products are “relentlessly marketed” to kids not just on Halloween but all year. The author, a dietician, brings attention to the dangerous amounts of sugar in products that are seemingly healthy, including Wheaties Fuel cereal and Quaker Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal. --- ## Op-ed: Big Junk is just as evil as Big Tobacco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/op-ed-big-junk-is-just-as-evil-as-big-tobacco/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-28 Words: 31 > Aiming to denormalize junk food company products and practices, the author, an Australian professor of health policy, compares the food industry to Big Tobacco and deems it an even bigger... Aiming to denormalize junk food company products and practices, the author, an Australian professor of health policy, compares the food industry to Big Tobacco and deems it an even bigger problem. --- ## Restaurants ramp up Halloween freebies, many of which target children and families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurants-ramp-up-halloween-freebies-many-of-which-target-children-and-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-27 Words: 50 > In an effort to bring in customers on a night when families traditionally eat at home, many restaurant chains are offering free or discounted meals to kids who dress up... In an effort to bring in customers on a night when families traditionally eat at home, many restaurant chains are offering free or discounted meals to kids who dress up on Halloween. Chains using some variation of the promotion tactic include Olive Garden, Red Lobster, IHOP, Krispy Kreme, and Chipotle. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts launches digitized loyalty program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-launches-digitized-loyalty-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-25 Words: 64 > The new loyalty program, which will first be tested in four pilot markets, features a mobile app that allows customers to rack up loyalty points on every dollar they spend... The new loyalty program, which will first be tested in four pilot markets, features a mobile app that allows customers to rack up loyalty points on every dollar they spend at the store. It also allows customers to load money onto the app for in-store purchases, and it will allow for the company to personalize special offers based on digitally collected demographic information. --- ## New Papa Murphy’s Halloween ad campaign inspired by cranky kids with tired parents URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-papa-murphys-halloween-ad-campaign-inspired-by-cranky-kids-with-tired-parents/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-25 Words: 72 > Playing on the parental fear of child tantrums, Papa Murphy's latest ad campaign features the company's 'Jack-o-Lantern' pizzas as the solution to hunger-inspired kid meltdowns. According to a representative of... Playing on the parental fear of child tantrums, Papa Murphy’s latest ad campaign features the company’s ‘Jack-o-Lantern’ pizzas as the solution to hunger-inspired kid meltdowns. According to a representative of the ad agency that designed the campaign for Papa Murphy’s, “The pizza solves all those problems because it’s good, easy and fun and kids will eat it.” --- ## How personal responsibility arguments help industries avoid regulation: Lessons from Big Tobacco and Big Food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-personal-responsibility-arguments-help-industries-avoid-regulation-lessons-from-big-tobacco-and-big-food/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 371 > Tobacco control shines as a beacon of success in public health -- one that has informed advocates from many fields in their efforts to protect the public from harmful products.... Tobacco control shines as a beacon of success in public health — one that has informed advocates from many fields in their efforts to protect the public from harmful products. But just as advocates have learned from tobacco control, major industries have learned from the tobacco industry itself. The food and beverage industry’s opposition to recent regulatory efforts, for example, has gotten a lot of attention for resembling the counter-regulatory “playbook” established by the tobacco industry to fight tobacco control policies. What does this playbook look like and how do Big Food and Big Tobacco’s tactics compare? At this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association, we’ll dig into these questions and share findings from a content analysis we did of media coverage of both industries. We started by exploring media coverage of the tobacco industry from 1966 to 1991. We also analyzed news coverage of the food and beverage industry from 2000 to 2011, when obesity emerged as a public health concern. We found that both Big Tobacco and Big Food have shifted responsibility away from themselves and their harmful products by drawing on the deeply held American value of individual responsibility. However, their strategies for doing so differ. Unlike tobacco companies, which placed blame for smoking-related diseases explicitly on consumers, food and beverage representatives primarily have used the news to deflect responsibility by creating costly “corporate social responsibility” campaigns and claiming to be “part of the solution” to nutrition-related diseases. Our work offers advocates from both tobacco control and obesity prevention a more complete understanding of how two industries use the news to forestall regulation across shifting political landscapes. In addition, our analysis suggests that as the food and beverage industry uses the media to bolster its image, public health advocates must focus their efforts on undermining these self-promoting arguments to change the public’s perception not only about harmful foods and beverages themselves, but also about the companies that produce and market them. Please join us at session 43810 (Getting the message across: Manipulation or education?) on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m. to learn more! --- ## Using media advocacy in public health policy campaigns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/using-media-advocacy-in-public-health-policy-campaigns/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 264 > How can we use the news to move public health policy forward? Media advocacy, the strategic use of mass media to advance public health policy, is one important tool for... How can we use the news to move public health policy forward? Media advocacy, the strategic use of mass media to advance public health policy, is one important tool for advocates. Media advocacy helps practitioners use the power of the media to urge decision makers to support policies that make our communities, schools, workplaces, stores, playgrounds, and our lives safer and healthier. This year at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting, BMSG will offer advocates an overview of what media advocacy is and how public health leaders can use it to shift the public conversation around health and safety issues to support meaningful policy change. To help attendees contextualize and understand key media advocacy principles, we will explore two high-profile policy fights from 2012 around sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in the California cities of Richmond and El Monte. Though both taxes were ultimately defeated by voters, they offer important lessons for media advocates about the importance of building a cohesive strategy from the ground up; how community leaders can emerge as powerful authentic voices; and the value of visuals, sound bites, and other elements that can help advocates develop a compelling and effective story. Our discussion of media advocacy efforts in Richmond and El Monte will help practitioners from a variety of public health disciplines apply key principles to their work and more effectively advance policies that shape healthy, safe, and just environments. We hope you’ll attend session 3327.0 (Mobilizing a Public Health Campaign) on Monday, Nov. 4 at 2:30 p.m. to join the conversation! --- ## Snack manufacturers try to figure out how to sneak into America’s Halloween treat bags URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snack-manufacturers-try-to-figure-out-how-to-sneak-into-americas-halloween-treat-bags/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-23 Words: 73 > Snack manufacturers, anxious to be part of the $2.08 billion that Americans spend on Halloween candy, are using every strategy at their disposal to make their way into our children's... Snack manufacturers, anxious to be part of the $2.08 billion that Americans spend on Halloween candy, are using every strategy at their disposal to make their way into our children’s treat bags this year. This article includes suggestions for how the makers of salty, high fat, low-nutrient snacks can appeal to health-conscious consumers by reformulating their foods and entice parents and kids using wacky flavors and colorful packaging. --- ## Cheetos partners with Google for Halloween promotion that lets you virtually ‘T.P.’ any location URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cheetos-partners-with-google-for-halloween-promotion-that-lets-you-virtually-t-p-any-location/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-22 Words: 61 > Cheetos, the self-proclaimed 'mischievous' snack, partnered with Google to put the 'trick' back into Trick-or-Treat. Project T.P. allows young social media users to 'partner with Chester Cheetah' to virtually cover... Cheetos, the self-proclaimed ‘mischievous’ snack, partnered with Google to put the ‘trick’ back into Trick-or-Treat. Project T.P. allows young social media users to ‘partner with Chester Cheetah’ to virtually cover any location in toilet paper using Google Earth and Google Streetview. Results can then be shared via other social media outlets. --- ## Nesquik targets Latino youth and families through partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nesquik-targets-latino-youth-and-families-through-partnership-with-boys-girls-clubs/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-22 Words: 47 > This corporate social responsibility campaign is an opportunity to "build brand loyalty and market share with Hispanic and general-market kids and families." As part of the campaign, Nesquik is sponsoring... This corporate social responsibility campaign is an opportunity to “build brand loyalty and market share with Hispanic and general-market kids and families.” As part of the campaign, Nesquik is sponsoring sports events and “meet-and-greets” with current and former sports stars. --- ## Convenience stores target Latinos, millennials and kids with new products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/convenience-stores-target-latinos-millennials-and-kids-with-new-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-21 Words: 81 > The convenience store sector has become the 'go-to' market to test new products, including products formulated to appeal to Latinos, millennials, kids and health-conscious consumers. Some new product launches that... The convenience store sector has become the ‘go-to’ market to test new products, including products formulated to appeal to Latinos, millennials, kids and health-conscious consumers. Some new product launches that are being tested at convenience stores include Kellogg’s Pringles tortilla chips, Special K flatbread sandwiches, and personalized paired products, such as “Doritos + Dew” for the “Young & Hungry Millennial” and “Quaker + Kickstart” for the “Morning Startup customer.” --- ## The nation’s biggest kosher food company combines Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to maximize profits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-nations-biggest-kosher-food-company-combines-thanksgiving-and-hanukkah-to-maximize-profits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-21 Words: 58 > Marketers from the Manischewitz Company capitalize on holiday traditions and a unique calendar opportunity to target the Jewish community. Their campaign will use social media, digital ads, email marketing, video... Marketers from the Manischewitz Company capitalize on holiday traditions and a unique calendar opportunity to target the Jewish community. Their campaign will use social media, digital ads, email marketing, video clips, a recipe contest, and more to encourage shoppers to celebrate “Thanksgivukah” by purchasing the company’s kosher products for the “combined” holiday. --- ## A Cheez-It covered Smart Car proves to be a genius social media stunt URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-cheez-it-covered-smart-car-proves-to-be-a-genius-social-media-stunt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-18 Words: 58 > In an effort to reach social media users and college students, Cheez-It's marketing agency covered a smart car in Cheez-Its, tweeted the picture, and drove the car around the campus... In an effort to reach social media users and college students, Cheez-It’s marketing agency covered a smart car in Cheez-Its, tweeted the picture, and drove the car around the campus of Northwestern University on ESPN’s College Gameday. The stunt was the brand’s latest effort to expand its social media presence. --- ## McDonald’s touts funds raised from its African-American targeted Inspiration Celebration Gospel tour URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-touts-funds-raised-from-its-african-american-targeted-inspiration-celebration-gospel-tour/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-17 Words: 52 > The company's nine-city tour raised only $83,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a very modest sum for the massive company. However, charity is only one purpose of the tour.... The company’s nine-city tour raised only $83,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a very modest sum for the massive company. However, charity is only one purpose of the tour. McDonald’s also uses it to generate connections, brand recognition and goodwill with potential African-American customers. --- ## Food and beverage companies focus on bottling breakfast URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-beverage-companies-focus-on-bottling-breakfast/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-17 Words: 44 > Food companies are attempting to target time-pressed consumers with on-the-go liquid breakfasts. The marketing of these products, including Muscle Milk and Special-K, extends a health halo over the often-sugary drinks... Food companies are attempting to target time-pressed consumers with on-the-go liquid breakfasts. The marketing of these products, including Muscle Milk and Special-K, extends a health halo over the often-sugary drinks with marketing focused on gender-specific nutrition and wellness. --- ## Wendy’s appropriates telenovela, social media formats to promote new products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-appropriates-telenovela-social-media-formats-to-promote-new-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-16 Words: 62 > The new campaign to promote Wendy's new Pretzel Pub sandwich takes customers' social media posts about the sandwich and turns them into soap-opera style love stories, with the sandwich as... The new campaign to promote Wendy’s new Pretzel Pub sandwich takes customers’ social media posts about the sandwich and turns them into soap-opera style love stories, with the sandwich as the object of desire. The campaign uses Puerto Rican star Roselyn Sanchez to lead a series of over-the-top video spots, hoping they will be shared virally. --- ## Mountain Dew uses social media to target young men with NASCAR cross-promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-uses-social-media-to-target-young-men-with-nascar-cross-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-16 Words: 66 > Still wincing from the outrage over its racist, sexist "goat" commercial, the brand is taking a less controversial approach with recent ads. Using Vine, Twitter's social video application, Mountain Dew... Still wincing from the outrage over its racist, sexist “goat” commercial, the brand is taking a less controversial approach with recent ads. Using Vine, Twitter’s social video application, Mountain Dew is targeting millennial men with 5-second animated TV ads called “billboards,” including a spot that highlights the company’s sponsorship of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. --- ## National Restaurant Association uses recipe challenge to bring health halo to its restaurant members URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/national-restaurant-association-uses-recipe-challenge-to-bring-health-halo-to-its-restaurant-members/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-16 Words: 39 > Participating restaurants aim to tout their "healthful and flavorful menu options for kids," as well as establish life-long brand preferences, which are formed "at a young age and continue to... Participating restaurants aim to tout their “healthful and flavorful menu options for kids,” as well as establish life-long brand preferences, which are formed “at a young age and continue to expand as children grow.” --- ## Junk food marketers lead development of store shelves that track your age, gender URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/junk-food-marketers-lead-development-of-store-shelves-that-track-your-age-gender/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-15 Words: 48 > Mondelez International is planning on debuting a grocery shelf equipped with sensors in 2015. The sensors would track basic facial features like bone structure to profile potential shoppers. The company... Mondelez International is planning on debuting a grocery shelf equipped with sensors in 2015. The sensors would track basic facial features like bone structure to profile potential shoppers. The company has reported that images of customers’ actual faces won’t be recorded; aggregate data will be. --- ## McDonald’s promises to remove soda from Happy Meals — for real this time URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-promises-to-remove-soda-from-happy-meals-for-real-this-time/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-15 Words: 78 > The fast-food giant announced a closure of the fine print loophole allowing them to not actually remove soda from the kids' meal signage on its menu boards. Originally, the company... The fast-food giant announced a closure of the fine print loophole allowing them to not actually remove soda from the kids’ meal signage on its menu boards. Originally, the company had pledged to remove pictures of soda from Happy Meal advertisements and in-store advertising, but would continue to list soda on kids’ menu boards. After pressure from public health advocates, McDonald’s agreed to phase out soda on the kids’ menu altogether. --- ## Candy manufacturers using Halloween characters, product reformulations to market to parents and youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/candy-manufacturers-using-halloween-characters-product-reformulations-to-market-to-parents-and-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-14 Words: 44 > From SweeTarts shaped like skulls and bones to "Dracula" popsicles with a tie-in to Unilever's kid-targeted game and video site "Max Adventures," food companies are rolling out many new products... From SweeTarts shaped like skulls and bones to “Dracula” popsicles with a tie-in to Unilever’s kid-targeted game and video site “Max Adventures,” food companies are rolling out many new products in time for the fall holiday. --- ## 7UP, McDonald’s and Heineken aim to connect with Latino consumers through Latin Grammys sponsorship URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7up-mcdonalds-and-heineken-aim-to-connect-with-latino-consumers-through-latin-grammys-sponsorship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-14 Words: 48 > 7UP's and McDonald's partnership with the awards show will both include nationwide, online sweepstakes to win tickets to the event. McDonald's will also reach consumers through its McCafe at "Latin... 7UP’s and McDonald’s partnership with the awards show will both include nationwide, online sweepstakes to win tickets to the event. McDonald’s will also reach consumers through its McCafe at “Latin Grammy Street Parties” in top Latino markets across the country. --- ## McDonald’s targets communities of color in the Northeast by offering scholarships to high school seniors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-communities-of-color-in-the-northeast-by-offering-scholarships-to-high-school-seniors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-08 Words: 33 > The scholarship program is for high-schoolers in the tri-state New York, Connecticut and New Jersey area. There are separate scholarship programs for African-American, Latino and Asian-American/Pacific-Islander students. The scholarship program is for high-schoolers in the tri-state New York, Connecticut and New Jersey area. There are separate scholarship programs for African-American, Latino and Asian-American/Pacific-Islander students. --- ## Kids are influenced by athletes’ endorsement of unhealthy food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kids-are-influenced-by-athletes-endorsement-of-unhealthy-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-07 Words: 55 > According to a recent study, many of the foods promoted by famous athletes are unhealthy. The findings are especially worrisome to advocates because of the popularity of these ads among... According to a recent study, many of the foods promoted by famous athletes are unhealthy. The findings are especially worrisome to advocates because of the popularity of these ads among teens. The study’s authors have called on professional athletes to “use their status and celebrity to promote healthy messages to youth.” --- ## Three ingredients for social change that every advocate should know URL: https://www.bmsg.org/three-ingredients-for-social-change-that-every-advocate-should-know/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1589 > Recently I was reminded of a quote from William Jennings Bryan: At the turn of the 20th century, he told the country, "Destiny is no matter of chance. It is... Recently I was reminded of a quote from William Jennings Bryan: At the turn of the 20th century, he told the country, “Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” That is what advocacy is all about — committing to take control of our collective destiny. And it’s something I am reflecting on now as I begin new research on the developmental origins of health and disease. Working with colleagues at Oregon Health and Science University, Portland State University and a range of community partners, I will be exploring how social and biological differences in a child’s very early development can influence health and opportunity throughout life. A baby’s zip code should not be his or her destiny but, unfortunately, for many, this is reality. Our team has no less a goal than changing the world by improving the starting point for the next generation. Impossible? Sure, but as one of my professors said to me years ago when I questioned some lofty endeavor, “Larry, if it wasn’t impossible, somebody would have already done it.” As I begin this new challenge, I am trying to skillfully balance three things that are necessary ingredients for change and may be of value to public health advocates as we work to achieve what are typically overwhelming odds: aspiration, collaboration, and agitation. Advocacy is at its best when it involves dreaming big, working alongside others who share your dream, and persevering in the face of great odds to make it happen. Nothing happens unless first a dream Recently I heard someone say, “If you are working on an idea that you can get done in your lifetime, then you’re not thinking big enough.” Aspiration is a powerful force that drives us. It is a combination of a big idea, a big heart, and a dogged determination to succeed. Though we may have organizations to run, jobs to do, daily tasks to accomplish, deep down advocates all have a desire to make a difference that is bigger than any of what we do. And, for many of us, our heroes are those who produce such change. One of my heroes is Muhammad Yunus, who believes that poverty does not reside in people but in the systems that we have built. If we fix these systems, then we can fix poverty. His aspiration is that for the next generation to see poverty, they will have to go to a “poverty museum.” Yunus has dedicated his life to creating systems that support people for success and challenging systems that are rigged and cause large populations of people to fail for the benefit of the few. In 1976, he was a professor of economics at a university in Bangladesh. In the midst of a horrible famine and economic chaos, he used his own money to lend $42 to 27 women. That was the beginning of micro finance. Today, the Grameen Bank that he created has 8.5 million borrowers and lends $11 billion; 97% of the borrowers are women, and the bank’s customers own the bank. Dr. Yunus has received the Nobel Prize for Economics, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and scores of other honors for his work on microfinance and social business. Today, microfinance providers reach about 200 million people globally, and millions have moved out of poverty because of these loans and related programs. Here is the most amazing thing: Yunus created his banking system by learning how banks did business and doing the opposite of what the banks did: Banks did not lend to the poor, so he only lent to the poor; banks required collateral, so he did not; banks did not lend to women, so he lent almost exclusively to women, and on and on. He changed the world by asking a different question. He said, “The question is, ‘Are banks people-worthy?’ not, ‘Are people credit-worthy?'” Where did Yunus get the vision to see the possibilities that no one else could? He would tell you that he simply sees problems and wants to solve them. But he would also tell you that much science has followed science fiction because it inspired people. People thought about going to the moon when the science to get there did not exist. Yunus encourages people to think and write “social fiction” where “all the impossible things of today’s world are routine.” So, when advocates are setting goals and imagining aspirations, we should think about writing some social fiction as a way to get started. Fill that blank page with a new vision of a better world. Together, we can do more than any of us can do alone Remember the phrase “YES WE CAN”? That was inspirational, but the difficult task facing advocates as we work to create real change is “HOW WE WILL.” Public policy is struggling to shift to a “We’re all in this together” mode, and collaboration must be at the core of this. Collaboration not only values different perspectives but enhances the quality and durability of solutions by incorporating diverse views. Of course, collaboration is difficult. Often we don’t really want to hear quite so much from others, or seek out more and more view... --- ## Burger King sees perception gains after ‘Satisfries’ launch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-sees-perception-gains-after-satisfries-launch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-04 Words: 37 > "Satisfries," Burger King's new lower calorie, lower fat alternative to regular French Fries, appear to have driven a substantial boost in positive perception among parents and consumers who consider themselves... “Satisfries,” Burger King’s new lower calorie, lower fat alternative to regular French Fries, appear to have driven a substantial boost in positive perception among parents and consumers who consider themselves in good health. --- ## How Coca-Cola uses local musicians to market globally URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-coca-cola-uses-local-musicians-to-market-globally/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-04 Words: 35 > As the Winter Olympics and World Cup approach, Coke is ramping up its music-focused marketing efforts by incorporating local musicians and sounds in the promotional songs it will release globally... As the Winter Olympics and World Cup approach, Coke is ramping up its music-focused marketing efforts by incorporating local musicians and sounds in the promotional songs it will release globally to support the events. --- ## McDonald’s health pledge is contradicted by the fine print URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-health-pledge-is-contradicted-by-the-fine-print/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-04 Words: 50 > Health advocate and consultant Nancy Huehnergarth draws on research from Michele Simon, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and others to unmask how McDonald's "misled the media" and... Health advocate and consultant Nancy Huehnergarth draws on research from Michele Simon, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and others to unmask how McDonald’s “misled the media” and advocates when the company recently pledged to make healthy changes to children’s Happy Meals. --- ## Drivers’ ‘mindless eating’ will be enabled by KFC’s new to-go cup URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/drivers-mindless-eating-will-be-enabled-by-kfcs-new-to-go-cup/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-03 Words: 53 > Drawing on data showing that many car owners would be more likely to eat in their cars if food would fit in a cup holder, KFC has released the "Go... Drawing on data showing that many car owners would be more likely to eat in their cars if food would fit in a cup holder, KFC has released the “Go Cup,” a plastic container that holds 5 of the company’s snacks and fits in most cars’ cup holders. --- ## Indian advertisers for all products market directly to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/indian-advertisers-for-all-products-market-directly-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-03 Words: 61 > In light of the influence that Indian children have on purchasing decisions for a variety of products (including items that are not child targeted), Indian marketers now try to "[get]... In light of the influence that Indian children have on purchasing decisions for a variety of products (including items that are not child targeted), Indian marketers now try to “[get] into the consideration set of the parent, through the child.” Marketers describe this child-centered strategy as “often the best way to a parent’s wallet.” --- ## Webinar: Talking about Health in All Policies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-talking-about-health-in-all-policies/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 79 > Communities across the U.S. are looking for ways to make sure health considerations are a part of all policy decisions. This requires collaboration and clear communication. In a webinar hosted... Communities across the U.S. are looking for ways to make sure health considerations are a part of all policy decisions. This requires collaboration and clear communication. In a webinar hosted by the Public Health Institute’s Dialogue4Health, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman and Ingrid Daffner Krasnow discuss how organizations can make the case for why Health in All Policies is essential to help protect physical and fiscal health, advance community engagement, and build relationships across government sectors. --- ## Report: Latino consumers can’t be defined by a single lens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-latino-consumers-cant-be-defined-by-a-single-lens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-02 Words: 32 > The report argues that marketers should think about Latino consumers as "multicultural consumers." This approach looks at three main factors as influencers: country of origin, globalization, and country of residence. The report argues that marketers should think about Latino consumers as “multicultural consumers.” This approach looks at three main factors as influencers: country of origin, globalization, and country of residence. --- ## Capri Sun’s online advergame pits kids against famous athletes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/capri-suns-online-advergame-pits-kids-against-famous-athletes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-01 Words: 45 > Capri Sun has launched a "Kids. Vs. Pros Playground Throwdown" online game to promote its Roarin' Waters brand. The game, which is supported by a social media push and a... Capri Sun has launched a “Kids. Vs. Pros Playground Throwdown” online game to promote its Roarin’ Waters brand. The game, which is supported by a social media push and a sweepstakes competition, will feature popular athletes like John Cena and Gabby Douglas. --- ## PepsiCo relaunches sparkling Aquafina to target high school students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-relaunches-sparkling-aquafina-to-target-high-school-students/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-01 Words: 39 > PepsiCo hopes to take advantage of the flavored water trend by reintroducing Aquafina FlavorSplash, a line of zero-calorie flavored waters. The company hopes the drinks will attract teens and "help... PepsiCo hopes to take advantage of the flavored water trend by reintroducing Aquafina FlavorSplash, a line of zero-calorie flavored waters. The company hopes the drinks will attract teens and “help [the brand’s] schools proposition.” --- ## AdAge article urges marketers to sponsor up-and-coming Latino musicians and artists to connect with Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/adage-article-urges-marketers-to-sponsor-up-and-coming-latino-musicians-and-artists-to-connect-with-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-10-01 Words: 47 > The article features rising U.S. and Latin-American music acts for marketers to consider as their "next brand ambassadors." The article instructs marketers to look for musicians who can transition easily... The article features rising U.S. and Latin-American music acts for marketers to consider as their “next brand ambassadors.” The article instructs marketers to look for musicians who can transition easily between Spanish and English and, therefore, target a broader range of Latino consumers. --- ## Marion Nestle: McDonald’s health promises may ring hollow URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-mcdonalds-health-promises-may-ring-hollow/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-30 Words: 52 > Nestle discusses some loopholes in McDonald's promise to improve the health of its menu, including small print in the agreement stating soft drinks can still be offered on Happy Meal... Nestle discusses some loopholes in McDonald’s promise to improve the health of its menu, including small print in the agreement stating soft drinks can still be offered on Happy Meal sections of menu boards. Additionally, the fast food giant may take up to seven years to make the promised changes. --- ## To reach millennials, marketers may revisit music TV URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/to-reach-millennials-marketers-may-revisit-music-tv/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-30 Words: 53 > Sean "Diddy" Combs will soon debut Revolt TV, hoping to reinvent music television for the post MTV generation. Marketers believe that the genre's relaunch will help them target "an audience... Sean “Diddy” Combs will soon debut Revolt TV, hoping to reinvent music television for the post MTV generation. Marketers believe that the genre’s relaunch will help them target “an audience that’s hard to reach: a younger audience that hasn’t been watching traditional TV.” --- ## McDonald’s manipulates again URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-manipulates-again/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-30 Words: 54 > In this blog, mother and advocate Casey Hinds dismantles McDonald's and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's pledge to drop sodas from Happy Meals. She concludes, "If the Alliance truly... In this blog, mother and advocate Casey Hinds dismantles McDonald’s and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s pledge to drop sodas from Happy Meals. She concludes, “If the Alliance truly wants a healthier generation, it should join the call for McDonald’s to stop marketing to children.” --- ## Old Country Buffet and Hometown Buffet aim to connect with Latinos, announce awards for Latino employees URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/old-country-buffet-and-hometown-buffet-aim-to-connect-with-latinos-announce-awards-for-latino-employees/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-30 Words: 59 > The "steak-buffet" restaurants are featuring the awards program on the home page of their websites, with links to bios of each of the five selected employees. Each of the employees... The “steak-buffet” restaurants are featuring the awards program on the home page of their websites, with links to bios of each of the five selected employees. Each of the employees are in management positions at the restaurant chains, and the publicity around the awards emphasizes the idea that the company supports upward mobility for Latino employees. --- ## Food marketing to children is not improving rapidly enough, Lori Dorfman tells White House audience URL: https://www.bmsg.org/food-marketing-to-children-is-not-improving-rapidly-enough-lori-dorfman-tells-white-house-audience/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 743 > Marketing of junk food and sugar-sweetened drinks to children is improving in "baby steps," Lori Dorfman, DrPH, director of PHI's Berkeley Media Studies Group, told a White House gathering held... Marketing of junk food and sugar-sweetened drinks to children is improving in “baby steps,” Lori Dorfman, DrPH, director of PHI’s Berkeley Media Studies Group, told a White House gathering held by First Lady Michelle Obama and the White House Domestic Policy Council. Far more needs to be done, and quickly, particularly because aggressive food marketing to children via mobile phones and other digital media is growing explosively, said Dorfman, a national authority on food marketing to kids who has written and spoken extensively on the subject. “I told them I want to turbo charge movement around marketing to children because we need to move much faster. Researchers say that at the rate we’re going, we won’t have the right balance of ads on TV until 2033. We can’t afford to lose a generation of kids who are forming their ideas about what to eat based on billions of dollars of marketing bombarding them every year,” Dorfman said of the event, attended by representatives of food and media companies, advocacy and parents groups, government agencies and research organizations. Inroads being made in marketing healthier food to kids Dorfman pointed to some small signs of progress: About 90 percent of the ads Nickelodeon aired in 2005 were for junk food; last year, its junk food ads declined to about 70 percent of ads, Dorfman said. Also, members of a voluntary regulatory body, the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), have made pledges of their own choice to improve nutrients in the products they market to children, but by late 2014 all member companies will adhere to a consistent set of nutrition standards. Although a positive sign, this plan still doesn’t cover all the junk food marketing children are exposed to, she said. Perhaps the White House meeting itself is the biggest harbinger of movement, said Dorfman, who also co-chairs the Food Marketing Workgroup. “The fact we were there in the White House is a key indicator that this is an issue everyone takes seriously now,” said Dorfman. Digital marketing “gets more eyeballs” While food companies’ spending to push their products on children decreased slightly from about $2 billion in 2006 to $1.8 billion in 2009, this slight decline partly fueled by the recession was offset by a 50 percent increase in digital marketing, which is much less expensive to produce than television ads and “gets more eyeballs for the buck,” Dorfman told the gathering. “A 30-second commercial is here and gone,” she said. “If you’re pushing a Froot Loop around the screen, you can be doing this for 10 minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes at a time and then sending it to a friend.” The exposure to digital marketing games, contests and promotions is even more intense for children from multicultural and low-income communities they get a “double dose” of marketing through general campaigns for children and others that target African American and Latino children in particular. “They’re more receptive and approving of ads than their white peers,” Dorfman said. “This might be because if you’re an African American kid, you don’t see yourself in the media that much; when you do, you’re really attentive to it.” For example, Chuck E. Cheese’s has used African American children to encourage kids to download an app, visit the restaurant and have a photo taken showing the giant Chuck E. Cheese mouse with his arms around them. This kind of marketing appeals to kids and has a long “shelf” life in their homes. Broad voluntary regulations needed Dorfman called for the CFBAI to put regulations in place covering all forms of advertising, including product packaging, sponsorships, and marketing in schools as well as stronger nutrition standards for healthy foods. “Yes, parents have responsibility for their children, but parents don’t have responsibility for putting characters on cereal boxes at kids’ eye level on supermarket shelves,” she said. “Parents are not responsible for fruits snacks that are not fruit. Parents don’t have the power to change that. But the companies do.” Carolyn Newbergh is a writer and editor in the Public Health Institute‘s communications department. --- ## New ad targeting Nickelodeon reveals Dora the Explorer is a junk food pusher URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-ad-targeting-nickelodeon-reveals-dora-the-explorer-is-a-junk-food-pusher/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-25 Words: 62 > Berkeley Media Studies Group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Prevention Institute, and other allies put out a second ad holding Nickelodeon accountable for airing junk food ads... Berkeley Media Studies Group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Prevention Institute, and other allies put out a second ad holding Nickelodeon accountable for airing junk food ads on the kid-focused network. The ad, running in the Hollywood Reporter, features popular cartoon Dora the Explorer peddling “nutritionally dangerous” junk food to her friends on a street corner. --- ## Taco Bell partners with Playstation4 to target gamers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-partners-with-playstation4-to-target-gamers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-25 Words: 53 > The co-branded "Play the Future First" promotion features Playstation4 and Taco Bell $5 Buck Box giveaways. The promotion launches a multiyear partnership between Sony Computer Entertainment America and Taco Bell... The co-branded “Play the Future First” promotion features Playstation4 and Taco Bell $5 Buck Box giveaways. The promotion launches a multiyear partnership between Sony Computer Entertainment America and Taco Bell “that will continue to bring innovative gaming experiences and crave-able food to fans across the U.S.” --- ## Anheuser-Busch leadership symposium and art collection exploit legacy of African royalty URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/anheuser-busch-leadership-symposium-and-art-collection-exploit-legacy-of-african-royalty/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-25 Words: 93 > Between 1975 and 2000, Anheuser-Busch commissioned artists to paint portraits of African leaders; in 2012, these paintings leant their name to the Legends of the Crown scholarship program the company... Between 1975 and 2000, Anheuser-Busch commissioned artists to paint portraits of African leaders; in 2012, these paintings leant their name to the Legends of the Crown scholarship program the company developed in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). This year, the company hosted a leadership symposium for Legends of the Crown scholars that was inspired by the art collection. The symposium is just the latest piece of the company’s larger efforts to connect with the African-American community by “supporting educational opportunities [and] advancing cultural awareness.” --- ## Video: Why government is an essential protector of public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-why-government-is-an-essential-protector-of-public-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1951 > Speaking at a California State Senate informational hearing held on Sept. 24, 2013, BMSG media researcher Andrew Cheyne talks about the government's role in protecting public health. He discusses how... Speaking at a California State Senate informational hearing held on Sept. 24, 2013, BMSG media researcher Andrew Cheyne talks about the government’s role in protecting public health. He discusses how public perceptions of the government’s responsibility to support health have changed over time and explains how media coverage can influence — and often limit — our understanding of health issues. A full transcript of his testimony is below. Introduction: Illuminating government’s role in protecting public health Good morning. I’d like to thank Health & Human Services Subcommittee Chair, Senator Bill Monning, as well as Senator Mark DeSaulnier and Senator Bill Emmerson, for holding this hearing and for giving me the opportunity to speak. My name is Andrew Cheyne, and I direct the research program at the Berkeley Media Studies Group, a project of the Public Health Institute. For the last 20 years, we at Berkeley Media Studies Group have been studying public health issues in the media, examining how the stories that are told characterize the role of government, among other things. What we’ve learned is that it is hard for the average person to see the government’s essential role as a protector of public health. I’m happy to be here today, not only as a public health researcher to share what we have learned from our work, but also as the father of a 6-month-old son, as that experience has given me newfound appreciation for the government’s protections that we all enjoy. I’m seeing the findings from our research through a new lens. The cumulative benefits of campaigns to protect public health I’m especially happy to be here today because this hearing is very important, on an issue that is often taken for granted. It’s absolutely vital for public officials to take leadership as stewards for a healthy society. Our topic today is all about that. Let me tell you a brief story about why this is, from one of the most valuable lessons in the history of public health. The story is about the fact that support for any policy change, especially those that are bold and controversial, takes time. Consider the state of New York, which just three years ago proposed a penny-an-ounce tax on sugary beverages. That effort failed, but in the same session of the legislature, lawmakers added a $1.60 excise tax on cigarettes that is credited with dramatically reducing smoking rates and healthcare costs. Why would New York legislators levy $1.60 on tobacco but balk at 12 cents on a can of soda? That New York refused a few pennies on soda but didn’t blink at $1.60 on tobacco has a hard fought history. For nearly 50 years, public health has pushed for policies to put warnings on cigarette packs and ads, remove vending machines, mount education campaigns, ensure smoke-free air, and institute tobacco taxes, all of which are evidence-based interventions that lower smoking rates and improve public health. It wasn’t always that way. In the early days of tobacco control, proposals for taxes met the same fate as New York’s soda tax initiative. But strategies like taxes with far-reaching potential warrant continued attempts. Given our tobacco experience, it will take more than one attempt. Therefore, even though public health didn’t win this round, I’m heartened by this effort. The more a policy is proposed, the more people discuss and understand it. Policy proposals create opportunities for news coverage that set the agenda for public discussion. Now these discussions reflect some criticism for taxing sugary beverages. But each new attempt also gives people the opportunity to communicate the fact that someone — and, as policy attempts mount in Richmond, El Monte, and elsewhere, growing numbers of someones — support the policy. This helps set the stage for the day when it is a given that these beverages do damage to our society, and government needs to protect the public’s health from that harm. Understanding the responsibilities of government and individuals with respect to health Perhaps one reason it takes so long to achieve these public health victories is because the news — the institution so important for helping the public and policymakers understand public health issues — is not always telling the whole story about the importance of government’s success in protecting public health. Instead, research shows that the way the news tells stories means that news consumers focus on individuals and their actions rather than the role of institutions like government. When new public health initiatives are proposed, they often create controversies that generate headlines. But after the attention dies down, the benefits to public health and safety that these policies produced become normal and expected — and can fade into the background of society. They aren’t “news” so the public doesn’t get the story about what is working. No one wonders where the non-smoking section of the airport is anymore, or bemoans the fact that children can no longer purchase ... --- ## To target Latinos, Nestle leverages Day of the Dead, culturally relevant products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/to-target-latinos-nestle-leverages-day-of-the-dead-culturally-relevant-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-24 Words: 83 > Nestle's product lineup includes several items that are specifically designed to appeal to Latinos, including Nestle Abuelita and Nescafe Caf de Olla. This year, the company is using these two... Nestle’s product lineup includes several items that are specifically designed to appeal to Latinos, including Nestle Abuelita and Nescafe Caf de Olla. This year, the company is using these two beverage brands to connect with consumers on Dia de los Muertos and urge them to celebrate the holiday with “cultura a su manera” (culture their own way). The holiday campaign will include a number of strategies, including social media outreach and sponsorship of several high-profile, culturally resonant activities. --- ## White House summit brings greater attention to role of food marketing in childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/white-house-summit-brings-greater-attention-to-role-of-food-marketing-in-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-23 Words: 54 > The First Lady invited representatives from the food and media industries as well as advocates, parents, and researchers to discuss the role food marketing plays in childhood obesity. While many... The First Lady invited representatives from the food and media industries as well as advocates, parents, and researchers to discuss the role food marketing plays in childhood obesity. While many large food companies have voluntary food marketing guidelines, the guidelines are much more lenient and self-serving than guidelines previously proposed by federal agencies. --- ## Makers of Nutella pledge they will not advertise to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/makers-of-nutella-pledge-they-will-not-advertise-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-23 Words: 62 > Ferrero USA joins the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), the Council of Better Business Bureaus' self-regulatory program to stop marketing unhealthy foods to kids. However, researchers and advocates,... Ferrero USA joins the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ self-regulatory program to stop marketing unhealthy foods to kids. However, researchers and advocates, including former government health expert Dr. William D. Dietz, say that voluntary regulatory efforts like CFBAI may not be enough to reign in junk food marketing to children. --- ## Youth engagement on Facebook linked to purchases, recommendations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/youth-engagement-on-facebook-linked-to-purchases-recommendations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-20 Words: 58 > A new study shows that youth who "like" brands on Facebook often recommend the brand to friends and are likely to have purchased something from the brand before connecting with... A new study shows that youth who “like” brands on Facebook often recommend the brand to friends and are likely to have purchased something from the brand before connecting with them through social media. The study authors suggest that marketers should do more to tie their social media strategy to broader efforts to market to youth. --- ## Council approves one of England’s first fast food exclusion zones URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/council-approves-one-of-englands-first-fast-food-exclusion-zones/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-20 Words: 27 > In response concerns about childhood obesity rates, the Dudley Council has mandated that fast food restaurants cannot be built near schools and youth clubs in the borough. In response concerns about childhood obesity rates, the Dudley Council has mandated that fast food restaurants cannot be built near schools and youth clubs in the borough. --- ## Pepsi gets its own stations for iTunes radio launch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-gets-its-own-stations-for-itunes-radio-launch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-19 Words: 48 > In keeping with its targeting of Latino communities, one of Pepsi's four stations will be a Latin music station. Some of PepsiCo's brands, like Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay, are also... In keeping with its targeting of Latino communities, one of Pepsi’s four stations will be a Latin music station. Some of PepsiCo’s brands, like Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay, are also expected to get their own branded stations as part of the iTunes partnership. --- ## First lady at food marketing convening: Marketing healthy foods is profitable URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/first-lady-at-food-marketing-convening-marketing-healthy-foods-is-profitable/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-19 Words: 50 > Michelle Obama asked food companies to "do even more and move even faster" to market responsibly to children. Obama commented that the goal is to "empower parents instead of undermining... Michelle Obama asked food companies to “do even more and move even faster” to market responsibly to children. Obama commented that the goal is to “empower parents instead of undermining them” and noted that marketing nutritious foods is “good for companies’ bottom lines.” --- ## White House convening on food marketing to children: ‘History in the making’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/white-house-convening-on-food-marketing-to-children-history-in-the-making/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-19 Words: 49 > Marion Nestle's blog about the event, which BMSG's Lori Dorfman attended and spoke at on behalf of the Food Marketing Workgroup, includes excerpts from Michelle Obama's speech on marketing to... Marion Nestle’s blog about the event, which BMSG’s Lori Dorfman attended and spoke at on behalf of the Food Marketing Workgroup, includes excerpts from Michelle Obama’s speech on marketing to kids and the responsibility of food marketers to create demand for healthy foods. --- ## Research highlights the value to marketers of targeting children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/research-highlights-the-value-to-marketers-of-targeting-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-19 Words: 35 > A recent survey shows that kids have a significant influence on grocery store purchases: Over two-thirds of surveyed adults with children reported that their kids play a key role in... A recent survey shows that kids have a significant influence on grocery store purchases: Over two-thirds of surveyed adults with children reported that their kids play a key role in the groceries they choose. --- ## First lady wants companies to stop marketing unhealthy foods to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/first-lady-wants-companies-to-stop-marketing-unhealthy-foods-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-18 Words: 49 > At a White House convening on food marketing to children, Michelle Obama called on the food industry not only to step up its pace in reducing junk food marketing to... At a White House convening on food marketing to children, Michelle Obama called on the food industry not only to step up its pace in reducing junk food marketing to children, but also to follow the lead of companies like Birds Eye and encourage kids to eat healthy foods. --- ## Michele Simon and Cara Wilking: Legal tools to stop junk food marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/michele-simon-and-cara-wilking-legal-tools-to-stop-junk-food-marketing-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-18 Words: 62 > Public health lawyer Michele Simon interviews the Public Health Advocacy Institute's Cara Wilking, whose new study on fast food TV marketing to kids found that such marketing relies not on... Public health lawyer Michele Simon interviews the Public Health Advocacy Institute’s Cara Wilking, whose new study on fast food TV marketing to kids found that such marketing relies not on food, but on toys, games and other giveaways to entice children. Wilking discusses legal approaches to limiting junk food marketing and offers tips for aspiring food and public health lawyers. --- ## Familias de Campeones campaign helps PepsiCo build relationships with Latino football fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/familias-de-campeones-campaign-helps-pepsico-build-relationships-with-latino-football-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-18 Words: 107 > Pepsi's newest campaign, "Familia de Campeones" (Family of Champions), "showed once more that Hispanic families also live and breathe NFL football," according to the company's promotional materials. Dallas families involved... Pepsi’s newest campaign, “Familia de Campeones” (Family of Champions), “showed once more that Hispanic families also live and breathe NFL football,” according to the company’s promotional materials. Dallas families involved in the campaign had the opportunity to compete for a chance to be crowned Pepsi Familia de Campeones and win tickets to the next Super Bowl. The heavily branded, corporate-sponsored events were an important strategy to help Pepsi build goodwill among Latino families: Participants reported that the events show Pepsi cares about their community, saying the company “understands me and the things I’m into.” --- ## How fast feeders develop the over-the-top ‘stunt foods’ that ‘shock and awe’ customers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-fast-feeders-develop-the-over-the-top-stunt-foods-that-shock-and-awe-customers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-17 Words: 55 > Perhaps as part of a backlash against trends toward healthy eating, fast food chains are developing and using digital marketing campaigns to promote over-the-top, indulgent products that encourage consumers to... Perhaps as part of a backlash against trends toward healthy eating, fast food chains are developing and using digital marketing campaigns to promote over-the-top, indulgent products that encourage consumers to give in to cravings for junk food. Though not all of the innovations are high-tech, many involve costly research and lab testing. --- ## Chipotle uses new advergame to educate on industrial food production while promoting the brand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chipotle-uses-new-advergame-to-educate-on-industrial-food-production-while-promoting-the-brand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-13 Words: 53 > Chipotle's new adventure game, "The Scarecrow," educates users on the difference between processed and real food. The company says it hopes that by educating consumers about where their food comes... Chipotle’s new adventure game, “The Scarecrow,” educates users on the difference between processed and real food. The company says it hopes that by educating consumers about where their food comes from, the game will encourage them to “seek out high-quality, classically prepared food like [Chipotle] serves.” --- ## Yoplait rebrands Go-Gurt to focus on health messaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yoplait-rebrands-go-gurt-to-focus-on-health-messaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-13 Words: 50 > Yoplait has relaunched Go-Gurt, its child-targeted yogurt in a tube, with packaging emphasizing that the product has been reformulated to address parent concerns about nutrition. The company touts that the... Yoplait has relaunched Go-Gurt, its child-targeted yogurt in a tube, with packaging emphasizing that the product has been reformulated to address parent concerns about nutrition. The company touts that the new product has one less gram of sugar and 10 fewer calories per serving, than the earlier formulation. --- ## Bottled water companies support Michelle Obama’s ‘Drink Up’ campaign with new products and promotions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bottled-water-companies-support-michelle-obamas-drink-up-campaign-with-new-products-and-promotions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-13 Words: 57 > Bottled water brands are among the strongest supporters of the First Lady's announcement of a new initiative to urge Americans to drink more water. The American Beverage Association has already... Bottled water brands are among the strongest supporters of the First Lady’s announcement of a new initiative to urge Americans to drink more water. The American Beverage Association has already issued a statement of support, while water filter brands like Brita are rolling out new products and sponsorships to coincide with the Drink Up initiative. --- ## Webinar: Strategic communications and planning for YOU(th)! How youth-serving organizations can plan ahead for community change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-strategic-communications-and-planning-for-youth-how-youth-serving-organizations-can-plan-ahead-for-community-change/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 78 > Youth and youth-serving organizations play an important and unique role in supporting efforts to create healthy environments. Knowing how to plan communications efforts is a critical function of local organizations’... Youth and youth-serving organizations play an important and unique role in supporting efforts to create healthy environments. Knowing how to plan communications efforts is a critical function of local organizations’ collaborative success, within the local health department infrastructure and beyond. In this webinar, BMSG’s Ingrid Daffner Krasnow and Lezak Shallat, along with the Network for a Healthy California, provide some foundational tools to plan ahead for strategic communications to help advance systems change in local communities. --- ## Global ‘Crash the Super Bowl’ campaign will draw user-generated promotional content from 46 countries URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/global-crash-the-super-bowl-campaign-will-draw-user-generated-promotional-content-from-46-countries/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-12 Words: 59 > PepsiCo has announced that this year's Doritos' "Crash the Super Bowl" campaign will be open to 46 companies in which the chips are sold. The competition, which PepsiCo hopes will... PepsiCo has announced that this year’s Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign will be open to 46 companies in which the chips are sold. The competition, which PepsiCo hopes will produce higher-rated ads than last year, will be tied to digital marketing as well as outreach at sporting events, film festivals and universities. --- ## Mondelez looks to ‘real-time engagement’ to drive global snack sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-looks-to-real-time-engagement-to-drive-global-snack-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-12 Words: 41 > Mondelez International, the snack food maker behind brands like Oreo and Cadbury, has announced a partnership with Twitter to "deliver real-time marketing solutions," which the company hopes will "drive business... Mondelez International, the snack food maker behind brands like Oreo and Cadbury, has announced a partnership with Twitter to “deliver real-time marketing solutions,” which the company hopes will “drive business growth” in countries around the world. --- ## CIROC Vodka targets Latinos by sponsoring the Latin Grammys’ ‘Acoustic Sessions’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ciroc-vodka-targets-latinos-by-sponsoring-the-latin-grammys-acoustic-sessions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-12 Words: 53 > The Latin Grammys' 'Acoustic Sessions' are held in key U.S. and Latin American cities and feature performances from a range of Latin American musicians. CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka sponsored this... The Latin Grammys’ ‘Acoustic Sessions’ are held in key U.S. and Latin American cities and feature performances from a range of Latin American musicians. CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka sponsored this year’s sessions and provided attendees to the exclusive, invitation-only events with “stylish CIROC cocktails.” --- ## McDonald’s sponsors National Hispanic Leadership Summit, builds ties with low-income Latino youth and parents URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-sponsors-national-hispanic-leadership-summit-builds-ties-with-low-income-latino-youth-and-parents/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-11 Words: 50 > The leadership summit will bring motivational speakers to Latino students in 10 U.S. cities. During breaks between workshops, students can spend time in the "McDonald's Study Lounge." The summit will... The leadership summit will bring motivational speakers to Latino students in 10 U.S. cities. During breaks between workshops, students can spend time in the “McDonald’s Study Lounge.” The summit will also promote McDonald’s scholarships for Latino students. See Spanish-language news release here. --- ## More brands turn to emerging social media to reach fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/more-brands-turn-to-emerging-social-media-to-reach-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-10 Words: 52 > Dunkin' Donuts and Trident Gum are just two brands that are looking to emerging social media, such as the video platform Vine, to promote their products. Dunkin' Donuts, for example,... Dunkin’ Donuts and Trident Gum are just two brands that are looking to emerging social media, such as the video platform Vine, to promote their products. Dunkin’ Donuts, for example, ran a Vine Clip during Monday Night Football that drove fans to Twitter to see more branded video mini-clips. --- ## Pizza Hut capitalizes on football season with Pizza Party promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-hut-capitalizes-on-football-season-with-pizza-party-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-09 Words: 42 > Pizza Hut built on America's love of football by hosting "The World's Greatest Pizza Party" in Times Square on Sunday. The company also leveraged media partnerships with FOX NFL Sunday... Pizza Hut built on America’s love of football by hosting “The World’s Greatest Pizza Party” in Times Square on Sunday. The company also leveraged media partnerships with FOX NFL Sunday and engaged fans through social media. --- ## McDonald’s targets football fans with first ever multi-person boxed meal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-football-fans-with-first-ever-multi-person-boxed-meal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-09 Words: 57 > McDonald's is introducing a multi-person boxed meal in the Kansas City market -- the chain's first ever experiment with such products. The huge box, which is tied to a promotion... McDonald’s is introducing a multi-person boxed meal in the Kansas City market — the chain’s first ever experiment with such products. The huge box, which is tied to a promotion for the Kansas City Chiefs, contains two full meals, and industry insiders predict that, if successful, it could become a national promotion. --- ## NY Fashion Week and Subway partner for branded fashion show URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ny-fashion-week-and-subway-partner-for-branded-fashion-show/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-06 Words: 33 > Subway is looking to reach an unexpected new audience: fashionistas. The company hosted a fashion show during New York Fashion Week that featured designs made entirely out of Subway branded... Subway is looking to reach an unexpected new audience: fashionistas. The company hosted a fashion show during New York Fashion Week that featured designs made entirely out of Subway branded items, like napkins. --- ## Keebler takes advantage of tiny door mystery to build brand awareness URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/keebler-takes-advantage-of-tiny-door-mystery-to-build-brand-awareness/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-06 Words: 64 > A few months ago, a tiny door appeared on a tree in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, attracting national media attention. Keebler has used that attention to launch the "Tiny... A few months ago, a tiny door appeared on a tree in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, attracting national media attention. Keebler has used that attention to launch the “Tiny Doors Project,” a campaign whose primary aim is not to sell cookies, but to “sell the Keebler brand … and what [it stands for], which is elfin magic.” --- ## Branded advergame will extend Snapple’s ‘Real Facts’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/branded-advergame-will-extend-snapples-real-facts-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-06 Words: 41 > Snapple recently launched its first branded game for mobile and desktop. The game will extend the brand's "Real Facts" campaign, which is based on the factoids found under Snapple caps... Snapple recently launched its first branded game for mobile and desktop. The game will extend the brand’s “Real Facts” campaign, which is based on the factoids found under Snapple caps and relies heavily on social media promotion. --- ## White Castle and Sprite target young African-American community with BET Hip Hop Awards Sweepstakes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/white-castle-and-sprite-target-young-african-american-community-with-bet-hip-hop-awards-sweepstakes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-06 Words: 53 > The sweepstakes is a part of White Castle's summer 'Slider-bration' and used digital marketing to promote the company's food products, along with a chance to attend the award show. Customers... The sweepstakes is a part of White Castle’s summer ‘Slider-bration’ and used digital marketing to promote the company’s food products, along with a chance to attend the award show. Customers could enter the sweepstakes using their mobile phones by typing in codes found on Sprite drinks. --- ## Nestle capitalizes on announcement of Android’s new KitKat system URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-capitalizes-on-announcement-of-androids-new-kitkat-system/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-05 Words: 37 > Google recently announced that it will call the latest version of its Android mobile system KitKat. Nestle has already announced plans to release a specially branded KitKat bar and related... Google recently announced that it will call the latest version of its Android mobile system KitKat. Nestle has already announced plans to release a specially branded KitKat bar and related campaign to promote the co-branding opportunity. --- ## By targeting millenials, Mountain Dew generates more than $100m in first-year sales of Kickstart energy drink URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/by-targeting-millenials-mountain-dew-generates-more-than-100m-in-first-year-sales-of-kickstart-energy-drink/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-05 Words: 50 > Mountain Dew's Kickstart, an energy drink sweetened with juice, has generated more than $100 million in sales during its first year -- driven, in part, by the "Kickstart Your Day"... Mountain Dew’s Kickstart, an energy drink sweetened with juice, has generated more than $100 million in sales during its first year — driven, in part, by the “Kickstart Your Day” promotion, which targeted “Millennials who would rather drink a Mountain Dew … than coffee.” --- ## Bicultural Latinos are a marketer’s ‘dream’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bicultural-latinos-are-a-marketers-dream/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-05 Words: 38 > Marketers are thinking beyond language to the bicultural status of young Latinos who navigate multiple cultural identities and traditions. The article estimates that bicultural Latinos account for 50-60% of the... Marketers are thinking beyond language to the bicultural status of young Latinos who navigate multiple cultural identities and traditions. The article estimates that bicultural Latinos account for 50-60% of the total Latino market in the United States. --- ## Augmented reality helps Wheaties build engagement with sports fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/augmented-reality-helps-wheaties-build-engagement-with-sports-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-04 Words: 41 > Wheaties continues to explore the potential of augmented reality and mobile engagement to "educate the consumer about [its] products." This fall, consumers can use smartphones to scan Wheaties boxes featuring... Wheaties continues to explore the potential of augmented reality and mobile engagement to “educate the consumer about [its] products.” This fall, consumers can use smartphones to scan Wheaties boxes featuring NFL player Adrian Peterson to access interactive mobile games. --- ## Facing ‘price-pressured consumers,’ McDonalds relaunches higher priced Dollar Menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/facing-price-pressured-consumers-mcdonalds-relaunches-higher-priced-dollar-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-04 Words: 42 > Amid struggling sales, McDonald's is testing a new version of the Dollar Menu that will feature higher priced items. Many fast food companies are considering similar strategies to get price... Amid struggling sales, McDonald’s is testing a new version of the Dollar Menu that will feature higher priced items. Many fast food companies are considering similar strategies to get price conscious consumers to “reach deeper into their pockets.” --- ## Kraft launches blitz of fake advertisements touting long history of newly developed flavors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-launches-blitz-of-fake-advertisements-touting-long-history-of-newly-developed-flavors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-04 Words: 43 > Kraft recently introduced four new flavors to its iconic macaroni and cheese line. To make the flavors feel well established and "new-stalgic," the company has launched a social media-heavy campaign... Kraft recently introduced four new flavors to its iconic macaroni and cheese line. To make the flavors feel well established and “new-stalgic,” the company has launched a social media-heavy campaign featuring mock commercials from different eras promoting the flavors. --- ## 7-Eleven and Pillsbury partner to market ‘nostalgic’ cinnamon roll to morning customers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-and-pillsbury-partner-to-market-nostalgic-cinnamon-roll-to-morning-customers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-03 Words: 59 > Pillsbury has partnered with the 7-Eleven chain for the fall debut of a cinnamon roll that the company claims will "offer [a] homemade taste in a convenient, grab-and-go setting." The... Pillsbury has partnered with the 7-Eleven chain for the fall debut of a cinnamon roll that the company claims will “offer [a] homemade taste in a convenient, grab-and-go setting.” The chain hopes sales of the branded pastries will be highest among students and workers on their way to school and work in the morning. --- ## Gaming expo is marketing opportunity for PepsiCo brands URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gaming-expo-is-marketing-opportunity-for-pepsico-brands/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-03 Words: 43 > Mountain Dew and Doritos recently partnered for a high-profile giveaway at the Penny Arcade Expo, a major video convention. Gamers scanned QR codes on brand-related items strategically placed throughout the... Mountain Dew and Doritos recently partnered for a high-profile giveaway at the Penny Arcade Expo, a major video convention. Gamers scanned QR codes on brand-related items strategically placed throughout the convention center for a chance to win an Xbox gaming system. --- ## Natural on food labels? Ain’t necessarily so URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/natural-on-food-labels-aint-necessarily-so/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-09-01 Words: 72 > In this column, Marion Nestle addresses a reader's question about what "natural" on food labels truly means. Nestle points out that although "'natural' does not necessarily mean 'healthy' or even... In this column, Marion Nestle addresses a reader’s question about what “natural” on food labels truly means. Nestle points out that although “‘natural’ does not necessarily mean ‘healthy’ or even ‘healthier,’ it works splendidly as a marketing term” — and so the FDA’s failure to develop and enforce a clear definition is a boon to processed food manufacturers. --- ## The struggle to keep kids from the clutches of the sugary food industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-struggle-to-keep-kids-from-the-clutches-of-the-sugary-food-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-30 Words: 49 > Renee Moilanen links her personal experience with her 4-year-old to the systemic issue of junk food marketing to children. She discusses how the food industry preys on vulnerable children and... Renee Moilanen links her personal experience with her 4-year-old to the systemic issue of junk food marketing to children. She discusses how the food industry preys on vulnerable children and busy parents and recommends that parents teach their kids how to spot marketing tricks in food commercials. --- ## Fast food companies are still trying to woo kids with toys and cartoon characters URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-companies-are-still-trying-to-woo-kids-with-toys-and-cartoon-characters/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-30 Words: 59 > Instead of focusing on food, companies like McDonald's and Burger King use images of toys, cartoons and move characters to market their products to kids, found a recent study coauthored... Instead of focusing on food, companies like McDonald’s and Burger King use images of toys, cartoons and move characters to market their products to kids, found a recent study coauthored by Public Health Advocacy Institute. In this article, Tara Culp-Ressler discusses the study and the food industry’s broken promises to stop marketing to children. --- ## Court ruling: Lawsuit over Frito-Lay ‘all-natural’ labeling proceeds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/court-ruling-lawsuit-over-frito-lay-all-natural-labeling-proceeds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-29 Words: 54 > Frito-Lay is being sued for labeling foods with genetically modified ingredients as "all-natural." A U.S. District Judge ruled that the deceptive labeling suit can proceed, despite Frito-Lay's attempt to delay... Frito-Lay is being sued for labeling foods with genetically modified ingredients as “all-natural.” A U.S. District Judge ruled that the deceptive labeling suit can proceed, despite Frito-Lay’s attempt to delay the lawsuit until the FDA makes its decision on how to regulate “natural” labeling. --- ## Forget the food: Fast food ads aimed at kids feature lots of giveaways URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/forget-the-food-fast-food-ads-aimed-at-kids-feature-lots-of-giveaways/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-29 Words: 54 > This TIME article discusses the brand loyalty developed at an early age when the food industry targets kids using toys and giveaways. The article features quotes from BMSG's Andrew Cheyne... This TIME article discusses the brand loyalty developed at an early age when the food industry targets kids using toys and giveaways. The article features quotes from BMSG’s Andrew Cheyne on how the food industry uses popular culture to advertise unhealthy products to kids who are too young to recognize the intent. --- ## PepsiCo sponsors finale event for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-sponsors-finale-event-for-the-national-society-of-hispanic-mbas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-28 Words: 54 > PepsiCo continues to build connections with the Latino community through sponsorship of Latino organizations and events. Most recently, the company announced it would sponsor the final round of the "Student... PepsiCo continues to build connections with the Latino community through sponsorship of Latino organizations and events. Most recently, the company announced it would sponsor the final round of the “Student Business Case Competition,” an event where MBA student teams compete to demonstrate knowledge and problem-solving skills for scholarships and other prizes. --- ## Burger King to offer ‘French-Fry Burger’ for $1 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-to-offer-french-fry-burger-for-1/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-27 Words: 50 > The launch of the new food product, which features a beef patty topped with four french fries, is a good example of price-based marketing. The $1 item aims to compete... The launch of the new food product, which features a beef patty topped with four french fries, is a good example of price-based marketing. The $1 item aims to compete with McDonald’s Dollar Menu, which consists of the fast food industry’s most cheaply produced items. --- ## Has Coke’s ‘secret recipe’ changed in 127 years? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/has-cokes-secret-recipe-changed-in-127-years/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-27 Words: 60 > Companies like Coca-Cola and Hostess use their "secret recipes" to fuel product-based marketing even though there's solid evidence that these recipes have changed over time. One example is Coca-Cola's and... Companies like Coca-Cola and Hostess use their “secret recipes” to fuel product-based marketing even though there’s solid evidence that these recipes have changed over time. One example is Coca-Cola’s and PepsiCo’s switch from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup in their sugar-sweetened beverages in the 1980’s. --- ## Dairy company Cacique launches corporate social responsibility initiative targeting Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dairy-company-cacique-launches-corporate-social-responsibility-initiative-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-27 Words: 48 > Cacique is partnering with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to launch a Food Truck tour featuring Food Network Star AarÌ_n SÌÁnchez. Proceeds from products sold during the tour will go toward... Cacique is partnering with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to launch a Food Truck tour featuring Food Network Star AarÌ_n SÌÁnchez. Proceeds from products sold during the tour will go toward the scholarship fund as part of Cacique’s ongoing effort to create goodwill among Latino families. --- ## Putting kids’ health at risk: How distorted media coverage is undermining a critical vaccine URL: https://www.bmsg.org/putting-kids-health-at-risk-how-distorted-media-coverage-is-undermining-a-critical-vaccine/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1365 > For parents around the country, back to school means more than new clothes and school supplies -- it means a trip to the doctor for federally mandated immunizations to protect... For parents around the country, back to school means more than new clothes and school supplies — it means a trip to the doctor for federally mandated immunizations to protect their children against diseases like whooping cough. But there’s another vaccine available to our young people that most parents won’t hear about when they take their 7th graders in for a TDAP booster: the HPV vaccine, which protects against the sexually transmitted virus that causes both cervical cancer and genital warts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the HPV vaccine is greatly underutilized in the United States, thanks to a perfect storm of barriers — including the way the vaccine has been marketed, as well as its controversial coverage in the media — that keep families from vaccinating their kids. In other countries, young people have received the vaccine at much higher rates. Denmark and Britain have vaccinated 80 percent of their teenage girls against HPV, while only one third of teenage girls in the U.S. have been vaccinated. And in Australia, the vaccine has already resulted in the sharp decline of genital warts among the 26-and-under population. The same age group in our country has not seen a decline in disease, despite having had the availability of the HPV vaccine for the same amount of time. It is no coincidence that countries seeing success with the vaccine implemented it as part of a national policy. Or that information disseminated to the public about the vaccine looks much different abroad than it does here in the U.S. In Australia, for example, marketing of the HPV vaccine, as well as media coverage of the country’s national vaccine program, has been overwhelmingly positive, unlike in the U.S. Here, the vaccine has consistently, though incorrectly, been referred to as the “promiscuity vaccine” in the media since the FDA first approved Merck’s brand, Gardasil, in 2006. The United States’ lack of a collective government effort to first educate and then mandate the vaccine, in addition to the pharmaceutical company Merck’s aggressive lobbying to create such a mandate, played into the public’s growing distrust of vaccines in general. The news media had a field day exposing Merck’s vested interest in funding politicians, including Rick Perry, to push legislation that would require the protective immunization for all girls. This created fear that the already controversial pharmaceutical company would have a hugely profitable monopoly on a mandated vaccine — a justifiable fear considering the potential ramifications of such a monopoly on industry accountability, drug safety, costs, and personal choice. The debate surrounding the vaccine from all angles in the media (the right side afraid that getting their daughters vaccinated meant giving them permission to have casual sex and the left side wary of Big Pharma’s financial incentives) prevented most efforts to promote and implement the vaccine on a population level. Another barrier that has contributed to the underutilization of the vaccine in the U.S. is its high cost. At retail, the three-dose vaccine is $390, plus the cost of copayments for the doctor’s visits needed to administer the shots. While low-income and uninsured minors 18-and-under have been eligible to pay for the vaccine using the federal Vaccines for Children Program, the need to pay copays for the three required doctors visits has been a barrier. Uninsured young adults over 18 have had to pay for the vaccine out of pocket, and even young adults who are insured have often only had a portion of the vaccine’s price covered by their insurance. Without a sensitive and streamlined national policy supporting a program that provides better information about, access to, and payment for the HPV vaccine, the U.S. risks falling further down the list of health status rankings among developed countries. Rather than reinventing the wheel, however, we have the opportunity to learn from successful programs such as Australia’s National HPV Vaccination Program. The key to Australia’s success in widely implementing the vaccine is its nationally funded, school-based vaccination program, which was marketed as a non-biased preventive health effort. The country’s strategy of providing the vaccine within schools normalized the vaccine, putting it on par with any other childhood vaccination. Because the campaign was pushed by schools and paid for by the government’s National Immunisation Program, there was little speculation that the vaccine was being given to exploit families for profits. School-based clinics ensured that kids whose parents could not bring them to their doctor because of finances or lack of transportation were not excluded from receiving the preventive vaccination. For an immunization like Gardasil that requires three doses over six months, streamlining all administration of the vaccine in schools removed the added burden from families’ already hectic lives. Additionally, the school-base... --- ## FDA study: Do added nutrients sell products? (Of course they do) URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fda-study-do-added-nutrients-sell-products-of-course-they-do/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-26 Words: 42 > Food companies often add nutrients to unhealthy snack products to make them seem healthier, and prior research suggests that any health or "health-like" claim on a package makes people believe... Food companies often add nutrients to unhealthy snack products to make them seem healthier, and prior research suggests that any health or “health-like” claim on a package makes people believe that the product is healthy and has fewer calories. --- ## Goya Foods expands its reach in an effort to target ‘all people new to America’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/goya-foods-expands-its-reach-in-an-effort-to-target-all-people-new-to-america/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-23 Words: 71 > Goya Foods, the country's largest Hispanic-owned food company, has historically targeted Latinos but is looking to substantially expand its reach to include "all people new to America," as well as... Goya Foods, the country’s largest Hispanic-owned food company, has historically targeted Latinos but is looking to substantially expand its reach to include “all people new to America,” as well as white customers. The company’s approach hinges on encouraging consumers to “relate to Goya because it’s authentic … [and] the product makes [them] feel like [they’re] at home.” --- ## Is McDonald’s kid-themed business model obsolete? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-mcdonalds-kid-themed-business-model-obsolete/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-22 Words: 72 > In this column, public health lawyer Michele Simon calls on McDonald's to change its policies around food marketing to children. Ultimately, she argues, shifting its business model away from child-targeted... In this column, public health lawyer Michele Simon calls on McDonald’s to change its policies around food marketing to children. Ultimately, she argues, shifting its business model away from child-targeted marketing would be financially beneficial for the chain and asks, “Why not join the competition and benefit from the positive PR glow that comes with no longer targeting children, while appealing to more adults in the process?” --- ## Coca-Cola capitalizes on holiday sales demand with Halloween-themed Fanta URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-capitalizes-on-holiday-sales-demand-with-halloween-themed-fanta/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-21 Words: 35 > The limited-edition Fanta drinks feature Halloween-themed graphics to target young consumers. According to the article, Halloween is now the "third most popular spending occasion in the UK after Christmas and... The limited-edition Fanta drinks feature Halloween-themed graphics to target young consumers. According to the article, Halloween is now the “third most popular spending occasion in the UK after Christmas and Easter.” --- ## PepsiCo Italy unveils limited edition Beyonc̩ bottle to appeal to the singer’s biggest fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-italy-unveils-limited-edition-beyonc%cc%a9-bottle-to-appeal-to-the-singers-biggest-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-21 Words: 46 > Pepsi is using packaging-based marketing to increase sales of the sugary drink among Beyonc̩'s loyal fan base. A marketing executive says that the bottle "is so much more than Pepsi... Pepsi is using packaging-based marketing to increase sales of the sugary drink among Beyonc̩’s loyal fan base. A marketing executive says that the bottle “is so much more than Pepsi packaging — it communicates our brand vision to the end consumer.” --- ## Companies that profit from unhealthy food say keep eating junk, just exercise more URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/companies-that-profit-from-unhealthy-food-say-keep-eating-junk-just-exercise-more/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-21 Words: 68 > Author Jill Richardson argues that the message behind food and beverage companies' campaigns to promote exercise as a solution to obesity is, "Don't blame us for America's public health crisis."... Author Jill Richardson argues that the message behind food and beverage companies’ campaigns to promote exercise as a solution to obesity is, “Don’t blame us for America’s public health crisis.” She points out that exercise is beneficial, but it alone is not enough to maintain health. Messaging that suggests otherwise is simply an industry tactic to maintain profits and avoid regulation. --- ## McDonald’s broadcasts 365Black Awards on Black Entertainment Television for the first time URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-broadcasts-365black-awards-on-black-entertainment-television-for-the-first-time/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-21 Words: 55 > On August 25, McDonald's broadcast the annual 365Black awards on the popular cable television network Black Entertainment Television (BET). Though the ceremony is one of the most visible elements of... On August 25, McDonald’s broadcast the annual 365Black awards on the popular cable television network Black Entertainment Television (BET). Though the ceremony is one of the most visible elements of 365Black, McDonald’s uses the initiative to target Black communities and remain “deeply rooted in the community all year long.” --- ## Pop star Katy Perry partners with Pepsi to promote her new album URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pop-star-katy-perry-partners-with-pepsi-to-promote-her-new-album/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-20 Words: 58 > The campaign will include a "tweet-to-unlock" and social voting program. Fans who tweet with a special hashtag will get clues about the new album and then will vote on which... The campaign will include a “tweet-to-unlock” and social voting program. Fans who tweet with a special hashtag will get clues about the new album and then will vote on which song from the album will be released early on iTunes. Fans will also receive free song downloads for joining Pepsi’s rewards program. --- ## With unconventional and often unhealthy new products, food industry redefines breakfast URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/with-unconventional-and-often-unhealthy-new-products-food-industry-redefines-breakfast/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-20 Words: 45 > The article profiles six new breakfast food products, including Mountain Dew's Kickstart, a caffeinated sugary drink with 5% juice that is marketed as a breakfast beverage. The article also features... The article profiles six new breakfast food products, including Mountain Dew’s Kickstart, a caffeinated sugary drink with 5% juice that is marketed as a breakfast beverage. The article also features the “Waffle Taco” from Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu. --- ## New research helps marketers target English-speaking Latinos across multiple screens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-research-helps-marketers-target-english-speaking-latinos-across-multiple-screens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-19 Words: 54 > A conference session at Hispanic Retail 360, a Latino marketing conference, offered marketers a chance to learn how best to "create an emotion connection" with English-speaking Latinos through a variety... A conference session at Hispanic Retail 360, a Latino marketing conference, offered marketers a chance to learn how best to “create an emotion connection” with English-speaking Latinos through a variety of digital media venues, in part by customizing messages in English and Spanish that focus on different aspects of the brand. --- ## Birds Eye partners with Nickelodeon to market products at ‘play with your veggies’ event at Boston Children’s Museum URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/birds-eye-partners-with-nickelodeon-to-market-products-at-play-with-your-veggies-event-at-boston-childrens-museum/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-16 Words: 66 > Participants at the Birds Eye Vegetables event, part of the company's summer-long national campaign to get kids to eat more veggies, have the chance to win a trip to Nickelodeon's... Participants at the Birds Eye Vegetables event, part of the company’s summer-long national campaign to get kids to eat more veggies, have the chance to win a trip to Nickelodeon’s 10th annual Worldwide Day of Play. This is the second year of the Birds Eye-Nickelodeon partnership, which has contributed to a 20 percent increase in volume for Birds Eye products. --- ## PepsiCo partners with BuzzFeed to promote PepsiNext URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-partners-with-buzzfeed-to-promote-pepsinext/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-15 Words: 88 > BuzzFeed and PepsiCo have partnered to create the "ListiClock": a clock that, for every hour and minute of the day, displays lists of pop culture trivia that correspond to the... BuzzFeed and PepsiCo have partnered to create the “ListiClock”: a clock that, for every hour and minute of the day, displays lists of pop culture trivia that correspond to the numbers on the clock. Examples of the “ListiClock powered by PepsiNext” include “50 of the Most Unbelievable Adorable Dogs in the Big City” and “20 GIFs That’ll Make You Question Reality.” The ListiClock is a component of the Pepsi Next “Drink it to Believe it” campaign. --- ## Campbell Soup sued by consumer over Heart Association endorsements URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbell-soup-sued-by-consumer-over-heart-association-endorsements/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-14 Words: 58 > Campbell Soup and the American Heart Association were sued by a consumer for including "heart healthy" logo claims on products containing sodium levels six times higher than what is recommended... Campbell Soup and the American Heart Association were sued by a consumer for including “heart healthy” logo claims on products containing sodium levels six times higher than what is recommended by the Association. The “soups display the Association’s ‘Heart-Check Mark’ logo”, deceptively indicating that the products offer cardiovascular benefits. --- ## General Mills wants the FDA to define ‘whole grain’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-wants-the-fda-to-define-whole-grain/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-14 Words: 54 > General Mills has asked the FDA to define "whole grain" based on parameters that are misleading and allow companies to provide the claim for products that are only 27% "whole... General Mills has asked the FDA to define “whole grain” based on parameters that are misleading and allow companies to provide the claim for products that are only 27% “whole grain.” A distorted definition would help General Mills better market its products, including the company’s child-targeted cereals. --- ## Honey Nut Cheerios taps rapper Nelly for ‘Must be the honey’ advertisement URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honey-nut-cheerios-taps-rapper-nelly-for-must-be-the-honey-advertisement/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-13 Words: 47 > The rapper has remixed his popular 2001 song "Ride Wit Me," which featured the refrain "Must be the money," to advertise Honey Nut Cheerios. The commercials featuring the new version... The rapper has remixed his popular 2001 song “Ride Wit Me,” which featured the refrain “Must be the money,” to advertise Honey Nut Cheerios. The commercials featuring the new version of the song are likely intended to target youth, particularly youth of color. --- ## Facing declining diet soda sales, Coca-Cola defends aspartame in new ad URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/facing-declining-diet-soda-sales-coca-cola-defends-aspartame-in-new-ad/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-13 Words: 43 > In its latest print ad featured in USA Today, Coca-Cola defends its diet drinks and the artificial sweeteners they contain. The ad represents the second phase of Coke's campaign to... In its latest print ad featured in USA Today, Coca-Cola defends its diet drinks and the artificial sweeteners they contain. The ad represents the second phase of Coke’s campaign to defend its products against accusations of contributing to obesity rates. --- ## Taco Bell uses social media to announce launch of third product in Doritos Locos Tacos line URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-uses-social-media-to-announce-launch-of-third-product-in-doritos-locos-tacos-line/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-13 Words: 76 > In an effort to promote the third installment in Taco Bell's line of Doritos Locos Tacos, Taco Bell has curated videos on the social media platforms Instagram and Vine to... In an effort to promote the third installment in Taco Bell’s line of Doritos Locos Tacos, Taco Bell has curated videos on the social media platforms Instagram and Vine to tease the August 22 launch of the product. The videos feature the “New DLT” slogan “spelled out in flames, an indication of the spicy flavor.” Taco Bell recently named the latest product “Fiery” in response to customer feedback. --- ## PepsiCo markets new Pepsi-flavored Cheetos to Japanese consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-markets-new-pepsi-flavored-cheetos-to-japanese-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-12 Words: 61 > Available only in Japan, the snack called "Frito Lay Cheetos x Pepsi Shuwa Shuwa Cola Corn Snack" is described as "Cheetos covered in a fizz-inducing cola powder." The product is... Available only in Japan, the snack called “Frito Lay Cheetos x Pepsi Shuwa Shuwa Cola Corn Snack” is described as “Cheetos covered in a fizz-inducing cola powder.” The product is another addition to the food industry’s recent string of hybrid snacks designed to appeal to consumers by combining two unhealthy products in to one. --- ## Corona targets Latinos by sponsoring Marc Anthony’s ‘Vivir Mi Vida’ US tour URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/corona-targets-latinos-by-sponsoring-marc-anthonys-vivir-mi-vida-us-tour/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-12 Words: 66 > The latest in a string of high profile, Latino-focused beer promotions, Corona's sponsorship of Marc Anthony's tour serves as the latest example of beer manufacturers aggressively targeting Latino consumers. The... The latest in a string of high profile, Latino-focused beer promotions, Corona’s sponsorship of Marc Anthony’s tour serves as the latest example of beer manufacturers aggressively targeting Latino consumers. The campaign efforts will be multi-faceted, with Corona airing TV commercials in the tour cities prior to each concert and hosting a variety of events and promotions at the concerts themselves. --- ## Kraft targets younger consumers with off-color ‘Get your chef together’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-targets-younger-consumers-with-off-color-get-your-chef-together-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-12 Words: 75 > Kraft's campaign for its Recipe Makers line of meal-starters features celebrity chefs and uses the wordplay tagline, "Get your chef together!" In the campaign's television commercials, celebrity chefs Carla Hall... Kraft’s campaign for its Recipe Makers line of meal-starters features celebrity chefs and uses the wordplay tagline, “Get your chef together!” In the campaign’s television commercials, celebrity chefs Carla Hall and Rocco DiSpirito are portrayed as picky children who critique their parents’ culinary skills, but overwhelmingly approve when their parents serve them Kraft products. The campaign also features digital ads and a social media presence on Twitter. --- ## Kraft focuses on families in latest JELL-O push URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-focuses-on-families-in-latest-jell-o-push/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-12 Words: 100 > Amid declining sales, the JELL-O brand's new 'Fun Things Up' television ad campaign features a father and his son who envisions going through the same adult frustrations as his father,... Amid declining sales, the JELL-O brand’s new ‘Fun Things Up’ television ad campaign features a father and his son who envisions going through the same adult frustrations as his father, such as sitting in traffic and losing his hair. The campaign targets both adults and children, claiming that the “chocolaty taste of JELL-O” makes up for all of life’s daily frustrations. The campaign is part of the company’s attempt to move the product into the snack category and out of the dessert realm, as dessert sales are declining. --- ## Coca-Cola launches recycling campaign to uphold socially conscious image and target families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-recycling-campaign-to-uphold-socially-conscious-image-and-target-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-09 Words: 87 > Coca-Cola's 'Don't Waste. Create' campaign encourages consumers to reuse and recycle their plastic soda bottles, and by pledging to do so, receive a coupon to buy more Coca-Cola products. The... Coca-Cola’s ‘Don’t Waste. Create’ campaign encourages consumers to reuse and recycle their plastic soda bottles, and by pledging to do so, receive a coupon to buy more Coca-Cola products. The ads feature 2-liter plastic soda bottles stuffed with cleaning supplies and flowers in an attempt to appeal to a more eco-conscious consumer base and uphold an environmentally aware brand image. The campaign also targets families by offering parents a chance to win a family vacation to France. --- ## Quaker Oats targets Latina mothers with ‘Fuente de Energia’ online destination URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/quaker-oats-targets-latina-mothers-with-fuente-de-energia-online-destination/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-09 Words: 64 > The website, available online and via mobile applications, is an example of how companies target market products to moms of color. The site will "include articles, recipes, photo essays, trivia... The website, available online and via mobile applications, is an example of how companies target market products to moms of color. The site will “include articles, recipes, photo essays, trivia and polls covering health, food and other topics”. It “will also feature an original video series starring ‘celebrity mom’ Jimena Gallego (Mexican pop singer, TV host and actress)”. --- ## Kellogg’s targets ‘health-conscious young mothers’ in new Rice Krispies ad campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-targets-health-conscious-young-mothers-in-new-rice-krispies-ad-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-07 Words: 40 > In an effort to distance its brand from the unhealthy "Rice Krispies Treats" snack made from the cereal, the new campaign, featuring young moms, will instead market the cereal's "simple,... In an effort to distance its brand from the unhealthy “Rice Krispies Treats” snack made from the cereal, the new campaign, featuring young moms, will instead market the cereal’s “simple, easy to digest ingredients.” --- ## Marketers urge companies to target Latinos with Spanish-language mobile apps URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-urge-companies-to-target-latinos-with-spanish-language-mobile-apps/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-07 Words: 71 > A marketing firm conducted a consumer survey to examine Latinos' use of and attitudes toward mobile apps. Latinos are more likely than other groups to own a smart phone, and... A marketing firm conducted a consumer survey to examine Latinos’ use of and attitudes toward mobile apps. Latinos are more likely than other groups to own a smart phone, and many speak Spanish as a first or second language, but researchers found that only about a quarter of mobile apps are available in Spanish. The authors of the study argue that this represents an untapped opportunity to market to Latinos. --- ## Taco Bell expands breakfast test menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-expands-breakfast-test-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-06 Words: 75 > The fast food giant continues to test the waters for adding breakfast to the menu by designing new products and upping advertising campaigns. Among new additions to the menu is... The fast food giant continues to test the waters for adding breakfast to the menu by designing new products and upping advertising campaigns. Among new additions to the menu is the “Crunchwrap”: a “waffle taco” with scrambled eggs, hash browns, cheese, and bacon or sausage in between a folded waffle. Taco Bell also will attempt to appeal to health-conscious consumers by including a yogurt parfait and oatmeal on the menu. --- ## Jack in the Box uses Vine as platform for new marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jack-in-the-box-uses-vine-as-platform-for-new-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-06 Words: 79 > The burger chain is leveraging the video-sharing social media platform Vine in a new campaign likely to connect with younger audiences, among whom the app is becoming increasingly popular. The... The burger chain is leveraging the video-sharing social media platform Vine in a new campaign likely to connect with younger audiences, among whom the app is becoming increasingly popular. The campaign will feature 101 six-second videos promoting the “Go Big” theme of the chain’s new fast food products including “Jack’s Big Stack,” “Waffle Stack,” “Loaded Chili Cheese Wedges,” and “Really Big Chicken Sandwich.” --- ## Pillsbury launches new campaign to advertise strudel products to young audiences URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pillsbury-launches-new-campaign-to-advertise-strudel-products-to-young-audiences/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-05 Words: 55 > As part of the revamped ad campaign, Pillsbury has announced a new face for the brand designed to connect with millennials: a fictional character named "Hans Strudel from the magical... As part of the revamped ad campaign, Pillsbury has announced a new face for the brand designed to connect with millennials: a fictional character named “Hans Strudel from the magical place of Breakfurg.” The interactive campaign includes social media marketing efforts on Facebook and Twitter and three TV commercials featuring the new spokesperson. --- ## Baskin-Robbins uses anniversary peg to market birthday ice cream cakes this month URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/baskin-robbins-uses-anniversary-peg-to-market-birthday-ice-cream-cakes-this-month/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-05 Words: 61 > In an effort to capitalize on August's standing as one of the most popular birthday months of the year, Baskin-Robbins has launched new birthday ice cream cake flavors and a... In an effort to capitalize on August’s standing as one of the most popular birthday months of the year, Baskin-Robbins has launched new birthday ice cream cake flavors and a new flavor of the month. Additionally, the company continues to use a summer peg to market ice cream products for consumers to “beat the summer heat.” --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts markets for the ‘home stretch of summer’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-markets-for-the-home-stretch-of-summer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-05 Words: 56 > In addition to a host of other campaigns the chain has launched this summer, new Dunkin' Donuts' efforts include an online interactive Twitter sweepstakes to give consumers the opportunity to... In addition to a host of other campaigns the chain has launched this summer, new Dunkin’ Donuts’ efforts include an online interactive Twitter sweepstakes to give consumers the opportunity to win DD gift cards, other social media involvement like coupons on Facebook, new product launches and healthier options through the “DDSMART menu.” --- ## Dove sculpts naked torso Mario Lopez out of chocolate to promote new product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dove-sculpts-naked-torso-mario-lopez-out-of-chocolate-to-promote-new-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-02 Words: 35 > The chocolate statue, used to market Dove's new "Silky Smooth Mint & Dark Chocolate Swirl," was displayed at a Los Angeles event where consumers got a chance to sample the... The chocolate statue, used to market Dove’s new “Silky Smooth Mint & Dark Chocolate Swirl,” was displayed at a Los Angeles event where consumers got a chance to sample the chocolate. --- ## Marketing study: Latino food purchases driven by ’emotional and functional values’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-study-latino-food-purchases-driven-by-emotional-and-functional-values/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-01 Words: 73 > The new Multi-Cultural Latino Consumer study is intended to help the food industry market its products to Latinos, "the country's fastest growing ethnic minority." The article features an infographic summarizing... The new Multi-Cultural Latino Consumer study is intended to help the food industry market its products to Latinos, “the country’s fastest growing ethnic minority.” The article features an infographic summarizing the study’s findings, including the idea that Latinos are significantly more likely to choose fresh foods over packaged foods, and more likely than non-Latinos to value meals as an “enabler of together-time.” --- ## Coors Light continues targeting of young African-Americans with sports sponsorship, scholarships URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coors-light-continues-targeting-of-young-african-americans-with-sports-sponsorship-scholarships/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-01 Words: 44 > For the 27th consecutive year, Coors Light is sponsoring the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Football Classics. The beer brewer will target young consumers through tailgate parties, social media,... For the 27th consecutive year, Coors Light is sponsoring the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Football Classics. The beer brewer will target young consumers through tailgate parties, social media, a sweepstakes to win football game tickets, and scholarships for students 21 and over. --- ## Due to sagging sales, cereal companies use nostalgia and health plugs to market sugary products to adults URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/due-to-sagging-sales-cereal-companies-use-nostalgia-and-health-plugs-to-market-sugary-products-to-adults/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-08-01 Words: 67 > In the wake of recent sales declines, many popular brands like Kellogg's and General Mills are searching for ways to market cereals to baby boomers. These tactics include "playing on... In the wake of recent sales declines, many popular brands like Kellogg’s and General Mills are searching for ways to market cereals to baby boomers. These tactics include “playing on nostalgia” when marketing brands, such as Lucky Charms, that might strike a chord with this demographic, and offering Raisin Bran with omega-3 and multigrain Special K to appeal to health-conscious consumers. --- ## Colombian musician Carlos Vives is the latest spokesperson for Got Milk?’s Latino marketing in the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/colombian-musician-carlos-vives-is-the-latest-spokesperson-for-got-milks-latino-marketing-in-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-31 Words: 54 > Grammy award-winner Carlos Vives will be featured in a print advertising campaign in Latino magazines for Got Milk? nationwide. The target marketing campaign also has a social media tie-in, with... Grammy award-winner Carlos Vives will be featured in a print advertising campaign in Latino magazines for Got Milk? nationwide. The target marketing campaign also has a social media tie-in, with “exclusive” photos from Vives’ photo shoot posted to Got Milk?’s “Bigote de Leche” Facebook page. --- ## PepsiCo continues youth-oriented sponsorships with Manchester United Football Club deal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-continues-youth-oriented-sponsorships-with-manchester-united-football-club-deal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-31 Words: 43 > PepsiCo has been added to the list of "big brand sponsors" backing the English football club in the Asia-Pacific region. The sponsorship will provide the soda giant with another outlet... PepsiCo has been added to the list of “big brand sponsors” backing the English football club in the Asia-Pacific region. The sponsorship will provide the soda giant with another outlet from which to market unhealthy, sugary beverages to global consumers. --- ## Musicians striking controversial brand endorsement deals as music sales dwindle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/musicians-striking-controversial-brand-endorsement-deals-as-music-sales-dwindle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-29 Words: 69 > Amid a long-term decline in music industry sales, brand endorsement contracts between musicians and major corporations have boosted sales for artists and given food and beverage companies one more way... Amid a long-term decline in music industry sales, brand endorsement contracts between musicians and major corporations have boosted sales for artists and given food and beverage companies one more way to market to youth. For example, PepsiCo recruited tween heartthrobs One Direction to market its sugary beverages to young consumer audiences. And Smirnoff was accused of encouraging under-age drinking when it recruited Madonna to market its products. --- ## Quaker Oats teams up with Jamba Juice in attempt to reinvent image URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/quaker-oats-teams-up-with-jamba-juice-in-attempt-to-reinvent-image/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-29 Words: 64 > As part of Quaker's effort to makeover its "just-oats" image, the company is "finding ways to integrate oats into new products," such as Jamba smoothies, which now include a "Quaker... As part of Quaker’s effort to makeover its “just-oats” image, the company is “finding ways to integrate oats into new products,” such as Jamba smoothies, which now include a “Quaker Oat boost” option for consumers. The companies are also planning a series of new products for Jamba cafes, including cookies, granola bars and baked goods. --- ## Hostess plans new marketing strategies to appeal to the health-conscious consumer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hostess-plans-new-marketing-strategies-to-appeal-to-the-health-conscious-consumer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-29 Words: 62 > Like many brands known for offering unhealthy food, Hostess is responding to consumer demand for healthy options by developing gluten-free and whole grain products. But health is only part of... Like many brands known for offering unhealthy food, Hostess is responding to consumer demand for healthy options by developing gluten-free and whole grain products. But health is only part of the brand’s comeback strategy after filing bankruptcy last fall. Hostess is also using nostalgia to drive sales with the reintroduction of its original Twinkie and other popular junk foods. --- ## General Mills uses social media and health claims to drive growth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-uses-social-media-and-health-claims-to-drive-growth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-25 Words: 63 > To boost sales and compete with competitors like Kellogg's, General Mills is leveraging a variety of social media platforms to market its cereal products, including a Facebook group, a new... To boost sales and compete with competitors like Kellogg’s, General Mills is leveraging a variety of social media platforms to market its cereal products, including a Facebook group, a new website, and a growing presence on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. The company is using these media outlets as a tool to market reformulated products to an increasingly health-conscious consumer base. --- ## Latino marketing summit features American Idol Fave Stefano as marketers look to target Latino millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/latino-marketing-summit-features-american-idol-fave-stefano-as-marketers-look-to-target-latino-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-25 Words: 57 > The Hispanic Retail 360 Summit, aimed at helping retailers and marketers target Latinos, will feature a performance from American Idol finalist Stefano Langone. The summit organizers commented that his "good... The Hispanic Retail 360 Summit, aimed at helping retailers and marketers target Latinos, will feature a performance from American Idol finalist Stefano Langone. The summit organizers commented that his “good looks, youthful energy and Latin fire” would help complement the theme of this year’s summit: “Understanding Millennials’ Path to Purchase.” --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins use the Royal Baby as marketing tool URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-and-baskin-robbins-use-the-royal-baby-as-marketing-tool/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-23 Words: 63 > With the arrival of the Prince of Cambridge last week, marketers are capitalizing on the opportunity for anniversary-pegged campaigns. Dunkin' Brand enterprises like Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins are among those... With the arrival of the Prince of Cambridge last week, marketers are capitalizing on the opportunity for anniversary-pegged campaigns. Dunkin’ Brand enterprises like Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins are among those that have used the occasion to their advantage by launching and marketing sugary products like “Royal Munchkin” donut holes and a timely “Baby Shower Cake.” --- ## McDonald’s gives out free backpacks to kids in newest corporate social responsibility campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-gives-out-free-backpacks-to-kids-in-newest-corporate-social-responsibility-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-23 Words: 62 > The fast-food giant hosted an event last Saturday in which it gave a free backpack to the first 100 kids that went to their local McDonald's restaurant. This is an... The fast-food giant hosted an event last Saturday in which it gave a free backpack to the first 100 kids that went to their local McDonald’s restaurant. This is an example in a string of recent efforts-like the companies’ “Back to School Health & Safety Fairs” event-to market a community-conscious image to consumers. --- ## Pepsi-Co and other food corporations recruit gourmet chefs in an attempt to make over unhealthy products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-co-and-other-food-corporations-recruit-gourmet-chefs-in-an-attempt-to-make-over-unhealthy-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-23 Words: 50 > Under pressure from consumers, health advocates, and politicians, major corporations are rushing to revamp their products to appeal to growing expectations for healthier options. This New York Times article explores... Under pressure from consumers, health advocates, and politicians, major corporations are rushing to revamp their products to appeal to growing expectations for healthier options. This New York Times article explores the industry’s latest attempt at self-regulation: enlisting top chefs in the field to help design healthier products. --- ## Coca-Cola markets stevia-sweetened sodas with new green-labeled bottles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-markets-stevia-sweetened-sodas-with-new-green-labeled-bottles/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-22 Words: 52 > Coke plans to launch a new bottle in Argentina to market Coca-Cola Life, the company's latest attempt to appeal to heath-conscious and "eco-friendly" consumers. Coca-Cola Life is sweetened with zero-calorie... Coke plans to launch a new bottle in Argentina to market Coca-Cola Life, the company’s latest attempt to appeal to heath-conscious and “eco-friendly” consumers. Coca-Cola Life is sweetened with zero-calorie stevia instead of sugar, and the new green-labeled PlantBottle is 100% recyclable. --- ## Industry’s ‘diet foods’ might be contributing to weight gain and misleading consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industrys-diet-foods-might-be-contributing-to-weight-gain-and-misleading-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-22 Words: 55 > An Australian study conducted by consumer group CHOICE shows that when the food industry uses health labels such as "lean" and "healthy" to market diet foods to health-conscious (and primarily... An Australian study conducted by consumer group CHOICE shows that when the food industry uses health labels such as “lean” and “healthy” to market diet foods to health-conscious (and primarily female) consumers, the products are often highly processed and unhealthy. Some may even contain more calories than their regular counterparts. --- ## ‘Natural’ energy drinks marketed to appeal to a new type of customer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/natural-energy-drinks-marketed-to-appeal-to-a-new-type-of-customer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-21 Words: 72 > The energy drink industry is targeting a different audience with its newest product launches, which are being advertised as ‰ÛÏorganic‰Û and ‰ÛÏnatural.‰Û One such brand is marketing itself as the... The energy drink industry is targeting a different audience with its newest product launches, which are being advertised as ‰ÛÏorganic‰Û and ‰ÛÏnatural.‰Û One such brand is marketing itself as the ‰ÛÏenergy drink of the health club, not the night club.‰Û The ‰ÛÏnatural‰Û products, however, contain similar amounts of caffeine as conventional energy drinks, which are under scrutiny by the FDA and the AMA for their negative health consequences. --- ## Kraft’s super-sized Lunchables campaign ‘solicits teens to upload risky user-generated content’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krafts-super-sized-lunchables-campaign-solicits-teens-to-upload-risky-user-generated-content/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-18 Words: 65 > In an effort to market ‰ÛÏLunchables Uploaded,‰Û the same junk food lunches containing bigger portions, Kraft launched a campaign asking for and promoting kid-created stunt videos. Though Kraft states that... In an effort to market ‰ÛÏLunchables Uploaded,‰Û the same junk food lunches containing bigger portions, Kraft launched a campaign asking for and promoting kid-created stunt videos. Though Kraft states that it doesn’t want kids hurting themselves in the process of creating an ‰ÛÏUpload‰Û video, its website features videos of kids performing risky skateboard tricks without helmets or other protective gear. --- ## New owners of Twinkies target ‘healthier consumers’ with gluten-free Twinkies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-owners-of-twinkies-target-healthier-consumers-with-gluten-free-twinkies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-17 Words: 60 > Though the idea is still in the early stages of development, the brand hopes to broaden its consumer base to health-conscious consumers as part of its ‰ÛÏSweetest Comeback in the... Though the idea is still in the early stages of development, the brand hopes to broaden its consumer base to health-conscious consumers as part of its ‰ÛÏSweetest Comeback in the History of Ever‰Û marketing campaign. The company sees a big opportunity in the gluten-free market because of ‰ÛÏthe perception that a gluten-free diet is healthier.‰Û --- ## CSPI criticizes Shaquille O’Neal for hawking soda while urging diabetes prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cspi-criticizes-shaquille-oneal-for-hawking-soda-while-urging-diabetes-prevention/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-17 Words: 74 > After previously expressing concern about diabetes and saying that he avoided soda for health reasons, Shaquille O'Neal will be promoting ‰ÛÏSoda Shaq‰Û: a product with 270 calories and 17 teaspoons... After previously expressing concern about diabetes and saying that he avoided soda for health reasons, Shaquille O’Neal will be promoting ‰ÛÏSoda Shaq‰Û: a product with 270 calories and 17 teaspoons of sugar per package. Dr. Anthony Iton of the California Endowment points out that soda companies use sports figures like Shaq to minimize concern about health problems linked to soda consumption, ‰ÛÏproblems that African-Americans happen to suffer from disproportionately.‰Û --- ## Hot Pockets attempts to change image with new marketing strategies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hot-pockets-attempts-to-change-image-with-new-marketing-strategies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-16 Words: 38 > In spite of solid sales, the Nestle brand is hoping to improve its image with better ingredients, more transparency about what's inside the product, and an endorsement from Food Network's... In spite of solid sales, the Nestle brand is hoping to improve its image with better ingredients, more transparency about what’s inside the product, and an endorsement from Food Network’s celebrity chef Jeff Mauro. --- ## Skinny Cow uses seasonal pegs to market new hybrid candy-ice cream bars URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/skinny-cow-uses-seasonal-pegs-to-market-new-hybrid-candy-ice-cream-bars/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-16 Words: 71 > Skinny Cow, a brand that advertises itself as a healthier alternative to ice cream, uses summer and National Ice Cream month to market its new sugary products. The Nestle-owned brand's... Skinny Cow, a brand that advertises itself as a healthier alternative to ice cream, uses summer and National Ice Cream month to market its new sugary products. The Nestle-owned brand’s product launch is another example in a growing list of recent products (e.g. Ruffles Crispy Fries, Sonic Pretzel Dog) that combine two snacks to eliminate the “days of having to make a choice” between them. --- ## Baskin-Robbins launches personalized campaign to market ice cream URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/baskin-robbins-launches-personalized-campaign-to-market-ice-cream/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-16 Words: 50 > Pegged to National Ice Cream Month, the campaign is based on a study that allows consumers to find out what their favorite flavor of ice cream says about them. Other... Pegged to National Ice Cream Month, the campaign is based on a study that allows consumers to find out what their favorite flavor of ice cream says about them. Other Baskin-Robbins marketing efforts inspired by National Ice Cream Month include a Twitter sweepstakes, with BR gift cards as prizes. --- ## Jamba Juice partners with Disney to launch kids menu campaign, its ‘largest marketing push yet’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jamba-juice-partners-with-disney-to-launch-kids-menu-campaign-its-largest-marketing-push-yet/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-16 Words: 56 > After the company introduced its first kid-targeted menu earlier this year (featuring smoothies in smaller sizes with no added sugar), Jamba Juice now plans to use characters from Disney's new... After the company introduced its first kid-targeted menu earlier this year (featuring smoothies in smaller sizes with no added sugar), Jamba Juice now plans to use characters from Disney’s new cartoon movie “Planes” to promote the items. The campaign includes a Facebook sweepstakes, in-store and online marketing, and radio commercials. --- ## Pepsi sponsors ‘Black Enterprise’ African-American tennis and golf sporting event URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-sponsors-black-enterprise-african-american-tennis-and-golf-sporting-event/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-15 Words: 64 > Pepsi is sponsoring the 20th annual "Black Enterprise/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge," an event designed to bring together African-American entrepreneurs and business executives. Sponsoring events of this kind is a... Pepsi is sponsoring the 20th annual “Black Enterprise/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge,” an event designed to bring together African-American entrepreneurs and business executives. Sponsoring events of this kind is a form of corporate social responsibility-a marketing tactic that companies use to build goodwill and connections with a target market (in Pepsi’s case, the African-American business community). --- ## Goya Foods launches baby food line with ‘authentic Hispanic flavors’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/goya-foods-launches-baby-food-line-with-authentic-hispanic-flavors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-12 Words: 37 > Goya is partnering with Beech Nut Nutrition to launch a new baby food with ‰ÛÏauthentic Hispanic flavors made especially for your baby.‰Û The baby food will be target marketed to... Goya is partnering with Beech Nut Nutrition to launch a new baby food with ‰ÛÏauthentic Hispanic flavors made especially for your baby.‰Û The baby food will be target marketed to both Latino and non-Latino families. --- ## Hostess launches interactive campaign to market the return of the Twinkie URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hostess-launches-interactive-campaign-to-market-the-return-of-the-twinkie/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-11 Words: 40 > Hostess leverages social media as a marketing tool for the return of Twinkies and other Hostess sugary products, encouraging consumers to "prepare (their) #cakeface" by posting photos and videos of... Hostess leverages social media as a marketing tool for the return of Twinkies and other Hostess sugary products, encouraging consumers to “prepare (their) #cakeface” by posting photos and videos of themselves on sites like Vine, Instagram and Twitter. --- ## 7-Eleven gives out free Slurpees in marketing push for ‘7-11’ day URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-gives-out-free-slurpees-in-marketing-push-for-7-11-day/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-09 Words: 64 > The chain uses seasonal and anniversary pegs to market Slurpees, as annual "7-11" day (July 11 -- the company's "birthday") strategically falls in the middle of summer, at the height... The chain uses seasonal and anniversary pegs to market Slurpees, as annual “7-11” day (July 11 — the company’s “birthday”) strategically falls in the middle of summer, at the height of “Slurpee season.” This year’s multi-faceted give-away campaign also includes digital marketing elements, with consumer-created videos and a mobile app. --- ## Coca-Cola launches Spotify-branded cans in the UK URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-spotify-branded-cans-in-the-uk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-09 Words: 57 > Coke's new cans "direct consumers to an app for music discovery," linking them to a Spotify map displaying what types of music consumers are listening to from around the globe.... Coke’s new cans “direct consumers to an app for music discovery,” linking them to a Spotify map displaying what types of music consumers are listening to from around the globe. The can spawns from Coca-Cola and Spotify’s recent partnership, and as of now, will not be marketed in the US. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts giving out $1K every day this month to market Iced Coffee URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-giving-out-1k-every-day-this-month-to-market-iced-coffee/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-09 Words: 41 > The company uses a summertime seasonal peg and a high-profile sweepstakes to market its new coffee products with the "Iced Coffee Cash & Dash" campaign, which will reward one randomly... The company uses a summertime seasonal peg and a high-profile sweepstakes to market its new coffee products with the “Iced Coffee Cash & Dash” campaign, which will reward one randomly selected customer with $1K each day in July. --- ## General Mills launches 200+ new products to meet new consumer food trends URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-launches-200-new-products-to-meet-new-consumer-food-trends/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-09 Words: 19 > The products include high-energy snacks, gluten-free options, on-the-go breakfasts and other meals that emphasize convenience. The products include high-energy snacks, gluten-free options, on-the-go breakfasts and other meals that emphasize convenience. --- ## Marketers aggressively target kids online, new study reports URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-aggressively-target-kids-online-new-study-reports/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-09 Words: 58 > A new study from the Rudd Center shows that around 2/3 of the food ads kids see on popular websites are for sugary breakfast cereal and fast food, providing still... A new study from the Rudd Center shows that around 2/3 of the food ads kids see on popular websites are for sugary breakfast cereal and fast food, providing still more evidence that the industry’s “self-regulatory pledges do not protect children from advertising of nutritionally poor foods on children’s websites.” --- ## Wendy’s promotes Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger using interactive Twitter campaign featuring Nick Lachey URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-promotes-pretzel-bacon-cheeseburger-using-interactive-twitter-campaign-featuring-nick-lachey/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-08 Words: 46 > Wendy's signed the former boy-band star to target millennials with its new premium (and higher-priced) burger by singing tweets from fans, using the hashtag #pretzellovesongs, while stationed in downtown Manhattan.... Wendy’s signed the former boy-band star to target millennials with its new premium (and higher-priced) burger by singing tweets from fans, using the hashtag #pretzellovesongs, while stationed in downtown Manhattan. Nick’s July 8 performance will be aired live on Facebook. --- ## Food marketers add caffeine to many popular foods, despite growing regulatory concerns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-marketers-add-caffeine-to-many-popular-foods-despite-growing-regulatory-concerns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-08 Words: 68 > An increasing number of food producers are including caffeine as an ingredient in their products, all with little to no regulation. In part due to the newness of the trend,... An increasing number of food producers are including caffeine as an ingredient in their products, all with little to no regulation. In part due to the newness of the trend, “manufacturers don’t have to tell the agency when they add the habit-forming, potentially toxic chemical to foods,” nor are they required to list the amount of hidden caffeine an energy-food product contains. --- ## Companies marketing products based on changing U.S. demographics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/companies-marketing-products-based-on-changing-u-s-demographics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-08 Words: 51 > This New York Times article explores how food marketers are launching new flavors as a response to changing demographics, namely the influx of immigrants from Asian and Latin America. This... This New York Times article explores how food marketers are launching new flavors as a response to changing demographics, namely the influx of immigrants from Asian and Latin America. This is a clear example of how food companies use product-based marketing as well as advertising to target communities of color. --- ## Coca-Cola and McDonald’s use Essence Festival sponsorship to connect with African-American women URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-mcdonalds-use-essence-festival-sponsorship-to-connect-with-african-american-women/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-05 Words: 81 > The Essence Festival is the country's largest celebration of African-American music. McDonald's participated by hosting its 365Black Awards for community engagement and philanthropy, and Coca-Cola, the primary sponsor, erected branded... The Essence Festival is the country’s largest celebration of African-American music. McDonald’s participated by hosting its 365Black Awards for community engagement and philanthropy, and Coca-Cola, the primary sponsor, erected branded display spaces and sponsored social media campaigns, among other promotions. Coke’s VP of multicultural marketing called the partnership an “opportunity to connect and engage with one of the most influential members of today’s community – the African-American woman.” --- ## McDonald’s appeal to millennials hinges on health-conscious image URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-appeal-to-millennials-hinges-on-health-conscious-image/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-03 Words: 43 > The fast food giant is using new, made-to-order products like the McWrap as part of an effort to infiltrate foodie culture and attract young consumers who "have turned to fresher,... The fast food giant is using new, made-to-order products like the McWrap as part of an effort to infiltrate foodie culture and attract young consumers who “have turned to fresher, seemingly healthier offerings” from the chain’s competitors. --- ## #StandForAdvocacy: How social media helped Wendy Davis in the fight for reproductive justice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/standforadvocacy-how-social-media-helped-wendy-davis-in-the-fight-for-reproductive-justice/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 850 > When Wendy Davis planted her feet on the floor of the Texas Capitol to deliver an 11-hour filibuster of a bill that would have closed most of the state's abortion... When Wendy Davis planted her feet on the floor of the Texas Capitol to deliver an 11-hour filibuster of a bill that would have closed most of the state’s abortion clinics, she wasn’t standing there alone. As a widely circulated Twitter hashtag indicates, thousands stood with her. And that’s the beauty of social media: Armed with it, everyone from politicians to public health advocates to ordinary citizens can speak out against draconian legislation like Senate Bill 5 (SB-5) and demand something better. In this case, advocates used social media to push a sorely needed conversation about reproductive justice into the spotlight and expose the chilling implications of SB-5, one of 300 new bills proposed nationwide this year to tighten abortion regulations. If passed, SB-5 would leave Texas women with very little access to services that give them control over their fertility and, in essence, their lives. The bill would particularly impact women who do not live close to the big cities where those five remaining clinics would stay open. Many women living in the geographically humongous state would need to drive hundreds of miles just to reach one. The social media buzz surrounding the bill quickly spurred a full-blown Internet meme, turning what might have remained a matter of Texas politics into an issue the whole country was watching. What’s more, it provided real-time news coverage where — at least initially — almost none existed. Prior to the filibuster, the mainstream media told us very little about SB-5 and its implications for women’s health and autonomy. Instead, it was Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and blogs that provided a platform for advocates to learn about the filibuster and later drove mainstream coverage of the bill. But advocates should take note of the social media stage for another reason: It did more than raise awareness — it’s what propelled the filibuster to success. Wendy Davis and her team were strategic in rallying support for the filibuster using social media. Days before the filibuster, advocates used Facebook to organize rides for supporters to attend the special session, and they wrote blogs to encourage allies to alert their local and national media outlets of the filibuster (most mainstream media outlets didn’t catch on until the following day.) Testimonies of the women who would be the most affected by the bill (which Davis read during her marathon filibuster) were uploaded to her website. And the Texas Tribune, one of few mainstream outlets carrying early coverage of the filibuster, live streamed the event on YouTube, allowing close to 170,000 people to tune in from afar. Advocates also used Twitter to bolster support and tweet throughout the live session. The trending tweet #StandWithWendy was the number one tweet in the world minutes before the midnight deadline for the vote of SB-5. Even President Obama supported Davis’ cause by tweeting #StandWithWendy and using his own political power to advocate against the bill. Yet, in spite of Davis stalling the special session for an impressive 11 hours, because of a few infractions she received (for having a colleague help her adjust the back brace she was wearing and for making a couple of comments that fellow legislators deemed off topic), her filibuster ended with enough time for a vote. It was only because other senators and hundreds of spectators — previously galvanized on social media and now crowded onto the Senate floor — rallied in support of Davis that the session remained stalled and the bill was finally halted. A week later, Davis’ following on Twitter has grown from just 1,200 the night before the filibuster to more than 127,000 followers. Her social media celebrity has catapulted her into the spotlight, which will undoubtedly be important as the fight against SB-5 continues. The social media efforts surrounding Davis’ filibuster have not only changed the landscape of the conversation around the bill, but have also become an example of the powerful voice that social media can give the public, without needing to use mainstream media outlets. With little help from broadcast television or newspapers, the advocates fighting against these stringent abortion regulations instantly expanded their support networks and flooded the web with their opposition to the bill. And now, with a second special session covering abortion legislation underway in Texas, social media continues to keep advocates and the state’s women informed and armed with tools to amplify their voices. Though it’s unlikely that Republicans will risk another filibuster success by scheduling SB-5 to be reintroduced on the last day of the special session, the support for reproductive justice in Texas by social media users cannot be ignored. Those who want to follow and support the fight against SB-5 have plenty of virtual options to make their voices go viral. UPDATE: The abortion bill that Sen. Wendy Davis fought to block passed the Texas Legislature Friday, July 12 — l... --- ## Starbucks gets into the soda game URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/starbucks-gets-into-the-soda-game/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-02 Words: 58 > The coffee franchise is targeting soda drinkers by expanding its product line beyond mochas and Frappuccinos to include lemon, root beer, and ginger ale "handcrafted" sodas. The drinks are currently... The coffee franchise is targeting soda drinkers by expanding its product line beyond mochas and Frappuccinos to include lemon, root beer, and ginger ale “handcrafted” sodas. The drinks are currently being test-marketed at stores in Atlanta and Austin, and if successful, may be launched at more of the franchise’s 18,000 locations worldwide. --- ## Dairy Queen uses National Ice Cream month to market new lemon meringue pie Blizzard URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dairy-queen-uses-national-ice-cream-month-to-market-new-lemon-meringue-pie-blizzard/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-02 Words: 78 > In addition to launching the new flavor, DQ uses a summer-peg to promote an entire line of Blizzards, including the S'mores Blizzard Treat: a shake consisting of marshmallow-filled chocolate bars... In addition to launching the new flavor, DQ uses a summer-peg to promote an entire line of Blizzards, including the S’mores Blizzard Treat: a shake consisting of marshmallow-filled chocolate bars and graham crackers with vanilla soft serve ice cream. The chain’s VP of marketing speaks to the company’s seasonal promotion tactic: “If you’re a fan of summer, you are a fan of the Dairy Queen system.” --- ## Chipotle’s latest marketing stunt: The ‘Adventurrito’ scavenger hunt URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chipotles-latest-marketing-stunt-the-adventurrito-scavenger-hunt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-02 Words: 73 > Chipotle uses its 20th "birthday" as an anniversary peg to boost sales. Customers who participate in the chain's latest attempt at interactive marketing have the chance to win a year... Chipotle uses its 20th “birthday” as an anniversary peg to boost sales. Customers who participate in the chain’s latest attempt at interactive marketing have the chance to win a year of free burritos or the grand prize of 20 years of free burritos. According to the company’s founder, Steve Ells, “Twenty years in, we are changing the way people think about and eat fast food.” --- ## Smashburger markets National Ice Cream month with PB&J Shake URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/smashburger-markets-national-ice-cream-month-with-pbj-shake/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-02 Words: 51 > Dairy Queen's not the only chain to take advantage of the marketing opportunity provided by the month-long celebration of ice cream. Smashburger's new PB&J Shake, "plucked directly from its secret... Dairy Queen’s not the only chain to take advantage of the marketing opportunity provided by the month-long celebration of ice cream. Smashburger’s new PB&J Shake, “plucked directly from its secret menu of items created by guests themselves,” will be marketed all summer. --- ## Coca-Cola targets Latino World Cup Fans by sponsoring Mexican soccer team URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-targets-latino-world-cup-fans-by-sponsoring-mexican-soccer-team/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-02 Words: 71 > As excitement builds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola has begun to accelerate its marketing as a sponsor of the Mexican National Team. Coca-Cola hopes the multi-part campaign, which... As excitement builds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola has begun to accelerate its marketing as a sponsor of the Mexican National Team. Coca-Cola hopes the multi-part campaign, which will include TV spots and a series of sponsored matches, will build brand loyalty among Latinos by tapping into “the feeling, the excitement, the hope, and the need to cheer and follow the Mexican National Team.” --- ## Yogurtland uses Looney Tunes to target-market to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yogurtland-uses-looney-tunes-to-target-market-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-01 Words: 47 > This summer, Yogurtland will feature Looney Tunes characters to market frozen yogurt to children. The promotion will also include collectible merchandise and the chance to win frozen yogurt. The Looney... This summer, Yogurtland will feature Looney Tunes characters to market frozen yogurt to children. The promotion will also include collectible merchandise and the chance to win frozen yogurt. The Looney Tunes partnership will last the summer and end around the time many children are back in school. --- ## Tennis star Maria Sharapova launches line of themed candy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tennis-star-maria-sharapova-launches-line-of-themed-candy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-01 Words: 61 > Maria Sharapova recently launched her new brand of candy called Sugarpova, which comes in 12 sugary flavors in the form of tennis balls and other shapes. Upon criticism from the... Maria Sharapova recently launched her new brand of candy called Sugarpova, which comes in 12 sugary flavors in the form of tennis balls and other shapes. Upon criticism from the National Obesity Forum for using her celebrity to promote junk food, Sharapova defended her brand stating, “At the end of the day, things are fine if taken in moderation.” --- ## TOMA LECHE campaign uses iconic flavors and foods to reach Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/toma-leche-campaign-uses-iconic-flavors-and-foods-to-reach-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-07-01 Words: 55 > The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) hopes to drive milk sales among Latinos this summer by "blend[ing] traditional Hispanic flavors into frozen treats." To that end, the Board has partnered... The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) hopes to drive milk sales among Latinos this summer by “blend[ing] traditional Hispanic flavors into frozen treats.” To that end, the Board has partnered with culinary artist Bricia Lopez to create a series of chilled desserts that “capture iconic Latin American flavors and aromas.” --- ## How I learned to love Twitter: A media advocate’s story of success over Big Tobacco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-i-learned-to-love-twitter-a-media-advocates-story-of-success-over-big-tobacco/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1023 > Initiating an advocacy campaign with a new social media tool and mastering its unfamiliar terrain can be as disconcerting as moving to a different country. And I did both recently,... Initiating an advocacy campaign with a new social media tool and mastering its unfamiliar terrain can be as disconcerting as moving to a different country. And I did both recently, when I employed Twitter to push legislators in Chile to enact the country’s new ban on cigarette advertising and indoor smoking … and then moved back to the U.S., after many years in Latin America, to join the BMSG team. As a journalist based in Chile since the 1990s, I always worked closely with community groups and activist networks on a range of public health issues, including violence against women, HIV/AIDS and reproductive rights. Since women in Chile are among the heaviest smokers in the world, this meant spending untold hours in impassioned debate under clouds of cigarette smoke. Tobacco use was (and still is) the country’s leading cause of preventable death, but its ubiquity (and the astute machinations of the tobacco industry) had rendered it invisible — hidden in plain sight — with no solutions proffered to the public eye beyond individual choice nor any community or non-smoker voices raised in support of comprehensive tobacco control legislation. In the halls of the Chilean Congress, Deputy Marcela Sabat dashes off a quick tweet to her 23,000 followers, pledging her support of tobacco law reform. That realization placed me on a journey of skill-building and strategic communications that culminated on March 1, 2013, with the enactment of one of the world’s most advanced tobacco control laws. The efforts of our group, Chile Libre de Tabaco, (Tobacco Free Chile) and allies in government, academia and public health, give credence to Margaret Mead’s much-quoted maxim: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” One of our most effective campaigns took place over Twitter, a channel we adopted despite our initial reluctance to give time and energy to yet one more online activity. Our turn-around came after a propitious encounter with Deputy Marcela Sabat, the youngest member of Congress, who we ran into in Congressional coffee bar. As we launched into our “elevator” speech, Marcela took our literature, donned our button, and tweeted her support of the law to 23,000 followers. Signing up, for free, to Twitter and investing the time to search for our representatives’ “Twitter handles” gave us an immediate way to engage them in pithy exchanges and explicit endorsements, all conducted in the public realm, recorded in writing, and often adorned with a toothy campaign smile. I don’t know if it is the novelty of Twitter or the tedium of Congressional debates, but Chile’s elected representatives attend their civic duties smart phone in hand, incessantly monitoring texts and tweets to intervene, defend, debate and test-run their arguments. This exchange spills over into evenings, weekends and holidays, as the lawmakers engage in non-stop fine-tuning of their positions based on immediate feedback in real time. One of my favorite illustrations of how this worked for us took place last year on International Workers’ Day. To present smoke-free legislation as an issue of occupational health and labor rights (and not only customer choice), we piggy-backed on the holiday to distribute a series of compelling worker testimonies, sent via private letter to the Labor Minister, and then released to the media via press release, website, Facebook and Twitter. I was on holiday but eagerly checking Twitter for reactions when one of our most adversarial senators responded, challenging the credibility of the testimonies. In a matter of clicks, I sent him, via Twitter, links to the research substantiating our campaign — to which he had no recourse but to respond, to us and his 35,000 followers: “I will have to study these materials.” When, after many months, the final vote was imminent, our Twitter campaign — converted into screen grabs and splashed all over our website and Facebook — constituted a gallery of public pledges. Woe be unto the legislator who disavowed his or her word and voted against reforms: To do so was to merit unrelenting public censure from a persistent cadre of clean air militants. “Is this the value of your word of honor? Is this how an honorable Senator acts?” one Twitter follower complained (in Spanish) to a certain Senator Kuschel, who voted in reverse of his public commitment. Or as Deputy Jorge Burgos, a staunch opponent of smoke-free legislation, tweeted: “For those of you who’ve been pestering me to approve the tobacco law: I just bought 51% of Marlboro. I recuse myself.” The sardonic humor alludes to the matrix of vested interests that bind together Chile’s political and economics elites, and nowhere more so than in the tobacco industry, where several former ministers sit on the board of directors of the country’s quasi-monopoly cigarette manufacturer. In media advocacy work, it’s never easy to identify any single action as responsible ... --- ## Strategic communications and framing webinar for YOU(th)!: How youth-serving organizations can support youth voice for community change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/strategic-communications-and-framing-webinar-for-youth-how-youth-serving-organizations-can-support-youth-voice-for-community-change/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 63 > Youth and youth-serving organizations play an important role in supporting efforts to creating healthy environments, and knowing how to talk about their work is a critical function of their success.... Youth and youth-serving organizations play an important role in supporting efforts to creating healthy environments, and knowing how to talk about their work is a critical function of their success. In this webinar, BMSG’s Ingrid Daffner-Krasnow and the Network for a Healthy California help participants learn how to communicate more effectively and better support youth voice in advancing systems change. --- ## Coca-Cola markets a new ‘mid-calorie cola’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-markets-a-new-mid-calorie-cola/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-27 Words: 72 > Coca-Cola launches "Coca-Cola Life": a new product that contains 50% less sugar than regular Coke and is sweetened with Stevia. The product will hit shelves in Argentina first. According to... Coca-Cola launches “Coca-Cola Life”: a new product that contains 50% less sugar than regular Coke and is sweetened with Stevia. The product will hit shelves in Argentina first. According to Coke, the launch is contingent with the corporation’s effort to “expand (its) portfolio to meet consumers’ evolving needs and preferences around the world,” but is emerging coincidentally close to similar efforts by competitors. --- ## The World Health Organization takes on the food industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-world-health-organization-takes-on-the-food-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-27 Words: 63 > The World Health Organization's Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan analyzes and exposes some of the tactics that "Big Tobacco Big Food, Big Soda, and Big Alcohol" use to protect themselves from... The World Health Organization’s Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan analyzes and exposes some of the tactics that “Big Tobacco Big Food, Big Soda, and Big Alcohol” use to protect themselves from regulation. These tactics include corporate social responsibility campaigns, self-regulation, and framing food issues solely as a matter of personal responsibility, while ignoring any impact of the environment. --- ## Nesquik creates immersive marketing experience for visitors in SoMa URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nesquik-creates-immersive-marketing-experience-for-visitors-in-soma/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-26 Words: 56 > Nesquik sponsored an art-based promotion for two weekends in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, seeking to connect with consumers by tapping into emotions associated with childhood. The installation offers an interactive... Nesquik sponsored an art-based promotion for two weekends in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, seeking to connect with consumers by tapping into emotions associated with childhood. The installation offers an interactive experience featuring bubbles and chocolate scents and aims to sell the product to consumers of all ages through an elaborate, immersive marketing experience. --- ## Is it wrong to market even healthy food to kids? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-it-wrong-to-market-even-healthy-food-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-26 Words: 62 > Responding to a recent article that contends all food marketing aimed at children is inherently deceptive and should be avoided, Bettina Elias Siegel offers what she calls a "realist" perspective.... Responding to a recent article that contends all food marketing aimed at children is inherently deceptive and should be avoided, Bettina Elias Siegel offers what she calls a “realist” perspective. According to Siegel, with the prevalence and presence of today’s advertising, “teaching kids media literacy” is a more realistic plan of action to promote healthy habits. --- ## Chobani designs new products to appeal to wider audience URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chobani-designs-new-products-to-appeal-to-wider-audience/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-25 Words: 49 > Through new product launches this summer, Chobani "is casting a wider net for consumers" and attempting to appeal to a more mainstream group. With the introduction of new "blended" flavors,... Through new product launches this summer, Chobani “is casting a wider net for consumers” and attempting to appeal to a more mainstream group. With the introduction of new “blended” flavors, Chobani hopes to target the same consumers that choose competitors’ products, such as Yoplait. --- ## Sonic to launch combo of summertime junk foods with the ‘pretzel-dog’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sonic-to-launch-combo-of-summertime-junk-foods-with-the-pretzel-dog/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-25 Words: 62 > Sonic's new product attempts to solve the "age-old summertime dilemma of hot dog versus pretzel" by eliminating the choice. The new "pretzel-dog," will be marketed just in time for the... Sonic’s new product attempts to solve the “age-old summertime dilemma of hot dog versus pretzel” by eliminating the choice. The new “pretzel-dog,” will be marketed just in time for the Fourth of July. This campaign is similar to efforts like Ruffles’ recent product launch, combining the taste of potato chips and French fries. --- ## Hostess plans a comeback for processed, sugary treats URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hostess-plans-a-comeback-for-processed-sugary-treats/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-24 Words: 53 > Twinkies, Donettes and other Hostess sugary snacks that appeal to children will be back on the market this July, just in time for summer break. Though the product lacks nutritional... Twinkies, Donettes and other Hostess sugary snacks that appeal to children will be back on the market this July, just in time for summer break. Though the product lacks nutritional value just like its predecessors, each box will feature a new marketing catchphrase: “The Sweetest Comeback In The History of Ever.” --- ## Post Fruity Pebbles promotion targets wrestling fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/post-fruity-pebbles-promotion-targets-wrestling-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-21 Words: 58 > The cereal brand's new promotion features the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star John Cena in two new television commercials, an interactive mobile app, and a giveaway sweepstakes. The commercial shows... The cereal brand’s new promotion features the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star John Cena in two new television commercials, an interactive mobile app, and a giveaway sweepstakes. The commercial shows the wrestling star using Fruity Pebbles to “amp up” his morning. This is another industry example of athlete endorsement of products to boost sales. --- ## Ranking confirms Coke’s marketing is highly effective URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ranking-confirms-cokes-marketing-is-highly-effective/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-21 Words: 70 > The 2013 Effie Effectiveness Index, a ranking that reveals which companies have been most successful in developing creative ideas, revealed Coca-Cola's marketing as most effective at connecting with consumers. It... The 2013 Effie Effectiveness Index, a ranking that reveals which companies have been most successful in developing creative ideas, revealed Coca-Cola’s marketing as most effective at connecting with consumers. It surpassed McDonald’s, which was ranked second, and Pepsi, which came in third. The Coke brand had the biggest “impact” in Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa, including many poverty-stricken areas. --- ## Kellogg’s sued over its deceptive marketing claim for unhealthy ‘made with real fruit’ snacks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-sued-over-its-deceptive-marketing-claim-for-unhealthy-made-with-real-fruit-snacks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-20 Words: 45 > A class action lawsuit was filed in federal court last week against Kellogg's for advertising its Super Mario fruit snacks as being made with real fruit. The plaintiff is accusing... A class action lawsuit was filed in federal court last week against Kellogg’s for advertising its Super Mario fruit snacks as being made with real fruit. The plaintiff is accusing the food corporation of misleading consumers into buying the unhealthy, artificially flavored snack. --- ## Oreo launches limited edition ‘Watermelon Oreos’ in time for summer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-launches-limited-edition-watermelon-oreos-in-time-for-summer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-19 Words: 43 > Oreo's new limited edition watermelon-flavored cookies are artificially flavored and contain no real fruit. The strategy of marketing new food products as "limited time offers" is one that the fast... Oreo’s new limited edition watermelon-flavored cookies are artificially flavored and contain no real fruit. The strategy of marketing new food products as “limited time offers” is one that the fast food industry has been using successfully for years. --- ## WHO calls for tighter controls on food marketing rules to curb childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/who-calls-for-tighter-controls-on-food-marketing-rules-to-curb-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-18 Words: 62 > A WHO Europe report highlights the importance for governments to utilize comprehensive approaches to regulate targeted marketing of foods to children, who are vulnerable to more than just television ads... A WHO Europe report highlights the importance for governments to utilize comprehensive approaches to regulate targeted marketing of foods to children, who are vulnerable to more than just television ads but also social media and smart phone advertising. The leading categories of advertised foods were reported to be soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, biscuits, sweets, snacks, ready meals and fast food meals. --- ## Food companies capitalize off of the natural trend URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-companies-capitalize-off-of-the-natural-trend/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-18 Words: 76 > Tuned in to customers' desire for less processed food products, food companies are purposefully making their products look less perfect and more "natural." Some examples include Kraft Foods' Carving Board... Tuned in to customers’ desire for less processed food products, food companies are purposefully making their products look less perfect and more “natural.” Some examples include Kraft Foods’ Carving Board lunchmeat, which is the same product as other Kraft lunchmeat but is cut unevenly rather than in their typical oval shape, Domino’s imperfectly shaped “Artisan Pizzas” and McDonald’s uneven egg whites in their Egg White McMuffin. --- ## Heinz UK targets babies with new processed breakfast foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/heinz-uk-targets-babies-with-new-processed-breakfast-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-18 Words: 48 > Heinz's new line of products in the UK is an attempt to tap into the breakfast on-the-go trend, and will feature the first "ready-to-eat breakfast format specifically designed for babies."... Heinz’s new line of products in the UK is an attempt to tap into the breakfast on-the-go trend, and will feature the first “ready-to-eat breakfast format specifically designed for babies.” These products include cereals and a breakfast biscotti for infants. --- ## Nickelodeon resists pressure to stop advertising junk food to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nickelodeon-resists-pressure-to-stop-advertising-junk-food-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-18 Words: 61 > Despite pressure put on Nickelodeon to restrict its advertising of junk foods to kids, the network hasn't budged. Food remains Nickelodeon's third biggest advertising category. Advocacy groups including the Center... Despite pressure put on Nickelodeon to restrict its advertising of junk foods to kids, the network hasn’t budged. Food remains Nickelodeon’s third biggest advertising category. Advocacy groups including the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Berkeley Media Studies Group, and four Democratic senators have been pushing for the network to start implementing stricter advertising standards. --- ## Jay-Z’s Android deal shows how race colors smartphone market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jay-zs-android-deal-shows-how-race-colors-smartphone-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-18 Words: 87 > Jay-Z partnered with Samsung to promote his new album to millions of young people of color who are starting to use smartphones, while Samsung has the chance to associate with... Jay-Z partnered with Samsung to promote his new album to millions of young people of color who are starting to use smartphones, while Samsung has the chance to associate with “one of the coolest cats in pop culture.” The Android-specific partnership is strategic: African-Americans are more likely than whites or Latinos to own an Android. The music mogul’s new music will be available for free for the first one million Android users who download a special app for the album. --- ## Soda tax debates: News coverage of ballot measures in Richmond and El Monte, California, 2012 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/soda-tax-debates-news-coverage-of-ballot-measures-in-richmond-and-el-monte-california-2012/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 3856 > In 2012, the working-class California cities of Richmond and El Monte asked voters to consider a penny-per-ounce taxa on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). The measures appeared on the ballot alongside companion... In 2012, the working-class California cities of Richmond and El Monte asked voters to consider a penny-per-ounce taxa on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). The measures appeared on the ballot alongside companion advisory policies that proposed earmarking revenue from the tax for youth obesity prevention programs and, in El Monte, for other city services as well. The soda industry launched a $4 million campaign to defeat the two proposals, making the soda taxes the focus of the most expensive election campaigns in either city’s history. The SSB ballot measures were rejected in the November 6 election (by 67% in Richmond and 77% in El Monte), although the advisory policies that accompanied them passed by wide margins. This preliminary report highlights key aspects of how the news covered the proposals, including the type and volume of coverage they received, who was quoted, and the arguments made by advocates and opponents of the policies. We will publish a full analysis of how both debates were framed in news coverage later this year. What was the news about? Articles about the Richmond tax dominated newspaper coverage and appeared most frequently at key milestones leading up to the election. We found a total of 547 newspaper articles (see Appendix 1 for methods), including English-language news, Spanish-language news, and industry publications. After randomly selecting half of the English-language articles, our final sample included 218 articles that substantively discussed the tax policies. The remaining articles mentioned the policy debates only in passing or were not relevant. The majority of the news focused on the Richmond tax proposal: 64% of articles were about Richmond, compared to only 15% about El Monte; 6% were primarily about some other SSB policy (such as the proposed soda size limit in New York City), while 15% of news stories had another focus, such as, for example, a profile of Jeff Ritterman, the outgoing city council member who developed, sponsored, and promoted the Richmond measure. Opinion pieces were more or less evenly divided for and against the tax. The majority of the coverage was news (57%), while 43% was opinion pieces including letters-to-the-editor, op-eds and blogs. Opinion coverage was more or less evenly divided: 44% of opinion pieces favored soda taxes, 39% opposed the policies, and 17% took a mixed or unclear position. However, of the nine editorials that appeared, all took an anti-tax position. Most of the opinion coverage appeared directly before and after the elections: 70% appeared between September and November 2012, with 40% appearing in October alone. News articles were more evenly distributed across the year. Who was quoted in the coverage? The most frequent speakers in the news were city officials such as Richmond City Council member Jeff Ritterman, as well as residents of the two cities and surrounding areas, opinion writers (including columnists and editorial boards), public health advocates, and doctors and medical researchers. City officials, public health advocates, and the medical community spoke overwhelmingly in favor of the tax, while community residents and opinion authors were more or less evenly split for and against the tax. Speakers who were explicitly identified as representatives of soda companies or soda-affiliated organizations (like the American Beverage Association) comprised only 5% of total arguments (all anti-tax). Spokespeople for the industry-funded Richmond anti-tax group Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes (CCABT) and its El Monte counterpart, El Monte Citizens Against Beverage Taxes, expressed an additional 6% of anti-tax arguments. CCABT included a broad swath of the Richmond community, particularly its African-American community.1 Among others, the Coalition included city officials (such as Councilman Corky Booze); local business owners; medical professionals; African-American leaders (such as the head of the Black American Political Action Committee [BAPAC]); community residents; and religious leaders (see Appendix 2). El Monte Citizens Against Beverage Taxes primarily included local businesses (see Appendix 3). At times, these speakers were quoted in the news, but their industry affiliations were not acknowledged. Therefore, Table 2 (below) may somewhat underrepresent the presence of the Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes, El Monte Citizens Against Beverage Taxes, and, by extension, the SSB industry, in the news. What arguments appeared in the news? Each article could contain a variety of arguments. On average, each story contained nine arguments, for a total of 2,125. Table 2 lists the prevalence of these arguments in each community. Overall, pro-tax arguments appeared more frequently than arguments urging the taxes’ defeat (63% vs. 37%). The arguments fell into three categories. Some described the need for the taxes, centering on whether obesity is a high-priority health crisis and whether soda is a prime suspect wort... --- ## Why marketing even healthy food to children is dangerous URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-marketing-even-healthy-food-to-children-is-dangerous/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-17 Words: 81 > Susan Linn, Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and Michele Simon, public health attorney and author, discuss why marketing "healthy" food to children is not a solution to... Susan Linn, Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and Michele Simon, public health attorney and author, discuss why marketing “healthy” food to children is not a solution to the ethical problems of child-targeted marketing. Because kids cannot understand advertising’s persuasive intent, they explain, all marketing to them “is inherently deceptive.” Linn and Simon offer ideas for change and pitfalls for advocates to avoid in their efforts to improve kids’ health. --- ## Moms enraged at Kraft’s new ad campaign featuring nude man URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/moms-enraged-at-krafts-new-ad-campaign-featuring-nude-man/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-17 Words: 58 > Kraft's new ad campaign for its Zesty Italian salad dressing is creating controversy among the advocacy group One Million Moms. The group has protested that the ad, featuring a nearly... Kraft’s new ad campaign for its Zesty Italian salad dressing is creating controversy among the advocacy group One Million Moms. The group has protested that the ad, featuring a nearly nude male model, is “the most disgusting ad” they had ever seen and is demanding that Kraft stop using sex to sell their products. --- ## Big Industries target African American women by sponsoring annual ESSENCE Festival URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-industries-target-african-american-women-by-sponsoring-annual-essence-festival/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-17 Words: 73 > The nation's largest African American festival is an "opportunity to engage with the world's most esteemed brands" as well as an opportunity for those brands to utilize targeted marketing. This... The nation’s largest African American festival is an “opportunity to engage with the world’s most esteemed brands” as well as an opportunity for those brands to utilize targeted marketing. This July, the event in New Orleans will feature promotional booths by Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Coors Light; Walmart will even have a booth where you can learn about African American history and “celebrate Black love.” --- ## Keebler’s elf becomes ‘El Duende’ in new snacks that target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/keeblers-elf-becomes-el-duende-in-new-snacks-that-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-14 Words: 42 > Hispanic consumers, recognized by Kellogg as the fastest growing ethic group in the U.S., are a big target for Kellogg's new summer snack products. Their new lemon and coconut cookie... Hispanic consumers, recognized by Kellogg as the fastest growing ethic group in the U.S., are a big target for Kellogg’s new summer snack products. Their new lemon and coconut cookie features the Keebler elf as “El Duende.” --- ## Sergio Romo’s new ice cream flavor makes pro-migrant statement URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sergio-romos-new-ice-cream-flavor-makes-pro-migrant-statement/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-14 Words: 80 > After stepping out at the World Series parade in a shirt that said, "I just look illegal", San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo partnered with Bay Area ice cream company... After stepping out at the World Series parade in a shirt that said, “I just look illegal”, San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo partnered with Bay Area ice cream company Three Twins to create a Mexican chocolate flavor with the tagline, “It only tastes illegal.” The controversial product aims to get people talking about immigration policy in the U.S., and some of the profits from the new ice cream will raise money for immigration reform. --- ## Video: Bringing health equity to the message environment: Policy issues URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-bringing-health-equity-to-the-message-environment-policy-issues/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 92 > In this presentation, as part of the Institute of Medicine workshop Creating Equal Opportunities for a Healthy Weight, BMSG's Lori Dorfman discusses how our message environment undermines health equity by... In this presentation, as part of the Institute of Medicine workshop Creating Equal Opportunities for a Healthy Weight, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman discusses how our message environment undermines health equity by targeting youth (especially youth of color) with marketing for unhealthy foods. Dorfman says this type of targeting often happens without parents’ knowledge and makes recommendations for change, including conducting more research and pushing for policies that strengthen nutrition standards and hold industry accountable. Learn more about the IOM workshop and view additional commentary from Dorfman in this workshop summary. --- ## Senators urge Nickelodeon to stop airing junk food ads to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/senators-urge-nickelodeon-to-stop-airing-junk-food-ads-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-10 Words: 66 > Four senators join Berkeley Media Studies Group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and other partners in demanding that Nickelodeon "implement strong nutrition standards for all of... Four senators join Berkeley Media Studies Group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and other partners in demanding that Nickelodeon “implement strong nutrition standards for all of its marketing to children.” Although CSPI found that seven out of 10 food ads Nick carries are for junk foods, Nickelodeon claims its first responsibility is entertainment and will not change its advertising lineup. --- ## Study: Consumers think foods labeled ‘low fat’ are always healthier URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-consumers-think-foods-labeled-low-fat-are-always-healthier/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-10 Words: 75 > Professor Daria Ebneter from the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that a product's "low fat" label tends to influence consumer choices and perceptions of a product more than its... Professor Daria Ebneter from the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that a product’s “low fat” label tends to influence consumer choices and perceptions of a product more than its caloric information. The study suggests that shoppers tend to underestimate the number of calories in a “low fat” option and overestimate the calorie count of a “regular” option, exemplifying the power of labeling as a marketing strategy. --- ## Lollipop company uses shock value to drive sales of breast milk flavored lollipops URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lollipop-company-uses-shock-value-to-drive-sales-of-breast-milk-flavored-lollipops/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-10 Words: 53 > Lollyphile's new breast milk flavored lollipop has "turned heads," with thousands of pops having already been sold in Texas, where the company is based. The lollipop does not contain breast... Lollyphile’s new breast milk flavored lollipop has “turned heads,” with thousands of pops having already been sold in Texas, where the company is based. The lollipop does not contain breast milk itself, but a blend of sugar and artificial and natural flavoring designed to taste like the real thing. --- ## General Mills uses target marketing to keep its cereal selling strong URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-uses-target-marketing-to-keep-its-cereal-selling-strong/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-10 Words: 56 > General Mills CEO Don Mulligan discusses the company's efforts to boost sales by "advertising to the right consumers." The article discusses some of General Mills' previous targeting efforts, like its... General Mills CEO Don Mulligan discusses the company’s efforts to boost sales by “advertising to the right consumers.” The article discusses some of General Mills’ previous targeting efforts, like its recent marketing of Lucky Charms to adults, and offers a glimpse into what might be the future of targeted cereal marketing. --- ## Despite racist comments, Cheerios commercial featuring multiethnic family draws high marks overall URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/despite-racist-comments-cheerios-commercial-featuring-multiethnic-family-draws-high-marks-overall/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-07 Words: 50 > Cheerios' latest ad, which features an interracial couple and their daughter, inspired a host of racist feedback on YouTube, but scored highly on likeability, attention, and other factors. It remains... Cheerios’ latest ad, which features an interracial couple and their daughter, inspired a host of racist feedback on YouTube, but scored highly on likeability, attention, and other factors. It remains to be seen whether other companies will follow Cheerios’ example and prominently feature multiethnic families in their marketing. --- ## Wendy’s targets kids and families with new $1.99 Kids’ Meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-targets-kids-and-families-with-new-1-99-kids-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-07 Words: 63 > The fast food restaurant is promoting the meals both for their low price tag and for their connection to Kids LiveWell, an industry program that Wendy's has joined to help... The fast food restaurant is promoting the meals both for their low price tag and for their connection to Kids LiveWell, an industry program that Wendy’s has joined to help position itself on the side of health. Two of the Kids’ Meals meet the program’s nutrition criteria. Each meal includes a toy targeted at kids and their parents. --- ## New Coca-Cola design made for ‘beach bums in Colombia’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-coca-cola-design-made-for-beach-bums-in-colombia/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-07 Words: 49 > A newly designed Coca-Cola bottle is made out of ice to keep the drink cold and then disappears in the heat when it melts. The "Botello de Hielo" is promoted... A newly designed Coca-Cola bottle is made out of ice to keep the drink cold and then disappears in the heat when it melts. The “Botello de Hielo” is promoted in a Spanish-language commercial featuring happy beach-goers enjoying the “eco-friendly” product. --- ## Flavor company explores grilled fruit flavors to target Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/flavor-company-explores-grilled-fruit-flavors-to-target-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-06 Words: 43 > Marketers are increasingly developing new products to appeal to the growing Latino population. A recent example comes from flavor and fragrance company Symrise, which recently introduced a host of new... Marketers are increasingly developing new products to appeal to the growing Latino population. A recent example comes from flavor and fragrance company Symrise, which recently introduced a host of new grilled fruit flavors that the company says have “a Hispanic flair.” --- ## Study: TV programs with commercials linked to greater junk food consumption in children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-tv-programs-with-commercials-linked-to-greater-junk-food-consumption-in-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-06 Words: 63 > Researchers from the University of Michigan found that children in households with higher commercial TV viewing consumed junk food more than kids with less exposure to commercials. While the article... Researchers from the University of Michigan found that children in households with higher commercial TV viewing consumed junk food more than kids with less exposure to commercials. While the article emphasizes individual parents’ responsibility to limit junk food, it also recommends demanding a policy solution that would hold the industry accountable: a ban on junk food advertising during kids’ TV shows. --- ## Ruffles’ newest product-based marketing strategy: combining fries and potato chips URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ruffles-newest-product-based-marketing-strategy-combining-fries-and-potato-chips/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-05 Words: 44 > Ruffles' "addictive" new hybrid snack is being marketed to solve the "timeless struggle, the eternal choice" between choosing potato chips or French fries. The product is set for an early... Ruffles’ “addictive” new hybrid snack is being marketed to solve the “timeless struggle, the eternal choice” between choosing potato chips or French fries. The product is set for an early summer launch, possibly to drive Fourth of July sales. --- ## Food industry attacks Irish ban on junk food ads during children’s TV URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-attacks-irish-ban-on-junk-food-ads-during-childrens-tv/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-05 Words: 45 > The new regulation, effective this fall, will prevent food and beverage marketers from advertising products high in salt, fat and sugar during kids' shows. Food manufacturers have pushed back against... The new regulation, effective this fall, will prevent food and beverage marketers from advertising products high in salt, fat and sugar during kids’ shows. Food manufacturers have pushed back against the ban, questioning the nutrition criteria used to determine what items will be restricted. --- ## Coke peddles world peace in international marketing stunt URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-peddles-world-peace-in-international-marketing-stunt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-05 Words: 67 > Marion Nestle critiques the rollout of Coca-Cola's "Little Machines," in which residents of Lahore, Pakistan, and New Delhi, India, have to cooperate via video with one another to get their... Marion Nestle critiques the rollout of Coca-Cola’s “Little Machines,” in which residents of Lahore, Pakistan, and New Delhi, India, have to cooperate via video with one another to get their Coke. She argues the machines are little more than a sales gimmick to boost Coke revenue internationally: “Americans aren’t buying it so much anymore, so overseas it goes.” --- ## Is ‘the cola war’ becoming the juice war? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-the-cola-war-becoming-the-juice-war/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-04 Words: 61 > In response to consumers' waning interest in soda, the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are shifting their marketing energy to their juice brands. The juice market is projected to exceed $21... In response to consumers’ waning interest in soda, the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are shifting their marketing energy to their juice brands. The juice market is projected to exceed $21 billion by 2017, fueled in part by the introduction of low-calorie options and ongoing efforts by marketers to target multicultural families and health conscious consumers of all ages. --- ## Pepsi offers free soda for Facebook likes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-offers-free-soda-for-facebook-likes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-06-04 Words: 57 > Pepsi's Like Machine, an interactive social-media vending machine, allows users to trade a "like" on the Pepsi Facebook page for a free can of soda. The machine allows Pepsi to... Pepsi’s Like Machine, an interactive social-media vending machine, allows users to trade a “like” on the Pepsi Facebook page for a free can of soda. The machine allows Pepsi to collect data on exactly who “liked” and tried the drink, making the invention “an advertiser’s dream.” --- ## From me to us: Taking racism from the individual to the structural URL: https://www.bmsg.org/from-me-to-us-taking-racism-from-the-individual-to-the-structural/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 816 > During a recent afternoon at BMSG, my colleagues and I got together over lunch to view and discuss a video on the root causes of poor health. The video, featuring... During a recent afternoon at BMSG, my colleagues and I got together over lunch to view and discuss a video on the root causes of poor health. The video, featuring Dr. Camara Jones, a health equity researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that one of these causes is racism. It also showed that if we are going to tackle racism, we have to broaden our understanding of it from an issue that’s solely about individual acts of discrimination to an issue that is structural — in other words, one that stems from political decisions and practices that consistently advantage some groups over others. This is easier said than done. Right in the middle of Jones’ otherwise engaging exploration of racism’s connection to health, my mind wandered and I experienced a flashback. I was transported to my fifth grade classroom at Cantua Creek Elementary, a K-8 school that served the farm worker community in west Fresno County. I was sitting at my desk in science class. The teacher’s name escapes me, but I remember him as a tall, thin, bald and affable man. And I remember being the teacher’s pet, although I can’t imagine why since I was terrible at science. On this day, I was wearing a jean jacket with a gold UFW lapel pin given to me by my sister, a former union organizer who began taking me to meetings up and down the Central Valley. It was the beginning of my social and political education, and I remember being so proud of my pin. But my teacher felt otherwise. “Just because you’re wearing that pin, don’t think you’ll get any special treatment in here,” I recall him announcing in front of the class. Right then and there, I stopped being his favorite. I felt shamed by the man I had looked up to for support and approval. Worst of all, he made me feel ashamed of being Mexican. I brought up my flashback during our discussion of the video we had just seen, and a colleague pointed out that I had personalized the discussion of racism as part of a process that we teach participants in our media advocacy training called the default frame. This frame, or way of looking at the world, puts the responsibility for our good health on individuals and fails to include all of the institutions and systems in place that undermine our health, such as racist and exclusionary public policies that most impact low-income and communities of color. This frame is especially troublesome because if health problems are defined solely as matters of personal responsibility, the public won’t see how the circumstances surrounding people also affect their health. But I offer that for people of color, you have to “sit” with racism and other forms of discrimination before you reframe the discussion to cue the environmental or structural manifestations of oppression. Something as deeply personal and impactful as racism simply isn’t processed in systemic terms. But using language that moves racism from personal to structural is key to showing how policy change can right wrongs experienced by entire populations. As the son of undocumented immigrants, it was my personal experience with immigration policy that fueled both my journalistic passion and advocacy for fair and balanced reporting when I was the immigration reporter for the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News during the contentious immigration debate in the mid-2000s. I advocated for telling the stories of immigrants in our coverage of immigration, a glaring omission in the Colorado press. I formed a committee to stop the newspaper from using the dehumanizing term “illegal(s)” as a noun, especially in headlines. And as a lifetime member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, I petitioned the organization to call for an end to the term’s use. All the while, I kept thinking to myself: “No one is going to call my mom an illegal.” I like to think that I was part of a movement that grew to gain large-scale support from a variety of groups and organizations, such as the Applied Research Center, which launched the “Drop the I-Word” campaign in 2010 in order to remove “illegals” from everyday use and public discourse. Earlier this year, The Associated Press announced it would drop the phrase “illegal immigrant” from its stylebook, which is the journalism industry’s definitive guide for reporters and editors. So, there are two lessons here (one I’ve blogged about before): Allow the personal pain of racial injustice and oppression fuel your advocacy efforts — just make sure to connect your story to institutional change. And remember, change takes time. --- ## Marion Nestle: Food industry obesity efforts little more than publicity stunt URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-food-industry-obesity-efforts-little-more-than-publicity-stunt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-31 Words: 50 > Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health professor at NYU, reveals the context behind Coca-Cola's pledge to help beat obesity: "Food companies have gotten great press from... Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health professor at NYU, reveals the context behind Coca-Cola’s pledge to help beat obesity: “Food companies have gotten great press from announcing changes to their products without doing anything, and every promise helps stave off regulation.” --- ## Cheerios ad starring interracial family ignites racist hate storm URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cheerios-ad-starring-interracial-family-ignites-racist-hate-storm/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-31 Words: 52 > ColorLines blogger Jorge Rivas discusses a recent Cheerios commercial featuring an interracial couple and their daughter, which garnered an overwhelmingly negative response and led to Cheerios closing the comments section... ColorLines blogger Jorge Rivas discusses a recent Cheerios commercial featuring an interracial couple and their daughter, which garnered an overwhelmingly negative response and led to Cheerios closing the comments section on the video’s YouTube posting. Rivas said advertisers often fail to accurately reflect cultural norms for fear of such backlash. --- ## Food, beverage industry progress report gives incomplete picture of health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-beverage-industry-progress-report-gives-incomplete-picture-of-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-30 Words: 65 > Top food and beverage companies have reduced their calories in the U.S. marketplace by over 1.5 trillion, according to a progress report funded by food and beverage industry partners. Although... Top food and beverage companies have reduced their calories in the U.S. marketplace by over 1.5 trillion, according to a progress report funded by food and beverage industry partners. Although the report focuses on calorie counts, it gives little indication of how nutritious the products are. An independent review of the findings will be completed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation this fall. --- ## Alcohol advertising under pressure from regulators in several countries URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/alcohol-advertising-under-pressure-from-regulators-in-several-countries/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-30 Words: 41 > The Los Angeles City Council is considering a ban on alcohol advertising on city property, which would substantially reduce the number of billboards available to alcohol advertisers. Regulations are also... The Los Angeles City Council is considering a ban on alcohol advertising on city property, which would substantially reduce the number of billboards available to alcohol advertisers. Regulations are also being tightened or reexamined in the UK, Turkey, Cambodia, and Russia. --- ## Michele Simon: The 10 most absurd lies told by McDonald’s CEO URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/michele-simon-the-10-most-absurd-lies-told-by-mcdonalds-ceo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-30 Words: 57 > Public health attorney Michele Simon describes the discussion at McDonald's annual shareholder meeting, where activists, including 9-year-old Hannah Robertson, confronted the fast food giant for exploiting children and communities of... Public health attorney Michele Simon describes the discussion at McDonald’s annual shareholder meeting, where activists, including 9-year-old Hannah Robertson, confronted the fast food giant for exploiting children and communities of color. Simon recaps CEO Don Thompson’s most outrageous and flimsy defenses of the company and rebuts each of his claims. --- ## Marketers include Asian-Americans in growing number of ads, but at what cost? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-include-asian-americans-in-growing-number-of-ads-but-at-what-cost/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-30 Words: 65 > In this editorial, marketing executive Bill Imada argues that the advertising industry has taken the lead in positively portraying Asian-Americans in a variety of mainstream roles. However, in his assessment,... In this editorial, marketing executive Bill Imada argues that the advertising industry has taken the lead in positively portraying Asian-Americans in a variety of mainstream roles. However, in his assessment, Imada doesn’t discuss the fact that by featuring Asian-Americans in their commercials, companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola target those communities for the purchase of unhealthy and harmful products. --- ## Personalized Coca-Colas, but not if your name is Mohammed or Maria URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/personalized-coca-colas-but-not-if-your-name-is-mohammed-or-maria/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-29 Words: 55 > Coca-Cola's new "Share a Coke" campaign, launched in Europe, aims at connecting personally with consumers by allowing them to buy a Coke with their name on it. There has been... Coca-Cola’s new “Share a Coke” campaign, launched in Europe, aims at connecting personally with consumers by allowing them to buy a Coke with their name on it. There has been backlash, however, as the campaign excludes some uncommon names and Arabic names, in spite of their popularity in the region. --- ## Kellogg reaches $4 million settlement in lawsuit over claims that Mini-Wheats improve kids’ cognition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-reaches-4-million-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-claims-that-mini-wheats-improve-kids-cognition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-29 Words: 52 > Consumers filed a class-action lawsuit based on Kellogg's claims that their Mini-Wheats increased kids' attentiveness and memory. Although Kellogg stands by its advertising and denies doing anything wrong, the company... Consumers filed a class-action lawsuit based on Kellogg’s claims that their Mini-Wheats increased kids’ attentiveness and memory. Although Kellogg stands by its advertising and denies doing anything wrong, the company will pay out $4 million to consumers who bought Mini-Wheats between January 2008 and October 2009. --- ## New research helps marketers more effectively target Latinos through tablets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-research-helps-marketers-more-effectively-target-latinos-through-tablets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-29 Words: 51 > Marketers have identified Latino communities as early adopters of new technologies. The tablet is one example, with eMarketer projecting that nearly a quarter of Latinos in the U.S. will be... Marketers have identified Latino communities as early adopters of new technologies. The tablet is one example, with eMarketer projecting that nearly a quarter of Latinos in the U.S. will be using one by 2015. This may be the latest example of data that marketers rely on to target Latinos digitally. --- ## Cracker Jack, Smucker’s, Kashi launch new product flavors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cracker-jack-smuckers-kashi-launch-new-product-flavors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-28 Words: 35 > Several big names in the food industry reveal new products that will be hitting retail in time for summer. These launches illustrate the importance of product-based marketing -- launching novel... Several big names in the food industry reveal new products that will be hitting retail in time for summer. These launches illustrate the importance of product-based marketing — launching novel products to boost sales. --- ## Diners badly underestimate calories in fast food meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diners-badly-underestimate-calories-in-fast-food-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-24 Words: 46 > New research from Harvard Medical School shows that consumers, including teenagers and children, badly underestimate the number of calories in their fast food meals. The study's author concludes that menu... New research from Harvard Medical School shows that consumers, including teenagers and children, badly underestimate the number of calories in their fast food meals. The study’s author concludes that menu labeling in fast food restaurants will help guide consumer choices and rectify these discrepancies. --- ## McDonalds launches online sweepstakes targeting Latino soccer fans in effort to secure 2014 FIFA World Cup sponsorship URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-launches-online-sweepstakes-targeting-latino-soccer-fans-in-effort-to-secure-2014-fifa-world-cup-sponsorship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-24 Words: 86 > McDonald's launched an online sweepstakes offering the chance for Latino soccer fans to win a VIP trip to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The sweepstakes is an effort... McDonald’s launched an online sweepstakes offering the chance for Latino soccer fans to win a VIP trip to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The sweepstakes is an effort for the company to secure its sponsorship for the soccer tournament next year by promoting their brand to Latino soccer fans. Marketing for the sweepstakes includes a bilingual website which uses Twitter, as well as marketing by a Latino-focused advertising team that involves several agencies that work with McDonalds on a global scale. --- ## 9-year-old challenges McDonald’s CEO at shareholder’s meeting URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/9-year-old-challenges-mcdonalds-ceo-at-shareholders-meeting/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-23 Words: 67 > Nine-year-old Hannah Robertson made headlines this week when she lectured McDonald's CEO Don Thompson on the chain's marketing practices and unhealthy products. "I don't think it's fair when big companies... Nine-year-old Hannah Robertson made headlines this week when she lectured McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson on the chain’s marketing practices and unhealthy products. “I don’t think it’s fair when big companies try to trick kids into eating food,” she said. “It isn’t fair that so many kids my age are getting sick.” --- ## McDonalds criticized for targeting African-Americans, children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-criticized-for-targeting-african-americans-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-23 Words: 53 > Protesters rallied outside the company's annual shareholders' meeting. At the meeting, 6 of 13 shareholder questions had to do with McDonald's role in the obesity epidemic. Don Thompson, the company's... Protesters rallied outside the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting. At the meeting, 6 of 13 shareholder questions had to do with McDonald’s role in the obesity epidemic. Don Thompson, the company’s chief executive, claimed that McDonald’s does not specifically target communities of color or children. --- ## Research conclusively links food marketing to childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/research-conclusively-links-food-marketing-to-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-22 Words: 55 > Rutgers Business School professor Jerome Williams is co-editor of a new book that explores the role of media communications on the childhood obesity epidemic. He concludes that multiple stakeholders, including... Rutgers Business School professor Jerome Williams is co-editor of a new book that explores the role of media communications on the childhood obesity epidemic. He concludes that multiple stakeholders, including researchers and policy makers, have a role in driving the conversation around changing the media landscape and its impact on children’s health. --- ## Dairy Queen seeks repeat customers with new campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dairy-queen-seeks-repeat-customers-with-new-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-21 Words: 36 > Dairy Queen's latest ad campaign, which will involve social as well as traditional media, seeks to "reconnect emotionally" with customers and urge them to visit the chain for more than... Dairy Queen’s latest ad campaign, which will involve social as well as traditional media, seeks to “reconnect emotionally” with customers and urge them to visit the chain for more than just dessert. --- ## Advocates use social media to fight Big Food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocates-use-social-media-to-fight-big-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-21 Words: 70 > Food and beverage marketers are increasingly turning to social media to target children and teens. Blogger Bettina Elias Siegel is fighting back with a YouTube video that she hopes will... Food and beverage marketers are increasingly turning to social media to target children and teens. Blogger Bettina Elias Siegel is fighting back with a YouTube video that she hopes will ultimately help make children aware of and resistant to industry marketing. Food advocate Dana Woldow urges readers to make use of social media to disseminate and discuss the video and other media designed to counter food industry marketing to children. --- ## Ronald McDonald House Charities scholarships aim to create goodwill among communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ronald-mcdonald-house-charities-scholarships-aim-to-create-goodwill-among-communities-of-color/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-21 Words: 45 > The scholarships go to high school seniors in Southern California, through three separate programs for African-American, Latino, and Asian Pacific Islander students. The scholarships are partially funded through fundraising efforts... The scholarships go to high school seniors in Southern California, through three separate programs for African-American, Latino, and Asian Pacific Islander students. The scholarships are partially funded through fundraising efforts by local franchises and are a way for McDonalds to target communities of color. --- ## Consumers International calls for a ban on junk food marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/consumers-international-calls-for-a-ban-on-junk-food-marketing-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-20 Words: 42 > Consumers International is drawing attention to its call for an international ban on junk food marketing to kids by having "unemployed" icons like Ronald McDonald and Tony the Tiger hand... Consumers International is drawing attention to its call for an international ban on junk food marketing to kids by having “unemployed” icons like Ronald McDonald and Tony the Tiger hand out their CVs to delegates of the World Health Assembly. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts launches Spanish-language mobile app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-launches-spanish-language-mobile-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-20 Words: 58 > A marketing director for the company says that the app is part of the company's efforts to "find new and meaningful ways to enhance our relationships and brand equity within... A marketing director for the company says that the app is part of the company’s efforts to “find new and meaningful ways to enhance our relationships and brand equity within the Hispanic marketplace.” Dunkin’ Donuts launched an integrated Latino advertising and marketing campaign in 2012 with the tagline “Qu ests tomando?” --- ## While industry sectors squabble, restaurants go without calorie labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/while-industry-sectors-squabble-restaurants-go-without-calorie-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-19 Words: 49 > Though health advocates argue that menu labeling would steer patrons toward healthier choices, the government has not yet written out specific implementation instructions. The delay has come about because grocery... Though health advocates argue that menu labeling would steer patrons toward healthier choices, the government has not yet written out specific implementation instructions. The delay has come about because grocery stores are seeking an exemption on prepared foods — an exemption opposed by restaurant and public health advocacy groups. --- ## Tongue in cheek ‘letter from the food industry’ urges Americans not to eat healthfully URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tongue-in-cheek-letter-from-the-food-industry-urges-americans-not-to-eat-healthfully/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-19 Words: 66 > This tongue-in-cheek letter, written from the perspective of the food industry, assures consumers that the industry "[doesn't] necessarily want [them] to be unhealthy. It's just that it's so much more... This tongue-in-cheek letter, written from the perspective of the food industry, assures consumers that the industry “[doesn’t] necessarily want [them] to be unhealthy. It’s just that it’s so much more profitable to provide foods that happen to be unhealthy.” Writer Patrick Mustain highlights how the industry profits from marketing unhealthy foods and exploiting consumer health concerns. --- ## Restaurant Association turns focus to healthy kids’ meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurant-association-turns-focus-to-healthy-kids-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-18 Words: 34 > Restaurateurs are increasingly concerned with offering children's meals that meet nutritional standards: At the National Restaurant Association's annual show, operators discussed success stories and offered suggestions for improving menu options. Restaurateurs are increasingly concerned with offering children’s meals that meet nutritional standards: At the National Restaurant Association’s annual show, operators discussed success stories and offered suggestions for improving menu options. --- ## McDonald’s overhauls menu to boost sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-overhauls-menu-to-boost-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-17 Words: 41 > McDonald's has announced it will eliminate the Angus Burger, Fruit and Walnut salads, and other items from its ballooning menu, which currently has approximately 145 items. The increasing complexity of... McDonald’s has announced it will eliminate the Angus Burger, Fruit and Walnut salads, and other items from its ballooning menu, which currently has approximately 145 items. The increasing complexity of the menu has slowed down the speed of service. --- ## Domino’s introduces ‘smellvertising’ with DVDs that smell like pizza URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-introduces-smellvertising-with-dvds-that-smell-like-pizza/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-17 Words: 47 > In Brazil, customers can rent DVDs that are "cooked" in the DVD player while the movie plays -- the DVDs are made with a special ink that triggers the smell... In Brazil, customers can rent DVDs that are “cooked” in the DVD player while the movie plays — the DVDs are made with a special ink that triggers the smell of pizza and turns the image on the disk into an image of a pizza. --- ## Monster Energy reveals team gear promotional campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/monster-energy-reveals-team-gear-promotional-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-16 Words: 30 > Over the summer, Monster Energy is ramping up its efforts to target young men with a front-of-package promotion that offers customers a chance to win branded team gear. Over the summer, Monster Energy is ramping up its efforts to target young men with a front-of-package promotion that offers customers a chance to win branded team gear. --- ## Taco Bell teams with Mark Wahlberg for ‘Graduate for Mas’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-teams-with-mark-wahlberg-for-graduate-for-mas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-16 Words: 52 > Taco Bell's latest corporate social responsibility campaign is "Graduate for Mas," a program that "[challenges] teens to make a personal commitment to graduate high school." Popular actor Mark Wahlberg is... Taco Bell’s latest corporate social responsibility campaign is “Graduate for Mas,” a program that “[challenges] teens to make a personal commitment to graduate high school.” Popular actor Mark Wahlberg is promoting the online program, which was developed in part by the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. --- ## Industry research shows children and teens are top snack food consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-research-shows-children-and-teens-are-top-snack-food-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-15 Words: 47 > According to new research, children and teens are the highest consumers of snack foods and eat more than 1,000 snack foods a year, on average. Kids are most likely to... According to new research, children and teens are the highest consumers of snack foods and eat more than 1,000 snack foods a year, on average. Kids are most likely to select snack foods that they describe as “fun to eat,” including chips and cookies. --- ## Oreo launches ‘Wonderfilled’ campaign to build brand presence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-launches-wonderfilled-campaign-to-build-brand-presence/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-14 Words: 53 > Oreo's latest campaign, called "Wonderfilled," aims to help the company build an iconic brand presence. The campaign features social media outreach, high-profile promotional events, and a cheerful, animated ad that... Oreo’s latest campaign, called “Wonderfilled,” aims to help the company build an iconic brand presence. The campaign features social media outreach, high-profile promotional events, and a cheerful, animated ad that demonstrates “how something as small as an Oreo cookie can bring about a change in perspective.” --- ## Coca-Cola VP tries to position brand on the side of health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-vp-tries-to-position-brand-on-the-side-of-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-14 Words: 45 > In this interview for the FoodBev.com podcast, Coca-Cola's vice president of public affairs and communications claims the brand is committed to the environment and public health, in spite of clear... In this interview for the FoodBev.com podcast, Coca-Cola’s vice president of public affairs and communications claims the brand is committed to the environment and public health, in spite of clear links between sugary beverages and health problems like obesity and diabetes. --- ## Red Robin launches fan-driven ‘Burger Daddy’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/red-robin-launches-fan-driven-burger-daddy-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-13 Words: 58 > Fans can use Facebook or Twitter to solicit "Burger Daddies" to buy them Red Robin gift cards or burgers, or they can become Burger Daddies for others. The "sugar daddy"... Fans can use Facebook or Twitter to solicit “Burger Daddies” to buy them Red Robin gift cards or burgers, or they can become Burger Daddies for others. The “sugar daddy” theme is troubling from a feminist perspective, as are campaign taglines like this one: “Diamonds are expensive and mean nothing at lunch.” --- ## Wendy’s newest multi-platform campaign targets Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-newest-multi-platform-campaign-targets-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-13 Words: 88 > Wendy's newest campaign targets Latino customers with a series of commercials featuring the fictional Rojos family. According to the company, the commercials are intended to demonstrate that the chain "shares... Wendy’s newest campaign targets Latino customers with a series of commercials featuring the fictional Rojos family. According to the company, the commercials are intended to demonstrate that the chain “shares the same values as the Hispanic community.” Wendy’s hopes the campaign will boost the company’s popularity among Latinos. To that end, the commercials will appear in English and Spanish through the end of the year and will be supported by digital media, social media, in-store promotions, and local events. --- ## McDonald’s considers offering all-day breakfast menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-considers-offering-all-day-breakfast-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-13 Words: 38 > Breakfast is the only area of growth that the restaurant industry has seen in a decade, according to research. To capitalize on the popularity of breakfast foods, McDonald's is considering... Breakfast is the only area of growth that the restaurant industry has seen in a decade, according to research. To capitalize on the popularity of breakfast foods, McDonald’s is considering offering its morning meals all day. --- ## McDonald’s and Wendy’s battle it out over pricing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-and-wendys-battle-it-out-over-pricing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-10 Words: 54 > McDonald's increased sales by beefing up its Value Menu, while Wendy's launched a new "Right Price, Right Size" value menu with items priced between $1 and $2. It looks like... McDonald’s increased sales by beefing up its Value Menu, while Wendy’s launched a new “Right Price, Right Size” value menu with items priced between $1 and $2. It looks like price-based marketing will be the marketing tactic to watch, at least among fast food companies, going forward. --- ## PepsiCo unveils its version of the Coke Freestyle, a mix-n-match beverage fountain with up to 100 flavor combinations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-unveils-its-version-of-the-coke-freestyle-a-mix-n-match-beverage-fountain-with-up-to-100-flavor-combinations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-10 Words: 48 > The new machines, which are called "Touch Towers," feature digital touch screens and are designed to fit on countertops. The devices are smaller than Coca-Cola's "Freestyle" dispensers, which are "floor... The new machines, which are called “Touch Towers,” feature digital touch screens and are designed to fit on countertops. The devices are smaller than Coca-Cola’s “Freestyle” dispensers, which are “floor units.” Coke first released the freestyle dispensers in 2009. --- ## McDonald’s makes inroads in African-American communities with gospel festival URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-makes-inroads-in-african-american-communities-with-gospel-festival/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-10 Words: 54 > For 30 years, McDonald's has hosted Gospelfest, an event designed to build relationships in African-American communities and align the brand with cultural and musical touchstones. In addition to the corporate... For 30 years, McDonald’s has hosted Gospelfest, an event designed to build relationships in African-American communities and align the brand with cultural and musical touchstones. In addition to the corporate branding that is typical of any corporate-sponsored event, participants can audition for the show at local McDonald’s franchises. --- ## Food ads resonate with teens more than do ads for other products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-ads-resonate-with-teens-more-than-do-ads-for-other-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-09 Words: 52 > Researchers found that teens' brains registered more activity when watching food commercials. They also recalled and liked food commercials more than commercials for other products. The release of this study... Researchers found that teens’ brains registered more activity when watching food commercials. They also recalled and liked food commercials more than commercials for other products. The release of this study might represent an opportunity for advocates to talk more about the connection between marketing, media exposure, and children’s health. --- ## Corporate Accountability International exposes exploitation at the heart of McDonald’s ‘McTeacher’s Night’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/corporate-accountability-international-exposes-exploitation-at-the-heart-of-mcdonalds-mcteachers-night/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-09 Words: 61 > During National Teacher Appreciation Week, CAI helped draw attention to McDonald's exploitation of teachers, parents, and students through "McTeacher's Nights," a promotional event during which teachers provide free labor to... During National Teacher Appreciation Week, CAI helped draw attention to McDonald’s exploitation of teachers, parents, and students through “McTeacher’s Nights,” a promotional event during which teachers provide free labor to the fast food giant. McDonald’s uses the event to draw in families for dinner and then donates money to the teachers’ school. --- ## Coors Light focuses on Latinos with summer promotion built around music URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coors-light-focuses-on-latinos-with-summer-promotion-built-around-music/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-08 Words: 57 > Coors Lights has partnered with "urban Latino music duo" Wisin & Yandel for a summer campaign called "Coors Light Refreshes Your Summer." The campaign will feature free music downloads, a... Coors Lights has partnered with “urban Latino music duo” Wisin & Yandel for a summer campaign called “Coors Light Refreshes Your Summer.” The campaign will feature free music downloads, a sweepstakes for tickets to the H2O Music Festival in Los Angeles, as well as branded point-of-sale materials and in-store appearances. --- ## How fast food companies use TV programming to target Latino children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-fast-food-companies-use-tv-programming-to-target-latino-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-08 Words: 61 > A new study from researchers at the University of Arizona demonstrates that fast food companies are "packing children's TV programs with Spanish-language marketing." Among other troubling findings, researchers learned that... A new study from researchers at the University of Arizona demonstrates that fast food companies are “packing children’s TV programs with Spanish-language marketing.” Among other troubling findings, researchers learned that children are substantially more likely to see commercials for unhealthy food featuring popular cartoon characters while watching Spanish-language programming than while watching English-language shows. --- ## Mondelez ramps up mobile marketing efforts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-ramps-up-mobile-marketing-efforts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-07 Words: 62 > Mondelez found that its marketing efforts were most effective when digital and television advertising were used together. According to the vice president of global media for the global snack foods... Mondelez found that its marketing efforts were most effective when digital and television advertising were used together. According to the vice president of global media for the global snack foods company, “The layering of media is where we see the most interesting opportunities.” Watch for more global brands to try and make their advertising dollars work harder using this strategy. --- ## Adults are no better than children at resisting junk food advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/adults-are-no-better-than-children-at-resisting-junk-food-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-06 Words: 26 > Australia continues to lead in research and advocacy around junk food marketing -- not just to kids in this case, but to their parents as well. Australia continues to lead in research and advocacy around junk food marketing — not just to kids in this case, but to their parents as well. --- ## Coke crowdsourcing song for American Idol finale URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-crowdsourcing-song-for-american-idol-finale/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-03 Words: 45 > Keeping with American Idol's premise to 'crowdsource' new pop stars, Coke, a major product placement marketer on the show, has called on fans of the brand to help create a... Keeping with American Idol’s premise to ‘crowdsource’ new pop stars, Coke, a major product placement marketer on the show, has called on fans of the brand to help create a new song that Carly Rae Jepsen will sing during the finale. --- ## Pepsi pulls Mountain Dew ad due to allegations of racism, misogyny URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-pulls-mountain-dew-ad-due-to-allegations-of-racism-misogyny/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-02 Words: 43 > The ad depicted a badly battered white female asked by a police officer to pick out a perpetrator from a lineup of black men and a goat. The incident illustrates... The ad depicted a badly battered white female asked by a police officer to pick out a perpetrator from a lineup of black men and a goat. The incident illustrates the power of social outrage, especially when fueled quickly through social media networks. --- ## Diet Coke uses ‘slender vender’ machine stunt to promote the product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diet-coke-uses-slender-vender-machine-stunt-to-promote-the-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-02 Words: 20 > By using a thin vending machine, Coke's strategy is to suggest that the product will help you diet. By using a thin vending machine, Coke’s strategy is to suggest that the product will help you diet. --- ## Coca-Cola subsidiary Fanta launches global graphic-novel campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-subsidiary-fanta-launches-global-graphic-novel-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-01 Words: 27 > The campaign, which will roll out in 190 markets worldwide, targets teens through an interactive graphic novel and related campaign featuring video, social media, and other tactics. The campaign, which will roll out in 190 markets worldwide, targets teens through an interactive graphic novel and related campaign featuring video, social media, and other tactics. --- ## Deep inside the development of Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Taco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/deep-inside-the-development-of-taco-bells-doritos-locos-taco/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-05-01 Words: 50 > The Doritos Locos Tacos are a good example of recent product-based marketing strategies and innovations. There are some compelling industry quotes here about this phenomenon -- Taco Bell CEO Gary... The Doritos Locos Tacos are a good example of recent product-based marketing strategies and innovations. There are some compelling industry quotes here about this phenomenon — Taco Bell CEO Gary Creed, for example, says: “It’s not just a product: It’s now a platform.” --- ## Scottish government seeking marketing and advertising standards for unhealthy foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/scottish-government-seeking-marketing-and-advertising-standards-for-unhealthy-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-28 Words: 42 > The Scottish government is working with the British Standards Institute to develop a new Scottish marketing and advertising standard covering foods high in fat, salt and sugar. This could provide... The Scottish government is working with the British Standards Institute to develop a new Scottish marketing and advertising standard covering foods high in fat, salt and sugar. This could provide guidance for the beleaguered Interagency Working Group effort in the U.S. --- ## Video: Authentic community engagement URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-authentic-community-engagement/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 78 > In the heat of a campaign, it can be easy to forget that advocacy is about more than winning a particular policy change. It's about values and relationships -- and... In the heat of a campaign, it can be easy to forget that advocacy is about more than winning a particular policy change. It’s about values and relationships — and that requires dialogue. In this discussion, Francisco (Pancho) Argüelles; executive director of the Living Hope Wheelchair Association, encourages us to step outside our comfort zones and learn how to open the space for conversation so that we can become better allies to communities struggling for justice. --- ## Video: Making the case for government URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-making-the-case-for-government/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 72 > Advocates work tirelessly for social change on a variety of issues. But their efforts may be thwarted by underlying negative attitudes toward government and a widespread misunderstanding of its role... Advocates work tirelessly for social change on a variety of issues. But their efforts may be thwarted by underlying negative attitudes toward government and a widespread misunderstanding of its role in creating a healthy, functioning society. As part of BMSG’s 20th anniversary series, Patrick Bresette, former program director for Public Works, explores how we can tackle this problem and build public support for a government dedicated to the common good. --- ## Fast food industry greenwashes to drive sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-industry-greenwashes-to-drive-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 43 > Fast food is inherently packaging intensive. In an attempt to counter that image, the likes of Starbucks and Chipotle are pushing reusable cups and efficient plumbing, respectively. This article does... Fast food is inherently packaging intensive. In an attempt to counter that image, the likes of Starbucks and Chipotle are pushing reusable cups and efficient plumbing, respectively. This article does not put these efforts into the larger context of waste at these companies. --- ## Despite solid science, food industry casts doubt on sodium health harms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/despite-solid-science-food-industry-casts-doubt-on-sodium-health-harms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 39 > A recent review of the science confirmed that reduced sodium intake in the general adult population reduces blood pressure and the risk of stroke and fatal heart disease. However, industry... A recent review of the science confirmed that reduced sodium intake in the general adult population reduces blood pressure and the risk of stroke and fatal heart disease. However, industry is framing sodium reduction as trend rather than science. --- ## In Japan, McDonald’s turns to price increases when marketing gimmicks fail URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-japan-mcdonalds-turns-to-price-increases-when-marketing-gimmicks-fail/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 50 > In a window onto the burger giant's desperate attempts to regain market share, recent failed initiatives have included: a dollar menu, an offer of "food in 60 seconds or next... In a window onto the burger giant’s desperate attempts to regain market share, recent failed initiatives have included: a dollar menu, an offer of “food in 60 seconds or next burger free,” viral videos, and free giveaways including a French-fry holder for use in cars. --- ## Diet Pepsi dives deep into consumer media habits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diet-pepsi-dives-deep-into-consumer-media-habits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 37 > The soda industry carefully analyzes the media habits of soft drink consumers to devise more precise marketing schemes. For example, it will target Diet Pepsi drinkers through live TV and... The soda industry carefully analyzes the media habits of soft drink consumers to devise more precise marketing schemes. For example, it will target Diet Pepsi drinkers through live TV and radio, as opposed to DVRs or iPads. --- ## Coke blames its products’ health harms on consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-blames-its-products-health-harms-on-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 39 > Coke now has a website that echoes the same messages from a previous marketing video, in which it positioned obesity as the consumer's fault (for not exercising enough) and claimed... Coke now has a website that echoes the same messages from a previous marketing video, in which it positioned obesity as the consumer’s fault (for not exercising enough) and claimed that sugary drinks are not at fault. --- ## McDonald’s sponsors gospel music concert tour aimed at African-Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-sponsors-gospel-music-concert-tour-aimed-at-african-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 38 > The "Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour," part of McDonald's 365Black initiative, is now in its seventh year. It also has a corporate social responsibility (CSR) aspect, with a tie-in to Ronald... The “Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour,” part of McDonald’s 365Black initiative, is now in its seventh year. It also has a corporate social responsibility (CSR) aspect, with a tie-in to Ronald McDonald House Charities. --- ## Mountain Dew launches Green-Label.com, a sponsored website designed for and by young men URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-launches-green-label-com-a-sponsored-website-designed-for-and-by-young-men/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-25 Words: 35 > The website follows the trend of content marketing using not only ads but entertainment, such as online video content, to hook users. The site will replace several older Mountain Dew... The website follows the trend of content marketing using not only ads but entertainment, such as online video content, to hook users. The site will replace several older Mountain Dew websites and a YouTube channel. --- ## The food science industry behind frankenfoods is on the rise URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-food-science-industry-behind-frankenfoods-is-on-the-rise/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-24 Words: 47 > Food science is behind the enormous increase in products (from 5k to 25k) on store shelves since 1990. As public health advocate Marion Nestle has said, these are mainly processed... Food science is behind the enormous increase in products (from 5k to 25k) on store shelves since 1990. As public health advocate Marion Nestle has said, these are mainly processed junk foods that now crowd the center aisles. Her advice: Shop for whole foods on the perimeter. --- ## McDonald’s taps Olympian Gabby Douglas to promote egg white sandwich URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-taps-olympian-gabby-douglas-to-promote-egg-white-sandwich/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-23 Words: 26 > The sandwich is the latest example of the chain's attempts to promote its healthier items and deflect criticism for targeting children with its advertising. The sandwich is the latest example of the chain’s attempts to promote its healthier items and deflect criticism for targeting children with its advertising. --- ## Pizza Hut continues digital targeting with Xbox app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-hut-continues-digital-targeting-with-xbox-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-23 Words: 27 > Pizza Hut is targeting young gamers with a new app on Xbox Live, which will enable gamers to create and order a pizza without stopping their game. Pizza Hut is targeting young gamers with a new app on Xbox Live, which will enable gamers to create and order a pizza without stopping their game. --- ## Coke launches 61 separate websites to target teens in new campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-launches-61-separate-websites-to-target-teens-in-new-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-23 Words: 49 > In an example of its heavy focus on teens and digital marketing, Coke is seeking to leverage what it calls its "ahhh" effect. The campaign uses 61 URLs, each represented... In an example of its heavy focus on teens and digital marketing, Coke is seeking to leverage what it calls its “ahhh” effect. The campaign uses 61 URLs, each represented by an “h” in “ahhh” and each one targeting a different teen demographic. --- ## Box Tops ‘Education Hero’ contest focuses on schools in low-income Latino communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/box-tops-education-hero-contest-focuses-on-schools-in-low-income-latino-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-23 Words: 28 > Nine schools in Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago received $2,000 each. Participating Box Tops products include unhealthy foods like Cocoa Puffs and Totino's Pizza Rolls. Nine schools in Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago received $2,000 each. Participating Box Tops products include unhealthy foods like Cocoa Puffs and Totino’s Pizza Rolls. --- ## Media advocacy then and now: An advocate reflects on 20 years of using the media to improve public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-advocacy-then-and-now-an-advocate-reflects-on-20-years-of-using-the-media-to-improve-public-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1790 > When BMSG started 20 years ago, I was a grad student in public health, with big ideas and bigger hair. With a background in corporate communications and a passion for... When BMSG started 20 years ago, I was a grad student in public health, with big ideas and bigger hair. With a background in corporate communications and a passion for social justice, I found in media advocacy the ideal nexus of my skills and interests. I was inspired by the skilled advocates who harnessed the power of the news to shape public health policies. I started working at BMSG in 1993 as a student research assistant, analyzing endless hours of TV news stories for studies on youth and violence on the news. When I graduated with my master’s in public health, I parked on my public health professor Larry Wallack’s doorstep and wouldn’t budge until he created a position at BMSG for me. And I stayed for 17 exciting years, helping develop the field of media advocacy and training public health advocates nationwide on how to use the media strategically to advance policies that improve public health. So in celebration of BMSG’s 20th year, I’ve been pondering, how is media advocacy the same and how has it changed, 20 years later? What’s the same The bad guys look awfully familiar. In the early days of media advocacy, advocates targeted (among others) Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and the NRA. Now public health targets Big Food, Big Soda, and, oh yeah, Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and the NRA. Food and beverage companies even seem to be using the same old corporate strategies to buy influence in communities. Taking a page from Big Tobacco’s playbook, they’re disguising their marketing as philanthropy and creating sophisticated “corporate social responsibility” campaigns to improve their image and prevent government regulation. Recently in my own town, Coca-Cola donated $50,000 for school-based physical activity programs. Interestingly, this donation came after the city council had abandoned its efforts to pursue a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. I know a corporate “enemy” provides a clear, invigorating focal point for advocates — and certainly, many corporations undermine health in pursuit of profits every day. These are worthy targets for public health efforts. But I also wonder whether this focus erodes our will to address complex structural issues where there’s no single clear “bad guy”? For example: One of the most powerful determinants of health in developed countries is income inequality. The wide and widening gap between rich and poor in the U.S. may be responsible for ill health as much or more than any other single factor. Who’s the bad guy here? Businesses that don’t pay a living wage? The erosion of education funding that makes it harder for young people to earn a college degree? Greedy big banks and the government that fails to regulate them? Monetary policies that trap lower-income Americans in cycles of debt? The list goes on. But public health has gotten used to having a clear, often corporate, answer to “who’s responsible?” I worry that when we don’t know where to point the finger, we fail to tackle the biggest issues affecting health. It’s more than a message. Good media advocacy isn’t PR. It’s not about coming up with the best slogan or “getting the word out”; it’s focused like a laser beam on strategic policy change. I love seeing advocates stay on target and create policy change — even if I bewail the fact that sometimes they’re the same exact policies we were fighting for 20 years ago. The city of Glendale, Calif., recently voted to shut down gun shows on city property — which was one of the leading strategies to try to limit rogue gun sales back in the last century. Problem definition is a problem. It’s media advocacy 101: How you define the problem shapes the solution. That’s why framing is so important; from the start, you have to shape not just your message but your entire strategy to support the structural changes you seek. Here’s one area where public health has dropped the ball in the last dozen years or so. We have allowed “obesity” to become the shorthand term for illness and early death related to diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments. This framing not only stigmatizes fat people, it sets the debate solidly in the realm of individual responsibility. From this starting point, advocates have to push the boulder uphill to get the public to consider policies to improve food environments, stem a barrage of junk food and soda marketing to kids, and provide more opportunities to be active. We know better — BMSG called for avoiding the “O-word” way back in 2006 — yet the shorthand has proved irresistible, even in our own work. Public health did it right in the ’90s. After a surge of gun deaths in the ’80s and early ’90s, the field responded with a comprehensive cross-discipline movement focused on violence prevention. The violence prevention frame allowed a host of unlikely partners to work together on a range of interventions. Gun control efforts, such as the ban on “Saturday Night Specials” enacted in California, formed an important part of this work, but certainly not all of it. Under... --- ## Lay’s encourages fan engagement with final phase of ‘Do Us a Flavor’ contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lays-encourages-fan-engagement-with-final-phase-of-do-us-a-flavor-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-22 Words: 38 > Lay's high-profile "Do Us A Flavor" contest is entering its final phase. The brand is urging customers to use digital engagement and social media to vote for the winning fan-created... Lay’s high-profile “Do Us A Flavor” contest is entering its final phase. The brand is urging customers to use digital engagement and social media to vote for the winning fan-created chip flavor. --- ## Food industry says labeling is its most pressing regulatory issue URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-says-labeling-is-its-most-pressing-regulatory-issue/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-22 Words: 19 > The industry is engaged in intense efforts to prevent GMO, vending, and other potential policies that would inform consumers. The industry is engaged in intense efforts to prevent GMO, vending, and other potential policies that would inform consumers. --- ## Brazil fines McDonald’s for pushing unhealthy Happy Meals to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brazil-fines-mcdonalds-for-pushing-unhealthy-happy-meals-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-22 Words: 51 > A Brazilian lawyer successfully argued that McDonald's exploited children's inability to decipher advertising when they used an Avatar movie tie-in: "There's no need to appeal as they do to children... A Brazilian lawyer successfully argued that McDonald’s exploited children’s inability to decipher advertising when they used an Avatar movie tie-in: “There’s no need to appeal as they do to children without the maturity or the rationality to enter the market as consumers.” --- ## Pepsi targets Latinos with Pepsi Next videos featuring Latin actor William Levy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-targets-latinos-with-pepsi-next-videos-featuring-latin-actor-william-levy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-22 Words: 35 > William Levy is famous among Spanish-speaking audiences through his work in soap operas and reality television. The videos are in Spanish and English and will be viewable on the brand's... William Levy is famous among Spanish-speaking audiences through his work in soap operas and reality television. The videos are in Spanish and English and will be viewable on the brand’s YouTube channel. --- ## Food retailers protest menu labeling on Capitol Hill URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-retailers-protest-menu-labeling-on-capitol-hill/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-18 Words: 38 > Grocery retailers met with their representatives to push for support on the "Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act." Retailers are supporting the act, which would enable grocery stores to avoid the... Grocery retailers met with their representatives to push for support on the “Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act.” Retailers are supporting the act, which would enable grocery stores to avoid the FDA’s menu labeling rules. --- ## Jose Cuervo announces winner of mural project that targets Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jose-cuervo-announces-winner-of-mural-project-that-targets-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-17 Words: 79 > 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... 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.” --- ## Promotion offers children free chocolate for reading URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/promotion-offers-children-free-chocolate-for-reading/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-17 Words: 34 > 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... 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. --- ## Congressman denounces ‘attacks’ on food and beverage industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/congressman-denounces-attacks-on-food-and-beverage-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-17 Words: 32 > 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... 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. --- ## Coke targets Peruvians by prompting them to smile for ID card photos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-targets-peruvians-by-prompting-them-to-smile-for-id-card-photos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-17 Words: 40 > 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"... 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. --- ## Companies introduce smaller packages to encourage consumption URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/companies-introduce-smaller-packages-to-encourage-consumption/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-15 Words: 51 > 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... 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. --- ## As marketing to children intensifies, what can society do? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/as-marketing-to-children-intensifies-what-can-society-do/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-15 Words: 46 > 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),... 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. --- ## Energy drinks survey finds confusing marketing and unclear caffeine content URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/energy-drinks-survey-finds-confusing-marketing-and-unclear-caffeine-content/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-11 Words: 39 > 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... 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. --- ## Nestle Crunch uses bakery competition and 75th anniversary to sell more URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-crunch-uses-bakery-competition-and-75th-anniversary-to-sell-more/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-11 Words: 44 > 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... 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. --- ## New Coke and Pepsi ads from Taylor Swift and Beyonce URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-coke-and-pepsi-ads-from-taylor-swift-and-beyonce/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-11 Words: 40 > 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... 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. --- ## Australian advocates convene round table on food marketing to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/australian-advocates-convene-round-table-on-food-marketing-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-11 Words: 61 > 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."... 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.” --- ## Effies award marketers for successfully targeting consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/effies-award-marketers-for-successfully-targeting-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-10 Words: 38 > Kellogg and The Integer Group won a gold Effie Award for the "Kellogg's Walmart Back-to-School Program," while the Milk Processors Education Program won a silver for their "Latte Love" campaign. Kellogg and The Integer Group won a gold Effie Award for the “Kellogg’s Walmart Back-to-School Program,” while the Milk Processors Education Program won a silver for their “Latte Love” campaign. --- ## Touting ‘nutritional goals,’ Taco Bell CEO promises improvements to menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/touting-nutritional-goals-taco-bell-ceo-promises-improvements-to-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-10 Words: 45 > In another example of how food companies are trying to preempt regulatory efforts to make food healthier, Taco Bell's CEO is promising product reformulations. The changes will focus on reducing... In another example of how food companies are trying to preempt regulatory efforts to make food healthier, Taco Bell’s CEO is promising product reformulations. The changes will focus on reducing calories, with no mention of the overall nutritional profile of the modified foods. --- ## Bumble Bee partners with Latino celebrity chef to target Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bumble-bee-partners-with-latino-celebrity-chef-to-target-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-10 Words: 42 > As part of the company's "BeeWell for Life" campaign and its strategy to "bridge the gap with U.S. Hispanics," Chef Doreen Colondres will promote healthy lifestyles and a seafood-positive message... As part of the company’s “BeeWell for Life” campaign and its strategy to “bridge the gap with U.S. Hispanics,” Chef Doreen Colondres will promote healthy lifestyles and a seafood-positive message within the Latino community. --- ## More than traditional sources, social media influences Millennials’ eating URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/more-than-traditional-sources-social-media-influences-millennials-eating/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-10 Words: 41 > An industry study found that young people's food and eating decisions are most swayed by people, not brands, via social media. The implication for marketers is to create fake authentic... An industry study found that young people’s food and eating decisions are most swayed by people, not brands, via social media. The implication for marketers is to create fake authentic voices as a way of targeting this sizeable demographic. --- ## Beyonce to headline Budweiser promotional event URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beyonce-to-headline-budweiser-promotional-event/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-10 Words: 69 > Beyonce has been announced as a headliner at the "Budweiser Made in America" festival, to be held over Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. The music event, which will feature a... Beyonce has been announced as a headliner at the “Budweiser Made in America” festival, to be held over Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. The music event, which will feature a variety of popular acts including Public Enemy, is part of the brand’s efforts to stage a U.S. comeback. Beyonce’s popularity, particularly among youth of color, will presumably help the company boost sales. --- ## Research finds that the ‘organic’ label wraps food in a health halo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/research-finds-that-the-organic-label-wraps-food-in-a-health-halo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-09 Words: 48 > In taste tests of organic foods (with some labeled as such and others not), shoppers were more likely to rate the labeled food as being tastier and more nutritious. This... In taste tests of organic foods (with some labeled as such and others not), shoppers were more likely to rate the labeled food as being tastier and more nutritious. This “health halo” contributes to deceptive marketing because junk food can have the “organic” label. --- ## Dr Pepper accused of legal maneuvering in 7UP antioxidant case URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-accused-of-legal-maneuvering-in-7up-antioxidant-case/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-09 Words: 47 > Dr Pepper says health claims on its now defunct 7UP berry drinks were factual and required by federal law. The plaintiff argues the company is "hiding behind the law of... Dr Pepper says health claims on its now defunct 7UP berry drinks were factual and required by federal law. The plaintiff argues the company is “hiding behind the law of federal preemption” and explains why the claims are false and misleading under federal/state law. --- ## Restaurant industry will target families with kids to revive sluggish growth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurant-industry-will-target-families-with-kids-to-revive-sluggish-growth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-09 Words: 47 > The number of families eating out with kids has remained flat over the last four years. The category contributed $84 billion to the industry in 2012, with 25 percent of... The number of families eating out with kids has remained flat over the last four years. The category contributed $84 billion to the industry in 2012, with 25 percent of revenue attributable to hamburger meals. The industry may use pricing and other strategies to raise those numbers. --- ## Pepsi launches ‘Kick for Hope,’ a global CSR project with Asian soccer group URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-launches-kick-for-hope-a-global-csr-project-with-asian-soccer-group/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-08 Words: 42 > The year-long corporate social responsibility initiative, led by PepsiCo and the Asian Football Development Program, will have a 40-country reach. It will support local grassroots football projects to raise awareness... The year-long corporate social responsibility initiative, led by PepsiCo and the Asian Football Development Program, will have a 40-country reach. It will support local grassroots football projects to raise awareness about health — a message at odds with soda-drinking. --- ## Protein is the latest food marketing fad URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/protein-is-the-latest-food-marketing-fad/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-05 Words: 51 > Marketers are using protein as a buzzword to sell a variety of foods. It is an example of the "health halo effect." When people see the word "protein" on a... Marketers are using protein as a buzzword to sell a variety of foods. It is an example of the “health halo effect.” When people see the word “protein” on a product, they believe that it will “make them feel more full or give them energy.” --- ## Coca-Cola’s Olympics sponsorship didn’t pay off as expected in the UK URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-olympics-sponsorship-didnt-pay-off-as-expected-in-the-uk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-04 Words: 41 > A study found that Coke's sales had not increased following the Olympics, while rival Pepsi saw volume sales increase by 10 percent. Energy drinks also saw growth in the UK... A study found that Coke’s sales had not increased following the Olympics, while rival Pepsi saw volume sales increase by 10 percent. Energy drinks also saw growth in the UK and were the beverage category that grew the fastest. --- ## Church’s targets cost-conscious consumers with ‘Almost Free’ ad URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/churchs-targets-cost-conscious-consumers-with-almost-free-ad/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-03 Words: 39 > Church's is tapping into price-based marketing strategies. The "recession-proof" promotion uses humor to promote limited-time only "Almost Free" offerings, like two pieces of chicken and a biscuit for $1.99. Church’s is tapping into price-based marketing strategies. The “recession-proof” promotion uses humor to promote limited-time only “Almost Free” offerings, like two pieces of chicken and a biscuit for $1.99. --- ## Restaurants respond to advocates’ complaints with kids’ meal customization URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurants-respond-to-advocates-complaints-with-kids-meal-customization/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-03 Words: 36 > The customizeable meals include healthier side dish options; however, as a new study from the Center for Science in the Public Interest shows, most kids' meals are still too high... The customizeable meals include healthier side dish options; however, as a new study from the Center for Science in the Public Interest shows, most kids’ meals are still too high in calories, fat and sodium. --- ## Unilever partners with Hispanic grocery chain for concert promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/unilever-partners-with-hispanic-grocery-chain-for-concert-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-02 Words: 59 > Unilever is partnering with Northgate Gonzalez Market, a Hispanic grocery chain with 36 stores in Southern California, for a shopping rewards program. Consumers who spend at least $100 on eligible... Unilever is partnering with Northgate Gonzalez Market, a Hispanic grocery chain with 36 stores in Southern California, for a shopping rewards program. Consumers who spend at least $100 on eligible Unilever products will be given two tickets to see Latin artist Reyli at an exclusive concert (tickets to the event cannot be purchased, only earned through the rewards program). --- ## Can an Oakland second-grader avoid the traps of an unhealthy diet? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/can-an-oakland-second-grader-avoid-the-traps-of-an-unhealthy-diet/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-02 Words: 32 > This investigation from the Center for Investigative Reporting puts a human face on a larger policy issue -- in this case, the ongoing battle over expanding or restricting the school... This investigation from the Center for Investigative Reporting puts a human face on a larger policy issue — in this case, the ongoing battle over expanding or restricting the school lunch program. --- ## Did the food industry buy your kid? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/did-the-food-industry-buy-your-kid/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-02 Words: 53 > Food and beverage companies spend billions each year to target kids with mostly unhealthy products. Referencing a BMSG report on target marketing, the chief of staff of the Philadelphia Department... Food and beverage companies spend billions each year to target kids with mostly unhealthy products. Referencing a BMSG report on target marketing, the chief of staff of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health shows how pervasive the issue is, especially in communities of color, which are disproportionately targeted with ads for junk food. --- ## Advocate takes Coke and Pepsi to task for disguising marketing as philanthropy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocate-takes-coke-and-pepsi-to-task-for-disguising-marketing-as-philanthropy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-04-01 Words: 45 > On the heels of a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest that exposes how the soda industry uses philanthropy to disguise the health harms its... On the heels of a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest that exposes how the soda industry uses philanthropy to disguise the health harms its products cause, Anne Lapp̩ advocates “challenging companies that are making our communities sick.” --- ## Latino kids are a key demographic for soda marketers and childhood obesity studies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/latino-kids-are-a-key-demographic-for-soda-marketers-and-childhood-obesity-studies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-30 Words: 53 > Are Latino kids are being "unfairly targeted as study subjects" in childhood obesity studies? That's what the soda lobby would like you to believe, says Tony Castro. Castro notes that... Are Latino kids are being “unfairly targeted as study subjects” in childhood obesity studies? That’s what the soda lobby would like you to believe, says Tony Castro. Castro notes that obesity among Latino kids, who are disproportionately targeted by soda marketers, is a “serious national health problem.” --- ## Dairy Queen leverages economic uncertainty with $5 lunch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dairy-queen-leverages-economic-uncertainty-with-5-lunch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-29 Words: 51 > The $5 meal contains all the usual suspects: burger, fries, big soda, and -- because it's Dairy Queen -- an ice cream sundae. DQ executives talk about the importance of... The $5 meal contains all the usual suspects: burger, fries, big soda, and — because it’s Dairy Queen — an ice cream sundae. DQ executives talk about the importance of “value” in tough economic times but fail to mention the huge social price tag of unhealthy food. --- ## Coke’s anti-obesity ad in Spain offers same old message in a new package URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cokes-anti-obesity-ad-in-spain-offers-same-old-message-in-a-new-package/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-29 Words: 53 > On the heels of signing a new bottling agreement in Spain, Coca-Cola released yet another anti-obesity ad there in an attempt to head off criticism about the link between sugary... On the heels of signing a new bottling agreement in Spain, Coca-Cola released yet another anti-obesity ad there in an attempt to head off criticism about the link between sugary beverages and obesity. In the ad, Coke focuses on personal responsibility via its messaging that people sit less and move more. --- ## KFC targets children with L’il Buckets Kids Meals and moms with CSR rhetoric URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-targets-children-with-lil-buckets-kids-meals-and-moms-with-csr-rhetoric/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-28 Words: 29 > The L'il Buckets, which KFC claims are filled with "good deeds," are priming kids to become lifelong consumers of fried chicken -- by the bucket. The L’il Buckets, which KFC claims are filled with “good deeds,” are priming kids to become lifelong consumers of fried chicken — by the bucket. --- ## Report: Most restaurant kids’ meals unhealthy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-most-restaurant-kids-meals-unhealthy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-28 Words: 63 > A report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest demonstrates that voluntary industry attempts to offer healthier fare are ineffective. The majority of kids' meals at the nation's... A report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest demonstrates that voluntary industry attempts to offer healthier fare are ineffective. The majority of kids’ meals at the nation’s top chains are too high in calories, fat and sodium, and restaurants have made little improvement to their kids’ menu items since CSPI’s last study in 2008. --- ## PepsiCo safe water campaign part of brand’s financial strategy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-safe-water-campaign-part-of-brands-financial-strategy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-28 Words: 61 > After reaching its goal of partnering with organizations to provide safe water access to 3 million people in developing countries -- PepsiCo has doubled that goal. Pepsi states that the... After reaching its goal of partnering with organizations to provide safe water access to 3 million people in developing countries — PepsiCo has doubled that goal. Pepsi states that the milestone comes as part of the company’s strategy “to deliver sustained financial performance by providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats.” --- ## Domino’s gets slammed for ‘cynical’ marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-gets-slammed-for-cynical-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-28 Words: 48 > Health advocates derided the campaign for encouraging families to make Domino's pizza -- which offers little nutrition -- an everyday meal. The pizza-maker was promoting weeknights between 4 and 6... Health advocates derided the campaign for encouraging families to make Domino’s pizza — which offers little nutrition — an everyday meal. The pizza-maker was promoting weeknights between 4 and 6 p.m. as the “family rush hour” and discounting orders during that time. --- ## Study further proves influence of front-of-pack labels on consumer perceptions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-further-proves-influence-of-front-of-pack-labels-on-consumer-perceptions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-27 Words: 21 > A new study shows that green labels are all it takes to make most consumers interpret products as "healthy." A new study shows that green labels are all it takes to make most consumers interpret products as “healthy.” --- ## Doritos hones branding to capture greater share of global youth market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/doritos-hones-branding-to-capture-greater-share-of-global-youth-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-27 Words: 49 > This article illustrates the power of corporate marketing, describing how a brand rallied experts to figure out how to forge an "emotional connection" with youth. "[The marketing team] immersed itself... This article illustrates the power of corporate marketing, describing how a brand rallied experts to figure out how to forge an “emotional connection” with youth. “[The marketing team] immersed itself in the demographics’ visual world, analyzing trends in gaming, sport, grooming, fashion and music.” --- ## Congress, celebrities are guilty on junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/congress-celebrities-are-guilty-on-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-27 Words: 60 > This letter-to-the-editor articulates why brand marketers aren't the only ones culpable for unhealthy food and its effects. New York Times reader Joshua Ostroff calls out Congress for subsidizing unhealthy food,... This letter-to-the-editor articulates why brand marketers aren’t the only ones culpable for unhealthy food and its effects. New York Times reader Joshua Ostroff calls out Congress for subsidizing unhealthy food, as well as celebrities like Beyonce and LeBron James who “trade on their fame at the expense of their young fans’ health.” --- ## Global report calls on industry to boost access to nutritious products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/global-report-calls-on-industry-to-boost-access-to-nutritious-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-26 Words: 45 > The Access to Nutrition Index report, which rates the nutrition commitments and performance of the world's biggest food and beverage companies as measured against international guidelines and norms, said industry... The Access to Nutrition Index report, which rates the nutrition commitments and performance of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies as measured against international guidelines and norms, said industry must do more to make healthy products affordable, available and appealing to consumers. --- ## Frito-Lay to release Taco Bell-inspired chip line with big social media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-to-release-taco-bell-inspired-chip-line-with-big-social-media-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-26 Words: 45 > The release comes after Taco Bell successfully launched Doritos Locos tacos in its eateries last year. The new line will display the Taco Bell logo, and Doritos is launching it... The release comes after Taco Bell successfully launched Doritos Locos tacos in its eateries last year. The new line will display the Taco Bell logo, and Doritos is launching it with an interactive Twitter contest that features a whole pallet of chips as a prize. --- ## McDonald’s launches new offerings to target Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-launches-new-offerings-to-target-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-25 Words: 65 > McDonald's, along with other brands, is struggling to reach the highly influential population of Millennials, who, according to a recent survey, do not rank McDonald's among their top 10 chain... McDonald’s, along with other brands, is struggling to reach the highly influential population of Millennials, who, according to a recent survey, do not rank McDonald’s among their top 10 chain restaurants. To more effectively target this generation, McDonald’s is launching the “McWrap.” Other companies target Millennials using digital media, corporate social responsibility campaigns, and higher quality ingredients. --- ## Food addiction: Is the food industry creating an epidemic? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-addiction-is-the-food-industry-creating-an-epidemic/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-25 Words: 47 > Michael Moss, investigative reporter for The New York Times, talks to Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell about his new book, "Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us," which... Michael Moss, investigative reporter for The New York Times, talks to Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell about his new book, “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” which suggests food companies manipulate their products to make us buy and eat more. --- ## Dr Pepper and Kraft push products by sponsoring massive country music event URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-and-kraft-push-products-by-sponsoring-massive-country-music-event/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-25 Words: 48 > The Academy of Country Music is hosting its 2nd annual free 3-day event for country music fans. Dr Pepper will sponsor the red carpet event with free samples, while the... The Academy of Country Music is hosting its 2nd annual free 3-day event for country music fans. Dr Pepper will sponsor the red carpet event with free samples, while the Kraft Country Kitchen will offer 13 food vendors and a picnic area with the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. --- ## Kellogg’s taps mommy bloggers for Eggo challenge URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-taps-mommy-bloggers-for-eggo-challenge/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-25 Words: 45 > Kellogg's is targeting moms for this social media-based campaign to promote waffles as a food to be eaten at any time of day. The company is inviting consumers to submit... Kellogg’s is targeting moms for this social media-based campaign to promote waffles as a food to be eaten at any time of day. The company is inviting consumers to submit recipes using waffles for “breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack or dessert.” --- ## Food industry trade associations decry menu labeling for food retailers as ‘regulatory overreach’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-trade-associations-decry-menu-labeling-for-food-retailers-as-regulatory-overreach/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-21 Words: 40 > In a statement, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Grocers' Association offered their support for regulation that would ensure that the proposed Menu Labeling Law applies only to restaurants,... In a statement, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Grocers’ Association offered their support for regulation that would ensure that the proposed Menu Labeling Law applies only to restaurants, and not to food retailers (such as grocery stores). --- ## It’s time to mandate changes to the food industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/its-time-to-mandate-changes-to-the-food-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-21 Words: 74 > In this response to Michael Mudd's high-profile NYT opinion piece, How to Force Ethics on the Food Industry, Marion Nestle reflects on Mudd's own history with Kraft Foods and supports... In this response to Michael Mudd’s high-profile NYT opinion piece, How to Force Ethics on the Food Industry, Marion Nestle reflects on Mudd’s own history with Kraft Foods and supports his call for government regulation of the food industry. She concludes that the industry’s self-regulatory promises are at best dubious because “food companies are not social service agencies. Their job is to sell products.” --- ## Walmart plans to focus on tapping Latino market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/walmart-plans-to-focus-on-tapping-latino-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-21 Words: 41 > Walmart, the biggest employer of Latinos in the U.S., spent an estimated $66 million on marketing to Latinos in 2010 and plans to double that figure in 2013. Part of... Walmart, the biggest employer of Latinos in the U.S., spent an estimated $66 million on marketing to Latinos in 2010 and plans to double that figure in 2013. Part of its strategy involves designating certain stores as “Hispanic.” --- ## Coca-Cola debuts zero calorie fruit-flavored water URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-debuts-zero-calorie-fruit-flavored-water/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-19 Words: 32 > As part of its ongoing effort to promote low and no-calorie options in response to mounting pressure around obesity, the Coca-Cola Company has announced the release of no-calorie Fruitwater. As part of its ongoing effort to promote low and no-calorie options in response to mounting pressure around obesity, the Coca-Cola Company has announced the release of no-calorie Fruitwater. --- ## What’s stopping California’s moms from breastfeeding in the hospital? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/whats-stopping-californias-moms-from-breastfeeding-in-the-hospital/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 595 > Both the media and major health organizations often trumpet the health benefits of breastfeeding. Babies who are breastfed, they will tell you, are more likely to enjoy better brain development,... Both the media and major health organizations often trumpet the health benefits of breastfeeding. Babies who are breastfed, they will tell you, are more likely to enjoy better brain development, a lower risk of infections, a stronger heart, and a decreased chance of developing chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma. Groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization consider breastfeeding so beneficial that they recommend moms do so exclusively (giving no other foods or liquids) for the first six months. And the CDC has identified breastfeeding promotion as a key strategy in its goal to improve the health of moms and kids. It may come as no shock, then, that approximately 90 percent of mothers in California enter the hospital intending to breastfeed. So why is it that by the time they are discharged, only 40 percent are still breastfeeding exclusively? For all the reporting on breastfeeding, what we don’t often hear about are challenges that can make it an unrealistic option. In spite of breastfeeding’s known ties to health, for many mothers, the social barriers to continued nursing are simply too high — particularly when the very places where women give birth do little to support the practice. Many hospitals, especially those in low-income communities and communities of color, lack policies that promote breastfeeding. Fortunately, a new bill by California state Senators Kevin de León and Fran Pavley would help change that. Sponsored by the California WIC Association, the new legislation (SB 402) would require all California hospitals with perinatal units to adopt, by 2020, a set of practices shown to improve breastfeeding rates. The practices include having a written policy on breastfeeding that staff are trained to implement, keeping moms and babies in the same room, showing mothers how to breastfeed (and how to maintain their milk supply if they are away from their babies), and giving infants no formula or other breast milk supplement unless it is medically necessary. This legislation is critical not only for babies’ health but also for the health of their mothers. Breastfeeding can decrease a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers, Type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. It also helps protect against high cholesterol and heart disease. When mothers and children are healthy, our whole society benefits. Yet, without policies to make sure breastfeeding is well supported in all communities, women’s desire to breastfeed will continue to lose out to obstacles that they, as individuals, have little control over. Of course, weak hospital policy isn’t the only reason why breastfeeding rates remain stubbornly low. Breastfeeding rates continue to drop after women leave the hospital. By the time their children are six months old, less than 22 percent of California moms are still breastfeeding exclusively. Other barriers include a lack of support in the workplace (which may prevent moms from being able to pump and store milk), aggressive formula marketing (filled with vague and misleading health claims), a dearth of cultural support (which can result in nursing moms being kicked off of airplanes and out of courtrooms, retail stores and other public spaces), and a lack of reporting on these barriers. Still, improving hospital policy to support breastfeeding is one critical step in the right direction. And with our collective health depending on it, the time to act is now. Those interested in writing a letter of support for SB 402 can download templates from the California WIC Association. Templates are available for organizations and individuals. Deadline for submission is Friday, March 22. --- ## Tecate targets younger, bicultural Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tecate-targets-younger-bicultural-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-18 Words: 68 > The company is sponsoring the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach, including musical performances and a "Miss Tecate Light" competition. Its sponsorship of the event marks a shift in Tecate's... The company is sponsoring the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach, including musical performances and a “Miss Tecate Light” competition. Its sponsorship of the event marks a shift in Tecate’s marketing strategy to appeal to younger, bilcultural Latinos, rather than first-generation Mexican-Americans. According to the article, first-generation Mexican immigrants now only account for 10 percent of the U.S. Latino population. --- ## Government should protect public health by limiting food industry marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/government-should-protect-public-health-by-limiting-food-industry-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-16 Words: 75 > Former food industry executive Michael Mudd argues that the government should not be deterred by the recent defeat of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban on large size sodas in New York... Former food industry executive Michael Mudd argues that the government should not be deterred by the recent defeat of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on large size sodas in New York City. He argues that, while many have a role to play in bringing about the social and environmental changes that have lead to the current obesity epidemic, “none are culpable the way the big food processors and soft drink companies are.” --- ## Miller Lite searches for a new agency to handle ‘Hispanic media planning’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/miller-lite-searches-for-a-new-agency-to-handle-hispanic-media-planning/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-15 Words: 40 > Seeking to reach Latino beer drinkers, MillerCoors has launched a search for a new agency to handle marketing directed toward Latinos. Among other strategies, MillerCoors plans to continue to focus... Seeking to reach Latino beer drinkers, MillerCoors has launched a search for a new agency to handle marketing directed toward Latinos. Among other strategies, MillerCoors plans to continue to focus on soccer and to rework its packaging and celebrity endorsements. --- ## Parents have an opportunity to do something about junk food marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/parents-have-an-opportunity-to-do-something-about-junk-food-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-15 Words: 55 > Researcher Jennifer Harris launches her blog for Psychology Today with her ruminations, as a mother, a former marketer, and a psychologist, on the reality of how marketers target children and... Researcher Jennifer Harris launches her blog for Psychology Today with her ruminations, as a mother, a former marketer, and a psychologist, on the reality of how marketers target children and teens. She says “educating kids will not solve the problem” and urges parents to become informed and demand change to protect their children. --- ## Subway leads social charts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-leads-social-charts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-14 Words: 46 > The sandwich maker received top scores for "online social currency," as measured by a poll that queried consumers about brand buzz, advocacy and engagement, and ties to personal identity. Subway... The sandwich maker received top scores for “online social currency,” as measured by a poll that queried consumers about brand buzz, advocacy and engagement, and ties to personal identity. Subway credits 21 million Facebook fans, 1 million Twitter followers, and digital ads with success. --- ## Nestl̩ pays lip service to responsibility with new CSR campaigns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestl%cc%a9-pays-lip-service-to-responsibility-with-new-csr-campaigns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-14 Words: 47 > The food company has outlined 30 worldwide CSR targets it plans to achieve by 2020, which it calls creating "shared value." The efforts include product reformulations, a healthy kids education... The food company has outlined 30 worldwide CSR targets it plans to achieve by 2020, which it calls creating “shared value.” The efforts include product reformulations, a healthy kids education program, and loans to farmers — all packaged in “we-are-responsible” rhetoric. --- ## Nickelodeon ‘wanted’ for marketing junk food to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nickelodeon-wanted-for-marketing-junk-food-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-14 Words: 46 > Public health advocates (including BMSG) say that Nickelodeon's practice of marketing unhealthy foods to kids runs afoul of the entertainment giant's claim that it is a responsible media business and... Public health advocates (including BMSG) say that Nickelodeon’s practice of marketing unhealthy foods to kids runs afoul of the entertainment giant’s claim that it is a responsible media business and have called on the company to stop advertising junk food to children. --- ## Nestl̩ Girl Scout candy bars violate pledge and surpass sales estimates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestl%cc%a9-girl-scout-candy-bars-violate-pledge-and-surpass-sales-estimates/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-14 Words: 61 > BMSG and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have urged Nestle to stop marketing unhealthy foods featuring the Girl Scout's name and logo, saying that doing so violates... BMSG and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have urged Nestle to stop marketing unhealthy foods featuring the Girl Scout’s name and logo, saying that doing so violates the company’s pledge to avoid marketing to children. The company denied this, and now its Girl Scout candy bars are winning ad awards and reeling in sales. --- ## Additional research to help marketers target Latinos released URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/additional-research-to-help-marketers-target-latinos-released/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-13 Words: 67 > A new survey from the publishers of two popular Latino magazines outlines a variety of shopping and mealtime trends among Latino consumers. Among other findings, the survey reports that Latino... A new survey from the publishers of two popular Latino magazines outlines a variety of shopping and mealtime trends among Latino consumers. Among other findings, the survey reports that Latino consumers enjoy cooking an eclectic variety of foods and extensively use digital coupons, recipes, and other online resources. The report may help food manufacturers “target [Latino families, and moms in particular] with their product offerings.” --- ## Menu labeling delayed due to industry lobbying URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/menu-labeling-delayed-due-to-industry-lobbying/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-12 Words: 41 > The head of the FDA says that writing the new regulations (required under the ACA) "has gotten extremely thorny," with supermarkets fighting to be excluded from the rules. It sounds... The head of the FDA says that writing the new regulations (required under the ACA) “has gotten extremely thorny,” with supermarkets fighting to be excluded from the rules. It sounds like the lobbying is thornier than the labeling itself. --- ## Industry self-regulation permits junk food ads in programming popular with kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-self-regulation-permits-junk-food-ads-in-programming-popular-with-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-12 Words: 45 > A Yale Rudd Center study revealed major loopholes in industry pledges not to market junk foods to children, stemming from companies' narrow definition of "child-directed programming." The report urges them... A Yale Rudd Center study revealed major loopholes in industry pledges not to market junk foods to children, stemming from companies’ narrow definition of “child-directed programming.” The report urges them to expand the definition, advertise healthier items, and take other steps. --- ## Cacique (maker of ‘Hispanic’ cheeses, chorizos) targets schools with CSR campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cacique-maker-of-hispanic-cheeses-chorizos-targets-schools-with-csr-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-12 Words: 34 > The program involves a barcode-clipping program to benefit charter schools serving Latino students. It is expected to raise up to $10,000 at 10 cents per barcode -- and presumably boost... The program involves a barcode-clipping program to benefit charter schools serving Latino students. It is expected to raise up to $10,000 at 10 cents per barcode — and presumably boost Cacique sales. --- ## UK: Chocolate Weetabix healthwashes its image, but the product is still junk URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-chocolate-weetabix-healthwashes-its-image-but-the-product-is-still-junk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-12 Words: 51 > The cereal is now called "Weetabix with Chocolate," and the company will pump over $25 million into a cross-channel campaign to convince parents it's healthy. The product has some whole... The cereal is now called “Weetabix with Chocolate,” and the company will pump over $25 million into a cross-channel campaign to convince parents it’s healthy. The product has some whole grains and less sugar than the average chocolate cereal, though it is still one-fifth sugar. --- ## Feds need to define ‘natural’ claims on labels URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/feds-need-to-define-natural-claims-on-labels/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-11 Words: 27 > The lack of FTC and FDA standards to define 'natural' gives marketers too much leeway, resulting in misinformation for the consumer and lawsuits for marketers. The lack of FTC and FDA standards to define ‘natural’ gives marketers too much leeway, resulting in misinformation for the consumer and lawsuits for marketers. --- ## UK: Coke reformulates Sprite as part of ‘anti-obesity’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-coke-reformulates-sprite-as-part-of-anti-obesity-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-11 Words: 50 > The new product offering will have 30 percent less calories than regular Sprite, due to the addition of the sweetener stevia. Coke says this is part of its effort to... The new product offering will have 30 percent less calories than regular Sprite, due to the addition of the sweetener stevia. Coke says this is part of its effort to “raise awareness” about low- and no-calorie beverages (though they continue to push full-calorie “choices”). --- ## Psychology professors question link between advertising and obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/psychology-professors-question-link-between-advertising-and-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-08 Words: 57 > Professors Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons critique previous research that correlates increased exposure to outdoor food ads with an increase in obesity. Yet instead of recommending precautionary measures until more... Professors Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons critique previous research that correlates increased exposure to outdoor food ads with an increase in obesity. Yet instead of recommending precautionary measures until more research is conducted or calling on advertisers to demonstrate that their marketing is not harmful, the authors say that “talk of restricting ads is premature.” --- ## It’s not just for teens: Viral marketing to young children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/its-not-just-for-teens-viral-marketing-to-young-children/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 3073 > Viral marketing campaigns are designed to mask their commercial origin. Hence they raise multiple issues in protecting consumers, especially children. Viral tactics are growing online through stealth marketing campaigns designed... Viral marketing campaigns are designed to mask their commercial origin. Hence they raise multiple issues in protecting consumers, especially children. Viral tactics are growing online through stealth marketing campaigns designed to encourage product promotion through “peer-to-peer” advertising. Concern about online viral marketing has predominantly focused on its use with teens and adults1 but increasingly younger children also are targets. Food marketers are in the forefront of using viral marketing online. A recent series of complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by The Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown Law on behalf of the Center for Digital Democracy alleged that major food companies and children’s entertainment companies had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by using the viral marketing tactic known as “refer-a-friend” on websites directed to children under 13 years of age.2 Refer-a-friend email techniques prompt children to enter their names and the names and email addresses of their friends. The information is used to generate personalized email advertisements with hyperlinks to a company’s child-targeted website. McDonald’s, General Mills, Subway, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network were named in the complaints. McDonald’s has since removed all refer-a-friend capability from its website Happymeal.com,3 but now references the practice in its revised privacy policy as a way that it markets to children.4 State Attorneys General (AGs) have played an important role by taking swift action to address deceptive digital marketing tactics under state Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices (UDAP) statutes as well as other grants of statutory authority like COPPA. The use of viral marketing techniques to young children warrants careful scrutiny under state consumer protection law. This issue brief provides additional information about the problematic practice of viral marketing to young children. The value of viral marketing to firms, and how tactics like refer-a-friend may violate state UDAP statutes will be discussed. Viral marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages is of particular concern in light of its impact on child food preferences and its potential to contribute to the obesity crisis confronting America’s children. Viral marketing Viral marketing is a principal way advertisers reach young consumers online. From digital buzz campaigns designed to promote online word of mouth, to peer-to-peer practices encouraging friends to buy or “like” products, or by promoting branded games or videos expressly designed to go viral, advertisers increasingly encourage kids to become “influencers.”5 Today, marketers know that the best way to sell their products is to stealthily have children become their (unpaid) brand spokespeople. Viral campaigns targeting kids have been shown to be very effective, including when targeting multicultural youth.6 Refer-a-friend email systems Refer-a-friend email systems exemplify viral marketing to young children. A typical refer-a-friend email system works as follows: A child visits a firm’s website. The child plays an advergame (an online game that contains marketing). At the end of the advergame the child has the option to “Tell a Friend” or “Send to a Friend.” The child is asked to enter a first name and the first names and email addresses of one or more friends. The child is told an email was successfully sent to one or more friends. Personalized email messages with hyperlinks to the firm’s website are sent. The recipient children open the messages and click on the hyperlinks to the firm’s website. A cookie or series of cookies is silently downloaded granting the marketer access to the new user’s data. All of these steps are completed without prior consent either from the parent of the child providing friends’ email addresses or the parents of the children who receive the unsolicited email messages. Many parents likely are unaware that their young children have become active participants in a viral marketing scheme at all, much less one focused on selling foods and beverages of poor nutritional quality. How firms derive value from viral marketing Viral or word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing is used to drive traffic to a firm’s website, Facebook page or online marketing application. Tactics like refer-a-friend email systems “turn email into a type of advocacy or word of mouth endorsement that is passed along from one consumer to the next.”7 Value is derived from this practice in many ways including: increased product sales, recruitment of lifelong brand loyal users, increased ad revenue, and introduction to new customers with access to those users’ data. Increased product sales The ultimate goal of marketing food products and entertainment brands to children is to build permanent brand loyalty and a long lifetime of product purchases. Food companies engage in a wide variety of online marketing tactics that may include viral marke... --- ## Taco Bell plans elaborate cinema campaign to launch Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-plans-elaborate-cinema-campaign-to-launch-cool-ranch-doritos-locos-tacos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-07 Words: 56 > Taco Bell will run 3-D advertisements at movie theaters starting in March. They will be the first 3-D ads from a fast food company. The ads are designed to target... Taco Bell will run 3-D advertisements at movie theaters starting in March. They will be the first 3-D ads from a fast food company. The ads are designed to target 18-34 year olds. More than 90% of the theaters running the ads are within a 5-mile radius of a Taco Bell restaurant. --- ## Food and drink brands lead in direct Twitter mentions in the UK URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-drink-brands-lead-in-direct-twitter-mentions-in-the-uk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-07 Words: 48 > In a study of UK Twitter users, McDonald's topped the list of brands generating direct mentions on the social media platform. Food and drink companies overall accounted for about a... In a study of UK Twitter users, McDonald’s topped the list of brands generating direct mentions on the social media platform. Food and drink companies overall accounted for about a third (32%) of all mentions. Of food and drink mentions, the majority (73%) came from women. --- ## New survey reveals broad consumer support for corporate social responsibility (CSR) URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-survey-reveals-broad-consumer-support-for-corporate-social-responsibility-csr/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-07 Words: 62 > Sixty percent of consumers polled said they look for "brands with a sense of purpose." Yet marketers vastly underestimated that number, with only 46 percent saying that consumers share their... Sixty percent of consumers polled said they look for “brands with a sense of purpose.” Yet marketers vastly underestimated that number, with only 46 percent saying that consumers share their “support for good causes.” It remains to be seen how, if at all, food and beverage companies will step up their CSR efforts in light of these findings. --- ## Report released on private sector’s (weak) efforts to keep Let’s Move pledges URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-released-on-private-sectors-weak-efforts-to-keep-lets-move-pledges/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-07 Words: 39 > Partnership for a Healthier America (an outgrowth of Let's Move) released a progress report on companies' pledges. The report is cheery, of course, but many public health advocates call the... Partnership for a Healthier America (an outgrowth of Let’s Move) released a progress report on companies’ pledges. The report is cheery, of course, but many public health advocates call the collaborations compromising and the achievements meager. --- ## Is ‘Salt Sugar Fat’ keeping marketers up at night? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-salt-sugar-fat-keeping-marketers-up-at-night/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-05 Words: 55 > Getting right to the heart of the issue, Ad Age asks marketers whether they are "worried that Michael Moss' book ... will lead to increased regulation on packaged food and... Getting right to the heart of the issue, Ad Age asks marketers whether they are “worried that Michael Moss’ book … will lead to increased regulation on packaged food and beverages.” The article contains excerpts from Moss’ book, showing that food marketers saw parallels to tobacco as long ago as 1999. --- ## Yogurtland debuts ‘Flavor Quest’ app and videos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yogurtland-debuts-flavor-quest-app-and-videos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-05 Words: 62 > Self-serve frozen yogurt chain Yogurtland has launched a "Flavor Quest" promotion featuring a "Flavor Finder" app and humorous adventure videos. The smartphone app allows consumers to find Yogurtland locations that... Self-serve frozen yogurt chain Yogurtland has launched a “Flavor Quest” promotion featuring a “Flavor Finder” app and humorous adventure videos. The smartphone app allows consumers to find Yogurtland locations that offer specific flavors. The videos, on YouTube, chronicle the travels of Yogurtland’s fictional “flavorologist” as he searches the globe for new taste sensations. --- ## McDonald’s targets Latinos with ad featuring pick-up soccer game URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-latinos-with-ad-featuring-pick-up-soccer-game/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-04 Words: 65 > The commercial, called "Cancha" in Spanish and "Match" in English, was shot twice -- once entirely in Spanish and again mostly in English with a mix of Spanish. The ad... The commercial, called “Cancha” in Spanish and “Match” in English, was shot twice — once entirely in Spanish and again mostly in English with a mix of Spanish. The ad is a part of the company’s lead up to the World Cup in 2014. The ad will be a “global spot” run on markets around the world. --- ## ‘Got milk?’ campaign targets Latinos with the ‘El Reto de la Leche’ promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/got-milk-campaign-targets-latinos-with-the-el-reto-de-la-leche-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-04 Words: 87 > 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... 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. --- ## President of Mars Chocolate North America calls on candy manufacturers to embrace front-of-package labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/president-of-mars-chocolate-north-america-calls-on-candy-manufacturers-to-embrace-front-of-package-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-04 Words: 38 > 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... 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. --- ## New report critical of digital food marketing to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-report-critical-of-digital-food-marketing-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-03-01 Words: 59 > 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... 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. --- ## Celebrities Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Mark Wahlberg lend their names to ‘performance water’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/celebrities-sean-diddy-combs-and-mark-wahlberg-lend-their-names-to-performance-water/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-28 Words: 52 > 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... 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? --- ## Nine takeaways about junk food from Michael Moss’ ‘Salt Sugar Fat’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nine-takeaways-about-junk-food-from-michael-moss-salt-sugar-fat/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-27 Words: 44 > 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... 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. --- ## Let’s Move struggles to support policy that would hold food industry accountable URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lets-move-struggles-to-support-policy-that-would-hold-food-industry-accountable/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-27 Words: 43 > 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... 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. --- ## Predictably, industry responds to ‘Salt Sugar Fat’ book with calls for ‘personal responsibility’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/predictably-industry-responds-to-salt-sugar-fat-book-with-calls-for-personal-responsibility/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-27 Words: 43 > 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... 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. --- ## Nickelodeon targets ‘post-Millennials’ with new content and platforms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nickelodeon-targets-post-millennials-with-new-content-and-platforms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-26 Words: 47 > 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... 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. --- ## Rapper/activist stic.man creates video viscerally linking junk food and death URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rapperactivist-stic-man-creates-video-viscerally-linking-junk-food-and-death/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-26 Words: 35 > "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... “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. --- ## Packaged foods giant Unilever beefs up digital advertising to target consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/packaged-foods-giant-unilever-beefs-up-digital-advertising-to-target-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-25 Words: 55 > The company recently struck massive deals with global partners like Sony and Samsung to integrate more social media and multimedia content like gaming into its advertising. Said Unilever's media director:... The company recently struck massive deals with global partners like Sony and Samsung to integrate more social media and multimedia content like gaming into its advertising. Said Unilever’s media director: “[W]hether it’s the young mom or the young male … gaming is a critical part of their lives.” --- ## Dr Pepper nabs Olympic gymnast to brighten the health halo of its low-cal drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-nabs-olympic-gymnast-to-brighten-the-health-halo-of-its-low-cal-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-25 Words: 79 > 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... 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. --- ## Mars president warns industry to preempt obesity-related regulation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mars-president-warns-industry-to-preempt-obesity-related-regulation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-25 Words: 55 > The confections company executive called on industry to "step up," saying: "If we don't [act], I worry someone else will do it for us." The fear is that regulators may... The confections company executive called on industry to “step up,” saying: “If we don’t [act], I worry someone else will do it for us.” The fear is that regulators may put meaningful consumer protections in place (unlike industry voluntary pledges). Ideas for “stepping up” include product reformulation. --- ## Margo Wootan speaks out on ‘irresponsible food industry practices’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/margo-wootan-speaks-out-on-irresponsible-food-industry-practices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-25 Words: 55 > In this interview with Food Navigator, the Center for Science in the Public Interest's Margo Wootan rebuts classic food industry's classic arguments, explaining that there are, in fact, bad foods... In this interview with Food Navigator, the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s Margo Wootan rebuts classic food industry’s classic arguments, explaining that there are, in fact, bad foods and that our environment, filled to the brim with these foods, thwarts our best efforts to eat well and be healthy. --- ## Day’s worth of saturated fat in children’s fast food meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/days-worth-of-saturated-fat-in-childrens-fast-food-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-22 Words: 55 > A report from the Cancer Council of Australia says kids' fast food meals pack in more than an entire day's worth of salt and saturated fat. It recommends that targets... A report from the Cancer Council of Australia says kids’ fast food meals pack in more than an entire day’s worth of salt and saturated fat. It recommends that targets be set for reform of all fast food products and that there be a national approach to nutrition labeling on menu boards. --- ## Domino’s launches CSR campaign at odds with the work of a children’s hospital URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-launches-csr-campaign-at-odds-with-the-work-of-a-childrens-hospital/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-22 Words: 51 > The "St. Jude Thanks and Giving Combo" includes pizzas, cheesy bread bites, a two-liter bottle of Coke and a $1 donation to St. Jude for $19.99. Will the funds raised... The “St. Jude Thanks and Giving Combo” includes pizzas, cheesy bread bites, a two-liter bottle of Coke and a $1 donation to St. Jude for $19.99. Will the funds raised by this corporate social responsibility campaign be used to treat the pediatric obesity fueled by such foods? --- ## Food industry cries wolf, uses job loss bogeyman to fight health labels in Australia URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-cries-wolf-uses-job-loss-bogeyman-to-fight-health-labels-in-australia/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-21 Words: 41 > Lobbyist Gary Dawson makes the Orwellian comment: "The original intent here was to enable companies to make a broader range of health claims on their packaging that would in fact... Lobbyist Gary Dawson makes the Orwellian comment: “The original intent here was to enable companies to make a broader range of health claims on their packaging that would in fact drive innovation.” The kind of innovation that sells Lunchables? --- ## More Latinos sees themselves as bicultural URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/more-latinos-sees-themselves-as-bicultural/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-20 Words: 43 > Marketers are struggling to address the nuances of "Latino marketing" vs. marketing that is directed to the general market. A new study suggests that the distinctions are not clear-cut, since... Marketers are struggling to address the nuances of “Latino marketing” vs. marketing that is directed to the general market. A new study suggests that the distinctions are not clear-cut, since many Latinos identify as bicultural, or part of both markets. --- ## Post Foods supports Univision’s music awards show to target young Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/post-foods-supports-univisions-music-awards-show-to-target-young-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-20 Words: 58 > Post Foods is increasing its support for Univision's popular music award show, "Premio Lo Nuestro." Among other efforts, Post's Honey Bunches of Oats will be the major sponsor for a... Post Foods is increasing its support for Univision’s popular music award show, “Premio Lo Nuestro.” Among other efforts, Post’s Honey Bunches of Oats will be the major sponsor for a multi-city Latin music tour, and Univision’s telenovelas and youth music shows will be featured on boxes of the cereal. --- ## The extraordinary science of addictive junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-extraordinary-science-of-addictive-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-20 Words: 89 > Like Big Tobacco, the junk food industry is adept at anticipating oncoming health crises and mobilizing to protect their profits. The article offers candid insights into the industry's need to... Like Big Tobacco, the junk food industry is adept at anticipating oncoming health crises and mobilizing to protect their profits. The article offers candid insights into the industry’s need to hook consumers: “If you lost one of those heavy [soda] users, if somebody just decided to stop drinking Coke, how many drinkers would you have to get, at low velocity, to make up for that heavy user? The answer is a lot. It’s more efficient to get my existing users to drink more.” --- ## How cereal companies target kids online URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-cereal-companies-target-kids-online/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-20 Words: 36 > A study from BMSG and the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity reveals the digital techniques that cereal companies use to get children to engage with brands in... A study from BMSG and the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity reveals the digital techniques that cereal companies use to get children to engage with brands in ways not possible through television advertising. --- ## Big Food and Big Tobacco take the long view and so should advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/big-food-and-big-tobacco-take-the-long-view-and-so-should-advocates/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 773 > Earlier this month, I tuned into the webcast of the UCSF "It's About a Billion Lives" annual symposium to hear the latest from the tobacco control field. Even though I've... Earlier this month, I tuned into the webcast of the UCSF “It’s About a Billion Lives” annual symposium to hear the latest from the tobacco control field. Even though I’ve heard amazing presentations by UCSF’s scientists many times, I was riveted by what scholars Amanda Fallin & Rachel Grana had to say about the role of the tobacco industry in fomenting the Tea Party. I’ve read stories before saying the Tea Party isn’t the grassroots movement it claims. One of the more prominent involved the Tea Party Express, a bus tour meant to drum up Tea Party support. Led by a Sacramento-based lobbying group, it was widely criticized — by many within the Tea Party as well as outsiders — as nothing more than “astroturf,” made to seem like grassroots activism but funded and supported by major corporations or wealthy donors. The infamous David Koch, of the Koch brothers, has been called the Tea Party’s “wallet” for backing a variety of conservative causes around the country. But I was blown away by what Fallin and Grana found in the tobacco industry documents. As early as the 1980s, the tobacco industry began working on a way to position smoking as a right that must be protected against governmental intrusion and foresaw how a national movement could support this campaign. In 1993, a PR consultant for Philip Morris offered an eerily prescient recommendation for what this campaign should entail: “Grounded in the theme of ‘The New American Tax Revolution’ or ‘The New Boston Tea Party,’ the campaign should take the form of citizens representing the widest constituency base mobilized with signage and other attention-drawing accoutrements such as lapel buttons, handouts, petitions and even costumes.” Sound familiar? The authors go on to detail the many ways in which the tobacco industry has been involved in fomenting the Tea Party, including being a “quarterback behind the scenes,” and supporting “third-party efforts,” such as Citizens for a Sound Economy, an organization founded in 1984 by the Koch brothers that has spawned various Tea Party groups still active today. No surprise then that the paper (payment required for non-subscribers), has spurred quite a bit of media attention, including some notable pushback. Fox News’ spin on the story offers a criticism right out of the tobacco-Tea Party playbook. Fox calls the research “an attractive narrative for Tea Party critics,” quoting a Tea Party Patriot co-founder saying, “It’s an example of the frivolous spending inside the government that has landed us $17 trillion in debt” — a critique that echoes criticism of government found in the tobacco industry documents. Most news coverage, however, has shared my shock at how long ago the tobacco industry began its deep involvement with this cause. Corporate influence in politics is not merely about the Tea Party but about how corporations can undermine effective actions to create a healthier society. For example, right now the FDA’s lack of meaningful action on tobacco products is calling into question whether the agency is a public health ally in the fight against the damage caused by the industry’s products. And this issue isn’t just limited to Big Tobacco. An abundance of recent evidence points to the food & beverage and alcohol industries using many of these same tactics — such as strategic donations to public health and civil rights organizations, and stalling governmental action — to similar effect. As I listened to Fallin and Grana describe Big Tobacco’s Tea Party exploits, it reminded me how good the industry is at playing the long game — it is able to see potential threats coming well before they manifest, and it is excellent at planning counter strategies. We found that soda companies are up to the same thing when they use corporate social responsibility campaigns to market themselves as part of the solution to obesity. Pepsi, for example, figured out that young people attach major significance to brands perceived to “do good” in the world and used its Refresh Everything campaign as a means to create long-lasting brand loyalties with these consumers. Whether it’s junk foods, alcohol or tobacco, industry has shown time and again that it plans far in advance. Those committed to improving health need to remember this and be ready for a sustained effort to change harmful corporate practices and achieve our health goals. --- ## Honey Maid website targets kids ages 6-12 with lots of games and ‘minimal’ sell URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honey-maid-website-targets-kids-ages-6-12-with-lots-of-games-and-minimal-sell/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-19 Words: 55 > Mondelez Intl., formerly Kraft Foods, owns the brand. The "Made Co." website solicits kids to submit their creative ideas to be "brought to life" by professionals. While Honey Made says... Mondelez Intl., formerly Kraft Foods, owns the brand. The “Made Co.” website solicits kids to submit their creative ideas to be “brought to life” by professionals. While Honey Made says it’s trying to get kids to create content, rather than consume it, there are several links to product information. --- ## Post Foods uses Sesame Street characters to promote children’s cereal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/post-foods-uses-sesame-street-characters-to-promote-childrens-cereal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-19 Words: 46 > The company is also using doctors who are mothers to help promote the cereal to moms making purchase decisions. Compared to most children's cereals, the product is much healthier as... The company is also using doctors who are mothers to help promote the cereal to moms making purchase decisions. Compared to most children’s cereals, the product is much healthier as it only has 1g of sugar per serving, while others have 8g or more. --- ## New report highlights influence of Latino shoppers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-report-highlights-influence-of-latino-shoppers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-18 Words: 30 > "On the Rise: The Growing Influence of the Hispanic Shopper" reminds marketers that Latinos have "a broad influence that extends well beyond [their] own ethnic group." “On the Rise: The Growing Influence of the Hispanic Shopper” reminds marketers that Latinos have “a broad influence that extends well beyond [their] own ethnic group.” --- ## PepsiCo surges by returning to its core portfolio of sugar, salt, and fat URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-surges-by-returning-to-its-core-portfolio-of-sugar-salt-and-fat/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-18 Words: 38 > The article not only discusses the implications of the marketer shying away from its much-ballyhooed move toward healthier foods and beverages, but suggests that the return to its unhealthy staples... The article not only discusses the implications of the marketer shying away from its much-ballyhooed move toward healthier foods and beverages, but suggests that the return to its unhealthy staples is evidence that “advertising works.” --- ## Food labels underestimate calorie content of some foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-labels-underestimate-calorie-content-of-some-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-18 Words: 16 > Here is even more evidence for the USDA to promulgate more effective front-of-package labels. Here is even more evidence for the USDA to promulgate more effective front-of-package labels. --- ## Letter-to-the-editor: Advertising and children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/letter-to-the-editor-advertising-and-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-18 Words: 47 > In response to a study linking junk food marketing to health consequences in children, this writer recommends his father's humiliating but somehow effective practice: Force children to shout insults when... In response to a study linking junk food marketing to health consequences in children, this writer recommends his father’s humiliating but somehow effective practice: Force children to shout insults when TV commercials air. A policy change would keep individual parents from having to do this. --- ## UK Doctors call for a tax on sugary drinks and a ban on junk food ads URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-doctors-call-for-a-tax-on-sugary-drinks-and-a-ban-on-junk-food-ads/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-17 Words: 46 > The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges makes a bold call for real policy change to correct food marketing environments. However, the BBC's use of an incredibly stigmatizing photo undermines this... The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges makes a bold call for real policy change to correct food marketing environments. However, the BBC’s use of an incredibly stigmatizing photo undermines this agenda by focusing readers’ attention on individuals’ bodies rather than the environment. --- ## Food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents: Limited progress by 2012, recommendations for the future — brief report URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/food-and-beverage-marketing-to-children-and-adolescents-limited-progress-by-2012-recommendations-for-the-future-brief-report/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 846 > Although there has been some progress to improve the foods offered and marketed to American youths at home, in schools and in restaurants, children and adolescents are still surrounded by... Although there has been some progress to improve the foods offered and marketed to American youths at home, in schools and in restaurants, children and adolescents are still surrounded by advertising and easy access to unhealthy foods and beverages. Unhealthy foods and beverages are often inexpensive, typically contain few nutrients and have high amounts of excess calories, total fat, trans fat, added sugars, and sodium. The abundance, affordability, and widespread availability of unhealthy foods also discourages young people from consuming recommended levels of nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, as well essential nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, and fiber. The marketing of high-calorie and nutrient-poor foods and beverages is linked to overweight and obesity in the United States. In 2009-2010, 34.6 percent of boys and 32.6 percent of girls were overweight or obese. An examination of research and policy trends related to food and beverage marketing shows that industry self-regulation has not substantially improved children’s and adolescents’ exposure to marketing for unhealthy foods and beverages between 2006 and 2012. The evidence Although the food industry has improved self-regulation through the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), there are loopholes and gaps in the initiative that allow food, beverage, and chain restaurant companies to market high-calorie and nutrient-poor foods and beverages to young people. Corporate lobbyists from the food and beverage industry have sought to influence legislators and the public to halt the release of comprehensive voluntary marketing guidelines to improve the nutritional quality of food and beverage products marketed to American children and adolescents. Emerging research shows that healthy products can be a profitable segment of the food business. Television advertising reaching millions of children predominately features advertisements for unhealthy products. Many digital media channels, such as advergames, are dynamic and effective channels for food marketing to children and adolescents. Nutrition claims and the use of popular characters on product packaging influence children’s food preferences. The presence of competitive foods in schools where students are a captive audience is a marketing opportunity for the food and beverage industry, and research demonstrates the need for strong standards for foods sold in vending machines, la carte lines, and school stores. Recently updated standards proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are an important step forward in promoting healthy foods and beverages throughout the school campus and school day. Compared with White children and adolescents, African American and Latino children and adolescents — who experience higher rates of overweight, obesity, and diet-related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes — are exposed to higher levels of marketing for unhealthy food and beverage products. Conclusions and policy implications Research analyzing traditional and new media indicates that industry self-regulation through the CFBAI is unlikely to be effective at protecting children because there are significant loopholes that allow continued marketing of unhealthy products. Policy implications of the research findings include: The CFBAI has developed a uniform set of nutrition criteria to be used by all participating food companies in 2014. All food and beverage manufacturers could further strengthen self-regulatory efforts by adhering to the drafted media and nutrition voluntary guidelines published by the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children (IWG). In May 2012, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new report on accelerating progress in preventing obesity that reinforced the need for industry to implement comprehensive common voluntary standards to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children and adolescents ages 2 to 17. The standards cover a broad range of marketing and advertising practices, including digital marketing, licensed characters, and toy premiums. If the voluntary marketing standards are not adopted by 2014 by a majority of companies, the IOM has recommended that the government should set mandatory nutrition standards and ensure they are implemented. While the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides some protection to food advertising and marketing from government regulation, legal scholars have argued that government regulation of food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents would withstand a First Amendment challenge because children and adolescents are cognitively defenseless against marketing messages, making the messages “inherently misleading.” The food and beverage industry should support and implement the findings of the Federal Trade Commission’s follow-up report on industry marketing expenditures. All companies marketing to children, including media ... --- ## Food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents: Limited progress by 2012, recommendations for the future — full report URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/food-and-beverage-marketing-to-children-and-adolescents-limited-progress-by-2012-recommendations-for-the-future-full-report/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7618 > Despite some positive actions implemented by industry,1,2 government,3-6 and schools3-6 to improve young people's dietary choices and food environments between 2006 and 2012, in the United States, children and adolescents... Despite some positive actions implemented by industry,1,2 government,3-6 and schools3-6 to improve young people’s dietary choices and food environments between 2006 and 2012, in the United States, children and adolescents still grow up immersed in environments that promote primarily unhealthy foods and beverages.7-9 A healthy food and eating environment, whether it is at home, in fast-food establishments, restaurants, or schools, on television, or in the marketplace, would be one where young people have regular access to nutrient-rich foods, beverages, and meals that align with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans10 and support a healthful diet.11 Unhealthy food and eating environments offer young people easy access to inexpensive and predominantly energy-dense (high-calorie), nutrient-poor foods, beverages, and meals that have excessive amounts of total calories, total fat, trans fat, added sugars, and sodium. Such environments also discourage young people from consuming recommended levels of nutrient-rich food groups (including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy) and essential nutrients (such as calcium, potassium, and fiber). Unhealthy food and beverage environments adversely affect the quality of children’s and adolescents’ diets and influence their future health. The marketing of energy-dense and nutrient-poor food and beverage products is linked to overweight and obesity,7 which remain unacceptably high among young people in the United States. In 2009-2010, 19.6 percent of boys and 17.1 percent of girls ages 12 to 19 were obese, and 34.6 percent of boys and 32.6 percent of girls were overweight or obese.12 Obesity prevalence is especially high among Hispanic boys (26.5%) and African American girls (24.8%).13 Obesity and related chronic diseases disproportionately affect ethnically and racially diverse groups, including African Americans, Latinos, and American Indian/Alaska Native children and adolescents.14-17 Children and adolescents who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancers.12,15,18 Methodology This review summarizes academic and industry research on evolving trends in food and beverage marketing to American children and adolescents between March 2011 and May 2012. It draws from many evidence sources including: published peer-reviewed journal articles and foundation reports, independent evaluations conducted by public health and consumer advocacy organizations, and media or news releases. It builds upon the findings discussed in the Healthy Eating Research brief and synthesis, released in October 200819 and April 2011,20respectively, to examine the growing body of research related to food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents. This review also highlights future research needs and policy options for the government at federal, state, and local levels to protect young people from unhealthy food and beverage marketing practices. Key research results Although the industry has improved its self-regulatory program through the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), there are remaining loopholes and significant gaps that allow food, beverage, and chain restaurant companies to market energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods and beverages to young people. Overall, industry has made “limited” to “moderate”1progress toward achieving the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) recommendations to improve children’s and adolescents’ food marketing environments. Corporate lobbyists from the food and beverage industry sought to influence legislators and the public to halt the release of comprehensive voluntary marketing guidelines to improve the nutritional quality of food and beverage products marketed to American children and adolescents. At the request of Congress, the guidelines were developed by the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children (IWG), comprised of representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Research disputes the food industry’s claims about some of the challenges in reformulating child-targeted products to improve their nutritional quality with emerging research showing that healthy products can be a profitable segment of the food business. Based on the CFBAI definition, measured media, such as television shows, are considered child-directed if the audience base includes more than 35 percent of children ages 12 or under. Research evaluating industry self-regulation has shown that this definition has produced uneven improvements to the landscape of television advertising, which still reaches millions of children and predominately features advertisements (ads) for unhealthy products. Many digital media channels, such as advergames, are dynamic and effective channels for food market... --- ## Taylor Swift and Coca-Cola target kids with an unhealthy product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taylor-swift-and-coca-cola-target-kids-with-an-unhealthy-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-15 Words: 59 > Author Laurie David discusses the pervasiveness of junk food marketing to children: [W]e haven't noticed the extent to which the fast food and soda industry has permeated our children's worlds."... Author Laurie David discusses the pervasiveness of junk food marketing to children: [W]e haven’t noticed the extent to which the fast food and soda industry has permeated our children’s worlds.” Although David does not call for specific policy solutions, she argues that government is partly to blame because it has neglected to regulate. --- ## Unhealthy brands like Oreo and Cadbury are dubbed ‘power brands’ by Mondelez URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/unhealthy-brands-like-oreo-and-cadbury-are-dubbed-power-brands-by-mondelez/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-15 Words: 33 > The Kraft spin-off credits such brands with leading its sales - overall and in developing markets. A company executive said they would remain "laser-focused on driving the power brands." The Kraft spin-off credits such brands with leading its sales – overall and in developing markets. A company executive said they would remain “laser-focused on driving the power brands.” --- ## New research on Latino consumers offers marketers additional targeting opportunities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-research-on-latino-consumers-offers-marketers-additional-targeting-opportunities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-15 Words: 27 > According to a newly released report, Latinos are a "key growth opportunity" for marketers, but they feel misrepresented in the media and misunderstood by advertisers. According to a newly released report, Latinos are a “key growth opportunity” for marketers, but they feel misrepresented in the media and misunderstood by advertisers. --- ## Adding sugar mist to vegetables makes kids like them more URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/adding-sugar-mist-to-vegetables-makes-kids-like-them-more/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-15 Words: 26 > Somehow, this is scientific research, not an Onion headline. Here's another headline: Adding sugar to everything makes children addicted, unable to eat without sweeteners. Somehow, this is scientific research, not an Onion headline. Here’s another headline: Adding sugar to everything makes children addicted, unable to eat without sweeteners. --- ## Dr Pepper Snapple Group will launch ‘aggressive’ campaign for its lo-cal sodas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-snapple-group-will-launch-aggressive-campaign-for-its-lo-cal-sodas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-14 Words: 44 > The launch is a reflection of the bigger trend for beverage makers to create low-calorie products to deflect criticism from their large portfolios of sugar-laden drinks. The CEO emphasized that... The launch is a reflection of the bigger trend for beverage makers to create low-calorie products to deflect criticism from their large portfolios of sugar-laden drinks. The CEO emphasized that the multi-million dollar campaign would spread across a variety of channels. --- ## Coca-Cola uses crowd sourcing for American Idol Valentine’s Day ad URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-crowd-sourcing-for-american-idol-valentines-day-ad/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-14 Words: 33 > The beverage giant continues to find loopholes in its self-regulatory promises. It will air a consumer-generated ad on Idol, a 'family programming' show that nevertheless reaches millions of children. The beverage giant continues to find loopholes in its self-regulatory promises. It will air a consumer-generated ad on Idol, a ‘family programming’ show that nevertheless reaches millions of children. --- ## The state of industry tracking: Mobile apps log your every move inside restaurants, retail settings URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-state-of-industry-tracking-mobile-apps-log-your-every-move-inside-restaurants-retail-settings/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-13 Words: 66 > Using this new tracking technique, smartphones relay real-time data down to the level of what items you look at, where you linger, etc. The technology gathers consumers' mobile-device IDs as... Using this new tracking technique, smartphones relay real-time data down to the level of what items you look at, where you linger, etc. The technology gathers consumers’ mobile-device IDs as they enter a business using a wifi network or small sensors, and then tracks people as they move around the restaurant or store. The system operates with little or no notification to customers. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts picks ad agency with specialty in marketing to Hispanics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-picks-ad-agency-with-specialty-in-marketing-to-hispanics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-13 Words: 48 > A Dunkin' exec said the company is "committed to being the brand of Latinos." In addition to its media advertising, Dunkin' recently initiated a partnership with Universal Music Latin Entertainment... A Dunkin’ exec said the company is “committed to being the brand of Latinos.” In addition to its media advertising, Dunkin’ recently initiated a partnership with Universal Music Latin Entertainment to advertise its coffee in tandem with high-profile Latin music and cultural events. --- ## Coca-Cola’s profitability increasingly tied to overseas markets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-profitability-increasingly-tied-to-overseas-markets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-12 Words: 10 > Developing markets are key to the multinational's success. Developing markets are key to the multinational’s success. --- ## Lancet report details how food companies use Big Tobacco tricks to protect profits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lancet-report-details-how-food-companies-use-big-tobacco-tricks-to-protect-profits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-12 Words: 42 > Industry actions include: distorting research findings, paying large sums to build relationships with health bodies, and lobbying governments to block health regulations. The report calls for stronger government action, going... Industry actions include: distorting research findings, paying large sums to build relationships with health bodies, and lobbying governments to block health regulations. The report calls for stronger government action, going beyond the “nudge theory” of education and industry self-regulation. --- ## How Post launched a new cereal in six months URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-post-launched-a-new-cereal-in-six-months/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-11 Words: 24 > The speedy launch provides an example of how new products are developed and offers insight into the relationship between food producers, retailers, and marketers. The speedy launch provides an example of how new products are developed and offers insight into the relationship between food producers, retailers, and marketers. --- ## Mountain Dew launches A.M. product combining soda and orange juice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-launches-a-m-product-combining-soda-and-orange-juice/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-11 Words: 37 > According to NPR, "The only worse liquid to wake up to is discovering you wet the bed." Granted, journalists are not the target market, so look out for how young... According to NPR, “The only worse liquid to wake up to is discovering you wet the bed.” Granted, journalists are not the target market, so look out for how young men respond to this product. --- ## Mountain Dew using integrated marketing campaign to launch energy drink Kickstart URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-using-integrated-marketing-campaign-to-launch-energy-drink-kickstart/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-11 Words: 35 > The rollout will include traditional and new media, as well as a "robust" sampling tour. The target market is Millennial men, and the product is a blend of soda, fruit... The rollout will include traditional and new media, as well as a “robust” sampling tour. The target market is Millennial men, and the product is a blend of soda, fruit juice, and caffeine. --- ## How advertisers target our children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-advertisers-target-our-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-11 Words: 53 > Many industries, from food to alcohol to tobacco, have long targeted children with their products. In today's digital age, kids are targeted from more directions than ever, often without parents'... Many industries, from food to alcohol to tobacco, have long targeted children with their products. In today’s digital age, kids are targeted from more directions than ever, often without parents’ awareness. Topping the list of products marketed to children are “fast foods, sugared cereals, sugary drinks and candy.” --- ## SNL pokes fun at tokenizing of African-Americans in food and beverage marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snl-pokes-fun-at-tokenizing-of-african-americans-in-food-and-beverage-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-11 Words: 43 > Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson plays "Corey, the One Black Guy in Every Commercial" in a bit that pokes fun at the token roles played by "cool and... Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson plays “Corey, the One Black Guy in Every Commercial” in a bit that pokes fun at the token roles played by “cool and nonthreatening” people of color in food and beverage advertisements. --- ## Brands seek to respond in real time URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brands-seek-to-respond-in-real-time/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-07 Words: 50 > Brands are attempting to market their products by responding in real time to world events or conversations on social media. Oreo, for example responded in real time to the Super... Brands are attempting to market their products by responding in real time to world events or conversations on social media. Oreo, for example responded in real time to the Super Bowl blackout by posting an image on Twitter with the tagline: “You can still dunk in the dark.” --- ## Candy group plans to adopt voluntary front-of-package labels URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/candy-group-plans-to-adopt-voluntary-front-of-package-labels/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-05 Words: 34 > Labels will only indicate the amount of calories, not fat or sugar. The voluntary action will allow the industry to claim that it's doing its part and, thereby, forestall criticism... Labels will only indicate the amount of calories, not fat or sugar. The voluntary action will allow the industry to claim that it’s doing its part and, thereby, forestall criticism and regulation. --- ## Kellogg adopts more aggressive digital ad model URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-adopts-more-aggressive-digital-ad-model/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-04 Words: 49 > The company is now using automated, real-time buying tools for over half of its digital advertising. Kellogg wants to use additional metrics beyond "click-throughs," looking also at "dwell-time" and "viewability"... The company is now using automated, real-time buying tools for over half of its digital advertising. Kellogg wants to use additional metrics beyond “click-throughs,” looking also at “dwell-time” and “viewability” to show that its message has “broken through.” --- ## Behind Coca-Cola’s ties to NAACP URL: https://www.bmsg.org/behind-coca-colas-ties-to-naacp/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 936 > A few months ago, I wrote from a personal perspective a blog about the National Association of Hispanic Journalists accepting $100,000 from PepsiCo. As a former journalist and board member... A few months ago, I wrote from a personal perspective a blog about the National Association of Hispanic Journalists accepting $100,000 from PepsiCo. As a former journalist and board member of the organization and now a public health professional, I was disappointed to see that such an influential organization of color had once again succumbed to the lure of financial backing from a multinational corporation that has targeted and disproportionately sickened the community it purports to support through such philanthropic gestures. My intent was to point out the parallels between Big Soda and Big Tobacco and how they have both targeted communities of color and used philanthropy and corporate social responsibility campaigns to sell harmful products (in my blog I reminisced about being on the board in the mid-1980s when we debated whether we should accept money from Philip Morris). This comparison was the recent focus of a BMSG study that pointed out how these soda campaigns echo tobacco industry’s tactics. But it was also brought to my attention by one of my public health colleagues that we should acknowledge that Big Soda sponsorship is an issue for all advocacy organizations, and we should not just single out organizations of color as having an ethics problem — especially given that these same groups are some of the most under-resourced groups with organizational missions that are critical to continuing ethnic and racial justice efforts. This same point recently surfaced when Center for Science in the Public Interest Executive Director Michael Jacobson sent a statement criticizing NAACP for accepting money from Coca-Cola and calling for the civil rights organization to return the money. It’s easy to point to the recipients of these gifts from Big Soda and blame or shame them for taking dirty money. But dig a little deeper and you will find a complicated relationship between Coca-Cola and Pepsi and communities of color — one that makes “just say no” too simplistic. In this debate, a colleague brought up the important historical context in which this transaction occurred: Organizations representing communities of color — particularly African-Americans and Latinos — have been receiving support from food and beverage companies for more than a half century. These relationships are so intertwined that African-Americans have viewed their educational, economic and social progress in this nation as being partially a result of the support they have received from these companies, wrote noted policy scholar and public health advocate Maya Rockeymoore in a public health email group I belong to. “From their perspective, to ask them to reject the dollars is likely untenable from a budgetary perspective, even if it’s morally justifiable. So, we must ask ourselves, what is the ultimate goal? If the goal is to reduce soda consumption in communities of color, is it wise to alienate the very organizations that serve as the gateway to these communities? That sets up an either/or, us vs. them dynamic that hardens positions and hearts. Thus negating (or at least making more difficult) the ability to achieve the ultimate goal,” said Rockeymoore. I agree with Rockeymoore, and have been inspired by the thoughtful words of other colleagues, like Ana Garcia, deputy director of Health Policy for The New York Academy of Medicine: “I think the burden is on us in public health to more forcefully/effectively articulate why accepting money from soda is like accepting money from the gun or tobacco industry. Shaming the recipients is one awareness-raising tactic, but when the recipients are community organizations and organizations representing populations that have historically been discriminated against, I think we need to pause. As Rockeymoore points out, history matters. And we are potentially making enemies where, for the long-term health of the population, we desperately need to be making friends,” Garcia said. So, from the perspective of communities of color, access to and attention from these companies has represented opportunity, inclusion and an investment in our futures. Because of this historical context, public health advocates need to be more savvy and culturally sensitive in their approach to educating communities of color about the health dangers of sugary beverages. As Rockeymoore noted, coming out screaming “don’t take money from soda” can be construed as short-sighted, lacking historical context and paternalistic. Instead, she said, we should work toward changing the frame of this conversation by reframing the definition of opportunity and inclusion; encourage organizations representing vulnerable communities to become more assertive in their relationships with food and beverage companies by being more upfront about promoting healthier products; encourage communities of color to be more savvy consumers; and encourage these communities to become more discerning about the influence of corporate marketing tactics. Or, as BMSG di... --- ## How many ad men does it take to make an Oreo commercial in the dark? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-many-ad-men-does-it-take-to-make-an-oreo-commercial-in-the-dark/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-03 Words: 62 > It takes a "mission control" unit, or a few executives and a brand team. That's the kind of effort Oreo put into marketing its cookies when the Super Bowl blackout... It takes a “mission control” unit, or a few executives and a brand team. That’s the kind of effort Oreo put into marketing its cookies when the Super Bowl blackout occurred. 1,000s of re-tweets of Oreo’s ad amounted to “free” marketing. Of course, Oreo is just as trained on consumers year-round. --- ## Marketing tips for reaching Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-tips-for-reaching-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-02 Words: 52 > A New York Times blogger offers suggestions for targeting Latino consumers. These include developing "personal relationships," and appealing to "both logical and emotional minds." The blogger also encourages marketers to... A New York Times blogger offers suggestions for targeting Latino consumers. These include developing “personal relationships,” and appealing to “both logical and emotional minds.” The blogger also encourages marketers to keep in mind the diversity of the American Latino population, including country of origin and regional language variations. --- ## Sodastream: The Superbowl ad that Coke and Pepsi desperately don’t want you to see URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sodastream-the-superbowl-ad-that-coke-and-pepsi-desperately-dont-want-you-to-see/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-02 Words: 41 > Coca-Cola and Pepsi reportedly pressured CBS to not air a Super Bowl ad from SodaStream. They were upset that the ad contained an implied criticism of the soda companies' use... Coca-Cola and Pepsi reportedly pressured CBS to not air a Super Bowl ad from SodaStream. They were upset that the ad contained an implied criticism of the soda companies’ use of plastic bottles and related harms to the environment. --- ## Fast food ads linked to obesity in some neighborhoods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-ads-linked-to-obesity-in-some-neighborhoods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-02-01 Words: 64 > Researchers at UCLA found an association between the number of outdoor advertisements in a census tract and the number of residents that are overweight. The study focused on densely populated... Researchers at UCLA found an association between the number of outdoor advertisements in a census tract and the number of residents that are overweight. The study focused on densely populated areas of Los Angeles and New Orleans. Study author Lenard Lesser argues that communities can take action to restrict outdoor advertising and that individuals can be active on town boards that make such decisions. --- ## Bud Light donates $100,000 to Hispanic Scholarship Fund URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bud-light-donates-100000-to-hispanic-scholarship-fund/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-31 Words: 50 > The campaign is a tie-in with the Mexican National Men's Soccer team U.S. tour. Bud Light is presenting the Hispanic Scholarship Fund with a $20,000 check at each of the... The campaign is a tie-in with the Mexican National Men’s Soccer team U.S. tour. Bud Light is presenting the Hispanic Scholarship Fund with a $20,000 check at each of the five exhibition games. Overall, Bud Light has donated $25 million to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. --- ## Mondelez Intl. going ahead with mobile plan to ‘drive impulse purchases’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mondelez-intl-going-ahead-with-mobile-plan-to-drive-impulse-purchases/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-30 Words: 39 > Formerly Kraft Foods, the company has hired mobile start-up talent to move forward with its Mobile Futures pilot program. One of its express goals is to target Millennials, spurring impulse... Formerly Kraft Foods, the company has hired mobile start-up talent to move forward with its Mobile Futures pilot program. One of its express goals is to target Millennials, spurring impulse buys and “mobile-at-retail experiences.” --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts social media campaign discourages would-be home cooks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-social-media-campaign-discourages-would-be-home-cooks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-30 Words: 43 > As part of its "UpgraDDe Your Sandwich" campaign to promote its Bakery Sandwich, Dunkin' is running a sweepstake in which people enter by posting photos of their "sad, homemade sandwiches"... As part of its “UpgraDDe Your Sandwich” campaign to promote its Bakery Sandwich, Dunkin’ is running a sweepstake in which people enter by posting photos of their “sad, homemade sandwiches” on Instagram or Twitter using a specified hashtag. --- ## Doritos to sell ‘Taco Bell’ flavored chips URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/doritos-to-sell-taco-bell-flavored-chips/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-30 Words: 52 > In a gross example of synergy, the Doritos-flavored tacos launched by Taco Bell last year have been a top seller. Now, Doritos wants to capitalize on the combination by introducing... In a gross example of synergy, the Doritos-flavored tacos launched by Taco Bell last year have been a top seller. Now, Doritos wants to capitalize on the combination by introducing its Taco Bell flavored chips. The products are an example of the “unique bonds” between Yum Brands and PepsiCo. --- ## Girl Scout cookies get some healthwashing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/girl-scout-cookies-get-some-healthwashing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-30 Words: 20 > Could this be a response to the backlash that ensued last year when they rolled out Girl Scout candy bars? Could this be a response to the backlash that ensued last year when they rolled out Girl Scout candy bars? --- ## McDonalds’ announces judges of the 2013 DJ ‘Flavor Battle’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-announces-judges-of-the-2013-dj-flavor-battle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-30 Words: 47 > Part of McDonald's 365Black initiative, the campaign targets youth of color. There will be a live webcast of the event, as well as live tweeting. There has also been a... Part of McDonald’s 365Black initiative, the campaign targets youth of color. There will be a live webcast of the event, as well as live tweeting. There has also been a social media component, with more than 400,000 people voting for the DJ contestants online. --- ## Coke to public health advocates: you say conflict of interest, we say partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-to-public-health-advocates-you-say-conflict-of-interest-we-say-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-29 Words: 52 > After the release of Michele Simon's report highlighting close ties between Coke and the Assn. of Nutrition and Dietetics, the beverage company stressed its concern for health, while AND dismissed... After the release of Michele Simon’s report highlighting close ties between Coke and the Assn. of Nutrition and Dietetics, the beverage company stressed its concern for health, while AND dismissed the report as “opinion.” The report followed on the heels of the 2012 AND conference, which Coke sponsored. --- ## Bird’s Eye markets veggies but still places onus for healthy eating on parents URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/birds-eye-markets-veggies-but-still-places-onus-for-healthy-eating-on-parents/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-29 Words: 53 > New TV advertising for the brand's Steamfresh Chef's Favorites line depicts mothers (in the form of cute animals) completing family meals by adding the vegetables. Said one industry observer: Bird's... New TV advertising for the brand’s Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites line depicts mothers (in the form of cute animals) completing family meals by adding the vegetables. Said one industry observer: Bird’s Eye recognizes that “parents know they need to make healthier food choices for their children.” --- ## Coke’s Minute Maid introduces four low-calorie drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cokes-minute-maid-introduces-four-low-calorie-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-29 Words: 33 > As usual, Coke focuses narrowly on individual responsibility for health, framing the beverages as ones that will help people keep their New Year's resolutions and "meet their individual needs." As usual, Coke focuses narrowly on individual responsibility for health, framing the beverages as ones that will help people keep their New Year’s resolutions and “meet their individual needs.” --- ## Nestle feigns social responsibility with education-based anti-obesity program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-feigns-social-responsibility-with-education-based-anti-obesity-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-28 Words: 48 > Nestle is taking pride in teaching parents about good nutrition in New Jersey's "Newark Now!" program, launched in 2012. Not surprisingly, it focuses on individual behavior (e.g. portion control and... Nestle is taking pride in teaching parents about good nutrition in New Jersey’s “Newark Now!” program, launched in 2012. Not surprisingly, it focuses on individual behavior (e.g. portion control and physical activity) rather than the junk-food saturated environment that Nestle itself perpetuates. --- ## Food companies cash in on ‘better-for-you’ claims URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-companies-cash-in-on-better-for-you-claims/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-28 Words: 26 > Product health claims like "better-for-you" and "dietary restriction" seem inherently focused on personal responsibility, and they're driving sales. Product health claims like “better-for-you” and “dietary restriction” seem inherently focused on personal responsibility, and they’re driving sales. --- ## Starbucks looking to expand sales with mobile payments in stores and groceries URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/starbucks-looking-to-expand-sales-with-mobile-payments-in-stores-and-groceries/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-28 Words: 51 > The move reflects a larger trend in the food and beverage industry to capitalize on mobile technology to sell product. As a Starbucks executive articulated it: "[T]his will provide an... The move reflects a larger trend in the food and beverage industry to capitalize on mobile technology to sell product. As a Starbucks executive articulated it: “[T]his will provide an incentive for customers not only to buy [our] coffee, but integrate them even further in the Starbucks ecosystem.” --- ## Chicago Tribune makes case against government promotion of health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chicago-tribune-makes-case-against-government-promotion-of-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-28 Words: 39 > This piece frames the issue in terms of personal responsibility and argues that consumers just need "more information." The writer also mocks the notion that it is a function of... This piece frames the issue in terms of personal responsibility and argues that consumers just need “more information.” The writer also mocks the notion that it is a function of city government to promote residents’ health. --- ## How Big Food is targeting my toddler URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-big-food-is-targeting-my-toddler/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-28 Words: 26 > BSMG's own Pamela Mejia writes about the challenges of grappling with food companies' huge reach and insidious tactics in marketing to young children. BSMG’s own Pamela Mejia writes about the challenges of grappling with food companies’ huge reach and insidious tactics in marketing to young children. --- ## Coca-Cola launches celebrity ‘apprenticeship’ program for African-American youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-celebrity-apprenticeship-program-for-african-american-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-28 Words: 73 > "Mentors" will include Magic Johnson, Common, and the CEO of BET. Coca-Cola is asking for online nominations of an "aspiring young person" for the apprenticeship program. Participants are entered for... “Mentors” will include Magic Johnson, Common, and the CEO of BET. Coca-Cola is asking for online nominations of an “aspiring young person” for the apprenticeship program. Participants are entered for a $5,000 sweepstakes for each person they nominate. Coke is also partnering with United Negro College Fund with a text-to-donate program. The campaign is part of Coke’s “Pay it Forward” program. --- ## Doritos’ ‘Crash the Super Bowl’ promotion still successful after 7 years URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/doritos-crash-the-super-bowl-promotion-still-successful-after-7-years/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-24 Words: 42 > Doritos' is unique among Super Bowl advertisers because it has consistently used fan-generated content to drive engagement. The company's "Crash the Super Bowl" promotion is now 7 years old and... Doritos’ is unique among Super Bowl advertisers because it has consistently used fan-generated content to drive engagement. The company’s “Crash the Super Bowl” promotion is now 7 years old and remains a successful campaign for PepsiCo. --- ## Pepsi partners with the Grammys to sponsor ‘Best New Artist’ category URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-partners-with-the-grammys-to-sponsor-best-new-artist-category/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-24 Words: 37 > Pepsi will serve as a presenter of the "Best New Artist" category at the Grammys, and will unveil exclusive content (such as an online video series) as part of a... Pepsi will serve as a presenter of the “Best New Artist” category at the Grammys, and will unveil exclusive content (such as an online video series) as part of a partnership with VEVO and Pandora. --- ## Popcorn brand piggybacks on decision to retire a classic Monopoly token URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/popcorn-brand-piggybacks-on-decision-to-retire-a-classic-monopoly-token/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-24 Words: 43 > Jolly Time Popcorn has launched a social media and PR campaign to urge Hasbro to replace a classic Monopoly piece with one representing the snack. The campaign is earning the... Jolly Time Popcorn has launched a social media and PR campaign to urge Hasbro to replace a classic Monopoly piece with one representing the snack. The campaign is earning the company kudos for helping it stay relevant in the age of social media. --- ## Ad Age’s TV editor wonders if Coke’s anti-obesity campaign will backfire URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ad-ages-tv-editor-wonders-if-cokes-anti-obesity-campaign-will-backfire/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-24 Words: 37 > Brian Steinberg argues that Coca-Cola may "do more to damage its image than burnish it" with its anti-obesity campaign ads, since they "out -and-out [link the] brand with being overweight." Brian Steinberg argues that Coca-Cola may “do more to damage its image than burnish it” with its anti-obesity campaign ads, since they “out -and-out [link the] brand with being overweight.” --- ## How Big Food is targeting my toddler URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-big-food-is-targeting-my-toddler/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 812 > "Dora, mama! Dora!" I'm walking with my 22-month-old daughter through Target, and I'm not surprised to hear her yell the name of her favorite cartoon character, Dora the Explorer. What... “Dora, mama! Dora!” I’m walking with my 22-month-old daughter through Target, and I’m not surprised to hear her yell the name of her favorite cartoon character, Dora the Explorer. What does surprise me is that we’re not in the toy aisle, or the book aisle, or even the clothing section — we’re in the area of the store set aside for groceries, buying bread and orange juice. My sweet daughter, who watches the popular Nick Jr. show every day and cherishes her Dora the Explorer shoes, toys, and books, stares, fascinated, at a wall of boxes printed with the famous character’s round, wide-eyed face. “DORA, MAMA! DORA!” she yells, reaching out and grabbing a box, which, I notice, is full of fruit-flavored gummy candies. “No no, baby,” I murmur, trying to pull the box away, but she won’t be dissuaded — she’s found Dora, and she won’t let go. My daughter doesn’t really like candy. She loves string cheese, mashed potatoes and, somewhat surprisingly, seaweed salad from our favorite Japanese restaurant. She has no idea what’s in the box, but because of what’s on it, it’s all she wants. People are starting to look at me and my plaintive, fussy daughter. I’m afraid we won’t get out of the store without a scene unless I let her have the candies — candies that I don’t particularly want her to eat, since they’re full of sugar, dyes and preservatives, and nothing else of value. What do I do? What does anyone do? As a media researcher, I spend every day documenting and analyzing the food industry’s insidious and pervasive marketing to children, so I’m uniquely aware of the facts: Children my daughter’s age are inundated with advertising for unhealthy foods and beverages. According to a newly released report by the Federal Trade Commission, the food industry spent $1.79 billion in 2009 alone to reach children, some as young as 2. Their tactics are sophisticated, ever-evolving, and worse, minimally regulated, despite the efforts of the Interagency Working Group on Foods Marketed to Children — a collaboration of the FDA, FTC, CDC, and USDA — to impose reasonable, voluntary guidelines. The food and beverage industry most aggressively targets low-income children from communities of color like the Oakland neighborhood where my daughter and I have lived for the last 2 years — not surprisingly, the very communities that suffer disproportionately from obesity-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Standing in the aisle at Target with my crying toddler and a soggy box of Dora the Explorer gummies, these facts come into sharp focus, and my work ceases to be just a job. I’m not a reserved media researcher, dispassionately studying the problem, anymore — now I’m also one of the frazzled, overwhelmed parents whose exhaustion and desire to placate their children the food industry counts on. I’m even more taken aback because this is my first real-world experience with the tactics the food industry uses to target children. We don’t have cable, so my daughter doesn’t routinely see advertisements for soda or fast food, or the more subtle promotions and product placements woven into family programming. She doesn’t have a smartphone, so marketers can’t send her coupons tailored to her location and preferences yet. She isn’t exposed to Pepsi and McDonald’s sponsorship in the halls or on the playing field because she attends a small family child care. My daughter is mostly shielded for the moment, but for how long? And how many children aren’t? As I pry the box from her grasping hands and duck my eyes to avoid the glares of my fellow shoppers, I’m filled with a new resolve to monitor and point out the industry’s slick tactics. And I want to do more to support policymakers and advocates however I can in their fight against Big Food. What can I do right now? For one thing, I can join advocates and parents from around the country in urging Nickelodeon to stop advertising junk food to kids using their beloved characters — including my daughter’s idol, Dora. My first task, though, is to get out of this Target with dignity intact. I’ll wait until later to explain to my sobbing toddler that my most loving act as a parent is working to erase the target Big Food has carefully drawn on her small back. This blog also appeared on MomsRising and AlterNet. --- ## FDA study finds room for improvement in food labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fda-study-finds-room-for-improvement-in-food-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-23 Words: 35 > FDA researchers found that food labels that show the total number of calories in the package (rather than part of it) might help alleviate "information overload" and encourage consumers to... FDA researchers found that food labels that show the total number of calories in the package (rather than part of it) might help alleviate “information overload” and encourage consumers to make healthier choices. --- ## Food industry trade group unveils campaign promoting family mealtime URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-trade-group-unveils-campaign-promoting-family-mealtime/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-23 Words: 44 > The Food Marketing Institute, a food industry trade group, has launched a program to urge its members to create and promote "family meal solutions for their customers" -- a campaign... The Food Marketing Institute, a food industry trade group, has launched a program to urge its members to create and promote “family meal solutions for their customers” — a campaign that casts the industry as proponents of family values and family mealtime. --- ## KFC tailors ad strategy to better target diverse populations in Africa URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-tailors-ad-strategy-to-better-target-diverse-populations-in-africa/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-22 Words: 55 > It sounds great when industry spokespeople talk about the importance of acknowledging cultural, racial, and linguistic diversity (as a KFC representative does in this article) until you remember that the... It sounds great when industry spokespeople talk about the importance of acknowledging cultural, racial, and linguistic diversity (as a KFC representative does in this article) until you remember that the only reason they’re saying it is because they want to exploit that diversity to sell as much of their unhealthy products as possible. --- ## Capri Sun targets moms with ‘Seize the Day’ social media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/capri-sun-targets-moms-with-seize-the-day-social-media-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-22 Words: 39 > The campaign puts the responsibility for keeping kids active (and by extension, healthy) squarely on moms. The effort includes a sweepstakes, local tie-ins to events and destinations through Yelp, and... The campaign puts the responsibility for keeping kids active (and by extension, healthy) squarely on moms. The effort includes a sweepstakes, local tie-ins to events and destinations through Yelp, and content created by popular “mommy bloggers.” --- ## Advocates weigh in on how Coke could truly combat obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocates-weigh-in-on-how-coke-could-truly-combat-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-22 Words: 45 > Amid the controversy over Coke's anti-obesity campaign, advocates point out that "education won't solve the problem if the environment is saturated with sugary beverages," and suggest significant steps the soda... Amid the controversy over Coke’s anti-obesity campaign, advocates point out that “education won’t solve the problem if the environment is saturated with sugary beverages,” and suggest significant steps the soda industry could take to drive truly meaningful change. --- ## Coca-Cola will build social media game around Super Bowl advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-will-build-social-media-game-around-super-bowl-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-22 Words: 36 > Coke's ambitious Super Bowl campaign will feature different teams competing for a huge bottle of Coke. The campaign engages viewers in the quest through a social media game that spans... Coke’s ambitious Super Bowl campaign will feature different teams competing for a huge bottle of Coke. The campaign engages viewers in the quest through a social media game that spans a host of platforms. --- ## New study reveals Big Food’s ties to registered dieticians URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-study-reveals-big-foods-ties-to-registered-dieticians/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-22 Words: 54 > A new study by Michele Simon unveils some of the financial ties between food and beverage companies and nutrition professionals, including the sponsorship funds the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics... A new study by Michele Simon unveils some of the financial ties between food and beverage companies and nutrition professionals, including the sponsorship funds the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has received from companies like Coca-Cola. The report, and Marion Nestle’s analysis of its findings, has stirred up considerable controversy. --- ## What Coke’s new ads don’t tell you URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-cokes-new-ads-dont-tell-you/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 189 > Coca-Cola released a new commercial this week, part of a campaign claiming the company wants to help solve obesity and promoting the changes it's made to its products — like... Coca-Cola released a new commercial this week, part of a campaign claiming the company wants to help solve obesity and promoting the changes it’s made to its products — like low and no-calorie options. Here’s one reality that the glossy, upbeat ads cover up: The way that Coke and other companies aggressively market their most harmful products to low-income communities of color, and the fact that if Coke REALLY wanted to fight the epidemic, it’d stop targeting low-income children of color with millions of dollars in advertising. As Coke’s feel-good new ads were flooding the airwaves this week, researchers released a study showing that kids are still getting huge amounts of calories from sugary drinks like the ones Coke sells, and low-income and African-American children are consuming far more of these unhealthy drinks. Anyone committed to ending childhood obesity in his or her community shouldn’t be fooled. No matter what the company’s slick commercials suggest, Coca-Cola isn’t doing all it could be to protect children’s health. --- ## The FTC says no to POM Wonderful’s health claims URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-ftc-says-no-to-pom-wonderfuls-health-claims/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-17 Words: 50 > The juice company's product health claims have been disputed for several years, and the FTC just ruled that they're deceptive. Marion Nestle draws parallels between POM and the controversy over... The juice company’s product health claims have been disputed for several years, and the FTC just ruled that they’re deceptive. Marion Nestle draws parallels between POM and the controversy over Coke’s Vitaminwater, arguing that “health claims are about marketing, not about health.” --- ## Low-income black children still targeted by sugary drink makers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/low-income-black-children-still-targeted-by-sugary-drink-makers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-17 Words: 58 > A new study indicates that low-income black children and teens consume more calories from "low nutrient fruit drinks" than do their white peers. According to one public health advocate, these... A new study indicates that low-income black children and teens consume more calories from “low nutrient fruit drinks” than do their white peers. According to one public health advocate, these findings suggest that the soda industry undermines efforts to remove sugary drinks from schools (particularly low-income schools) by replacing sodas with sugary fruit drinks. --- ## Activist Anna Lappe decries predatory food marketing in TEDx talk URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/activist-anna-lappe-decries-predatory-food-marketing-in-tedx-talk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-17 Words: 27 > Lappe discusses the incredible amount of money these companies spend targeting children for the purchase of unhealthy products and praises the advocates working to hold them accountable. Lappe discusses the incredible amount of money these companies spend targeting children for the purchase of unhealthy products and praises the advocates working to hold them accountable. --- ## Blogging tips for media advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/blogging-tips-for-media-advocates/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 692 > Blogging can be a powerful communications tool for media advocacy. Blogs can help you establish your online identity, build credibility on an issue, share expertise, discover new allies, bring new... Blogging can be a powerful communications tool for media advocacy. Blogs can help you establish your online identity, build credibility on an issue, share expertise, discover new allies, bring new viewers to your website, and, ultimately, advance your social change goals. Whether you are just getting started or have been blogging for years, here are some tips and tricks to help your organization build and maintain a better blog: Content production When deciding what to write, consider what’s already in the news. Piggybacking off of a major media story and adding a new angle to it is a great way to drive traffic back to your site. During slow news weeks, create your own news. Publish a Q&A with a thought leader in your field, blog about the release of your organization’s latest report, or post an evergreen piece — one that will remain useful regardless of the time of year or the news cycle. Develop a publishing schedule. Whether you post daily, weekly, or monthly, use an editorial calendar to keep track of important dates, events and blog ideas. Headline, teasers and lead People decide within seconds whether or not to read a blog; use descriptive, compelling headlines to grab their attention. To craft an effective headline, try these tricks: use active verbs and strong adjectives (e.g. Soda exec proposes unthinkable solution to diabetes crisis); include a number (e.g. 7 reasons why soda is the next tobacco); convey expertise (e.g. How advocates can leverage the media to create change); make an original argument (e.g. Why we should stop using the word “obesity”); pique curiosity: (e.g. The shocking video the NRA doesn’t want you to see); or ask a thought-provoking question (e.g. Are you reinforcing your opposition’s argument?) To further spark interest and draw readers in, include a 1-2 sentence “teaser” after the headline. Don’t bury your main point. Make it quickly — usually within the first two paragraphs. Length and user experience Don’t agonize over length. Short sentences and paragraphs are more important than overall length. Use headings, lists and bold text to break up large blocks of text and make content easier to scan. Use images, video, or audio to make content more engaging, but don’t allow video or audio to auto-start. Develop a style guide to maintain consistency with punctuation, capitalization and other elements of style. For example, when abbreviating “United States,” will you use US or U.S.? This is a matter of preference but should be the same across all blog posts. Consistency is key to establishing your organization’s online identity. Tone and writing style Avoid making blog content too self-promotional. It can decrease credibility. Use plain, simple language. Avoid jargon, acronyms and other insider language as much as possible. Keep sentences active. Let verbs do the work! Avoid clutter by cutting unnecessary words. For example, instead of “added bonus,” say “bonus.” Instead of “a large number of,” say “many.” Engagement and promotion Keep content fresh by sticking to the blogging schedule you’ve set for your organization. Updating content regularly gives readers a reason to return to your site. Place key words in the headline, subheads, tags and hyperlink text to increase search engine visibility. Give credit where credit is due: Always source your content appropriately. Cultivate relationships. Link to other places, comment on other groups’ blogs, and allow readers to comment on yours. Encouraging comments — and responding to them — is a great way to build a following. Make it easy for others to read and promote your content. You can do so by offering an RSS feed and including share buttons for social media channels like Twitter and Facebook. Your blog isn’t effective if no one reads it! Have a great blogging tip that you don’t see here? We’d love to hear about it. Send your ideas to info@bmsg.org or message us on Twitter @BMSG. --- ## MOM’s Organic Market axes products that use cartoon characters to market to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/moms-organic-market-axes-products-that-use-cartoon-characters-to-market-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-16 Words: 45 > The discontinued items are being replaced with alternatives in plain packaging. The CEO explained the decision: "Marketing to children is wrong and should be illegal. ... It focuses on creating... The discontinued items are being replaced with alternatives in plain packaging. The CEO explained the decision: “Marketing to children is wrong and should be illegal. … It focuses on creating a shallow emotional attachment instead of pointing out the merits of a product.” --- ## Coca-Cola fights obesity? Oh, please. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-fights-obesity-oh-please/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-16 Words: 47 > Marion Nestle presents some tangible solutions that Coke could embrace if the company were truly motivated to helping prevent obesity. She also addresses Coke's financial motivation for touting diet and... Marion Nestle presents some tangible solutions that Coke could embrace if the company were truly motivated to helping prevent obesity. She also addresses Coke’s financial motivation for touting diet and reduced-calorie drinks, a fact that has slid under the radar in some news coverage. --- ## Red Lobster targets Latinos with new Spanish-language campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/red-lobster-targets-latinos-with-new-spanish-language-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-15 Words: 39 > Red Lobster is aggressively targeting Latinos with its new Spanish-language campaign that will include TV spots starring a Latina server. The chain has also partnered with Univision, which will feature... Red Lobster is aggressively targeting Latinos with its new Spanish-language campaign that will include TV spots starring a Latina server. The chain has also partnered with Univision, which will feature custom segments promoting Red Lobster during popular programs. --- ## Russia to restrict fast food advertising as part of national health program to tackle obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/russia-to-restrict-fast-food-advertising-as-part-of-national-health-program-to-tackle-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-15 Words: 48 > The Ministry of Health is also expected to force food manufacturers to add more nutritional information to product packaging. Consumer advocates are calling for an immediate ban on advertisements, such... The Ministry of Health is also expected to force food manufacturers to add more nutritional information to product packaging. Consumer advocates are calling for an immediate ban on advertisements, such as billboards near schools and ads on children’s television, that are directed at a younger audience. --- ## Critics jeer Coke’s entrance into obesity discussion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/critics-jeer-cokes-entrance-into-obesity-discussion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-15 Words: 89 > Media writer Thom Forbes takes on the controversy. Although he comes down pretty pro-industry, Forbes highlights the voices of advocates and others who take on the more problematic aspects of... Media writer Thom Forbes takes on the controversy. Although he comes down pretty pro-industry, Forbes highlights the voices of advocates and others who take on the more problematic aspects of this campaign. Michael F. Jacobsen, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, calls Coke’s new campaign “a damage control exercise and not a meaningful contribution toward addressing obesity.” And USA Today‰Ûªs Nanci Hellmich suggests that Coca-Cola’s attempt to be part of the solution is merely pretend. --- ## Jose Cuervo exploits Latino art and heritage with mural project URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jose-cuervo-exploits-latino-art-and-heritage-with-mural-project/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-15 Words: 46 > Jose Cuervo tequila is sponsoring the Traditional Mural Project, a program the brand claims is "inspired by the influence of Latino heritage." The contest and affiliated Facebook promotion showcase murals... Jose Cuervo tequila is sponsoring the Traditional Mural Project, a program the brand claims is “inspired by the influence of Latino heritage.” The contest and affiliated Facebook promotion showcase murals by emerging artists that “(explore) Latino themes around music, education, and family.” --- ## Food advertising budgets to remain at current levels despite rises in commodity costs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-advertising-budgets-to-remain-at-current-levels-despite-rises-in-commodity-costs/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-14 Words: 33 > This article captures the relationship between climate change, supply chains, and marketing. A marketer mentions that food companies "are more shifting than cutting," moving to digital marketing from traditional print... This article captures the relationship between climate change, supply chains, and marketing. A marketer mentions that food companies “are more shifting than cutting,” moving to digital marketing from traditional print advertising. --- ## Coca-Cola launches ‘Come Together’ campaign to deflect its role in obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-come-together-campaign-to-deflect-its-role-in-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-14 Words: 62 > The company's new commercial touts its self-regulatory efforts and, borrowing a line from the alcohol industry, encourages consumers to drink responsibly. Yet, as Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California... The company’s new commercial touts its self-regulatory efforts and, borrowing a line from the alcohol industry, encourages consumers to drink responsibly. Yet, as Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, points out, the marketing is nothing more than a “PR campaign that will do nothing to combat obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.” --- ## Coke casts itself as corporate do-gooder with Brazilian ad featuring random acts of kindness URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-casts-itself-as-corporate-do-gooder-with-brazilian-ad-featuring-random-acts-of-kindness/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-14 Words: 36 > Characterizing the acts as "crazy," the ad captures real people doing acts of kindness and generosity from planting trees around the city to paying for the tolls of the cars... Characterizing the acts as “crazy,” the ad captures real people doing acts of kindness and generosity from planting trees around the city to paying for the tolls of the cars in line behind them. --- ## Hennessey taps rap icon Nas to broaden appeal to young men URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hennessey-taps-rap-icon-nas-to-broaden-appeal-to-young-men/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-14 Words: 52 > Hennessey's ongoing "Wild Rabbit" campaign, which in the past has featured stars like Manny Pacquiao and Martin Scorcese, is now targeting young men of color with the addition of "Hennessey... Hennessey’s ongoing “Wild Rabbit” campaign, which in the past has featured stars like Manny Pacquiao and Martin Scorcese, is now targeting young men of color with the addition of “Hennessey ambassador” Nas. The multiplatinum rap star will appear in a private concert sponsored by the brand. --- ## Campbell’s Soup invites developers to ‘hack the kitchen,’ help create the brand’s apps URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbells-soup-invites-developers-to-hack-the-kitchen-help-create-the-brands-apps/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-12 Words: 33 > The company is the latest to get in on the crowdsourcing wave of consumer participation marketing. Campell's is inviting developers to create apps that help consumers with finding recipes and... The company is the latest to get in on the crowdsourcing wave of consumer participation marketing. Campell’s is inviting developers to create apps that help consumers with finding recipes and cooking. --- ## Mars not releasing M&Ms Super Bowl ad early, hoping to create ‘anticipation bubble’ instead URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mars-not-releasing-mms-super-bowl-ad-early-hoping-to-create-anticipation-bubble-instead/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-11 Words: 39 > This is an example of earned media -- free promotional work for marketers by the industry press, or mainstream outlets. It's one of multiple ways in which marketers attempt to... This is an example of earned media — free promotional work for marketers by the industry press, or mainstream outlets. It’s one of multiple ways in which marketers attempt to maximize the influence of their marketing dollars. --- ## Tennis star lambasted for promoting high-sugar sweets to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tennis-star-lambasted-for-promoting-high-sugar-sweets-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-11 Words: 32 > Number 2 ranked tennis pro Maria Sharapova has been criticized as "irresponsible" and "inappropriate" for promoting a high-sugar line of candies that target young women and girls. Number 2 ranked tennis pro Maria Sharapova has been criticized as “irresponsible” and “inappropriate” for promoting a high-sugar line of candies that target young women and girls. --- ## PepsiCo, Anheuser Busch use cross-promotion strategy for in-store displays URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-anheuser-busch-use-cross-promotion-strategy-for-in-store-displays/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-10 Words: 33 > The visual of these displays is a brand marketer's utopia. Joint promotions and in-store displays will for the first time pair Pepsi and Bud Light, tied into the Super Bowl. The visual of these displays is a brand marketer’s utopia. Joint promotions and in-store displays will for the first time pair Pepsi and Bud Light, tied into the Super Bowl. --- ## McDonald’s to place books in Happy Meals in Britain: Would you like some hypertension with your literacy? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-to-place-books-in-happy-meals-in-britain-would-you-like-some-hypertension-with-your-literacy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-10 Words: 45 > The fast food purveyor hopes to be the country's largest source of children's books. The article incorrectly posits that such a move would be "outlawed" in San Francisco because of... The fast food purveyor hopes to be the country’s largest source of children’s books. The article incorrectly posits that such a move would be “outlawed” in San Francisco because of the city’s restrictions on Happy Meal toys. --- ## Kraft using Super Bowl to promote chemical-laden water sweetener, Mio URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-using-super-bowl-to-promote-chemical-laden-water-sweetener-mio/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-09 Words: 34 > This water sweetener that looks like pink ink in a plastic bottle was first marketed in 2011. Sales are on pace to double this year to $200 million. Kraft markets... This water sweetener that looks like pink ink in a plastic bottle was first marketed in 2011. Sales are on pace to double this year to $200 million. Kraft markets the brand to Millennials. --- ## Low-cal sodas a major push in 2013 for beverage industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/low-cal-sodas-a-major-push-in-2013-for-beverage-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-09 Words: 39 > As a result of concern about the obesity epidemic, the major players in the beverage industry will heavily promote low- and no-calorie beverages. Ad Age dissects the importance of product... As a result of concern about the obesity epidemic, the major players in the beverage industry will heavily promote low- and no-calorie beverages. Ad Age dissects the importance of product reformulation, including Dr Pepper 10, and Pepsi Next. --- ## Why Pepsi’s ‘Live for Now’ campaign is the Joe Camel of soda marketing to youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-pepsis-live-for-now-campaign-is-the-joe-camel-of-soda-marketing-to-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-09 Words: 24 > The Public Health Advocacy Institute uses an excellent visual and historical analysis to show the similarities between youth-targeted soda and tobacco marketing practices. The Public Health Advocacy Institute uses an excellent visual and historical analysis to show the similarities between youth-targeted soda and tobacco marketing practices. --- ## Coke Zero ad salutes Alabama football coach Nick Saban URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-zero-ad-salutes-alabama-football-coach-nick-saban/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-08 Words: 31 > The ad is an example of a sports celebrity tie-in and is remarkable for how quickly it was released after Alabama's victory in the BCS National Championship game. The ad is an example of a sports celebrity tie-in and is remarkable for how quickly it was released after Alabama’s victory in the BCS National Championship game. --- ## Advocates bulking up for the next battle with Big Soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/advocates-bulking-up-for-the-next-battle-with-big-soda/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 751 > In the aftermath of two failed measures that would have taxed sugar-sweetened beverages at a penny-per-ounce, the beverage industry has been flexing its muscles and kicking sand in the faces... In the aftermath of two failed measures that would have taxed sugar-sweetened beverages at a penny-per-ounce, the beverage industry has been flexing its muscles and kicking sand in the faces of soda tax proponents. Just like those old comic book ads in which a scrawny man and his girlfriend are lounging by the seashore when a big muscular guy comes over to bully them, Big Beverage poured $3.7 million to defeat soda tax measures in Richmond and El Monte in southern California. In Richmond alone, the beverage industry outspent supporters by 35 to 1. In all, Big Soda spent $115 per vote. But, just like the ad for famed bodybuilder Charles Atlas’ muscle-building program, being pushed around on the beach only motivated scrawny guy to bulk up so he could come back and defeat muscle man once and for all. It’s that bodybuilder-scrawny man dynamic that pushed Richmond resident Jenny Wang over the edge. “The thing that affected me most was that here we were a small grassroots group fighting multi-billion dollar corporations,” said Wang. “That stark contrast made me more passionate. I developed such a disdain for these large corporations essentially buying this election.” Wang, a public health professional who works in Oakland, became interested in the Richmond tax proposal after hearing about it from fellow residents. “I was already convinced taxing sugar-sweetened beverages was a good idea, but I was just confused about (Measure N) and where the money would go. After I learned that it would be used to support programs aimed at fighting the obesity epidemic that soda has been such a major cause of, I was immediately on board,” recalled Wang. Richmond’s Measure O, which passed but was made moot by the defeat of its companion Measure N, would have advised the city to use the tax proceeds, estimated to be around $3 million annually, on after-school activity programs, parks, diabetes education and other programs to fight childhood obesity. A measure in El Monte in southern California that was similar to Measure N lost 77 to 23. “We lost the election, but the movement will eventually win,” Dr. Jeff Ritterman told the San Francisco Chronicle. Ritterman is the Richmond city councilman who sponsored the tax proposal. The newspaper quoted Berkeley City Councilwoman Linda Maio as saying: “Are we daunted by what happened in Richmond? Not at all. Not one bit.” Others were also quoted, including a Half Moon Bay resident who, inspired by Richmond, is lobbying San Mateo County officials to move ahead with a soda tax. Ritterman has announced a new goal to see 14 California cities put forth soda tax proposals by 2014, with the idea that this flurry of measures would stretch the beverage industry’s resources so thin that this might allow a few of the ballot proposals to pass. For Wang, the fight against Big Soda is personal. “I come from a low-income family of savers and coupon clippers. I can’t get my family to not buy soda when it’s on sale. When you can buy a 2-liter bottle of soda for 99 cents, or get a 12-pack of soda free when you buy the first pack, you’re going to buy the soda over the bottled water,” said Wang. “I have aunts and uncles with diabetes. It’s hurting my family. It’s hurting me.” Although Ritterman and soda tax supporters like Wang were understandably disappointed by the losses, they are bolstered by the lessons learned in the soda tax campaigns — not least that money buys votes, as noted nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle pointed out in a recent San Francisco Chronicle editorial. “But it also taught (us) that appeals to voter concerns about higher prices, job losses and personal autonomy are more effective than appeals based solely on health considerations,” Nestle told the Chronicle. Wang agreed, and has taken such lessons to heart for the next go-round. “We framed the health message. (Big Soda) framed the cost message, saying that it would hike up the cost of buying groceries and hit low-income people the hardest. We should borrow that frame,” said Wang. “The health costs of obesity is coming out of your pocket. That’s the bottom line.” --- ## Pepperidge Farm launches Jingos! chips, with Hispanic-themed flavors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepperidge-farm-launches-jingos-chips-with-hispanic-themed-flavors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-07 Words: 30 > The new flavors include Fiesta Cheddar and Lime & Sweet Chili. The new product will be marketed using a social media "ambassador" program and prime-time television advertising. The new flavors include Fiesta Cheddar and Lime & Sweet Chili. The new product will be marketed using a social media “ambassador” program and prime-time television advertising. --- ## Pepsi turns consumers into marketers, puts public in Super Bowl spots URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-turns-consumers-into-marketers-puts-public-in-super-bowl-spots/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-07 Words: 47 > The cola brand is using crowd-sourcing to get consumers to send in photos of themselves for use in a montage during a Super Bowl ad. The ad will run before... The cola brand is using crowd-sourcing to get consumers to send in photos of themselves for use in a montage during a Super Bowl ad. The ad will run before halftime, a coveted piece of air time, right before the Pepsi-sponsored Beyonce takes the stage. --- ## Fruity Pebbles replaces Fred Flintstone with John Cena to appeal to millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fruity-pebbles-replaces-fred-flintstone-with-john-cena-to-appeal-to-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-05 Words: 42 > WWE superstar John Cena will temporarily replace Fred Flintstone on the cover of Fruity Pebbles boxes because, according to Post executives, "Fred isn't necessarily the ... coolest or [most] relevant... WWE superstar John Cena will temporarily replace Fred Flintstone on the cover of Fruity Pebbles boxes because, according to Post executives, “Fred isn’t necessarily the … coolest or [most] relevant guy for kids who we are going after.” --- ## Why do pop stars think it’s OK to sell soda? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-do-pop-stars-think-its-ok-to-sell-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-05 Words: 46 > In this NYT column, Mark Bittman points out that Beyonce Knowles, the new face of Pepsi, likely wouldn't appear in an ad for a semi-automatic rifle, so she shouldn't lend... In this NYT column, Mark Bittman points out that Beyonce Knowles, the new face of Pepsi, likely wouldn’t appear in an ad for a semi-automatic rifle, so she shouldn’t lend her celebrity to any other product that is damaging to health. --- ## FTC report shows minimal improvements in foods marketed to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ftc-report-shows-minimal-improvements-in-foods-marketed-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-04 Words: 52 > According to a report released by the FTC shortly before Christmas, snacks and cereals marketed to children between 2006 and 2009 showed "minimal or no improvements" in terms of nutritional... According to a report released by the FTC shortly before Christmas, snacks and cereals marketed to children between 2006 and 2009 showed “minimal or no improvements” in terms of nutritional value. The report sharply criticized media and entertainment companies for failing to apply nutrition standards to the foods they promote. --- ## General Mills improves Fruit Roll-Up labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-improves-fruit-roll-up-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-04 Words: 50 > In the aftermath of a class action lawsuit, General Mills has agreed to remove strawberry images and list the percentage of fruit content on its Strawberry flavored Fruit Roll Ups.... In the aftermath of a class action lawsuit, General Mills has agreed to remove strawberry images and list the percentage of fruit content on its Strawberry flavored Fruit Roll Ups. The Center for Science in the Public Interest describes this change as “a step in the right direction.” --- ## Coca-Cola teams with Kung Fu Panda director to bring back the polar bears URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-teams-with-kung-fu-panda-director-to-bring-back-the-polar-bears/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-03 Words: 52 > Coca-Cola has released a short film that explores the origins of the brand's iconic bear family and gives each bear distinct personalities. The high-profile short was directed by John Stevenson,... Coca-Cola has released a short film that explores the origins of the brand’s iconic bear family and gives each bear distinct personalities. The high-profile short was directed by John Stevenson, director of the popular animated film Kung Fu Panda, and helmed by legendary producers Tony and Ridley Scott. --- ## Study: Healthy food advertising through video games fails to change food preferences URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-healthy-food-advertising-through-video-games-fails-to-change-food-preferences/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-03 Words: 56 > A new study reveals that even after playing a video game promoting fruit, children did not eat any more fruit than their control-group peers. According to one nutrition researcher, the... A new study reveals that even after playing a video game promoting fruit, children did not eat any more fruit than their control-group peers. According to one nutrition researcher, the findings suggest that marketers and other adults “have to be a little bit more convincing to get kids to want … healthy food.” --- ## Jamba Juice debuts kids’ meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jamba-juice-debuts-kids-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-03 Words: 36 > Jamba Juice recently announced the launch of the chain's first kids-focused products, reportedly developed with the MyPlate dietary guidelines in mind. These meals feature food items such as pizza, as... Jamba Juice recently announced the launch of the chain’s first kids-focused products, reportedly developed with the MyPlate dietary guidelines in mind. These meals feature food items such as pizza, as well as smoothies. --- ## Big Food should start to worry about tobacco-like lawsuits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-should-start-to-worry-about-tobacco-like-lawsuits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2013-01-03 Words: 29 > In this article, Robert Lustig and others draw parallels between the evolution of tobacco regulation and the mounting push to regulate high levels of sugar added to processed foods. In this article, Robert Lustig and others draw parallels between the evolution of tobacco regulation and the mounting push to regulate high levels of sugar added to processed foods. --- ## The year in public health: Looking back on hard-won progress, looking ahead to new possibilities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-year-in-public-health-looking-back-on-hard-won-progress-looking-ahead-to-new-possibilities/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 951 > The holidays are often a time for reflection. For me, that usually means thinking about the challenges of the past year and asking: Where did I succeed? Where did I... The holidays are often a time for reflection. For me, that usually means thinking about the challenges of the past year and asking: Where did I succeed? Where did I stumble? And what does that mean going forward? But this year I’m taking a new approach. Instead of focusing solely on my individual goals and resolutions, I’m also reflecting on the things that make them possible: One of those is public health. As UC Berkeley professor George Lakoff recently pointed out, it is the public that makes the private possible. The public gives us our schools and roads and food systems — the context for daily living that affects whether we are healthy enough to dream big in the first place. Public health professionals and advocates worked tirelessly in 2012 to make sure that context supported health for the largest number of people possible. They encountered dicey political battles and discouraging setbacks along the way, but, ultimately, 2012 was a year of progress. We saw advocates put new chinks in the armor of the food and beverage industry — no small feat considering the size of industry coffers and the ferocity of their pushback. Still, those chinks are deep: 16-ounce sodas will soon be the new normal in New York City. The concept of a soda tax is gaining momentum. And the public is warming to the reality that if we want to improve nutrition and physical activity, changes in individual behavior aren’t enough: We have to tackle the systems and structures that are working against us. 2012 was also a year of breaking silence around child sexual abuse. Following the arrest of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, advocates leveraged the media to reveal a story not just of an individual perpetrator but of an institutional failure to protect children. That story line has highlighted the need for prevention and will inform both the way our nation sees child sexual abuse and how we formulate solutions going forward. And, now, heading into 2013, we’re seeing a dramatic shift in public conversation on gun violence — an issue that, once dismissed as inevitable, we are beginning to understand as preventable. Thanks to continued advocacy on the issue, reporters are demonstrating more sophisticated reporting on violence, policymakers are discussing gun control in spite of its reputation for being politically untouchable, and large swaths of the country are demanding change. That widespread support, combined with strategic changes in policy, is exactly how change happens. After all, even though the private depends on the public, as Lakoff said, “We, all together, constitute the public.” And our individual social change efforts, when combined, can accomplish nearly anything. So what will the new year hold for public health? The possibilities are wide open, but at BMSG, we know one thing for sure: We are going to be part of the action. 2013 is a milestone for us. It marks our 20th anniversary, and we are already looking ahead to the next 20 years with a renewed commitment to health equity and to media advocacy as a mechanism for making it happen. As part of our media advocacy work, we will be rethinking the way we talk about health equity. We will dig deeper than ever to show the social roots of health. And we will explore how power relationships based on race, class, gender and sexuality are at the core of how healthy we are (or aren’t) and how well (or not) we function together as a “public.” But we will also be realistic about how long social change can take and what challenges we might encounter along the way. As we gear up for this next phase of working to improve public health, here are some resolutions to get us started: I resolve to submit at least one letter to the editor each quarter, to sustain the collective conversation about why public health matters. — Ingrid Daffner Krasnow This year, I resolve to more closely follow news coverage of national and state-level gun control policy debates, and to look for action items from experts on preventing gun violence. — Rebecca Womack I resolve to become an active participant in my neighborhood watch to bring back a higher level of safety to my community. – Susan Paul In 2013, I resolve to be sure that white privilege is a visible part of the mix whenever I am talking about, learning about, or working on racial/ethnic inequity. — Lori Dorfman I resolve to develop my skills at communicating with public health advocates about media advocacy through blogs and social media. — Laura Nixon This year I will reach out to more California advocates who are seeking policy change to improve the health of their communities. — Fernando Quintero I resolve to walk the talk of media advocacy and use my voice to help push policies that advance health equity. — Andrew Cheyne During 2013, I resolve to chip away at inequitable systems by buying at least 50 percent of my groceries and other purchases from independent, locally owned businesses. — Yvonne Rodriguez I will learn from the succ... --- ## As childhood obesity increases, food industry offers weak voluntary standards on advertising food to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/as-childhood-obesity-increases-food-industry-offers-weak-voluntary-standards-on-advertising-food-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-28 Words: 41 > Consumer specialist Rita Robison, a long-time critic of food industry self-regulation attempts, describes the findings of the FTC report as an indication that "much more needs to be done on... Consumer specialist Rita Robison, a long-time critic of food industry self-regulation attempts, describes the findings of the FTC report as an indication that “much more needs to be done on [the issue of advertising food to children].” --- ## The FTC’s latest report on food marketing to kids: Glass half full or empty? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-ftcs-latest-report-on-food-marketing-to-kids-glass-half-full-or-empty/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-28 Words: 43 > Marion Nestle reviews the key findings from the FTC's report on food and beverage marketing to children, concluding that, "stopping food and beverage marketing to kids is the issue that... Marion Nestle reviews the key findings from the FTC’s report on food and beverage marketing to children, concluding that, “stopping food and beverage marketing to kids is the issue that matters most to doing something to reverse childhood obesity.” --- ## Zona de Sabor website launches new tablet experience URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/zona-de-sabor-website-launches-new-tablet-experience/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-28 Words: 38 > "Zona de Sabor" is an entertainment news website targeting young, urban Latino Americans. The website is intended for "acculturated" Latinos. The new platform will allow users to navigate the website... “Zona de Sabor” is an entertainment news website targeting young, urban Latino Americans. The website is intended for “acculturated” Latinos. The new platform will allow users to navigate the website more easily on tablets. --- ## Coca-Cola touts mobile expansion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-touts-mobile-expansion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-27 Words: 45 > Coke's mobile brand strategist discusses Coke's mobile marketing strategy, describing it as a way to reach 98% of the brand's consumers. She outlines the company's plans to optimize websites for... Coke’s mobile brand strategist discusses Coke’s mobile marketing strategy, describing it as a way to reach 98% of the brand’s consumers. She outlines the company’s plans to optimize websites for mobile devices and enhance location-based targeting. --- ## M&Ms will use animated characters to advertise during 2013 Super Bowl URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mms-will-use-animated-characters-to-advertise-during-2013-super-bowl/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-27 Words: 34 > Mars Chocolate has announced plans for a new commercial to be aired during Super Bowl 2013. The spot will feature popular animated "spokescandy" Ms. Brown, a favorite with viewers, kids,... Mars Chocolate has announced plans for a new commercial to be aired during Super Bowl 2013. The spot will feature popular animated “spokescandy” Ms. Brown, a favorite with viewers, kids, and critics. --- ## McDonalds ‘Flavor Battle’ unveils finalists in DJ competition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-flavor-battle-unveils-finalists-in-dj-competition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-24 Words: 42 > The promotion, which targets "young, hip audiophiles" is part of McDonald's 365Black Initiative, which is intended to "celebrate the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans" -- and of, course, to... The promotion, which targets “young, hip audiophiles” is part of McDonald’s 365Black Initiative, which is intended to “celebrate the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans” — and of, course, to market fast food to them. --- ## Alcohol industry & Nielsen partner to target Millennials, Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/alcohol-industry-nielsen-partner-to-target-millennials-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-21 Words: 37 > The study found that Latinos were highly engaged with "pre-store influencers." The article also suggests that "tailored messaging resonates with this demographic [Latinos] and can influence decisions made later at... The study found that Latinos were highly engaged with “pre-store influencers.” The article also suggests that “tailored messaging resonates with this demographic [Latinos] and can influence decisions made later at the shelf.” --- ## Can we prevent another Sandy Hook? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/can-we-prevent-another-sandy-hook/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 897 > By now people across the country — perhaps worldwide — have heard the news of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The story has dominated... By now people across the country — perhaps worldwide — have heard the news of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The story has dominated the news for a solid week. Our question is: Is the dedicated focus on Sandy Hook and related issues in the news actually going to help us prevent future violence, or will it simply run its course and lose traction over time, as has been the case with other national tragedies? Unlike previous shootings, this one involved young children — all of them just 6 and 7 years old — leading to greater outrage and an increased urgency to act. A new grassroots campaign to stop gun violence have already formed in response. But at least one other major difference separates the Sandy Hook shooting from other recent gun violence incidents: the way the media are covering it. Media typically report on violence as shocking and unpredictable, giving the impression that violence is inevitable — that our theaters and shopping malls and schools are all potentially crime scenes in the making. Now, a growing number of journalists are asking what can be done to prevent it. Reporters are asking whether regulations that determine who can access weapons and how should be changed, and they are questioning what role mental health and access to mental health services play. “As gun sales have soared, spending for social programs and mental health services has plummeted,” writes Rob Waters for Forbes.com, noting that this combination has “created a toxic mix that is uniquely American.” Waters continues: “On the same day the Sandy Hook shooting occurred, a similar incident took place on the other side of the globe, but with a very different outcome. In a small village in Henan province in China, a distraught man went on a rampage, attacking children at an elementary school with a knife. Twenty-two children were wounded, some of them seriously, but all of them survived because only one of the attackers had access to guns.” As the media pull back the curtain on the context for violence, it becomes easier to see that violence follows patterns. Research has shown us this for years, and new evidence supports previous findings. NPR recently reported on a study out of the Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice, which looked at homicide from an epidemiological perspective. The study authors, who used infectious disease-tracking software to map out the “contagion” of homicide in Newark, N.J., over a 25-year period, found that not only is murder rarely random, it’s actually predictable. Reflecting that reality in news coverage is critical because the way reporters talk about violence influences the way we think about it and what policymakers do about it. Without enough context, we tend to focus too narrowly on individual perpetrators. We imagine them as “unlike the rest of us,” the study’s lead author, April Zeoli, told NPR. We assume that they are “crazy, or substance users, or had a bad childhood” — that there is “some reason specific to the individual that they are committing homicide,” she said. Doing so puts a safe distance between us and the perpetrators, but it also paints an overly simplified portrait of violence. This makes it hard to see a need for discussing the role of guns or mental health services, let alone other factors linked to violence, such as the quality of early care and education, the availability of affordable housing, and the concentration of alcohol outlets in some neighborhoods. Violent crime remains the second leading cause of death for young people between 15 and 24 years of age. And having a substantive conversation about prevention is long overdue. After all, as Ezra Klein notes in the Washington Post, “If roads were collapsing all across the United States, killing dozens of drivers, we would surely see that as a moment to talk about what we could do to keep roads from collapsing. If terrorists were detonating bombs in port after port, you can be sure Congress would be working to upgrade the nation’s security measures. If a plague was ripping through communities, public-health officials would be working feverishly to contain it.” Continuing the conversation around prevention will be hard work. Longstanding stigmas around some types of violence, such as domestic violence and violence against people of color, keep people from wanting to talk about it or report on it. And pushback to calls for prevention abounds. For example, in response to a recent article discussing gun control, one person wrote, “I do not care about you or your kids. I don’t have any kids of my own, and I am not on this earth to raise yours. one of my handguns saved my life and I would never turn in any of my guns …” Yet, however difficult, keeping prevention in the news is necessary. Only with an understanding of its context and knowledge that it is preventable can we start to see its potential solutions. The media must continue to report more frequently and effectivel... --- ## Marion Nestle: Beyonce’s bubbly branding falls flat URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marion-nestle-beyonces-bubbly-branding-falls-flat/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-18 Words: 42 > Marion Nestle describes Beyonce's Pepsi endorsement, which will make the singer part of PepsiCo's ongoing efforts to target low-income children of color, as "a clear win for Pepsi. And a... Marion Nestle describes Beyonce’s Pepsi endorsement, which will make the singer part of PepsiCo’s ongoing efforts to target low-income children of color, as “a clear win for Pepsi. And a clear loss for public health.” --- ## Coca-Cola plans to lure shoppers back to the beverage aisle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-plans-to-lure-shoppers-back-to-the-beverage-aisle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-17 Words: 44 > The Coca-Cola Company has announced the launch of its new Beverage Aisle Reinvention system. The system, which will affect all sodas and other sparkling beverages, is designed to "entice shoppers... The Coca-Cola Company has announced the launch of its new Beverage Aisle Reinvention system. The system, which will affect all sodas and other sparkling beverages, is designed to “entice shoppers back into center store” with signage, organization strategies, and other enhancements. --- ## Frito-Lay targets Millennials with new Cantina chips URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-targets-millennials-with-new-cantina-chips/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-17 Words: 40 > Frito-Lay's Tostitos brand is targeting Millennials with Cantina chips, a brand that emulates flavors found in Mexican restaurants. The company has planned its biggest ever launch-campaign investment, as well as... Frito-Lay’s Tostitos brand is targeting Millennials with Cantina chips, a brand that emulates flavors found in Mexican restaurants. The company has planned its biggest ever launch-campaign investment, as well as a package redesign, to reach youth. --- ## PepsiCo plans to remind consumers about diet drinks with Diet Pepsi push URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-plans-to-remind-consumers-about-diet-drinks-with-diet-pepsi-push/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-17 Words: 39 > Diet Pepsi hopes to take back its share of the diet drinks category with an elaborate new campaign and slogan, as well as the addition of a new sweetener blend... Diet Pepsi hopes to take back its share of the diet drinks category with an elaborate new campaign and slogan, as well as the addition of a new sweetener blend that will improve the drink’s shelf life. --- ## Food companies play ambivalent role in fight against obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-companies-play-ambivalent-role-in-fight-against-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-15 Words: 56 > This article from The Economist presents an overview of major companies' efforts to show that they take the obesity epidemic seriously, even as they expand in the U.S. and abroad.... This article from The Economist presents an overview of major companies’ efforts to show that they take the obesity epidemic seriously, even as they expand in the U.S. and abroad. The author concludes, “Even as companies develop nutritious products, they will keep marketing fizzy drinks and crisps until consumers stop buying them.” --- ## Oreo caps 100th anniversary promotion with delivery to Antarctica URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-caps-100th-anniversary-promotion-with-delivery-to-antarctica/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-14 Words: 43 > Oreo concludes the year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary -- and the fulfillment of its anniversary mission to "help everyone everywhere ... celebrate the kid inside" -- by delivering 5,000... Oreo concludes the year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary — and the fulfillment of its anniversary mission to “help everyone everywhere … celebrate the kid inside” — by delivering 5,000 cookies to scientists at a research station in Antarctica. --- ## Nutri-Medias educational tool promises to fortify young people’s defenses against food industry advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nutri-medias-educational-tool-promises-to-fortify-young-peoples-defenses-against-food-industry-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-13 Words: 51 > The Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union has developed a nutritional education tool, targeted toward family, school, and parent organizations. Rather than confronting the food industry for bombarding... The Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union has developed a nutritional education tool, targeted toward family, school, and parent organizations. Rather than confronting the food industry for bombarding children with food advertising, the program strengthens individual children’s food and nutrition choices in the face of such marketing. --- ## Childhood obesity rates decline in some cities that have adopted policies to create healthier communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/childhood-obesity-rates-decline-in-some-cities-that-have-adopted-policies-to-create-healthier-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-12 Words: 44 > According to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, childhood obesity rates in a few cities are declining, in some cases due to the adoption of policies such... According to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, childhood obesity rates in a few cities are declining, in some cases due to the adoption of policies such as New York City’s ban on large servings of sugar-sweetened beverages. --- ## McDonald’s global focus pays off for the brand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-global-focus-pays-off-for-the-brand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-12 Words: 28 > McDonalds has seen a rise in global sales due in part due to marketing strategies such as pushing value items and "broadening accessibility to [the] brand." McDonalds has seen a rise in global sales due in part due to marketing strategies such as pushing value items and “broadening accessibility to [the] brand.” --- ## Kellogg reformulates products in attempt to appear healthy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-reformulates-products-in-attempt-to-appear-healthy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-11 Words: 32 > The retooled product offerings include cereals and Pop Tarts, such as the Oatmeal Delights Frosted Strawberry flavor. One tart still has 14g of sugar, and there are 2 tarts in... The retooled product offerings include cereals and Pop Tarts, such as the Oatmeal Delights Frosted Strawberry flavor. One tart still has 14g of sugar, and there are 2 tarts in a pack. --- ## The addition of coconut water may be a new trend in beverage reformulations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-addition-of-coconut-water-may-be-a-new-trend-in-beverage-reformulations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-10 Words: 53 > Some manufacturers are looking to coconut water to dilute 100% juices as a way of reducing calories while retaining the 100%-juice label. Also, according to an executive at a fruit... Some manufacturers are looking to coconut water to dilute 100% juices as a way of reducing calories while retaining the 100%-juice label. Also, according to an executive at a fruit juice concentrate company, big beverage makers are “keen to cash in on the general health halo imparted by coconut water.” --- ## Food industry conference withdraws invitation to a Canadian obesity doctor URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-conference-withdraws-invitation-to-a-canadian-obesity-doctor/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-10 Words: 53 > The doctor was invited to talk about what the food industry could do to improve public health, but his planned remarks were deemed too critical. For example, he argued that... The doctor was invited to talk about what the food industry could do to improve public health, but his planned remarks were deemed too critical. For example, he argued that “the industry could stop suggesting that fiber and whole grains make sugary cereals a good idea.” He posted the talk online. --- ## New research suggests the high salt content of processed and fast food triggers childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-research-suggests-the-high-salt-content-of-processed-and-fast-food-triggers-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-10 Words: 44 > A study in Pediatrics indicates that high salt intake among children (much of which they get from processed and fast foods) may contribute to childhood obesity in a number of... A study in Pediatrics indicates that high salt intake among children (much of which they get from processed and fast foods) may contribute to childhood obesity in a number of ways — not least by increasing children’s consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. --- ## Marketers zero in on finding that Latino foods and beverage growth is set to skyrocket URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-zero-in-on-finding-that-latino-foods-and-beverage-growth-is-set-to-skyrocket/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-07 Words: 58 > This information may be used for target marketing of Latino communities. In addition, the article points out that the market for "Hispanic foods" extends beyond the Latino community: "Mainstream consumers... This information may be used for target marketing of Latino communities. In addition, the article points out that the market for “Hispanic foods” extends beyond the Latino community: “Mainstream consumers are becoming more adventurous with less well-known Hispanic flavors and textures, thanks to the influence of Hispanics and the popularity of foodie culture.” --- ## Op-ed: Government has an important role to play in food choices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/op-ed-government-has-an-important-role-to-play-in-food-choices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-07 Words: 37 > In this op-ed, longtime advertising executive Myles Spicer argues that "government concern about health and fitness matters is not only desirable, but in a sense necessary if America is to... In this op-ed, longtime advertising executive Myles Spicer argues that “government concern about health and fitness matters is not only desirable, but in a sense necessary if America is to remain strong and healthy.” --- ## Anheuser-Busch commits $40,000 to St. Louis Hispanic Chamber of Commerce URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/anheuser-busch-commits-40000-to-st-louis-hispanic-chamber-of-commerce/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-07 Words: 34 > What is Anheuser-Busch buying in terms of goodwill and access to Latino communities with this corporate social responsibility program? The donation will go toward buying new headquarters for the Hispanic... What is Anheuser-Busch buying in terms of goodwill and access to Latino communities with this corporate social responsibility program? The donation will go toward buying new headquarters for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. --- ## Nestle launches ‘El Mejor Nido,’ a holiday-themed campaign targeting Latino families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-launches-el-mejor-nido-a-holiday-themed-campaign-targeting-latino-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-06 Words: 39 > The campaign will feature a blogging event with tamale making, an empanada exchange, and a live Twitter chat. Retailers will also distribute a free, bilingual book called "A new twist... The campaign will feature a blogging event with tamale making, an empanada exchange, and a live Twitter chat. Retailers will also distribute a free, bilingual book called “A new twist on holiday entertaining” with recipes and tips. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts milks the holiday ‘home stretch’ with new contests URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-milks-the-holiday-home-stretch-with-new-contests/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-06 Words: 54 > The chain is running two new Facebook contests that require consumer interaction in the form of video and photo submissions. Prizes include having one's image broadcast over Times Square on... The chain is running two new Facebook contests that require consumer interaction in the form of video and photo submissions. Prizes include having one’s image broadcast over Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The company is also advertising virtual gift cards that can be sent via email, text and Facebook. --- ## Planters peanuts boosts social marketing efforts to celebrate 50th anniversary URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/planters-peanuts-boosts-social-marketing-efforts-to-celebrate-50th-anniversary/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-06 Words: 47 > Planters is following the advertising formula used by so many other purveyors of consumer packaged goods -- it's expanding its social marketing (along with its line of flavors) and boasting... Planters is following the advertising formula used by so many other purveyors of consumer packaged goods — it’s expanding its social marketing (along with its line of flavors) and boasting health claims. The current Facebook promotion offers coupons to fans as an anniversary thank-you. --- ## The high cost of prison phone calls: Advocates show who really pays URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-high-cost-of-prison-phone-calls-advocates-show-who-really-pays/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 515 > When someone goes to jail, few people realize the whole family goes too. That's how the daughter of one former inmate felt when her mother was sentenced to prison. When... When someone goes to jail, few people realize the whole family goes too. That’s how the daughter of one former inmate felt when her mother was sentenced to prison. When that happened, she said, “I was sentenced to be without my mother.” Emphasizing the toll of incarceration on families and loved ones provides a new way to understand crime and punishment and what to do about it. Broadening the conversation to include more than just individual inmates is what advocates from the Center for Media Justice and other organizations are doing this holiday season as they push to reform one aspect of the prison system that, because of its high cost, has a particularly profound affect on families: prison phone calls. Approximately 2.7 million children in the U.S. have one or more parent in prison. Since inmates are often incarcerated far away from their families, phone calls are the only contact many of these children have with their parents during the holidays and throughout the year. Yet, exorbitant phone prices — sometimes over $1 a minute — and kickbacks to prisons as high as 70% per call are making it hard for them to communicate with their incarcerated loved ones. Inmates’ families, not inmates, must pick up the tab for all calls coming from a jail or prison. What’s more, the barrier that these expensive phone systems put between prisoners and their families affects prospects for rehabilitation. When the incarcerated lose touch with loved ones, it increases the chances of recidivism, and ultimately threatens community safety and well-being. The FCC has the power to regulate calls between states, but it has delayed taking action for almost a decade. Now advocates are pushing the FCC to cap the rates that can be charged for interstate calls from prisons (The FCC can’t directly prohibit the practice of collecting kickbacks). Still, the importance of the FCC taking action can’t really be understood if media coverage of the issue only focuses on the incarcerated. That’s why advocates have been talking about the issue in terms of its impact on families and communities, a strategy that, according to amalia deloney of the Center for Media Justice, “is working really well — namely, because it helps to expand and deepen the understanding of the wide impact that incarceration has. It’s shifted the debate away from punishment to one of consumer protections, family reunification, reduced recidivism and rehabilitation.” This framing of the issue expands the debate from a focus on the individual and away from default frames about punishment and crime. Instead, it paints a larger landscape that includes community and family health and well-being. Looking at the issue in those terms makes it clear how much is at stake and why it’s so critical that the FCC act. It’s a great example of how evoking family and family values can shift the conversation, opening the door for changes that can benefit the health of whole communities. --- ## Advocates call on Nickelodeon to adopt stricter advertising standards URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocates-call-on-nickelodeon-to-adopt-stricter-advertising-standards/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-05 Words: 34 > BMSG is among the advocates calling for the children's TV channel and its parent company Viacom to adopt stricter standards for the nutritional profile of advertised foods (much like Disney... BMSG is among the advocates calling for the children’s TV channel and its parent company Viacom to adopt stricter standards for the nutritional profile of advertised foods (much like Disney recently did). --- ## Ice cream flavor named for pro-immigration reform star baseball player URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ice-cream-flavor-named-for-pro-immigration-reform-star-baseball-player/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-04 Words: 55 > The San Francisco Giant's World Series-winning pitcher, Sergio Romo, had a flavor of Three Twins Ice Cream named after him. Like the T-shirt Romo wears that reads, "I just look... The San Francisco Giant’s World Series-winning pitcher, Sergio Romo, had a flavor of Three Twins Ice Cream named after him. Like the T-shirt Romo wears that reads, “I just look illegal,” the ice cream “only tastes illegal.” Sale proceeds will be donated to support immigration reform efforts. --- ## Heineken plans to enhance ‘psychographic targeting’ of Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/heineken-plans-to-enhance-psychographic-targeting-of-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-03 Words: 71 > The beer manufacturer is changing its Latino marketing from a niche agency to a more mainstream agency, a reflection of its turn away from demographic targeting and toward "psychographic targeting."... The beer manufacturer is changing its Latino marketing from a niche agency to a more mainstream agency, a reflection of its turn away from demographic targeting and toward “psychographic targeting.” A Heineken executive explains: “There’s a shift in what consumers are interested in what they believe in and value in life. It trumps where they happen to be from or what their ethnic group is.” --- ## Little improvement on food marketing to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/little-improvement-on-food-marketing-to-children/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 940 > by Lori Dorfman and Margo Wootan The threat of food marketing on childhood obesity Food marketing has never been more important, as childhood obesity rates in the United States and... by Lori Dorfman and Margo Wootan The threat of food marketing on childhood obesity Food marketing has never been more important, as childhood obesity rates in the United States and around the world remain high, and food and beverage marketing takes on ever new and more sophisticated forms. In 2006, the U.S. National Academies’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) threw down the gauntlet with its seminal report1, Food Marketing to Children: Threat or Opportunity? After evaluating more than 300 studies, the IOM determined that food marketing causes children and adolescents to prefer, request, and consume foods high in salt, sugars, and fats. The report made 10 recommendations for how the food industry and the government could reverse this situation. The current marketing environment still puts at risk children’s health After two comprehensive reviews assessing progress on the IOM’s recommendations for parents, schools, food and beverage industry, and government, there has been little progress. In those studies, Vivica Kraak and her colleagues2 found that “the prevailing marketing environment continues to threaten children’s health and miss opportunities to promote a healthful diet and create healthy eating environments.” Children in the U.S. continue to grow up in environments saturated by food and beverage marketing, the bulk of it for foods low in nutrients and high in calories, sugars, salt or fats. With Kraak et al’s studies, we learn that government has not done what it can to protect children from marketing that infiltrates family life and interferes with good health. This lack of progress undermines parents’ ability to feed their children well and puts children’s health at risk. Just one example: with no progress on the IOM’s recommendation for a national social marketing campaign, our government is ceding education about nutrition to the food and beverage industry, which spends $2 billion annually inundating children with enticements to eat and drink the wrong foods. That amounts to more than $5 million every day in the U.S. alone, $360 million of it for toys fast-food restaurants give away with kids’ meals. Efforts in nutrition education are thwarted by advertising and unhealthy foods According to Kraak and colleagues, the best news for progress on food marketing comes from schools3, where there has been moderate progress in establishing nutrition standards for competitive foods. In 2010, Congress passed a law that requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set nutrition standards for vending machines, school stores, and other foods sold outside of the school meal programs. USDA should set strong standards; and state child nutrition programs, boards of education, and school districts should implement them. Those standards should apply to all food and beverage marketing in schools. The marketing and sale of unhealthy foods undermine nutrition education, children’s diets, and parental authority over their children’s food choices. State and local governments should set nutrition standards for those children’s meals that can be sold with toys. Such policies address a major form of marketing (incentive items) for meals that too often consist of burgers, chicken nuggets, and pizza. By default these meals are served with a side of fries and a soda; defaults should be for healthier items like low-fat milk or water instead of soda. National, state and local governments also should ensure that healthy options and calorie labeling are available for foods sold through vending machines, cafeterias, and food programs on public property. Sugary drinks are the largest source of calories in children’s diet As pricing is a key marketing strategy, governments should tax sugary drinks. Sugary drinks are the largest source of calories in children’s diets and are directly linked to obesity. Tax revenues could be used to support a range of nutrition and physical activity policies and programs in the communities that suffer the highest rates of chronic disease. In the U.S., the food industry has railed against even voluntary recommendations for what foods should be marketed to children, spending $37 million to lobby Congress to oppose voluntary guidelines. This considerable opposition reveals the significant hurdle governments face in addressing food marketing. Success requires an international effort However, history shows that most meaningful nutrition policies, including trans fat labeling, menu labeling in restaurants, and national standards for school vending, faced such opposition in their formative years. To be successful, we will need a strong international effort to educate and mobilize organizations, health professionals, and parents in support of healthy food marketing policies. Without such a commitment to addressing food marketing to children, we are likely to see more sugary drinks than fruit in children’s diets and see their long-term health suffer as a result. Reprinted from The Scientific Newsletter # N73... --- ## New study shifts responsibility for child-targeted advertising to overweight children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-study-shifts-responsibility-for-child-targeted-advertising-to-overweight-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-01 Words: 79 > According to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, overweight and obese children are less able to resist advertisements for high fat, high sugar, and high sodium foods... According to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, overweight and obese children are less able to resist advertisements for high fat, high sugar, and high sodium foods than are their normal-weight peers. In lieu of regulation that would limit manufacturers’ ability to make and market such food, the study’s authors conclude that the solution to childhood obesity is “helping kids with self-control … [through] obesity and behavioral health interventions.” --- ## 10 things the fast food industry doesn’t want you to know URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/10-things-the-fast-food-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-12-01 Words: 34 > This article and the accompanying slideshow address common misconceptions about the fast food industry (such as the average age of fast food workers), and touches on equity and justice issues... This article and the accompanying slideshow address common misconceptions about the fast food industry (such as the average age of fast food workers), and touches on equity and justice issues that plague the industry. --- ## Lucky Charms denies new adult-oriented ads are a response to regulatory pressure URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lucky-charms-denies-new-adult-oriented-ads-are-a-response-to-regulatory-pressure/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-29 Words: 50 > Lucky Charms has launched a campaign that includes TV spots and a Facebook page targeting adult consumers with ads that tap into "feel-good nostalgia" for the brand. The company denies... Lucky Charms has launched a campaign that includes TV spots and a Facebook page targeting adult consumers with ads that tap into “feel-good nostalgia” for the brand. The company denies that its increasing focus on adults is a response to regulatory pressure around food advertising to children. --- ## 7 highly disturbing trends in junk food advertising to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-highly-disturbing-trends-in-junk-food-advertising-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-29 Words: 49 > Laura Gottesdiener challenges the food industry's use of "perverse, profit-chasing schemes to capitalize on children's appetites at the expense of their long-term health." Among other tactics, she chastises companies for... Laura Gottesdiener challenges the food industry’s use of “perverse, profit-chasing schemes to capitalize on children’s appetites at the expense of their long-term health.” Among other tactics, she chastises companies for marketing in schools and committing only to weak self-regulatory pledges. --- ## Grocery representatives urge ‘smart indulgences’ and personal responsibility during holiday season URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/grocery-representatives-urge-smart-indulgences-and-personal-responsibility-during-holiday-season/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-29 Words: 47 > In this editorial, Progressive Grocer Managing Editor Bridget Goldschmidt frames holiday shopping and eating as a matter of personal responsibility -- though she does urge grocers to "encourage shoppers not... In this editorial, Progressive Grocer Managing Editor Bridget Goldschmidt frames holiday shopping and eating as a matter of personal responsibility — though she does urge grocers to “encourage shoppers not to fall off the health-eating wagon” by promoting “better-for-you” options. --- ## FDA plans to seek advice from outside experts to assess safety of energy drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fda-plans-to-seek-advice-from-outside-experts-to-assess-safety-of-energy-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-27 Words: 39 > Amid mounting concerns about the safety of energy drinks for teenagers and those with underlying health risks, the FDA has announced that it will draw on the expertise of outside... Amid mounting concerns about the safety of energy drinks for teenagers and those with underlying health risks, the FDA has announced that it will draw on the expertise of outside researchers to investigate possible risks posed by these products. --- ## Pepsi adds cross-border concert to ‘Viva Hoy’ platform targeting Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-adds-cross-border-concert-to-viva-hoy-platform-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-26 Words: 45 > The concert, featuring best-selling Latin music artist Alejandro Sanz, will be broadcast live in 19 countries. Pepsi will run a related sweepstakes in 12 countries. A spokesperson called the concert... The concert, featuring best-selling Latin music artist Alejandro Sanz, will be broadcast live in 19 countries. Pepsi will run a related sweepstakes in 12 countries. A spokesperson called the concert an “important step in extending [Pepsi’s] renewed Hispanic marketing focus.” --- ## In Houston, Burger King now delivers that 1400-calorie double-whopper combo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-houston-burger-king-now-delivers-that-1400-calorie-double-whopper-combo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-26 Words: 31 > Houston is the latest metropolitan region (in addition to the Washington, D.C. area and Miami) in which BK delivers. It also does so internationally, including in Mexico, Brazil and Turkey. Houston is the latest metropolitan region (in addition to the Washington, D.C. area and Miami) in which BK delivers. It also does so internationally, including in Mexico, Brazil and Turkey. --- ## Kettle Chips targets ‘food elites’ with upcoming campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kettle-chips-targets-food-elites-with-upcoming-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-26 Words: 36 > In an attempt to grow its market share, Kettle is launching a campaign aimed at "foodies." In it, the chip brand tries to distinguish itself as "authentic," calling other brands... In an attempt to grow its market share, Kettle is launching a campaign aimed at “foodies.” In it, the chip brand tries to distinguish itself as “authentic,” calling other brands mere copycats. --- ## UK: SodaStream campaign by Alex Bogusky gets yanked URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-sodastream-campaign-by-alex-bogusky-gets-yanked/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-26 Words: 59 > The producer of the Center for Science in the Public Interest's "Real Bears" partnered with SodaStream to create another campaign critical of soda and its powerful marketers. The UK enterprise... The producer of the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s “Real Bears” partnered with SodaStream to create another campaign critical of soda and its powerful marketers. The UK enterprise that weighs in on what ads get airtime is industry-funded. They pulled the ad for its “denigration of the bottled-drinks market.” --- ## Nestle identifies Africa as a target for food industry development URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-identifies-africa-as-a-target-for-food-industry-development/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-26 Words: 55 > Speaking to food scientists, a Nestle director noted the discrepancy between Africa's large agricultural output and weak food industry. He hinted at the potential for profit-making: "[Soon], there will be... Speaking to food scientists, a Nestle director noted the discrepancy between Africa’s large agricultural output and weak food industry. He hinted at the potential for profit-making: “[Soon], there will be 500m Africans who can afford packaged food. … This is an opportunity not just for Africa, but also for Europe.” --- ## Pepsi steps up marketing to Latino community by sponsoring Alejandro Sanz concert URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-steps-up-marketing-to-latino-community-by-sponsoring-alejandro-sanz-concert/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-26 Words: 69 > Pepsi will livestream a concert featuring Sanz (described here as "among the most influential Hispanic social media influencers") in conjunction with other promotions that target Latinos, both domestically and abroad,... Pepsi will livestream a concert featuring Sanz (described here as “among the most influential Hispanic social media influencers”) in conjunction with other promotions that target Latinos, both domestically and abroad, under the brand’s “Viva Hoy” platform. Pepsi is also partnering with Pizza Patron for a soccer promotion, suggesting that the company’s interest in Latino consumers is far-reaching and multi-faceted. --- ## Food industry capitalizes on (and feeds) the notion of ‘holiday’ flavors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-capitalizes-on-and-feeds-the-notion-of-holiday-flavors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-21 Words: 47 > Many brands are pushing a larger menu of seasonal products, like Burger King's Gingerbread Cookie Sundae and Pringles' White Chocolate Peppermint potato chips. A Canadian industry executive credits an increasingly... Many brands are pushing a larger menu of seasonal products, like Burger King’s Gingerbread Cookie Sundae and Pringles’ White Chocolate Peppermint potato chips. A Canadian industry executive credits an increasingly diverse ethnic population with the “[incredible] opportunity to cross over with flavors.” --- ## Birds Eye partners with iCarly to increase kids’ vegetable consumption URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/birds-eye-partners-with-icarly-to-increase-kids-vegetable-consumption/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 52 > Earlier this year, Birds Eye frozen vegetables partnered with Nickelodeon's popular iCarly TV program as part of a 3-year, $6 million effort to increase kids' vegetable consumption through kid-friendly marketing... Earlier this year, Birds Eye frozen vegetables partnered with Nickelodeon’s popular iCarly TV program as part of a 3-year, $6 million effort to increase kids’ vegetable consumption through kid-friendly marketing and engagement tactics. The company reports that, so far, the campaign has produced strong engagement and sales. --- ## Red Bull exploits athletic talent in ‘extreme machine’ marketing ploy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/red-bull-exploits-athletic-talent-in-extreme-machine-marketing-ploy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-21 Words: 57 > Like all "energy" drink brands, Red Bull tries hard to sell a lifestyle. Most recently, it created a viral video featuring a live-action Rube Goldberg 'extreme machine' powered by a... Like all “energy” drink brands, Red Bull tries hard to sell a lifestyle. Most recently, it created a viral video featuring a live-action Rube Goldberg ‘extreme machine’ powered by a crew of “11 big-name Red Bull athletes.” It spent big on the “higher production value” marketing effort. --- ## UK: Three-year study shows supermarket specials are biased toward junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-three-year-study-shows-supermarket-specials-are-biased-toward-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-21 Words: 38 > The study found that special offers account for about a third of all supermarket sales and that they especially favor sugary products. The lead researcher argued that the trend was... The study found that special offers account for about a third of all supermarket sales and that they especially favor sugary products. The lead researcher argued that the trend was “irresponsible” on the part of supermarkets. --- ## Nielsen Company’s newest report focuses on Asian Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nielsen-companys-newest-report-focuses-on-asian-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-20 Words: 59 > The Nielsen Company has released a new report that offers detailed information to help advertisers target the growing, and often overlooked, Asian American market. In this interview, a Nielsen executive... The Nielsen Company has released a new report that offers detailed information to help advertisers target the growing, and often overlooked, Asian American market. In this interview, a Nielsen executive characterizes Asian Americans as “early adopters” and urges marketers to be aware of the “economic power of this multicultural segment, and the opportunity it offers.” --- ## Ocean Spray defends sugary juice drinks against federal regulation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ocean-spray-defends-sugary-juice-drinks-against-federal-regulation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-20 Words: 41 > The company is lobbying to exempt its drinks from a potential USDA ban on sugar-added beverages at school. Their tactics include avoiding a focus on added sugar and instead emphasizing... The company is lobbying to exempt its drinks from a potential USDA ban on sugar-added beverages at school. Their tactics include avoiding a focus on added sugar and instead emphasizing fruit’s (especially the cranberry’s) nutritional value. --- ## Safeway uses troops to boost brand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/safeway-uses-troops-to-boost-brand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-20 Words: 31 > The grocer used the military as part of its corporate social responsibility marketing when it recently made a display of signing a statement for Employer Support of the Guard and... The grocer used the military as part of its corporate social responsibility marketing when it recently made a display of signing a statement for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. --- ## Hershey under fire for misleading antioxidant claims on dark chocolate products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hershey-under-fire-for-misleading-antioxidant-claims-on-dark-chocolate-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-19 Words: 42 > A lawsuit against Hershey argues the company misled consumers with claims about antioxidants in cocoa. It remains to be seen whether or not the claims are preempted by FDA guidelines.... A lawsuit against Hershey argues the company misled consumers with claims about antioxidants in cocoa. It remains to be seen whether or not the claims are preempted by FDA guidelines. Meanwhile, the EU does not authorize antioxidant health claims of any kind. --- ## Casting pebbles in the water: Why defeat in Richmond advances public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/casting-pebbles-in-the-water-why-defeat-in-richmond-advances-public-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 610 > Elections bring victory and defeat. But in the case of Richmond, Calif.'s bold effort to tax sugary beverages, defeat was also victory. It's true that Measure N's defeat means that... Elections bring victory and defeat. But in the case of Richmond, Calif.’s bold effort to tax sugary beverages, defeat was also victory. It’s true that Measure N’s defeat means that Richmond residents will not get the badly needed $3 million the tax would have brought, enough for swimming lessons for every child in the city, as councilman Jeff Ritterman told us. And Richmond residents won’t benefit from the small but effective deterrent from drinking sugary beverages that a penny-an-ounce provides. Instead, children there will still consume 40 pounds of sugar annually just from sugary beverages, sabotaging their health. Garnering support for any policy — especially taxes — takes time. Consider New York, which just two years ago proposed a penny-an-ounce tax on sugary beverages. That effort failed too, but in the same session of the legislature, lawmakers added a $1.60 excise tax on cigarettes. Why would New York legislators levy $1.60 on tobacco but balk at 12 cents on a can of soda? That New York refused a few pennies on soda but didn’t blink at $1.60 on tobacco has a hard fought history. For nearly 50 years — since the 1964 Surgeon General’s report that first linked smoking with heart disease and lung cancer — public health has pushed for policies to put warnings on cigarette packs and ads, remove vending machines, mount education campaigns, ensure smokefree air, and institute tobacco taxes. Public health advocates have thrown many policy pebbles in the river of tobacco control, and now we can walk right across. It wasn’t always that way. In the early days of tobacco control, proposals for taxes met the same fate as Richmond’s. Many in public health are eager to mimic the success in tobacco control, where increasing excise taxes on cigarettes has proven the most effective way to reduce consumption, especially among youth. Research now indicates that the same may be true for soda. A strategy with such far-reaching potential warrants continued attempts. Given our tobacco experience, it will take several. That is why the defeat matters. It’s another pebble in the water. The more a policy is proposed, the more people discuss and understand it. Policy proposals create opportunities for news coverage that set the agenda for public discussion. Now, those discussions reflect more criticism than support for taxing sugary beverages. But each new attempt also communicates the fact that someone — and, as policy attempts mount, growing numbers of someones — support the policy. Supporters of taxing sugary beverages can embolden those who agree with the policy if they are vocal and visible. That is the gift from Richmond and from El Monte’s defeat for a similar tax in southern California. Despite those defeats, residents there and elsewhere learned that sugary drinks are the largest single source of calories in American diets, the biggest culprit in the rise in obesity, and account for half the added sugars we consume. Newspapers across the country reported the $4.2 million the industry spent to fight the taxes, nearly as much as the taxes would have brought in over a year had they passed. Even more important, we learned that people are willing to speak up and do something about it. As a public health advocate, I wanted the soda taxes to prevail. But even in defeat, I’m heartened by Richmond and El Monte. If we keep dropping policy pebbles in the water, before long, we’ll be able to walk right across to a healthier future. --- ## Frito-Lay introduces new caffeinated Cracker Jacks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-introduces-new-caffeinated-cracker-jacks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-14 Words: 61 > The new product line is called "Cracker Jack'd," and includes a caffeinated variety called "Power Bites." The Center for Science in the Public Interest has written a letter to the... The new product line is called “Cracker Jack’d,” and includes a caffeinated variety called “Power Bites.” The Center for Science in the Public Interest has written a letter to the FDA stating that the planned product violates several federal food rules and that caffeine is not a suitable ingredient for a product intended for children. --- ## PepsiCo seeks to leverage consumer data to improve target marketing practices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-seeks-to-leverage-consumer-data-to-improve-target-marketing-practices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-14 Words: 35 > This article highlights Gatorade as a case study of successful data-driven marketing and discusses the importance of mobile phones as "the last point of contact" that marketers have before consumers... This article highlights Gatorade as a case study of successful data-driven marketing and discusses the importance of mobile phones as “the last point of contact” that marketers have before consumers make purchases. --- ## Coca-Cola plans first online overhaul since 2005, relaunches website as ‘Coca-Cola Journey’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-plans-first-online-overhaul-since-2005-relaunches-website-as-coca-cola-journey/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-13 Words: 57 > Coke's new strategy is to act as an online publisher, seeding branded conversations as part of its "liquid and linked" approach: "Coca-Cola's online hub will host articles and videos covering... Coke’s new strategy is to act as an online publisher, seeding branded conversations as part of its “liquid and linked” approach: “Coca-Cola’s online hub will host articles and videos covering issues like entertainment, sport, health and the environment, alongside providing blogs and columns from staff and guest contributors.” --- ## Red Bull tops list of brands exploiting social video marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/red-bull-tops-list-of-brands-exploiting-social-video-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-13 Words: 40 > Market research confirms BMSG's finding for sugarydrinkfacts.org that energy drink manufacturers employ viral multimedia, especially to target young audiences. The Red Bull-branded Felix Baumgartner skydive apparently brought a record audience... Market research confirms BMSG’s finding for sugarydrinkfacts.org that energy drink manufacturers employ viral multimedia, especially to target young audiences. The Red Bull-branded Felix Baumgartner skydive apparently brought a record audience of 8 million live-streaming viewers. --- ## Interview: Brands need a more sophisticated, integrated approach to multicultural marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/interview-brands-need-a-more-sophisticated-integrated-approach-to-multicultural-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-13 Words: 38 > A marketing consultant has written a book on target marketing. She argues that marketing to communities of color has typically been an "afterthought" and that, instead, "marketing has to evolve... A marketing consultant has written a book on target marketing. She argues that marketing to communities of color has typically been an “afterthought” and that, instead, “marketing has to evolve into a cultural competency.” --- ## 30 reasons to be thankful for public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/30-reasons-to-be-thankful-for-public-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1555 > A loving family, loyal friends, supportive coworkers. These are common threads in the status updates I've been seeing on my friends' Facebook profiles since the beginning of the month. Many... A loving family, loyal friends, supportive coworkers. These are common threads in the status updates I’ve been seeing on my friends’ Facebook profiles since the beginning of the month. Many of them have been participating in a “thankfulness” meme: The idea is to post one thing you are thankful for every day during November as a reminder that Thanksgiving isn’t the only day we should strive not to take the blessings in our lives for granted. Most of the posts I’ve seen reveal details about people’s interpersonal lives, capturing the bonds between a parent and child, brother and sister, or lifelong best friends. What, though, about all the other ways that people relate to one another, beyond our immediate circle of friends and family? What about the difficult but often invisible work that people do to protect the health and well being of others, including people they’ve never met? I haven’t seen many posts that speak to these questions, so I’ve made my own list. Many of the items here are easy to overlook amid hectic schedules and daily stress. And even when we are reminded of them, we may forget that they weren’t always the norm. They represent years — sometimes decades — of struggle. To me, they also represent social progress and the best of public health. Over the last century and a half, public health has greatly expanded its reach, going from a field that once dealt primarily with water, sanitation and infectious disease to one that recognizes health as something embedded in nearly every aspect of our lives. Public health advocates and professionals are increasingly working across sectors to show that everything from the design of our roads to the quality of our education affects how likely we are to be healthy or get sick. In reflecting on public health’s many advances, I am thankful that: I can drink water from the tap in my own home without fear of getting sick. Though securing clean water for the masses was one of public health’s earliest accomplishments, just a few hours south of me, there are people in California’s Central Valley who, to this day, are not so fortunate. I can set my garbage out at the curb each week and not think twice about whether it will get picked up. I don’t have to carry perfume or walk with a handkerchief over my face to mask the stench from waste lining the streets — a scene not uncommon little more than a century ago. I can fly on any U.S. airline and travel domestically or internationally without worry of secondhand cigarette smoke. That wasn’t the case until 2000. I can also enjoy a smoke-free experience in restaurants and many other public places in California. I can get a low-cost flu shot and other immunizations to prevent serious and potentially fatal illnesses. That other people get these same shots protects me too. During times when I didn’t have health insurance, I still had access to primary care services from a free public health clinic. I have no cavities, thanks in large part to the fluoridated water where I grew up. I can find out how many calories, how much saturated fat, and how much sugar is in my food just by looking at a label. As someone with many dietary restrictions, I rely on these labels to help me make better decisions about nutrition and to avoid getting sick. The food purchases I do make carry little risk of making me ill. On rare occasions when produce or other food is contaminated, governmental organizations mobilize immediately to do something about it. I can go into many restaurants and see from the labels recently added to their menus which meals and drinks are loaded with calories. Public health advocates have made me aware of the link between sugary drinks and diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions. This knowledge gives me greater freedom and control over my health. Schools in California have strong nutrition standards, so the kids in my community are more likely to establish good eating habits at an early age. A healthy diet not only lays the foundation for good health, it can also help children learn better in the classroom. I was able to witness the birth of my niece Sylvia. Thanks to advances in public health, my sister is able to have children with fewer risks than women in previous generations. Because of a difficult childbirth, my father grew up without his mom. I can buy birthday presents for Sylvia (as well as other nieces and nephews) with the expectation that they will be safe. Strict regulations on household products mean that children can’t easily choke on small parts from toys or put their heads through — and be strangled by — the bars on their cribs. And when product safety issues do arise, organizations take quick action to get the product recalled and advocate for regulations to prevent future hazards. I can take the children in my family outside to play without concern that their playgrounds have soaked up the lead from gasoline exhaust. I am able to breathe clean air. In the Bay Area, where I live, people wo... --- ## Snacks lose their bad reputation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snacks-lose-their-bad-reputation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 36 > As consumers embrace snacking and get more of their nutrition this way, companies are leveraging the trend through product promotional tactics. The snack bar market, for example, has more than... As consumers embrace snacking and get more of their nutrition this way, companies are leveraging the trend through product promotional tactics. The snack bar market, for example, has more than doubled in the last ten years. --- ## Coca-Cola gives $3M to Chicago for anti-obesity, diabetes programs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-gives-3m-to-chicago-for-anti-obesity-diabetes-programs/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 43 > After helping to defeating soda taxes that would lower consumption of diabetes-linked products, Coke uses a "corporate social responsibility" (CSR) campaign to distract from its role in harming health and... After helping to defeating soda taxes that would lower consumption of diabetes-linked products, Coke uses a “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) campaign to distract from its role in harming health and tell consumers that diabetes is a matter of personal responsibility. --- ## Kellogg uses cutting-edge ‘programmatic buying’ to maximize digital marketing efficacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-uses-cutting-edge-programmatic-buying-to-maximize-digital-marketing-efficacy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 34 > Sophisticated data collection on consumers allows marketers to use automated systems to determine digital advertising. An industry group predicts that this type of ad strategy will account for half of... Sophisticated data collection on consumers allows marketers to use automated systems to determine digital advertising. An industry group predicts that this type of ad strategy will account for half of digital advertising by 2017. --- ## Kids don’t need kids’ food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kids-dont-need-kids-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 29 > Marion Nestle explains the use of product-based marketing to convince parents to buy specialty products for children, and concludes: "Families can all eat the same foods." Marion Nestle explains the use of product-based marketing to convince parents to buy specialty products for children, and concludes: “Families can all eat the same foods.” --- ## How America eats today: Industry says consumers want fast, fresh and flavorful URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-america-eats-today-industry-says-consumers-want-fast-fresh-and-flavorful/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 51 > Marketers are finding they can no longer take a one-size-fits-all approach to advertising their products. They're pouring resources into figuring out how to market what to whom. The article contains... Marketers are finding they can no longer take a one-size-fits-all approach to advertising their products. They’re pouring resources into figuring out how to market what to whom. The article contains an excellent visual infographic on the changing product mix demanded by consumers at the grocery store. --- ## Industry deploys new techniques to target Millennial consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-deploys-new-techniques-to-target-millennial-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 61 > Campbell and Frito-Lay are leading the effort to get inside the minds of 18-to-34-year-olds in order to figure out how best to sell them things. "We eat with them. We... Campbell and Frito-Lay are leading the effort to get inside the minds of 18-to-34-year-olds in order to figure out how best to sell them things. “We eat with them. We cook with them. We bar hop with them,” said a Campbell exec. Frito-Lay gave Millennials glasses outfitted with cameras to track their behavior. --- ## Domino’s sells pizza combos to raise ‘dough’ for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-sells-pizza-combos-to-raise-dough-for-st-jude-childrens-research-hospital/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 62 > The national outreach director for St. Jude praised Domino's for what he called its "commitment to the lifesaving mission of [the children's hospital]." It might be better for children's health... The national outreach director for St. Jude praised Domino’s for what he called its “commitment to the lifesaving mission of [the children’s hospital].” It might be better for children’s health if Domino’s didn’t sell the items contained in the fundraising combo: 2 pizzas, cheese bread, and 2 liters of Coke. --- ## Health agencies issue report saying food industry self-regulation is a failure URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/health-agencies-issue-report-saying-food-industry-self-regulation-is-a-failure/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-12 Words: 53 > The Obesity Policy Coalition sent a report to federal health ministers, calling on them to enforce the restriction of junk food marketing to children. The Coalition's leader said advertising to... The Obesity Policy Coalition sent a report to federal health ministers, calling on them to enforce the restriction of junk food marketing to children. The Coalition’s leader said advertising to kids is a key driver in the obesity epidemic and there is a clear conflict of interest when industry self-regulates. --- ## McDonald’s targets youth of color with nationwide DJ battle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-youth-of-color-with-nationwide-dj-battle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-09 Words: 46 > The 13-week national challenge involves 24 DJs, each of which represents a region of the country and a McDonald's burger. The campaign is part of McDonalds 365Black initiative, which "celebrate[s]... The 13-week national challenge involves 24 DJs, each of which represents a region of the country and a McDonald’s burger. The campaign is part of McDonalds 365Black initiative, which “celebrate[s] the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans year round.” --- ## Heineken partners with Latin Grammys, sponsors digital content URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/heineken-partners-with-latin-grammys-sponsors-digital-content/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-09 Words: 39 > Heineken will publish "behind-the-scenes" digital content from the event. The campaign will include a Heineken-sponsored website, social media, and an in-person "Heineken House of Music" at the event in Las... Heineken will publish “behind-the-scenes” digital content from the event. The campaign will include a Heineken-sponsored website, social media, and an in-person “Heineken House of Music” at the event in Las Vegas. --- ## Dominos pizza expands mobile ordering lineup with new Spanish language app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-pizza-expands-mobile-ordering-lineup-with-new-spanish-language-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-08 Words: 45 > The app is designed for primarily Spanish-speaking customers who have their smartphone set to Spanish. The Spanish language app has the same capabilities as the original app in English. Thirty... The app is designed for primarily Spanish-speaking customers who have their smartphone set to Spanish. The Spanish language app has the same capabilities as the original app in English. Thirty percent of Domino’s orders are now made through mobile devices and online. --- ## Pepsi targets Latinos with Pizza Patron promotion featuring soccer star URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-targets-latinos-with-pizza-patron-promotion-featuring-soccer-star/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-08 Words: 62 > Pepsi has partnered with the nation's "premier Latino pizza brand" for a promotion that builds on the popularity of soccer among Latinos. The "Ponte La Diez" ("Wear the 10") campaign... Pepsi has partnered with the nation’s “premier Latino pizza brand” for a promotion that builds on the popularity of soccer among Latinos. The “Ponte La Diez” (“Wear the 10”) campaign offers customers discounted pizza and Pepsi, as well as free t-shirts branded with the face of well known Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi. --- ## Wendy’s launches contest geared toward Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-launches-contest-geared-toward-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-08 Words: 44 > As part of an ongoing effort to "increase [the chain's] relevance among Hispanic consumers," Wendy's has launched a "Secret Sandwich Contest" that targets Latinos. The winner will receive tickets to... As part of an ongoing effort to “increase [the chain’s] relevance among Hispanic consumers,” Wendy’s has launched a “Secret Sandwich Contest” that targets Latinos. The winner will receive tickets to see raggaeton superstar Tito El Bambino. --- ## Coca-Cola wants to exploit the potential of CSR efforts to double revenues by 2020 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-wants-to-exploit-the-potential-of-csr-efforts-to-double-revenues-by-2020/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-08 Words: 49 > New and planned corporate social responsibility projects include shifting to plant-based plastics and partnering with the World Wildlife Fund for Coke's biggest-ever cause marketing campaign to protect polar bears. Too... New and planned corporate social responsibility projects include shifting to plant-based plastics and partnering with the World Wildlife Fund for Coke’s biggest-ever cause marketing campaign to protect polar bears. Too bad the Real Bears will continue to suffer so long as Coke keeps pushing Coke. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts sponsors Latin music awards night URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-sponsors-latin-music-awards-night/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-07 Words: 68 > The company will be the exclusive coffee provider of "Noche de Estrellas," an after party for the Latin Grammys. A spokesperson says: "Dunkin' Donuts is always looking to identify meaningful... The company will be the exclusive coffee provider of “Noche de Estrellas,” an after party for the Latin Grammys. A spokesperson says: “Dunkin’ Donuts is always looking to identify meaningful opportunities to build brand loyalty and deepen our relationships with our multicultural guests and this partnership allows us to engage in the excitement of the big night with both new and existing consumers.” --- ## Pepsi unveils ‘fat-burning’ soda and Coke introduces calorie-burning calculator URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-unveils-fat-burning-soda-and-coke-introduces-calorie-burning-calculator/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-07 Words: 51 > To deflect attention from the health harms of soda, Pepsi created "Pepsi Special," which contains dextrin. Some studies say dextrin may reduce body fat. The new formulation is for sale... To deflect attention from the health harms of soda, Pepsi created “Pepsi Special,” which contains dextrin. Some studies say dextrin may reduce body fat. The new formulation is for sale in Japan. Meanwhile, Coke UK has a website tool that advises how to burn the calories you just drank. --- ## Pepsi puts music and Twitter at center of global marketing efforts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-puts-music-and-twitter-at-center-of-global-marketing-efforts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-07 Words: 59 > Pepsi is using a "live for the now" theme, music and real-time social media to sell soda. One campaign strategy included mining Twitter data to find out how music is... Pepsi is using a “live for the now” theme, music and real-time social media to sell soda. One campaign strategy included mining Twitter data to find out how music is consumed and then using that information to advertise on Twitter. An exec said: “[T]he more we associate with music, the more we sell.” --- ## Consumer group applauds USDA for rejecting questionable food labeling system URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/consumer-group-applauds-usda-for-rejecting-questionable-food-labeling-system/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-11-02 Words: 68 > The National Consumers League (NCL) sent a letter to the USDA commending them for blocking efforts by NuVal LLC to place its rating system on the labels of meat packages.... The National Consumers League (NCL) sent a letter to the USDA commending them for blocking efforts by NuVal LLC to place its rating system on the labels of meat packages. NuVal rates food products on a 1 to 100 scale using a proprietary algorithm, which has been criticized for producing inconsistent and illogical scores. NCL learned of the USDA’s decision through a freedom of information request. --- ## Pepsi launches ‘corporate social responsibility campaigns’ in India URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-launches-corporate-social-responsibility-campaigns-in-india/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-31 Words: 74 > "Pepsicorps" is a month-long, overseas skills-based service program that allows Pepsi employees to participate in community projects. While the projects (which focus on water access) provide a valuable service to... “Pepsicorps” is a month-long, overseas skills-based service program that allows Pepsi employees to participate in community projects. While the projects (which focus on water access) provide a valuable service to the community, it’s no coincidence that Pepsi is launching this program in a country where soda companies are hoping to grow their market and get more people to drink lots of soda, in spite of its health consequences. --- ## Issue 20: Struggling to breathe: How a health department is working with community members to reduce air pollution and improve health equity in Oakland URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-20-struggling-to-breathe-how-a-health-department-is-working-with-community-members-to-reduce-air-pollution-and-improve-health-equity-in-oakland/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 9794 > If you search the web for articles on ways to improve health, headlines touting the benefits of a better diet and increased exercise will likely top the list. You might... If you search the web for articles on ways to improve health, headlines touting the benefits of a better diet and increased exercise will likely top the list. You might also see suggestions like, “get plenty of rest,” “drink more water,” or “limit caffeine and alcohol.” But if you approach Sandra Witt, former deputy director of policy, planning, and health equity for the Alameda County Public Health Department in California’s Bay Area, with the same question, her response might surprise you. Health, she’ll tell you, begins long before you start your morning jog. Health often stems from where you live. In fact, where people live can matter more than personal behavior or even genetics in influencing how healthy they will be and how long they will live. Our surroundings affect what educational opportunities we have, how much money we make, how clean our water is — even the pollution levels we’re exposed to. And each of these things can help or harm our health, regardless of how well we eat or how much we exercise. At the population level, when barriers to health become more concentrated in some communities than others, the consequences can be devastating. Such barriers can result in greater absences from school and work, higher rates of disease and disability, more trips to the hospital, and an increased risk of premature death. They can cause the babies born in one zip code to have lower birth weights than those born just a few miles away. Or the children in one neighborhood to be at greater risk of developing asthma than those in an adjacent part of town. Still, these differences in our communities — and resulting disparities in health and mortality — don’t just happen. They stem from decisions that individuals and institutions make that, intentionally or not, advantage some groups while disadvantaging others and, over the long term, manifest themselves in our bodies. Called health inequities, they are systemic, unjust and preventable. And public health departments across the country are realizing that, to be as effective as possible, they need to pay attention to them. This is the story of one neighborhood’s struggle to tackle the underlying causes of such inequities. It is also the tale of how a public health department is taking innovative steps — such as partnering with community groups and building internal capacity — to join in that struggle to reduce and prevent inequities, and how other health departments can do the same. Unequal health in Oakland Situated along California’s coastline, Oakland is the state’s eighth largest city. It is known for its rich history of sports and culture, ethnic diversity, and ongoing political activism. The city has a mild climate, with clear, sunny skies the majority of the year. And it is a perfect spot to take in some local jazz or panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The New York Times named Oakland fifth on its top 45 list of places to visit in 2012, citing sophisticated restaurants and a newly reopened Fox Theater as two of the city’s main draws. A shipping hub, Oakland is also a major economic engine and conduit for international trade. It is home to the country’s fifth busiest container port, moving cargo for some of the world’s largest retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco. But there is a flip side to the city’s reputation: Oakland frequently makes national headlines for its high rates of violence and struggles with racial and economic inequality. On New Year’s Day in 2009, for example, a white police officer working for Bay Area Rapid Transit, the area’s subway, shot and killed an unarmed black man who was lying facedown on a subway platform in Oakland. While the community decried through peaceful protest what it saw as a racially motivated act, the media focused on the actions of a small group of people who turned to violence. On January 7, 2009, a few rioters torched cars and broke the windows of local businesses. Over the course of the next year, other mostly peaceful protests were also tinged with violence, and mass media devoured the story, often creating an overly simplified portrait of Oakland as a place where people have to live in fear of being killed. A similar theme of violence runs through mainstream media coverage of Occupy Oakland, the city’s demonstrations as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement against social and economic inequity. Although many of the protests have been nonviolent, stories of chaos, vandalism and bloodshed fill the news. When a January 2012 demonstration involving police-civilian skirmishes and tear gas culminated in mass arrests, journalists were quick to the story, wagging a scolding finger at the city of Oakland and its residents. After seeing TV footage of the protest, one writer described the scene as “more like a civil war than a nonviolent march.”1 This is the Oakland that the mainstream media hold up to the rest of the nation. Headlines alternate between casting the city as a cultural mecca and crime-ridden catast... --- ## Margo Wootan discusses ongoing controversy over child-directed food advertisements URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/margo-wootan-discusses-ongoing-controversy-over-child-directed-food-advertisements/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-25 Words: 33 > CSPI's Margo Wootan appears on The Knife and Fork Show to discuss the food industry's opposition to the Interagency Working Group's efforts to establish voluntary marketing guidelines. CSPI’s Margo Wootan appears on The Knife and Fork Show to discuss the food industry’s opposition to the Interagency Working Group’s efforts to establish voluntary marketing guidelines. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts targets kids and trick-or-treaters with Halloween-themed donuts and social media contests URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-targets-kids-and-trick-or-treaters-with-halloween-themed-donuts-and-social-media-contests/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-24 Words: 39 > The company announced the return of the Boston Scream Donut, a variation on its Boston Kreme donut. It also launched a Twitter and Instagram contest asking customers to decorate their... The company announced the return of the Boston Scream Donut, a variation on its Boston Kreme donut. It also launched a Twitter and Instagram contest asking customers to decorate their Dunkin’ Donuts cup in a creative Halloween costume. --- ## UK food standards agency announces new front-of-package voluntary labeling system URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-food-standards-agency-announces-new-front-of-package-voluntary-labeling-system/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-24 Words: 38 > Marion Nestle argues that these labels aren't especially helpful, since they all establish their own, differing criteria. She also includes a graphic depicting a possible food labeling system suggested by... Marion Nestle argues that these labels aren’t especially helpful, since they all establish their own, differing criteria. She also includes a graphic depicting a possible food labeling system suggested by New York Times writer Mark Bittman. --- ## Taco Bell uses World Series to sell Doritos Locos Tacos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-uses-world-series-to-sell-doritos-locos-tacos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-23 Words: 37 > Taco Bell announced that it will give away free Doritos Locos Tacos to all comers if any player stole a base during the World Series. The campaign will include social... Taco Bell announced that it will give away free Doritos Locos Tacos to all comers if any player stole a base during the World Series. The campaign will include social media, and online, television and radio advertising. --- ## McDonald’s responds to pressure by advocates, removes ‘refer-a-friend’ components from child-targeted online games URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-responds-to-pressure-by-advocates-removes-refer-a-friend-components-from-child-targeted-online-games/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-22 Words: 26 > After advocates, including BMSG, sent a letter of complaint to the FTC, McDonald's removed some social networking features from online games targeted to children. After advocates, including BMSG, sent a letter of complaint to the FTC, McDonald’s removed some social networking features from online games targeted to children. --- ## Denny’s partners with upcoming ‘Hobbit’ movie to launch Middle Earth-inspired menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-partners-with-upcoming-hobbit-movie-to-launch-middle-earth-inspired-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-22 Words: 29 > The campaign includes online banner ads, unbranded billboards and blogger outreach. The Hobbit has a wide following, including families and Millennials -- two of Denny's main targets. The campaign includes online banner ads, unbranded billboards and blogger outreach. The Hobbit has a wide following, including families and Millennials — two of Denny’s main targets. --- ## Jamba Juice targets teen girls with ‘Breaking Dawn: 2’ promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jamba-juice-targets-teen-girls-with-breaking-dawn-2-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-22 Words: 33 > The smoothies Jamba Juice is marketing to teens contain large amounts of added sugar (though the specialty beverage at the heart of the promotion is being billed as "better for... The smoothies Jamba Juice is marketing to teens contain large amounts of added sugar (though the specialty beverage at the heart of the promotion is being billed as “better for you”). --- ## McDonald’s China partners with Angry Birds to offer special edition gameplay URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-china-partners-with-angry-birds-to-offer-special-edition-gameplay/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-22 Words: 36 > McDonald's China has partnered with Rovio to offer customers a special, location-based Angry Birds game to play in restaurants. The campaign also features in-store promotions, online advertising, and social and... McDonald’s China has partnered with Rovio to offer customers a special, location-based Angry Birds game to play in restaurants. The campaign also features in-store promotions, online advertising, and social and outdoor media. --- ## Health campaigns are shaking up the soda market and accelerating soda’s pace on the tobacco trajectory URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/health-campaigns-are-shaking-up-the-soda-market-and-accelerating-sodas-pace-on-the-tobacco-trajectory/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-20 Words: 50 > Per-capita consumption of full-calorie sodas fell more than 20% between 2000 and 2011, and Diet Coke is now No. 2, ahead of regular Pepsi. The article draws comparisons between tobacco... Per-capita consumption of full-calorie sodas fell more than 20% between 2000 and 2011, and Diet Coke is now No. 2, ahead of regular Pepsi. The article draws comparisons between tobacco control and the emerging public health efforts to reduce soda consumption through education and increasingly through public policy. --- ## PepsiCo’s new ad strategy is paying off URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsicos-new-ad-strategy-is-paying-off/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-19 Words: 40 > The company is focusing on marketing 12 "core" brands. Part of its marketing strategy, says Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, has been "360-degree activation, not just spending money on television advertising,... The company is focusing on marketing 12 “core” brands. Part of its marketing strategy, says Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, has been “360-degree activation, not just spending money on television advertising, but in the digital world.” --- ## Pepsi Next promises consumers a 25th hour in the day to tackle tasks — and drink Pepsi Next URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-next-promises-consumers-a-25th-hour-in-the-day-to-tackle-tasks-and-drink-pepsi-next/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-17 Words: 37 > Pepsi is giving away credits for help with chores or other tasks through TaskRabbit, a startup website. Winners of the contest will also be given a Pepsi Next "to enjoy... Pepsi is giving away credits for help with chores or other tasks through TaskRabbit, a startup website. Winners of the contest will also be given a Pepsi Next “to enjoy in their newfound free time.” --- ## Coca Cola’s latest strategy will engage female consumers in the developing world URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-latest-strategy-will-engage-female-consumers-in-the-developing-world/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-17 Words: 61 > Coca Cola's latest corporate social responsibility campaign seeks to improve the financial stability of 5 million women in developing nations while simultaneously boosting their profits in emerging markets and building... Coca Cola’s latest corporate social responsibility campaign seeks to improve the financial stability of 5 million women in developing nations while simultaneously boosting their profits in emerging markets and building loyalty among a population that tends to invest heavily in family. Such will provide some direct benefit, but what are the hidden costs to these women and their families? --- ## Schools in California and New Mexico announce plans to ban Flamin’ Hot Cheetos over health concerns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/schools-in-california-and-new-mexico-announce-plans-to-ban-flamin-hot-cheetos-over-health-concerns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-16 Words: 21 > Each bag of the junk food contains 26 grams of fat and a quarter of the daily recommended amount of salt. Each bag of the junk food contains 26 grams of fat and a quarter of the daily recommended amount of salt. --- ## Editorial: Did Red Bull shatter sponsorship barriers? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/editorial-did-red-bull-shatter-sponsorship-barriers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-16 Words: 45 > Keep an eye out for this evolving area of "content marketing." Red Bull's foray, centered around a record-breaking 128,000 foot jump by Felix Baumgartner, is already being described as "the... Keep an eye out for this evolving area of “content marketing.” Red Bull’s foray, centered around a record-breaking 128,000 foot jump by Felix Baumgartner, is already being described as “the most successful marketing campaign of all time.” --- ## In Australia, industry self-regulation fails to curb marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-australia-industry-self-regulation-fails-to-curb-marketing-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-15 Words: 39 > In 2009, the Australian Food and Grocery Council introduced the Responsible Marketing to Children Initiative (RMCI), an industry self-regulation pledge. Not surprisingly, researchers have found that the number of junk... In 2009, the Australian Food and Grocery Council introduced the Responsible Marketing to Children Initiative (RMCI), an industry self-regulation pledge. Not surprisingly, researchers have found that the number of junk food ads aimed at children has not slowed. --- ## Researchers call for banning candy at cash counters URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/researchers-call-for-banning-candy-at-cash-counters/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-15 Words: 30 > A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine argues that restrictions should be placed on the items allowed for sale near checkouts so as to encourage healthier eating. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine argues that restrictions should be placed on the items allowed for sale near checkouts so as to encourage healthier eating. --- ## Big Tobacco lawyers target food industry over deceptive labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-tobacco-lawyers-target-food-industry-over-deceptive-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-15 Words: 85 > Lawyer Don Barrett reframes the industry's classic "personal choice" argument: "Nobody's trying to tell the American people what they have to eat or what they cannot eat, the American people... Lawyer Don Barrett reframes the industry’s classic “personal choice” argument: “Nobody’s trying to tell the American people what they have to eat or what they cannot eat, the American people can make those decisions for themselves. It’s all about free choice. To have free choice you have to have accurate information. That means Big Food, the food companies, have to start telling the truth about what’s in their product. The law requires it.” --- ## Break me off a piece of that record-setting stunt — Nestle uses historic freefall to sell Kit Kat bars URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/break-me-off-a-piece-of-that-record-setting-stunt-nestle-uses-historic-freefall-to-sell-kit-kat-bars/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-15 Words: 26 > In conjunction with a Redbull-sponsored, record-breaking freefall by Felix Baumgartner, Kit Kat sent a candy bar into space and tracked its progress by video. In conjunction with a Redbull-sponsored, record-breaking freefall by Felix Baumgartner, Kit Kat sent a candy bar into space and tracked its progress by video. --- ## KFC targets ‘dudes’ with tongue-in-cheek ‘Dude Food Rules’ promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-targets-dudes-with-tongue-in-cheek-dude-food-rules-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-15 Words: 34 > The campaign focuses on chicken tenders with "Dip 'em" dipping sauces. KFC commissioned an opinion study about "dude food" eating etiquette and will be creating a series of videos. The campaign focuses on chicken tenders with “Dip ’em” dipping sauces. KFC commissioned an opinion study about “dude food” eating etiquette and will be creating a series of videos. --- ## The sugar battle: Cereal companies cut sweets; soda industry sues URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-sugar-battle-cereal-companies-cut-sweets-soda-industry-sues/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-15 Words: 23 > Nestle and General Mills will reformulate some of their cereals sold abroad, while soda companies sue NYC over its new large soda policy. Nestle and General Mills will reformulate some of their cereals sold abroad, while soda companies sue NYC over its new large soda policy. --- ## Peru has greatest concentration of American fast food chains outside the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/peru-has-greatest-concentration-of-american-fast-food-chains-outside-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-14 Words: 48 > A food industry consultant said: "South America is really going to be where the growth is" for American franchise restaurants. Despite (or because of) free-market policies, Peruvian businesses can't get... A food industry consultant said: “South America is really going to be where the growth is” for American franchise restaurants. Despite (or because of) free-market policies, Peruvian businesses can’t get a foothold. The Peruvian Gastronomy Assn. is trying to counter the foreign influence. --- ## Wendy’s updates logo to style itself as a higher-end hamburger chain URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-updates-logo-to-style-itself-as-a-higher-end-hamburger-chain/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-12 Words: 50 > The logo update is part of a larger effort to make Wendy's seem higher-end (insomuch as fast food chains can be) -- along the lines of a Panera Bread Co.... The logo update is part of a larger effort to make Wendy’s seem higher-end (insomuch as fast food chains can be) — along the lines of a Panera Bread Co. or Chipotle. Other changes include better-tailored employee uniforms and natural lighting. The food remains the same. --- ## Dietetic Association exhibition features dietetic ‘junk food’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dietetic-association-exhibition-features-dietetic-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-12 Words: 47 > Featured products included gluten-free Frito-Lay potato chips, Domino sugar-stevia blend, and "a guide to moderate candy consumption" put out by the National Confectioners Assn. The exhibition is an opportunity for... Featured products included gluten-free Frito-Lay potato chips, Domino sugar-stevia blend, and “a guide to moderate candy consumption” put out by the National Confectioners Assn. The exhibition is an opportunity for the food industry to influence dieticians and the advice they give clients. --- ## California company LifeAID introduces ‘new’ beverage category URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/california-company-lifeaid-introduces-new-beverage-category/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-12 Words: 58 > LifeAID calls its concoction a "synergy beverage," which is somewhere between an energy drink and a run-of-the-mill soft drink. It's full of the usual added vitamins, amino acids and sugar... LifeAID calls its concoction a “synergy beverage,” which is somewhere between an energy drink and a run-of-the-mill soft drink. It’s full of the usual added vitamins, amino acids and sugar (in the form of agave syrup) and includes versions aimed at golfers, “cross-fit enthusiasts” and hung-over partygoers. --- ## Coca-Cola to invest in music service Spotify to target Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-to-invest-in-music-service-spotify-to-target-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-11 Words: 55 > Coke is in discussions to invest $10 million in Spotify, a music-streaming service, as a way of better attracting young people. A Spotify executive referenced the irony of a comparison... Coke is in discussions to invest $10 million in Spotify, a music-streaming service, as a way of better attracting young people. A Spotify executive referenced the irony of a comparison between Coke and the global water supply: “We want music to be like Coke, which really is everywhere [as opposed to water].” --- ## McDonald’s focuses on healthy messages to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-focuses-on-healthy-messages-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-11 Words: 45 > The fast food company is deflecting attention from its unhealthy products by touting its relatively insignificant efforts to include healthy messages and menu items in kid-centered advertising. As usual, McDonald's... The fast food company is deflecting attention from its unhealthy products by touting its relatively insignificant efforts to include healthy messages and menu items in kid-centered advertising. As usual, McDonald’s is hiding behind “consumer choice” rhetoric to avoid corporate accountability. --- ## Rapper Snoop Dogg parodies his own song to endorse Hot Pockets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rapper-snoop-dogg-parodies-his-own-song-to-endorse-hot-pockets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-11 Words: 60 > In an online video posted on the brand's Facebook page, the rapper turns his hit song "Drop It Like It's Hot" into "Pocket Like It's Hot." Snoop Dogg really has... In an online video posted on the brand’s Facebook page, the rapper turns his hit song “Drop It Like It’s Hot” into “Pocket Like It’s Hot.” Snoop Dogg really has his endorsement lines memorized: “Hot Pockets are irresistibly hot; [they] have always been a favorite in my house.” --- ## Burger King seeks new ‘Have it Your Way’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-seeks-new-have-it-your-way-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-11 Words: 46 > Burger King is shopping for an agency to create a new campaign to project a unified message about the brand. The success of the now-dated "Have it Your Way" campaign... Burger King is shopping for an agency to create a new campaign to project a unified message about the brand. The success of the now-dated “Have it Your Way” campaign illustrates the power of marketing based on the illusion of individuality and choice. --- ## Combos snack brand uses bevy of gimmicks to attract consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/combos-snack-brand-uses-bevy-of-gimmicks-to-attract-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-10 Words: 44 > "The Combos Files" is the brand's latest marketing attempt. Consumers submit suggestions for new flavor combinations, and a celebrity chef tests them out in the company of other celebrities, including... “The Combos Files” is the brand’s latest marketing attempt. Consumers submit suggestions for new flavor combinations, and a celebrity chef tests them out in the company of other celebrities, including athletes (who probably never eat the processed, salt-laden nuggets). --- ## General Mills and ConAgra try to argue that processed food is ‘not the enemy’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-and-conagra-try-to-argue-that-processed-food-is-not-the-enemy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-10 Words: 32 > Speaking at the recent Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, executives from the processed food giants said avoiding their products is unrealistic and unhelpful. They went on to tout their... Speaking at the recent Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, executives from the processed food giants said avoiding their products is unrealistic and unhelpful. They went on to tout their product reformulations. --- ## Cargill launches bilingual Latino-targeted campaign to market its ‘Rumba’ meat product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cargill-launches-bilingual-latino-targeted-campaign-to-market-its-rumba-meat-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-10 Words: 47 > The "Recipe of the Month" or "Receta del Mes" campaign contains both in-store and online elements and is designed to increase customer engagement. Customers can submit recipes through Facebook or... The “Recipe of the Month” or “Receta del Mes” campaign contains both in-store and online elements and is designed to increase customer engagement. Customers can submit recipes through Facebook or the company’s website, and chosen recipes will be featured online. --- ## Regulation of junk food advertising in the UK has had minimal impact URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/regulation-of-junk-food-advertising-in-the-uk-has-had-minimal-impact/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-09 Words: 35 > University of Liverpool researchers have found that, despite regulations on television advertising of junk food to children in the UK, "unhealthy foods are still heavily promoted, and healthier options are... University of Liverpool researchers have found that, despite regulations on television advertising of junk food to children in the UK, “unhealthy foods are still heavily promoted, and healthier options are significantly under-represented.” --- ## Beverage industry’s calorie labeling plan is merely a ploy to forestall regulation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-industrys-calorie-labeling-plan-is-merely-a-ploy-to-forestall-regulation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-09 Words: 63 > Marion Nestle questions the beverage industry's claim that the new Calories Count Vending Program shows its commitment to reducing obesity. She argues, "If these companies really wanted to help reduce... Marion Nestle questions the beverage industry’s claim that the new Calories Count Vending Program shows its commitment to reducing obesity. She argues, “If these companies really wanted to help reduce obesity, they might start by eliminating sugary drinks,” and points out that the initiative is just an effort to head off further, more restrictive regulation of the soda industry. --- ## Kraft’s water enhancer and better-for-you cookies are oxymorons and industry faves URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krafts-water-enhancer-and-better-for-you-cookies-are-oxymorons-and-industry-faves/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-09 Words: 47 > Kraft won accolades from CPG consultants for its product "innovations" aimed at health conscious consumers and young people. They include MiO (flavored vitamin drops) and Newtons Fruit Thins. Kraft says... Kraft won accolades from CPG consultants for its product “innovations” aimed at health conscious consumers and young people. They include MiO (flavored vitamin drops) and Newtons Fruit Thins. Kraft says Millennials are “a new target audience for the Kraft Foods refreshment beverage brand.” --- ## ‘It’s Mealtime With U.S. Hispanics’ study shows industry’s take on targeting Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/its-mealtime-with-u-s-hispanics-study-shows-industrys-take-on-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-09 Words: 51 > The study surveyed Spanish-dominant Latinos as well as those who speak mainly English. The report argues that bilingual nutritional information may not be enough to convince foreign-born Latinos to buy... The study surveyed Spanish-dominant Latinos as well as those who speak mainly English. The report argues that bilingual nutritional information may not be enough to convince foreign-born Latinos to buy “healthier” foods, and the marketing for those foods must fit with cultural values about health and nutrition. --- ## American beverage companies tout new ‘Calories Count’ vending program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/american-beverage-companies-tout-new-calories-count-vending-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-08 Words: 37 > Municipal buildings in San Antonio and Chicago will be the first sites to launch the beverage industry's new "Calories Count" program. Among other measures, the program will include calorie labeling... Municipal buildings in San Antonio and Chicago will be the first sites to launch the beverage industry’s new “Calories Count” program. Among other measures, the program will include calorie labeling on vending machines. --- ## Pepsi targets women with new protein product launch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-targets-women-with-new-protein-product-launch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-08 Words: 54 > Pepsi wants to tap into women's concerns about weight loss and healthy aging. To this end, it's developing an initiative called P.L.A.Y. (protein, liquid, activity, you-time); the actual protein product... Pepsi wants to tap into women’s concerns about weight loss and healthy aging. To this end, it’s developing an initiative called P.L.A.Y. (protein, liquid, activity, you-time); the actual protein product hasn’t yet been determined. Pepsi is working with focus groups to fine-tune messaging. --- ## BlogFrog offers Latino-targeted ‘influencer marketing campaigns’ for brand marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/blogfrog-offers-latino-targeted-influencer-marketing-campaigns-for-brand-marketers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-08 Words: 67 > "Influencers" are bloggers or people with a large social media presence. The new service uses these bloggers to infiltrate Latino's social media networks: "BlogFrog works with online influencers to generate... “Influencers” are bloggers or people with a large social media presence. The new service uses these bloggers to infiltrate Latino’s social media networks: “BlogFrog works with online influencers to generate authentic conversations that are aligned with a brand’s messaging. These conversations consist of original content from influencers, which is then amplified by their readers who share on social media.” --- ## National Restaurant Association unveils new corporate social responsibility campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/national-restaurant-association-unveils-new-corporate-social-responsibility-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-05 Words: 55 > The Kids Recipe Challenge asks a panel of elementary school children to select winning nutritious recipes from children's menus. The NRA describes this corporate social responsibility campaign as an effort... The Kids Recipe Challenge asks a panel of elementary school children to select winning nutritious recipes from children’s menus. The NRA describes this corporate social responsibility campaign as an effort to “[galvanize] the restaurant and foodservice community around the importance of ensuring that American families have ready access to nutritious food.” --- ## Subway reaches out to children through appearances in Disney movies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-reaches-out-to-children-through-appearances-in-disney-movies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-05 Words: 32 > Subway will be featured in highly anticipated upcoming Disney movies, including Frankenweenie and "Wreck-it Ralph." The publicity will include social media promotions as well as point-of-purchase displays. Subway will be featured in highly anticipated upcoming Disney movies, including Frankenweenie and “Wreck-it Ralph.” The publicity will include social media promotions as well as point-of-purchase displays. --- ## Oreo targets Super Bowl fans with ad celebrating 100th anniversary URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-targets-super-bowl-fans-with-ad-celebrating-100th-anniversary/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-04 Words: 30 > Oreo has announced plans to conclude the advertising blitz celebrating the company's 100th anniversary with a Super Bowl ad, the first Kraft-affiliated ad to appear since 2008. Oreo has announced plans to conclude the advertising blitz celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary with a Super Bowl ad, the first Kraft-affiliated ad to appear since 2008. --- ## Taiwanese children are bombarded with advertising for junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taiwanese-children-are-bombarded-with-advertising-for-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-03 Words: 34 > A study from the Child Welfare League Foundation revealed that children in Taiwan see almost 23 junk food commercials per day. Legislators are responding to the findings with calls to... A study from the Child Welfare League Foundation revealed that children in Taiwan see almost 23 junk food commercials per day. Legislators are responding to the findings with calls to restrict junk food advertising. --- ## African-American youth targeted by alcohol companies in TV, magazine advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/african-american-youth-targeted-by-alcohol-companies-in-tv-magazine-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-03 Words: 30 > According to a new study from Johns Hopkins' Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth, African-American are exposed to more magazine and television alcohol advertising than youth in general. According to a new study from Johns Hopkins’ Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth, African-American are exposed to more magazine and television alcohol advertising than youth in general. --- ## Echoes of the tobacco wars: Why is Big Soda afraid to publicly oppose the Richmond soda tax? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/echoes-of-the-tobacco-wars-why-is-big-soda-afraid-to-publicly-oppose-the-richmond-soda-tax/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 541 > The city council of Richmond, Calif., has made headlines by putting a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages before voters this November. The ballot measure has become an opportunity to raise... The city council of Richmond, Calif., has made headlines by putting a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages before voters this November. The ballot measure has become an opportunity to raise awareness about the health harms of sugary drinks and, if passed, could become a model policy for other cities looking to put their community’s health above soda corporations’ profits. All of this has the beverage industry running scared and once again borrowing tactics from Big Tobacco — this time in an effort to deceive voters. In a classic tobacco industry move, soda companies are using a front group to publicly lead the fight against the tax. In Richmond, the Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes claims to be a local grassroots organization against the ballot measure. The Coalition, however, is funded primarily by the American Beverage Association, a soda industry trade group. So far, the ABA has spent over $350,000 fighting the measure; that’s more than 10 to 1 what proponents of the tax have spent. All of this allows soda companies to attack policies they oppose while protecting their brands. But the soda industry isn’t stopping where Big Tobacco did. It is taking its attempts to anonymously influence our democratic process even further. Thanks in large part to the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that declared corporations associations of people and granted them speech rights under the first amendment, soda companies are enjoying a regulatory context that allows them to flex extraordinary political muscle. In Richmond, the Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes allegedly has been distributing mass mailings in violation of city campaign-disclosure rules that require campaigns to prominently reveal their top five funding sources. When the city ordered the Coalition to comply with the ordinance, they responded by filing a lawsuit challenging the action as unconstitutional on first amendment grounds. Coalition spokesman Chuck Finnie claimed that the ordinance hurt free speech. Last month, Big Soda got its way. On Sept. 7, a federal judge in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the city of Richmond’s ability to enforce its ordinance. As a result, Richmond’s city council has since reworked and approved a watered-down version of the ordinance, which only requires that three major sources of funding be revealed and less conspicuously. The new ordinance has also been stripped of criminal penalties. Rulings like this make it harder for voters to see who is funding the campaigns influencing the policy decisions that shape their own neighborhoods. Public health advocates and journalists need to call out the soda industry’s double-speak. Publicly, soda companies want to appear as friends of low-income communities and communities of color, including in Richmond. But when communities organize to remove the unhealthy influence of industry in their area, soda companies fight back. They are not only using Big Tobacco’s tactics to hide their opposition, they are even trying exploit the Citizens United decision to downplay their influence. Exposing this contradiction is fundamental to protecting our democracy from corporate control: No matter where you stand on the tax policy, we all should be able to know who seeks influence in our political process. --- ## Coca-Cola builds goodwill in Latino community through investment in scholarships URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-builds-goodwill-in-latino-community-through-investment-in-scholarships/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-02 Words: 30 > Coca-Cola is teaming up with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to offer scholarships to Latino high school students (who are urged to visit Coke retailers to learn how to apply). Coca-Cola is teaming up with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to offer scholarships to Latino high school students (who are urged to visit Coke retailers to learn how to apply). --- ## Oreo generates buzz with Daily Twist promotion in Times Square URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-generates-buzz-with-daily-twist-promotion-in-times-square/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-10-02 Words: 35 > Oreo's Daily Twist campaign, a 100-day campaign that highlighted personalized cookies to celebrate different events, ended last week with a fan-driven social media promotion in Times Square that attracted considerable... Oreo’s Daily Twist campaign, a 100-day campaign that highlighted personalized cookies to celebrate different events, ended last week with a fan-driven social media promotion in Times Square that attracted considerable attention. --- ## FTC moves to tighten online privacy protections for children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ftc-moves-to-tighten-online-privacy-protections-for-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-28 Words: 44 > The Federal Trade Commission is moving to overhaul rules that currently allow major corporations to improperly collect children's information online and without parents' awareness. The action comes on the heels... The Federal Trade Commission is moving to overhaul rules that currently allow major corporations to improperly collect children’s information online and without parents’ awareness. The action comes on the heels of a complaint that advocates including BMSG filed with the FTC. --- ## New T.G.I. Friday’s menu features ‘decadent’ and ‘indulgent’ dishes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-t-g-i-fridays-menu-features-decadent-and-indulgent-dishes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-27 Words: 55 > Obesity crisis be darned. T.G.I. Friday's is serving up the likes of the Steakhouse Bleu Cheese Burger, featuring steak, bacon, onions, butter and blue cheese on a brioche bun. For... Obesity crisis be darned. T.G.I. Friday’s is serving up the likes of the Steakhouse Bleu Cheese Burger, featuring steak, bacon, onions, butter and blue cheese on a brioche bun. For dessert there’s Whiskey Cake, which the chain says “is enough to share — though sharing is optional.” --- ## Coors Light reaches out to Latino soccer fans with interactive online sweepstakes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coors-light-reaches-out-to-latino-soccer-fans-with-interactive-online-sweepstakes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-26 Words: 52 > Coors Light is taking advantage of its status as the only non-Mexican beer brand to sponsor the popular LigaMX league with an interactive sweepstakes that targets Latino soccer fans. Each... Coors Light is taking advantage of its status as the only non-Mexican beer brand to sponsor the popular LigaMX league with an interactive sweepstakes that targets Latino soccer fans. Each week users are encouraged to bet on which teams will advance through the finals using the codes on Coors Light cans. --- ## Americans expected to buy more Halloween candy this year URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/americans-expected-to-buy-more-halloween-candy-this-year/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-26 Words: 36 > Halloween spending is actually growing in every category. A National Retail Federation spokesperson said: "Halloween in general has become more popular with adults, it's no longer just a children's holiday." Halloween spending is actually growing in every category. A National Retail Federation spokesperson said: “Halloween in general has become more popular with adults, it’s no longer just a children’s holiday.” --- ## Kraft announces it is on track to meet sodium reduction goals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-announces-it-is-on-track-to-meet-sodium-reduction-goals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-26 Words: 34 > Kraft is nearly complete with a three-year initiative to reduce sodium by an average of 10% across its North American portfolio. It used the opportunity to congratulate itself on its... Kraft is nearly complete with a three-year initiative to reduce sodium by an average of 10% across its North American portfolio. It used the opportunity to congratulate itself on its other product reformulations. --- ## Kellogg’s launches integrated marketing campaign aimed at moms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-launches-integrated-marketing-campaign-aimed-at-moms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-26 Words: 48 > With the "Love your Cereal" campaign, Kellogg's is trying to take advantage of parents' desires to nourish their kids while balancing a busy schedule. Kellogg's is framing cereal-and-milk for breakfast... With the “Love your Cereal” campaign, Kellogg’s is trying to take advantage of parents’ desires to nourish their kids while balancing a busy schedule. Kellogg’s is framing cereal-and-milk for breakfast as the best and easiest way to do this. --- ## Yoplait racks up 800K Facebook likes with an ‘authentic’ approach URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yoplait-racks-up-800k-facebook-likes-with-an-authentic-approach/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-26 Words: 49 > Last year, Yoplait was the first General Mills brand to have a dedicated social engagement manager, known to Facebook fans as "Yoplait Sara." The moniker reflects the brand's new tactic... Last year, Yoplait was the first General Mills brand to have a dedicated social engagement manager, known to Facebook fans as “Yoplait Sara.” The moniker reflects the brand’s new tactic to seem more sociable by not talking at consumers but rather getting them to converse. --- ## Healthier school meals despite agribiz lobbying URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/healthier-school-meals-despite-agribiz-lobbying/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-26 Words: 55 > The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which reauthorized childhood nutrition programs, represents "a rare victory over special interests," writes Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public... The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which reauthorized childhood nutrition programs, represents “a rare victory over special interests,” writes Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In this article, Jacobson alerts readers to industry efforts to “sneak junk foods back into the school lunch program.” --- ## ‘Got Milk?’ campaign teams up with Hispanic Scholarship Fund to build relationships with Latino community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/got-milk-campaign-teams-up-with-hispanic-scholarship-fund-to-build-relationships-with-latino-community/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-25 Words: 55 > To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the National Hispanic "Got Milk?" Campaign urges Latino high school students to submit an essay describing how milk for breakfast has helped fuel their success.... To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the National Hispanic “Got Milk?” Campaign urges Latino high school students to submit an essay describing how milk for breakfast has helped fuel their success. The “Futuro con Leche” scholarship program appeals to teens in part through print ads featuring popular Latino athletes and public figures. --- ## In India, Coca-Cola and Pepsi retool product line to boost sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-india-coca-cola-and-pepsi-retool-product-line-to-boost-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-25 Words: 36 > Threatened by local rivals, the two companies revived discontinued brands to appeal to local tastes. So Sprite was out, Citra was back in. A company executive said: "Local is the... Threatened by local rivals, the two companies revived discontinued brands to appeal to local tastes. So Sprite was out, Citra was back in. A company executive said: “Local is the new national for brands.” --- ## Belle Foods supermarkets highlight healthy products with shelf-edge labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/belle-foods-supermarkets-highlight-healthy-products-with-shelf-edge-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-25 Words: 49 > The chain partnered with Vestcom's healthyAisles shelf-edge program to provide shoppers with nutrition guidance. It uses 33 nutritional attributes to highlight food traits like "sensible carbs" and "sugar aware." Vestcom's... The chain partnered with Vestcom’s healthyAisles shelf-edge program to provide shoppers with nutrition guidance. It uses 33 nutritional attributes to highlight food traits like “sensible carbs” and “sugar aware.” Vestcom’s program is used by 27 retail clients (6,000 stores). --- ## CPG brands to teens: Express yourself — buy our product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cpg-brands-to-teens-express-yourself-buy-our-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-25 Words: 55 > Kraft's iD gum is an example of teen-targeted marketing that tries to tap into teens' desire to "explore and display their creativity and individuality." As one exec puts it: "Staying... Kraft’s iD gum is an example of teen-targeted marketing that tries to tap into teens’ desire to “explore and display their creativity and individuality.” As one exec puts it: “Staying in the Millennials’ pantry means connecting to the emotional attributes that drive their decisions and conversations.” --- ## Logos ‘brand’ youthful minds: Children’s brains light up at sight of fast-food logos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/logos-brand-youthful-minds-childrens-brains-light-up-at-sight-of-fast-food-logos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 36 > A study using MRI technology to scan children's brains found that the pleasure and appetite centers of their brains lit up when they were shown advertising images such as a... A study using MRI technology to scan children’s brains found that the pleasure and appetite centers of their brains lit up when they were shown advertising images such as a McDonald’s logo. --- ## ‘Got Milk?’ launches media campaign, scholarship program for Hispanic Heritage Month URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/got-milk-launches-media-campaign-scholarship-program-for-hispanic-heritage-month/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 20 > The new scholarship program, open to Latino high school seniors, is accompanied by a print ad featuring successful Latino professionals. The new scholarship program, open to Latino high school seniors, is accompanied by a print ad featuring successful Latino professionals. --- ## Nestle launches Latina-targeted social media campaign for Day of the Dead URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-launches-latina-targeted-social-media-campaign-for-day-of-the-dead/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 44 > Nestle will promote "Abuelita" Mexican hot chocolate and Nescafe "Caf de Olla" by opening Latina-targeted portals on Facebook and Pinterest in the weeks before the holiday. Nestle will also sponsor... Nestle will promote “Abuelita” Mexican hot chocolate and Nescafe “Caf de Olla” by opening Latina-targeted portals on Facebook and Pinterest in the weeks before the holiday. Nestle will also sponsor a Day of the Dead event in Los Angeles. --- ## 7UP continues sponsorship of Latin Grammy Awards URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7up-continues-sponsorship-of-latin-grammy-awards/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 48 > For the third year, 7UP will sponsor "the biggest night of the year for Latin music." As part of its "Viva Latin Grammys" promotion, the company is hosting a competition... For the third year, 7UP will sponsor “the biggest night of the year for Latin music.” As part of its “Viva Latin Grammys” promotion, the company is hosting a competition that offers a private concert with popular Latino singer Enrique Iglesias as a prize. --- ## Nielsen report offers marketers research and tips to reach African-American consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nielsen-report-offers-marketers-research-and-tips-to-reach-african-american-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 61 > The report, released during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual legislative conference, is intended to "help increase the awareness of Blacks' consumer power." The findings offer marketers detailed information on... The report, released during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference, is intended to “help increase the awareness of Blacks’ consumer power.” The findings offer marketers detailed information on the brand types and media outlets most that African-American consumers prefer, as well as the product types and advertising mediums they view as most relevant. --- ## FTC to release update on food industry child marketing practices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ftc-to-release-update-on-food-industry-child-marketing-practices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 44 > The food industry says they've made improvements in child marketing. However, research from the Rudd Center shows, for example, that cereal companies recently increased child-targeted advertising for some of their... The food industry says they’ve made improvements in child marketing. However, research from the Rudd Center shows, for example, that cereal companies recently increased child-targeted advertising for some of their least nutritious products. The report is due out later this year. --- ## Food Genius ‘big data’ tool helps food industry reach consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-genius-big-data-tool-helps-food-industry-reach-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 49 > Food Genius is a new restaurant and dish recommendation app. Its goal is to use big data mining technologies to capture consumer information and provide "actionable insights" to the food... Food Genius is a new restaurant and dish recommendation app. Its goal is to use big data mining technologies to capture consumer information and provide “actionable insights” to the food industry, like “what dishes to make, how to market them and how to price them.” --- ## Kellogg wants China to wake up to its cereal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-wants-china-to-wake-up-to-its-cereal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 33 > Kellogg partnered with an international agribusiness to aggressively market cereal and other products in China, whose market for cereal is expected to reach $225M this year -- double that of... Kellogg partnered with an international agribusiness to aggressively market cereal and other products in China, whose market for cereal is expected to reach $225M this year — double that of five years ago. --- ## Big Food and Big Ag thwart your ‘right to know’ anything about your food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-and-big-ag-thwart-your-right-to-know-anything-about-your-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-24 Words: 35 > The food industry calls for "personal responsibility" and yet consistently blocks consumers' right to basic information. Industry opposition to Prop 37 and support for federal menu labeling exemptions are cases... The food industry calls for “personal responsibility” and yet consistently blocks consumers’ right to basic information. Industry opposition to Prop 37 and support for federal menu labeling exemptions are cases in point. --- ## Advocates take food companies to court over false, misleading labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocates-take-food-companies-to-court-over-false-misleading-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-21 Words: 27 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest's Litigation Project has filed a number of lawsuits against foodmakers over deceptive health, nutrition and ingredient claims. The Center for Science in the Public Interest’s Litigation Project has filed a number of lawsuits against foodmakers over deceptive health, nutrition and ingredient claims. --- ## Industry analyst: FDA unlikely to crack down on energy drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-analyst-fda-unlikely-to-crack-down-on-energy-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-21 Words: 69 > The FDA is expected to publish guidance about energy drinks (which are now considered "dietary supplements") after Senator Dick Durbin wrote a letter demanding regulatory action. However, the beverage industry... The FDA is expected to publish guidance about energy drinks (which are now considered “dietary supplements”) after Senator Dick Durbin wrote a letter demanding regulatory action. However, the beverage industry analyst quoted in this article predicts that the guidance will be “murky” enough to allow for plenty of “wiggle room,” especially given that the FDA may lose a lot of money in sequestration. --- ## How food marketers use character-branded packaging to appeal to kids and parents URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-food-marketers-use-character-branded-packaging-to-appeal-to-kids-and-parents/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-20 Words: 26 > Using characters on packaging is a key strategy in marketing food to children, whether they are created by the brand or borrowed from movies or television. Using characters on packaging is a key strategy in marketing food to children, whether they are created by the brand or borrowed from movies or television. --- ## Honest Tea reformulates ‘Honest Kids’ product, replaces sugar with fruit juice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/honest-tea-reformulates-honest-kids-product-replaces-sugar-with-fruit-juice/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-20 Words: 36 > The drinks are now 30 to 42% juice, up from 12 to 26%. The packaging now includes pictures of fruit, and Honest Tea is rolling out a 59-oz. version of... The drinks are now 30 to 42% juice, up from 12 to 26%. The packaging now includes pictures of fruit, and Honest Tea is rolling out a 59-oz. version of the drink for home consumption. --- ## Victory in Brooklyn over Walmart: Retail giant ends bid to build first NYC store URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/victory-in-brooklyn-over-walmart-retail-giant-ends-bid-to-build-first-nyc-store/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-20 Words: 29 > Walmart has announced that it is abandoning its multi-year effort to build a Walmart store in Brooklyn. A similar proposal to open a store in Queens is ongoing. Walmart has announced that it is abandoning its multi-year effort to build a Walmart store in Brooklyn. A similar proposal to open a store in Queens is ongoing. --- ## FTC plans report on food marketing to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ftc-plans-report-on-food-marketing-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-19 Words: 42 > The FTC will release a report by the end of the year on food companies' marketing to children. The report will draw on data subpoenaed by the FTC from more... The FTC will release a report by the end of the year on food companies’ marketing to children. The report will draw on data subpoenaed by the FTC from more than 40 companies in 2009. (Subscription required to view full content.) --- ## Walmart, Humana announce program to reward healthy food purchases URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/walmart-humana-announce-program-to-reward-healthy-food-purchases/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-19 Words: 40 > Members of Humana's "healthy rewards" program will receive a 5% credit on future Walmart purchases when they buy eligible "healthy food items." Food accounts for more than half of Walmart's... Members of Humana’s “healthy rewards” program will receive a 5% credit on future Walmart purchases when they buy eligible “healthy food items.” Food accounts for more than half of Walmart’s annual sales. --- ## Campbell’s Soup increases digital marketing efforts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbells-soup-increases-digital-marketing-efforts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-19 Words: 29 > Campbell's is adding six new positions, increasing its digital marketing budget by 40%, and rolling out new training programs in an effort to improve its digital marketing. Campbell’s is adding six new positions, increasing its digital marketing budget by 40%, and rolling out new training programs in an effort to improve its digital marketing. --- ## Food makers hook kids on mobile games URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-makers-hook-kids-on-mobile-games/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-17 Words: 60 > Food companies are designing simple games for mobile devices to market their products to children. Advertising on mobile devices is unregulated, and as the makers of unhealthy food face pressure... Food companies are designing simple games for mobile devices to market their products to children. Advertising on mobile devices is unregulated, and as the makers of unhealthy food face pressure to limit advertising on TV and the web, mobile advertising serves as “an effective substitute to trigger demand and cinch brand loyalty.” (Subscription required to view full content.) --- ## Kraft is pitching gum to teens with a torrent of digital marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-is-pitching-gum-to-teens-with-a-torrent-of-digital-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-14 Words: 63 > A Kraft executive summed up the brand's strategy: "It's about teen entertainment and not just a simple piece of gum." He went on to call young people the "most critical... A Kraft executive summed up the brand’s strategy: “It’s about teen entertainment and not just a simple piece of gum.” He went on to call young people the “most critical to the success in gum because they’re the heaviest users.” The campaign aims to captivate teens with a high turnover of digital content. --- ## Coca-Cola teams with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to build goodwill with Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-teams-with-the-hispanic-scholarship-fund-to-build-goodwill-with-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-14 Words: 41 > The organizations, along with a regional retailers association (GHRA), will award $50K to 20 Latino high schoolers. The organizations used the Fund as a marketing opportunity by creating bilingual, point-of-sale... The organizations, along with a regional retailers association (GHRA), will award $50K to 20 Latino high schoolers. The organizations used the Fund as a marketing opportunity by creating bilingual, point-of-sale signage and product displays featured throughout the Houston area. --- ## McDonald’s will post calorie info on menus. Won’t it have to anyway? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-will-post-calorie-info-on-menus-wont-it-have-to-anyway/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-13 Words: 52 > Marion Nestle is underwhelmed by McDonald's plan to post calorie information on menu boards. She reminds that the Affordable Care Act takes menu labeling national, and so McDonald's would eventually... Marion Nestle is underwhelmed by McDonald’s plan to post calorie information on menu boards. She reminds that the Affordable Care Act takes menu labeling national, and so McDonald’s would eventually have to post calories. She notes, “by doing it now, it gets a public relations bonus.” --- ## National Pork Board launches multiple promotions for Hispanic Heritage Month URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/national-pork-board-launches-multiple-promotions-for-hispanic-heritage-month/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-13 Words: 29 > The Pork Board launched a Facebook page in Spanish and a month-long social media promotion with daily and weekly prizes. The organization also revamped its Spanish-language website. The Pork Board launched a Facebook page in Spanish and a month-long social media promotion with daily and weekly prizes. The organization also revamped its Spanish-language website. --- ## Hispanic Advertising and Media Conference offers marketers research and tips to target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hispanic-advertising-and-media-conference-offers-marketers-research-and-tips-to-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-13 Words: 32 > Key points include the tradeoffs of marketing in Spanish versus English, the importance of celebrities in targeting Latinos, and the "growth prospects" of marketing to Latinos in the U.S. Key points include the tradeoffs of marketing in Spanish versus English, the importance of celebrities in targeting Latinos, and the “growth prospects” of marketing to Latinos in the U.S. --- ## Hang in there, advocates: Change takes time URL: https://www.bmsg.org/hang-in-there-advocates-change-takes-time/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 637 > One of life's most important lessons gets underscored when you're working on public health or social justice causes (which I've come to realize are largely one and the same): Change... One of life’s most important lessons gets underscored when you’re working on public health or social justice causes (which I’ve come to realize are largely one and the same): Change can take a while. As a trainer, I like to use case studies to show advocates how the strategic use of mass media can advance health policy goals. These stories often end with long-sought meetings with officials who have the power to change or enact the very policies advocates support. But it ends there. No new laws or regulations are passed. The advocacy groups must continue their fight. It is a frustrating footnote — one that, for many advocates, highlights the limits rather than successes of media advocacy. Yet these frustrations should not signal defeat. Real change can take years, or even decades, and incremental victories can be just as powerful and motivational as the Big Win. That was the case for seat belt advocates who worked for decades before seeing progress. After winning mandated installation of seat belts in cars and trucks in the 1960s, two decades elapsed before mandatory seat belt use laws were introduced. Now they press for primary enforcement laws, which allow police to stop a driver and issue a ticket for the sole reason of not wearing a seatbelt. To date, 32 states have primary seat belt laws, saving countless lives. Even anti-tobacco advocates — whose policy wins have been inspirational — continue battling Big Tobacco, which still aggressively markets its deadly products to young people and other vulnerable groups. And now, after more than a decade of pushing for safer health and beauty products in the U.S., environmental health advocates are claiming a major victory. The struggle began in 2002 when advocates created the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics with a goal of getting cosmetics companies to phase out the use of chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation or reproductive harm. The group employed many advocacy strategies to reach industry executives, including letters and demonstrations at company headquarters. These tactics successfully convinced some companies to sign or support a compact formed to capitalize on a 2003 action by the European Union that banned the use of harmful chemicals in personal care products (many companies selling such products in the United States would have to reformulate them for the European market anyway). Still, the largest companies refused to sign. Then, in September 2004, the campaign decided to shine a spotlight on the industry’s foot-dragging by engaging the media strategically. Advocates took out a full-page ad in the New York edition of USA Today on the day a major industry conference was being held there. The advocates knew the hotel where the conference attendees would be staying and that every cosmetics executive would get a copy of USA Today delivered to her or his door. Asking, “Which cosmetics company do you trust with your daughter?”, the provocative ad featuring a young girl playing with makeup called for leading companies to support the compact. While more than 400 cosmetics companies have since signed on or endorsed the compact, industry leaders including Revlon, Procter & Gamble and Unilever withheld their support. Then, less than a month ago, a New York Times article reported a good-news update to this story. The story was about Johnson & Johnson announcing plans to remove a host of potentially harmful chemicals from its products by the end of 2015, becoming the first major consumer products company to make such a widespread commitment. Lisa Archer, the current director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, was quoted as saying her group would continue to press other cosmetics and consumer goods companies to follow Johnson & Johnson. So hang in there, health advocates. Making real change takes time. --- ## McDonald’s will list calories on menus and add healthier Happy Meal options URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-will-list-calories-on-menus-and-add-healthier-happy-meal-options/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-12 Words: 37 > Starting next week, the company will list calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide. They also announced menu "innovation" tests for 2013, including more produce sides and grilled chicken... Starting next week, the company will list calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide. They also announced menu “innovation” tests for 2013, including more produce sides and grilled chicken options for Happy Meals. --- ## Jennifer Lopez acquires minority stake in TV network targeting English-speaking Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jennifer-lopez-acquires-minority-stake-in-tv-network-targeting-english-speaking-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-12 Words: 61 > The network, Nuvo TV, currently reaches 30 million households. According to the article, "Media companies continue to see growing potential in Latin American and Hispanic audiences." The article mentions that,... The network, Nuvo TV, currently reaches 30 million households. According to the article, “Media companies continue to see growing potential in Latin American and Hispanic audiences.” The article mentions that, in the past few months, News Corp. launched a new Spanish-language channel, and Univision and Disney are planning to launch an English-language cable channel targeted at Latinos. --- ## Yoplait Lids for Life (a partner of the Komen Foundation) encourages early breast cancer detection among Latinas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yoplait-lids-for-life-a-partner-of-the-komen-foundation-encourages-early-breast-cancer-detection-among-latinas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-12 Words: 36 > Adamari Lopez, an actress and breast cancer survivor, will travel to eight U.S. cities with large Latino populations. Through media interviews and appearances at supermarkets, she will promote General Mills'... Adamari Lopez, an actress and breast cancer survivor, will travel to eight U.S. cities with large Latino populations. Through media interviews and appearances at supermarkets, she will promote General Mills’ Lids for Life program. --- ## The fast food and soft drink industries are ‘soda pushers for continued profits’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-fast-food-and-soft-drink-industries-are-soda-pushers-for-continued-profits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-12 Words: 66 > Michele Simon highlights the involvement of fast food chains in beverage industry pushback against regulation. For example, many fast food restaurants are involved in the industry front group "New Yorkers... Michele Simon highlights the involvement of fast food chains in beverage industry pushback against regulation. For example, many fast food restaurants are involved in the industry front group “New Yorkers for Beverage Choices,” which was a strong opponent of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s soda ban. Simon emphasizes the extent to which the fast food industry stands to lose from soda regulation. --- ## Taco Bell CSR college-readiness campaign looks like a marketing focus group URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-csr-college-readiness-campaign-looks-like-a-marketing-focus-group/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-11 Words: 56 > The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens calls the campaign "Graduate to Go." It includes a "Camp Taco Bell" business leadership program that selects at-risk youth to develop and market menu... The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens calls the campaign “Graduate to Go.” It includes a “Camp Taco Bell” business leadership program that selects at-risk youth to develop and market menu items. The CEO says its purpose is to serve teens because “they are our customers, employees, and family members.” --- ## Oreo social and digital campaign seeks to drive interaction and conversation with fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-social-and-digital-campaign-seeks-to-drive-interaction-and-conversation-with-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-10 Words: 61 > The "Daily Twist" is part of Oreo's 100-year anniversary marketing efforts. The campaign consists of cookie designs made daily, in real time, based on "what's trending and what's right for... The “Daily Twist” is part of Oreo’s 100-year anniversary marketing efforts. The campaign consists of cookie designs made daily, in real time, based on “what’s trending and what’s right for Oreo.” The campaign’s goal is to “drive the most interactions and valuable conversations with Oreo fans.” --- ## Alcohol makers use ‘booze pouches’ to appeal to young drinkers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/alcohol-makers-use-booze-pouches-to-appeal-to-young-drinkers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-10 Words: 46 > Pouches are becoming a popular vessel for food products from baby food to soup to booze. Some marketers are now using them to package pre-mixed cocktails. The marketing director for... Pouches are becoming a popular vessel for food products from baby food to soup to booze. Some marketers are now using them to package pre-mixed cocktails. The marketing director for Arbor Mist said “the pouches helped the brand to win over younger consumers.” --- ## Oscar Mayer publicity stunt features ‘Bartering with Bacon’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oscar-mayer-publicity-stunt-features-bartering-with-bacon/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-10 Words: 69 > The Kraft Foods brand is sending comedian/actor Josh Sankey across the U.S. with 3,000 pounds of Butcher Thick Cut bacon in lieu of cash or credit cards. The idea is... The Kraft Foods brand is sending comedian/actor Josh Sankey across the U.S. with 3,000 pounds of Butcher Thick Cut bacon in lieu of cash or credit cards. The idea is he’ll have to use it to barter for food, lodging and the like. The company sees it as a way to “engage consumers not just through social media, but person-to-person.” --- ## PopCap game maker partners with the ADA to urge less candy at Halloween URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/popcap-game-maker-partners-with-the-ada-to-urge-less-candy-at-halloween/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-10 Words: 45 > The campaign is called "Stop Zombie Mouth," a reference to PopCap's popular "Plants vs. Zombies" game and, of course, the dental damage caused by excessive refined sugar. Parents can download... The campaign is called “Stop Zombie Mouth,” a reference to PopCap’s popular “Plants vs. Zombies” game and, of course, the dental damage caused by excessive refined sugar. Parents can download the materials with the help of an ADA dentist. --- ## Coke’s latest product-based marketing: flavor drops URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cokes-latest-product-based-marketing-flavor-drops/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-08 Words: 21 > In addition to "enhanced waters," Coke is now offering flavor drops, which the consumer adds to water (preferably Dasani). In addition to “enhanced waters,” Coke is now offering flavor drops, which the consumer adds to water (preferably Dasani). --- ## Snickers unveils NFL logo cross-promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snickers-unveils-nfl-logo-cross-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-07 Words: 22 > Snickers wants you to "get into football mode" by buying a pack of limited edition mini candies featuring NFL logos. Snickers wants you to “get into football mode” by buying a pack of limited edition mini candies featuring NFL logos. --- ## Starbucks delves deeply into local culture to target Chinese consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/starbucks-delves-deeply-into-local-culture-to-target-chinese-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-07 Words: 25 > Having saturated big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, Starbucks is focusing on smaller ones by building stores and offerings that take advantage of local culture. Having saturated big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, Starbucks is focusing on smaller ones by building stores and offerings that take advantage of local culture. --- ## Diet Coke reintroduces cropped logo and other promotions as part of ‘Fashion Week’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diet-coke-reintroduces-cropped-logo-and-other-promotions-as-part-of-fashion-week/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-06 Words: 32 > Coke is trying to frame the brand as the one of choice for trendsetters, the fashion-conscious, and those who fancy themselves "extraordinary." The promotions all revolve around those themes. Coke is trying to frame the brand as the one of choice for trendsetters, the fashion-conscious, and those who fancy themselves “extraordinary.” The promotions all revolve around those themes. --- ## Food and alcohol companies dominate Super Bowl ad buys URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-alcohol-companies-dominate-super-bowl-ad-buys/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-06 Words: 30 > Super Bowl ad slots are already 90% sold out. Three of the biggest repeat advertisers are PepsiCo, Frito Lay, and Anheuser-Busch. Coke is also in, minus the polar bears. Super Bowl ad slots are already 90% sold out. Three of the biggest repeat advertisers are PepsiCo, Frito Lay, and Anheuser-Busch. Coke is also in, minus the polar bears. --- ## Mobile coupons are a key sales tactic for the cereal industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mobile-coupons-are-a-key-sales-tactic-for-the-cereal-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-06 Words: 26 > Ready-to-eat cereal topped the list of mobile-coupon purchases. Yogurt, fruit juice, and sweet snacks made it in the "top ten" list. Ready-to-eat cereal topped the list of mobile-coupon purchases. Yogurt, fruit juice, and sweet snacks made it in the “top ten” list. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts expands ‘better-for-you’ menu in effort to belie name URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-expands-better-for-you-menu-in-effort-to-belie-name/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-05 Words: 32 > Like others in the food industry, the donut purveyor wants to position itself as health conscious with the addition of token, so-called "better-for-you" items on its menu. Like others in the food industry, the donut purveyor wants to position itself as health conscious with the addition of token, so-called “better-for-you” items on its menu. --- ## Coke sets a Facebook record and sees sales in ‘likes’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-sets-a-facebook-record-and-sees-sales-in-likes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-05 Words: 59 > Coke is the first corporation to rack up 50 million "likes" on Facebook. A Coke executive called social media a way to engage fans "in a quest to find ways... Coke is the first corporation to rack up 50 million “likes” on Facebook. A Coke executive called social media a way to engage fans “in a quest to find ways to make the world a happier place.” More to the point, he asserted that Facebook was “probably a leading indicator of potential sales.” --- ## Teens in San Rafael support city council ‘alcopop free zone’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/teens-in-san-rafael-support-city-council-alcopop-free-zone-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-05 Words: 34 > The campaign is urging retailers to end sales of flavored malt and other brightly packaged, sweet alcoholic beverages that appeal to youth. Campaign proponents, including teens, frame the issue in... The campaign is urging retailers to end sales of flavored malt and other brightly packaged, sweet alcoholic beverages that appeal to youth. Campaign proponents, including teens, frame the issue in terms of youth health. --- ## Declining milk sales prompts industry to consider new marketing tactics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/declining-milk-sales-prompts-industry-to-consider-new-marketing-tactics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-05 Words: 30 > A dairy industry executive suggested "two big opportunities" for increasing milk consumption: Get milk into schools in user-friendly containers, and market chocolate milk as a sports drink. A dairy industry executive suggested “two big opportunities” for increasing milk consumption: Get milk into schools in user-friendly containers, and market chocolate milk as a sports drink. --- ## Nestle tries again to move into ‘medical foods’ market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-tries-again-to-move-into-medical-foods-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-05 Words: 49 > While continuing to sell Kit Kats, Hot Pockets and Haagen Daz -- foods associated with diabetes and obesity -- Nestle would like to also sell foods treating those conditions. Past... While continuing to sell Kit Kats, Hot Pockets and Haagen Daz — foods associated with diabetes and obesity — Nestle would like to also sell foods treating those conditions. Past attempts to market medical foods have foundered, but Nestle is trying again, hoping to benefit from worldwide obesity concerns. --- ## PepsiCo adds products to NFL marketing deal to appeal to moms and kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-adds-products-to-nfl-marketing-deal-to-appeal-to-moms-and-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-04 Words: 47 > The 10-year deal will add Tropicana and Quaker Oats to the usual suspects: Pepsi, Gatorade and Frito Lay. An executive called it "a great opportunity to bring in other PepsiCo... The 10-year deal will add Tropicana and Quaker Oats to the usual suspects: Pepsi, Gatorade and Frito Lay. An executive called it “a great opportunity to bring in other PepsiCo brands, because moms and kids are engaging with NFL more and more every year.” --- ## Coke capitalizes on ‘growth opportunities’ in African markets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-capitalizes-on-growth-opportunities-in-african-markets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-04 Words: 42 > Coke is portraying its expansion as being supportive of sustainable communities. A Coke executive clarifies the company's real interest in sustainability: "We know that we will not have a sustainable... Coke is portraying its expansion as being supportive of sustainable communities. A Coke executive clarifies the company’s real interest in sustainability: “We know that we will not have a sustainable business without building healthy and economically vibrant communities.” --- ## Regulations do change eating behavior URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/regulations-do-change-eating-behavior/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-09-02 Words: 26 > Marion Nestle summarizes a variety of regulatory approaches that cities have implemented to improve public health. She explains how they work and why they are justified. Marion Nestle summarizes a variety of regulatory approaches that cities have implemented to improve public health. She explains how they work and why they are justified. --- ## Like Coke, Cadbury reports ‘huge uplift’ from Olympics sponsorship URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/like-coke-cadbury-reports-huge-uplift-from-olympics-sponsorship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-31 Words: 54 > The Kraft-owned company used and expanded its digital media following during the Games. It reports adding 2.5 million new fans and followers to its official social media channels. A Cadbury... The Kraft-owned company used and expanded its digital media following during the Games. It reports adding 2.5 million new fans and followers to its official social media channels. A Cadbury executive said the company was in a “good rhythm of where we use organic and where we use paid [advertising].” --- ## PepsiCo tests out new diet formulas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-tests-out-new-diet-formulas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-31 Words: 51 > PepsiCo is considering replacing its U.S.-based Diet Pepsi formula with one similar to those used in some international markets. The goal is to have a Diet Pepsi formula that is... PepsiCo is considering replacing its U.S.-based Diet Pepsi formula with one similar to those used in some international markets. The goal is to have a Diet Pepsi formula that is closer to what the drink tastes like as soon as it is made. [Subscription required to view full article]. --- ## Taco Bell adds soda concoction and other junk food to breakfast menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-adds-soda-concoction-and-other-junk-food-to-breakfast-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-31 Words: 56 > The chain is expanding its repertoire of empty-calorie items with the addition of "Mtn Dew A.M." -- a combination of Mountain Dew and Tropicana Orange Juice that consumers are encouraged... The chain is expanding its repertoire of empty-calorie items with the addition of “Mtn Dew A.M.” — a combination of Mountain Dew and Tropicana Orange Juice that consumers are encouraged to have with breakfast. According to this article, a large (20-oz.) A.M. has 68 grams of sugar, or 17 teaspoons. --- ## PepsiCo plans to launch a ‘breakfast soda’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-plans-to-launch-a-breakfast-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-31 Words: 42 > In conjunction with Taco Bell announcing the addition of Mtn Dew A.M. -- a Tropicana orange juice and Mountain Dew blend -- to its breakfast menu, PepsiCo said it would... In conjunction with Taco Bell announcing the addition of Mtn Dew A.M. — a Tropicana orange juice and Mountain Dew blend — to its breakfast menu, PepsiCo said it would introduce Mountain Dew Kickstart, a similar juice and soda mix. --- ## Coca-Cola touts grant award to diabetes association as part of CSR campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-touts-grant-award-to-diabetes-association-as-part-of-csr-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-30 Words: 33 > Coke gave $100,000 to the American Diabetes Association for diabetes awareness and prevention initiatives. Of course, that amount is a drop compared to what it spends on lobbying efforts against... Coke gave $100,000 to the American Diabetes Association for diabetes awareness and prevention initiatives. Of course, that amount is a drop compared to what it spends on lobbying efforts against SSB regulation. --- ## Coke gets 61% ‘spontaneous awareness’ bump in China from Olympics sponsorship URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-gets-61-spontaneous-awareness-bump-in-china-from-olympics-sponsorship/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-29 Words: 41 > Coke's spending on digital ads and its "Beat of China" campaign translated into Chinese consumers reporting a greater awareness of the brand. Fifty-eight percent of consumers claimed the brand's marketing... Coke’s spending on digital ads and its “Beat of China” campaign translated into Chinese consumers reporting a greater awareness of the brand. Fifty-eight percent of consumers claimed the brand’s marketing increased their purchase intent. --- ## UK Children’s Food Campaign holds Nestle accountable for advertising practices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-childrens-food-campaign-holds-nestle-accountable-for-advertising-practices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-29 Words: 30 > The campaign recently won a challenge criticizing British confectioner Swizzels Matlow for violating child advertising rules. They're now going after Nestle for making misleading claims about recommended portions. The campaign recently won a challenge criticizing British confectioner Swizzels Matlow for violating child advertising rules. They’re now going after Nestle for making misleading claims about recommended portions. --- ## Miller Lite targets Latino youth in Texas through higher education CSR campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/miller-lite-targets-latino-youth-in-texas-through-higher-education-csr-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-29 Words: 49 > Miller Lite is "partnering" with Adelante, a non-profit it helped found in 1993, to provide scholarships and "educational parental workshops" for Latinos in Texas seeking higher education. A portion of... Miller Lite is “partnering” with Adelante, a non-profit it helped found in 1993, to provide scholarships and “educational parental workshops” for Latinos in Texas seeking higher education. A portion of the proceeds from “select cans” of Miller Lite will fund the program. --- ## Oreos uses ‘exotic’ flavors to target international audiences URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreos-uses-exotic-flavors-to-target-international-audiences/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-29 Words: 18 > This article explains how "the original cream-filled chocolate cookie is tweaked for the local market." This article explains how “the original cream-filled chocolate cookie is tweaked for the local market.” --- ## This stuff has got to stop! URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/this-stuff-has-got-to-stop/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-28 Words: 40 > Some milk jugs now have huge labels depicting an Oreo splashing into a glass of milk, encouraging the consumption of sweets. Kraft is printing labels in Spanish for placement in... Some milk jugs now have huge labels depicting an Oreo splashing into a glass of milk, encouraging the consumption of sweets. Kraft is printing labels in Spanish for placement in predominantly Latino neighborhoods, like the one mentioned in this blog. --- ## Marketers already planning Christmas season target marketing to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-already-planning-christmas-season-target-marketing-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-28 Words: 33 > The article references the importance of Catholic traditions and the holidays as "devoted family times." It also mentions that Latinos are twice as likely to research a purchase on a... The article references the importance of Catholic traditions and the holidays as “devoted family times.” It also mentions that Latinos are twice as likely to research a purchase on a smartphone. --- ## In New Zealand, Coke offers personalization by putting your name on the bottle URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-new-zealand-coke-offers-personalization-by-putting-your-name-on-the-bottle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-27 Words: 67 > Coke bottles will feature 150 of the most common New Zealand first names. The campaign intends to tap into social connections: "We want people to have fun finding the names... Coke bottles will feature 150 of the most common New Zealand first names. The campaign intends to tap into social connections: “We want people to have fun finding the names of friends and family they want to catch-up with, those they’ve lost touch with, or even someone they’ve yet to connect with, so they can enjoy sharing a COKE together.” --- ## Coca-Cola’s Honest Tea ‘tests honesty’ and broadcasts it using social media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-honest-tea-tests-honesty-and-broadcasts-it-using-social-media/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-27 Words: 49 > In a gimmick to attract visibility, Honest Tea created unmanned kiosks prompting passersby to "Take a bottle. Leave a Dollar." Hidden cameras rolled and Honest Tea broadcast footage and posted... In a gimmick to attract visibility, Honest Tea created unmanned kiosks prompting passersby to “Take a bottle. Leave a Dollar.” Hidden cameras rolled and Honest Tea broadcast footage and posted it and related content on their social media sites. Other companies are taking note of the tactic. --- ## Beef industry targets children with back-to-school promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beef-industry-targets-children-with-back-to-school-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-27 Words: 45 > The beef checkoff (producer-funded marketing and research group) is running a campaign and sweepstakes that attempts to frame beef as an important part of childhood growth and development. Promotional materials... The beef checkoff (producer-funded marketing and research group) is running a campaign and sweepstakes that attempts to frame beef as an important part of childhood growth and development. Promotional materials include “kid-friendly recipes” and back-to-school themed displays in stores. --- ## Slim Jim uses Facebook for crowdsourcing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/slim-jim-uses-facebook-for-crowdsourcing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-27 Words: 56 > The ConAgra brand is serious about Facebook advertising. They are "deploying social and brand teams and their tools to map out the [social media] strategic plan and 'sweat the nuts... The ConAgra brand is serious about Facebook advertising. They are “deploying social and brand teams and their tools to map out the [social media] strategic plan and ‘sweat the nuts and bolts’ of tactics.” Via social media, they use crowdsourcing to create products and campaigns that they then use to target consumers. --- ## Fast-food industry dominates social media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-industry-dominates-social-media/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-23 Words: 38 > The analysis looked at "social media chatter" by companies in the first half of 2012. Quick service (fast food) restaurants ranked first, sports drinks were fourth, carbonated beverages (i.e. sodas)... The analysis looked at “social media chatter” by companies in the first half of 2012. Quick service (fast food) restaurants ranked first, sports drinks were fourth, carbonated beverages (i.e. sodas) seventh, and chips ninth overall. --- ## Market research: One-fifth of all U.S. eating occasions are snacks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/market-research-one-fifth-of-all-u-s-eating-occasions-are-snacks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-23 Words: 42 > At-home morning snacking has shown the greatest growth of any eating occasion over the last decade. The researchers argue that "food manufacturers and retailers will need to align their business... At-home morning snacking has shown the greatest growth of any eating occasion over the last decade. The researchers argue that “food manufacturers and retailers will need to align their business strategies to capitalize on consumers’ penchant for snacking.” --- ## FDA proposes study of consumer attitudes toward fortified snack foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fda-proposes-study-of-consumer-attitudes-toward-fortified-snack-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-23 Words: 40 > Nestle argues that if it is conducted, the study could illustrate the big impact of food products' health claims. For example, do consumers think Froot Loops are good for you... Nestle argues that if it is conducted, the study could illustrate the big impact of food products’ health claims. For example, do consumers think Froot Loops are good for you because they’ve been blasted with vitamin C? --- ## Elmo inspires kids to eat apples URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/elmo-inspires-kids-to-eat-apples/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-23 Words: 29 > In a study by Cornell researchers, kids could choose between cookies and apples after lunch. When the apples had Elmo stickers on them, kids took nearly twice as many. In a study by Cornell researchers, kids could choose between cookies and apples after lunch. When the apples had Elmo stickers on them, kids took nearly twice as many. --- ## Marketing research: Advertisers target Latinos using mobile campaigns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-research-advertisers-target-latinos-using-mobile-campaigns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-23 Words: 43 > According to a recent survey, Latinos are more likely to connect online through mobile devices and are more likely to purchase from a mobile device. They are also about twice... According to a recent survey, Latinos are more likely to connect online through mobile devices and are more likely to purchase from a mobile device. They are also about twice as likely to view online ads as a valuable way to research purchases. --- ## Burger King targets families with advergame that requires purchase to play URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-targets-families-with-advergame-that-requires-purchase-to-play/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-22 Words: 59 > The in-store game is based on the TV game show "Family Feud." With a purchase, customers are given a scratch-off card and have a chance to win prizes (collectively valued... The in-store game is based on the TV game show “Family Feud.” With a purchase, customers are given a scratch-off card and have a chance to win prizes (collectively valued at $225 million) if they select the right answer. A BK promoter calls it a way for “consumers to experience their favorite brands.” --- ## Campbell’s trying to reach out to younger buyers with product, packaging tactics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbells-trying-to-reach-out-to-younger-buyers-with-product-packaging-tactics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-22 Words: 36 > Campbell's is trying to become "more convenient, more ethnic, more hip." The company is releasing nearly 50 new products, designed to target "millennials" between the ages of 25 and 35. Campbell’s is trying to become “more convenient, more ethnic, more hip.” The company is releasing nearly 50 new products, designed to target “millennials” between the ages of 25 and 35. --- ## Targeting the youth market on Facebook: Build brand loyalty, not direct sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/targeting-the-youth-market-on-facebook-build-brand-loyalty-not-direct-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-22 Words: 32 > This article profiles campaigns by Coke Zero and Pringles to build brand loyalty using Facebook. It shows that young people are not, however, interested in purchasing products directly through the... This article profiles campaigns by Coke Zero and Pringles to build brand loyalty using Facebook. It shows that young people are not, however, interested in purchasing products directly through the social network. --- ## Websites accused of collecting data on children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/websites-accused-of-collecting-data-on-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-22 Words: 45 > A coalition of children's advocacy, health and public interest groups (including BMSG) filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, asserting that some online marketing to children by McDonald's and four... A coalition of children’s advocacy, health and public interest groups (including BMSG) filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, asserting that some online marketing to children by McDonald’s and four other companies violates a federal law protecting children’s privacy. --- ## Facebook unveils new target marketing tool URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/facebook-unveils-new-target-marketing-tool/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-22 Words: 30 > Marketers will now be able to target Facebook posts based on language, location, education, age, and other characteristics. The tool is billed as "a boon for small businesses." Marketers will now be able to target Facebook posts based on language, location, education, age, and other characteristics. The tool is billed as “a boon for small businesses.” --- ## New study shows alcohol advertisers use magazines to target youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-study-shows-alcohol-advertisers-use-magazines-to-target-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-22 Words: 34 > The study found that violations of the alcohol industry's advertising standards were most common in magazines with the youngest audiences. The authors conclude that industry self-regulated codes are "failing." The study found that violations of the alcohol industry’s advertising standards were most common in magazines with the youngest audiences. The authors conclude that industry self-regulated codes are “failing.” --- ## Breakfast cereal companies target markets in Asia, South America, in bid for global dominance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/breakfast-cereal-companies-target-markets-in-asia-south-america-in-bid-for-global-dominance/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-20 Words: 35 > Consumers worldwide are "eating more like Americans" and foregoing traditional, sit-down breakfasts. Companies are attempting to accelerate this trend with campaigns in developing countries and products designed to target the... Consumers worldwide are “eating more like Americans” and foregoing traditional, sit-down breakfasts. Companies are attempting to accelerate this trend with campaigns in developing countries and products designed to target the local market. --- ## Canadian McDonald’s social media marketing popular in the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/canadian-mcdonalds-social-media-marketing-popular-in-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-20 Words: 53 > Canada's campaign released a series of videos answering consumer questions about the food, resulting in millions of video views. Because of the "borderless" nature of social media, most of the... Canada’s campaign released a series of videos answering consumer questions about the food, resulting in millions of video views. Because of the “borderless” nature of social media, most of the views are from the U.S., and Canada is not even in the top three on the locations list. --- ## Coca-Cola gearing up for big push behind Fuze to control more of tea market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-gearing-up-for-big-push-behind-fuze-to-control-more-of-tea-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-20 Words: 33 > As the soda industry increasingly tries to move away from relying solely on carbonated soft drinks (soda), Coca-Cola is preparing to market Fuze, a tea and juice company it acquired... As the soda industry increasingly tries to move away from relying solely on carbonated soft drinks (soda), Coca-Cola is preparing to market Fuze, a tea and juice company it acquired in 2007. --- ## Industry considering color coding to make health appeals to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-considering-color-coding-to-make-health-appeals-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-20 Words: 34 > After a recent study at Massachusetts General Hospital found that nutritional color coding increased purchasing of healthier items for all racial groups, food marketers are looking to use those findings... After a recent study at Massachusetts General Hospital found that nutritional color coding increased purchasing of healthier items for all racial groups, food marketers are looking to use those findings to market to Latinos. --- ## Sesame Street and Disney characters double the appeal of fruit to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sesame-street-and-disney-characters-double-the-appeal-of-fruit-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-20 Words: 58 > Researchers asked if branding could make healthy foods as desirable as junk food. They found that children were twice as likely to choose and eat a piece of fruit if... Researchers asked if branding could make healthy foods as desirable as junk food. They found that children were twice as likely to choose and eat a piece of fruit if it included a sticker from a familiar TV show or Disney film. Adding a sticker had little impact on selection of cookies. (Subscription required to view full content.) --- ## What is PepsiCo buying with donations to communities of color? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-is-pepsico-buying-with-donations-to-communities-of-color/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 890 > When I heard recently that the National Association of Hispanic Journalists had accepted $100,000 from PepsiCo, with half of the money going toward scholarships and internships for journalism students, I... When I heard recently that the National Association of Hispanic Journalists had accepted $100,000 from PepsiCo, with half of the money going toward scholarships and internships for journalism students, I was taken back to 1988 to a smoke-filled hotel conference room in Washington D.C. I had just been elected to NAHJ’s board of directors, and we were debating whether or not to accept a sizeable contribution from tobacco giant Philip Morris. “I don’t have any problems with Philip Morris,” I remember a fellow board member saying after she took a deep drag from her cigarette, clearly ignoring the irony. I said something about it not being a good idea while puffing on a Benson & Hedges Deluxe Ultra Light Menthol 100. Several of us were smoking while we discussed the subject. Like tobacco use, rising consumption of sugary drinks has become a major public health concern. Studies show that soda, sports drinks and other high-calorie beverages are major contributors to obesity and related illnesses including diabetes and heart disease (research shows diet drinks aren’t all that good for you either). And like the tobacco industry, soft drink companies target young people and communities of color — groups that suffer the highest rates of obesity-related diseases. I don’t know whether anyone on the NAHJ board or staff pointed out the parallels between the generous Philip Morris and PepsiCo gifts. Or whether there was even any debate about accepting the money. These are tough times, especially for the journalism industry. Yet, just like taking money from tobacco, accepting funding from the soda industry can put organizations like NAHJ on a slippery slope, with the potential to risk their values, integrity and public trust. There are other parallels between tobacco and soda, as highlighted in a June 19 report by Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Public Health Advocacy Institute, “Soda and Tobacco Industry Corporate Social Responsibility Campaigns: How Do They Compare?” “Because sugary beverages are implicated in the national as well as global obesity crisis, soda manufacturers have recently employed elaborate, expensive, multinational corporate social responsibility campaigns [that] echo the tobacco industry’s use of such campaigns as way to focus responsibility on consumers rather than on the corporations,” the study noted. These campaigns also seek to bolster the popularity of soda companies and their products and prevent regulation (meanwhile employing tobacco industry tactics in aggressively fighting policy proposals such as soda taxes and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial measure to limit sugary drink portion sizes). In a press release, PepsiCo announced that the NAHJ contribution was part of La Promesa [The Promise] of PepsiCo, a corporate social responsibility campaign “that focuses specifically on Latino empowerment and the issues that matter most to Hispanics including Latino education, employment opportunities, promoting active lifestyles, and investing in science to develop healthier products.” As part of its “Promesa,” PepsiCo also made significant contributions to other national Latino organizations including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and historic civil rights groups League of United Latin American Citizens and National Council of La Raza. One only has to watch the latest TV commercial by the American Beverage Association, which represents PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, to see that they are doing everything they can to convince the public — and their shareholders — of their corporate social responsibility. Titled “We’re Delivering,” the ad touts the beverage industry’s role in addressing the nation’s obesity crisis (without really saying so): “For our families, our neighbors and our communities, America’s beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices, developing smaller portion sizes, and more low and no-calorie beverages. Adding clearer calorie labels so you know exactly what you’re choosing. And in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower calorie options.” The problem is that despite the fact that beverage companies in the U.S. spent nearly a half billion dollars in 2006 to market directly to children ages 2-17, and each year, youth are exposed to hundreds of TV and digital ads, the beverage industry aggressively rejects claims that its products and marketing practices play any role in the obesity epidemic. The beverage industry says it’s about consumers making poor choices and not increasing their level of physical activity yet ignores the context in which those decisions are made. It is disingenuous and deceptive to deny the contribution sugary drinks make to the obesity epidemic. It fails to recognize the collaboration it will take between industry, government and consumers to solve the obesity crisis. Meanwhile, the question remains: Should influential organizations representing the media, elected officials and civil rights advocates receive financ... --- ## BK uses price to target consumers with $0.50 soft-serve promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bk-uses-price-to-target-consumers-with-0-50-soft-serve-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-18 Words: 24 > The promotion lasts for two weeks. Burger King launched its new dessert menu last year, and soft serve has become a "staple." The promotion lasts for two weeks. Burger King launched its new dessert menu last year, and soft serve has become a “staple.” --- ## McDonald’s CSR campaign focuses on Latino college students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-csr-campaign-focuses-on-latino-college-students/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-17 Words: 27 > McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities recognized the first group of college graduates to be recipients of its HACER national scholarship program for Hispanic students. McDonald’s and Ronald McDonald House Charities recognized the first group of college graduates to be recipients of its HACER national scholarship program for Hispanic students. --- ## Domino’s vies for Latino consumers through TV network partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-vies-for-latino-consumers-through-tv-network-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-16 Words: 58 > The pizza chain is partnering with the reality TV show "Quiero mi Boda" on the TR3S TV network. The show claims to "serve as an important vehicle for brands seeking... The pizza chain is partnering with the reality TV show “Quiero mi Boda” on the TR3S TV network. The show claims to “serve as an important vehicle for brands seeking to reach bilingual/bicultural Latinos.” The show will feature a couple participating in a Domino’s “Build Your Own Pizza” event. --- ## Virginia grocery chain works with city to up availability of healthy foods at checkout URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/virginia-grocery-chain-works-with-city-to-up-availability-of-healthy-foods-at-checkout/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-16 Words: 44 > Martin's Food Markets is working with the Richmond, Va. Health District to put healthier foods near checkouts. Judging from the picture in the article, that means some fresh produce, but... Martin’s Food Markets is working with the Richmond, Va. Health District to put healthier foods near checkouts. Judging from the picture in the article, that means some fresh produce, but also better-for-you foods, which can be of questionable nutritional value. --- ## Another voice decries the Olympics and junk-food sponsor combination URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/another-voice-decries-the-olympics-and-junk-food-sponsor-combination/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-16 Words: 33 > The author summarizes the problem particularly well, calling out junk-food sponsors for profiting from global problems like obesity and then "spend[ing] token money on some aspect of the solution." The author summarizes the problem particularly well, calling out junk-food sponsors for profiting from global problems like obesity and then “spend[ing] token money on some aspect of the solution.” --- ## Market research: African-Americans more ‘attached’ to a range of brands URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/market-research-african-americans-more-attached-to-a-range-of-brands/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-15 Words: 55 > A consumer panel was surveyed about 350 brands, and for 73% of the brands, African-Americans registered a higher "emotional attachment" to the brand than Caucasians. The article argues that emotional... A consumer panel was surveyed about 350 brands, and for 73% of the brands, African-Americans registered a higher “emotional attachment” to the brand than Caucasians. The article argues that emotional attachment to a brand is significant because it is associated with increased spending, ad-message receptivity, media engagement, and word of mouth. --- ## Beverage companies listen in on consumers’ social media conversations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-companies-listen-in-on-consumers-social-media-conversations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-15 Words: 23 > Sixty-one percent of U.S. companies listen to consumer conversations on social media. This article tells how Tampico Beverages does just that. Sixty-one percent of U.S. companies listen to consumer conversations on social media. This article tells how Tampico Beverages does just that. --- ## Pepsi makes football and music stars the lure in ‘Anthems’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-makes-football-and-music-stars-the-lure-in-anthems-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-15 Words: 42 > Part of Pepsi's "Live for Now" campaign, "Anthems" is a partnership with the NFL and several mainstream music stars. It uses purchase incentives, point-of-sale promotions, downloadable songs and in-stadium activations... Part of Pepsi’s “Live for Now” campaign, “Anthems” is a partnership with the NFL and several mainstream music stars. It uses purchase incentives, point-of-sale promotions, downloadable songs and in-stadium activations to lure consumers. --- ## Ads try to ‘talk like human beings’ to target moms and kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ads-try-to-talk-like-human-beings-to-target-moms-and-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-15 Words: 58 > A variety of food advertisers play on the it's-tough-being-a-kid theme to target kids and their parents. For example, in a Ragu commercial, a mom uses spit to clean a mark... A variety of food advertisers play on the it’s-tough-being-a-kid theme to target kids and their parents. For example, in a Ragu commercial, a mom uses spit to clean a mark from her son’s face. Admittedly unappetizing, Ragu says, “Humor and lightheartedness really grabs [consumers] and brings them in.” --- ## Sprite’s ‘Stand Out’ campaign plays on young people’s desire for self-actualization URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sprites-stand-out-campaign-plays-on-young-peoples-desire-for-self-actualization/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-14 Words: 39 > The campaign has been successful by industry standards. A YouTube video for it has 50,000 hits and, post-campaign, Sprite's popularity among 18-34 year-olds rose significantly relative to other brands in... The campaign has been successful by industry standards. A YouTube video for it has 50,000 hits and, post-campaign, Sprite’s popularity among 18-34 year-olds rose significantly relative to other brands in the soda sector. --- ## Food industry commentator advises companies ‘cash in on health’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-commentator-advises-companies-cash-in-on-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-14 Words: 40 > Writer Caroline Scott-Thomas cites a report by Merrill Lynch suggesting that companies selling healthy foods are "ripe for investment." She argues how and why the food industry can co-opt concerns... Writer Caroline Scott-Thomas cites a report by Merrill Lynch suggesting that companies selling healthy foods are “ripe for investment.” She argues how and why the food industry can co-opt concerns about obesity while making a profit. --- ## OREO targets the ‘inner kid’ with digital advertising based on pop culture URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-targets-the-inner-kid-with-digital-advertising-based-on-pop-culture/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-13 Words: 50 > The campaign creates a new digital ad every day based on pop culture news and other "latest happenings." (The OREO pride cookie was part of this campaign). As part of... The campaign creates a new digital ad every day based on pop culture news and other “latest happenings.” (The OREO pride cookie was part of this campaign). As part of the effort, the company solicits consumer engagement through various online prompts to submit photos, stories and the like. --- ## Think pizza should list calories? Sign on URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/think-pizza-should-list-calories-sign-on/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-13 Words: 48 > Following up on her earlier post about how "pizza chains want easier (or no) menu labeling," Marion Nestle gives information about a bill introduced under lobbying pressure by the supermarket... Following up on her earlier post about how “pizza chains want easier (or no) menu labeling,” Marion Nestle gives information about a bill introduced under lobbying pressure by the supermarket and pizza industries to get around calorie listings. She gives a link for contacting congressional representatives. --- ## ABA references Olympics to put responsibility on individuals to be healthy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/aba-references-olympics-to-put-responsibility-on-individuals-to-be-healthy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-13 Words: 52 > The American Beverage Assn. linked Olympians' athleticism and the average Joe's physical fitness with proper hydration in the form of bottled water, juice and sports drinks. The ABA also focuses... The American Beverage Assn. linked Olympians’ athleticism and the average Joe’s physical fitness with proper hydration in the form of bottled water, juice and sports drinks. The ABA also focuses on individual behaviors — like daily exercise and “healthful lifestyles” — as a way of staying healthy. --- ## New Mountain Dew gimmick: larger portion in a can that changes color when chilled URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-mountain-dew-gimmick-larger-portion-in-a-can-that-changes-color-when-chilled/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-13 Words: 41 > Mountain Dew is selling a limited-edition 16-oz. can (versus the regular 12-oz.) made with color-changing ink. The company calls the ink a "structural innovation" and hopes it will "elevate the... Mountain Dew is selling a limited-edition 16-oz. can (versus the regular 12-oz.) made with color-changing ink. The company calls the ink a “structural innovation” and hopes it will “elevate the consumer interaction potential.” --- ## Kids pick more nutritious Happy Meal when no toy is offered with less healthy meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kids-pick-more-nutritious-happy-meal-when-no-toy-is-offered-with-less-healthy-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 54 > Canadian researchers found that kids were likely to choose a more nutritious Happy Meal when a toy was offered with it and not the less healthy one. They suggested that... Canadian researchers found that kids were likely to choose a more nutritious Happy Meal when a toy was offered with it and not the less healthy one. They suggested that McDonald’s withhold toys from the less healthy meal. McDonald’s said it “has no plans to change [Happy Meals].” --- ## Dr. Pepper tries to affiliate soda with college sports to increase sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-tries-to-affiliate-soda-with-college-sports-to-increase-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 54 > Dr. Pepper will be the official soft drink of the next two Pac-12 title games. This is in addition to its sponsorship of two other major college football games. In... Dr. Pepper will be the official soft drink of the next two Pac-12 title games. This is in addition to its sponsorship of two other major college football games. In doing this, the brand hopes to attract “new consumers in key western markets” and to “drive excitement with shoppers.” --- ## Shooting ourselves in the foot: How the way we talk about food issues puts public health advocates at a disadvantage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/shooting-ourselves-in-the-foot-how-the-way-we-talk-about-food-issues-puts-public-health-advocates-at-a-disadvantage/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 645 > So many debates about food get fanned in front of the public as being an issue of "government regulation" vs. "personal choice." It happened a few months ago in a... So many debates about food get fanned in front of the public as being an issue of “government regulation” vs. “personal choice.” It happened a few months ago in a debate called “Is obesity the government’s business?” It happened just days ago in a Colorado Health Symposium called “Food Fight!” And it has happened countless times in between. Both sides make predictable arguments. Those against regulation say it’s really consumers who drive corporate decisions and, therefore, need to be more responsible; and those for regulation explain why that’s nonsense. People’s willpower, as Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, will tell you, has not declined in the past few decades. Human nature hasn’t changed; but our surroundings — increasingly saturated with cheap, unhealthy foods — have. Sometimes people’s minds are changed after these dialogues. Sometimes they aren’t. And yet, regardless of which side wins a particular debate or how powerful any individual argument (like Wootan’s) is, public health advocates are left at a disadvantage. That’s because each time advocates engage in these debates, they risk inadvertently reinforcing their opposition’s arguments. This happens for two reasons: First, the starting point for these debates — the notion that people must decide between retaining or giving up personal choice — is a false one. Regulation and choice are not mutually exclusive. Choice happens with or without regulation. When it comes to creating policies that improve public health, such policies don’t threaten choice; they simply influence the context for it. The question, then, becomes: What do we want that context to look like? Do we want our surroundings to work against us — to be laden with salty, sugary, fatty foods that make it harder for us and our loved ones to be healthy? Or do we want our surroundings to work in our favor? And who do we want to be in charge of that context? The government, which has a duty to protect the safety, health and well-being of its people? Or major corporations, whose fiduciary responsibilities to increase profits dictate that they promote products that harm health instead of those that protect it? Second, food issues are often framed in ways that, intentionally or not, pit the government against individuals and leave out the real culprit: industry. This happens any time we hear the common phrase, “government regulation.” The term is a misnomer (after all, it’s food industry regulation that’s at issue here), and using it distracts people from thinking about the very thing that’s in need of scrutiny. Priming people with this language cues up their existing ideas about government, which are often highly polarizing and can be negative even among those who agree that food industry practices are harmful to health and need to be reigned in. Language matters. The people who control the terms of a debate often control the outcome of that debate. They influence not only how people view an issue but also how they act on it. With regard to food, that debate plays out in universities and newsrooms and even living rooms every day. And food and beverage companies are doing their best to dominate the conversation. They use the red herring of “choice” to scare people into siding against their own best interests. So when public health advocates find themselves responding to questions about regulation or choice, they should reject the frames they’re handed and create new ones instead. They can reframe the debate to expose the food industry’s role in making people sick and point to solutions for compelling it clean up its act. --- ## Dum Dums uses common tactic to engage consumers: Let them vote on Facebook URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dum-dums-uses-common-tactic-to-engage-consumers-let-them-vote-on-facebook/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 55 > The lollipop brand offered fans the illusion of having a "voice" by running a Facebook campaign that let consumers vote for the next new flavors. PepsiCo's Frito Lay recently ran... The lollipop brand offered fans the illusion of having a “voice” by running a Facebook campaign that let consumers vote for the next new flavors. PepsiCo’s Frito Lay recently ran a similar campaign in which they offered a $1 million prize for the best idea for a new potato-chip flavor. --- ## Miller Lite enlists feedback for next Latino-targeted campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/miller-lite-enlists-feedback-for-next-latino-targeted-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 62 > The company is the U.S. "beer sponsor" of the Mexican soccer team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, widely known as Chivas. Consumers will be asked to choose one design from eight pieces... The company is the U.S. “beer sponsor” of the Mexican soccer team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, widely known as Chivas. Consumers will be asked to choose one design from eight pieces of fan-created artwork that “displays the camaraderie and passion associated with Chivas.” The brand also developed a Facebook app where people can vote for the artwork. --- ## Nestle USA launches a campaign aimed at Latino families and their schools URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-usa-launches-a-campaign-aimed-at-latino-families-and-their-schools/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 52 > To recruit Latino consumers, Nestle is running "The Best Nest," a back-to-school program with product giveaways and contests. Nestle is trying to frame itself as an advocate for Latino culture... To recruit Latino consumers, Nestle is running “The Best Nest,” a back-to-school program with product giveaways and contests. Nestle is trying to frame itself as an advocate for Latino culture by offering parent resources to “promote bilingual learning and help children stay connected with their cultures.” --- ## Campbell vies for Millennials’ money with higher-priced, ‘adventurous’ soups URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbell-vies-for-millennials-money-with-higher-priced-adventurous-soups/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 48 > Worried that young people don't buy enough soup, Campbell will introduce Go! Soup with "exotic" ingredients like curry. Go! is 3 times more expensive than the traditional soup line, but... Worried that young people don’t buy enough soup, Campbell will introduce Go! Soup with “exotic” ingredients like curry. Go! is 3 times more expensive than the traditional soup line, but a Campbell VP is confident that consumers will “understand the value proposition.” --- ## Why PepsiCo is fighting GMO labeling in California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-pepsico-is-fighting-gmo-labeling-in-california/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 51 > Pepsi is a top contributor among food makers to the campaign against GMO labeling. Public health lawyer Michele Simon argues that Pepsi, whose products rely heavily on GM corn, is... Pepsi is a top contributor among food makers to the campaign against GMO labeling. Public health lawyer Michele Simon argues that Pepsi, whose products rely heavily on GM corn, is only interested in safeguarding a “continued cheap supply of ingredients for its highly-processed, unhealthy beverages and junk food.” --- ## Marketers gain new ‘big data’ analytics tools to target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-gain-new-big-data-analytics-tools-to-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 48 > The analytics and modeling provider is the first to target Latinos specifically. In the past, marketers targeting Latinos "have relied on demographic information and broad cultural themes," leading them to... The analytics and modeling provider is the first to target Latinos specifically. In the past, marketers targeting Latinos “have relied on demographic information and broad cultural themes,” leading them to develop generalized campaigns. The new analytics tools offer a “deeper understanding of consumer behaviors.” --- ## Jose Cuervo brand tequila targets Latinos by funding Latin culture and arts in CSR campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jose-cuervo-brand-tequila-targets-latinos-by-funding-latin-culture-and-arts-in-csr-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 77 > Artists can win $15,000 for creating a mural painting that is "inspired by their passion for Latin culture and the Jose Cuervo Tradicional bottle." The company plans to donate an... Artists can win $15,000 for creating a mural painting that is “inspired by their passion for Latin culture and the Jose Cuervo Tradicional bottle.” The company plans to donate an additional $15,000 to a Latino arts and cultural organization on behalf of the winner. Jose Cuervo is partnering with The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), which will help the company “engage artists, Latino communities and non-profit organizations.” --- ## Rudd Center releases video to accompany Cereal FACTS 2012 report URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rudd-center-releases-video-to-accompany-cereal-facts-2012-report/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 46 > In Reach shows how cereal companies target children with prime advertising space. The report, published earlier, found that cereal companies had improved the nutrition of most cereals marketed directly to... In Reach shows how cereal companies target children with prime advertising space. The report, published earlier, found that cereal companies had improved the nutrition of most cereals marketed directly to kids, but that they had increased advertising to kids for many of their least nutritious products. --- ## Mobile devices are of growing importance to food marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mobile-devices-are-of-growing-importance-to-food-marketers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-06 Words: 30 > Consumers have switched almost a quarter of their media consumption to mobile devices. This article endorses using mobile games as a marketing tool for brands targeting teens or young adults. Consumers have switched almost a quarter of their media consumption to mobile devices. This article endorses using mobile games as a marketing tool for brands targeting teens or young adults. --- ## Coke engages in another CSR campaign to cultivate brand loyalty among youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-engages-in-another-csr-campaign-to-cultivate-brand-loyalty-among-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-06 Words: 50 > Coke is acting concerned about asthmatic kids by donating to football star Jerome Bettis' foundation. An executive touched on how the partnership helped their bottom line: "We are proud to... Coke is acting concerned about asthmatic kids by donating to football star Jerome Bettis’ foundation. An executive touched on how the partnership helped their bottom line: “We are proud to support [this] work. … We are always looking for innovative ways to inspire happiness and provide refreshment.” --- ## Milk industry creates incentive for schools to serve milk at breakfast URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/milk-industry-creates-incentive-for-schools-to-serve-milk-at-breakfast/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-06 Words: 49 > The milk industry in California is taking advantage of school budget shortfalls and legitimate concerns that students eat breakfast on school days. As part of the "GOT MILK? H.S. Breakfast... The milk industry in California is taking advantage of school budget shortfalls and legitimate concerns that students eat breakfast on school days. As part of the “GOT MILK? H.S. Breakfast Challenge,” the school district with the highest milk consumption at breakfast gets $3K from the industry. --- ## At school, sales of soda drop, but other sugary drinks remain URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/at-school-sales-of-soda-drop-but-other-sugary-drinks-remain/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-06 Words: 57 > A new study finds that 25% of U.S. high school students had access to soda at school in 2010-11, versus 54% in 2006-07 -- a decline attributed to federal and... A new study finds that 25% of U.S. high school students had access to soda at school in 2010-11, versus 54% in 2006-07 — a decline attributed to federal and local mandates. However, it notes that 84% of high school students in 2010-11 still had access to sugary sports drinks on school grounds. --- ## Kraft brand Lunchables entices kids with a torrent of toys URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-brand-lunchables-entices-kids-with-a-torrent-of-toys/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-05 Words: 54 > Kraft's most expensive campaign to date, "Never Be Bored Again," includes prize giveaways valued at over $1 million to kids ages 6 to 13. Ninety-one percent of the 41 Lunchables... Kraft’s most expensive campaign to date, “Never Be Bored Again,” includes prize giveaways valued at over $1 million to kids ages 6 to 13. Ninety-one percent of the 41 Lunchables varieties fail to meet CFBAI nutritional guidelines — a fact that Lunchables marketing director tries to divert attention from. --- ## PepsiCo Foundation targets Latinos, gives $50K to association of Hispanic journalists URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-foundation-targets-latinos-gives-50k-to-association-of-hispanic-journalists/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-03 Words: 53 > The donation is part of the "La Promesa de PepsiCo" initiative to "help build stronger Latino communities" -- translation: help Pepsi market their products to Latino communities. Ironically, the fund... The donation is part of the “La Promesa de PepsiCo” initiative to “help build stronger Latino communities” — translation: help Pepsi market their products to Latino communities. Ironically, the fund will help aspiring Latino journalists gain experience covering topics important to Latino communities “like education and health.” --- ## Kellogg’s seeks to cash in on Gabby Douglas as African-American Olympic champion gymnast URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-seeks-to-cash-in-on-gabby-douglas-as-african-american-olympic-champion-gymnast/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-03 Words: 92 > Corn Flakes swooped in to nab Gabby Douglas as a cover person for its cereal boxes shortly after she won gold medals in the summer Olympics. She is the first... Corn Flakes swooped in to nab Gabby Douglas as a cover person for its cereal boxes shortly after she won gold medals in the summer Olympics. She is the first African-American since 1996 to make the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. As yet, marketers have not commented on if/how Douglas will help them appeal to African-American consumers. One media consultant has noted: “[Douglas] brings so many intangibles that marketers look for. She’s young. She’s fresh. She’s a new face.” --- ## Big Food and Beverage marketing at the Olympics: Canadian health coalition sponsors a photo contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-and-beverage-marketing-at-the-olympics-canadian-health-coalition-sponsors-a-photo-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-02 Words: 23 > A Canadian health policy coalition is sponsoring a social media photo contest that critically explores Big Food and Beverage marketing at athletic events. A Canadian health policy coalition is sponsoring a social media photo contest that critically explores Big Food and Beverage marketing at athletic events. --- ## Nestle introduces reduced-sugar juices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-introduces-reduced-sugar-juices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-02 Words: 36 > Nestle launched the new products in response to parental concerns about kids' sugar intake. Their consumer research found that two-thirds of mothers are seeking lower-sugar beverages, and that 58% dilute... Nestle launched the new products in response to parental concerns about kids’ sugar intake. Their consumer research found that two-thirds of mothers are seeking lower-sugar beverages, and that 58% dilute beverages at home. --- ## Food chains strategize about how to capture kids’ ‘lifelong loyalty’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-chains-strategize-about-how-to-capture-kids-lifelong-loyalty/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-08-01 Words: 54 > A food industry marketing consultant suggests ways that "chains can upgrade the quick-serve experience to secure kids' lifelong loyalty." The take-home piece of advice is that chains must create an... A food industry marketing consultant suggests ways that “chains can upgrade the quick-serve experience to secure kids’ lifelong loyalty.” The take-home piece of advice is that chains must create an environment that “keep[s] a customer past the point where dollars and time are at a premium.” --- ## Grocer trade association endorses House bill that would create menu nutrition labeling loophole URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/grocer-trade-association-endorses-house-bill-that-would-create-menu-nutrition-labeling-loophole/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-30 Words: 19 > The bill, endorsed by the National Grocers Association, would exclude grocery stores from new federal menu nutrition labeling requirements. The bill, endorsed by the National Grocers Association, would exclude grocery stores from new federal menu nutrition labeling requirements. --- ## Food companies using social media to conduct consumer research URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-companies-using-social-media-to-conduct-consumer-research/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-30 Words: 35 > Companies are using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare to gain information about consumer characteristics and preferences. Social media attracts younger customers, a demographic not typically well represented in... Companies are using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare to gain information about consumer characteristics and preferences. Social media attracts younger customers, a demographic not typically well represented in focus groups or consumer panels. --- ## Pizza chains want easier (or no) menu labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-chains-want-easier-or-no-menu-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-30 Words: 31 > Pizza companies have been campaigning to fight the new menu nutrition labeling requirements. Marion Nestle argues that pizza is a big source of calories, and that consumers should know that... Pizza companies have been campaigning to fight the new menu nutrition labeling requirements. Marion Nestle argues that pizza is a big source of calories, and that consumers should know that information. --- ## What’s really behind the soda industry’s ‘choice’ rhetoric URL: https://www.bmsg.org/whats-really-behind-the-soda-industrys-choice-rhetoric/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 377 > Last week, following New York City's public hearing on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to cap soda sizes at 16 ounces, industry reps and other critics pushed back hard, saying the... Last week, following New York City’s public hearing on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to cap soda sizes at 16 ounces, industry reps and other critics pushed back hard, saying the ban on large portions “restricts choice.” The trouble is, those critics don’t explain whose choice is really being restricted. And that’s because the answer is soda companies’. Soda companies have long enjoyed extensive freedom over what products they create, market and sell, regardless of the social cost of their choices. In the 1950s, they chose to bottle their sugary beverages in 6.5-ounce containers, touting them as an occasional treat. Today, soda companies choose to inflate portions to 20 ounces and beyond, pushing sales of these oversized drinks by making sure they are cheap and always within arms’ reach. Soda companies choose to continually expand their product lines, creating sugar-infused teas and sugary sports drinks; they’ve even added sugar and calories to water, in spite of research that links sugar-laden beverages to chronic health problems like diabetes and heart disease. They choose to market these unhealthy products disproportionately to low-income communities, communities of color, and youth. And now, in the face of growing public criticism, soda companies are choosing to borrow marketing tactics from the tobacco industry to improve their image and avoid government regulation. So when soda industry spokespeople and executives argue that Bloomberg’s proposal restricts choice, they need to be specific. It restricts industry’s choice. It forces soda companies to be accountable to the public, rather than freely allowed to exploit the public. And it puts the public’s health ahead of profits, taking a little power away from major corporations and putting it back in the hands of ordinary people. The public’s response to Bloomberg’s proposal suggests this shift in power is exactly what people want. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, of the 38,000 written comments the department received regarding the proposal, 32,000 were in support. Looks like people are seeing soda companies’ “choice” rhetoric for what it really is: a thinly veiled scare tactic. --- ## Video: Overcoming challenges and constructing effective responses to sugary drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-overcoming-challenges-and-constructing-effective-responses-to-sugary-drinks/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 53 > At the 2012 National Soda Summit, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman speaks about soda industry marketing as part of a panel on sugary drinks. Dorfman discusses common opposition arguments to policy... At the 2012 National Soda Summit, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman speaks about soda industry marketing as part of a panel on sugary drinks. Dorfman discusses common opposition arguments to policy interventions, lessons from research on public opinion, and framing insights from tobacco control. Watch the full panel presentation by clicking the image below. --- ## Sprite targets teens with ‘intense’ flavor enhancement URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sprite-targets-teens-with-intense-flavor-enhancement/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-27 Words: 26 > Sprite's marketing director says, "Sprite has a very specific teen target." The new ads associate Sprite with "unique, intense excitement." Sprite’s marketing director says, “Sprite has a very specific teen target.” The new ads associate Sprite with “unique, intense excitement.” --- ## McDonald’s reputation on Twitter plummets over Olympics sponsorship controversy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-reputation-on-twitter-plummets-over-olympics-sponsorship-controversy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-27 Words: 61 > The mayor of London called criticism of the chain "bourgeois snobbery" and said McDonalds' food was "absolutely bursting with nutrients." His comments sparked significant negative responses on Twitter. Advocates are... The mayor of London called criticism of the chain “bourgeois snobbery” and said McDonalds’ food was “absolutely bursting with nutrients.” His comments sparked significant negative responses on Twitter. Advocates are using the opportunity to keep their message — that it’s hypocritical for purveyors of junk food to sponsor the Olympics — in the news. --- ## Auntie Anne’s Pretzels preps mobile ads in conjunction with Coca-Cola URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/auntie-annes-pretzels-preps-mobile-ads-in-conjunction-with-coca-cola/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-26 Words: 29 > The campaign will offer customers a mobile deal to be redeemed at checkout. The companies will be able to measure and track each consumer purchase associated with the deals. The campaign will offer customers a mobile deal to be redeemed at checkout. The companies will be able to measure and track each consumer purchase associated with the deals. --- ## Soda companies racing for zero-cal products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-companies-racing-for-zero-cal-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-26 Words: 47 > Soda companies are looking for products with no calories, no artificial sweeteners (which are seen as processed and fake), and no aftertaste. The soda industry is facing growing recognition that... Soda companies are looking for products with no calories, no artificial sweeteners (which are seen as processed and fake), and no aftertaste. The soda industry is facing growing recognition that their products contribute to obesity, and competition from a wide variety of sports drinks and flavored waters. --- ## Big Box retailers target only remaining market: urban areas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-box-retailers-target-only-remaining-market-urban-areas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-26 Words: 49 > Retailers have little room to expand in the suburbs, and many cities are growing faster than suburban areas. Walmart initially encountered resistance to opening stores in urban areas, and is... Retailers have little room to expand in the suburbs, and many cities are growing faster than suburban areas. Walmart initially encountered resistance to opening stores in urban areas, and is now using “diplomacy”: agreeing that stores be built with union labor, donating to cities and community groups. --- ## NYC retailer targets men with ‘man aisle’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nyc-retailer-targets-men-with-man-aisle/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-26 Words: 49 > The store owners decided to create the aisle after reading a study that found that almost a third of men are shopping for their families, up from 14 percent in... The store owners decided to create the aisle after reading a study that found that almost a third of men are shopping for their families, up from 14 percent in the 1980s. “Man aisle” items include alcohol, toiletries, and packaged foods: “beer, barbecue sauce, chips.” --- ## Vitaminwater pushes sugary drink posing as health product to worldwide audience at the Olympics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/vitaminwater-pushes-sugary-drink-posing-as-health-product-to-worldwide-audience-at-the-olympics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-25 Words: 45 > The company is trying to increase sales overseas; only a fifth of its sales currently come from outside the U.S. Vitaminwater used a similar strategy at the Vancouver games in... The company is trying to increase sales overseas; only a fifth of its sales currently come from outside the U.S. Vitaminwater used a similar strategy at the Vancouver games in 2010, and now Canada is its 2nd most successful market, after the U.S. --- ## News coverage of the Sandusky case: Lessons for advocates URL: https://www.bmsg.org/news-coverage-of-the-sandusky-case-lessons-for-advocates/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 621 > The following is a modified reposting of a blog written for the Community Commons website, an interactive resource for leaders from communities, philanthropy, and government agencies, as well as private,... The following is a modified reposting of a blog written for the Community Commons website, an interactive resource for leaders from communities, philanthropy, and government agencies, as well as private, academic and civic organizations working together on policy, systems and environmental changes for healthier, more equitable communities. BMSG was asked to moderate the Media and Marketing group. Check it out at communitycommons.org. One of the fundamental challenges for health advocates is to reframe public debate in ways that focus on the policies and institutions that shape the circumstances affecting people’s health. This is especially important given the news media’s tendency to frame stories as portraits, focusing on individual people and events rather than on the landscapes that surround them. One exception to the rule has emerged with the continuing coverage of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State. Although initial reports held a range of actors including Penn State and Sandusky accountable, recent media reports have begun focusing more intensely on institutional accountability. For example, a July 19 Bloomberg News article, “Penn State evaluating school’s culture after child sex coverup,” is the latest in a series of reports that have looked at environmental factors that contributed to the problems of child sexual abuse at Penn State. In the Bloomberg report, Penn State University Board Chairwoman Karen Peetz said a special task force was “evaluating the fundamental culture” of the school after an investigation found university officials covered up the child sexual abuse involving the school’s former assistant football coach. Similar headlines abound. “Freeh report illustrates institutional blindness,” writes Tom Barth for the Wilmington Star-News, referring to the scathing report from former FBI chief Louis Freeh that says top officials hushed up the abuse allegations against Sandusky more than a decade ago for fear of bad publicity. While this strengthens the institutional accountability frame, it is too focused on what punitive measures should be taken against Penn State University and its football program rather than how broader social conditions, such as the pervasive taboo and stigma surrounding child sexual abuse, contribute to what happened at Penn State. Or more importantly, how similar incidents can be prevented. Also, current coverage provides an institutional frame because it is driven by the recent release of the Freeh report which highlights institutional accountability, so naturally the focus of media coverage is going to be about the report’s findings rather than a true analysis of institutional missteps and opportunities for prevention. Still, this horrific tragedy and its ensuing coverage serve as a reminder for advocates that we can help improve news coverage and include calls for environmental or institutional solutions to public health problems. Berkeley Media Studies Group has made several recommendations to help child abuse prevention advocates take steps in this direction; however, these tips apply to any advocacy group seeking to reframe public debates so that institutional accountability and other environmental factors are present in news media reports. Release statements to the public and to the media quickly. If prevention advocates want to contribute to breaking news so that the environmental frame that supports policy solutions is more visible, they will need to respond faster and let reporters know what sorts of information and insights they can bring to bear on a story. Develop relationships with journalists. Reporters will be more likely to seek out prevention advocates as sources for breaking news if they know who they are. Consider using specific language when discussing child sexual abuse and other sensitive public health concerns. The more specific advocates are, the more able they will be to help reduce confusion and possible misinterpretation of their issue. --- ## Media oversimplify coverage of Aurora shooting URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-oversimplify-coverage-of-aurora-shooting/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 506 > In the wake of last week's shooting in Aurora, Colo., the news media have been filled with journalists, elected officials, and others bemoaning the rampage as "senseless" and "evil." On... In the wake of last week’s shooting in Aurora, Colo., the news media have been filled with journalists, elected officials, and others bemoaning the rampage as “senseless” and “evil.” On its face, this most recent rampage killing does seem senseless — until you bring mental illness into the picture. When people with severe, untreated mental illness are in the grip of paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and psychosis, they can be capable of doing any number of irrational and unreasonable things that are harmful to themselves or others. The likelihood that James Holmes may very well be suffering from severe mental illness, and have lost control of his rational mind, makes the shooting look less like an “evil,” “diabolical” act, and a lot more like an incredibly sad tragedy born of an inadequate mental health safety net and easy access to deadly weapons. When media coverage of these types of rampage killings focuses on the evil and depraved nature of the perpetrator, it precludes meaningful discussion about what can be done to prevent them from happening. Media coverage of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s comments is a case in point. Hickenlooper called James Holmes “warped,” “twisted,” a “creature,” and portrayed the shooting as essentially inevitable: Such a “diabolical” person would have found a way to kill people even if weapons were harder to access. As BMSG discovered in past research on coverage of gun violence, this focus on the perpetrator is a common way that opponents of gun control argue against new gun policies. In addition to minimizing the importance of gun control policies in preventing gun violence, this simplistic framing of the issue also ignores the essential role of mental health services. When people with severe mental illness are adequately treated, there is no evidence that they are any more violent than the general population. However, the mental health safety net in the United States is increasingly frayed and dysfunctional, incapable of preventing the types of tragedies that happened in Colorado. It may make a good story to create a super-villain out of a deeply sick and disturbed young man, but villains and superheroes belong in movies, and the preventable causes of this rampage killing are all too real. We have a dismantled and crumbling mental health service system that consistently fails the mentally ill, their families, and the communities they live in. We have easy access to deadly assault weapons, vigorously defended by the companies that sell them. Add together an inadequate mental health safety net and assault rifles at every sporting goods store, and the tragedy of one family — a son’s descent into severe mental illness — becomes the tragedy of many families. It happened at Virginia Tech; it happened in Tuscon; it happened in Aurora; and calling it evil, saying that it is outside the bounds of human understanding, does nothing to open up a discussion of how to keep it from happening again. --- ## Pepsi targets Latinos with new flavors, tagline, soccer stars URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-targets-latinos-with-new-flavors-tagline-soccer-stars/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 43 > Pepsi is rolling out ads featuring Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, and limited-time offerings of its Pepsi Next product (a mid-calorie drink). A Pepsi marketing director says, "In the carbonated... Pepsi is rolling out ads featuring Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, and limited-time offerings of its Pepsi Next product (a mid-calorie drink). A Pepsi marketing director says, “In the carbonated category, exponentially, growth is going to come from Latinos.” --- ## Snickers to give 1,000 ice cream bars for best tweets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snickers-to-give-1000-ice-cream-bars-for-best-tweets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 21 > Snickers is seeking to draw on customers' creativity and spark user-generated content and social media buzz with the campaign. Snickers is seeking to draw on customers’ creativity and spark user-generated content and social media buzz with the campaign. --- ## McDonald’s initiative pays lip service to healthy eating URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-initiative-pays-lip-service-to-healthy-eating/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 56 > "Favorites Under 400 Calories," which provides nutrition info at the point of sale, is part of McDonald's Olympics marketing efforts. The list includes single items like Filet-o-Fish, fries, and apple... “Favorites Under 400 Calories,” which provides nutrition info at the point of sale, is part of McDonald’s Olympics marketing efforts. The list includes single items like Filet-o-Fish, fries, and apple pie. Since the chain also encourages combo meals and super-sizing, the calorie count of a meal is much higher. --- ## Kraft margeting kids’ foods to adults URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-margeting-kids-foods-to-adults/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 44 > Kraft is tweaking and reformulating traditional "kid foods" to appeal to adult palates. This strategy capitalizes on adults' nostalgia. An industry analyst explains that "there are more adults in this... Kraft is tweaking and reformulating traditional “kid foods” to appeal to adult palates. This strategy capitalizes on adults’ nostalgia. An industry analyst explains that “there are more adults in this country than children. You go where the numbers are.” --- ## What would Batman eat? Cartoon characters and kids’ food choices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-would-batman-eat-cartoon-characters-and-kids-food-choices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 61 > A new study finds that kids make healthier choices when asked what popular cartoon characters would eat. Connecting food choices with cartoon characters had a stronger effect than asking kids... A new study finds that kids make healthier choices when asked what popular cartoon characters would eat. Connecting food choices with cartoon characters had a stronger effect than asking kids which foods were healthy, suggesting that kids’ food choices are affected more by their emotional associations with food, rather than their level of knowledge about whether a food is healthy. --- ## Target remodeling 30 stores to add fresh-food items URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/target-remodeling-30-stores-to-add-fresh-food-items/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 31 > The 30 stores are spread out nationwide. More than 1,000 Target stores currently feature expanded food offerings, with approximately 10,000 sq ft. devoted to fresh foods in each store. The 30 stores are spread out nationwide. More than 1,000 Target stores currently feature expanded food offerings, with approximately 10,000 sq ft. devoted to fresh foods in each store. --- ## Got Milk’s ‘Arranca Con Energia’ campaign promotes milk to Latino families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/got-milks-arranca-con-energia-campaign-promotes-milk-to-latino-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 22 > The campaign is partnering with local YMCA affiliates, sponsoring the cost of summer camp for Latino families, and donating milk and cereal. The campaign is partnering with local YMCA affiliates, sponsoring the cost of summer camp for Latino families, and donating milk and cereal. --- ## Companies must do more to guarantee children’s nutrition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/companies-must-do-more-to-guarantee-childrens-nutrition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 73 > Leon Kaye of The Guardian argues that children have the right to safe and nutritious food. He notes that the nutrition programs of most large food companies are more about... Leon Kaye of The Guardian argues that children have the right to safe and nutritious food. He notes that the nutrition programs of most large food companies are more about public relations than offering more nutritious choices for children. However, Kaye concludes that rather than regulate food marketing to children, “bureaucrats” should partner with industry, missing the fact that voluntary self-regulation, thus far, has not produced healthier products for kids. --- ## CSPI targets DreamWorks for Madagascar 3 character tie-ins with junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cspi-targets-dreamworks-for-madagascar-3-character-tie-ins-with-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 59 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest called DreamWorks to task for tie-ins with packaged food companies like Snyder's-Lance, which have no nutritional standards for products marketed to children.... The Center for Science in the Public Interest called DreamWorks to task for tie-ins with packaged food companies like Snyder’s-Lance, which have no nutritional standards for products marketed to children. CSPI urged DreamWorks to join the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, a self-regulation program designed to encourage healthier eating among kids. --- ## Commentator ignores justice when considering Chick-Fil-A COO’s anti-gay stance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/commentator-ignores-justice-when-considering-chick-fil-a-coos-anti-gay-stance/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2018-01-19 Words: 55 > This article by Karl Greenberg quotes industry voices reflecting on the admission by Chick-Fil-A COO Dan Cathy that he is "guilty as charged" on his anti-gay stance. Greenberg theorizes about... This article by Karl Greenberg quotes industry voices reflecting on the admission by Chick-Fil-A COO Dan Cathy that he is “guilty as charged” on his anti-gay stance. Greenberg theorizes about the effects — good and bad — on sales, but doesn’t consider that the discriminatory stance is unjust. --- ## Frito Lay: The days of traditional mass marketing are over URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-the-days-of-traditional-mass-marketing-are-over/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-20 Words: 35 > A Frito Lay marketing executive says that the days of traditional mass marketing are over, and that customers want "brand experiences" across many platforms, including pop-up stores, social media, and... A Frito Lay marketing executive says that the days of traditional mass marketing are over, and that customers want “brand experiences” across many platforms, including pop-up stores, social media, and mobile devices. --- ## Hy-Vee supermarket to target Latinos with “healthy eating” education initiative URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hy-vee-supermarket-to-target-latinos-with-healthy-eating-education-initiative/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-19 Words: 49 > Hy-Vee will present at the Annual Hispanic Retail Summit, a gathering "for retailers and marketers who want to learn how to tap into the $1 trillion Hispanic market and grow... Hy-Vee will present at the Annual Hispanic Retail Summit, a gathering “for retailers and marketers who want to learn how to tap into the $1 trillion Hispanic market and grow their business.” Clearly, they want consumers to be healthy only insofar as it’s profitable. --- ## Stop & Shop supermarket places onus for good health on kids and families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/stop-shop-supermarket-places-onus-for-good-health-on-kids-and-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-19 Words: 50 > The chain sponsored a Healthy Kids Summit "designed to educate parents, caregivers, and children on nutrition and exercise." Participation by senior staff from the YMCA and the Boston Public Health... The chain sponsored a Healthy Kids Summit “designed to educate parents, caregivers, and children on nutrition and exercise.” Participation by senior staff from the YMCA and the Boston Public Health Commission helped validate an event that omitted a focus on the social and environmental causes of poor diets. --- ## News coverage of child sexual abuse and prevention, 2007-2009 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/news-coverage-of-child-sexual-abuse-and-prevention-2007-2009/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 49 > Citation Pamela Mejia, Andrew Cheyne & Lori Dorfman (2012): News Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse and Prevention, 2007‰ÛÒ2009, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21:4, 470-487 Purchase a copy at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10538712.2012.692465.... Citation Pamela Mejia, Andrew Cheyne & Lori Dorfman (2012): News Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse and Prevention, 2007‰ÛÒ2009, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21:4, 470-487 Purchase a copy at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10538712.2012.692465. Or contact us for a copy. --- ## PepsiCo continues to target Latinos by sponsoring Latino civil rights groups URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-continues-to-target-latinos-by-sponsoring-latino-civil-rights-groups/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-18 Words: 64 > A series of photos documents PepsiCo's sponsorship of major events hosted by two prominent Latino civil rights and advocacy groups, The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the League... A series of photos documents PepsiCo’s sponsorship of major events hosted by two prominent Latino civil rights and advocacy groups, The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The company is exploiting the well established reputation and deep community roots of LULAC and NCLR to position itself as a supporter of the Latino community. --- ## General Mills pushes chewy fiber bars to parents using social media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-pushes-chewy-fiber-bars-to-parents-using-social-media/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-18 Words: 47 > The company is trying to reach moms through a partnership with the website Hungry Girl, using Pinterest and Facebook to advertise its Fiber One Chewy Bars for kids. The bars'... The company is trying to reach moms through a partnership with the website Hungry Girl, using Pinterest and Facebook to advertise its Fiber One Chewy Bars for kids. The bars’ No. 2 ingredient is sugar and No. 5 is corn syrup. Honey also makes the list. --- ## Lay’s crowd-sources by offering $1M prize in Facebook contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lays-crowd-sources-by-offering-1m-prize-in-facebook-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-18 Words: 35 > Lay's is engaging youth (and other social-media-savvy people) through a Facebook create-a-chip-flavor promotion. This is not the first contest of its kind, but it offers the biggest prize. Lay’s is engaging youth (and other social-media-savvy people) through a Facebook create-a-chip-flavor promotion. This is not the first contest of its kind, but it offers the biggest prize. --- ## Beverage industry advised to position juice as a better-for-you drink URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-industry-advised-to-position-juice-as-a-better-for-you-drink/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-18 Words: 47 > A market research firm advised the beverage industry to raise consumption by "positioning juice as a healthy alternative to sports drinks." (The industry is no doubt hoping people will forget... A market research firm advised the beverage industry to raise consumption by “positioning juice as a healthy alternative to sports drinks.” (The industry is no doubt hoping people will forget what pediatric obesity specialist Robert Lustig has said: “juice is just like soda.”) --- ## Nostalgia is one of many tactics companies use to sell food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nostalgia-is-one-of-many-tactics-companies-use-to-sell-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-18 Words: 48 > Some of America's most iconic food brands like Spam and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese have survived 75+ years by appealing to consumers' sense of nostalgia. One reader comments: "I want... Some of America’s most iconic food brands like Spam and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese have survived 75+ years by appealing to consumers’ sense of nostalgia. One reader comments: “I want my children to enjoy what I used to have as a little girl.” --- ## Food industry researches how to more precisely target millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-researches-how-to-more-precisely-target-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-18 Words: 45 > The industry is zeroing in on millennials as the "hot new target demographic." A research group said: "While [marketers] can and should target consumers across multiple segments, millennial shoppers are... The industry is zeroing in on millennials as the “hot new target demographic.” A research group said: “While [marketers] can and should target consumers across multiple segments, millennial shoppers are already willing and active participants in the field of new media.” --- ## Bipartisan Policy Center report advises to improve food environment URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bipartisan-policy-center-report-advises-to-improve-food-environment/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-17 Words: 53 > The report is a plan to improve Americans' health. Nutrition professor and public health advocate Marion Nestle notes that some recommendations are aimed at the food environment and are addressed... The report is a plan to improve Americans’ health. Nutrition professor and public health advocate Marion Nestle notes that some recommendations are aimed at the food environment and are addressed to families, schools, workplaces, communities and farm policy. However, she criticizes the report for not adequately explaining how they could be achieved. --- ## Kraft string cheese partners with Crayola to capture back-to-school sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-string-cheese-partners-with-crayola-to-capture-back-to-school-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-16 Words: 48 > To infiltrate kids' lunch boxes in the coming school year, Kraft and Polly-O string cheese are running a campaign with Crayola using social media and print advertising. The campaign says... To infiltrate kids’ lunch boxes in the coming school year, Kraft and Polly-O string cheese are running a campaign with Crayola using social media and print advertising. The campaign says it’s for moms, but the Crayola-packaged cheese will likely catch youngsters’ attention. --- ## Royal Caribbean cruises wants passengers to drink all the Coke they can URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/royal-caribbean-cruises-wants-passengers-to-drink-all-the-coke-they-can/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-16 Words: 42 > Flouting public health concerns about the connection between sugary beverages and obesity-related health problems, Royal Caribbean has started to introduce specially-designed machines that dispense bottomless cups of Coca-Cola to passengers... Flouting public health concerns about the connection between sugary beverages and obesity-related health problems, Royal Caribbean has started to introduce specially-designed machines that dispense bottomless cups of Coca-Cola to passengers that buy “all-you-can-drink” packages. --- ## Heineken targets Latino men with launch of Mexican beer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/heineken-targets-latino-men-with-launch-of-mexican-beer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-15 Words: 43 > Heineken is launching a Mexican dark beer called Indio in several major U.S. cities. The company plans to target bi-cultural Latino men aged 21-26 using multiple marketing platforms, including digital... Heineken is launching a Mexican dark beer called Indio in several major U.S. cities. The company plans to target bi-cultural Latino men aged 21-26 using multiple marketing platforms, including digital outreach, branded murals, and “The Indio Experience” roadshow. --- ## American Beverage Association sponsors conference on obesity in minorities? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/american-beverage-association-sponsors-conference-on-obesity-in-minorities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-13 Words: 47 > Marion Nestle notes the irony of the soft drink industry sponsoring a conference to address a health issue for which its products are in large part responsible. She includes findings... Marion Nestle notes the irony of the soft drink industry sponsoring a conference to address a health issue for which its products are in large part responsible. She includes findings from the Rudd Center at Yale highlighting how the soda industry markets heavily to people of color. --- ## Restaurants pat ‘selves on the back for voluntary nutrition guideline program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurants-pat-selves-on-the-back-for-voluntary-nutrition-guideline-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-13 Words: 41 > The National Restaurant Association marks the first anniversary of Kids Live Well, an industry-generated set of voluntary nutrition guidelines that food chains must adhere to in order to participate. They... The National Restaurant Association marks the first anniversary of Kids Live Well, an industry-generated set of voluntary nutrition guidelines that food chains must adhere to in order to participate. They claim the initiative increases healthy choices for families dining out. --- ## Frito-Lay targets kids with action figure offers on packaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-targets-kids-with-action-figure-offers-on-packaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-12 Words: 47 > Multi-chip packs feature mail-in offers for Skylander action figures. To head off criticisms from anti child-marketing advocates, Frito-Lay says the campaign is for "fans 13 and older." The campaign is... Multi-chip packs feature mail-in offers for Skylander action figures. To head off criticisms from anti child-marketing advocates, Frito-Lay says the campaign is for “fans 13 and older.” The campaign is an extension of one started with Skylanders game platform this spring. --- ## Coca-Cola uses partnership with Telemundo to target Latinos during the Olympics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-partnership-with-telemundo-to-target-latinos-during-the-olympics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-12 Words: 61 > Coca-Cola has partnered with Telemundo, a leading Spanish-language broadcaster, to develop an integrated marketing campaign that is directly targeted to U.S.-based Latinos and focuses on the upcoming summer Olympics. Coke... Coca-Cola has partnered with Telemundo, a leading Spanish-language broadcaster, to develop an integrated marketing campaign that is directly targeted to U.S.-based Latinos and focuses on the upcoming summer Olympics. Coke is particularly interested in “establish[ing] a deeper relationship with [Latino] consumers” because they drive 40 to 60 percent of the company’s growth. --- ## Child sexual abuse prevention advocates work to keep issue in media spotlight URL: https://www.bmsg.org/child-sexual-abuse-prevention-advocates-work-to-keep-issue-in-media-spotlight/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 201 > Child sexual abuse has largely fallen out of the news cycle since former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse last month. Fortunately,... Child sexual abuse has largely fallen out of the news cycle since former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse last month. Fortunately, children’s advocates are working to remind readers that child sexual abuse doesn’t end when a high-profile trial does. Yesterday the Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) debuted a full-page ad in The New York Times that calls on readers to support the organization’s efforts to hold bishops accountable for covering up past crimes. The coverage of the Sandusky trial helped set the stage for this arresting advertisement. Indeed, BMSG’s previous work on child sexual abuse in the news, supported by the Ms. Foundation for Women, showed that the Sandusky trial helped bring more attention to institutional accountability. I am heartened to see SNAP working to keep the news conversation focused on the failure of the church as an institution to protect children, rather than solely on individual abusers and victims. I hope other advocacy groups will follow suit in future media conversations about other institutions as they develop and implement policies to protect future children from abuse. --- ## To peddle more pizza, Domino’s expands mobile ordering and digital games URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/to-peddle-more-pizza-dominos-expands-mobile-ordering-and-digital-games/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-11 Words: 38 > Making it that much easier to eat processed convenience food, Domino's introduced a mobile ordering app on Amazon. They company is also releasing a mobile update for Pizza Hero, a... Making it that much easier to eat processed convenience food, Domino’s introduced a mobile ordering app on Amazon. They company is also releasing a mobile update for Pizza Hero, a virtual pizza-making “game.” --- ## Junk food marketing preys on-reward sensitive individuals, study finds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/junk-food-marketing-preys-on-reward-sensitive-individuals-study-finds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-11 Words: 28 > The study demonstrates how junk food marketing increases craving in "reward sensitive" individuals, and thereby indirectly draws attention to the role of marketing in unhealthy eating. The study demonstrates how junk food marketing increases craving in “reward sensitive” individuals, and thereby indirectly draws attention to the role of marketing in unhealthy eating. --- ## Taco Bell turns to ‘edible’ QR codes to visually lure potential customers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-turns-to-edible-qr-codes-to-visually-lure-potential-customers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-11 Words: 32 > Many companies now use scannable codes to drive consumers to ads online. Taco Bell is jumping on the QR bandwagon with full-page print ads featuring codes made out of avocado... Many companies now use scannable codes to drive consumers to ads online. Taco Bell is jumping on the QR bandwagon with full-page print ads featuring codes made out of avocado images. --- ## Pizza PatrÌ_n chain goes for Spanish-speaking consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-patri_n-chain-goes-for-spanish-speaking-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-11 Words: 52 > The chain's "Pizza Por Favor" campaign targeted Latinos by offering a free pizza to anyone who ordered in Spanish. The campaign resulted in thousands of give-aways and unprecedented sales for... The chain’s “Pizza Por Favor” campaign targeted Latinos by offering a free pizza to anyone who ordered in Spanish. The campaign resulted in thousands of give-aways and unprecedented sales for the chain. The brand director said the company is “very proud of [its] Latino focus.” --- ## 40 percent of CA school districts don’t offer free drinking water at lunch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/40-percent-of-ca-school-districts-dont-offer-free-drinking-water-at-lunch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-11 Words: 25 > The California Endowment put up a billboard at the Sacramento International Airport promoting water fountains as an alterative to sugar-sweetened beverages, especially in schools. The California Endowment put up a billboard at the Sacramento International Airport promoting water fountains as an alterative to sugar-sweetened beverages, especially in schools. --- ## Food literacy resolution hard to swallow for some CA growers and grocers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-literacy-resolution-hard-to-swallow-for-some-ca-growers-and-grocers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-10 Words: 41 > Big Ag and Grocery set lobbyists to work opposing the resolution that September be Food Literacy Awareness Month in California. They criticize the health and environmental merits of organic produce... Big Ag and Grocery set lobbyists to work opposing the resolution that September be Food Literacy Awareness Month in California. They criticize the health and environmental merits of organic produce and local eating, and they question the existence of food deserts. --- ## Shoppers around the world support stricter marketing regulations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/shoppers-around-the-world-support-stricter-marketing-regulations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-10 Words: 28 > A UK market research company polled thousands of people in 24 markets, finding that many believe banks, insurance providers and food companies should be subjected to stricter regulation. A UK market research company polled thousands of people in 24 markets, finding that many believe banks, insurance providers and food companies should be subjected to stricter regulation. --- ## UK brand ‘Innocent’ collaborates with Disney to sell fruit smoothies to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-brand-innocent-collaborates-with-disney-to-sell-fruit-smoothies-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-10 Words: 32 > Innocent is partnering with Disney's Club Penguin, a virtual world for children, to promote its entire product range. Innocent does not sell whole fruit -- only smoothies, juice and purees. Innocent is partnering with Disney’s Club Penguin, a virtual world for children, to promote its entire product range. Innocent does not sell whole fruit — only smoothies, juice and purees. --- ## Sprite global ‘Camo’ campaign plays on teens’ desire for self-actualization URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sprite-global-camo-campaign-plays-on-teens-desire-for-self-actualization/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 35 > To skirt language barriers, the campaign uses visual metaphors to suggest that teens can be their "true selves" when they drink Sprite. The ad spots will run on TV and... To skirt language barriers, the campaign uses visual metaphors to suggest that teens can be their “true selves” when they drink Sprite. The ad spots will run on TV and social media sites. --- ## Pepsi starts selling (sugary) yogurt to decrease reliance on soda sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-starts-selling-sugary-yogurt-to-decrease-reliance-on-soda-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 48 > As yogurt sales increase in the U.S. and soda becomes the target of policy reform, Pepsi will enter the yogurt market. According to Pepsi, yogurt is part of their "fun... As yogurt sales increase in the U.S. and soda becomes the target of policy reform, Pepsi will enter the yogurt market. According to Pepsi, yogurt is part of their “fun for you, better for you” strategy. Yogurt toppings include caramelized almonds and chocolate crunch balls. --- ## Wonder brand creates ‘Smartwhite for Kids’ nutritionally enhanced bread URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wonder-brand-creates-smartwhite-for-kids-nutritionally-enhanced-bread/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 47 > The company pumped vitamins and other supplements into its white bread and is marketing it to parents as a "smarter choice" for kids. The bread is now featured on "Wonder-izer,"... The company pumped vitamins and other supplements into its white bread and is marketing it to parents as a “smarter choice” for kids. The bread is now featured on “Wonder-izer,” a website that suggests sandwich combinations — using Wonder products, of course. --- ## Pop Tarts tries to strengthen teen customer base with summer campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pop-tarts-tries-to-strengthen-teen-customer-base-with-summer-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 38 > The breakfast pastry brand wants to engage teens through its "Crazy Good Summer" campaign, which features contests, giveaways, and social media activities. Pop Tarts also recruited three bands popular with... The breakfast pastry brand wants to engage teens through its “Crazy Good Summer” campaign, which features contests, giveaways, and social media activities. Pop Tarts also recruited three bands popular with young people to promote the product. --- ## Solving obesity will take comprehensive approaches, not sound bite ‘solutions’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/solving-obesity-will-take-comprehensive-approaches-not-sound-bite-solutions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 44 > The soda industry is trying to stall progress toward meaningful policy change that would create healthier food landscapes for consumers. It's doing so by playing the part of the concerned... The soda industry is trying to stall progress toward meaningful policy change that would create healthier food landscapes for consumers. It’s doing so by playing the part of the concerned corporate citizen, criticizing the NYC soda tax as not being comprehensive enough. --- ## Coca-Cola and McDonald’s use music festival to target African Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-mcdonalds-use-music-festival-to-target-african-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 71 > In early July, Coca-Cola sponsored the Essence Music Festival, an enormous New Orleans-based music festival designed to appeal to African American customers. The lineup included Aretha Franklin, Mary J Blige,... In early July, Coca-Cola sponsored the Essence Music Festival, an enormous New Orleans-based music festival designed to appeal to African American customers. The lineup included Aretha Franklin, Mary J Blige, D’Angelo and other iconic performers. McDonald’s cosponsored the event as a follow-up to the 365Black Awards. Among other promotions, they debuted new menu items at their festival booth and offered targeted giveaways and sweepstakes. --- ## Many hospitals host fast food on premises, struggle to offer alternatives URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/many-hospitals-host-fast-food-on-premises-struggle-to-offer-alternatives/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 49 > Truman Medical Center, Kansas City's main hospital for low-income people, is just one of many hospitals across the nation that houses fast food outlets and cafeterias with nutritionally poor foods.... Truman Medical Center, Kansas City’s main hospital for low-income people, is just one of many hospitals across the nation that houses fast food outlets and cafeterias with nutritionally poor foods. Truman CEO John Bluford points to economic reasons for hosting, and getting rid of, fast food. --- ## In Australia, McDonald’s website breached child advertising rules URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-australia-mcdonalds-website-breached-child-advertising-rules/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-09 Words: 46 > The Ad Standards Bureau upheld the Cancer Council's complaint about McDonald's Happy Meal website, finding that it promoted unhealthy food choices by using online characters and interactive games aimed at... The Ad Standards Bureau upheld the Cancer Council’s complaint about McDonald’s Happy Meal website, finding that it promoted unhealthy food choices by using online characters and interactive games aimed at kids. Encouraged, the Council calls the finding a “game changer.” --- ## London Assembly calls for a ban on Coca-Cola and McDonald’s at the Olympics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/london-assembly-calls-for-a-ban-on-coca-cola-and-mcdonalds-at-the-olympics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-06 Words: 50 > The Assembly, an elected body that monitors London's mayor and has the power to amend the mayor's annual budget, called for a ban on the corporations. The Assembly said purveyors... The Assembly, an elected body that monitors London’s mayor and has the power to amend the mayor’s annual budget, called for a ban on the corporations. The Assembly said purveyors of high-calorie products should not be allowed to sponsor an athletic event like the Olympics. --- ## McDonald’s 365Black Awards expands chain’s target marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-365black-awards-expands-chains-target-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-06 Words: 64 > McDonald's 365Black Initiative has enabled the chain to build long-term connections with African American communities -- connections that the company exploits to market its products. The most recent example of... McDonald’s 365Black Initiative has enabled the chain to build long-term connections with African American communities — connections that the company exploits to market its products. The most recent example of McDonald’s concerted targeting efforts is the 365Black Awards, an event in New Orleans that honored popular entertainers, athletes, musicians and public figures for making positive contributions to the community. --- ## Birds Eye frozen vegetable brand markets directly to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/birds-eye-frozen-vegetable-brand-markets-directly-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-05 Words: 36 > The company partnered with the Nickelodeon show iCarly to create print and digital advertising tailored to children. Birds Eye is undertaking the campaign through an agreement with the Michelle Obama-approved... The company partnered with the Nickelodeon show iCarly to create print and digital advertising tailored to children. Birds Eye is undertaking the campaign through an agreement with the Michelle Obama-approved Partnership for a Healthier America. --- ## Jamba Juice partners with Water Polo USA to enhance its ‘healthy’ image URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jamba-juice-partners-with-water-polo-usa-to-enhance-its-healthy-image/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-05 Words: 49 > The purveyor of sugary smoothies is attempting to bolster its image as a "healthy lifestyle" brand by donating water polo balls to several schools in Los Angeles. The gesture is... The purveyor of sugary smoothies is attempting to bolster its image as a “healthy lifestyle” brand by donating water polo balls to several schools in Los Angeles. The gesture is part of the juice company’s larger “Team Up for a Healthy America” campaign. --- ## Oreo ‘Pride Week’ gimmick ups the brand’s positive perception among youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oreo-pride-week-gimmick-ups-the-brands-positive-perception-among-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-05 Words: 28 > After creating a cookie with 6 layers of rainbow-colored frosting to show its support for LGBTQ pride events, Oreo saw its positive perception among young adults rise. After creating a cookie with 6 layers of rainbow-colored frosting to show its support for LGBTQ pride events, Oreo saw its positive perception among young adults rise. --- ## Appeasing food industry may be ‘greatest failure’ in obesity fight URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/appeasing-food-industry-may-be-greatest-failure-in-obesity-fight/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-05 Words: 51 > The Director of Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity criticized the food industry for making "minor progress" at best in creating a healthier food landscape for consumers. At... The Director of Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity criticized the food industry for making “minor progress” at best in creating a healthier food landscape for consumers. At the same time, he holds public health officials accountable for settling for corporate “baby steps.” --- ## Coke uses the Olympics to create perception that its products are healthy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-uses-the-olympics-to-create-perception-that-its-products-are-healthy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-03 Words: 53 > Coke's "Move to the Beat" global campaign features eight athletes. It specifically targets teens but aims at families as well. Coke executive Katie Bayne made an airy connection between the... Coke’s “Move to the Beat” global campaign features eight athletes. It specifically targets teens but aims at families as well. Coke executive Katie Bayne made an airy connection between the brand and health: “Coke [has] a timeless commitment to enhance well-being in all of its forms.” --- ## Arby’s Foundation adds childhood anti-hunger campaign to CSR portfolio URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/arbys-foundation-adds-childhood-anti-hunger-campaign-to-csr-portfolio/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-03 Words: 46 > Arby's Foundation is joining the anti-hunger group Share Our Strength on a national tour to "raise awareness about childhood hunger." The charitable arm of the sandwich chain also funded a... Arby’s Foundation is joining the anti-hunger group Share Our Strength on a national tour to “raise awareness about childhood hunger.” The charitable arm of the sandwich chain also funded a mobile texting program that connects hungry families with free meal sites. --- ## Applebee’s gets kids and parents into stores with a summer reading campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/applebees-gets-kids-and-parents-into-stores-with-a-summer-reading-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-07-02 Words: 36 > Incentives for participation include a free Oreo sundae and Applebee's kid's meal. The restaurant chain also recruited public schools and libraries to distribute its "Applebee's Bookworm Club Card." Incentives for participation include a free Oreo sundae and Applebee’s kid’s meal. The restaurant chain also recruited public schools and libraries to distribute its “Applebee’s Bookworm Club Card.” --- ## Land O’Lakes awards scholarships to grad students for dairy research URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/land-olakes-awards-scholarships-to-grad-students-for-dairy-research/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-29 Words: 28 > Through its non-profit arm, the dairy company plays the part of the responsible corporate citizen, even though its scholarships award students for research that ultimately enhances profits. Through its non-profit arm, the dairy company plays the part of the responsible corporate citizen, even though its scholarships award students for research that ultimately enhances profits. --- ## McDonald’s adds to CSR campaign targeting Latino families with highschoolers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-adds-to-csr-campaign-targeting-latino-families-with-highschoolers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-29 Words: 30 > The company is adding to its national Latino education and college-readiness program by launching a webinar series in partnership with Latinos in College and LULAC National Educational Service Centers. The company is adding to its national Latino education and college-readiness program by launching a webinar series in partnership with Latinos in College and LULAC National Educational Service Centers. --- ## Stonyfield Farms runs digital marketing “Be-a-Food-Superhero” campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/stonyfield-farms-runs-digital-marketing-be-a-food-superhero-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-28 Words: 27 > Stonyfield is using Facebook, real-life character appearances, avatars, and microsites to attract consumers. The campaign centers on anti-obesity and organic-is-better-for-you messaging. Stonyfield is using Facebook, real-life character appearances, avatars, and microsites to attract consumers. The campaign centers on anti-obesity and organic-is-better-for-you messaging. --- ## Webinar: Food marketing and the consequences for Latino children and youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-food-marketing-and-the-consequences-for-latino-children-and-youth/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 62 > Junk food marketers disproportionately target Latino children, putting them at an increased risk of developing diabetes and other chronic illnesses. In this webinar for MALDEF and PreventObesity.net, BMSG's Priscilla Gonzalez... Junk food marketers disproportionately target Latino children, putting them at an increased risk of developing diabetes and other chronic illnesses. In this webinar for MALDEF and PreventObesity.net, BMSG’s Priscilla Gonzalez discusses how corporations use digital technology, such as advergames and mobile apps, to reach Latino youth — a group known for being early adopters of online tools and trends. --- ## McDonald’s links exercise, Happy Meals and the Olympic Games URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-links-exercise-happy-meals-and-the-olympic-games/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-27 Words: 48 > To attract child and parent customers, McDonald's is running an offline-to-digital campaign called "Champions of Play," encouraging kids to be active. In this way, McDonald's is trying to brand itself... To attract child and parent customers, McDonald’s is running an offline-to-digital campaign called “Champions of Play,” encouraging kids to be active. In this way, McDonald’s is trying to brand itself as health conscious, despite the nutritional shortcomings of its food. --- ## McDonald’s reveals burger food-styling secrets as a marketing ploy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-reveals-burger-food-styling-secrets-as-a-marketing-ploy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-27 Words: 34 > McDonald's gave transparency a try, revealing in a video the hours-long treatment it gives a burger to make it ad-ready. Actual burgers are still cranked out in assembly-line fashion. McDonald’s gave transparency a try, revealing in a video the hours-long treatment it gives a burger to make it ad-ready. Actual burgers are still cranked out in assembly-line fashion. --- ## Soda ban hard to swallow URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-ban-hard-to-swallow/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-27 Words: 29 > The writer argues that a tax, not a ban, will incentivize making healthy choices. Another economic incentive could be forcing large-soda sellers to offer free cups and water. The writer argues that a tax, not a ban, will incentivize making healthy choices. Another economic incentive could be forcing large-soda sellers to offer free cups and water. --- ## Just how pervasive has anti-government sentiment become? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/just-how-pervasive-has-anti-government-sentiment-become/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 506 > It was a warm and muggy afternoon in Washington D.C. and I needed a clean T-shirt to change into after a long day of travel. A gift shop called America!... It was a warm and muggy afternoon in Washington D.C. and I needed a clean T-shirt to change into after a long day of travel. A gift shop called America! at Dulles International Airport had plenty to choose from, including a few with messages on them that, quite frankly, I was surprised to see. One T-shirt read: “I love my country, it’s the government I’m afraid of.” Had the gift shop located inside the airport of our nation’s capital created a special Tea Party section? Has anti-government sentiment become so entrenched in popular culture that we’ll now be seeing “Nanny State” T-shirts for sale at Walmart? It occurred to me that, yes, government intrusion has become a dominant, populist frame in our society — one that works squarely against ongoing efforts to fight big tobacco and the junk food industry with one of the best weapons available: policy change. Take, for example, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to ban the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. This is just one of many ways public officials have tried to combat the devastating effects of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages on the nation’s obesity epidemic. Others include an excise tax on soda and an earlier proposal by New York officials that would have barred the use of food stamps to buy sugary drinks. Responses to these proposals from both the public and political pundits alike have come fast and furious. In one typical example, an editorial response to Bloomberg’s recent proposal, the Daytona Beach News-Journal wrote: These are probably the most American things: baseball, movies, hamburger joints and coffee shops. But all the New York Board of Health can see are breeding grounds for the national problem of obesity. The worriers have a point. But that doesn’t mean they should use the blunt force of the law to do something about it. Sometimes, Americans should be warned — not deprived of certain choices via government regulation. We are, after all, Americans. We came here to get away from kings and dictators. But the momentum right now is on the side of those promoting an authoritarian health state. It’s time more leaders from public health and other government entities join Bloomberg to vigorously defend government’s role in putting an end to the preventable illnesses and deaths caused by tobacco, soda and other junk food. It’s our government’s duty to protect us from health hazards. When government has a mechanism like policy change for creating healthier environments, we should insist that government use it. While we all have an important role to play in protecting ourselves and our children from the harmful effects of sugar and fat, soda and junk food companies are seriously undermining our efforts with their relentless, aggressive marketing. Perhaps government should start printing its own T-shirts. --- ## Pepsi and Coke take no responsibility for ruining kids’ teeth in El Salvador URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-and-coke-take-no-responsibility-for-ruining-kids-teeth-in-el-salvador/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-26 Words: 47 > PBS News Hour did a segment on the work of a UCSF pediatrician whose research focuses on the devastating effects of sugary drinks and snacks on children's dental health in... PBS News Hour did a segment on the work of a UCSF pediatrician whose research focuses on the devastating effects of sugary drinks and snacks on children’s dental health in El Salvador. The soda companies focus on parental choice and basic dental hygiene as solutions. --- ## If it will sell cookies, Oreo will celebrate Pride Week URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/if-it-will-sell-cookies-oreo-will-celebrate-pride-week/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-26 Words: 36 > As if Oreo cookies don't have enough frosting, the Pride Week cookie has six rainbow-colored layers of the stuff. The creation is part of a larger campaign marking Oreo's 100th... As if Oreo cookies don’t have enough frosting, the Pride Week cookie has six rainbow-colored layers of the stuff. The creation is part of a larger campaign marking Oreo’s 100th anniversary. --- ## Cry for freedom to choose soda size ignores shackles industry has placed on us URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cry-for-freedom-to-choose-soda-size-ignores-shackles-industry-has-placed-on-us/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-26 Words: 27 > In response to "nanny state" hysteria, this letter succinctly points out that consumers' choices have "already been abrogated [by the beverage industry]." In response to “nanny state” hysteria, this letter succinctly points out that consumers’ choices have “already been abrogated [by the beverage industry].” --- ## Golazo sports drinks, targeting soccer fans and Latinos, move into Whole Foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/golazo-sports-drinks-targeting-soccer-fans-and-latinos-move-into-whole-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-25 Words: 40 > Several products in the Golazo line feature "Latino-influenced" flavors like Mandarina and Mango-Limon. Golazo packaging features soccer ball graphics and appeals to sports enthusiasts by branding itself as an energy... Several products in the Golazo line feature “Latino-influenced” flavors like Mandarina and Mango-Limon. Golazo packaging features soccer ball graphics and appeals to sports enthusiasts by branding itself as an energy drink, while downplaying its sugar content. --- ## With coffers low, some cities let pizza chains advertise on school buses URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/with-coffers-low-some-cities-let-pizza-chains-advertise-on-school-buses/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-24 Words: 36 > Cash strapped cities like Baltimore are selling ad space on public property including fire hydrants, school buses, and even pothole covers. Activist groups deride the move for enabling the private... Cash strapped cities like Baltimore are selling ad space on public property including fire hydrants, school buses, and even pothole covers. Activist groups deride the move for enabling the private sector to co-opt public values. --- ## Cereal companies upped kid-targeted ads for their least nutritious products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cereal-companies-upped-kid-targeted-ads-for-their-least-nutritious-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-22 Words: 31 > Rudd Center researchers found that, while cereal companies improved the nutritional profile of most cereals marketed directly to children, they have actually increased kid-targeted advertising for their least nutritious options. Rudd Center researchers found that, while cereal companies improved the nutritional profile of most cereals marketed directly to children, they have actually increased kid-targeted advertising for their least nutritious options. --- ## Campbell’s Soup sees corporate social responsibility as critical for sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbells-soup-sees-corporate-social-responsibility-as-critical-for-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-21 Words: 33 > The soup seller links having a CSR program with attracting consumers, particularly new and younger ones. They are also targeting this demographic with soups, beverages and snacks packaged for on-the-go... The soup seller links having a CSR program with attracting consumers, particularly new and younger ones. They are also targeting this demographic with soups, beverages and snacks packaged for on-the-go eating. --- ## PepsiCo targets Latinos with ‘flavored carbonates’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-targets-latinos-with-flavored-carbonates/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-21 Words: 48 > Pepsi will hone in on this demographic with teas and flavored soft drinks (which it calls "liquid refreshment beverages," or LRBs) that will be "catered for Hispanic tastes." Pepsi anticipates... Pepsi will hone in on this demographic with teas and flavored soft drinks (which it calls “liquid refreshment beverages,” or LRBs) that will be “catered for Hispanic tastes.” Pepsi anticipates Latinos will account for 60% of growth in the LRB market, outpacing cola sales. --- ## How can a Big Gulp look so small? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-can-a-big-gulp-look-so-small/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-21 Words: 49 > Food containers influence how much diners consume. In tests, people often misjudged portion sizes, underestimating the size of a 50-oz Big Gulp by 20 to 40 percent. This deflates McDonald's... Food containers influence how much diners consume. In tests, people often misjudged portion sizes, underestimating the size of a 50-oz Big Gulp by 20 to 40 percent. This deflates McDonald’s claim that its customers “can make the choices that are best for them.” --- ## As Sandusky trial progresses, what story are the media telling about child sexual abuse? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/as-sandusky-trial-progresses-what-story-are-the-media-telling-about-child-sexual-abuse/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 806 > Seven months ago, when former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on charges of child sexual abuse, reporters blanketed the Internet and airwaves with the story. Like... Seven months ago, when former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on charges of child sexual abuse, reporters blanketed the Internet and airwaves with the story. Like much coverage on child sexual abuse, the story was one of outrage, asking how a man respected by so many could commit such heinous acts. But, unlike much past reporting on the issue, journalists told a broader story this time, looking beyond Sandusky — an individual perpetrator — to the larger social and cultural context for abuse. They explored Penn State’s negligence and pointed to the need for greater institutional accountability. So how are the media covering the issue now that Sandusky’s case has gone to trial, and child sexual abuse is back in the spotlight? A brief scan of recent coverage seems promising, with many journalists continuing to underscore the role of major institutions like Penn State in fostering abuse. For example, a June 17 Washington Post article highlights evidence for the role of many actors — not just Sandusky — in the occurrence of child sexual abuse at Penn State: “[This trial] is shaping up as more than simply a matter of one man’s guilt or innocence. There’s a shadow trial underway, because if the prosecution’s case is correct, many people and important institutions failed to keep Sandusky from preying on boys despite direct eyewitness evidence that he was a pedophile.” Similarly, Maureen Dowd’s June 13 op-ed in The New York Times emphasizes others’ complicity. She describes how Penn State staff turned a blind eye, as when a wrestling coach walked in on Sandusky and a boy lying face-to-face and accepted Sandusky’s excuse that they were practicing a wrestling hold. Dowd posits that “it was an open joke in Penn State football circles that you shouldn’t drop your soap in the shower when Jerry was around.” The op-ed also follows another trend BMSG noticed in early Sandusky coverage: The language she uses to describe child sexual abuse is more explicit than is typical in reporting on this issue. This is a good thing, since specificity helps convey the serious nature of the crime: “Sexual abuse” is vague in comparison to the allegation that Sandusky “forced [boys] to give and receive oral sex, and attempt anal sex.” Some articles even put forward specific ideas about how to prevent child sexual abuse in the future. In a commentary posted June 15 on ESPN.com, LZ Granderson notes that prominent organizations dedicated to youth athletics are taking new measures to make kids safer. For example, the Amateur Athletic Union will conduct mandatory background checks on all coaches and volunteers in addition to creating other procedures to ensure safety (although the article doesn’t elaborate on what these are). Granderson also addresses prevention more generally by calling on the collective “we” to protect children from harm, warning that if we don’t, “we may not be guilty of any wrongdoing but we’re hardly innocent.” Of course, not all coverage on the Penn State sexual abuse scandal delves into institutional accountability. Many articles focus narrowly on Sandusky and the progression of his trial. An article published June 14 in the Los Angeles Times is a case in point. Titled “Jerry Sandusky Trial: Day 4 Begins, with Two Portraits Emerging,” the article skims over the role of other Penn State actors in the abuse and oversimplifies Sandusky himself. By characterizing his personality as composed of “two sides” — one a saint, the other a predator — the writer creates a false dichotomy. Victim testimony makes clear that Sandusky used his heart-of-gold persona as a predatory tactic. Sandusky allegedly identified at-risk young people through his charity, offered gifts and attention, and then sexually exploited them. In addition, other recent news on the case diverts attention away from both institutional and individual culpability by focusing on the highly disputed “histrionic personality disorder” defense. As the Sandusky trial wraps up, advocates concerned about child sexual abuse should feel encouraged by trends in the coverage of the issue: Reporters and columnists are talking about the responsibility of institutions to uncover and stop abuse; they’re using clear language that conveys the seriousness of the allegations; and at times, they’re bringing prevention into the frame. When reporting does this, when it gives a clear and nuanced picture of the context in which abuse takes place, it becomes easier to talk about child sexual abuse as a larger public health issue, rather than as the depraved transgressions of a single person. This approach will help lead to meaningful solutions that keep children safe. --- ## Walmart pushes into urban areas with smaller stores URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/walmart-pushes-into-urban-areas-with-smaller-stores/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-20 Words: 42 > The big box store is using its Neighborhood Market concept to establish itself in areas that have (mostly) successfully resisted their domination in the past. Walmart no doubt benefits from... The big box store is using its Neighborhood Market concept to establish itself in areas that have (mostly) successfully resisted their domination in the past. Walmart no doubt benefits from its praise from Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. --- ## Coke uses ‘Happiness Machine’ to market and sell soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-uses-happiness-machine-to-market-and-sell-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-20 Words: 40 > The Coca-Cola Happiness Machine is part of a summer campaign to sell sugary drinks at its Atlanta headquarters. In addition to soda, the machine randomly dispenses prizes. The machine has... The Coca-Cola Happiness Machine is part of a summer campaign to sell sugary drinks at its Atlanta headquarters. In addition to soda, the machine randomly dispenses prizes. The machine has been an international marketing tool for Coke since 2010. --- ## Soda ad campaigns called misleading URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-ad-campaigns-called-misleading/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-19 Words: 43 > Public health advocates, including the Berkeley Media Studies Group, wrote an article for the journal PLoS Medicine in which they argue that Coke and Pepsi's social responsibility campaigns are misleading... Public health advocates, including the Berkeley Media Studies Group, wrote an article for the journal PLoS Medicine in which they argue that Coke and Pepsi’s social responsibility campaigns are misleading and that they aim to target young people and increase sales. --- ## Nestle breaks pledge, markets Girl Scout-branded candy to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-breaks-pledge-markets-girl-scout-branded-candy-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-19 Words: 44 > Nestle denies the allegations, made by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Berkeley Media Studies Group, saying they retail in adult-oriented venues. BMSG responded: "The Girl... Nestle denies the allegations, made by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Berkeley Media Studies Group, saying they retail in adult-oriented venues. BMSG responded: “The Girl Scouts image appeals to children and so constitutes marketing to children.” --- ## Jelly Belly peddles beans with Facebook ads and cash prizes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jelly-belly-peddles-beans-with-facebook-ads-and-cash-prizes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-19 Words: 39 > Already in anticipation of next Easter, the candy company is planning a Mystery Flavor sweepstakes as it "aims to boost sales" and "make the most of consumers' eagerness to discover... Already in anticipation of next Easter, the candy company is planning a Mystery Flavor sweepstakes as it “aims to boost sales” and “make the most of consumers’ eagerness to discover new and extraordinary flavors.” --- ## Beverage industry responds to article calling soda ad campaigns misleading URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-industry-responds-to-article-calling-soda-ad-campaigns-misleading/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-19 Words: 48 > The American Beverage Association calls the article, which appeared in a peer-reviewed medical journal, an "opinion piece." The ABA tries to defend its corporate social responsibility efforts by acknowledging neither... The American Beverage Association calls the article, which appeared in a peer-reviewed medical journal, an “opinion piece.” The ABA tries to defend its corporate social responsibility efforts by acknowledging neither the role of sugary beverages in obesity, nor the manipulative nature of soda industry marketing. --- ## Everybody’s dishing on BK’s Bacon Sundae URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/everybodys-dishing-on-bks-bacon-sundae/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-18 Words: 47 > In response to Burger King debuting its Bacon Sundae, Thom Forbes notes: "The healthy-eating finger-waggers and naysayers have brought out the free-market flagwavers in force and it's all free publicity... In response to Burger King debuting its Bacon Sundae, Thom Forbes notes: “The healthy-eating finger-waggers and naysayers have brought out the free-market flagwavers in force and it’s all free publicity in the bank for Burger King’s marketing department.” --- ## Mountain Dew uses glut of digital marketing tactics in latest campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-uses-glut-of-digital-marketing-tactics-in-latest-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-18 Words: 40 > To sell soda and build loyalty, PepsiCo's Mountain Dew is using brand-saturated environments, "game-vertising," avatars and brand-advocate recruitment in a cross-marketing campaign with the third Dark Knight trilogy movie release... To sell soda and build loyalty, PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew is using brand-saturated environments, “game-vertising,” avatars and brand-advocate recruitment in a cross-marketing campaign with the third Dark Knight trilogy movie release this summer. --- ## PepsiCo and Lay’s make mobile the core of soda and snack summer campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-and-lays-make-mobile-the-core-of-soda-and-snack-summer-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-18 Words: 53 > Pepsi and Lay's brand products join forces to entice consumers to "engage with their products" on their mobile devices. Says one marketing commentator of the partnership: "Just like when a... Pepsi and Lay’s brand products join forces to entice consumers to “engage with their products” on their mobile devices. Says one marketing commentator of the partnership: “Just like when a celebrity works with a brand we get proof that two strong brands together can become very powerful.” --- ## Why are Twinkies cheaper than carrots? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-are-twinkies-cheaper-than-carrots/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-15 Words: 35 > As the U.S. Senate begins floor debate on the 2012 Farm Bill this week, John Robbins explains how and why government subsidies encourage the consumption of foods that are bad... As the U.S. Senate begins floor debate on the 2012 Farm Bill this week, John Robbins explains how and why government subsidies encourage the consumption of foods that are bad for our health. --- ## Coca-Cola opens for business in Myanmar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-opens-for-business-in-myanmar/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-14 Words: 44 > Coca-Cola plans to use corporate social responsibility to jumpstart its brand spin there. Among other things, the company will give $3 million to support job programs for women in Myanmar.... Coca-Cola plans to use corporate social responsibility to jumpstart its brand spin there. Among other things, the company will give $3 million to support job programs for women in Myanmar. Now, Cuba and North Korea are the only countries without a Coke presence. --- ## Industry tries to maximize profits by focusing on grocery store center aisles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industry-tries-to-maximize-profits-by-focusing-on-grocery-store-center-aisles/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-14 Words: 42 > In her book What to Eat, Marion Nestle warned of the generally higher prices and lower nutritional value of processed foods in grocery store center aisles. Marketers are looking to... In her book What to Eat, Marion Nestle warned of the generally higher prices and lower nutritional value of processed foods in grocery store center aisles. Marketers are looking to boost sales in this section, where they find the biggest profit margins. --- ## Hidden Valley Ranch targets Millennials with digital media campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hidden-valley-ranch-targets-millennials-with-digital-media-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-14 Words: 37 > The campaign intends to appeal to young people who likely aren't receptive to Hidden Valley's family-oriented ads, from a time when "eating veggies was something they were told to do." The campaign intends to appeal to young people who likely aren’t receptive to Hidden Valley’s family-oriented ads, from a time when “eating veggies was something they were told to do.” --- ## Fast food industry responds to Americans’ car dependence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-industry-responds-to-americans-car-dependence/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-13 Words: 34 > Americans eat 17% of restaurant-ordered meals in their car. Companies like Popeyes have responded by selling Rip'n Chick'n tenders that can be easily torn apart for munching while driving. Americans eat 17% of restaurant-ordered meals in their car. Companies like Popeyes have responded by selling Rip’n Chick’n tenders that can be easily torn apart for munching while driving. --- ## Advertising ban may initially bruise Disney’s revenue URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advertising-ban-may-initially-bruise-disneys-revenue/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-12 Words: 38 > Disney will mitigate revenue loss through increasing its health-food marketing, including the possible introduction of the "Mickey Check," a label for Disney-licensed products that meet certain limits on calories, saturated... Disney will mitigate revenue loss through increasing its health-food marketing, including the possible introduction of the “Mickey Check,” a label for Disney-licensed products that meet certain limits on calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar. --- ## Wendy’s blends Father’s Day, corporate social responsibility, and digital marketing to sell Frosties URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-blends-fathers-day-corporate-social-responsibility-and-digital-marketing-to-sell-frosties/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-12 Words: 47 > As part of "Father's Day Frosty Weekend," Wendy's is raising money for foster care by urging customers to buy a Frosty, check-in at a Wendy's eatery using a mobile device,... As part of “Father’s Day Frosty Weekend,” Wendy’s is raising money for foster care by urging customers to buy a Frosty, check-in at a Wendy’s eatery using a mobile device, or re-tweet a Wendy’s message. --- ## Alouette Cheese markets weight loss as individual effort URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/alouette-cheese-markets-weight-loss-as-individual-effort/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-12 Words: 32 > The spreadable cheese brand Alouette is partnering with the co-authors of the book Portion Size Me to "spread" this message: Limit serving sizes as a way of controlling weight. The spreadable cheese brand Alouette is partnering with the co-authors of the book Portion Size Me to “spread” this message: Limit serving sizes as a way of controlling weight. --- ## California voters will decide whether or not GMO’s should be labeled; supporters and opponents weigh-in URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/california-voters-will-decide-whether-or-not-gmos-should-be-labeled-supporters-and-opponents-weigh-in/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-12 Words: 56 > Supporters of the proposed initiative say it would be the first of its kind in the U.S. to require the labeling of a wide range of GMO's. More than 40... Supporters of the proposed initiative say it would be the first of its kind in the U.S. to require the labeling of a wide range of GMO’s. More than 40 other countries already have a similar law. The coalition opposed to the initiative primarily consists of associations representing agribusinesses and food/beverage companies. --- ## Frito-Lay marketing capitalizes on growing income gap URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-marketing-capitalizes-on-growing-income-gap/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-12 Words: 57 > The snack-maker plans to build on the fact that "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer" with premium and value brands that focus on the edges... The snack-maker plans to build on the fact that “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer” with premium and value brands that focus on the edges of the market. The former emphasizes things like whole grains and dried fruit while the latter features, for example, the inexpensive Taqueros tortilla chips. --- ## McDonald’s promotes its brand by creating a mobile clinic in Canada URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-promotes-its-brand-by-creating-a-mobile-clinic-in-canada/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-12 Words: 23 > The purveyor of burgers and fries frames prevention as a matter of education and nutritional counseling, while also offering some primary care services. The purveyor of burgers and fries frames prevention as a matter of education and nutritional counseling, while also offering some primary care services. --- ## How sexist language is undermining efforts to improve public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/how-sexist-language-is-undermining-efforts-to-improve-public-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 582 > If you want to quash your opposition's argument on a given topic quickly and effectively, you could try several different approaches: Use research and logic to support your point of... If you want to quash your opposition’s argument on a given topic quickly and effectively, you could try several different approaches: Use research and logic to support your point of view; use research and logic to counter your opposition’s point of view; or call your opponent a woman. Yes, the third approach is sexist. Sadly, it’s also the one that seems to work best. The tactic appears every time critics of public health measures use the phrase “nanny state” to evoke fears about the U.S. government exerting too much control over people’s lives. (Never mind for a moment that we elect leaders based on the shared understanding that the government is supposed to make decisions that protect the general welfare, including our collective health.) And recently, as debates about the soda industry heat up, they are getting extra mileage out of the phrase. Following a proposal from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that would limit portion sizes of soda in public places in an effort to curb the costly health consequences, such as Type-II diabetes, of consuming too much sugar, critics placed a full-page attack ad in The New York Times featuring a Photoshopped image of Bloomberg dressed up like a woman. The title reads, “The Nanny.” The rest of the text on the ad is spare, likely because little explanation is required. Even with few extra details, the ad has done its job. It has evoked a limited and stereotype-driven definition of femininity that, according to blogger Torie Rose DeGhett, functions as a stand-in for what is “bad and wrong and stupid.” In the case of debates about food, the nanny is the equivalent of a nagging woman, telling you what you can and can’t eat and taking away your freedoms. The association, wrote DeGhett, goes like this: “Someone irritating telling you what to put in your mouth? Women stuff. Dieting? Women stuff. Worrying about sugar? Women stuff.” This leaves public health advocates in a tight spot. How, in the face of this rhetoric (and the deeply embedded sexist attitudes it reflects), do advocates gain more support for policies to improve health? Clearly, sexism is at the root of this issue, but telling advocates to eradicate sexism is about as practical as telling affordable housing advocates to wipe out poverty. That deep level of transformation takes generations. It may be tempting to think that the solution lies in presenting more research on the link between soda consumption and poor health. But, as important as logic and facts are, they don’t speak for themselves. We see this in the outcomes of presidential elections, which are often won or lost based on appeals to voter values and emotions, not fact sheets and statistics. Public health leaders, then, need to get better at figuring out the values they want to express and then doing so consistently across their efforts. That way, when an issue like soda enters the spotlight, the message that public health leaders present will get interpreted through a frame that emphasizes values like fairness and equality and solidarity. In the absence of those values, phrases like “nanny state” — even when used as part of a rebuttal or attempt to reframe the term — get interpreted from the opposition’s perspective. In this case, that perspective is one that devalues women and health. --- ## Newest Peeps marketing campaign hinges on anti-bullying partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/newest-peeps-marketing-campaign-hinges-on-anti-bullying-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-11 Words: 43 > The Peeps brand is increasing its exposure among young people by commercializing a Virginia middle school's anti-bullying efforts via a campaign called "Standing Up For Our Peeps." The campaign includes... The Peeps brand is increasing its exposure among young people by commercializing a Virginia middle school’s anti-bullying efforts via a campaign called “Standing Up For Our Peeps.” The campaign includes a branded essay writing contest, videos and apparel. --- ## The soda industry strikes back URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-soda-industry-strikes-back/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-11 Words: 62 > The recently proposed New York City ban on large-size sugary drinks has generated more criticism about the negative impact of soda on health. Blogger Marion Nestle presents an overview of... The recently proposed New York City ban on large-size sugary drinks has generated more criticism about the negative impact of soda on health. Blogger Marion Nestle presents an overview of the soda industry’s effort to “spin the science” and forestall the ban by creating an organization and website called “Let’s Clear it Up.” --- ## Former Coke executive denounces the company’s marketing tactics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/former-coke-executive-denounces-the-companys-marketing-tactics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-08 Words: 102 > Former Coca-Cola executive Todd Putnam recently gave insight into the company's predatory marketing practices at a National Soda Summit in Washington D.C. Among other topics, he discussed the company's efforts... Former Coca-Cola executive Todd Putnam recently gave insight into the company’s predatory marketing practices at a National Soda Summit in Washington D.C. Among other topics, he discussed the company’s efforts to target African American and Latino populations, observing that the company knew “if [they] got more products into those environments those segments would drink more.” Now a marketer who focuses on selling healthy products, he concludes “the game is rigged by the power of the soft drink industry and how much money they put against all the competition in [communities of color].” --- ## Most Americans oppose proposed NYC sugary drinks restrictions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/most-americans-oppose-proposed-nyc-sugary-drinks-restrictions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-08 Words: 41 > A recent survey shows that nearly 70% of Americans oppose the large-size soda ban in New York City. However, a majority of respondents also admit that such a ban would... A recent survey shows that nearly 70% of Americans oppose the large-size soda ban in New York City. However, a majority of respondents also admit that such a ban would be effective in changing their drinking habits for the better. --- ## Webinar: Youth and minority marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-youth-and-minority-marketing/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 48 > At the 2012 National Soda Summit in Washington, D.C., BMSG's Andrew Cheyne discusses why soda companies target children of color, the tactics they use to target market to African American... At the 2012 National Soda Summit in Washington, D.C., BMSG’s Andrew Cheyne discusses why soda companies target children of color, the tactics they use to target market to African American and Latino youth, and how marketers are pushing the boundaries with multicultural youth-focused messages. --- ## Webinar: Working with the media to end child sexual abuse URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-working-with-the-media-to-end-child-sexual-abuse/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 69 > The media play a powerful role in the public’s and policy leaders’ understanding of the child sexual abuse and potential solutions. In this webinar, the second in a series of... The media play a powerful role in the public’s and policy leaders’ understanding of the child sexual abuse and potential solutions. In this webinar, the second in a series of nine web conferences on Ending Child Sexual Abuse, BMSG and Frameworks Institute discuss studies related to the coverage of child sexual abuse and its prevention. This conference series is a collaboration between PreventConnect and Ms. Foundation for Women. --- ## Market research shows Latina women leverage various tools to find the best deals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/market-research-shows-latina-women-leverage-various-tools-to-find-the-best-deals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-07 Words: 48 > Advertisers are constantly seeking ways to effectively market foods and beverages to the growing population of Latinos in the United States. This study of women's shopping habits shows that Latinas... Advertisers are constantly seeking ways to effectively market foods and beverages to the growing population of Latinos in the United States. This study of women’s shopping habits shows that Latinas use a variety of retail channels, including digital deals and coupons, to find money-saving deals. --- ## Frozen yogurt industry trumpets ‘National Frozen Yogurt Month’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frozen-yogurt-industry-trumpets-national-frozen-yogurt-month/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-07 Words: 52 > New York self-serve frozen yogurt company 16 Handles is one of many companies urging customers to choose frozen yogurt in June and to thereby "pay tribute to an industry and... New York self-serve frozen yogurt company 16 Handles is one of many companies urging customers to choose frozen yogurt in June and to thereby “pay tribute to an industry and beloved product that is helping to put smiles on faces from the young to the young at heart.” --- ## In response to proposed soda restrictions, Coke defends products against health criticisms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-response-to-proposed-soda-restrictions-coke-defends-products-against-health-criticisms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-07 Words: 42 > Responding to criticisms that sodas provide empty calories, a top Coca-Cola executive argues that sodas offer hydration and other benefits that are "essential to the human body." He concludes that... Responding to criticisms that sodas provide empty calories, a top Coca-Cola executive argues that sodas offer hydration and other benefits that are “essential to the human body.” He concludes that Coke “[believes] in hydration,” not empty calories. --- ## Taco Bell launches ‘upscale’ menu to broaden customer base (Registration may be required) URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-launches-upscale-menu-to-broaden-customer-base-registration-may-be-required/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-06 Words: 29 > In order to "broaden its appeal and grab more female customers," Taco Bell is launching Cantina Bell, a menu based on fresher ingredients and smaller portion sizes. In order to “broaden its appeal and grab more female customers,” Taco Bell is launching Cantina Bell, a menu based on fresher ingredients and smaller portion sizes. --- ## Editorial: Disney takes on obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/editorial-disney-takes-on-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-06 Words: 43 > The New York Times praised Disney for its plan to restrict junk-food advertising to kids. It cites health experts who link childhood obesity to overexposure to junk-food marketing and commends... The New York Times praised Disney for its plan to restrict junk-food advertising to kids. It cites health experts who link childhood obesity to overexposure to junk-food marketing and commends Disney’s proposal as a step toward addressing the epidemic. --- ## Denny’s offers 50-state check-in contest to promote new app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-offers-50-state-check-in-contest-to-promote-new-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-05 Words: 38 > Denny's is expanding its use of digital marketing techniques with a new mobile app contest to promote its "Tour of America" menu. The contest promises winners free "Grand Slam Breakfasts"... Denny’s is expanding its use of digital marketing techniques with a new mobile app contest to promote its “Tour of America” menu. The contest promises winners free “Grand Slam Breakfasts” for life. --- ## In nutrition initiative, Disney will restrict junk-food advertising to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-nutrition-initiative-disney-will-restrict-junk-food-advertising-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-05 Words: 44 > Disney announced it would adopt advertising standards for all of its kid-focused programs (on the TV, radio, and web). The standards will be based on recommendations proposed last year by... Disney announced it would adopt advertising standards for all of its kid-focused programs (on the TV, radio, and web). The standards will be based on recommendations proposed last year by federal regulators that apply mainly to cereal, soda and snacks marketed to kids. --- ## The tobacco industry rehashes old arguments — will voters listen? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/the-tobacco-industry-rehashes-old-arguments-will-voters-listen/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 616 > California is holding its primary election on June 5, and included on the ballot is an important new tobacco control measure. Public health advocates carefully crafted Proposition 29, a tax... California is holding its primary election on June 5, and included on the ballot is an important new tobacco control measure. Public health advocates carefully crafted Proposition 29, a tax on cigarettes, to help prevent young people from taking up smoking and risking premature death from cancer and other smoking-related diseases. Unfortunately, the tobacco industry is up to its usual tricks, and its smear campaign may derail the measure. According to the California Secretary of State, the Proposition: Imposes additional $1.00 per pack tax on cigarettes and an equivalent tax increase on other tobacco products. Revenues fund research for cancer and tobacco-related diseases. Fiscal Impact: Net increase in cigarette excise tax revenues of about $735 million annually by 2013-14 for certain research and tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Other state and local revenue increases amounting to tens of millions of dollars annually. Taxing cigarettes is one of the most effective tobacco control policies available to improve the public’s health. Advocates say that the Proposition would benefit Californians’ health and the state’s finances. A study from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that the Proposition would lower youth smoking by 13.7% (almost 230,000 youth) and save 104,500 Californians from early smoking-related deaths. California would also save more than $5 billion in health costs from the lower rates of youth and adult smoking. Unsurprisingly, the tobacco industry is not interested in losing children as smokers, as they target young people in the hopes that they become lucrative, life-long customers. Many of the arguments the industry has trotted out are bald falsehoods. For example, one of its key appeals is that voters should reject the measure because the measure “allows our tax dollars to be spent out of state.” This argument has been debunked by tobacco control scholars like Stan Glantz who points out that “The research money would be managed by a committee consisting of the UCSF, UCB, and UCSC chancellors, cancer center directors and other experts and stakeholders … . The truth is that Prop 29 makes it very clear that this is for tobacco control and cancer and medical research in California.” Other arguments rehash Big Tobacco’s standard bag of dirty tricks. For instance, industry complains that voters should reject the tax because the funds raised would support tobacco & cancer related research, and not education. Of course, public education should be a priority for California. But the last time the industry claimed it cared about public education, it gave students book covers that encouraged them to start smoking! What’s more, for decades Big Tobacco claimed that the scientific record was incomplete and that additional research was necessary to show that smoking causes cancer in order to defeat policies that would regulate tobacco. Industry has also used one of the oldest tricks up its sleeve: It prominently featured La Donna Porter, a physician on the state health board, in its commercials advocating against the tax. (Porter was removed from the board for her advocacy.) This strategy dates back a whopping 60 years! In 1954, Big Tobacco established the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, a “group of distinguished men from medicine, science, and education.” In reality, the TIRC was little more than a public relations front for the industry and was not concerned at all with scientific integrity. As Californians head to the polls, I’ll be eager to see whom they believe — advocates seeking to prevent hundreds of thousands of children from potentially dying prematurely from cigarettes, or the tobacco industry, which has spent $40 million to see that they do. --- ## ‘Madagascar 3’ teams with many high-profile brands to target children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/madagascar-3-teams-with-many-high-profile-brands-to-target-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-04 Words: 45 > DreamWorks has begun a far-reaching marketing campaign to promote the release of "Madagascar 3," the latest installment in a popular children's franchise. McDonald's, Airheads, General Mills, and Kraft are just... DreamWorks has begun a far-reaching marketing campaign to promote the release of “Madagascar 3,” the latest installment in a popular children’s franchise. McDonald’s, Airheads, General Mills, and Kraft are just a few of the brands promoting the film. --- ## Coca-Cola Freestyle machine helps the company target individual desires URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-freestyle-machine-helps-the-company-target-individual-desires/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-04 Words: 28 > Coke's Freestyle machine taps into customers' desire for variety and customization by allowing users to create unique mixtures using 125 different sparkling and still beverages. Coke’s Freestyle machine taps into customers’ desire for variety and customization by allowing users to create unique mixtures using 125 different sparkling and still beverages. --- ## Mayor Bloomberg’s soda ban proposal hits the wall URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mayor-bloombergs-soda-ban-proposal-hits-the-wall/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-06-01 Words: 68 > Marion Nestle addresses the controversy over Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on the sale of large sodas, particularly arguments from The New York Times and others that educational strategies are preferable.... Marion Nestle addresses the controversy over Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban on the sale of large sodas, particularly arguments from The New York Times and others that educational strategies are preferable. She highlights the industry’s long history of obesity-promoting tactics, and concludes: “Education? I’m for it if it’s focused on educating the public how beverage companies really operate.” --- ## Beverage industry protests Bloomberg’s obesity-fighting measure URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-industry-protests-bloombergs-obesity-fighting-measure/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-31 Words: 57 > Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association are just two of the groups that have come out in protest against Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on the sale of large sodas in... Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association are just two of the groups that have come out in protest against Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban on the sale of large sodas in New York City. Coca-Cola, for example, has claimed the proposal is an “arbitrary mandate” that insults the intelligence of New Yorkers. --- ## Kellogg becomes the world’s No. 2 snack maker URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-becomes-the-worlds-no-2-snack-maker/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-31 Words: 22 > Kellogg has completed its purchase of Pringles, making it the number 2 savory snack maker in the world, second only to PepsiCo. Kellogg has completed its purchase of Pringles, making it the number 2 savory snack maker in the world, second only to PepsiCo. --- ## Viral video to promote Pepsi Max is a YouTube success URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/viral-video-to-promote-pepsi-max-is-a-youtube-success/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-31 Words: 38 > Pepsi Max's newest campaign, starring NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, is a viral video success: The first video has over 6 million views on YouTube, and the latest... Pepsi Max’s newest campaign, starring NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, is a viral video success: The first video has over 6 million views on YouTube, and the latest debuted at 5.4 million views. --- ## A soda ban too far URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-soda-ban-too-far/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-31 Words: 39 > The New York Times argues that Mayor Bloomberg is "overreaching" with a new plan to ban sales of large sodas, and suggests that too many bans may cause people to... The New York Times argues that Mayor Bloomberg is “overreaching” with a new plan to ban sales of large sodas, and suggests that too many bans may cause people to “tune out” anti-obesity messages. --- ## New York mayor announces ban on sale of large sodas to combat obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-york-mayor-announces-ban-on-sale-of-large-sodas-to-combat-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-30 Words: 50 > Mayor Bloomberg has announced a controversial plan banning the sale of large-size sodas in New York City's public spaces (including restaurants and movie theatres, among others). The measure, part of... Mayor Bloomberg has announced a controversial plan banning the sale of large-size sodas in New York City’s public spaces (including restaurants and movie theatres, among others). The measure, part of the Bloomberg administration’s ongoing effort to combat obesity, has drawn fire from the beverage industry. --- ## Pepsi’s newest promotion takes full advantage of Twitter URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsis-newest-promotion-takes-full-advantage-of-twitter/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-30 Words: 33 > Pepsi and Twitter have partnered for an extensive year-long campaign titled "Live for Now Music." The partnership will use streaming video, pop-up concerts, and free downloads to reach fans. Pepsi and Twitter have partnered for an extensive year-long campaign titled “Live for Now Music.” The partnership will use streaming video, pop-up concerts, and free downloads to reach fans. --- ## Taco Bell uses social media charitable campaign to reach teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-uses-social-media-charitable-campaign-to-reach-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-30 Words: 42 > Taco Bell's latest corporate social responsibility campaign focuses on at-risk teens. The company will donate up to $1 million to Graduate To Go in exchange for social media participation. Popular... Taco Bell’s latest corporate social responsibility campaign focuses on at-risk teens. The company will donate up to $1 million to Graduate To Go in exchange for social media participation. Popular actor Mark Wahlberg is also involved in the campaign. --- ## Krispy Kreme uses social media to promote ‘National Doughnut Day’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krispy-kreme-uses-social-media-to-promote-national-doughnut-day/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-29 Words: 35 > Krispy Kreme will be distributing free doughnuts on "National Doughnut Day," the first Friday in June. The chain is promoting the giveaway with an interactive website and a Twitter campaign,... Krispy Kreme will be distributing free doughnuts on “National Doughnut Day,” the first Friday in June. The chain is promoting the giveaway with an interactive website and a Twitter campaign, among other efforts. --- ## McDonald’s sponsors Rock ‘n Roll Marathon to strengthen ‘balanced’ image URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-sponsors-rock-n-roll-marathon-to-strengthen-balanced-image/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-29 Words: 55 > McDonald's will be the official quick-service restaurant sponsor of several events in the Rock 'n Roll Marathon series benefiting cancer research and other causes. McDonald's has described the sponsorship as... McDonald’s will be the official quick-service restaurant sponsor of several events in the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon series benefiting cancer research and other causes. McDonald’s has described the sponsorship as an opportunity to help customers “make choices that are right for them when visiting McDonald’s.” --- ## McDonald’s shareholders nix obesity study; moderation rules URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-shareholders-nix-obesity-study-moderation-rules/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-25 Words: 56 > Industry writer Thom Forbes reports on McDonald's decision to reject a proposal from Corporate Accountability International that called for the company to examine its role in the childhood obesity epidemic.... Industry writer Thom Forbes reports on McDonald’s decision to reject a proposal from Corporate Accountability International that called for the company to examine its role in the childhood obesity epidemic. His analysis includes emotional quotes from McDonald’s executives about “the good [the company] has done” for children’s health. --- ## Capri Sun uses Facebook to target teens through ‘Big Pouch’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/capri-sun-uses-facebook-to-target-teens-through-big-pouch-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-24 Words: 45 > Capri Sun is launching an ambitious social media campaign to draw 13-15 year olds to its new, limited-time "Big Pouch" packages. The "Capri Sun Goes Big" Facebook campaign is designed... Capri Sun is launching an ambitious social media campaign to draw 13-15 year olds to its new, limited-time “Big Pouch” packages. The “Capri Sun Goes Big” Facebook campaign is designed to “build an experience” for teen consumers. --- ## Hot Pockets creates viral video to reach Internet fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hot-pockets-creates-viral-video-to-reach-internet-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-24 Words: 24 > Hot Pockets has commissioned popular YouTube video personalities to create viral videos to market its "limited edition" line of frozen snacks online. Hot Pockets has commissioned popular YouTube video personalities to create viral videos to market its “limited edition” line of frozen snacks online. --- ## McDonald’s refuses to assess its impact on public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-refuses-to-assess-its-impact-on-public-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-24 Words: 47 > McDonald's shareholders recently voted down a proposal by Corporate Accountability International that would have required the company to evaluate its impact on public health, particularly childhood obesity. In rebuffing the... McDonald’s shareholders recently voted down a proposal by Corporate Accountability International that would have required the company to evaluate its impact on public health, particularly childhood obesity. In rebuffing the proposal, McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner argued that the company markets responsibly to children. --- ## Market research: 5 ways to target Hispanics online URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/market-research-5-ways-to-target-hispanics-online/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-24 Words: 79 > Advertisers increasingly seek ways to effectively market a variety of products to the growing population of Latinos in the United States: Many of their strategies focus specifically on digital marketing... Advertisers increasingly seek ways to effectively market a variety of products to the growing population of Latinos in the United States: Many of their strategies focus specifically on digital marketing techniques to capitalize on research showing that U.S. Latinos are “active, engaged and ready to spend online.” These are typical examples of the type of research that is routinely used to further refine marketers’ efforts to target the burgeoning Latino population in the United States. --- ## Dozens die each year at the Golden Gate Bridge — when will we finally install a barrier? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/dozens-die-each-year-at-the-golden-gate-bridge-when-will-we-finally-install-a-barrier/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 1092 > The diamond anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge is upon us. And numerous stories have been published or aired locally to commemorate the 75-year history of San Francisco's most cherished... The diamond anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge is upon us. And numerous stories have been published or aired locally to commemorate the 75-year history of San Francisco’s most cherished and enduring landmark. A review of the past year’s coverage about the bridge on SF Gate revealed one article about the decades-long push by suicide prevention advocates to construct a barrier that would stop people from jumping to their deaths. There have been an estimated 1,500 suicides off the span. The article, “Golden Gate Bridge suicides up last year,” elicited 161 online comments. Many were arguments opposing the building of a barrier — a net hanging under the bridge that would cost an estimated $45 million to install. A sampling of visitor comments: “There are plenty of needs more important than preventing people bent on killing themselves from jumping off the bridge. If they are serious they will find a way,” wrote “Neiman1.” “While I feel badly for the families of those who jumped off the bridge, I do not feel we should spend a large sum of money to destroy the aesthetic appeal of the bridge that has been visited by millions of tourists to save approximately 35 lives a year,” commented “sjcres.” A number of angry comments were directed at those who jumped, suffering needless, premature deaths. “Biggest waste of $45 million ever. Let ’em swim” wrote “macmanmk.” To public health professor Larry Wallack, these are familiar words. For the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, Wallack, a former U.C. Berkeley professor who now teaches at Portland State University, was part of a coalition formed to advocate for a suicide barrier after years of discussion about constructing a barrier had stalled. Sadly, recent arguments against a barrier are the same ones he heard 15 years ago. “The fact that people are more concerned about the beauty of the bridge or the attractiveness of the view than the relatively small costs of intervention reflects the greater public health struggle that we face,” said Wallack. “This is compounded by the fact that there is a great stigma on suicide, still. For the most part, there is little sympathy for people who take their own lives.” That stigma kept the coalition from mobilizing family members of those who had committed suicide to publicly support a barrier. Many are still reluctant to talk about it. Wallack said the lingering belief that people deterred from jumping off the bridge would find some other way of killing themselves also points to lack of understanding about suicide: “One of the points we emphasized was that suicide is a permanent solution to what is often a temporary problem. We believed that a barrier on the bridge was something that the community could do to make sure people who were in despair had a second chance. But this was an enormously difficult argument to make, not only to the bridge district, but to the general public we were trying to activate.” The Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Coalition was successful in using the Bridge’s 60th anniversary to mount a media advocacy campaign with facts and research, anticipating and rebutting every opposition argument. The coalition explained, for example, that studies showed people prevented from jumping off the bridge, by and large, did not go on to commit suicide by other means. And the winning model in a contest sponsored by U.C. Berkeley’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department showed that a barrier could be designed that would not obstruct views or ruin the bridge’s aesthetic appeal. “We knew every news outlet in the region, and some from around the world, would do stories on the Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate its 60th birthday. We decided that those stories should include the dark side of the bridge. It was our chance to get the need for a barrier in front of the public and, hopefully, on the agenda of the Bridge District,” said Wallack in a case study by Berkeley Media Studies Group on media advocacy lessons from the coalition’s struggle for a barrier. Those lessons were valuable. In addition to seizing the media coverage opportunity the 60th anniversary would bring, the coalition showed that choosing the right target was critical to their success. While their initial target was the general public to build community support, they subsequently made a more strategic move by calling out at a news conference members of the Golden Gate Bridge district directly. They were the governing body that could approve a barrier. The news coverage increased the visibility and credibility of the coalition. And coalition members were equipped with data to respond to their opposition. Local news outlets covered the Golden Gate Bridge’s 60th anniversary, and included stories about the call for a barrier. The next day, the Golden Gate Bridge District engineer called the coalition to set up a meeting. But the case study ends with a hard lesson: Change takes time. Despite the news coverage 15 years ago that highlighted... --- ## Coke targets teens with celebrity Tumblr themes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-targets-teens-with-celebrity-tumblr-themes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-23 Words: 41 > Coca-Cola is partnering with popular celebrities (such as singer Jason DeRulo) to launch celebrity-designed Tumblr themes. This is just the latest in a series of Coke's Tumblr-related promotions that are... Coca-Cola is partnering with popular celebrities (such as singer Jason DeRulo) to launch celebrity-designed Tumblr themes. This is just the latest in a series of Coke’s Tumblr-related promotions that are intended to reach the teen audience. --- ## Kraft appeals to moms and kids with fortified Capri Sun URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-appeals-to-moms-and-kids-with-fortified-capri-sun/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-23 Words: 37 > Last week, Capri Sun unveiled "Super V", a new fortified fruit and vegetable drink designed to appeal to mothers seeking "fun and delicious ways to get their kids to eat... Last week, Capri Sun unveiled “Super V”, a new fortified fruit and vegetable drink designed to appeal to mothers seeking “fun and delicious ways to get their kids to eat fruits and vegetables.” --- ## New market research suggests kids are ordering fewer toys URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-market-research-suggests-kids-are-ordering-fewer-toys/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-23 Words: 42 > A new report from market research company The NPD Group shows a slight decline in the sale of kids' meals that include promotional toys. The report also suggests kids may... A new report from market research company The NPD Group shows a slight decline in the sale of kids’ meals that include promotional toys. The report also suggests kids may be ordering more healthful menu options, like fruit and chicken strips. --- ## The FTC vs. POM Wonderful: The latest round URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-ftc-vs-pom-wonderful-the-latest-round/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-23 Words: 50 > Marion Nestle presents an overview of the well publicized legal battles between the Federal Trade Commission and the makers of POM juice regarding the brand's allegedly deceptive health claims. She... Marion Nestle presents an overview of the well publicized legal battles between the Federal Trade Commission and the makers of POM juice regarding the brand’s allegedly deceptive health claims. She argues that health claims, especially those based on industry-sponsored research, “are about marketing, not health.” --- ## Pizza Patron offers free pizza for orders in Spanish URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-patron-offers-free-pizza-for-orders-in-spanish/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-23 Words: 71 > On June 5, customers at Pizza Patron, a Dallas-based national pizza chain, can receive a free pizza if they can order in Spanish. The "Pizza Por Favor" campaign is an... On June 5, customers at Pizza Patron, a Dallas-based national pizza chain, can receive a free pizza if they can order in Spanish. The “Pizza Por Favor” campaign is an effort to promote the “positive force of change immigrants have made in communities throughout America.” The promotion has drawn accusations of “discrimination” from Fox News and affiliated marketing firms like The Hispanic Marketing Group. --- ## Advocates to PBS: Stop selling kids on fast food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/advocates-to-pbs-stop-selling-kids-on-fast-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-23 Words: 32 > The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood recently launched a campaign that urges PBS to stop fast feeder Chick-fil-A from advertising before and after a popular children's show. The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood recently launched a campaign that urges PBS to stop fast feeder Chick-fil-A from advertising before and after a popular children’s show. --- ## Media frenzy on breastfeeding asks wrong questions, obscures context for health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-frenzy-on-breastfeeding-asks-wrong-questions-obscures-context-for-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 540 > After last week's Time Magazine cover story asked, "Are you mom enough?", the highly political practice of (gasp!) breastfeeding (accompanied by Time's we-need-to-sell-magazines photo of a mom attached at the... After last week’s Time Magazine cover story asked, “Are you mom enough?“, the highly political practice of (gasp!) breastfeeding (accompanied by Time’s we-need-to-sell-magazines photo of a mom attached at the nipple to her pre-schooler) created a firestorm of commentary across the web. The basic questions underlying the controversy were: How long is too long to nurse a child? And, is there a moral flaw in the “attachment parenting” approach, which, among other things, promotes allowing a child to nurse until he or she self-weans (usually around age 2)? As a nursing mom myself, I got questions from a lot of folks about my position on the issue. Ahh, great, I thought, yet another opportunity to pit mom against mom to stake claim to the parenting moral high ground. Let’s just say it didn’t take much thinking during midnight nursing sessions to realize that we are asking ourselves the wrong questions. The fact is, whether one is “mom enough” presumes that we and our kids have our basic needs met — like food, shelter, emotional and physical safety — so we can even bother worrying if/how/how long we nurse. Let me give you an example. When my daughter got sick earlier this week, there was no question I’d leave work early to go pick her up from childcare. That’s because I have the option to take care of her without risking my salary or my job. But many mothers don’t have the privileges that I have: a job with a living wage, the ability to leave work at a moment’s notice to care for a sick child, and assurance that my paycheck won’t get docked for it. Chalk up another one for white privilege — and white-collar employee benefits. If we really care about kids’ health, the real questions we need to be asking are: Why does the United States, the most powerful country in the world, have more than 8 MILLION uninsured kids, a majority of whom are Native American, Latino, African American and Asian? Why do states across the country spend more money incarcerating kids — especially youth of color — than we do educating them? Why, among the 15 million children who have a psychiatric or learning disorder, do youth of color disproportionately receive fewer mental health services than white children? The media should spend less time criticizing parents and more time reporting on the barriers — including long-standing policies and practices rooted in racial, class, and gender discrimination — that prevent millions of people living in the U.S. from having their basic needs met, make breastfeeding difficult or unrealistic for large numbers of women, and, ultimately, harm kids’ health. Rather than debating how long women “should” breastfeed their kids, we need to focus on what employers and other decision-makers should do to eliminate those barriers. Let’s stop berating women for how they raise their kids and start putting policies in place so they actually have the support they need to do so. Enough is enough. --- ## Mountain Dew partners with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ to target Millennials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-partners-with-the-dark-knight-rises-to-target-millennials/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-22 Words: 71 > Mountain Dew will launch a multi-pronged campaign linked to the release of the much-anticipated summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises" to target Millennials aged 18 to 24. The campaign, which... Mountain Dew will launch a multi-pronged campaign linked to the release of the much-anticipated summer blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises” to target Millennials aged 18 to 24. The campaign, which will feature an immersive website, a limited-edition flavor, and extensive NASCAR sponsorship, is designed to “enable fans … to immerse themselves in the world of the Caped Crusader and Gotham City through customized experiences.” --- ## Brewers target communities of color in search of growth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brewers-target-communities-of-color-in-search-of-growth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-21 Words: 73 > Brewers are broadening their marketing strategy to appeal to Latinos and African Americans, who are predicted to drive 70% of beer growth between 2000 and 2020. Because "African-Americans have influence... Brewers are broadening their marketing strategy to appeal to Latinos and African Americans, who are predicted to drive 70% of beer growth between 2000 and 2020. Because “African-Americans have influence over white drinkers, and Hispanic audiences are so large and acculturated,” companies like MillerCoors are making their general marketing “more inclusive” by including multiracial actors, stars like Ice Cube, and music from artists like PitBull and Jay-Z. --- ## Juice, smoothies and sodas may be acidic enough to hurt childrens’ teeth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/juice-smoothies-and-sodas-may-be-acidic-enough-to-hurt-childrens-teeth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-20 Words: 40 > According to researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons, smoothies, juice, and juice drinks like Capri Sun could damage children's teeth due to their acidity and high sugar content, though... According to researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons, smoothies, juice, and juice drinks like Capri Sun could damage children’s teeth due to their acidity and high sugar content, though sodas like Coca-Cola remain the most harmful. --- ## 96% of chain restaurants don’t meet nutrition recommendations for kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/96-of-chain-restaurants-dont-meet-nutrition-recommendations-for-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-17 Words: 56 > A recent study from the Rand Corp. cautions parents that when they eat out, their chances of finding a truly healthy children's entree are "painfully low" because the majority of... A recent study from the Rand Corp. cautions parents that when they eat out, their chances of finding a truly healthy children’s entree are “painfully low” because the majority of national chain restaurants exceed the recommendations set by the USDA for the ideal combination of nutrients in a children’s meal. --- ## By the numbers: Richmond’s proposed soda tax URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/by-the-numbers-richmonds-proposed-soda-tax/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-17 Words: 27 > Writer Andy Wright presents the potential public health benefits of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax proposed in Richmond, California, in an easy-to-read graphic and table. Writer Andy Wright presents the potential public health benefits of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax proposed in Richmond, California, in an easy-to-read graphic and table. --- ## Some metrics suggest healthy food is not more expensive URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/some-metrics-suggest-healthy-food-is-not-more-expensive/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-17 Words: 55 > U.S. Food Policy blogger Parke Wilde provides an overview of the findings of a recent USDA Economic Research Service report, which showed that, based on two out of three metrics,... U.S. Food Policy blogger Parke Wilde provides an overview of the findings of a recent USDA Economic Research Service report, which showed that, based on two out of three metrics, healthy foods cost less than less healthy items. However, when comparing the price of food in cents per calorie, unhealthy foods remain more expensive. --- ## A new ‘Got Milk?’ campaign features famous Latino milk mustache celebrities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-new-got-milk-campaign-features-famous-latino-milk-mustache-celebrities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-17 Words: 56 > The National Hispanic Milk Mustache campaign will launch a series of 35 online videos that feature famous Latino stars of the milk mustache campaign, such as Salma Hayek. The short... The National Hispanic Milk Mustache campaign will launch a series of 35 online videos that feature famous Latino stars of the milk mustache campaign, such as Salma Hayek. The short film series appears to target Latina mothers in particular, with topics like “raising bilingual children” and “tips for raising a healthy family.” --- ## More empty recommendations on junk food marketing to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/more-empty-recommendations-on-junk-food-marketing-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-16 Words: 56 > The Institute of Medicine recently released a report that ostensibly will present comprehensive solutions designed to solve the United States' obesity crisis. Michele Simon calls the report "uninspired," and takes... The Institute of Medicine recently released a report that ostensibly will present comprehensive solutions designed to solve the United States’ obesity crisis. Michele Simon calls the report “uninspired,” and takes the IOM to task for failing to challenge the food industry and the predatory practices it uses to market junk food to children. --- ## The American Beverage Association dismisses soda-tax research URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-american-beverage-association-dismisses-soda-tax-research/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-15 Words: 35 > In a recent statement, the American Beverage Association dismissed research showing that taxing sugar-sweetened beverages would improve public health, and argued that these taxes are merely "a money grab to... In a recent statement, the American Beverage Association dismissed research showing that taxing sugar-sweetened beverages would improve public health, and argued that these taxes are merely “a money grab to raise revenue.” --- ## Coca-Cola blends Facebook and TV to drive sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-blends-facebook-and-tv-to-drive-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-15 Words: 54 > Alison Lewis, senior VP of marketing to Coca-Cola, outlines the company's new marketing vision, which hinges on "networks, connectivity, and conversations." As a case study, she discusses the company's much-publicized... Alison Lewis, senior VP of marketing to Coca-Cola, outlines the company’s new marketing vision, which hinges on “networks, connectivity, and conversations.” As a case study, she discusses the company’s much-publicized “Polar Bowl” promotion, which linked TV advertising with a real-time Internet live stream. --- ## Coke and Pepsi change focus as soda sales decline URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-and-pepsi-change-focus-as-soda-sales-decline/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-15 Words: 60 > Soda companies are increasingly turning their marketing attention to bottled waters, fortified beverages, and energy drinks as soda sales slump. The decline, which some believe may represent the start of... Soda companies are increasingly turning their marketing attention to bottled waters, fortified beverages, and energy drinks as soda sales slump. The decline, which some believe may represent the start of a “paradigm shift away from carbonated soft drinks,” is in part due to the efforts of many schools and local governments to ban soda sales in public spaces. --- ## Nation’s bulging waistline is a food industry issue URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nations-bulging-waistline-is-a-food-industry-issue/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-15 Words: 41 > Following the release of the Institute of Medicine's report on solutions to the obesity crisis, food industry journalist Caroline Scott-Thomas calls on companies to "make [customer's health choices] as routine... Following the release of the Institute of Medicine’s report on solutions to the obesity crisis, food industry journalist Caroline Scott-Thomas calls on companies to “make [customer’s health choices] as routine and easy as possible.” --- ## Tecate targets Latino soccer ‘aficionados’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tecate-targets-latino-soccer-aficionados/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-15 Words: 57 > Tecate is using soccer to target Latino fans with its "Tecate Correspondent Team" promotion, which offers ardent fans a chance to report on a game of their choice in Mexico... Tecate is using soccer to target Latino fans with its “Tecate Correspondent Team” promotion, which offers ardent fans a chance to report on a game of their choice in Mexico or the U.S. The promotion will include high-profile exhibition games and tournaments, as well as appearances by superstars of soccer and soccer reporting. --- ## Why we should stop using the word ‘obesity’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/why-we-should-stop-using-the-word-obesity/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 627 > Quick, what image pops into your mind when you see or hear the word "obesity"? You think of a fat person, right? I know I do. I also know that... Quick, what image pops into your mind when you see or hear the word “obesity”? You think of a fat person, right? I know I do. I also know that I don’t think of junk food or the industry that so heavily promotes it, even though they are a primary culprit behind America’s rising rates of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses. Obesity is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem. Yet many of the very groups that are working hard to improve health equity by exposing the role of junk food marketing, income inequality, and other forces beyond individual control have nevertheless placed responsibility — and shame — for the country’s growing waistlines and related health issues squarely on the shoulders of individuals. It’s not intentional. But it happens every time we utter that all-too-familiar “O”-word. This is a problem because once the conversation is framed in ways that highlight individuals, public health advocates must jump over even higher hurdles to show that we have a need for solutions beyond changes in individual behavior. That’s the trap that former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher and physician Pamela Peeke fell into in February when they debated law professor Paul Campos and TV host John Stossel in a panel called “Is Obesity The Government’s Business?” Without saying a word, Satcher and Peeke started off at a disadvantage, given the title of the debate. Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have done themselves a disservice by framing their recent Weight of the Nation conference using words that focus on fat bodies, rather than on the unhealthy foods that saturate our surroundings or environments that impede physically activity. Genes and lifestyle aren’t enough to explain the country’s growing battles with food-related chronic illnesses. And even though the CDC ultimately wants to reframe the conversation to show this, approaching the issue with a focus on weight accomplishes just the opposite. Airing tonight on HBO, a Weight of the Nation documentary series presented by the Institute of Medicine with the CDC and National Institutes of Health will no doubt face the same challenges. Framing health issues in terms of obesity not only stigmatizes fat people, it also benefits the food industry. As public health lawyer Michele Simon writes, “[I]t is a problem food companies can supposedly help fix. They can market healthier foods! They can help fund playgrounds and exercise programs!” Ever notice how food companies don’t shy away from the word? That itself should sound alarm bells for public health advocates. Of course, avoiding the “O”-word is difficult even when we know it’s problematic. BMSG discussed the trouble with using “obesity” as far back as 2006, yet we still find ourselves reaching for it from time to time. To successfully reframe the issue will be challenging and may take more than a single word. Still, public health advocates should make it a priority to do so. After all, the people who control how a problem is framed have the best chance of influencing the solution. Public health advocates showed this to be true with tobacco when they stopped talking about smoking cessation and started talking about tobacco control. A small shift in language — coupled with attention to the policies that shaped environments — produced a big shift in the public’s thinking so that we now see the problem as one related mostly to industry, not just individuals. With enough collaboration and creative thinking, public health can do the same with food. --- ## Hard liquor advertisers ‘stampede’ to TV URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hard-liquor-advertisers-stampede-to-tv/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-14 Words: 33 > As broadcast networks are relaxing their regulations around alcohol advertising, hard liquor manufacturers, such as Jagermeister, are turning to TV advertising to boost brand awareness or generate "buzz" about their... As broadcast networks are relaxing their regulations around alcohol advertising, hard liquor manufacturers, such as Jagermeister, are turning to TV advertising to boost brand awareness or generate “buzz” about their products. --- ## Denny’s ‘Chicken wRap’ YouTube video is designed to target Latino families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-chicken-wrap-youtube-video-is-designed-to-target-latino-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-14 Words: 77 > After their successful campaign featuring Cesar Millan, Denny's continues to aggressively target Latino customers. Their newest promotion includes a TV commercial featuring a Latino family that directs viewers to the... After their successful campaign featuring Cesar Millan, Denny’s continues to aggressively target Latino customers. Their newest promotion includes a TV commercial featuring a Latino family that directs viewers to the chain’s Latino-targeted YouTube channel, where they will find a music video developed to appeal to the chain’s Latino consumers. Denny’s boasts that the online video is the first campaign the chain has ever developed exclusively in Spanish. --- ## NYT’s Kristof calls for Bud boycott, decries brewer’s greed URL: https://www.bmsg.org/nyts-kristof-calls-for-bud-boycott-decries-brewers-greed/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 285 > According to The New York Times, Anheuser-Busch's business model is "based on violating tribal rules and destroying the Indians' way of living", and the paper is taking them to task... According to The New York Times, Anheuser-Busch’s business model is “based on violating tribal rules and destroying the Indians’ way of living”, and the paper is taking them to task for it — again. In his most recent column, Nicholas Kristof explores the underhanded corporate practices that have contributed to alcoholism and exacerbated health inequities among the Oglala Sioux tribe on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He admonishes brewers — particularly Anheuser-Busch — for “pour[ing] hundreds of thousands of gallons of alcohol into the liquor stores of Whiteclay, knowing that it ends up consumed illicitly by Pine Ridge residents,” and calls for a Budweiser boycott. Responding in a letter to the editor, Luiz Edmond, president of Anheuser-Busch’s North American operations, says that his corporation wants to be part of the solution. “We care about the people of Pine Ridge and hope that together we can make a difference in addressing these problems,” Edmond writes. Yet he gives no specifics as to how Anheuser-Busch plans to do this, and pins responsibility for Whiteclay’s excessive alcohol supply on wholesalers. We hope The New York Times will continue to highlight the role of industry in its coverage of this evolving public health story. And we hope other media will do the same. View our other coverage on health equity at Pine Ridge: ‘But we don’t do that at Whiteclay’: Health equity and social justice on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation New York Times coverage of alcohol lawsuit lets major brewers off the hook NYT exposes alcohol industry efforts to stall important health legislation --- ## Survey finds that more Americans want additional information on food labels URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/survey-finds-that-more-americans-want-additional-information-on-food-labels/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-11 Words: 33 > According to recent poll results from the International Food Information Council, many adults (24% of the 750 surveyed) would like to see more information on their food labels, compared to... According to recent poll results from the International Food Information Council, many adults (24% of the 750 surveyed) would like to see more information on their food labels, compared to 18% in 2010. --- ## ‘The Weight of the Nation’ review: Obesity crisis URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-weight-of-the-nation-review-obesity-crisis/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-10 Words: 44 > HBO's documentary, "The Weight of the Nation," attracted considerable media attention. This review from the Chronicle highlights the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on health, and discusses the Interagency Working Group's... HBO’s documentary, “The Weight of the Nation,” attracted considerable media attention. This review from the Chronicle highlights the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on health, and discusses the Interagency Working Group’s efforts to improve food marketing to children. --- ## Coca-Cola’s experiment with integrated marketing drew in 9 million people URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-experiment-with-integrated-marketing-drew-in-9-million-people/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-09 Words: 48 > During the 2012 Super Bowl, Coca-Cola hosted the "Polar Bowl," an integrated marketing campaign featuring the brand's iconic Polar Bears. The Polar Bowl attracted 9 million consumers across various media... During the 2012 Super Bowl, Coca-Cola hosted the “Polar Bowl,” an integrated marketing campaign featuring the brand’s iconic Polar Bears. The Polar Bowl attracted 9 million consumers across various media platforms, and engaged them for an average of nearly half an hour each. --- ## Odwalla uses ‘goodness’ message to push product URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/odwalla-uses-goodness-message-to-push-product/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-09 Words: 37 > Odwalla's newest campaign builds loyalty by aligning the brand with tips for real-world good deeds and engagement activities. The Coca-Cola-owned brand has launched a Facebook campaign, as well as other... Odwalla’s newest campaign builds loyalty by aligning the brand with tips for real-world good deeds and engagement activities. The Coca-Cola-owned brand has launched a Facebook campaign, as well as other promotional activities. --- ## Soda makers protest New York City’s anti-soda public health campaign as ‘discriminatory’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-makers-protest-new-york-citys-anti-soda-public-health-campaign-as-discriminatory/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-09 Words: 51 > Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are fighting a New York City campaign that aims to reduce sugary soft drink consumption using anti-soda subway advertisements. The American Beverage Association argues that the ads... Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are fighting a New York City campaign that aims to reduce sugary soft drink consumption using anti-soda subway advertisements. The American Beverage Association argues that the ads “[single] out one product out of an array … which contribute equally to this very complex issue.” --- ## 7UP uses soccer partnership to reach Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7up-uses-soccer-partnership-to-reach-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-09 Words: 53 > 7UP recently announced a partnership with the "premier Hispanic U.S. soccer-scouting program," Alianza de Futbol. The deal will help 7UP build brand loyalty among Latinos by hosting the Sueno Alianza... 7UP recently announced a partnership with the “premier Hispanic U.S. soccer-scouting program,” Alianza de Futbol. The deal will help 7UP build brand loyalty among Latinos by hosting the Sueno Alianza tryout series, where up-and-coming players will have a chance to compete to play collegiate or professional soccer. --- ## Health advocates call for removal of deceptive Gatorade ad featuring Michael Jordan URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/health-advocates-call-for-removal-of-deceptive-gatorade-ad-featuring-michael-jordan/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-08 Words: 40 > The Public Health Advocacy Institute, based at Northeastern University School of Law, has called on the FTC to withdraw a Gatorade advertisement that deceptively implies the product helped basketball legend... The Public Health Advocacy Institute, based at Northeastern University School of Law, has called on the FTC to withdraw a Gatorade advertisement that deceptively implies the product helped basketball legend Michael Jordan overcome the flu for a landmark 1997 game. --- ## Lack of willpower not a factor in obesity epidemic URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lack-of-willpower-not-a-factor-in-obesity-epidemic/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-08 Words: 61 > Bay Citizen columnist Andy Wright summarizes the results of a recently released study from the Institute of Medicine which concludes that "the United States promotes obesity by offering few options... Bay Citizen columnist Andy Wright summarizes the results of a recently released study from the Institute of Medicine which concludes that “the United States promotes obesity by offering few options for a healthy lifestyle.” The study has drawn fire from food, beverage and restaurant industry lobbyists who claim these conclusions are an example of “food nann[ying].” --- ## McDonald’s targets African Americans at the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-targets-african-americans-at-the-inspiration-celebration-gospel-tour/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-08 Words: 66 > As part of its African American-targeted 365Black platform, McDonald's is hosting a nine-city U.S. gospel tour that will feature popular performers such as Fred Hammond and VaShawn Mitchell. The company... As part of its African American-targeted 365Black platform, McDonald’s is hosting a nine-city U.S. gospel tour that will feature popular performers such as Fred Hammond and VaShawn Mitchell. The company claims the concert series, which will wind through major cities in the south and Midwest, shows that “McDonald’s is committed to being deeply rooted in the community.” --- ## Pepsi’s ‘Live for Now’ campaign targets youth worldwide URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsis-live-for-now-campaign-targets-youth-worldwide/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-07 Words: 39 > Looking to stop Pepsi's recent slump in the beverage market, the company has launched a global campaign, "Live Now," partnering with Nicki Minaj and replacing pespi.com with "Pepsi Pulse" to... Looking to stop Pepsi’s recent slump in the beverage market, the company has launched a global campaign, “Live Now,” partnering with Nicki Minaj and replacing pespi.com with “Pepsi Pulse” to target youth. --- ## New study suggests that junk food creates addiction URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-study-suggests-that-junk-food-creates-addiction/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-07 Words: 15 > The study finds that eating junk food not only satisfies cravings, but also creates them. The study finds that eating junk food not only satisfies cravings, but also creates them. --- ## McDonald’s aggressively uses Twitter to boost image and sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-aggressively-uses-twitter-to-boost-image-and-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-04 Words: 28 > The fast-food giant uses Twitter to drive people to view new commercials that feature farmers and ranchers and portray McDonald's ingredients as "authentic". The fast-food giant uses Twitter to drive people to view new commercials that feature farmers and ranchers and portray McDonald’s ingredients as “authentic”. --- ## Chicago considers sugary beverage tax URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chicago-considers-sugary-beverage-tax/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-02 Words: 25 > Chicago considers adding a beverage tax on sodas, energy drinks and other sugary beverages. In defense, industry representatives claim that a tax would hurt jobs. Chicago considers adding a beverage tax on sodas, energy drinks and other sugary beverages. In defense, industry representatives claim that a tax would hurt jobs. --- ## American Beverage Association responds to general dentistry paper URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/american-beverage-association-responds-to-general-dentistry-paper/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-02 Words: 38 > In response to a study about the dental harms of sports and energy drinks, the beverage industry vehemently denies that foods or sugary beverages lead to dental caries. Instead, they... In response to a study about the dental harms of sports and energy drinks, the beverage industry vehemently denies that foods or sugary beverages lead to dental caries. Instead, they place responsibility on individuals, genetics, and personal lifestyles. --- ## FDA releases strategic plan for 2012-2016 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fda-releases-strategic-plan-for-2012-2016/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-02 Words: 30 > Marion Nestle reviews the report that describes what the FDA will do in food areas, such as updating the nutrition facts label and implementing menu and vending machine labeling regulations. Marion Nestle reviews the report that describes what the FDA will do in food areas, such as updating the nutrition facts label and implementing menu and vending machine labeling regulations. --- ## Nestle exploits anti-soda movement by selling bottled water URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-exploits-anti-soda-movement-by-selling-bottled-water/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-01 Words: 65 > Nestle launches the 2012 version of its "Pure Life Hydration Movement" capitalizing on negative attention surrounding sugary beverages to boost its water bottled sales. Participating consumers who pledge to replace... Nestle launches the 2012 version of its “Pure Life Hydration Movement” capitalizing on negative attention surrounding sugary beverages to boost its water bottled sales. Participating consumers who pledge to replace one sugary beverage a day with water will receive $1 off a Nestle bottled water and be allowed to enter a sweepstakes to get a free supply of bottled water for a year. --- ## UK doctors criticize McDonalds’ Olympic sponsorship, say ads could worsen obesity epidemic URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-doctors-criticize-mcdonalds-olympic-sponsorship-say-ads-could-worsen-obesity-epidemic/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-01 Words: 44 > McDonald's is a sponsor for the London Olympics and will be opening its largest restaurant in the world that seats 1,500 customers. UK doctors warn that the fast-food giant is... McDonald’s is a sponsor for the London Olympics and will be opening its largest restaurant in the world that seats 1,500 customers. UK doctors warn that the fast-food giant is using the Olympics to associate itself with fitness and health. --- ## School breakfast, the new food fight URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/school-breakfast-the-new-food-fight/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-05-01 Words: 36 > Food columnist Mark Bittman argues that instead of debating if we should be helping hungry or obese kids, we should help them both and address poverty and junk food advertising... Food columnist Mark Bittman argues that instead of debating if we should be helping hungry or obese kids, we should help them both and address poverty and junk food advertising to alleviate food insecurity and obesity. --- ## Will better access to healthier foods reduce obesity? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/will-better-access-to-healthier-foods-reduce-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-30 Words: 28 > In response to a recent article in The New York Times questioning the existence of food deserts, Nestle argues that the real issue is poverty and income inequality. In response to a recent article in The New York Times questioning the existence of food deserts, Nestle argues that the real issue is poverty and income inequality. --- ## Pepsi targets Latinos through Pepsi Pulse ‘Mi Pepsi’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-targets-latinos-through-pepsi-pulse-mi-pepsi/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-30 Words: 60 > Pepsi launches a multi-year campaign featuring the tagline "Live for Now" and Nicki Minaj to position itself as a pop culture icon. PepsiCo is also designing an interactive website called... Pepsi launches a multi-year campaign featuring the tagline “Live for Now” and Nicki Minaj to position itself as a pop culture icon. PepsiCo is also designing an interactive website called “Pepsi Pulse” that will include pop-culture information and entertainment. A version of Pulse, ‘Mi Pepsi’, will be specifically designed to reach Latinos. --- ## Study suggests fast-food advertising on TV contributes to obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-suggests-fast-food-advertising-on-tv-contributes-to-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-30 Words: 35 > Young people who recognized fast-food brands even when certain cues were erased (e.g. McDonald's golden arches) were twice as likely to be obese as those who only recognized a few... Young people who recognized fast-food brands even when certain cues were erased (e.g. McDonald’s golden arches) were twice as likely to be obese as those who only recognized a few brands. --- ## Letter: Food marketing to children policies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/letter-food-marketing-to-children-policies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-30 Words: 34 > In response to a previous article in the WSJ that argued that guidelines on food marketing would not help, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz reiterates that he does not support congressional... In response to a previous article in the WSJ that argued that guidelines on food marketing would not help, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz reiterates that he does not support congressional action on food advertising. --- ## How Washington weakened efforts to combat childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-washington-weakened-efforts-to-combat-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-27 Words: 42 > Reuters reporters Duff Wilson and Janet Roberts argue that government has succumbed to the industry's aggressive lobbying and wealth to resist changes to food marketing to children. Reuters has also... Reuters reporters Duff Wilson and Janet Roberts argue that government has succumbed to the industry’s aggressive lobbying and wealth to resist changes to food marketing to children. Reuters has also released a video that shows how the industry fought back. --- ## Food safety on hold URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-safety-on-hold/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-27 Words: 39 > The New York Times urges the Obama administration to work on three important food issues: the voluntary marketing guidelines intended to curb marketing of fast foods and sugary beverages to... The New York Times urges the Obama administration to work on three important food issues: the voluntary marketing guidelines intended to curb marketing of fast foods and sugary beverages to children, nutrition labels, and the Food Safety Modernization Act. --- ## Are you reinforcing your opposition’s arguments? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/are-you-reinforcing-your-oppositions-arguments/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 396 > The following is a reposting of a blog written for the brand new Community Commons website, an interactive resource for leaders from communities, philanthropy, and government agencies, as well as... The following is a reposting of a blog written for the brand new Community Commons website, an interactive resource for leaders from communities, philanthropy, and government agencies, as well as private, academic and civic organizations working together on policy, systems and environmental changes for healthier, more equitable communities. BMSG was asked to moderate the Media and Marketing group. Check it out at communitycommons.org. DON’T think of a pink elephant. (You’re thinking of one right now, aren’t you?) This little exercise refers to UC Berkeley professor George Lakoff’s book on the subject of framing in politics, Don’t Think of an Elephant, and how we can apply his framing advice in messages designed to promote healthy living policies. (Thanks to Liana Winett, research associate professor in the School of Community Health at Portland State University, for the suggestions and examples below). Do you ever find yourself bringing up your opposition’s frame before she or he does? Have you ever said or heard someone else say something like, “Our healthy living policy goal is NOT nanny state legislation” when nobody else has mentioned the words “nanny” or “state”? By raising the precise frames we are intending to counter, even if only to refute them, we are creating hurdles we now must jump over. Moreover, we may be suggesting these arguments to those who had not yet considered them. An actual example from a 2010 Oregonian article about a proposed local healthy vending machine policy: “The governor is not talking about taking away people’s french fries. He just wants to offer them the choice of having carrots.” Next time your advocacy group’s spokesperson starts a sentence with “this is not about”, stop and think: Is this going to reinforce the counter frame? Other potential pink elephant indicators: “We are not” “We don’t intend to ____, rather ____” “This can be an issue of ____, but ____” “It is expensive, but ____” Sometimes we have to counter an opposition’s argument, but when we can set the frame, we should use our own words. Can you think of a quote that was meant to counter the opposition’s frame but instead inadvertently reinforced it? Share your examples. --- ## Documentary highlights challenges in school nutrition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/documentary-highlights-challenges-in-school-nutrition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-26 Words: 29 > The four-part documentary series "The Weight of the Nation" features cafeterias in Madison schools as the typical U.S. cafeteria that serves unhealthful foods to children. The four-part documentary series “The Weight of the Nation” features cafeterias in Madison schools as the typical U.S. cafeteria that serves unhealthful foods to children. --- ## Burger King announces changes in origins of food products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-announces-changes-in-origins-of-food-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-25 Words: 27 > Burger King announces that by 2017 it will purchase only eggs and pork that come from producers who don't confine animals to cages or crates. Burger King announces that by 2017 it will purchase only eggs and pork that come from producers who don’t confine animals to cages or crates. --- ## Coca-Cola uses pop stars Chino y Nacho to target young Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-pop-stars-chino-y-nacho-to-target-young-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-25 Words: 46 > Coca-Cola won the Billboard Latin Music Marketing award for social media/online campaigns for its "Seremos Mas" promotional commercial. The commercial featured pop stars Chino y Nacho and builds on theme... Coca-Cola won the Billboard Latin Music Marketing award for social media/online campaigns for its “Seremos Mas” promotional commercial. The commercial featured pop stars Chino y Nacho and builds on theme of digital media connectedness all while showing young Latinos drinking Coca-Cola. --- ## Target increases number of stores that offer fresh foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/target-increases-number-of-stores-that-offer-fresh-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-24 Words: 40 > Target stores attempt to increase their visibility in the food and beverage market by touting their commitment to offering fresh food choices. By the end of 2012, more than 1,100... Target stores attempt to increase their visibility in the food and beverage market by touting their commitment to offering fresh food choices. By the end of 2012, more than 1,100 Target stores will offer the new fresh food layout. --- ## Sugary cereal: breakfast candy or weight management tool? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sugary-cereal-breakfast-candy-or-weight-management-tool/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-24 Words: 39 > Cereal companies continue to tout their sugary products as a solution to the childhood obesity epidemic. Margo Wootan and David Ludwig urge companies to work with the Obama administration instead... Cereal companies continue to tout their sugary products as a solution to the childhood obesity epidemic. Margo Wootan and David Ludwig urge companies to work with the Obama administration instead of lobbying against voluntary guidelines for marketing to children. --- ## Is Ronald McDonald the New Joe Camel? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-ronald-mcdonald-the-new-joe-camel/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-23 Words: 30 > The popularity and use of spokespersons and characters like Ronald McDonald to market fast food to children is very similar to that of the tobacco industry's Joe Camel. The popularity and use of spokespersons and characters like Ronald McDonald to market fast food to children is very similar to that of the tobacco industry’s Joe Camel. --- ## Have food deserts turned into food swamps? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/have-food-deserts-turned-into-food-swamps/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 607 > Do food deserts really exist? That depends on how you define them. On Wednesday, The New York Times published a front-page story of two studies that questioned the existence of... Do food deserts really exist? That depends on how you define them. On Wednesday, The New York Times published a front-page story of two studies that questioned the existence of food deserts and their relationship to obesity. Other media outlets soon followed suit. One study, by Helen Lee of the Public Policy Institute of California, suggested that so-called food deserts in urban neighborhoods contain more food — both healthy and unhealthy — than other neighborhoods. The second study, by Roland Sturm of the RAND Corporation, found no association between the food that students reported eating, their weight, and the type of food within a mile and a half of their homes. According to The New York Times, Sturm suggested, “Maybe we should call it a food swamp rather than a desert.” Research is important, especially when it challenges our assumptions. So is careful media coverage of it. But, like the causes of obesity, research is complicated. My question here — one that few in the media seem to be asking — is: How did the researchers define access to healthy food? Both studies can be true and still miss an essential point about how our food system perpetuates inequity because neither critically engages the term “access”. Both cost and transportation affect a person’s access to healthful foods. Even if many low-income residents live within “a couple of miles” of a grocery store, the food may not be affordable. And getting to that store may be much more difficult and time-consuming than getting to a nearby fast food restaurant or corner store. What if someone has to take 2 buses or work multiple jobs to support his or her family? Making a 2-mile trip is probably a lot harder for that person than for a wealthy suburban resident who owns a car and can drive twice that distance in a fraction of the time. This was the case for Melanie M., a former resident of New Orleans who commented on The New York Times article, sharing her firsthand experience living in a food desert: I lived a stones throw away from a housing project and about a mile from 2 different grocery stores. There were also 2 corner stores and a small grocery within 3 blocks of my house. These stores sold snacks, processed and preserved foods (canned foods, pasta), some frozen foods, milk, eggs and processed cheese, and some processed meats. You could probably pick up some inedible tomatoes, potatoes, onions and bell peppers as well. Everything was sold at outrageously jacked-up prices. These corner stores were a far cry from those in NYC, which offer up fresh vegetables, fruits, organic and specialty fare. I didn’t own a car. So a trip to a grocery store a mile away became a 2 hour ordeal. Not to mention when using public transportation you can only carry/struggle with 2-4 bags worth of groceries anyways. But I did it because I was (1) alone and (2) am well-educated and extremely health conscious. Most of my minority, N.O. public school neighbors were not. Without factoring in the costs of time and travel, the research is meaningless. Whether we define it as a desert or a swamp, everyone needs easy access to healthy, affordable food. It’s a matter of fairness. After all, if we want to have vibrant communities, we should commit to investing in all communities. To this end, the media can play a role by reporting more critically on the increased barriers to health that some communities face. --- ## Burger King distributes free samples to promote new menu items URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-distributes-free-samples-to-promote-new-menu-items/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-20 Words: 28 > Burger King is using in-store samples and BK branded foodtrucks to promote new menu items, such as chicken strips and frappes, in 40 cities around the country. Burger King is using in-store samples and BK branded foodtrucks to promote new menu items, such as chicken strips and frappes, in 40 cities around the country. --- ## Frito Lay partnership is profitable for Taco Bell URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-partnership-is-profitable-for-taco-bell/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-19 Words: 36 > The release of the successful Doritos Locos Taco is part of Taco Bell's plan to expand the brand's appeal and "make [it] more mainstream with male and female target audiences." The release of the successful Doritos Locos Taco is part of Taco Bell’s plan to expand the brand’s appeal and “make [it] more mainstream with male and female target audiences.” --- ## Parents support nutrition standards on competitive foods in schools URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/parents-support-nutrition-standards-on-competitive-foods-in-schools/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-19 Words: 52 > The advocacy group Kids Safe and Healthy Foods has released a study showing that parents support proposed legislation that would require healthier food be sold in schools (outside of cafeterias).... The advocacy group Kids Safe and Healthy Foods has released a study showing that parents support proposed legislation that would require healthier food be sold in schools (outside of cafeterias). In general, parents agree that children “can’t make that healthy choice . . . [with] all those temptations under their noses.” --- ## PepsiNext takes over BuzzFeed to engage social media fans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsinext-takes-over-buzzfeed-to-engage-social-media-fans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-19 Words: 37 > On April 19, Pepsi used social media aggregator BuzzFeed to promote the PepsiNext "Try it to believe it" campaign. The campaign is structured to encourage users to try PepsiNext while... On April 19, Pepsi used social media aggregator BuzzFeed to promote the PepsiNext “Try it to believe it” campaign. The campaign is structured to encourage users to try PepsiNext while they explore new viral content. --- ## Coca-Cola partners with Spotify to reach teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-partners-with-spotify-to-reach-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-18 Words: 39 > Music startup Spotify has partnered with Coca-Cola as part of the "Year of Music" campaign. The partnership, which may include cross partnerships with McDonalds, is part of Coke's ongoing effort... Music startup Spotify has partnered with Coca-Cola as part of the “Year of Music” campaign. The partnership, which may include cross partnerships with McDonalds, is part of Coke’s ongoing effort to reach teens worldwide. --- ## McDonald’s owners offer grants for local nutrition programs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-owners-offer-grants-for-local-nutrition-programs/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-18 Words: 22 > Grantees in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will receive funding for programs that "help people make informed food choices." Grantees in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will receive funding for programs that “help people make informed food choices.” --- ## Planters targets male shoppers with new Men’s Health Recommended Mix URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/planters-targets-male-shoppers-with-new-mens-health-recommended-mix/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-17 Words: 33 > Planters has partnered with Men's Health magazine to release a new line of health snacks for men. The partnership is intended to capitalize on male shoppers' interest in healthy eating. Planters has partnered with Men’s Health magazine to release a new line of health snacks for men. The partnership is intended to capitalize on male shoppers’ interest in healthy eating. --- ## Studies question the pairing of food deserts and obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/studies-question-the-pairing-of-food-deserts-and-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-17 Words: 68 > An article from The New York Times summarizes the findings of new research on low-income urban neighborhoods, often described as "food deserts". One study suggests that such neighborhoods may actually... An article from The New York Times summarizes the findings of new research on low-income urban neighborhoods, often described as “food deserts”. One study suggests that such neighborhoods may actually contain more food options than affluent neighborhoods, while the other indicates that there is no relationship between the food environment and childhood obesity. These research findings have inspired a great deal of commentary and discussion. --- ## NYT exposes alcohol industry efforts to stall important health legislation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/nyt-exposes-alcohol-industry-efforts-to-stall-important-health-legislation/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 366 > April is Alcohol Awareness Month, so it is fitting that the New York Times is keeping news about a controversial lawsuit involving the alcohol industry in the spotlight. In February,... April is Alcohol Awareness Month, so it is fitting that the New York Times is keeping news about a controversial lawsuit involving the alcohol industry in the spotlight. In February, the Oglala Sioux tribe filed a lawsuit against beer manufacturers, distributors and sellers who they claim have been knowingly promoting alcohol abuse on the Pine Ridge Reservation where alcohol is illegal. According to the Times, the alcohol industry may have had a hand in stalling legislation that would limit consumption on the alcohol-ravaged reservation. A Nebraska bill to limit beer sales in areas that are prone to alcohol-related crime would have a marked impact in Whiteclay, Neb., which borders Pine Ridge and is home to four vendors that, in 2010 alone, sold 4.9 million cans of beer — most of it to members of the Oglala Sioux — with devastating social and public health consequences. But the bill has stalled in Nebraska’s General Affairs Committee, most of whose members have received contributions from the alcohol industry. The Times’ earlier coverage of the unfolding story at Whiteclay tended to focus on the responsibility of individual beer sellers for the problems at Pine Ridge, while minimizing the role of major brewers. We commend the most recent article for explicitly discussing the role and responsibility of the alcohol industry. One Senator, who once received alcohol industry funding but now works to introduce anti-alcohol legislation around Whiteclay, even acknowledges that the industry has “a pretty good hold on the [General Affairs] committee. They make sure they like the people who sit on the committee.” We hope that future articles about this unfolding story will continue to shine the light on the alcohol industry’s efforts to circumvent sustainable efforts to repair the damage their product has caused for the Oglala Sioux population. View our other coverage on health equity at Pine Ridge: ‘But we don’t do that at Whiteclay’: Health equity and social justice on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation New York Times coverage of alcohol lawsuit lets major brewers off the hook NYT’s Kristof calls for Bud boycott, decries brewer’s greed --- ## UK doctors call for crackdown on junk food marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/uk-doctors-call-for-crackdown-on-junk-food-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-16 Words: 69 > A UK-based organization of doctors' groups has suggested placing restrictions on junk food marketing as a strategy to reduce obesity rates. Proposals include banning brands like McDonald's and Coca-Cola from... A UK-based organization of doctors’ groups has suggested placing restrictions on junk food marketing as a strategy to reduce obesity rates. Proposals include banning brands like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola from sponsoring the Olympics and other sporting events, ending “the use of celebrities and cartoon characters to market unhealthy food and drinks to children,” and taxing foods high in fat and salt. --- ## Mountain Dew expands TV presence in areas with poor sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-expands-tv-presence-in-areas-with-poor-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-16 Words: 35 > The brand plans to spend up to 40% of its TV budget on high-profile ads during The Simpsons and other popular shows. The ads will feature professional athletes and stars... The brand plans to spend up to 40% of its TV budget on high-profile ads during The Simpsons and other popular shows. The ads will feature professional athletes and stars like rapper Lil Wayne. --- ## Alcohol advertisers launch self-regulation pact in Europe URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/alcohol-advertisers-launch-self-regulation-pact-in-europe/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-16 Words: 44 > European alcohol regulators launched a Responsible Marketing Pact last week. The Pact is intended to prevent children from seeing alcohol marketing on social media, to reduce children's exposure to alcohol... European alcohol regulators launched a Responsible Marketing Pact last week. The Pact is intended to prevent children from seeing alcohol marketing on social media, to reduce children’s exposure to alcohol advertising overall, and to ensure that alcohol ads primarily appeal to adults. --- ## … And love handles for all URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/and-love-handles-for-all/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-16 Words: 57 > Frank Bruni, columnist for The New York Times, uses the premiere of the multiplatform project "The Weight of a Nation" as a springboard to reframe the discussion about obesity and... Frank Bruni, columnist for The New York Times, uses the premiere of the multiplatform project “The Weight of a Nation” as a springboard to reframe the discussion about obesity and the food environment. He argues that obesity may be “what comes naturally to us”, and calls for an overhaul of the food environment. --- ## When brands personify our food … and go social URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/when-brands-personify-our-food-and-go-social/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-16 Words: 47 > GrownUp Thinking, a blog produced by New York-based marketing firm Mr Youth, discusses the implications of advertising that personifies food. Their analysis includes new campaigns from M&Ms, Cheetos, and other... GrownUp Thinking, a blog produced by New York-based marketing firm Mr Youth, discusses the implications of advertising that personifies food. Their analysis includes new campaigns from M&Ms, Cheetos, and other brands that increasingly use social media to expand their spokescharacter’s cultural impact. --- ## Papa Murphy’s targets kids with branded pizza-making kits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/papa-murphys-targets-kids-with-branded-pizza-making-kits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-13 Words: 39 > Papa Murphy's pizza chain recently launched child-sized pizza-making kits, which are similar to the brand's other "take-and-bake" products. The promotion features in-store advertising placed at kids' level. Papa Murphy’s pizza chain recently launched child-sized pizza-making kits, which are similar to the brand’s other “take-and-bake” products. The promotion features in-store advertising placed at kids’ level. --- ## New Taco Bell menu item boosts brand buzz URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-taco-bell-menu-item-boosts-brand-buzz/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-13 Words: 22 > Taco Bell's new Doritos Locos menu item has significantly increased buzz about the chain, according to the BrandIndex Buzz score. Taco Bell’s new Doritos Locos menu item has significantly increased buzz about the chain, according to the BrandIndex Buzz score. --- ## Media coverage of autism study leaves out critical context URL: https://www.bmsg.org/media-coverage-of-autism-study-leaves-out-critical-context/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 409 > There has been a lot of media attention on a new study published in Pediatrics that links obesity during pregnancy to increased risk of autism. The researchers studied more than... There has been a lot of media attention on a new study published in Pediatrics that links obesity during pregnancy to increased risk of autism. The researchers studied more than 1,000 children in California and found that the risk of autism was 60% higher among those born to mothers who were obese, hypertensive or diabetic during their pregnancy. Autism spectrum disorders appear to be on the rise in the United States, and research about the possible causes of this increase is vital. However, news coverage of this latest study is problematic because it frames autism as a problem that may primarily be the responsibility of mothers, giving little to no attention to the many social, cultural, and environmental factors that research has shown to contribute to obesity. For example, mothers cannot determine how many stores offer decently priced fresh foods. They cannot overpower the food and beverage industry that spends millions of dollars every hour marketing cheap fast foods and sugary beverages. They cannot single-handedly improve the safety of their neighborhoods to make them more walkable or conducive to physical activity. Though most articles acknowledge the study’s limits and caution against drawing premature conclusions about potential connections between obesity and autism, they nevertheless point to what pregnant women should be doing differently to lose weight. An LA Times article encourages diet and exercise in the first sentence, and NPR paraphrases a study author, saying, “[I]t’s clearly a good idea for women who are overweight or obese to try to slim down before becoming pregnant.” This is not the first time that news coverage of a health issue has reinforced a “mother blaming” frame. For example, much coverage of breastfeeding, which has many known health benefits, tends to scold mothers who don’t breastfeed rather than exploring the barriers in the workplace, hospital and other locations that make it hard for women to nurse. Academics, professionals, and journalists who want to improve our public’s health need to be critical of the contextual factors that influence it. Reporters — and the advocates who talk with them — should explain and illustrate the conditions that precede individual decision-making. By widening the lens, we will identify other institutions that are accountable, such as city councils or the food beverage industry, in the case of obesity, that can help provide healthier environments for mothers, children and all people alike. --- ## Domino’s school lunch pizza program continues growing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-school-lunch-pizza-program-continues-growing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-11 Words: 36 > More than 3,000 schools in 37 states now participate in Domino's Pizza's Smart Slice school lunch program, which was recently modified to meet the revised USDA nutrition standards for school... More than 3,000 schools in 37 states now participate in Domino’s Pizza’s Smart Slice school lunch program, which was recently modified to meet the revised USDA nutrition standards for school lunch. --- ## Denny’s airs second season of Gen-Y targeted videos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-airs-second-season-of-gen-y-targeted-videos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-11 Words: 47 > The three-minute videos, which are heavy on celebrity and light on branding, attempt to reach young viewers on an "emotional, non-forced level" and can be easily shared through Facebook and... The three-minute videos, which are heavy on celebrity and light on branding, attempt to reach young viewers on an “emotional, non-forced level” and can be easily shared through Facebook and Twitter. The newest videos will feature stars like Jessica Biel and Chris Pratt. --- ## Dr Pepper launches promotion with tie-in to ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-launches-promotion-with-tie-in-to-marvels-the-avengers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-10 Words: 26 > The campaign features a commercial that "dramatizes the potential for anyone to be a hero," along with limited edition cans and an online game. The campaign features a commercial that “dramatizes the potential for anyone to be a hero,” along with limited edition cans and an online game. --- ## Consumer group urges hospitals to terminate McDonald’s contracts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/consumer-group-urges-hospitals-to-terminate-mcdonalds-contracts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-10 Words: 63 > Corporate Accountability International, a consumer advocacy group, is urging the 27 U.S. hospitals that house McDonald's franchises to end their contracts with the chain. CAI argues that the chain is... Corporate Accountability International, a consumer advocacy group, is urging the 27 U.S. hospitals that house McDonald’s franchises to end their contracts with the chain. CAI argues that the chain is benefitting from an “associated perception of healthfulness.” McDonald’s has retaliated with a statement that it “relies on the consumers’ sense of personal responsibility.” --- ## African-Americans respond negatively to Mary J. Blige’s Burger King song URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/african-americans-respond-negatively-to-mary-j-bliges-burger-king-song/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-10 Words: 33 > Burger King launched a commercial featuring Mary J. Blige singing about the company's new product Crispy Chicken Wraps. The ad was pulled after African-Americans criticized it for promoting racial stereotypes. Burger King launched a commercial featuring Mary J. Blige singing about the company’s new product Crispy Chicken Wraps. The ad was pulled after African-Americans criticized it for promoting racial stereotypes. --- ## Oakland Unified School District aims to provide health care to all students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/oakland-unified-school-district-aims-to-provide-health-care-to-all-students/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 341 > The Oakland Unified School District has put together a network of funds intended to achieve its goal of being the first district in the United States to guarantee universal access... The Oakland Unified School District has put together a network of funds intended to achieve its goal of being the first district in the United States to guarantee universal access to primary health care, including prevention services, for all students. By the end of 2012, the district will contain a total of 26 health centers that provide primary care to students, with 9 opening this year alone. The groundbreaking program represents a long-term investment in the health of its students, and Oakland as a whole. It also gives the media an opportunity to open a dialogue about health equity and report on the program’s challenges and successes so that other schools can consider adopting similar strategies. Local news sites could contribute here, too, by providing coverage of community reactions and places for commentary. OUSD should be commended for ensuring that children and teens, an often under-served population, receive adequate primary care, including prevention and health education. Access to convenient and affordable medical care not only helps maintain children’s health in the short term, but also can reduce their long-term risk of chronic disease, and improve their success in school. These centers may prove even more effective because of their unique location within schools. This will enable the many low-income students in the district to access care they might otherwise not receive, since many low-income parents can’t afford to take time off work to bring their children to doctor’s visits in far away hospitals. The Oakland District’s program could further build community health if it solicited and incorporated suggestions from Oakland students and their families. Such community input is a valuable resource because it could help policy makers and medical professionals better tailor the centers to student needs. Input from students and their families could also help illuminate the social and environmental factors that contribute to the health issues they face, another key step toward resolving health issues for current and future generations of Oakland school children. --- ## Mobile apps put food to the health test in grocery aisles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mobile-apps-put-food-to-the-health-test-in-grocery-aisles/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-09 Words: 34 > A new mobile app, called Fooducate, is intended to help consumers make healthy purchase decisions. The app helps users "grade" foods based on how processed they are and what nutrients... A new mobile app, called Fooducate, is intended to help consumers make healthy purchase decisions. The app helps users “grade” foods based on how processed they are and what nutrients they contain. --- ## Global snack food sales thrive in spite of economic downturn URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/global-snack-food-sales-thrive-in-spite-of-economic-downturn/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-09 Words: 36 > The industry cites new product launches, the "increased westernization of diet patterns", and an "eating in" trend during a down economy as reasons for the growth of the snack foods... The industry cites new product launches, the “increased westernization of diet patterns”, and an “eating in” trend during a down economy as reasons for the growth of the snack foods market. --- ## Peeps-Volkswagen partnership continues with expanded roadshow URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/peeps-volkswagen-partnership-continues-with-expanded-roadshow/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-09 Words: 52 > Two new Volkswagen Beetle Peepster cars have joined the spring Peeps "Magical Moments Tour", an ongoing promotion for the candy throughout the U.S. The tour includes brand ambassadors who distribute... Two new Volkswagen Beetle Peepster cars have joined the spring Peeps “Magical Moments Tour”, an ongoing promotion for the candy throughout the U.S. The tour includes brand ambassadors who distribute samples, coupons, and “Random Acts of Sweetness” at special events, schools, hospitals, community events and other venues. --- ## Hostess creates National Twinkie Day URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hostess-creates-national-twinkie-day/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-06 Words: 22 > Hostess is urging Americans to celebrate National Twinkie Day with a social media promotion and coupons promoting the new Chocolate Creme Twinkies. Hostess is urging Americans to celebrate National Twinkie Day with a social media promotion and coupons promoting the new Chocolate Creme Twinkies. --- ## Consumer concern over ‘food fraud’ challenges industry tactics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/consumer-concern-over-food-fraud-challenges-industry-tactics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-06 Words: 67 > Industry commenter Thom Forbes discusses the probable impact on the food industry of high-profile instances of "food fraud", like the well-publicized scandal over "pink slime." He urges transparency in food... Industry commenter Thom Forbes discusses the probable impact on the food industry of high-profile instances of “food fraud”, like the well-publicized scandal over “pink slime.” He urges transparency in food manufacturing, echoing a food science researcher who encourages the food industry to “tell consumers what they’re buying. Give them an option. Let them make the choice.” --- ## Pepsi Next launches ‘Internet Taste Test’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-next-launches-internet-taste-test/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-05 Words: 39 > Pepsi Next has launched a Facebook-based "Internet Taste Test" as part of its "Drink It To Believe It" promotion. The Taste Test is linked to comedy videos on the popular... Pepsi Next has launched a Facebook-based “Internet Taste Test” as part of its “Drink It To Believe It” promotion. The Taste Test is linked to comedy videos on the popular website Funny Or Die. --- ## Pizza Patron connects marketing efforts to traditional Latin American celebration URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-patron-connects-marketing-efforts-to-traditional-latin-american-celebration/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-05 Words: 46 > Playing off of "DÌ_a del Ni̱o" (Children's Day), a celebration recognized widely throughout Latin America, restaurant chain Pizza Patron is promoting "El Mes Del Nino" (Children's Month) with coloring sheets... Playing off of “DÌ_a del Ni̱o” (Children’s Day), a celebration recognized widely throughout Latin America, restaurant chain Pizza Patron is promoting “El Mes Del Nino” (Children’s Month) with coloring sheets that contain coupons for discounted pizza. --- ## Wendy’s unveils new ad tagline URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-unveils-new-ad-tagline/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-05 Words: 50 > Wendy's has unveiled its new tagline, "Now that's better," which will replace the tagline the chain has used since 2009, "You know when it's real." The move is intended to... Wendy’s has unveiled its new tagline, “Now that’s better,” which will replace the tagline the chain has used since 2009, “You know when it’s real.” The move is intended to position Wendy’s as “premium fast-food.” --- ## Campaign led to Coca-Cola’s withdrawal from conservative law-drafting group ALEC URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campaign-led-to-coca-colas-withdrawal-from-conservative-law-drafting-group-alec/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-05 Words: 79 > Coca-Cola has ended its relationship with the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has marketed discriminatory laws and taxes, in response to a campaign by ColorofChange. Rashad Robinson, the executive director... Coca-Cola has ended its relationship with the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has marketed discriminatory laws and taxes, in response to a campaign by ColorofChange. Rashad Robinson, the executive director of ColorofChange, commended Coca-Cola for withdrawing its support of ALEC, saying: “Our message has been clear, these corporations can’t come to black folks for our money by day and support laws that try to take our vote, or potentially our lives, by night.” --- ## Judge dismisses lawsuit over McDonald’s Happy Meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-over-mcdonalds-happy-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-04 Words: 54 > A California state court has dismissed a lawsuit against McDonald's. The suit was filed by a Sacramento mother who alleged the chain was "getting into [her] kids' heads without [her]... A California state court has dismissed a lawsuit against McDonald’s. The suit was filed by a Sacramento mother who alleged the chain was “getting into [her] kids’ heads without [her] permission, and actually changing what [they] want to eat” by using Happy Meal toys to market directly to children. --- ## Brisk Iced Tea continues Star Wars cross-promotion with Xbox tie-in URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brisk-iced-tea-continues-star-wars-cross-promotion-with-xbox-tie-in/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-03 Words: 42 > As part of a limited-time promotion that coincides with the release of the 3D version of Star Wars: Episode I, bottles of Brisk Iced Tea enable consumers to unlock content... As part of a limited-time promotion that coincides with the release of the 3D version of Star Wars: Episode I, bottles of Brisk Iced Tea enable consumers to unlock content in the new “Kinect” Star Wars game for Xbox. --- ## Food Politics in action: The White House vs The FDA URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-politics-in-action-the-white-house-vs-the-fda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-03 Words: 63 > Marion Nestle takes the FDA to task for the many troubling omissions in their draft of Federal Menu Labeling guidelines, such as the lack of rulemaking on alcoholic beverages and... Marion Nestle takes the FDA to task for the many troubling omissions in their draft of Federal Menu Labeling guidelines, such as the lack of rulemaking on alcoholic beverages and foods sold at venues like movie theatres. She urges the FDA to “take a good hard look” at these and other issues, and act quickly to release solid, evidence-based rules. --- ## Dunkin’ launches multi-platform Hispanic campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-launches-multi-platform-hispanic-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-03 Words: 57 > Dunkin' Donuts has launched a large-scale marketing campaign that targets Latino consumers and parallels its well known English-language campaign. The promotion, which will feature TV, radio, online, and in-store advertising,... Dunkin’ Donuts has launched a large-scale marketing campaign that targets Latino consumers and parallels its well known English-language campaign. The promotion, which will feature TV, radio, online, and in-store advertising, is intended to “deepen [Dunkin’ Donuts’] relationship and brand loyalty among customers in multicultural communities,” according to the company. --- ## Frito-Lay debuts new tortilla chips that mimic flavors in authentic Latin American foods URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-debuts-new-tortilla-chips-that-mimic-flavors-in-authentic-latin-american-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-03 Words: 32 > Frito-Lay recently introduced the "Dinamita" line of chips, which joins a growing range of snacks high in salt, fat and calorites that are meant to resonate with Latino consumers. Frito-Lay recently introduced the “Dinamita” line of chips, which joins a growing range of snacks high in salt, fat and calorites that are meant to resonate with Latino consumers. --- ## Burger King unveils new McDonald’s-inspired menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-unveils-new-mcdonalds-inspired-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-02 Words: 25 > In an attempt to revive its sales, Burger King expands its menu with 10 new food items, and several resemble those of McDonald's. In an attempt to revive its sales, Burger King expands its menu with 10 new food items, and several resemble those of McDonald’s. --- ## Burger King uses celebrity ad campaign to promote expanded menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-uses-celebrity-ad-campaign-to-promote-expanded-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-02 Words: 37 > Burger King is significantly expanding its menu to include more salads, snack wraps, smoothies and other items. The chain is using celebrity promotions, featuring stars like Mary J Blige and... Burger King is significantly expanding its menu to include more salads, snack wraps, smoothies and other items. The chain is using celebrity promotions, featuring stars like Mary J Blige and David Beckham, to launch the menu expansion. --- ## Marketers seek to build brand strength through ties to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-seek-to-build-brand-strength-through-ties-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-04-02 Words: 65 > Marketers continue to collect research to help them effectively target Latinos for the sale of different products. In this article, Glenn Llopis of the Center for Hispanic Leadership, urges marketers... Marketers continue to collect research to help them effectively target Latinos for the sale of different products. In this article, Glenn Llopis of the Center for Hispanic Leadership, urges marketers to “get to know Hispanics and their cultural nuances” and “position [the] brand as an advocate of their community”. Like many marketers, he sees Latinos as “incredibly valuable” consumers. --- ## Australia: McDonald’s launches own TV show URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/australia-mcdonalds-launches-own-tv-show/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-31 Words: 28 > McDonald's funds a documentary that counters claims about the quality of its foods, while at the same time using the film as advertising on Australian TV. McDonald’s funds a documentary that counters claims about the quality of its foods, while at the same time using the film as advertising on Australian TV. --- ## Pepsi partners with Michael Jackson estate for soda packaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-partners-with-michael-jackson-estate-for-soda-packaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-30 Words: 26 > Piggybacking on the 25th anniversary of the "Bad" album, the limited-edition package consists of a 16-oz can and features Michael Jackson dancing. Piggybacking on the 25th anniversary of the “Bad” album, the limited-edition package consists of a 16-oz can and features Michael Jackson dancing. --- ## Heineken’s Tecate attempts to draw ‘more-assimilated’ Latinos in the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/heinekens-tecate-attempts-to-draw-more-assimilated-latinos-in-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-30 Words: 45 > Heineken will run the same ads that it has in Mexico for U.S. English and Spanish language TV. Advertising Age reports that the Tecate brand is "trying to expand from... Heineken will run the same ads that it has in Mexico for U.S. English and Spanish language TV. Advertising Age reports that the Tecate brand is “trying to expand from its traditional base of new U.S. immigrants to more-assimilated [Latinos].” --- ## Quaker Oats man’s makeover is healthier and more youthful URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/quaker-oats-mans-makeover-is-healthier-and-more-youthful/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-29 Words: 42 > Marketers report that people associate oatmeal with "energy and healthy choices." In an attempt to capitalize on this perception, the Quaker Oats man is "getting a haircut, losing some weight... Marketers report that people associate oatmeal with “energy and healthy choices.” In an attempt to capitalize on this perception, the Quaker Oats man is “getting a haircut, losing some weight and dropping about five years from his age.” --- ## Marketing obesity to childen URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-obesity-to-childen/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-28 Words: 46 > NYT blogger KJ Dell'Antonia expands on Mark Bittman's piece and concludes: "If we could find the political will to stop actually pushing foods on our children that we don't want... NYT blogger KJ Dell’Antonia expands on Mark Bittman’s piece and concludes: “If we could find the political will to stop actually pushing foods on our children that we don’t want them to eat, that would be a start.” --- ## Big Food loves birthdays, but should you? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-loves-birthdays-but-should-you/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-28 Words: 29 > Former food marketing executive, Bruce Bradley, exposes how companies invent birthdays of food products, like Oreo's recent 100th birthday, as a marketing strategy to maximize profits. Former food marketing executive, Bruce Bradley, exposes how companies invent birthdays of food products, like Oreo’s recent 100th birthday, as a marketing strategy to maximize profits. --- ## FTC chairman on IWG proposal: ‘It’s not a priority’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ftc-chairman-on-iwg-proposal-its-not-a-priority/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-27 Words: 41 > While FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz clarifies that "food marketing to kids is a priority", he says "it's probably time to move on" past the IWG proposal, which aims to curb... While FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz clarifies that “food marketing to kids is a priority”, he says “it’s probably time to move on” past the IWG proposal, which aims to curb junk food marketing to kids. --- ## Does this look like health food? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/does-this-look-like-health-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-27 Words: 41 > Adweek's Katy Bachman uses McDonald's recent launch of "healthier" Happy Meals as one example of how companies use "self-regulation" as a strategy to avoid federal regulation of junk food marketing... Adweek’s Katy Bachman uses McDonald’s recent launch of “healthier” Happy Meals as one example of how companies use “self-regulation” as a strategy to avoid federal regulation of junk food marketing to children. --- ## A food desert by any other name URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-food-desert-by-any-other-name/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-27 Words: 38 > L.A. Streetsblog editor Joel Epstein argues: "it's not the lack of food that's the problem, it's the lack of healthy food compared to an over-abundance of unhealthy food." L.A. Streetsblog editor Joel Epstein argues: “it’s not the lack of food that’s the problem, it’s the lack of healthy food compared to an over-abundance of unhealthy food.” --- ## The right to sell kids junk URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-right-to-sell-kids-junk/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-27 Words: 27 > Mark Bittman critiques the food and beverage industry's exploitation of the First Amendment to allow a few powerful corporations to market junk food to children. Mark Bittman critiques the food and beverage industry’s exploitation of the First Amendment to allow a few powerful corporations to market junk food to children. --- ## Mascots are brands’ best social-media accessories URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mascots-are-brands-best-social-media-accessories/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-26 Words: 31 > Marketers use social media to bring back to life old brand mascots and create new ones with richer storylines. Some characters, like Kraft Foods' Peanut Butter Bough, live entirely online. Marketers use social media to bring back to life old brand mascots and create new ones with richer storylines. Some characters, like Kraft Foods’ Peanut Butter Bough, live entirely online. --- ## As Richmond, CA ponders soda tax, UN report urges similar taxes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/as-richmond-ca-ponders-soda-tax-un-report-urges-similar-taxes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-26 Words: 30 > The United Nations calls for a worldwide tax on soft drinks, a measure similar to Richmond's tax proposal that goes to the ballot in November in California. The United Nations calls for a worldwide tax on soft drinks, a measure similar to Richmond’s tax proposal that goes to the ballot in November in California. --- ## The arguments about sodium go on and on URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-arguments-about-sodium-go-on-and-on/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-23 Words: 20 > According to Marion Nestle, the food industry has a special interest in keeping sodium levels high despite the health repercussions. According to Marion Nestle, the food industry has a special interest in keeping sodium levels high despite the health repercussions. --- ## Jim Skinner’s tenure: Big profits, bad for public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jim-skinners-tenure-big-profits-bad-for-public-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-22 Words: 43 > On the heels of McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner's retirement, Corporate Accountability International releases a statement to encourage the new CEO, Don Thompson, to follow a different path than Skinners' and... On the heels of McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner’s retirement, Corporate Accountability International releases a statement to encourage the new CEO, Don Thompson, to follow a different path than Skinners’ and not “sacrifice health to achieve profits.” --- ## Energy drinks volume increases more than 14% in 2011 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/energy-drinks-volume-increases-more-than-14-in-2011/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-21 Words: 21 > Marketing data show that energy drinks sales have increased while carbonated soft drinks and fortified beverages have not done the same. Marketing data show that energy drinks sales have increased while carbonated soft drinks and fortified beverages have not done the same. --- ## Kraft renames global snacks company Mondelez International URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-renames-global-snacks-company-mondelez-international/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-21 Words: 29 > According to Kraft, the new name, Mondelez, is a mashup of the words "monde", Latin for "world", and "delez", meaning "delicious". According to Kraft, the new name, Mondelez, is a mashup of the words “monde”, Latin for “world”, and “delez”, meaning “delicious”. --- ## New York Times coverage of alcohol lawsuit lets major brewers off the hook URL: https://www.bmsg.org/new-york-times-coverage-of-alcohol-lawsuit-lets-major-brewers-off-the-hook/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 389 > Recently I wrote about the controversial lawsuit that the Oglala Sioux filed against the 4 beer vendors operating in the tiny town of Whiteclay, who sell more than 13,000 cans... Recently I wrote about the controversial lawsuit that the Oglala Sioux filed against the 4 beer vendors operating in the tiny town of Whiteclay, who sell more than 13,000 cans of beer every day to members of the tribe, despite the tribe’s ban on alcohol. Now the story is back in the spotlight, with a high-profile article in The New York Times that underscores prosecuting attorney Thomas White’s argument that the tribe cannot “get ahead, or function, without Whiteclay being addressed.” The article rightly acknowledges that social factors have contributed to the ongoing alcohol problems on the tribe’s land. For example, it explicitly addresses the discrimination that has kept Whiteclay’s beer stores in business all these years, in spite of the Tribe’s efforts to shut it down. As one vendor said, “The state of Nebraska doesn’t want Whiteclay to go away because it allows problems to be isolated in this one little place. You hear people in the towns around here saying ‘We don’t want these guys in our town.'” However, the article still falls short in a major way: Its author focuses primarily on the individual beer vendors being targeted in the lawsuit and largely ignores the role of other defendants, including major brewers like Anheuser Busch, who stand accused of “encouraging the illegal purchase, possession, transport and consumption of alcohol on the reservation.” A crucial part of the tribe’s argument is that the beer manufacturers and distributors knowingly provide the retailers with enormous amounts of alcohol to be sold, making them culpable for flouting the Tribe’s ban. Alcohol control and Native rights advocates should continue to monitor the story to ensure it does not fall out of the spotlight, and that subsequent coverage holds these companies responsible for their exploitative business practices, which are at the heart of the devastation in the Oglala Sioux community. View our other coverage on health equity at Pine Ridge: ‘But we don’t do that at Whiteclay’: Health equity and social justice on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation NYT exposes alcohol industry efforts to stall important health legislation NYT’s Kristof calls for Bud boycott, decries brewer’s greed --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts times launch of new iced coffee flavors with first day of spring URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-times-launch-of-new-iced-coffee-flavors-with-first-day-of-spring/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-20 Words: 14 > Dunkin' Donuts introduces three caramel iced coffee flavors for a limited time nationwide. Dunkin’ Donuts introduces three caramel iced coffee flavors for a limited time nationwide. --- ## Fighting to make water a human right URL: https://www.bmsg.org/fighting-to-make-water-a-human-right/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 374 > The United Nations' World Water Day is right around the corner. To raise awareness about water security, the UN in 2010 declared water to be human right, which is a... The United Nations’ World Water Day is right around the corner. To raise awareness about water security, the UN in 2010 declared water to be human right, which is a powerful challenge to practices that have long treated water as a commodity to be privatized. Because water is fundamental for all life, the UN’s framing of the issue as a human right may be influential. But framing alone is not enough to make clean, affordable fresh water a reality for everyone. Establishing and implementing water policies depends on the actions of a complex interplay of agencies with authority over water, from state governments to regional water quality boards to municipal utility districts. What’s more, the world’s major soda corporations have turned these bureaucratic hurdles into a business opportunity by aggressively targeting communities that lack clean water with ads for sugary beverages. Thankfully, groups like the California Food Policy Advocates have been working hard to navigate such challenges in order to increase access to fresh water in California and all U.S. schools. Due to their and other’s efforts, there is now state and federal legislation mandating that all school children have access to clean fresh water during lunch. The fact that such a law was even necessary shows how fundamental the fight for water is. CFPA is far from alone in this fight, however. Here are some groups to check out as we continue to fight for everyone’s right to clean water. In California’s Central Valley, the Community Water Center is leading the fight to address the unacceptable inequities in fresh water facing the very farm worker communities who grow America’s food. Food & Water Watch maintains a wide set of resources to learn more about water politics. The Environmental Working Group has updates on water policy progress and research on bottled and tap water. Corporate Accountability International has three main water campaigns — fighting bottled water, stopping water privatization, and supporting community water rights. The UN has put up a dedicated site about the human right to water. Tappening.com is an online guide to myths about bottled water, and resources to make the case for tap water. --- ## Big box stores target multicultural and general markets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-box-stores-target-multicultural-and-general-markets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-19 Words: 72 > This report from Advertising Age describes how four discount stores, including Kohl's, Kmart, Target and Walmart, are attempting to build their presence in the "total market" (a blend of the... This report from Advertising Age describes how four discount stores, including Kohl’s, Kmart, Target and Walmart, are attempting to build their presence in the “total market” (a blend of the general market and the multicultural market). Walmart is the biggest spender of the four in terms of Latino marketing, but all of the discounters are rolling out marketing efforts that target Latinos, including in-store and online promotions. --- ## McDonald’s tries another hashtag-based campaign to promote milkshake URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-tries-another-hashtag-based-campaign-to-promote-milkshake/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-19 Words: 57 > McDonald's launches a meme, or hashtag-based, campaign for its mint Shamrock Milkshake that encourages consumers to try #Shamrocking ("posting photos of themselves doing an Irish jig while holding one of... McDonald’s launches a meme, or hashtag-based, campaign for its mint Shamrock Milkshake that encourages consumers to try #Shamrocking (“posting photos of themselves doing an Irish jig while holding one of the milkshakes”). But Adweek notes that, like in past campaigns, the hashtag chosen “clearly has great potential for being misused.” --- ## Sugary drinks linked to heart disease in men URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sugary-drinks-linked-to-heart-disease-in-men/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-19 Words: 25 > A new study suggests that men who drink one 12-ounce soda a day experience a 19 percent increase in their risk for heart disease. A new study suggests that men who drink one 12-ounce soda a day experience a 19 percent increase in their risk for heart disease. --- ## 16 workers file racial discrimination lawsuit against Coca-Cola URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/16-workers-file-racial-discrimination-lawsuit-against-coca-cola/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-17 Words: 56 > While Coca-Cola spends millions touting its philanthropic and corporate social responsibility efforts, the beverage giant's workers expose another side. Sixteen African American and Latinos workers filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola... While Coca-Cola spends millions touting its philanthropic and corporate social responsibility efforts, the beverage giant’s workers expose another side. Sixteen African American and Latinos workers filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola calling their work environment a “cesspool of racial discrimination” due to unfair assignments, disciplinary actions and retaliations for complaining. --- ## DQ ties marketing of its ice cream ‘Blizzard’ to charity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dq-ties-marketing-of-its-ice-cream-blizzard-to-charity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-16 Words: 48 > DQ touts its charity efforts to Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital, and combines marketing of their blizzards in the process. On July 26, "Miracle Treat Day" DQ will donate $1 or more... DQ touts its charity efforts to Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital, and combines marketing of their blizzards in the process. On July 26, “Miracle Treat Day” DQ will donate $1 or more for every ice cream Blizzard sold to Children’ Miracle Network Hospitals. --- ## McDonald’s highlights partners’ sustainability efforts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-highlights-partners-sustainability-efforts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-15 Words: 39 > Positioning itself on the side of health and the environment, McDonald's highlights "51 stories of supply chain partners who address challenges to help improve food sources, the environment, communities, and... Positioning itself on the side of health and the environment, McDonald’s highlights “51 stories of supply chain partners who address challenges to help improve food sources, the environment, communities, and employee wellness across the world.” --- ## KFC Canada’s new Double Down sandwich is a zinger URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-canadas-new-double-down-sandwich-is-a-zinger/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-15 Words: 36 > KFC unveils its new Zinger Double Down sandwich in Canada that consists of a bun-less sandwich with processed cheese and bacon between two chicken breasts, double-breaded, fried and marinated with... KFC unveils its new Zinger Double Down sandwich in Canada that consists of a bun-less sandwich with processed cheese and bacon between two chicken breasts, double-breaded, fried and marinated with hot and spicy seasoning. --- ## Coca-Cola plans ambitious goals for 2020 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-plans-ambitious-goals-for-2020/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-15 Words: 16 > Coca-Cola plans to increase revenues from $95 million in 2008 to $200 billion in 2020. Coca-Cola plans to increase revenues from $95 million in 2008 to $200 billion in 2020. --- ## New book cuts through misinformation on nutrition and food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-book-cuts-through-misinformation-on-nutrition-and-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-15 Words: 42 > Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim's new book, Why Calories Count, describes how calories "are really counted, why we need them, how we use them, how many we actually need and... Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim’s new book, Why Calories Count, describes how calories “are really counted, why we need them, how we use them, how many we actually need and why it all sometimes goes so wrong.” --- ## PepsiCo draws fire for choosing profit over public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-draws-fire-for-choosing-profit-over-public-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-15 Words: 52 > Marion Nestle describes PepsiCo's recent decision to invest $500 million on marketing as an example of how the company's "first and only priority is to satisfy is investors. It is... Marion Nestle describes PepsiCo’s recent decision to invest $500 million on marketing as an example of how the company’s “first and only priority is to satisfy is investors. It is not a social service agency. Its investors see its apparent focus on nutrition as public relations.” --- ## Wendy’s promotes its ‘High School Heisman Award’ to student athletes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-promotes-its-high-school-heisman-award-to-student-athletes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-14 Words: 47 > Wendy's aims to attract high school athletes by offering them the "chance to win the Wendy's High School Heisman Award." The male and female winners will receive a $500 Wendy's... Wendy’s aims to attract high school athletes by offering them the “chance to win the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.” The male and female winners will receive a $500 Wendy’s gift card and $10,000 for their high school. --- ## Arby’s takes advantage of St. Patty’s Day to promote Reuben sandwich URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/arbys-takes-advantage-of-st-pattys-day-to-promote-reuben-sandwich/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-14 Words: 38 > Piggybacking on St. Patrick's Day to attract customers, Arby's Restaurant offers two Classic Reuben sandwiches for the price of one. It also launches a leprechaun-run Facebook page for customers to... Piggybacking on St. Patrick’s Day to attract customers, Arby’s Restaurant offers two Classic Reuben sandwiches for the price of one. It also launches a leprechaun-run Facebook page for customers to download the coupon. --- ## PepsiCo’s global potato chip sales top $10 billion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsicos-global-potato-chip-sales-top-10-billion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-14 Words: 24 > PepsiCo's "Banner Sun" potato chips now exceed $10 billion annually, and 60% of sales come from outside of North America. PepsiCo’s “Banner Sun” potato chips now exceed $10 billion annually, and 60% of sales come from outside of North America. --- ## McDonald’s is fourth-largest Hispanic media advertiser in U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-is-fourth-largest-hispanic-media-advertiser-in-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-14 Words: 37 > McDonald's and General Mills are among the 10 companies that spend the most to advertise to Latinos, according to new data. McDonalds, which sells primarily unhealthy foods, spent $114.4 million... McDonald’s and General Mills are among the 10 companies that spend the most to advertise to Latinos, according to new data. McDonalds, which sells primarily unhealthy foods, spent $114.4 million targeting Latinos in 2011. --- ## Pepsi counts on ‘Next’ to lure back lost drinkers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-counts-on-next-to-lure-back-lost-drinkers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-13 Words: 31 > PepsiCo launches campaign to promote Pepsi Next, a 60-calorie soda. The target audiences are consumers who have drifted to mid-calorie drinks such as teas, enhanced waters and sports drinks. PepsiCo launches campaign to promote Pepsi Next, a 60-calorie soda. The target audiences are consumers who have drifted to mid-calorie drinks such as teas, enhanced waters and sports drinks. --- ## Anti-obesity soda tax fails as industry lobbyists spend millions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/anti-obesity-soda-tax-fails-as-industry-lobbyists-spend-millions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-13 Words: 46 > Beverage industry giants, such as Pepsi Co, Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association, have spent as much as $70 million on lobbying against potential sugary beverage taxes. The aggressive lobbying... Beverage industry giants, such as Pepsi Co, Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association, have spent as much as $70 million on lobbying against potential sugary beverage taxes. The aggressive lobbying has helped derail efforts by health advocates to pass sugary beverage taxes in 30 states. --- ## Is meat the new tobacco? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-meat-the-new-tobacco/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-13 Words: 19 > AlterNet's Kathy Freston compares the meat industry's marketing tactics to those of the tobacco industry. AlterNet’s Kathy Freston compares the meat industry’s marketing tactics to those of the tobacco industry. --- ## SXLiquors launches new line of vodkas aimed at Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sxliquors-launches-new-line-of-vodkas-aimed-at-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-13 Words: 50 > SXLiquors has unveiled a new line of vodkas, which they describe as "sexy Latin spirits." The liquors, which feature Spanish names, are being launched at a nightclub expo in Miami... SXLiquors has unveiled a new line of vodkas, which they describe as “sexy Latin spirits.” The liquors, which feature Spanish names, are being launched at a nightclub expo in Miami that will also feature “Miami inspired music” among other marketing elements meant to resonate with Latinos. --- ## The Lancet on individual vs. environmental change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-lancet-on-individual-vs-environmental-change/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-09 Words: 53 > In response to the UK government's recommendations that physicians "nudge and nag" their patients to change unhealthy behaviors, The Lancet counters that "effective, evidence-based public health measures do not include... In response to the UK government’s recommendations that physicians “nudge and nag” their patients to change unhealthy behaviors, The Lancet counters that “effective, evidence-based public health measures do not include nudging people into healthy behaviors or getting to NHS staff to lecture patients on healthy lifestyles.” --- ## MillerCoors sees potential pipeline of suppliers in small businesses URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/millercoors-sees-potential-pipeline-of-suppliers-in-small-businesses/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-09 Words: 29 > MillerCoors has granted $125,000 to four small businesses through its MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series (MUES), which is aimed at creating "a pipeline of potential MillerCoors suppliers." MillerCoors has granted $125,000 to four small businesses through its MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series (MUES), which is aimed at creating “a pipeline of potential MillerCoors suppliers.” --- ## McDonald’s changes U.S. Dollar Menus URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-changes-u-s-dollar-menus/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-08 Words: 29 > In an attempt to attract cash-strapped costumers, McDonald's will revamp its Dollar Menu by replacing small drinks and French fries with cookies and ice cream cones. In an attempt to attract cash-strapped costumers, McDonald’s will revamp its Dollar Menu by replacing small drinks and French fries with cookies and ice cream cones. --- ## Taco Bell uses digital technology to promote Doritos Locos Tacos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-uses-digital-technology-to-promote-doritos-locos-tacos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-08 Words: 43 > Taco Bell uses an augmented reality app and QR code to promote its Doritos Locos Tacos. The new tacos consist of nacho cheese Doritos shells and "are expected to be... Taco Bell uses an augmented reality app and QR code to promote its Doritos Locos Tacos. The new tacos consist of nacho cheese Doritos shells and “are expected to be the biggest launch in Taco Bell’s 50-year history.” --- ## Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies releases new study: Latino market is a focus among companies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/association-of-hispanic-advertising-agencies-releases-new-study-latino-market-is-a-focus-among-companies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-08 Words: 40 > The findings of this report suggest that companies continue to target Latinos to maximize profits and that many of the companies are in the food and beverage sector that sell... The findings of this report suggest that companies continue to target Latinos to maximize profits and that many of the companies are in the food and beverage sector that sell unhealthful products, such as Coca-Cola, General Mills and PepsiCo. --- ## McDonald’s New Happy Meals: Apple slices, French fries and toys URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-new-happy-meals-apple-slices-french-fries-and-toys/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-07 Words: 41 > McDonald's launches a campaign to promote its new Happy Meals that now include apple slices, smaller portions of French fries, and Happy Meals toys, despite advocate's contention that the toys... McDonald’s launches a campaign to promote its new Happy Meals that now include apple slices, smaller portions of French fries, and Happy Meals toys, despite advocate’s contention that the toys entice children to make unhealthy eating choices. --- ## Food environment isn’t tied to obesity, study finds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-environment-isnt-tied-to-obesity-study-finds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-07 Words: 34 > A new study by Roland Sturm, an economist of RAND Corporation, found no link between local food sources, such as fast-food restaurants and supermarkets, and what children ate or how... A new study by Roland Sturm, an economist of RAND Corporation, found no link between local food sources, such as fast-food restaurants and supermarkets, and what children ate or how much they weighed. --- ## Study: Maine schools flunking ban on junk food marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-maine-schools-flunking-ban-on-junk-food-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-07 Words: 28 > Despite Maine's law that prohibits the marketing of junk food in schools, a new report indicates that marketing is still prevalent, most often around athletic spaces. Despite Maine’s law that prohibits the marketing of junk food in schools, a new report indicates that marketing is still prevalent, most often around athletic spaces. --- ## Coca-Cola and Pepsi modify caramel color to avoid cancer warning label URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-and-pepsi-modify-caramel-color-to-avoid-cancer-warning-label/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-07 Words: 28 > To avoid a cancer warning label on beverages with 4-MI, a known carcinogen, soda manufacturers have switched to a new, low 4-MI formulation of caramel coloring. To avoid a cancer warning label on beverages with 4-MI, a known carcinogen, soda manufacturers have switched to a new, low 4-MI formulation of caramel coloring. --- ## Letter from GMA: Helpful food labels URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/letter-from-gma-helpful-food-labels/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-07 Words: 51 > GMA President Pamela Bailey defends the industry's food labels and says: "Our commitment to Facts Up Front and the consumer education campaign has never been stronger." Critics have argued that... GMA President Pamela Bailey defends the industry’s food labels and says: “Our commitment to Facts Up Front and the consumer education campaign has never been stronger.” Critics have argued that the simple and effective labels have yet to be implemented, and those that exist have been deceptive. --- ## Food and beverage companies target Latinos to increase bottom line URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-beverage-companies-target-latinos-to-increase-bottom-line/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-07 Words: 27 > Food and beverage companies declare that they target Latinos with food products tailored to attract them. An example is Pepsi's sparkling apple drink, Manzanita Sol. Food and beverage companies declare that they target Latinos with food products tailored to attract them. An example is Pepsi’s sparkling apple drink, Manzanita Sol. --- ## Publix Super Markets will bring salad bars to 39 schools in FL, TN, AL, and GA URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/publix-super-markets-will-bring-salad-bars-to-39-schools-in-fl-tn-al-and-ga/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-06 Words: 39 > Publix Super Markets collaborates with United Fresh Foundation and Produce for Kids to provide school children with fruits and vegetables. The collaboration is part of the "Let's Move Salad Bars... Publix Super Markets collaborates with United Fresh Foundation and Produce for Kids to provide school children with fruits and vegetables. The collaboration is part of the “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” public health campaign. --- ## McDonald’s to kids: Eat fruit, drink milk, visit Arches URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-to-kids-eat-fruit-drink-milk-visit-arches/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-05 Words: 46 > McDonald's reveals a new advertising strategy in which it will include a nutritional or physical activity message in all marketing to children. Critics argue that this is another way for... McDonald’s reveals a new advertising strategy in which it will include a nutritional or physical activity message in all marketing to children. Critics argue that this is another way for McDonald’s to promote its brand and form an emotional bond with children. --- ## U.S. food groups tailor recipes to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/u-s-food-groups-tailor-recipes-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-04 Words: 69 > The Financial Times reviews how food companies target Latinos as a "local emerging market" by creating tailored products designed to appeal to this group, for instance, products such as "Tapatio"... The Financial Times reviews how food companies target Latinos as a “local emerging market” by creating tailored products designed to appeal to this group, for instance, products such as “Tapatio” flavored chips and “Dulce de Leche” Cheerios. Companies such as Coca-Cola, General Mills and Kellogg have invested the most significant resources to reach this group. [Registration may be required to view article] --- ## Wal-Mart pushes for more ‘Neighborhood Market’ grocery stores in California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wal-mart-pushes-for-more-neighborhood-market-grocery-stores-in-california/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-03 Words: 42 > Wal-Mart has announced plans for 13 Neighborhood Markets, the retail giant's smaller-format grocery store, in California. Critics argue that Wal-Mart is using this as a strategy to circumvent community opposition... Wal-Mart has announced plans for 13 Neighborhood Markets, the retail giant’s smaller-format grocery store, in California. Critics argue that Wal-Mart is using this as a strategy to circumvent community opposition to previous efforts to expand in California. --- ## 7-Eleven leverages March Madness, Powerade partnership to boost sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-leverages-march-madness-powerade-partnership-to-boost-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-02 Words: 37 > Coca-Cola's Powerade brand teams up with 7-Eleven to offer Mountain Berry Blast Slurpees and fountain drinks sold in NCAA souvenir cups depicting "miracle moments" in the college March Madness basketball... Coca-Cola’s Powerade brand teams up with 7-Eleven to offer Mountain Berry Blast Slurpees and fountain drinks sold in NCAA souvenir cups depicting “miracle moments” in the college March Madness basketball tournaments. --- ## Is there such a thing as a multicultural consumer segment? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-multicultural-consumer-segment/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-01 Words: 75 > MediaPost's Jose Villa says that "it may be time to reconsider the concept of a multicultural segment" especially when marketing to youth. He notes "minority youth feel they are the... MediaPost’s Jose Villa says that “it may be time to reconsider the concept of a multicultural segment” especially when marketing to youth. He notes “minority youth feel they are the very definition of multicultural” and that multiracial children are the fastest-growing youth group in the U.S. This will have important implications for public health advocates monitoring how food and beverage companies target their marketing to ethnic youth. --- ## What about that pesky ‘natural’ label on foods? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-about-that-pesky-natural-label-on-foods/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-01 Words: 25 > Marion Nestle critiques the use of "natural" to market products and deceive consumers and tells the FDA to "get to work!" Marion Nestle critiques the use of “natural” to market products and deceive consumers and tells the FDA to “get to work!” --- ## Diet soda, the silent killer? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diet-soda-the-silent-killer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-03-01 Words: 55 > Mother Jones' food blogger Tom Philpott discusses the NIH's Northern Manhattan Study, which finds that "people who drink at least one diet soda a day are 43 percent more likely... Mother Jones’ food blogger Tom Philpott discusses the NIH’s Northern Manhattan Study, which finds that “people who drink at least one diet soda a day are 43 percent more likely to experience a ‘vascular event’ — i.e., strokes and heart attacks — than people who drink none.” --- ## Coca-Cola on target marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-on-target-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-29 Words: 56 > Coca-Cola executive Kimberly Paige discusses "marketing segmentation", also known as target marketing or multicultural marketing. She describes Coca-Cola's communications approach as one based on a "specific insight or set of... Coca-Cola executive Kimberly Paige discusses “marketing segmentation”, also known as target marketing or multicultural marketing. She describes Coca-Cola’s communications approach as one based on a “specific insight or set of values and beliefs that say to consumers, ‘We get you, we recognize you and we appreciate you.'” --- ## CDC Study: Kids get more added sugar from foods than drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cdc-study-kids-get-more-added-sugar-from-foods-than-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-29 Words: 22 > On average, kids consume 322 calories a day from added sugars. Boys consume 362 calories a day from them; girls, 282 calories. On average, kids consume 322 calories a day from added sugars. Boys consume 362 calories a day from them; girls, 282 calories. --- ## Food truck bill seeks to combat childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-truck-bill-seeks-to-combat-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-29 Words: 43 > In an attempt to promote healthier foods to children, a new state law in California would bar food trucks from operating within 1,500 feet of an elementary, middle or high... In an attempt to promote healthier foods to children, a new state law in California would bar food trucks from operating within 1,500 feet of an elementary, middle or high school between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on school days. --- ## Beverage industry responds to latest CDC data URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-industry-responds-to-latest-cdc-data/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-29 Words: 47 > The ABA takes the latest CDC's study as an opportunity to defend beverages. It emphasizes that "this report shows that food, not beverages are the leading source of calories from... The ABA takes the latest CDC’s study as an opportunity to defend beverages. It emphasizes that “this report shows that food, not beverages are the leading source of calories from added sugars” and that “beverages do not uniquely contribute to obesity.” --- ## Energy drinks, coffee, soda: A health dilemma? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/energy-drinks-coffee-soda-a-health-dilemma/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-29 Words: 20 > Nurse practitioner and wellness consultant Lisa Vasile discusses the problematic trend in consumption of energy drinks among children and teens. Nurse practitioner and wellness consultant Lisa Vasile discusses the problematic trend in consumption of energy drinks among children and teens. --- ## Domino’s Pizza increases capacity to accept mobile orders with new Android app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-pizza-increases-capacity-to-accept-mobile-orders-with-new-android-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-27 Words: 41 > With the launch of the new Android app, Domino's will make mobile ordering available to more than 80 percent of smartphones. The company will also be offering free Android phones... With the launch of the new Android app, Domino’s will make mobile ordering available to more than 80 percent of smartphones. The company will also be offering free Android phones to customers who sign up for a data plan. --- ## Dunkin’ launches app to promote limited-time sandwich URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-launches-app-to-promote-limited-time-sandwich/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-27 Words: 38 > Dunkin' Donuts has launched "Like a Boss", an app that helps fans create funny video resumes using their Facebook profiles. The app is intended to promote the chain's Angus Steak... Dunkin’ Donuts has launched “Like a Boss”, an app that helps fans create funny video resumes using their Facebook profiles. The app is intended to promote the chain’s Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich. --- ## McDonald’s promotes fries with $25,000 cash giveaway URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-promotes-fries-with-25000-cash-giveaway/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-27 Words: 45 > McDonald's recently awarded $25,000 to the winner of the "You Want McDonald's Fries With That" contest. Customers were urged to share "the moments in life made even better with a... McDonald’s recently awarded $25,000 to the winner of the “You Want McDonald’s Fries With That” contest. Customers were urged to share “the moments in life made even better with a side of McDonald’s fries.” --- ## FDA says Facts-Up-Front is OK? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fda-says-facts-up-front-is-ok/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-27 Words: 46 > The FDA is now supporting the front-of-pack labeling scheme introduced by the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers' Association. Marion Nestle says the proposal is the food industry's effort to... The FDA is now supporting the front-of-pack labeling scheme introduced by the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers’ Association. Marion Nestle says the proposal is the food industry’s effort to prevent the adoption of traffic light labels, which could affect sales. --- ## Big Food must go: Why we need to radically change the way we eat URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-food-must-go-why-we-need-to-radically-change-the-way-we-eat/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-26 Words: 42 > Christopher Cook calls on readers to "de-occupy Walmart" and other corporations that control food production, processing, and sales. He argues that these corporations have "wreaked havoc on the environment, our... Christopher Cook calls on readers to “de-occupy Walmart” and other corporations that control food production, processing, and sales. He argues that these corporations have “wreaked havoc on the environment, our health, farmers, workers, and our very future.” --- ## Sprite launches new global campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sprite-launches-new-global-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-24 Words: 50 > Sprite's newest global campaign, the "Uncontainable Game," uses partnerships with famous basketball players to position the sugary drink company on the side of athletics. The promotion, running in 27 countries,... Sprite’s newest global campaign, the “Uncontainable Game,” uses partnerships with famous basketball players to position the sugary drink company on the side of athletics. The promotion, running in 27 countries, will feature advertisements starring Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and other superstars searching for undiscovered basketball talent. --- ## Taco Bell airs first spot with ‘Live Mas’ tagline URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-airs-first-spot-with-live-mas-tagline/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-24 Words: 12 > The advertisement takes a branding angle rather than a product-centric approach. The advertisement takes a branding angle rather than a product-centric approach. --- ## Packaged Facts sees rise of foods targeted to specific health conditions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/packaged-facts-sees-rise-of-foods-targeted-to-specific-health-conditions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-24 Words: 23 > A new report finds increased sales in targeted foods and beverages according to specific health conditions, such as cholesterol or digestive health management. A new report finds increased sales in targeted foods and beverages according to specific health conditions, such as cholesterol or digestive health management. --- ## Krispy Kreme uses NASCAR and nostalgia to kick off anniversary tour URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krispy-kreme-uses-nascar-and-nostalgia-to-kick-off-anniversary-tour/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-23 Words: 46 > Krispy Kreme recently unveiled the Krispy Kreme Cruiser, a branded bus reminiscent of the 1960s that will be driven across the country to celebrate the company's 75th anniversary. The tour,... Krispy Kreme recently unveiled the Krispy Kreme Cruiser, a branded bus reminiscent of the 1960s that will be driven across the country to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary. The tour, which launched at an event featuring NASCAR drivers, is linked to an interactive website. --- ## PepsiCo plans 35% marketing boost for snacks division URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-plans-35-marketing-boost-for-snacks-division/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-23 Words: 40 > PepsiCo has announced plans to boost advertising and marketing for its snack business by 35% in the coming year. The company plans to unveil many new products and promotions, with... PepsiCo has announced plans to boost advertising and marketing for its snack business by 35% in the coming year. The company plans to unveil many new products and promotions, with some targeted at Hispanics and others aimed at young males. --- ## Statistics, numbers, possible outcomes and realities. Where could the Hispanic market be headed? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/statistics-numbers-possible-outcomes-and-realities-where-could-the-hispanic-market-be-headed/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-23 Words: 39 > Many companies are increasingly trying to reach Latinos, potentially a trillion-dollar market. But doing so will require understanding the diversity within this community and the way complex factors such as... Many companies are increasingly trying to reach Latinos, potentially a trillion-dollar market. But doing so will require understanding the diversity within this community and the way complex factors such as immigration policies and declining economic power affect Latinos. --- ## Facebook allows advertisers to target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/facebook-allows-advertisers-to-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-23 Words: 46 > A newly added Facebook feature allows marketers to explicitly target Latinos as part of a growing arsenal of online targeting. In offering the feature, Facebook may be using any combination... A newly added Facebook feature allows marketers to explicitly target Latinos as part of a growing arsenal of online targeting. In offering the feature, Facebook may be using any combination of metrics including language, last name, or interests (such as “liking” Univision or Telemundo). --- ## Webinar: Making the case for healthy food and activity environments: Shaping public debate with framing and messages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-making-the-case-for-healthy-food-and-activity-environments-shaping-public-debate-with-framing-and-messages/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-13 Words: 60 > By harnessing the power of the media to highlight effective environmental and policy solutions, advocates can advance the public discussion on health from the ground up. In this webinar, Strategic... By harnessing the power of the media to highlight effective environmental and policy solutions, advocates can advance the public discussion on health from the ground up. In this webinar, Strategic Alliance and BMSG helped participants learn to craft effective messages to reframe critical food and physical-activity related issues from an upstream perspective. Download the slides or view the recording. --- ## Campbell counts on soups in a pouch to spur turnaround URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbell-counts-on-soups-in-a-pouch-to-spur-turnaround/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-22 Words: 33 > Campbell Soup Co. is hoping that its new Campbell's Go! Soup line will help the company boost sales. The soups, which are sold in microwavable pouches, are aimed at younger... Campbell Soup Co. is hoping that its new Campbell’s Go! Soup line will help the company boost sales. The soups, which are sold in microwavable pouches, are aimed at younger consumers. --- ## Is McDonald’s losing that lovin’ feeling? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-mcdonalds-losing-that-lovin-feeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-20 Words: 49 > Writer Maureen Morrison discusses the unusual position in which McDonald's has found itself: Though the chain is enormously successful, an internal monitoring system has found that McDonald's consistently ranks lower... Writer Maureen Morrison discusses the unusual position in which McDonald’s has found itself: Though the chain is enormously successful, an internal monitoring system has found that McDonald’s consistently ranks lower than its competitors with respect to food quality, nutritional value, and other indicators of quality. --- ## Jelly Belly launches line based on Snapple beverages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jelly-belly-launches-line-based-on-snapple-beverages/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-17 Words: 23 > The new product packaging is modeled after Snapple bottles, and flavors include fruit punch, mango, cranberry raspberry, pink lemonade and kiwi strawberry. The new product packaging is modeled after Snapple bottles, and flavors include fruit punch, mango, cranberry raspberry, pink lemonade and kiwi strawberry. --- ## Singapore-based Chuck Studios aims to make social gaming profitable, starting with lollipops URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/singapore-based-chuck-studios-aims-to-make-social-gaming-profitable-starting-with-lollipops/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-16 Words: 27 > A new game featuring Chupa Chups lollipops, currently in "soft-launch phase" on Facebook, is designed to "engage with [youth] on their terms." A new game featuring Chupa Chups lollipops, currently in “soft-launch phase” on Facebook, is designed to “engage with [youth] on their terms.” --- ## Krispy Kreme uses DVD release of ‘HOP’ to promote Easter-themed doughnuts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krispy-kreme-uses-dvd-release-of-hop-to-promote-easter-themed-doughnuts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-16 Words: 41 > Krispy Kreme's partnership with Universal Studios Home Entertainment, creator of the family comedy HOP, will culminate with the sale of two new egg-shaped doughnuts available March 12-April 8 at select... Krispy Kreme’s partnership with Universal Studios Home Entertainment, creator of the family comedy HOP, will culminate with the sale of two new egg-shaped doughnuts available March 12-April 8 at select U.S. and Canada locations, including Walmart. --- ## ‘But we don’t do that at Whiteclay’: Health equity and social justice on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/but-we-dont-do-that-at-whiteclay-health-equity-and-social-justice-on-the-pine-ridge-indian-reservation/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 680 > The numbers are eye-catching: A town of 11 people sold 4.9 million cans of beer in one year. But the story of the Oglala Sioux tribe's recent lawsuit against the... The numbers are eye-catching: A town of 11 people sold 4.9 million cans of beer in one year. But the story of the Oglala Sioux tribe’s recent lawsuit against the country’s largest brewers is about more than a startling statistic. It’s another chapter in the tumultuous history of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (the setting of the 1973 Wounded Knee Incident and the shootout that lead to the arrest of Native American activist Leonard Peltier), which is again the site of tension between United States and Native authority. It’s yet another shameful example, too long ignored by the media, of how companies target communities of color for the sale of harmful products — in this case, alcohol. And it’s the story of the most highly publicized event in more than 10 years of a community’s efforts to combat this exploitation. Last Thursday the Reservation’s Oglala Sioux tribe filed a lawsuit against beer manufacturers, distributors and retailers, who they claim have knowingly promoted alcohol abuse on the Reservation, where alcohol is illegal. The tribe is seeking half a million dollars in damages to offset the social and health costs of growing alcoholism — estimated at $8-9 million dollars a year. The suit targets four beer stores in Whiteclay, Nebraska, a small community that sits at the border of the reservation. Although Whiteclay is home to only about a dozen residents, its position near Pine Ridge has made it easy for vendors to sell alcohol to tribe members, who then smuggle beer onto the reservation. In 2010 alone, the four vendors collectively sold 4.9 million cans of beer — approximately 250 beers for each of the 20,000 people living on the reservation. The suit alleges that beer manufacturers oversupplied the stores, pressuring them to maximize beer sales and sell “volumes of beer far in excess of an amount that could be sold in compliance with the laws of the state of Nebraska.” The lawsuit has attracted considerable attention, but it’s only the most recent development in the debate over Whiteclay, whose history the media have scarcely reported. The independent documentary The Battle for Whiteclay, released in 2008, is one of the few records of the more than 10 years of activism on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The film documents the struggles of activists like Frank La Mere, a member of the Winnebago tribe, who has spent years fighting for Whiteclay to be closed. La Mere says the long-term failure of alcohol regulation at Whiteclay is an issue of health equity and social justice that would never be allowed in the predominantly white communities in other parts of Nebraska. “It is the nature of law enforcement … that you deal with illegality fairly wherever you can,” La Mere said. “But we don’t do that at Whiteclay … there’s two classes of citizens here, in this state … would we allow the things [that happen] in Whiteclay in West Omaha or South East Lake? I don’t think so! … God forbid that one young white woman, white man die at Whiteclay tonight — we’d shut the damn things down in the morning.” Public health advocates who seek to promote just alcohol regulation on the Pine Ridge Reservation should continue to monitor how the story evolves, and particularly how the brewers respond. Though the Whiteclay lawsuit may fall out of the news cycle within a few days or weeks, the exploitation of the Oglala will not end until beer manufacturers and sellers are held accountable by the government, the community, and the media for their years of “exporting misery to Pine Ridge.” View our other coverage on health equity at Pine Ridge: New York Times coverage of alcohol lawsuit lets major brewers off the hook NYT exposes alcohol industry efforts to stall important health legislation NYT’s Kristof calls for Bud boycott, decries brewer’s greed --- ## Sonic launches website directed at Latino consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sonic-launches-website-directed-at-latino-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-15 Words: 58 > The website features an "Encuentra un Sonic" (Find a Sonic) to locate the nearest drive-in restaurant, a "Diviertete" (Have fun) section where users can send virtual gifts to friends, and... The website features an “Encuentra un Sonic” (Find a Sonic) to locate the nearest drive-in restaurant, a “Diviertete” (Have fun) section where users can send virtual gifts to friends, and a “Sonic Tunes” section where customers can “be among the first to hear emerging Latino artists’ new songs.” --- ## Pizza Hut enlists Tim Tebow to help promote the brand’s BOOK IT! reading incentive program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-hut-enlists-tim-tebow-to-help-promote-the-brands-book-it-reading-incentive-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-15 Words: 24 > The football star will host a celebrity webcast in which he will read his favorite childhood book, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. The football star will host a celebrity webcast in which he will read his favorite childhood book, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. --- ## Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s again target young men with cleavage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/carls-jr-hardees-again-target-young-men-with-cleavage/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-15 Words: 44 > Industry writer Thom Forbes analyzes the latest advertising campaign from burger chain Carl's Jr., which features popular swimsuit model Kate Upton. The "cheesecake"-heavy ad targets the "young, hungry guys" who... Industry writer Thom Forbes analyzes the latest advertising campaign from burger chain Carl’s Jr., which features popular swimsuit model Kate Upton. The “cheesecake”-heavy ad targets the “young, hungry guys” who are the chain’s primary customers. --- ## Coca-Cola’s Olympics advertising puts athletes to music URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-olympics-advertising-puts-athletes-to-music/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-15 Words: 38 > Coca-Cola has unveiled the first glimpses of its advertising campaign for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The campaign, titled "Move to the beat," uses music to "reach a generation of teens... Coca-Cola has unveiled the first glimpses of its advertising campaign for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The campaign, titled “Move to the beat,” uses music to “reach a generation of teens and young adults.” --- ## Denny’s targets Latinos with new online marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-targets-latinos-with-new-online-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-14 Words: 55 > Denny's launches the "Skillet Whisperer" video featuring famed dog behavioralist, Cesar Millan. The video is available in both Spanish and English and shows Millan "taming an unruly Denny's Sizzlin' Skillet."... Denny’s launches the “Skillet Whisperer” video featuring famed dog behavioralist, Cesar Millan. The video is available in both Spanish and English and shows Millan “taming an unruly Denny’s Sizzlin’ Skillet.” A marketing consultant describes the partnership with Cesar Millan as a promotional strategy to reach Latinos. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts commissions survey linking coffee and romance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-commissions-survey-linking-coffee-and-romance/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-13 Words: 42 > Survey results were released just in time for Valentine's Day. To capitalize on the findings, the chain has launched a "CupiDD's Choice" Twitter sweepstakes that offers consumers a chance to... Survey results were released just in time for Valentine’s Day. To capitalize on the findings, the chain has launched a “CupiDD’s Choice” Twitter sweepstakes that offers consumers a chance to win Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards. --- ## NRA’s Kids LiveWell initiative triples membership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nras-kids-livewell-initiative-triples-membership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-13 Words: 61 > More than 20 restaurant brands recently joined "Kids LiveWell," a voluntary program developed by the National Restaurant Association to "[provide] parents with a growing selection of healthful children's menu choices... More than 20 restaurant brands recently joined “Kids LiveWell,” a voluntary program developed by the National Restaurant Association to “[provide] parents with a growing selection of healthful children’s menu choices when dining out.” Forty different restaurants now participate in the program, offering menu items that comply with recommendations based on the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines. --- ## McDonald’s crowns champion in Flavor Battle competition targeted at African-Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-crowns-champion-in-flavor-battle-competition-targeted-at-african-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-10 Words: 77 > The 2012 McDonald's Flavor Battle DJ competition crowned San Francisco-based DJ Risk One as the 2012 Flavor Battle Champion. The Flavor Battle began in 2009 as an extension of McDonald's... The 2012 McDonald’s Flavor Battle DJ competition crowned San Francisco-based DJ Risk One as the 2012 Flavor Battle Champion. The Flavor Battle began in 2009 as an extension of McDonald’s 365Black campaign, tailored for marketing to African-Americans. During the finale, each of the three DJ finalists represented a McDonald’s burger and competed in a “battle of burgers and beats” to win the grand prize of $10,000. --- ## Arby’s planning total relaunch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/arbys-planning-total-relaunch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-10 Words: 26 > Arby's has announced plans to overhaul its marketing in 2012. The relaunch will include a new menu and a new approach to advertising campaigns. Arby’s has announced plans to overhaul its marketing in 2012. The relaunch will include a new menu and a new approach to advertising campaigns. --- ## Junk food ‘super complaint’ puts Krave, Nesquik, and Cadbury’s Buttons in firing line URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/junk-food-super-complaint-puts-krave-nesquik-and-cadburys-buttons-in-firing-line/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-09 Words: 34 > As part of an effort to limit online marketing of junk food to children, the Children's Food Campaign, a British health advocacy group, has filed a complaint with the Advertising... As part of an effort to limit online marketing of junk food to children, the Children’s Food Campaign, a British health advocacy group, has filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority. --- ## New ad campaign for baby carrots targets junk food market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-ad-campaign-for-baby-carrots-targets-junk-food-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-09 Words: 28 > Former Coca-Cola executive Jeff Dunn is the force behind a marketing campaign for baby carrots that urges children to "eat 'em like junk food." Former Coca-Cola executive Jeff Dunn is the force behind a marketing campaign for baby carrots that urges children to “eat ’em like junk food.” --- ## Should the First Amendment protect the marketing of junk foods to kids? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/should-the-first-amendment-protect-the-marketing-of-junk-foods-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-09 Words: 69 > Marion Nestle counters the food industry's argument that the First Amendment gives them the right to market junk food to children. She presents several articles written by scholars and public... Marion Nestle counters the food industry’s argument that the First Amendment gives them the right to market junk food to children. She presents several articles written by scholars and public interest lawyers who are examining current food marketing practices through the lens of First Amendment rights. Among them is research showing that marketing to kids is inherently misleading, and thus not a protected form of commercial speech. --- ## Coca-Cola to boost marketing efforts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-to-boost-marketing-efforts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-08 Words: 23 > Coca-Cola plans to invest up to $650 million in promoting its brands in the coming year, putting pressure on other beverage companies. Coca-Cola plans to invest up to $650 million in promoting its brands in the coming year, putting pressure on other beverage companies. --- ## General Mills, Atari partner on 80s retro cereal boxes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-atari-partner-on-80s-retro-cereal-boxes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-08 Words: 40 > To capitalize on the popularity of 80s nostalgia, General Mills has partnered with Atari to produce a series of limited-edition "Big G" cereals. The promotion is tied to the classic... To capitalize on the popularity of 80s nostalgia, General Mills has partnered with Atari to produce a series of limited-edition “Big G” cereals. The promotion is tied to the classic Atari game Centipede and a Target sweepstakes. --- ## McDonald’s builds brand image among Latinos with scholarship program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-builds-brand-image-among-latinos-with-scholarship-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-08 Words: 53 > McDonald's has partnered with the Hispanic College Fund to offer scholarships to Latino students in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. The 3rd Annual McDonald's Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Program will... McDonald’s has partnered with the Hispanic College Fund to offer scholarships to Latino students in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. The 3rd Annual McDonald’s Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Program will offer a $1,500 scholarship to 14 students to the U.S. college or university of their choice. --- ## Anger bubbles up in Congress over anti-obesity ads targeting soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/anger-bubbles-up-in-congress-over-anti-obesity-ads-targeting-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-07 Words: 42 > Republican Representative Scott DesJarlais has introduced legislation that would restrict the use of federal money to fund campaigns against American-made, legal products, such as soda. The legislation has inspired debate... Republican Representative Scott DesJarlais has introduced legislation that would restrict the use of federal money to fund campaigns against American-made, legal products, such as soda. The legislation has inspired debate between public health advocates and the American Beverage Association, among others. --- ## New milk ad features Super Bowl champion Hakeem Nicks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-milk-ad-features-super-bowl-champion-hakeem-nicks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 45 > On the heels of his Super Bowl victory, New York Giant Hakeem Nicks will appear in a Milk Mustache ad in the February 6th edition of USA Today. Nicks is... On the heels of his Super Bowl victory, New York Giant Hakeem Nicks will appear in a Milk Mustache ad in the February 6th edition of USA Today. Nicks is also part of Fuel Up to Play 60, a program of the National Dairy Council. --- ## Tic Tac launches interactive and mobile advertising campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tic-tac-launches-interactive-and-mobile-advertising-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 47 > Tic Tac's new interactive advertising campaign targets Millennials. In addition to traditional ads, the campaign will include a Tic Tac Viewr app, which includes a variety of Tic Tac-branded games.... Tic Tac’s new interactive advertising campaign targets Millennials. In addition to traditional ads, the campaign will include a Tic Tac Viewr app, which includes a variety of Tic Tac-branded games. The app was developed to take advantage of Millennials’ widespread use of smartphones. --- ## Denny’s targets online campaign to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-targets-online-campaign-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 57 > Denny's launches a national campaign featuring two videos, one of which is Spanish-language. While Denny's has been focusing on Latinos through radio and TV marketing, this new campaign represents the... Denny’s launches a national campaign featuring two videos, one of which is Spanish-language. While Denny’s has been focusing on Latinos through radio and TV marketing, this new campaign represents the “first online branded-content campaign targeting [Latinos]” and reflects the “more aggressive” approach in its marketing to Latinos. --- ## Pizza Patron returns to Pizza por Pesos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pizza-patron-returns-to-pizza-por-pesos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 48 > Pizza Patron will launch three campaigns this year that are designed to observe the brand's Latino roots. The campaigns will celebrate the Spanish language, visit the history of immigration, and... Pizza Patron will launch three campaigns this year that are designed to observe the brand’s Latino roots. The campaigns will celebrate the Spanish language, visit the history of immigration, and promote the company’s annual fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. --- ## Coke’s Super Bowl polar bears draw bigger crowd than expected URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cokes-super-bowl-polar-bears-draw-bigger-crowd-than-expected/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 23 > The Coca-Cola polar bears, who appeared in a live stream watching the game in real time, drew more than 600,000 users. The Coca-Cola polar bears, who appeared in a live stream watching the game in real time, drew more than 600,000 users. --- ## Brand experience, values increasingly drive loyalty URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brand-experience-values-increasingly-drive-loyalty/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 35 > The results of the 2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index show that brand loyalty hinges on emotional, rather than rational, factors. Writer Karlene Lukovitz presents ranking highlights for key... The results of the 2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index show that brand loyalty hinges on emotional, rather than rational, factors. Writer Karlene Lukovitz presents ranking highlights for key beverage, food and restaurant categories. --- ## When will Black History Month stop being a marketing hook? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/when-will-black-history-month-stop-being-a-marketing-hook/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-06 Words: 54 > Marketers seize Black History Month as an opportunity to promote brands and products, including liquor, nicotine and soda, to African-American consumers. Reporter Mark J. Miller reviews industry examples such as... Marketers seize Black History Month as an opportunity to promote brands and products, including liquor, nicotine and soda, to African-American consumers. Reporter Mark J. Miller reviews industry examples such as Nike, Heineken and Coca-Cola’s “Pay it Forward” campaign, which he notes is cobranded with Church’s Chicken. --- ## Vanessa Williams chosen as voice behind latest M&M’s brand character URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/vanessa-williams-chosen-as-voice-behind-latest-mms-brand-character/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-05 Words: 39 > Actress and singer Vanessa Williams will provide the voice of the newest M&M's spokescandy, Ms. Brown, who was introduced during a Super Bowl spot. The launch is linked to several... Actress and singer Vanessa Williams will provide the voice of the newest M&M’s spokescandy, Ms. Brown, who was introduced during a Super Bowl spot. The launch is linked to several television and social media promotions. --- ## Webinar: How junk food marketing creates unhealthy environments for children, and what we can do about it URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-how-junk-food-marketing-creates-unhealthy-environments-for-children-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 89 > The United States is in the middle of an obesity crisis that’s putting large numbers of adults and children at risk of developing health problems such as diabetes and cancer.... The United States is in the middle of an obesity crisis that’s putting large numbers of adults and children at risk of developing health problems such as diabetes and cancer. With its aggressive marketing of junk food to kids, the food industry is part of the problem. In this webinar, BMSG’s Andrew Cheyne discusses how marketing works, common tactics food marketers use to reach children, and what we can do about it. The webcast also includes presentations on cancer prevention, community health, and tobacco marketing to kids. --- ## The U.K. food industry fights labeling efforts successfully URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-u-k-food-industry-fights-labeling-efforts-successfully/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-03 Words: 35 > Marion Nestle summarizes the recent efforts of the U.K. food industry to avoid governmental regulation. She argues that these machinations underscore the futility of voluntary actions by the food industry... Marion Nestle summarizes the recent efforts of the U.K. food industry to avoid governmental regulation. She argues that these machinations underscore the futility of voluntary actions by the food industry and calls for regulation. --- ## General Mills using digital technology to reinvent food packaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-using-digital-technology-to-reinvent-food-packaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-02 Words: 49 > Mark Addicks, chief marketing officer for General Mills, plans to reinvent his company's packing for cereal, cake mix and yogurt using QR codes and apps. He says he hopes that... Mark Addicks, chief marketing officer for General Mills, plans to reinvent his company’s packing for cereal, cake mix and yogurt using QR codes and apps. He says he hopes that his packaging plans will appeal to children through “visual surprises” and “pure entertainment.” --- ## Coke targets African-American teens with ‘Pay it Forward’ contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-targets-african-american-teens-with-pay-it-forward-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-02 Words: 58 > Coca-Cola's "Pay it Forward" contest ties into Black History Month and claims to "offer teens a chance to win 'apprentice experiences' with 'celebrity history-makers.'" Prizes include $1,000 Visa gift cards.... Coca-Cola’s “Pay it Forward” contest ties into Black History Month and claims to “offer teens a chance to win ‘apprentice experiences’ with ‘celebrity history-makers.'” Prizes include $1,000 Visa gift cards. The contest is being promoted through public service announcements with R&B artist Ne-Yo. --- ## Kraft Foods introduces new breakfast item in the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-foods-introduces-new-breakfast-item-in-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-01 Words: 45 > Kraft Foods has launched a new breakfast biscuit line with a high-profile Super Bowl commercial. Kraft is using a nutrition angle to promote the processed biscuits, which contain whole grain... Kraft Foods has launched a new breakfast biscuit line with a high-profile Super Bowl commercial. Kraft is using a nutrition angle to promote the processed biscuits, which contain whole grain and are free from high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavors. --- ## Small stores enlisted to promote healthful eating in areas without supermarkets URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/small-stores-enlisted-to-promote-healthful-eating-in-areas-without-supermarkets/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-02-01 Words: 45 > North Chicago's 'Be Well-Lake County' initiative aims to increase access to healthy food for Type 2 diabetics and others in food deserts. Other similar programs have emerged in which convenience... North Chicago’s ‘Be Well-Lake County’ initiative aims to increase access to healthy food for Type 2 diabetics and others in food deserts. Other similar programs have emerged in which convenience stores participate in getting residents more access to healthy foods. --- ## Mass. governor proposes taxing soda and candy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mass-governor-proposes-taxing-soda-and-candy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-30 Words: 22 > Mass. Governor Deval Patrick proposes eliminating a sales tax exemption on soda and candy and using these funds for public health programs. Mass. Governor Deval Patrick proposes eliminating a sales tax exemption on soda and candy and using these funds for public health programs. --- ## Goya Foods joins Michelle Obama to promote MiPlato in Hispanic communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/goya-foods-joins-michelle-obama-to-promote-miplato-in-hispanic-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-30 Words: 60 > Michelle Obama has partnered with Goya Foods to distribute nutrition resources to Latino parents. While announcing the collaboration at a supermarket in Florida, Mrs. Obama discussed parents' responsibility in helping... Michelle Obama has partnered with Goya Foods to distribute nutrition resources to Latino parents. While announcing the collaboration at a supermarket in Florida, Mrs. Obama discussed parents’ responsibility in helping children eat well; she also acknowledged the role that the economic downturn and limited access to supermarkets have played in fueling higher rates of childhood obesity in Latino communities. --- ## McDonald’s uses music and cultural traditions to build brand loyalty among African Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-uses-music-and-cultural-traditions-to-build-brand-loyalty-among-african-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-30 Words: 65 > In a Feb. 9 McDonald's Flavor Battle competition, up-and-coming DJs will compete in front of iconic DJs and rappers to win the Flavor Battle Championship Title. The event, a relatively... In a Feb. 9 McDonald’s Flavor Battle competition, up-and-coming DJs will compete in front of iconic DJs and rappers to win the Flavor Battle Championship Title. The event, a relatively new component of the company’s 365Black marketing initiative, will feature a great deal of McDonald’s branding: Each DJ, for example, will represent a McDonald’s burger. --- ## Florida: Food stamp bills seek to restrict junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/florida-food-stamp-bills-seek-to-restrict-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-29 Words: 26 > Florida's Republican State Senator Ronda Storms introduces a bill that would prohibit people from using food stamps to purchase "nonstaple, unhealthy foods." Florida’s Republican State Senator Ronda Storms introduces a bill that would prohibit people from using food stamps to purchase “nonstaple, unhealthy foods.” --- ## Guess what: Traffic light labels work URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/guess-what-traffic-light-labels-work/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-27 Words: 26 > A new study suggests that the red and green traffic light labels on foods help people make healthier choices. Marion Nestle urges the FDA to act. A new study suggests that the red and green traffic light labels on foods help people make healthier choices. Marion Nestle urges the FDA to act. --- ## Cheers for USDA’s new nutrition standards URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cheers-for-usdas-new-nutrition-standards/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-26 Words: 28 > Nestle praises Michelle Obama and Tom Vilsack's new nutrition standards for school meals. She also reviews some of the background leading up to the nutrition standards. Nestle praises Michelle Obama and Tom Vilsack’s new nutrition standards for school meals. She also reviews some of the background leading up to the nutrition standards. --- ## USDA school lunch rules ‘best ever’ — though pizza is still a ‘vegetable URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/usda-school-lunch-rules-best-ever-though-pizza-is-still-a-vegetable/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-25 Words: 29 > The new standards are the first ever to include whole grains, place limits on sodium and trans fats, and double the amount of fruits and vegetables served to kids. The new standards are the first ever to include whole grains, place limits on sodium and trans fats, and double the amount of fruits and vegetables served to kids. --- ## Paula Deen and the politics of personal responsibility URL: https://www.bmsg.org/paula-deen-and-the-politics-of-personal-responsibility/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 872 > By now Food Network fans have no doubt heard that its star Paula Deen of Home Cooking fame announced that she has Type 2 diabetes -- a fact she did... By now Food Network fans have no doubt heard that its star Paula Deen of Home Cooking fame announced that she has Type 2 diabetes — a fact she did not disclose for 3 years — and that she is a paid spokesperson for promoting pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisks’ Victoza, an injectable diabetes drug. Deen’s announcement has provoked lots of controversy since her Southern dishes are designed to please the palate, not health. But what it made me think of was another Southern product: tobacco. That’s because the arguments Deen and her supporters have been using to defend her promotion of high-fat, high-calorie foods echo the rhetoric the tobacco industry has long used to shield itself from criticism. In spite of ample evidence that environments thick with junk food and tobacco harm health, both Deen’s supporters and Big Tobacco claim that because the dangers of their products are well known, if people consume them, it’s their own fault. Arguing on behalf of Deen, Richard Huff of the New York Daily News* put it most bluntly: “[I]s there anyone — anyone — on the planet who can watch Deen’s cooking and not say, gee, that’s probably not good for me on a regular basis? No, there’s not, which makes the controversy even more headspinning.” The “everybody knows it’s bad for you” argument is an old trick that Big Tobacco honed to perfection. At least as far back as 1978, Anne Browder of the Tobacco Institute, then the PR mouthpiece of the industry, was arguing that it is the smoker’s fault for smoking because the government had already warned people of the dangers from cigarettes: “The decision to smoke is a personal decision,” she said. “Anyone who has not heard or read the Surgeon General’s warnings would have had to be a cave dweller.” And in the late 1980s, industry CEOs testified under oath in court that their toxic, addictive products were not to blame for plaintiff Rose Cipollone’s death. Instead, they argued her smoking was a matter of personal responsibility. According to a New York Times article, “The defense contended that she had been frequently warned by her husband and her reading. Defense lawyers said in closing arguments … that she was intelligent, well-informed, decisive and chose to smoke because she liked it, despite full knowledge of the risks.” Even nominally left-of-center writers have repeated the Tobacco mantra when defending Deen: “But Deen and her colleagues are not the problem, in spite of their irresponsible promotions of bad eating,” writes Jeff Schweitzer in the Huffington Post. “We are. We are eating ourselves to death. Why? Because we have not accepted the basic notion of personal responsibility.” And then there is Deen’s own argument, which is that when it comes to rich, butter-laden cooking, it’s up to consumers to moderate themselves. In 2009, for example, Barbara Walters criticized one of Deen’s cookbooks for kids, which encourages eating cheesecake for breakfast and meatloaf with chocolate cake for lunch, and asked Deen if she was concerned about contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic. Deen responded that her foods should only be eaten occasionally: “Moderation, you know, we don’t eat this every day of our life but like the muffins, children are in such a hurry in the morning getting ready for school you know and they probably are only waking up on the way to school so I encourage them to get in the kitchen on a Saturday with their friends and make up all them muffins.” Still, the argument that unhealthy foods should only be eaten in moderation isn’t unique to Deen. It follows the logic of the wider food and beverage industry, which is borrowing from Big Tobacco’s playbook to shift the blame from the product to the consumer. The industry argues “there are no healthy or unhealthy foods, only healthy or unhealthy diets,” and that maintaining one’s health is “not just about calories in. It’s also about calories out.” This logic is dangerous because it denies the nutrition science that there are junk foods. And it ignores the fact that the industry — including Ms. Deen — spends $2 billion a year marketing primarily unhealthful foods and beverages to children and teens. If the food and beverage industry truly cared about “moderation,” it would end its non-stop promotion of unhealthful foods, and help create environments that support healthy choices. Much of the controversy in the news has mounted a personal defense of Paula. But it’s crucial to consider how commentators have rallied behind her. Their arguments show that the food & beverage and tobacco industries have successfully gotten their messages out, and that media personalities — purposefully or not — default to those arguments when new controversies about health occur. *Hat tip to Pamela Mejia for forwarding the NY Daily News piece. --- ## McDonald’s offers fruit in every Happy Meal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-offers-fruit-in-every-happy-meal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-24 Words: 53 > McDonald's launches a new Happy Meal in Philadelphia that will automatically include apple slices as a side to the choice of Chicken McNuggets, a Hamburger, or Cheeseburger, and choice of... McDonald’s launches a new Happy Meal in Philadelphia that will automatically include apple slices as a side to the choice of Chicken McNuggets, a Hamburger, or Cheeseburger, and choice of beverage. The new meal, which will also come with a smaller portion of fries, will be available nationwide in March 2012. --- ## Food & beverage industry protest obesity ad campaigns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-beverage-industry-protest-obesity-ad-campaigns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-24 Words: 24 > The American Beverage Association attempts to discredit recent obesity ad campaigns by describing them as "stomach turning" and "misleading propaganda". The American Beverage Association attempts to discredit recent obesity ad campaigns by describing them as “stomach turning” and “misleading propaganda”. --- ## Paula Deen and the politics of personal responsibility URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/paula-deen-and-the-politics-of-personal-responsibility/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-24 Words: 42 > Food marketing researcher Andrew Cheyne highlights the similarities in personal responsibility rhetoric in Food Network's Paula Deen's Type 2 diabetes controversy and tobacco products. Both share the "everybody knows it's... Food marketing researcher Andrew Cheyne highlights the similarities in personal responsibility rhetoric in Food Network’s Paula Deen’s Type 2 diabetes controversy and tobacco products. Both share the “everybody knows it’s bad for you” argument. --- ## How Hershey juggles its Facebook brands URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-hershey-juggles-its-facebook-brands/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-23 Words: 16 > To capitalize its social network channels on Facebook, Hershey Co. focuses on awareness, content, and agility. To capitalize its social network channels on Facebook, Hershey Co. focuses on awareness, content, and agility. --- ## Catching up with items about beverage marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/catching-up-with-items-about-beverage-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-23 Words: 31 > Nutrition expert Marion Nestle rounds up the news on beverage marketing including: soda companies vs. civic public health campaigns; Sonic's marketing campaign; and Dr Pepper's Snapple campaigns. Nutrition expert Marion Nestle rounds up the news on beverage marketing including: soda companies vs. civic public health campaigns; Sonic’s marketing campaign; and Dr Pepper’s Snapple campaigns. --- ## Mamiverse.com releases key findings on online Latina moms and new media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mamiverse-com-releases-key-findings-on-online-latina-moms-and-new-media/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-23 Words: 64 > Mamiverse.com, a lifestyle website for Latina mothers, has released a study of the online needs and habits of over 1,000 Latina mothers, who advertisers and analysts see as "the bridge... Mamiverse.com, a lifestyle website for Latina mothers, has released a study of the online needs and habits of over 1,000 Latina mothers, who advertisers and analysts see as “the bridge to this country’s demographic future.” Marketers may see this study, which includes information on the media Latina moms prefer, as a tool to more effectively target Latina mothers. --- ## Study finds no childhood obesity link to school junk food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-finds-no-childhood-obesity-link-to-school-junk-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-23 Words: 17 > Researchers could not find a correlation between obesity and attending a school with sweets and salty snacks. Researchers could not find a correlation between obesity and attending a school with sweets and salty snacks. --- ## McDonald’s #McDStories Twitter marketing effort goes awry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-mcdstories-twitter-marketing-effort-goes-awry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-23 Words: 46 > In response to McDonald's tweets that emphasized its "commitment to fresh produce and meats", Twitter users responded with their own interpretations such as "I only eat McDonald's when I am... In response to McDonald’s tweets that emphasized its “commitment to fresh produce and meats”, Twitter users responded with their own interpretations such as “I only eat McDonald’s when I am ill because it makes me feel sick anyway.” --- ## McDonald’s proposal divides healthy Loma Linda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-proposal-divides-healthy-loma-linda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-22 Words: 19 > Loma Linda residents express their concern over news that the first McDonald's is coming to their town. Loma Linda residents express their concern over news that the first McDonald’s is coming to their town. --- ## McDonald’s partners with Young Black Scholars to present 2012 conference URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-partners-with-young-black-scholars-to-present-2012-conference/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-22 Words: 51 > McDonald's is sponsoring the Young Black Scholars Family Conference in Southern California. By sponsoring this well-regarded annual event, which helps prepare students and families for the college admission process, McDonald's... McDonald’s is sponsoring the Young Black Scholars Family Conference in Southern California. By sponsoring this well-regarded annual event, which helps prepare students and families for the college admission process, McDonald’s is continuing its efforts to build ties with and improve its reputation in African American communities. --- ## To reach ‘New Generation Latinos,’ cultural nuance is key URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/to-reach-new-generation-latinos-cultural-nuance-is-key/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-21 Words: 34 > In an interview with the creator of the New Generation Latino Consortium, Cara O'Flynn, founder of Latino marketing research agency Perspectiva Research, provides insights for marketers who want to target... In an interview with the creator of the New Generation Latino Consortium, Cara O’Flynn, founder of Latino marketing research agency Perspectiva Research, provides insights for marketers who want to target young Latinos. --- ## Taco Bell hopes fresh food will whet diner demand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-hopes-fresh-food-will-whet-diner-demand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-20 Words: 29 > Yum Brands Inc's Taco Bell will begin testing the "Cantina Bell menu", which is a "more upmarket menu that focuses on fresh ingredients." Yum Brands Inc’s Taco Bell will begin testing the “Cantina Bell menu”, which is a “more upmarket menu that focuses on fresh ingredients.” --- ## Cheese makes you fat, says new ad campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cheese-makes-you-fat-says-new-ad-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-20 Words: 61 > Nonprofit group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has launched a shock campaign in Albany, NY aimed at illustrating the role that cheese plays in obesity. The billboard shows a... Nonprofit group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has launched a shock campaign in Albany, NY aimed at illustrating the role that cheese plays in obesity. The billboard shows a man’s overweight belly next to the tagline “your abs on cheese” and a women’s large thigh with the label “your thighs on cheese.” --- ## Coca-Cola sails with telenovela fans and families on Disney Cruise Line URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-sails-with-telenovela-fans-and-families-on-disney-cruise-line/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-20 Words: 59 > Companies like Coca-Cola often target communities of color by affiliating themselves with important cultural traditions and events in these communities. One example is the Coca-Cola Telenovela Club, a key component... Companies like Coca-Cola often target communities of color by affiliating themselves with important cultural traditions and events in these communities. One example is the Coca-Cola Telenovela Club, a key component of the company’s Hispanic marketing program. A recent Telenovela Club sweepstakes offered winners a chance to meet their favorite telenovela actors on a Disney cruise. --- ## New brief shows how food and beverage companies target Latino youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/new-brief-shows-how-food-and-beverage-companies-target-latino-youth/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 540 > Salud America!, an obesity prevention program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released a comprehensive collection of research briefs examining obesity-related trends among Latino children and teens: Of special... Salud America!, an obesity prevention program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released a comprehensive collection of research briefs examining obesity-related trends among Latino children and teens: Of special importance to advocates who address the food industry’s target marketing is the brief on marketing to Latino youth. It focuses on the industry’s extensive use of media to target young Latinos. Some of the brief’s key research results include: Latino youth consume an average of 13 hours of entertainment media (television, movies, video games) and digital media (Internet, mobile, new media) a day, 4.5 hours more than their White counterparts. Fast-food and soda companies see Latino youth as an important target market segment. One marketing consultant from Adcentricity says, “Hispanic consumers’ behavior patterns, along with their adoption of technology and media consumption trends, makes it clear that there is a goldmine of opportunity in creating new touch points and engagement strategies through digital advertising.” Fast-food marketers have developed sophisticated websites that target young Latinos, such as Burger King’s Ftbol Kingdom and McDonald’s Me Encanta website. Children viewing Spanish language television are heavily exposed to advertising of unhealthy foods such as fast-food and sugary drinks. Low-income Latino communities are disproportionately exposed to outdoor advertisements for unhealthful foods. These findings support and expand on other reports released in 2011 regarding food marketing to children of color. In January, the African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network released a report that exposed the impact of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on black Americans’ health. In April, we, along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, released a brief on food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents with a section dedicated to target marketing to young Latinos and African Americans. In October, the Yale Rudd Center’s study on sugary drinks found that the beverage companies’ targeting to Latino youth has increased: From 2008 to 2010, Latino youth saw 49% to 99% more ads on Spanish language TV, and Coca-Cola accounted for nearly 40% of all sugary and energy drink ads on Spanish language TV. At a time when obesity levels have reached epidemic proportions, food and beverage companies continue to heavily target the environments that young Latino and African Americans live in with fatty and sugary foods. The reports mentioned here expand our understanding of how the industry market to Latino children. Yet we must not forget that the industry does not only use mainstream English media, but also ethnic media such as Spanish language websites and TV channels to reach children and families of color. We know less about how the industry targets children from other communities of color, such as Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans, and it is not far-fetched to think that these groups are also vulnerable. We must continue to not only monitor and expose the industry’s targeting through research, but also act on a policy level to make our environments healthier. One place to start is by urging our policymakers to hold the food and beverage industries accountable for their marketing practices. All of our children deserve a better future with healthy environments. --- ## ‘Got Milk?’ campaign will star Kellogg’s cereal characters to target moms and children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/got-milk-campaign-will-star-kelloggs-cereal-characters-to-target-moms-and-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-18 Words: 38 > Kellogg's partners with the National Milk Mustache Got Milk? campaign to launch the "first-ever milk mustache ad to emphasize the consumption of cereal and milk as a healthy way to... Kellogg’s partners with the National Milk Mustache Got Milk? campaign to launch the “first-ever milk mustache ad to emphasize the consumption of cereal and milk as a healthy way to start the day.” --- ## Frito-Lay aligns strategies for shopper categories URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/frito-lay-aligns-strategies-for-shopper-categories/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-17 Words: 26 > Frito-Lay analyzes shopper behavior and creates retail strategies to appeal to specific categories of consumers: health shoppers, value shoppers, habit shoppers and variety-seeking shoppers. Frito-Lay analyzes shopper behavior and creates retail strategies to appeal to specific categories of consumers: health shoppers, value shoppers, habit shoppers and variety-seeking shoppers. --- ## Kraft tries an aged cheese marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-tries-an-aged-cheese-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-17 Words: 18 > A new $50 million campaign promotes five Kraft cheese products, with the theme "Make something amazing." A new $50 million campaign promotes five Kraft cheese products, with the theme “Make something amazing.” --- ## USDA’s MyPlate should step up to marketing plate URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/usdas-myplate-should-step-up-to-marketing-plate/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-17 Words: 35 > School food advocate Dana Woldow argues that the USDA needs to invest more on marketing healthful foods and to expand public service announcements in other venues such as cable TV,... School food advocate Dana Woldow argues that the USDA needs to invest more on marketing healthful foods and to expand public service announcements in other venues such as cable TV, movie theaters in-flight entertainment. --- ## Pepsi MAX promotes brand with video contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-max-promotes-brand-with-video-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-14 Words: 20 > The new "Pepsi MAX for Life" video contest will give two winners a lifetime supply of the beverage. The new “Pepsi MAX for Life” video contest will give two winners a lifetime supply of the beverage. --- ## Neighbors say ‘Stay out!’ to dollar stores URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/neighbors-say-stay-out-to-dollar-stores/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-11 Words: 20 > Communities fight the proliferation of dollar stores arguing that the cheap foods they offer negatively affect the health of residents. Communities fight the proliferation of dollar stores arguing that the cheap foods they offer negatively affect the health of residents. --- ## Study: Advergames increase junk food eating URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-advergames-increase-junk-food-eating/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-11 Words: 22 > A study by Yale University researchers shows that advergames -- branded online games -- increase children's consumption of junk foods. A study by Yale University researchers shows that advergames — branded online games — increase children’s consumption of junk foods. --- ## Super-size shock: Ad campaign links soda intake with amputations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/super-size-shock-ad-campaign-links-soda-intake-with-amputations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-10 Words: 26 > New York City's health department releases an ad campaign that has spurred controversy over its visual shock element that links soda consumption with amputations. New York City’s health department releases an ad campaign that has spurred controversy over its visual shock element that links soda consumption with amputations. --- ## Beverage industry rejects findings of SSB tax research URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/beverage-industry-rejects-findings-of-ssb-tax-research/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-10 Words: 38 > In this press release, the ABA retaliates against the soda tax study in Health Affairs, stating that "taxing sugar-sweetened beverages will not reduce obesity ... a wide range of factors... In this press release, the ABA retaliates against the soda tax study in Health Affairs, stating that “taxing sugar-sweetened beverages will not reduce obesity … a wide range of factors contribute to these health conditions.” --- ## What’s to become of Hispanic identity? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/whats-to-become-of-hispanic-identity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-10 Words: 81 > A recent study published in Social Science Research indicates that 6% of respondents of Spanish or Latin American ancestry do not identify as Latino. Marketers are already adding this information... A recent study published in Social Science Research indicates that 6% of respondents of Spanish or Latin American ancestry do not identify as Latino. Marketers are already adding this information to their profile of Latino consumers in an effort to more effectively target them: In this essay, for example, marketer David Morse argues that this finding is early evidence of assimilation among Latinos and cautions marketers to remember that race and ethnicity “are, and always have been, fluid concepts.” --- ## Breaking news on child sexual abuse: Early coverage of Penn State URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/breaking-news-on-child-sexual-abuse-early-coverage-of-penn-state/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7331 > On Nov. 4, 2011, a grand jury indicted Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State assistant coach and founder of The Second Mile charity for disadvantaged youth, on 40 initial counts of... On Nov. 4, 2011, a grand jury indicted Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State assistant coach and founder of The Second Mile charity for disadvantaged youth, on 40 initial counts of child sexual abuse. He was arrested the following day. By November 9, Penn State Athletic Director Timothy Curley, Senior Vice President Gary Schultz, University President Graham Spanier, and football coach Joe Paterno had all been placed on leave, fired or resigned. And on November 12, Penn State played its next scheduled home football game. Less than a month later, on December 7, a second grand jury presentment charged Sandusky with 12 additional counts of child sexual abuse, raising the total to 52 separate criminal counts. Although the grand jury investigation into Sandusky’s alleged sex crimes had been underway for years and Sara Ganim, a journalist at The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., had been reporting on the investigation since March 31,1 it was not until Sandusky’s initial indictment and subsequent arrest that national media pounced on the story. That week, there were more than 2,000 stories in newspapers across the nation, as well as online discussions among sports fans and children’s advocates. In this report, we examine the first nine days of news coverage of the Sandusky case. Like the rest of the nation, BMSG was riveted by the horrific accusations coming from Penn State. But we were especially attuned to the news coverage because a few months prior, with support from the Ms. Foundation for Women, we had released a comprehensive study of how U.S. newspapers cover child sexual abuse.2 In that study we found that news coverage of child sexual abuse is infrequent, and when it does occur, it is usually tied to a “moment” in the criminal justice process, which means that there is very little coverage of prevention since most reports focus on an incident after the fact. We also found that language in news stories about child sexual abuse is often vague and imprecise, likely making it harder for readers to see what really happened. The allegations against Sandusky prompted an extraordinary volume of news coverage, drawing in journalists who do not often report on child sexual abuse, such as reporters and columnists from the sports pages. And the headlines got the attention of organizations and advocates in the business of protecting children and ridding society of child sexual abuse. The news coverage provided an opportunity for those groups to bring attention to an important issue often hidden from view. In this report, we examine news coverage generated during those first days after Sandusky’s arrest, compare it to our earlier findings about how child sexual abuse is typically covered, and offer suggestions to reporters and advocates based on our observations. Child sexual abuse in the sports pages We analyzed a nationally representative random sample of the newspaper coverage of the Sandusky allegations, as well as a random sample of the two most highly visited sports websites3, ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports (see appendix below for details on our methods). In dramatic fashion, the high-profile arrest of Jerry Sandusky pushed news coverage of child sexual abuse into the sports pages. Nearly half (48%) of the coverage in American newspapers appeared in sports sections. However, when compared to general news (coverage appearing in local or national news sections), the sports pages primarily discussed the sports-related topics of coach Paterno, the Penn State football program, and the consequences that the Sandusky case had on the team and coaches. While the sports articles maintained a narrow focus on the football program, the general coverage contained a significant number of articles on other topics, such as Penn State University’s role as an institution, the broader social context surrounding child sexual abuse, and reactions from Penn State students and alumni. Articles both inside and outside of the sports section featured details about the case progressing through the criminal justice system, including the arrest of Sandusky or descriptions of the alleged abuse from the first grand jury report. Paterno dominates news coverage Although the Sandusky allegations brought child sexual abuse extensive attention in the news, critical aspects of the issue can remain in the background, even as a prominent story filled with graphic details gets propelled into the spotlight. During the first days of the Sandusky coverage, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno was the main topic of all news coverage. Articles focusing on Paterno were even more common in general news (32%) than the sports pages (20%). The stories about “Joe Pa” included discussions of his record-setting coaching career, defenses of and attacks on his response to the Sandusky accusations, and his firing after 46 years coaching Penn State football. Who speaks in the Sandusky coverage? Overall, those representing the criminal justice system or some action within it ... --- ## Study: 1-cent soda tax would save 26,000 lives URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-1-cent-soda-tax-would-save-26000-lives/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-09 Words: 40 > A new study published in the journal Health Affairs shows that a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages would prevent nearly 26,000 deaths, generate $13 billion in tax revenues, and save... A new study published in the journal Health Affairs shows that a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages would prevent nearly 26,000 deaths, generate $13 billion in tax revenues, and save $17 billion in healthcare-related expenses. --- ## NY schools warned free breakfasts may lead to obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ny-schools-warned-free-breakfasts-may-lead-to-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-09 Words: 52 > A New York City Department of Health official "criticized a free breakfast program in city schools, saying it makes poor kids fat." Advocates fighting against hunger argue that "obesity is... A New York City Department of Health official “criticized a free breakfast program in city schools, saying it makes poor kids fat.” Advocates fighting against hunger argue that “obesity is a serious problem, but so is hunger, and you have to find a moderate line between the two.” --- ## NYC DPH launches portion-size campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nyc-dph-launches-portion-size-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-09 Words: 25 > Nestle applauds New York City's ad campaign that urges consumers to reduce their meals' portion-sizes as a way to improve health. Nestle applauds New York City’s ad campaign that urges consumers to reduce their meals’ portion-sizes as a way to improve health. --- ## Unleashing the power of the Latino Social Media Influencer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/unleashing-the-power-of-the-latino-social-media-influencer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-07 Words: 53 > Andy Checo, a PR professional, urges businesses to connect with Latino Social Media Influencers (LSMIs) to generate "organic social media buzz." He also encourages Latinos who use social media to... Andy Checo, a PR professional, urges businesses to connect with Latino Social Media Influencers (LSMIs) to generate “organic social media buzz.” He also encourages Latinos who use social media to maximize their influence and seek to become LSMIs, both for marketing purposes and to strengthen their influence and effect social change. --- ## Nebraska considers taxing soda, energy beverages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nebraska-considers-taxing-soda-energy-beverages/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-06 Words: 36 > A new bill in Nebraska proposes removing the sales tax exemption for soft drinks and energy beverages. The funds would be used to for healthy-living programs for children and would... A new bill in Nebraska proposes removing the sales tax exemption for soft drinks and energy beverages. The funds would be used to for healthy-living programs for children and would generate $11.3 million annually. --- ## Diet Pepsi and Dr Pepper roll out aggressive new campaigns URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diet-pepsi-and-dr-pepper-roll-out-aggressive-new-campaigns/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-06 Words: 38 > The Dr Pepper Snapple Group releases a new campaign with the theme "Always one of a kind" to promote Dr Pepper. PepsiCo brings back Latina model and actress Sofia Vergara... The Dr Pepper Snapple Group releases a new campaign with the theme “Always one of a kind” to promote Dr Pepper. PepsiCo brings back Latina model and actress Sofia Vergara as spokeswoman in its new commercials. --- ## Doritos goes viral for ‘Crash’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/doritos-goes-viral-for-crash-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-06 Words: 21 > The campaign includes consumer-created Doritos ads and consumer voting on which ad will run on air during the Super Bowl. The campaign includes consumer-created Doritos ads and consumer voting on which ad will run on air during the Super Bowl. --- ## Denny’s pushes to appeal to wide range of consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dennys-pushes-to-appeal-to-wide-range-of-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-06 Words: 37 > Denny's tailors their menu items to "appeal to specific customer segments and preferences." These include heavy fast-food items to "better-for-you" options from its "Fit Fare" menu. Denny’s tailors their menu items to “appeal to specific customer segments and preferences.” These include heavy fast-food items to “better-for-you” options from its “Fit Fare” menu. --- ## Big Food’s insane weight loss program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-foods-insane-weight-loss-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-06 Words: 41 > A former food industry executive reveals how Big Food capitalizes on the time between the holidays and the Super Bowl by celebrating weight loss and targeting "emotionally vulnerable folks they've... A former food industry executive reveals how Big Food capitalizes on the time between the holidays and the Super Bowl by celebrating weight loss and targeting “emotionally vulnerable folks they’ve helped fatten up during the past year.” --- ## African-American shopping behavior examined in Nielson report URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/african-american-shopping-behavior-examined-in-nielson-report/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-05 Words: 43 > The Nielson corporation has released a study called "The State of the African-American Consumer." It provides information on the shopping habits and preferences of African-American consumers that marketers may use... The Nielson corporation has released a study called “The State of the African-American Consumer.” It provides information on the shopping habits and preferences of African-American consumers that marketers may use in the future to more effectively target this population. --- ## What now: The junk food diet URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-now-the-junk-food-diet/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-05 Words: 69 > Mark Bittman highlights the industry's predatory marketing of sugary cereals to children and critiques the industry's pushback against the voluntary marketing guidelines. He states: "The junk food industry spent tens... Mark Bittman highlights the industry’s predatory marketing of sugary cereals to children and critiques the industry’s pushback against the voluntary marketing guidelines. He states: “The junk food industry spent tens of millions of dollars lobbying against them. Their argument: those guidelines would kill jobs. Even if that were true — which it isn’t — would you rather kill jobs, or children?” --- ## Occupy teens: A how-to for marketers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/occupy-teens-a-how-to-for-marketers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-05 Words: 38 > Media Post's Sara Arnell claims that "Occupy Teens requires strategies and tactics that place brands, products, ideas and causes directly in front of teens, in the spaces and places where... Media Post’s Sara Arnell claims that “Occupy Teens requires strategies and tactics that place brands, products, ideas and causes directly in front of teens, in the spaces and places where they spend their time.” --- ## Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Wendy’s offer new deals to lure customers after the holidays URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-pizza-hut-and-wendys-offer-new-deals-to-lure-customers-after-the-holidays/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-05 Words: 37 > Major fast-food chains roll out new deals to attract consumers including items under-a-buck such as Taco Bell's 99-cent Beefy Crunch Burrito and family bargains like KFC's $11 Weekend Buckets. Major fast-food chains roll out new deals to attract consumers including items under-a-buck such as Taco Bell’s 99-cent Beefy Crunch Burrito and family bargains like KFC’s $11 Weekend Buckets. --- ## Global mobile coupon redemption to be 8 times paper by 2016 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/global-mobile-coupon-redemption-to-be-8-times-paper-by-2016/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-05 Words: 22 > According to a whitepaper on mobile coupons, "by 2016 there will be over 600 million regular mobile coupon users worldwide." According to a whitepaper on mobile coupons, “by 2016 there will be over 600 million regular mobile coupon users worldwide.” --- ## Target marketing strategies to draw teens and tweens into restaurants URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/target-marketing-strategies-to-draw-teens-and-tweens-into-restaurants/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-05 Words: 36 > A new report, "The Dining Habits of Tweens and Teens" provides an overview of this group's attitudes towards national restaurant chains, such as food preferences, kids' menu preferences and technology... A new report, “The Dining Habits of Tweens and Teens” provides an overview of this group’s attitudes towards national restaurant chains, such as food preferences, kids’ menu preferences and technology usage. --- ## ‘Nurse-in’ shows need for more breastfeeding support URL: https://www.bmsg.org/nurse-in-shows-need-for-more-breastfeeding-support/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 660 > Breastfeeding in public is making headlines yet again. But before you get too excited, it's not the fanfare of exposed celebrity bosoms that had people talking a few years ago.... Breastfeeding in public is making headlines yet again. But before you get too excited, it’s not the fanfare of exposed celebrity bosoms that had people talking a few years ago. This time a nursing mom in Texas made national news when she tried to breastfeed her child in a Houston area Target store. Michelle Hickman found an out-of-the-way space in the women’s section to nurse her baby. Yet despite Target’s corporate policy that supports a woman’s right to breastfeed anywhere in the store, staff at the store asked her repeatedly to move to a dressing room to nurse. For a variety of reasons, Michelle didn’t want to have to relocate, leave her cart full of items unattended and be made to feel as if she were doing something wrong. She knew her rights and let the staff know that they were out of line in asking her to move. Outraged, Michelle used Facebook to help organize a nationwide Target “nurse-in” to hold Target and other retailers accountable for protecting women’s right to nurse in public if they so choose. I was proud to participate in the nurse-in at the Emeryville, Calif, Target nurse-in, where we thanked the management there for protecting our right to nurse on site. But, as well-intentioned as the events were, the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. First, why thank chain stores for upholding rights that are already on the books, rights that protect our desire to nourish our children in the best possible way? It’s 2012, after all, and we know about the benefits of breastfeeding. Are we really still having this conversation? Apparently, yes. In spite of laws in 45 states that protect a woman’s right to breastfeed in public, and 28 states with laws that protect women from public indecency claims, many retail stores, restaurants and other public spaces do not respect these rights. Women are asked to move, leave or are threatened with indecency claims. Well then, it’s no wonder that despite a desire to breastfeed among more than 80% of new moms, nationally, less than 12% of women breastfeed exclusively for six months, as organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and World Health Organization recommend. What’s more troubling still is that the majority of women participating in Emeryville — and in the other nurse-ins as well, from what the news reports show — are middle class white women who have the time or flexible work schedules to bring babes in arms to a mom-friendly demonstration at 10 a.m. on a weekday. The fact that the face of the nurse-ins was what TIME Magazine called “smiling, middle-class mommies” means that low-income women of color, the women most likely to abandon breastfeeding due to lack of support in hospitals and workplaces, were barely represented at the events. News coverage of breastfeeding is important and I was glad to see the media attending to it. We need more reporting on the barriers to breastfeeding in public spaces and in workplaces. One recent BMSG study shows that this part of the story doesn’t appear as often as it could. Women are better able to start and sustain breastfeeding when the places in which they give birth, work and shop encourage it. When retail sites and other public spaces discriminate against nursing women, women are more likely to abandon efforts to breastfeed, especially low-income women. Hospitals, retail stores, restaurants and other public spaces need to comply with state laws that encourage breastfeeding and protect a woman’s right to breastfeed in public. Policies that make it easier for all women to breastfeed will lead to healthier mothers and babies and a healthier society overall. --- ## France approves soda tax URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/france-approves-soda-tax/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-03 Words: 53 > In an effort to reduce obesity and raise funds, policymakers in France have approved a sugar-sweetened beverage tax that becomes effective this month. The beverage industry opposes the tax, and... In an effort to reduce obesity and raise funds, policymakers in France have approved a sugar-sweetened beverage tax that becomes effective this month. The beverage industry opposes the tax, and Coca-Cola earlier this year suspended investment plans at a plant in France as a “symbolic protest against [the] tax.” --- ## Pepsi tweet explained: Street King nabs Honickman distribution URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-tweet-explained-street-king-nabs-honickman-distribution/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-03 Words: 61 > Popular rapper 50 Cent tweeted to his more than 5 million fans that his company, Street King, has partnered with a key independent Pepsi distributor to sell Street King Energy... Popular rapper 50 Cent tweeted to his more than 5 million fans that his company, Street King, has partnered with a key independent Pepsi distributor to sell Street King Energy Shots. As a result of this deal, the energy shots, which are currently available in 30,000 stores, could be available in up to 80,000 stores within a few months. --- ## Fast food toy restriction improves nutritional promotion, not actual menu items URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-food-toy-restriction-improves-nutritional-promotion-not-actual-menu-items/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-03 Words: 60 > A new study analyzed the impact of restricting the use of toys in food marketing to kids. The study focused on fast-food restaurants in Santa Clara County in California and... A new study analyzed the impact of restricting the use of toys in food marketing to kids. The study focused on fast-food restaurants in Santa Clara County in California and finds that there were “post-ordinance improvements in certain areas” such as “on-site nutritional guidance; promotion of healthy meals; and toy marketing/distribution activities.” --- ## Domino’s Pizza taps augmented reality to promote pizza offers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-pizza-taps-augmented-reality-to-promote-pizza-offers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-03 Words: 44 > Domino's new campaign taps into augmented reality technology to promote its new "555 pizza". Consumers can use the "augmented reality-powered Domino's posters" to download deals, get a mobile app and... Domino’s new campaign taps into augmented reality technology to promote its new “555 pizza”. Consumers can use the “augmented reality-powered Domino’s posters” to download deals, get a mobile app and become a fan on Facebook. --- ## To promote Brist Tea, Pepsi enlists Star Wars’ Yoda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/to-promote-brist-tea-pepsi-enlists-star-wars-yoda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-02 Words: 39 > PepsiCo is piggybacking on this month's movie release, Star Wars: Episode I -- Phantom Menace 3D, to promote its Brisk iced tea and juice drinks. Marketing strategies include a new... PepsiCo is piggybacking on this month’s movie release, Star Wars: Episode I — Phantom Menace 3D, to promote its Brisk iced tea and juice drinks. Marketing strategies include a new mobile game app and new product packaging. --- ## New campaign aims to bring Tostitos brand back to ‘life of the party’ heritage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-campaign-aims-to-bring-tostitos-brand-back-to-life-of-the-party-heritage/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-02 Words: 68 > A new marketing campaign for the Tostitos brand claims to "bring the brand back to its roots as the 'life of any party.'" As part of its marketing, the brand... A new marketing campaign for the Tostitos brand claims to “bring the brand back to its roots as the ‘life of any party.'” As part of its marketing, the brand is turning the Tostitos chip back into a “spokesbag” that has arms, a mouth to remind consumers that “Tostitos is the brand that brings people together and believes in being social.” --- ## Gatorade targets athletes with nutrition message URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gatorade-targets-athletes-with-nutrition-message/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-02 Words: 32 > In a new campaign, "Win From Within", Gatorade tells athletes, "It's not what you put on you your body -- but in it -- that counts." In a new campaign, “Win From Within”, Gatorade tells athletes, “It’s not what you put on you your body — but in it — that counts.” --- ## A nourishing environment: More and more, linking healthy food and a healthy region and planet URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-nourishing-environment-more-and-more-linking-healthy-food-and-a-healthy-region-and-planet/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2012-01-01 Words: 24 > Marketing expert Ann Mack says that 2012 will be the year that "food emerges as the prominent environmental issue of our time." Marketing expert Ann Mack says that 2012 will be the year that “food emerges as the prominent environmental issue of our time.” --- ## H-E-B caters to growing Latino market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/h-e-b-caters-to-growing-latino-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-31 Words: 69 > Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B (Here Everything's Better) has remodeled one of its Austin-based stores to "get a piece" of the growing Latino population in Austin. The newly expanded north Austin... Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B (Here Everything’s Better) has remodeled one of its Austin-based stores to “get a piece” of the growing Latino population in Austin. The newly expanded north Austin store has a “Mercado style” layout, and will offer freshly made tortillas, aguas frescas, and many other specialty foods and services designed to target Latino shoppers in the area. --- ## Looking ahead: Food politics in 2012 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/looking-ahead-food-politics-in-2012/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-31 Words: 34 > Nutrition expert Marion Nestle predicts the food politics agenda for 2012. One of her predictions is that "political leaders will avoid or postpone taking action on food issues that threaten... Nutrition expert Marion Nestle predicts the food politics agenda for 2012. One of her predictions is that “political leaders will avoid or postpone taking action on food issues that threaten corporate interests.” --- ## New evidence that ‘soda is like crack’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-evidence-that-soda-is-like-crack/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-31 Words: 53 > Richmond Pulse reporter Taisa Grant reviews a new report released by California's Contra Costa County health department, "The Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on the Health of Richmond Residents." The... Richmond Pulse reporter Taisa Grant reviews a new report released by California’s Contra Costa County health department, “The Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on the Health of Richmond Residents.” The report finds that soda is “particularly addictive” and poses threats similar to those from crack cocaine. --- ## Jewel-Osco, Disney team up to encourage healthy eating URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jewel-osco-disney-team-up-to-encourage-healthy-eating/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-29 Words: 50 > Customers who purchased grapes at Jewel-Osco stores in the Chicago area during August and September received buy-one-get-one-free coupons to Disney on Ice. More than twice the number of coupons expected... Customers who purchased grapes at Jewel-Osco stores in the Chicago area during August and September received buy-one-get-one-free coupons to Disney on Ice. More than twice the number of coupons expected were redeemed during the program, which was aimed at encouraging children to eat healthier foods. --- ## Growing e-commerce with Hispanics in the U.S. URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/growing-e-commerce-with-hispanics-in-the-u-s/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-29 Words: 52 > Marketing professional Sebastian Aroca instructs marketers on how to target Latino consumers, particularly online. His suggestions include "[use] Hispanic celebrities to be your brand Ambassadors," and "include digital and video... Marketing professional Sebastian Aroca instructs marketers on how to target Latino consumers, particularly online. His suggestions include “[use] Hispanic celebrities to be your brand Ambassadors,” and “include digital and video content … [because] 73% of U.S. Hispanics are on Youtube, and 93% of Hispanics are Google users.” --- ## Mountain Dew jumps on Facebook Timeline pages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-jumps-on-facebook-timeline-pages/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-27 Words: 21 > Mountain Dew is promoting downloadable Mountain Dew "skins" that fans can use to customize their new Facebook Timeline profiles. Mountain Dew is promoting downloadable Mountain Dew “skins” that fans can use to customize their new Facebook Timeline profiles. --- ## Simpler food labels no easy task URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/simpler-food-labels-no-easy-task/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-27 Words: 68 > Industry representatives and food advocates struggle to agree on creating easy-to-see and use food labels. The industry prefers a self-regulatory initiative called "Facts Up Front" that provide "just the facts".... Industry representatives and food advocates struggle to agree on creating easy-to-see and use food labels. The industry prefers a self-regulatory initiative called “Facts Up Front” that provide “just the facts”. Health advocates want the “Nutrition Facts Panel Light” that is governed by federal food regulators and has a more interpretive system that provides more guidance on what is healthy. --- ## Lobbying in action: PepsiCo vs. kids’ marketing guidelines URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lobbying-in-action-pepsico-vs-kids-marketing-guidelines/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-26 Words: 46 > Nestle exposes the enormous amount of money that just one company, PepsiCo, spends in lobbying to oppose food marketing measures, such as the IWG's voluntary guidelines. In just one quarter,... Nestle exposes the enormous amount of money that just one company, PepsiCo, spends in lobbying to oppose food marketing measures, such as the IWG’s voluntary guidelines. In just one quarter, PepsiCo spent $750,00 in its lobbying efforts, combining for approximately $3 million annually. --- ## Kraft sample dispenser scans users’ faces, provides sample URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-sample-dispenser-scans-users-faces-provides-sample/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-26 Words: 47 > Kraft encourages adult customers to undergo a "facial screening" at a vending machine and in return they get a free Jell-O sample. The person either texts a code or swipes... Kraft encourages adult customers to undergo a “facial screening” at a vending machine and in return they get a free Jell-O sample. The person either texts a code or swipes a bar code with a smartphone and may then select one of six flavors. --- ## SF’s kids meal laws result in healthier menus and toys for a dime URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sfs-kids-meal-laws-result-in-healthier-menus-and-toys-for-a-dime/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-23 Words: 67 > On December 1, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to prohibit fast food restaurants from using toys to market high-calorie meals to kids. While Jack in the Box... On December 1, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to prohibit fast food restaurants from using toys to market high-calorie meals to kids. While Jack in the Box has discontinued its toy incentive nationwide, McDonald’s is getting around it by encouraging customers to donate 10 cents to Ronald McDonald House Charities and get a toy with a Happy Meal in return. --- ## Wendy’s brand gains ground URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wendys-brand-gains-ground/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-22 Words: 25 > Wendy's surpasses Burger King as the number 2 hamburger chain in the United States. McDonald's is still the overwhelming number 1. Wendy’s surpasses Burger King as the number 2 hamburger chain in the United States. McDonald’s is still the overwhelming number 1. --- ## General Mills launches new products to target the ‘multicultural’ consumer; Dulce de Leche Cheerios targets Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-launches-new-products-to-target-the-multicultural-consumer-dulce-de-leche-cheerios-targets-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-21 Words: 90 > A General Mills representative writes that the two themes in the new line of products are "the growing influence of multicultural consumers on American taste preferences and consumers' desires to... A General Mills representative writes that the two themes in the new line of products are “the growing influence of multicultural consumers on American taste preferences and consumers’ desires to either add or avoid certain ingredients in their diets.” For instance, the company recently launched “Dulce de Leche Cheerios.” In a piece in the Huffington Post, consumers reacted to the new product, some more critically than others. Associate editor at Latino Voices said, “As a fan of dulce de leche, this offends me.” --- ## Coca-Cola teams up with Toys for Tots for ‘Arctic Home’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-teams-up-with-toys-for-tots-for-arctic-home-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-21 Words: 49 > Coca-Cola partners with Toys for Tots and uses the opportunity to promote its "Arctic Home" campaign that helps protect polar bear's Artic habitat. The soda giant will donate Arctic-themed gifts... Coca-Cola partners with Toys for Tots and uses the opportunity to promote its “Arctic Home” campaign that helps protect polar bear’s Artic habitat. The soda giant will donate Arctic-themed gifts to local Toys for Tots chapters in major cities across the U.S. --- ## Experts cal for 10% tax on soft drinks to prevent obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/experts-cal-for-10-tax-on-soft-drinks-to-prevent-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-21 Words: 28 > A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that imposing a 10% tax on sugary drinks would help address obesity by cutting consumption of sugary drinks. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that imposing a 10% tax on sugary drinks would help address obesity by cutting consumption of sugary drinks. --- ## Keeping up with the cereal news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/keeping-up-with-the-cereal-news/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-21 Words: 31 > Cereal companies become creative on how to market cereals to parents and children. Strategies include using "natural" and "whole grain" health claims and direct marketing to children. Cereal companies become creative on how to market cereals to parents and children. Strategies include using “natural” and “whole grain” health claims and direct marketing to children. --- ## Walmart grants $500,000 to First Nations Development Institue to support healthy food systems in Native American communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/walmart-grants-500000-to-first-nations-development-institue-to-support-healthy-food-systems-in-native-american-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-21 Words: 72 > The First Nations Development Institute has received $500,000 from Walmart in the form of a grant to help the Institute develop or expand local food systems. The president of the... The First Nations Development Institute has received $500,000 from Walmart in the form of a grant to help the Institute develop or expand local food systems. The president of the Institute believes that the partnership will help Native communities gain control of local food systems and “provide healthier foods to tribal members.” Advocates may want to monitor this story to see what, if any, commentary or analysis it produces. --- ## Food and media companies donated generously to lawmakers opposing food-marketing guidelines for kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-media-companies-donated-generously-to-lawmakers-opposing-food-marketing-guidelines-for-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-20 Words: 60 > Food and media companies donated generously to Pennsylvania's members of Congress who last summer sent a letter to oppose the government's proposed food-marketing guidelines. For instance, the National Restaurant Association... Food and media companies donated generously to Pennsylvania’s members of Congress who last summer sent a letter to oppose the government’s proposed food-marketing guidelines. For instance, the National Restaurant Association gave $153,500 and an additional $403,700 to a group of 19 Republican senators who also signed a letter in July opposing the guidelines. --- ## Exercise labels beat out calorie counts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/exercise-labels-beat-out-calorie-counts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-20 Words: 56 > A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that the most powerful incentive that led teenagers to purchase fewer sugary drinks was a calorie conversion to exercise... A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that the most powerful incentive that led teenagers to purchase fewer sugary drinks was a calorie conversion to exercise minutes. “For example, a 250-calorie can of soda read that it would take 50 minutes of running to burn off the calorie content.” --- ## Congress to kids: Drop dead URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/congress-to-kids-drop-dead/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-19 Words: 44 > In this commentary, public health lawyer Michele Simon critiques Congress for giving in to industry influence instead of protecting children's health. In a recent budget bill, Congress required the FTC... In this commentary, public health lawyer Michele Simon critiques Congress for giving in to industry influence instead of protecting children’s health. In a recent budget bill, Congress required the FTC to conduct a cost/benefit analysis before finalizing the food marketing guidelines. --- ## Church’s Chicken partners with Warner Bros for the ‘Joyful Noise’ sweepstakes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/churchs-chicken-partners-with-warner-bros-for-the-joyful-noise-sweepstakes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 84 > Church's Chicken partners with Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros for the new upcoming film Joyful Noise. The movie features popular celebrities Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. The Joyful Noise sweepstakes... Church’s Chicken partners with Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros for the new upcoming film Joyful Noise. The movie features popular celebrities Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. The Joyful Noise sweepstakes encourages consumers to text one of four key words to enter the sweepstakes. In return, consumers receive a text coupon for $1 off any Church’s combo meal and a chance to win the grand prize, which includes a year’s worth of Church’s Chicken and Coca-Cola. --- ## Lawmakers want cost-benefit analysis on child food marketing restrictions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lawmakers-want-cost-benefit-analysis-on-child-food-marketing-restrictions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 27 > The Senate and House have requested a cost-benefit analysis of the inter-agency working group's proposal for voluntary regulation of food marketing to children. The Senate and House have requested a cost-benefit analysis of the inter-agency working group’s proposal for voluntary regulation of food marketing to children. --- ## Mars extends Six Flags partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mars-extends-six-flags-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 28 > Mars Chocolate Company has expanded its partnership with Six Flags theme park. Among other promotions, the park will offer discounted admissions with Milky Way and 3 Musketeers brands. Mars Chocolate Company has expanded its partnership with Six Flags theme park. Among other promotions, the park will offer discounted admissions with Milky Way and 3 Musketeers brands. --- ## McDonald’s digital promos geotarget college kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-digital-promos-geotarget-college-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 51 > McDonald's is using CampusLIVE, which engages students with games linked to opportunities to win prizes. One recent contest encouraged users to draw designs on a virtual McDonald's mug, and then... McDonald’s is using CampusLIVE, which engages students with games linked to opportunities to win prizes. One recent contest encouraged users to draw designs on a virtual McDonald’s mug, and then share the image with their social networks for an opportunity to win free coffee and gift certificates. --- ## PepsiCo gets ‘indulgent’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-gets-indulgent/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 23 > PepsiCo has announced plans to "sharpen its focus" in carbonated drinks, as well as "indulgent brands" such as Doritos. PepsiCo has announced plans to “sharpen its focus” in carbonated drinks, as well as “indulgent brands” such as Doritos. --- ## New research briefs examine obesity epidemic among Latino youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-research-briefs-examine-obesity-epidemic-among-latino-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 45 > Salud America!, an obesity prevention program of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released a comprehensive collection of research briefs examining obesity-related trends among Latino children and teens. The three briefs... Salud America!, an obesity prevention program of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released a comprehensive collection of research briefs examining obesity-related trends among Latino children and teens. The three briefs center on the food marketing, nutrition and physical activity and also provide policy recommendations. --- ## How marketers can best reach mobile-savvy Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-marketers-can-best-reach-mobile-savvy-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-15 Words: 41 > Latinos represent the fastest-growing population in the U.S. and are also mobile savvy. Companies are taking advantage of this trend by using mobile strategies in their marketing to Latinos. Strategies... Latinos represent the fastest-growing population in the U.S. and are also mobile savvy. Companies are taking advantage of this trend by using mobile strategies in their marketing to Latinos. Strategies include Spanish language mobile apps, social networking and personalization. --- ## Coca-Cola expands to the Middle East URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-expands-to-the-middle-east/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-14 Words: 60 > In what is described as a $980 million transaction, Coca-Cola purchases 50% of the Suadi Arabia-based Aujan industries to increase its market in the Middle East. A Coca-Cola executive states... In what is described as a $980 million transaction, Coca-Cola purchases 50% of the Suadi Arabia-based Aujan industries to increase its market in the Middle East. A Coca-Cola executive states that the “The Middle East is a high-growth region with some of the highest rates of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink per-capita consumption.” --- ## Update on food marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/update-on-food-marketing-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-14 Words: 44 > Marion Nestle points to a recent column from The Lancet, which states that obesity policy should include reduced advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. She urges governments to... Marion Nestle points to a recent column from The Lancet, which states that obesity policy should include reduced advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. She urges governments to “[pay] attention to the research” if they are to reduce childhood obesity. --- ## Wrong move for Let’s Move? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/wrong-move-for-lets-move/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 502 > Is Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign moving in the wrong direction? The First Lady recently announced that she will focus more on getting kids to be more active. Does this... Is Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign moving in the wrong direction? The First Lady recently announced that she will focus more on getting kids to be more active. Does this mean less time encouraging food companies to make healthier products for kids and stop marketing junk food to them? For supporters of a national policy to reduce the selling and marketing of junk food to kids — among them noted healthy food advocate Marion Nestle — this apparent shift in focus was more than disheartening. As Nestle points out, there are three main reasons this would be an unfortunate direction: First, a sole focus on physical activity negates the fact that to lose weight, most people still have to eat healthy whether or not they move more. Second, it undermines all the recent work that’s been put into getting the message out about healthy diets. Nestle’s third reason — and perhaps most important of all — is that a that a shift away from healthy eating “declares victory prematurely” for food manufacturers and marketers. She cites an excerpt from Obama’s speech: “Major food manufacturers are cutting sugar, salt and fat from their products. Restaurants are revamping kids’ menus and loading them with healthier, fresher option.” But as Nestle and others have observed, there have been many promises from food companies but little action. “The political cost of fighting the food industry is surely the reason for the change in Mrs. Obama’s rhetoric,” asserted Nestle. The White House’s Let’s Move senior policy advisor Sam Kass was quick to respond last week, saying that no pullback away from promoting healthy diets was planned. Instead, he said Obama’s speech was intended to inform us about the campaign’s expansion into another one of the program’s five essential “pillars” which include: creating a healthy start for children; empowering parents and caregivers; providing healthy food in schools; improving access to healthy, affordable foods; and increasing physical activity. Let’s hope Kass’ clarification of Obama’s comments means that Let’s Move is in fact looking to be more comprehensive and not selectively choosing to emphasize one “pillar” over another based on political expediency. As usual, Nestle says it best: “In the broader context of the Let’s Move pillars, a focus on physical activity makes sense. It is an addition, not a substitution.” The last thing we need is to pit healthy eating against physical activity. As BMSG director Lori Dorfman and health advocate Toni Yancey pointed out in their 2009 article for Preventive Medicine: Good nutrition and regular physical activity are BOTH necessary for preventing chronic disease. Let’s Move should not give up on holding the food industry accountable for selling junk food to children and families while working to keep Americans physically active. --- ## Panda Express promotes brand with leadership-themed holiday party URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/panda-express-promotes-brand-with-leadership-themed-holiday-party/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-13 Words: 34 > Panda Express is hosting a holiday party for elementary school students designed to promote its "Leader in Me" leadership and academic program, which involves more than 25,000 children at 25... Panda Express is hosting a holiday party for elementary school students designed to promote its “Leader in Me” leadership and academic program, which involves more than 25,000 children at 25 schools. --- ## Food giants fight proposed nutrition guidelines URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-giants-fight-proposed-nutrition-guidelines/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-12 Words: 45 > A front-page story in the San Francisco Chronicle describes the food industry's efforts to fight proposed voluntary marketing guidelines developed by the Interagency Working Group. Industry spokespeople are quoted, as... A front-page story in the San Francisco Chronicle describes the food industry’s efforts to fight proposed voluntary marketing guidelines developed by the Interagency Working Group. Industry spokespeople are quoted, as are public health advocates from Prevention Institute, the Rudd Center, and others. --- ## The health of children and consumers is threatened by conservative push for corporate speech rights URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-health-of-children-and-consumers-is-threatened-by-conservative-push-for-corporate-speech-rights/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-12 Words: 60 > Steven Rosenfeld discusses industry pushback against food labeling, and compares it to the tobacco industry's efforts to avoid regulation. He points out that the food industry's efforts to avoid regulation... Steven Rosenfeld discusses industry pushback against food labeling, and compares it to the tobacco industry’s efforts to avoid regulation. He points out that the food industry’s efforts to avoid regulation “omit any mention of the millions of overweight American kids and teenagers, or the government’s legitimate interest in improving public health trends.” --- ## Environmental Working Group says kids’ cereals have too much sugar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/environmental-working-group-says-kids-cereals-have-too-much-sugar/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-09 Words: 46 > Marion Nestle discusses the recent report from the Environmental Working Group that showed that most children's cereals contain high levels of sugar. She points out that although companies are trying... Marion Nestle discusses the recent report from the Environmental Working Group that showed that most children’s cereals contain high levels of sugar. She points out that although companies are trying to reduce sugars “by a little … it’s not enough.” --- ## Mountain Dew promotes brand with ‘Mega Fan Experience Sweepstakes’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-promotes-brand-with-mega-fan-experience-sweepstakes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-08 Words: 58 > Mountain Dew's successful cross promotion with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare continues with the "Mega Fan Experience Sweepstakes." The winner played the game on one of the world's largest HD... Mountain Dew’s successful cross promotion with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare continues with the “Mega Fan Experience Sweepstakes.” The winner played the game on one of the world’s largest HD screens, located at Cowboys Stadium. More than 1.4 millions fans have participated in the Call of Duty cross promotion so far. --- ## Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins go national URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cuties-california-clementines-and-mandarins-go-national/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-07 Words: 48 > Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins will now be available across the country. The company is promoting the national launch with an interactive website that targets children and parents. Parents are... Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins will now be available across the country. The company is promoting the national launch with an interactive website that targets children and parents. Parents are urged to upload images and videos of their children for a chance to receive a $150,000 scholarship. --- ## McDonald’s fined $1.8M in Brazil for free Happy Meal toy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-fined-1-8m-in-brazil-for-free-happy-meal-toy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-07 Words: 47 > The Instituto Alana, a Brazilian consumer defense group, filed a complaint against McDonald's, arguing that the inclusion of a free toy "distorts values" and "encourages unhealthy eating habits" among children.... The Instituto Alana, a Brazilian consumer defense group, filed a complaint against McDonald’s, arguing that the inclusion of a free toy “distorts values” and “encourages unhealthy eating habits” among children. In response, the government of Sao Paulo has fined the company. --- ## Subway uses health message to reach parents and kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-uses-health-message-to-reach-parents-and-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-06 Words: 52 > As part of "the Subway brand's commitment to provide expert nutritional information and recommendations," Subway has tapped corporate dietitian Lanette Kovachi to write an advice column for Subway.com titled "Help!... As part of “the Subway brand’s commitment to provide expert nutritional information and recommendations,” Subway has tapped corporate dietitian Lanette Kovachi to write an advice column for Subway.com titled “Help! My children won’t eat vegetables!”. The column includes suggestions that underline parental responsibility. --- ## Who owns Hispanic social media? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/who-owns-hispanic-social-media/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-06 Words: 48 > Huffington Post writers report on social media trends among Latinos, the fastest-growing market in the United States. They examine two key questions: 1) Do people or businesses "own" social media?... Huffington Post writers report on social media trends among Latinos, the fastest-growing market in the United States. They examine two key questions: 1) Do people or businesses “own” social media? 2) Are bloggers or brands more important when it comes to capturing the [Latino] market? --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts launches holiday ‘MoMint’ Twitter contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-launches-holiday-momint-twitter-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-05 Words: 38 > Dunkin' Donuts is launching a Twitter contest to promote the debut of its new Mint Hot Chocolate. Contestants can Tweet their favorite 'MoMint' of the holiday season to compete for... Dunkin’ Donuts is launching a Twitter contest to promote the debut of its new Mint Hot Chocolate. Contestants can Tweet their favorite ‘MoMint’ of the holiday season to compete for Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards. --- ## Marketing food to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-food-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-05 Words: 56 > In spite of evidence to the contrary, the president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association argues that industry self-regulation is both rigorous and effective in reducing children's exposure to advertising for... In spite of evidence to the contrary, the president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association argues that industry self-regulation is both rigorous and effective in reducing children’s exposure to advertising for unhealthy products and lifestyles. She suggests that “critics … focus on more holistic approaches to solving America’s obesity challenges.” --- ## Farmers join Occupy Wall Street, call for food justice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/farmers-join-occupy-wall-street-call-for-food-justice/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-03 Words: 39 > On Sunday December 4, food justice activists from as far as Colorado, Iowa and Upstate New York joined together for the Occupy Wall Street Farmer's March to protest the corporate... On Sunday December 4, food justice activists from as far as Colorado, Iowa and Upstate New York joined together for the Occupy Wall Street Farmer’s March to protest the corporate ownership of the U.S. food system. --- ## McDonald’s says no to kids’ health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/mcdonalds-says-no-to-kids-health/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 602 > Last year, San Francisco passed a groundbreaking ordinance to require restaurants offering free toys in kids' meals to make sure that those meals met certain minimum -- and very reasonable... Last year, San Francisco passed a groundbreaking ordinance to require restaurants offering free toys in kids’ meals to make sure that those meals met certain minimum — and very reasonable — nutrition requirements. Now, McDonald’s has decided to sidestep the law and charge a dime for each of its Happy Meal toys so that it doesn’t have to make the meals any healthier (read: less bad) for kids. The kicker: They’re painting this as an act of charity and donating those dimes to the local Ronald McDonald House. Lawyer and writer Michele Simon has taken the food giant to task for this stunt and questioned whether the 10-cent toy gimmick really is in full compliance with the law. And good for her for doing so. After all, this law was designed specifically to “disassociate toys from unhealthy food,” as Simon put it. But what if McDonald’s is in full compliance? Then what? Are they in the clear? Do they get to go on with business as usual? Hardly. Pressure is on from parents and advocates everywhere. They are holding McDonald’s and other food and beverage companies responsible for the health harms that their products cause. Why? Because we have a health crisis in this country and food companies are unwilling to reign in their junk food marketing to help abate it. So, whether McDonald’s actions are legal are not, the real issue here — children’s health — should not get lost in the conversation. Even as childhood obesity rates and related health problems continue to climb, McDonald’s and other companies seem as insistent as ever on circumventing parents and marketing high-calorie, low-nutrition food and drinks to young kids. Research from Yale’s Rudd Center on Food Policy and Obesity has showed that McDonald’s is using online marketing to attract children and teens. And numerous case studies — compiled by BMSG in partnership with the Center for Digital Democracy and National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity — show that McDonald’s is among many companies that use aggressive digital marketing to target youth and get them to engage and bond with brands. What does all of this mean? First, it reaffirms what so many already know: that advocates, parents, policymakers and health professionals of all stripes have their work cut out for them. Big Food’s gloves are off, and it will take continued action on the part of all of these groups to chip away at the power that allows them to continually flout health. Second, it means that food and beverage companies have their work cut out for them too. Michele Simon is just one of many heavyweights in the public health arena who — I think it’s safe to say — is not about to let Big Food off the hook. Every Happy Meal-type shenanigan just emboldens those who care about public health even more. And the general public is growing impatient with seeing such institutions flex disproportionate amounts of power in ways that hurt society collectively. The resilience and tenacity of the Occupy movement speak to this. When people band together in the name of a shared goal and decide they’ve had enough of something, history shows the underdog can absolutely prevail. Public health and community groups have proven this with tobacco, with childhood lead poisoning, with seat belt laws, etc. — and we’re adding the food environment to that list. --- ## McDonald’s partners with LivingSocial to offer calorie- and fat-packed ‘deals’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-partners-with-livingsocial-to-offer-calorie-and-fat-packed-deals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-01 Words: 20 > The promotion offers 5 Big Macs and 5 large orders of fries (over 5,000 calories total) for half price. The promotion offers 5 Big Macs and 5 large orders of fries (over 5,000 calories total) for half price. --- ## KFC uses Twitter-based scholarship contest to promote brand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-uses-twitter-based-scholarship-contest-to-promote-brand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-01 Words: 46 > KFC and Twitter are collaborating for the sixth annual KFC Colonel's Scholars scholarship program. High school seniors compete for a $20,000 college scholarship by Tweeting photos that show how they... KFC and Twitter are collaborating for the sixth annual KFC Colonel’s Scholars scholarship program. High school seniors compete for a $20,000 college scholarship by Tweeting photos that show how they “exemplify Colonel Sanders’ commitment to education and enriching their communities.” --- ## McDonald’s outwits SF city hall on Happy Meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-outwits-sf-city-hall-on-happy-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-01 Words: 81 > Despite evidence that environmental factors such as advertising and access to healthy, affordable foods affect health, the editorial board of the SF Chronicle says that "parents -- not politicians --... Despite evidence that environmental factors such as advertising and access to healthy, affordable foods affect health, the editorial board of the SF Chronicle says that “parents — not politicians — should be the ones telling their children what they can and can’t order off the menu.” To that end, they celebrate McDonald’s recent move to skirt a city hall ordinance requiring restaurants that offer free kids’ toys to meet certain minimum standards for nutrition. --- ## Toying with the Happy Meal: Is McDonald’s evading the law? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/toying-with-the-happy-meal-is-mcdonalds-evading-the-law/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-12-01 Words: 68 > Appetite for Profit author Michele Simon argues that the food industry's voluntary pledges are "dismal failure[s]." She sees McDonald's plan to offer Happy Meal toys for 10 cents as a... Appetite for Profit author Michele Simon argues that the food industry’s voluntary pledges are “dismal failure[s].” She sees McDonald’s plan to offer Happy Meal toys for 10 cents as a ploy to keep children and their families coming back to McDonald’s. She urges readers to get involved in the effort to keep McDonald’s from marketing to children. --- ## McDonald’s kids’ meals less happy in San Francisco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-kids-meals-less-happy-in-san-francisco/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-30 Words: 45 > A city ordinance in San Francisco requires all restaurants offering free toys to make sure the food that comes with them meets certain nutrition standards. In response, McDonald's is charging... A city ordinance in San Francisco requires all restaurants offering free toys to make sure the food that comes with them meets certain nutrition standards. In response, McDonald’s is charging 10 cents per Happy Meal toy instead of making its Happy Meals healthier. --- ## Bottled water marketing capaigns target communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bottled-water-marketing-capaigns-target-communities-of-color/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-29 Words: 94 > News and commentary continue to circulate regarding companies' intentional targeted marketing of bottled water to communities of color. This post summarizes a couple of studies -- one from the Department... News and commentary continue to circulate regarding companies’ intentional targeted marketing of bottled water to communities of color. This post summarizes a couple of studies — one from the Department of Pediatrics at the medical College of Wisconsin and another from the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine — both which find that African American and Latino families are much more likely to consume only bottled water as compared to white families. The writer highlights how companies like Nestle and Coca-Cola use celebrities and other techniques to target groups of color, especially mothers. --- ## African-Americans receive their own food pyramid URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/african-americans-receive-their-own-food-pyramid/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-28 Words: 64 > Oldways, a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization, released the "African Heritage Diet Pyramid." As described in its press release, the pyramid is supposed to "celebrate the individual foods and... Oldways, a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization, released the “African Heritage Diet Pyramid.” As described in its press release, the pyramid is supposed to “celebrate the individual foods and the traditional healthy eating patterns of African Heritage, with roots in America, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.” For a visual of the pyramid, visit the organization’s website. --- ## Report: Soda companies target black and Latino kids in high numbers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-soda-companies-target-black-and-latino-kids-in-high-numbers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-28 Words: 47 > Colorlines reports on the Rudd Center's sugary facts report highlighting industry's aggressive target marketing of Latino and African American youth. One of the most staggering findings was that African-American children... Colorlines reports on the Rudd Center’s sugary facts report highlighting industry’s aggressive target marketing of Latino and African American youth. One of the most staggering findings was that African-American children and teens saw 80 to 90 percent more ads than white youth. --- ## Food and beverage brands pledge to avoid promoting unhealthy products URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-and-beverage-brands-pledge-to-avoid-promoting-unhealthy-products/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-28 Words: 36 > As part of the European pledge group, companies like McDonald's, PepsiCo and Nestl̩ are promising to "restrict marketing to children (under 12) on their websites to 'better for you' products." As part of the European pledge group, companies like McDonald’s, PepsiCo and Nestl̩ are promising to “restrict marketing to children (under 12) on their websites to ‘better for you’ products.” --- ## PepsiCo looks to tap smaller cities in India for breakfast cereals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-looks-to-tap-smaller-cities-in-india-for-breakfast-cereals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-27 Words: 50 > Looking to expand its global market and increase sales, PepsiCo plans to target low socio-economic consumers in India with its breakfast cereals, like Quaker Oats. Marketing Director states, "What we... Looking to expand its global market and increase sales, PepsiCo plans to target low socio-economic consumers in India with its breakfast cereals, like Quaker Oats. Marketing Director states, “What we are trying to do is to ensure that our products remain affordable and accessible at all times.” --- ## Study recommends actions on ‘food deserts’ in New York URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-recommends-actions-on-food-deserts-in-new-york/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-27 Words: 40 > A study by the American Cancer Society recommends policy actions, including taxes on sugary drinks, to address childhood obesity and food deserts in New York. It finds that food deserts... A study by the American Cancer Society recommends policy actions, including taxes on sugary drinks, to address childhood obesity and food deserts in New York. It finds that food deserts are in 32 of New York’s 62 counties. --- ## No slow down to class action lawsuits in California over food labeling and marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/no-slow-down-to-class-action-lawsuits-in-california-over-food-labeling-and-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-25 Words: 47 > Consumers continue to file lawsuits over misleading labeling and marketing claims, like claims that products are "all natural" when in fact they have synthetic ingredients. California litigators Tom Woods and... Consumers continue to file lawsuits over misleading labeling and marketing claims, like claims that products are “all natural” when in fact they have synthetic ingredients. California litigators Tom Woods and Melissa Jones advise companies to “examine their labels to minimize risk of litigation.” --- ## Coca-Cola adorns billions of cups with QR code URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-adorns-billions-of-cups-with-qr-code/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-23 Words: 44 > As part of its Save Polar Bears campaign, Coca-Cola plans to use QR codes on "tens of billions Coca-Cola cups." These codes lead consumers to a "landing page on Facebook... As part of its Save Polar Bears campaign, Coca-Cola plans to use QR codes on “tens of billions Coca-Cola cups.” These codes lead consumers to a “landing page on Facebook that allows users to throw snowballs at friends.” --- ## What do we talk about when we talk about Penn State? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/what-do-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-penn-state/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 442 > Child sexual abuse isn't just about courtrooms and arraignments, but you wouldn't know it to read the newspaper: Too often, coverage focuses on the details of high profile, scandalous cases... Child sexual abuse isn’t just about courtrooms and arraignments, but you wouldn’t know it to read the newspaper: Too often, coverage focuses on the details of high profile, scandalous cases but ignores the cultural and institutional environments that fostered the abuse. Now we have an unprecedented opportunity to examine both at once. The news is currently inundated with stories about the alleged sex abuse at Penn State, which has created a storm of controversy about sports, university politics, and the responsibility of leaders like disgraced coach Joe Paterno. Like media coverage of many stories on child sexual abuse, the reporting on Penn State bemoans how something so horrific could have happened and expresses outrage on behalf of the victims. But the coverage is unique in that it explicitly illustrates how institutional dynamics beyond the immediate perpetrator and victim contributed to the abuse: Many members of the university administration, including legendary coach Joe Paterno, knew that there were concerns about assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, but no one took more than perfunctory steps to find out more. BMSG’s recent analysis of typical child sexual abuse coverage showed that news stories about child sexual abuse rarely focus on anything beyond the criminal justice details of specific cases. Since media coverage so strongly affects how we think and talk about issues, I wonder if those kinds of stories, which focus only on criminal justice responses to child sexual abuse, limit our awareness of the institutional policies that may foster child sexual abuse and the policies that could prevent it before it happens. But stories about Penn State aren’t as narrowly focused because Sandusky’s actions were so inextricably linked to the systemic policies that enabled him: Frank Bruni’s recent New York Times article about the failure of institutional self-regulation is an example of a story that puts the horrific incidents at Penn State into a larger context and addresses prevention. Child sexual abuse prevention is important: We need news stories that talk concretely about prevention and the broader context to help us envision what policies or actions can help us achieve it. Advocates from the child sexual abuse prevention community must think critically about how to use insights from the reporting on Penn State to shape future coverage of child sexual abuse. They are uniquely poised to seize this turbulent moment and shape how the media talk about prevention of child sexual abuse, to ensure both that future coverage addresses the systemic elements that foster child sexual abuse, and to highlight policies that will protect another generation of children, at Penn State and beyond. --- ## Webinar: Media planning for policy change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-media-planning-for-policy-change/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 48 > Engaging the media around prevention policy can be challenging for advocates working to end intimate partner violence. This webinar takes participants through the key steps of developing an effective media... Engaging the media around prevention policy can be challenging for advocates working to end intimate partner violence. This webinar takes participants through the key steps of developing an effective media advocacy plan, including setting goals and objectives, identifying strategies, assessing resources and planning for timely news coverage. --- ## Starbucks opens 500th store in Latin America URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/starbucks-opens-500th-store-in-latin-america/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-21 Words: 63 > Starbucks' rapid expansion into Latin America continues with a new store opening in Santiago. The company uses "Latin America's distinctive cultural heritage" to make the company more appealing to local... Starbucks’ rapid expansion into Latin America continues with a new store opening in Santiago. The company uses “Latin America’s distinctive cultural heritage” to make the company more appealing to local customers. Starbucks plans to continue to dominate Latin America: In Brazil, for example, the company plans to open “several hundred stores” in the years to come. --- ## Milk Mustache Campaign uses scholarships to market to Latino students and families URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/milk-mustache-campaign-uses-scholarships-to-market-to-latino-students-and-families/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-21 Words: 92 > The National Milk Mustache Campaign is partnering with USA Today for the 15th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year Award Program (SAMMY). The scholarship offers high-achieving high school... The National Milk Mustache Campaign is partnering with USA Today for the 15th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year Award Program (SAMMY). The scholarship offers high-achieving high school athletes an opportunity to offset some of the costs of attending college. As the press release indicates, the program is being heavily marketed to Latino students and families. Though milk is a healthful product, this campaign is problematic because the company is also using the scholarship as a means to promote chocolate milk, which contains a great deal of added sugar. --- ## General Mills raises money through promotions for anti-obesity nonprofit URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/general-mills-raises-money-through-promotions-for-anti-obesity-nonprofit/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-18 Words: 26 > General Mills raises $20,000 for the GENYOUTH Foundation, a nonprofit implementing healthy eating and physical activity for youth in schools and communities in New England. General Mills raises $20,000 for the GENYOUTH Foundation, a nonprofit implementing healthy eating and physical activity for youth in schools and communities in New England. --- ## Pepsi NEXT, a mid-calorie soda to debut in spring URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-next-a-mid-calorie-soda-to-debut-in-spring/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-18 Words: 18 > Pepsi NEXT is a low-calorie beverage that will have 60% less sugar than a standard Pepsi beverage. Pepsi NEXT is a low-calorie beverage that will have 60% less sugar than a standard Pepsi beverage. --- ## Fighting to sell junk food to kids: Really, grocery manufacturers? That’s your highest priority? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fighting-to-sell-junk-food-to-kids-really-grocery-manufacturers-thats-your-highest-priority/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-18 Words: 79 > Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Michael F. Jacobson, outlines a couple of reasons why the food industry is aggressively lobbying against voluntary marketing guidelines.... Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Michael F. Jacobson, outlines a couple of reasons why the food industry is aggressively lobbying against voluntary marketing guidelines. These include that the “industry is desperate to avoid any government scrutiny” and that the guidelines would serve as a benchmark to help evaluate industry progress. The food industry’s “single biggest priority is preserving its ability to market junk food to young kids.” --- ## Selling candy to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/selling-candy-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-18 Words: 21 > This editorial critiques the Obama administration for giving in to industry lobbying with regards to the voluntary marketing and nutrition guidelines. This editorial critiques the Obama administration for giving in to industry lobbying with regards to the voluntary marketing and nutrition guidelines. --- ## Quaker partners with the National Dairy Council and claims to ‘help nourish youth’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/quaker-partners-with-the-national-dairy-council-and-claims-to-help-nourish-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-17 Words: 55 > In an effort to continue positioning itself as a company committed to health, PepsiCo partners with the National Dairy Council to market its Quaker Oats to children in schools. The... In an effort to continue positioning itself as a company committed to health, PepsiCo partners with the National Dairy Council to market its Quaker Oats to children in schools. The partnership’s activities will be funded in part through the non-profit organization, GENYOUth Foundation, which raises funds to support child health and wellness. --- ## For cereal, natural may not be as natural as you think URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/for-cereal-natural-may-not-be-as-natural-as-you-think/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-16 Words: 52 > Non-profit research organization, the Cornucopia Institute, released a report titled "Cereal Crimes: How 'Natural' Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label." The report finds that cereals claiming to be... Non-profit research organization, the Cornucopia Institute, released a report titled “Cereal Crimes: How ‘Natural’ Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label.” The report finds that cereals claiming to be “natural” often use “dangerous pesticides, genetically engineered crops, fumigants” and other toxic chemicals. --- ## It’s official: Pizza is a vegetable! URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/its-official-pizza-is-a-vegetable/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-16 Words: 33 > Congress caves in to industry pressure and declares that the tomato paste in pizza qualifies it as a vegetable. In her blog post, Nestle includes some of the national coverage... Congress caves in to industry pressure and declares that the tomato paste in pizza qualifies it as a vegetable. In her blog post, Nestle includes some of the national coverage on this topic. --- ## McDonald’s plans to introduce new desserts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-plans-to-introduce-new-desserts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-15 Words: 27 > Seeking to become a "dessert destination," the fast food giant will introduce new desserts such as strawberry cr̬me pie and S'More pie. Seeking to become a “dessert destination,” the fast food giant will introduce new desserts such as strawberry cr̬me pie and S’More pie. --- ## Comprehensive policies needed to reduce marketing of sugary drinks to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/comprehensive-policies-needed-to-reduce-marketing-of-sugary-drinks-to-kids/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 221 > Recent research from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity highlights the need for comprehensive policies that address the multiple channels marketers use to sell sugary drinks to... Recent research from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity highlights the need for comprehensive policies that address the multiple channels marketers use to sell sugary drinks to children. On October 31, the Rudd Center released Sugary Drink FACTS, a comprehensive study of the nutritional quality and marketing of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, energy drinks, and fruit drinks. Although companies have promised to limit their marketing to children, youth are still bombarded with advertising for sugary beverages. Sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the single largest source of excess calories for children. Limited policies, like bans restricting sugary drink sales on school campuses, don’t reduce overall consumption. While these bans are a positive first step, they alone are ineffective because children have many opportunities to purchase and consume these beverages outside of school. Policy makers and public health advocates have a unique opportunity to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic through policies that regulate marketing of sugar-sweetened beverages. These policies should be comprehensive and far-reaching. It is not enough to limit regulation to one environment, like a school campus, because children are bombarded with multiple levels of aggressive and invasive advertising every day — on their cell phones, their computers, their televisions, and in the spaces where they live, travel, and play. --- ## McDonald’s connects with youth of color through college scholarship program URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-connects-with-youth-of-color-through-college-scholarship-program/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-14 Words: 43 > The Ronald McDonald House provides college scholarships to high school seniors of color (including African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans). The program is part of McDonald's long-standing efforts to improve... The Ronald McDonald House provides college scholarships to high school seniors of color (including African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans). The program is part of McDonald’s long-standing efforts to improve its image and build brand loyalty in communities of color. --- ## Sugary-drink industry sweetens pot for Philadelphia City Council URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sugary-drink-industry-sweetens-pot-for-philadelphia-city-council/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-13 Words: 29 > Since May, beverage industry leaders have contributed at least $49,000 to Philadelphia City Council candidates. Critics argue that this gives the industry political influence over soda tax bills. Since May, beverage industry leaders have contributed at least $49,000 to Philadelphia City Council candidates. Critics argue that this gives the industry political influence over soda tax bills. --- ## Study: 78 percent of Americans eat snack foods for lunch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-78-percent-of-americans-eat-snack-foods-for-lunch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-11 Words: 19 > The study reveals that, when hungry, younger adults tend to skip full-course meals and replace them with snacks. The study reveals that, when hungry, younger adults tend to skip full-course meals and replace them with snacks. --- ## McDonald’s launches Spanish language Twitter handle, @MeEncanta, to engage with Latino followers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-launches-spanish-language-twitter-handle-meencanta-to-engage-with-latino-followers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-10 Words: 90 > McDonald's is one of the companies that most aggressively targets Latinos. The new MeEncanta Twitter handle is just one example of the company's efforts to take advantage of the fact... McDonald’s is one of the companies that most aggressively targets Latinos. The new MeEncanta Twitter handle is just one example of the company’s efforts to take advantage of the fact that Latino consumers are among the biggest users of digital and social media. McDonald’s will use this new medium to increase sales to Latino consumers: Followers will receive updates on menu items and promotions, as well as information on campaigns that are designed to improve the company’s image within the Latino community. --- ## CNBC’s documentary ‘Pepsi’s Challenge’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cnbcs-documentary-pepsis-challenge/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-10 Words: 29 > The documentary seeks to position PepsiCo as a responsible company, with CEO Indra Nooyi declaring that she aims to take the company in a "new, healthier direction." The documentary seeks to position PepsiCo as a responsible company, with CEO Indra Nooyi declaring that she aims to take the company in a “new, healthier direction.” --- ## Coca-Cola vs Grand Canyon: Donations come with short strings URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-vs-grand-canyon-donations-come-with-short-strings/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-10 Words: 63 > Nestle illustrates how donations and partnerships between food companies and health organizations prove to be a conflict of interest. Coca-Cola, one of the Grand Canyon's big donors, reportedly convinced the... Nestle illustrates how donations and partnerships between food companies and health organizations prove to be a conflict of interest. Coca-Cola, one of the Grand Canyon’s big donors, reportedly convinced the National Park Service from blocking a bottle ban. The park was attempting to remove plastic water and soda bottles out of the park, which account for 30% of its waste. --- ## Thinking critically about inequities: Highlights from APHA URL: https://www.bmsg.org/thinking-critically-about-inequities-highlights-from-apha/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 514 > This year's annual American Public Health Association conference was filled with folks thinking critically about the inequities facing our society and proposing creative ways to address them. It was held... This year’s annual American Public Health Association conference was filled with folks thinking critically about the inequities facing our society and proposing creative ways to address them. It was held in Washington, D.C., with the city’s fall colors forming a beautiful backdrop for the event. But besides the gorgeous scenery, it was the speakers who made the conference memorable and whose messages stay with me now. I was privileged to listen to nationally prominent public health researchers and activists present their work. Here is a snapshot of a few of my favorite experiences and new ideas learned. Epidemiologist and Harvard professor Dr. Nancy Krieger kicked off a session on discrimination and public health by reporting compelling data linking exposure to racial discrimination to a variety of adverse health outcomes. She employed both explicit and implicit measures to capture a deep understanding of how folks experience and represent their exposure to situations of discrimination. Following Krieger on the same panel, the University of Washington’s Dr. Karina Walters had the room in a hush as she reviewed how historical trauma and acts of microaggression — daily interactions and messages that denigrate a community or its members — each diminish the health of oppressed groups, in this case Native Americans. Walters connected her presentation to personal experience, relaying an incident that happened to her when a colleague asked her to deliver a guest lecture in full cultural dress so that she looked “like a Native American.” Instead, Walters showed up in her best suit and lectured the entire time about microaggressions and their pernicious effects. Another panel titled “Popular Protest and Public Health” and organized by the Socialist Caucus was easily the most captivating. A democracy activist from Egypt opened the session, speaking with passion about the unfulfilled work of the Egyptian revolution. He said that although the story has left the western media, the Egyptian people still occupy Tahrir Square because the military dictatorship persists in pushing the interests of the regime despite the departure of Hosni Mubarak. Later in the session, Dr. Lanny Smith, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, showed slides that revealed the incredible hardships visited upon migrants seeking to work in America and discussed how his work to provide them with medial care often involves protecting them against vigilante violence from groups such as the Minutemen. Rounding out the panel, Dr. Hillel Cohen, a professor of clinical epidemiology and population health at Einstein, spoke about the importance of the Occupy movement as representing the germ of a new society, one not based in capitalist exploitation but one that instead seeks to meet the most basic and important human needs: safety, health, meaningful work, and education. He argued that the public health community should move from passive to active support of the Occupy movement. He walked the talk too: After the session, he promptly led a contingent of conference attendees to the Washington D.C. Occupy encampment at McPherson park just a few blocks away. --- ## Mountain Dew Facebook sweepstakes targets gamers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-facebook-sweepstakes-targets-gamers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-09 Words: 67 > Mountain Dew offers gamers a new Facebook-based sweepstakes called the "Mega Fan Experience." Gamers must post a picture of Mountain Dew's Mega XP 20-pack packaging and provide personal information such... Mountain Dew offers gamers a new Facebook-based sweepstakes called the “Mega Fan Experience.” Gamers must post a picture of Mountain Dew’s Mega XP 20-pack packaging and provide personal information such as name, mailing address and phone. The grand prize is getting to play the new video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” with friends at the Cowboys Stadium. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts targets Latinos with sponsorship of Universal Music Entertainment’s ‘Noche de Estrellas’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-targets-latinos-with-sponsorship-of-universal-music-entertainments-noche-de-estrellas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-08 Words: 90 > Dunkin' Donuts targets communities of color in part by sponsoring events that are culturally important to these communities. Most recently, the company provided coffee to "Noche de estrellas," an after... Dunkin’ Donuts targets communities of color in part by sponsoring events that are culturally important to these communities. Most recently, the company provided coffee to “Noche de estrellas,” an after party that followed the Latin Music Awards as part of an effort to “deepen [the company’s] relationship and build brand loyalty with … multicultural communities.” To publicize the promotion, Dunkin’ Donuts offered Facebook fans free downloads of tracks by popular Latino musicians, as well as photos and videos from the after-party. --- ## Coca-Cola, 7-Elevan launch ‘Snowball effect’ app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-7-elevan-launch-snowball-effect-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-08 Words: 39 > Coca-Cola and 7-Eleven partner to create the "Snowball" interactive app as an extension of The Coca-Cola Company's campaign "Arctic Home", aimed at increasing its sales through cause-related tie-ins. Coca-Cola and 7-Eleven partner to create the “Snowball” interactive app as an extension of The Coca-Cola Company’s campaign “Arctic Home”, aimed at increasing its sales through cause-related tie-ins. --- ## Kraft reportedly entering the energy drinks market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-reportedly-entering-the-energy-drinks-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-08 Words: 22 > Kraft is launching a new energy/caffeinated version of MiO that is expected to provide the equivalent of 18 cups of coffee. Kraft is launching a new energy/caffeinated version of MiO that is expected to provide the equivalent of 18 cups of coffee. --- ## Heineken targets Latinos by sponsoring the Latin Grammy Awards URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/heineken-targets-latinos-by-sponsoring-the-latin-grammy-awards/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-07 Words: 56 > The food and beverage industries target communities of color in part by supporting events that are culturally important to people in those communities. This year the Heineken-sponsored Latin Grammy Awards... The food and beverage industries target communities of color in part by supporting events that are culturally important to people in those communities. This year the Heineken-sponsored Latin Grammy Awards will feature promotional activities, such as performances by popular musicians like Daddy Yankee, which will surround viewers with advertising for Heineken beer and related products. --- ## Federal PepsiCo investigation threatens ‘standard’ marketing techniques URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/federal-pepsico-investigation-threatens-standard-marketing-techniques/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-07 Words: 25 > A consumer FTC complaint against PepsiCo for "deceptive and unfair marketing practices" raises question about what some marketers consider to be standard techniques. A consumer FTC complaint against PepsiCo for “deceptive and unfair marketing practices” raises question about what some marketers consider to be standard techniques. --- ## Study finds that soda bans in schools have limited impact URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-finds-that-soda-bans-in-schools-have-limited-impact/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-07 Words: 54 > The study finds that state laws that ban sodas in schools have little impact on the amount of sugary drinks that middle school students buy and consume at school. Author... The study finds that state laws that ban sodas in schools have little impact on the amount of sugary drinks that middle school students buy and consume at school. Author of the study, Daniel R. Tauber, says that it illustrates the need for comprehensive laws instead of laws that focus only on one environment. --- ## Selling junk to kids department URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/selling-junk-to-kids-department/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-07 Words: 60 > New York Times columnist Mark Bittman comments on the USA Today story describing Burger King's repackaged meals to target kids. He concludes by urging advocates to mobilize more aggressively against... New York Times columnist Mark Bittman comments on the USA Today story describing Burger King’s repackaged meals to target kids. He concludes by urging advocates to mobilize more aggressively against the predatory marketing by the food and beverage industry “because the food industry will make minimal token changes until they’re forced to do otherwise.” --- ## Food matters: Front-of-package labels again URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-matters-front-of-package-labels-again/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-06 Words: 28 > Marion Nestle answers questions about front-of-package labels and argues that voluntary labeling initiatives will not work; instead, she says the labeling rules need to be mandatory. Marion Nestle answers questions about front-of-package labels and argues that voluntary labeling initiatives will not work; instead, she says the labeling rules need to be mandatory. --- ## Rage ensues as study shows soda ads target minorities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rage-ensues-as-study-shows-soda-ads-target-minorities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-05 Words: 61 > New York lawmakers and community residents are responding to a report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity showing that soda manufacturers target African American and Latino youth.... New York lawmakers and community residents are responding to a report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity showing that soda manufacturers target African American and Latino youth. Activists call the targeting of low-income communities of color “environmental racism.” The article quotes local lawmakers who want to regulate soda marketing before it can do more damage. --- ## Food Day is also about food justice URL: https://www.bmsg.org/food-day-is-also-about-food-justice/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 219 > The Center for Science in the Public Health Interest launched last Monday its first annual Food Day to promote healthy eating, equitable practices and access to healthy foods. All around... The Center for Science in the Public Health Interest launched last Monday its first annual Food Day to promote healthy eating, equitable practices and access to healthy foods. All around the country, communities and organizations hosted events to celebrate and bring attention to food day. One of the goals of food day is to “promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids.” The food and beverage industry’s deceptive and unhealthy marketing practices contribute to the high rates of obesity that our communities of color face, not only in the United States but also internationally. Just last week, Mexico reported the alarming prevalence of obesity: 70% of its population is obese and 4 million of kids aged five or younger are overweight or obese. Food day offers an opportunity to mobilize various communities committed to food justice and to speak out against the food and beverage industry’s deceptive and unhealthy marketing practices. The industry’s predatory marketing of fast foods and sugary beverages is especially unjust when it is directed at groups and children who are already experiencing more health problems and inequities. At the core of food day is food justice because all families should have access to healthy, affordable foods. A version of this blog is also available in Spanish. --- ## Corporate Accountability International says Nestle’s marketing of Pure Life bottled water to Latinos is deceptive URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/corporate-accountability-international-says-nestles-marketing-of-pure-life-bottled-water-to-latinos-is-deceptive/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-02 Words: 62 > Nestle's Pure Life water comes from public water systems and is no better than tap water, but Latinos are spending hundreds of dollars per year on it. According to Corporate... Nestle’s Pure Life water comes from public water systems and is no better than tap water, but Latinos are spending hundreds of dollars per year on it. According to Corporate Accountability International, a watchdog group based in New York, that’s because Nestle targets Latino immigrants, many of whom may not trust that tap water is safe to drink. --- ## Soda tax proposal on sugary drinks bubbles up again in Illinois URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-tax-proposal-on-sugary-drinks-bubbles-up-again-in-illinois/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-02 Words: 45 > Illinois public health advocates make the case for a 2-cents per ounce tax on sugary drinks, saying that the revenues generated will go toward obesity prevention programs. Critics claim that... Illinois public health advocates make the case for a 2-cents per ounce tax on sugary drinks, saying that the revenues generated will go toward obesity prevention programs. Critics claim that the proposal is not politically feasible, especially given the country’s weak economy. --- ## School lunch proposals set off a dispute URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/school-lunch-proposals-set-off-a-dispute/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-01 Words: 43 > The government proposes changes in school meals in an attempt to reduce childhood obesity. The changes include reducing the amount of potatoes, adding more fresh fruits and vegetables, and reducing... The government proposes changes in school meals in an attempt to reduce childhood obesity. The changes include reducing the amount of potatoes, adding more fresh fruits and vegetables, and reducing salt. Farm states and food companies are lobbying aggressively against the proposed rules. --- ## Letter: Kids and fast food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/letter-kids-and-fast-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-11-01 Words: 33 > Advice columnist and author Carol Weston points to the role of advertising in childhood overweight and obesity. She encourages switching from sugary sodas to tap water as a first step... Advice columnist and author Carol Weston points to the role of advertising in childhood overweight and obesity. She encourages switching from sugary sodas to tap water as a first step to improving health. --- ## BMSG: Where we’ve been and where we’re going URL: https://www.bmsg.org/bmsg-where-weve-been-and-where-were-going/ Type: post Modified: 2018-11-16 Words: 519 > Writing BMSG's inaugural blog forces me to take stock of where we are and where we're going. Could I have even imagined a blog, or any of the other new... Writing BMSG’s inaugural blog forces me to take stock of where we are and where we’re going. Could I have even imagined a blog, or any of the other new media innovations, when we opened our doors 18 years ago? Back then I looked forward to getting my next email — imagine! — but never anticipated how the onslaught of social media would challenge newspapers and other traditional news organizations. In those days our biggest questions were about media advocacy, the strategic use of mass media to support community organizing and influence policy debate. Could we take what tobacco and alcohol control advocates had crafted and apply it to preventing violence? Hundreds of advocates across California working with us as part of The California Wellness Foundation’s Violence Prevention Initiative proved we could. Using media advocacy to bolster their work, in community after community advocates ensured that there were fewer guns wreaking havoc in neighborhoods and more resources for prevention for young people across the state. They were one of the forces pushing rates of violence among youth in California down to the lowest levels ever recorded. Since then we’ve learned to apply media advocacy to many issues that you can explore on these pages. And we’ve learned that despite the consistent patterns in how public health issues are framed, we have to renew and reinvent our framing strategies for each new campaign. Framing battles are fierce these days. Government has been demonized beyond belief, budgets are getting cut — it’s so bad now that people are occupying town squares in cities across the nation to protest systems that favor the rich. In just one example, we’ve watched how food and beverage companies, who claim they want to be part of the solution, aggressively market junk food and sugary drinks and then raise their backs in defense at any mention of even voluntary guidelines for what products should be marketed to kids. We still have questions about media advocacy: How can we help people see that environments matter to health as much as personal behavior? With newsrooms dwindling, how can we get the attention we need to press for public health? And as new media allow more people to raise their voices, how can we be sure they are heard, that their weight is felt by those in power? It’s easy to despair. But I refuse to do that because I know that the creativity and commitment we’ve witnessed working with advocates over the last 18 years will be matched and surpassed by those who will take up the mantle in the next 18. I also know it won’t be easy, and like everything we’ve ever done at BMSG, it will be done together, by people working in partnership. I hope you’ll join us in that future and here on this blog, to question, debate, suggest, and refresh our thinking with the next best idea for making our world the healthiest it can be, for everyone. --- ## Coca-Cola targets African-American youth via Sprite Step Off URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-targets-african-american-youth-via-sprite-step-off/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-31 Words: 55 > Sprite takes advantage of the popularity of "stepping" among black youth to increase its sales. The brand created a nationwide "Sprite Stepping" competition, which culminated in six nationally televised competitions... Sprite takes advantage of the popularity of “stepping” among black youth to increase its sales. The brand created a nationwide “Sprite Stepping” competition, which culminated in six nationally televised competitions on MTV and was hosted by rapper Ludacris. As a result, Sprite volume sales increased 6.7 percent over the year. --- ## Yale study finds unprecedented marketing of sugary drinks to youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yale-study-finds-unprecedented-marketing-of-sugary-drinks-to-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-31 Words: 73 > The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity released a comprehensive study on sugary beverage marketing (sugarydrinkfacts.org). One of the key findings is that companies aggressively target black and... The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity released a comprehensive study on sugary beverage marketing (sugarydrinkfacts.org). One of the key findings is that companies aggressively target black and Latino youth: Black children and teens saw 80 to 90 percent more ads compared to white youth; Latino children saw 49 percent more ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks on Spanish language TV; and Latino teens saw 99 percent more ads. --- ## Kids and teens see more ads for sugary drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kids-and-teens-see-more-ads-for-sugary-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-31 Words: 44 > The Rudd Center's study on the marketing of sugary drinks reveals that children and teens' exposure to TV ads for soda doubled from 2008 to 2010 and that beverage companies... The Rudd Center’s study on the marketing of sugary drinks reveals that children and teens’ exposure to TV ads for soda doubled from 2008 to 2010 and that beverage companies aggressively target African American and Latino youth more than white youth. --- ## WAT-AAH! launches new ad campaign to reach boys URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/wat-aah-launches-new-ad-campaign-to-reach-boys/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-31 Words: 44 > WAT-AAH! is a line of bottled water targeted at children, especially boys. The brand has launched a new campaign using bright neon colors, simple and direct messages with child-like hand-written... WAT-AAH! is a line of bottled water targeted at children, especially boys. The brand has launched a new campaign using bright neon colors, simple and direct messages with child-like hand-written sayings and claims to promote the positive benefits of drinking water. --- ## Pepsi sponsors NBA’s Miami Heat’s sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-sponsors-nbas-miami-heats-sixth-annual-hispanic-heritage-month-celebration/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-28 Words: 54 > One way that the beverage industry targets communities of colors is through events popular with specific groups or located in places near our communities. In this press release, we see... One way that the beverage industry targets communities of colors is through events popular with specific groups or located in places near our communities. In this press release, we see an example through Pepsi’s sponsorship of the NBA’s Miami Heat, who hosted a day of basketball events for Latino youth. --- ## Students ask for and receive more fresh produce at Orange County Public Schools URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/students-ask-for-and-receive-more-fresh-produce-at-orange-county-public-schools/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-27 Words: 47 > The Fresh to Schools initiative is a district-wide program in Orange County, California, that aims to increase access to fresh produce for students. The initiative was partly in response to... The Fresh to Schools initiative is a district-wide program in Orange County, California, that aims to increase access to fresh produce for students. The initiative was partly in response to a youth-led organization, Youth 4 Change, which called for more fresh produce selections in schools. --- ## Coca-Cola uses campaign to strengthen brand among women and girls URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-uses-campaign-to-strengthen-brand-among-women-and-girls/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-27 Words: 85 > McDonald's has offered half a million dollars to the Atlanta Women's Foundation, which serves women and girls in the Atlanta area. The money is to be used in part to... McDonald’s has offered half a million dollars to the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, which serves women and girls in the Atlanta area. The money is to be used in part to “empower girls … to make positive choices about education, careers and lifestyle.” This corporate social responsibility campaign is designed in part to create long-term good feelings toward the company in the girls who will participate in these programs, who may then grow up to be Coca-Cola consumers. --- ## Study finds strong ‘association’ between violence and drinking soda pop URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/study-finds-strong-association-between-violence-and-drinking-soda-pop/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-26 Words: 22 > A new study published in the Journal of Injury Prevention finds a strong association between soft drink consumption among adolescents and violence. A new study published in the Journal of Injury Prevention finds a strong association between soft drink consumption among adolescents and violence. --- ## Food Day message reaches millions URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-day-message-reaches-millions/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-26 Words: 42 > The Center for Science in the Public Interest launched its first annual Food Day, and all across the country, communities and organizations mobilized to improve food policies. Hundreds of thousands... The Center for Science in the Public Interest launched its first annual Food Day, and all across the country, communities and organizations mobilized to improve food policies. Hundreds of thousands of individuals organized more than 2,300 events in all 50 states. --- ## M&Ms rule in buzz URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mms-rule-in-buzz/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 26 > An analysis of social media discussion of 5 leading candy brands reveals that M&Ms dominate because of their popularity and "high buzz." An analysis of social media discussion of 5 leading candy brands reveals that M&Ms dominate because of their popularity and “high buzz.” --- ## Pepsi and 7-Eleven target millennials through cause marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-and-7-eleven-target-millennials-through-cause-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 78 > As part of a cause-marketing strategy that positions PepsiCo and 7-Eleven as good corporate citizens, the two companies attempt to connect with millennials by asking consumers to purchase Pepsi products... As part of a cause-marketing strategy that positions PepsiCo and 7-Eleven as good corporate citizens, the two companies attempt to connect with millennials by asking consumers to purchase Pepsi products at 7-Eleven locations and check in at 7-Elevens through Facebook mobile apps. One 7-Eleven executive said, “Studies show that cause-marketing and social media are two critical ways to reach millennial consumers, a target demographic for both 7-Eleven and Pepsi.” --- ## McRib sandwich returns to McDonald’s nationwide URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcrib-sandwich-returns-to-mcdonalds-nationwide/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 29 > McDonald's has launched The Quest for the Golden McRib, a complex Facebook advergame, to promote the return of the popular McRib sandwich in October and early November. McDonald’s has launched The Quest for the Golden McRib, a complex Facebook advergame, to promote the return of the popular McRib sandwich in October and early November. --- ## New York City Health Department launches campaign against sugary drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-york-city-health-department-launches-campaign-against-sugary-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 35 > As part of the its obesity prevention initiative, the city launches a campaign, which includes a 30-second TV spot and shows that drinking one soda a day equals 50 pounds... As part of the its obesity prevention initiative, the city launches a campaign, which includes a 30-second TV spot and shows that drinking one soda a day equals 50 pounds of sugar a year. --- ## GMA critiques new front-of-package labeling system URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gma-critiques-new-front-of-package-labeling-system/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 46 > The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) pushes back against the Institute of Medicine's new front-of-package (FOP) symbol system, which offers a single standardized nutrition labeling system. The GMA contends that its... The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) pushes back against the Institute of Medicine’s new front-of-package (FOP) symbol system, which offers a single standardized nutrition labeling system. The GMA contends that its own “Facts Up Front” labeling system is better for consumers. --- ## Meet Big Soda — as bad as Big Tobacco URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/meet-big-soda-as-bad-as-big-tobacco/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 29 > The director of Yale's Rudd Center says the beverage industry is using tactics similar to those used by tobacco companies to prevent taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. The director of Yale’s Rudd Center says the beverage industry is using tactics similar to those used by tobacco companies to prevent taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. --- ## American Beverage Association attempts to position itself as socially responsible URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/american-beverage-association-attempts-to-position-itself-as-socially-responsible/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-24 Words: 45 > In the face of much research pointing to the soda industry's role in fueling America's obesity epidemic, the American Beverage Association claims it is taking "extraordinary steps" to be part... In the face of much research pointing to the soda industry’s role in fueling America’s obesity epidemic, the American Beverage Association claims it is taking “extraordinary steps” to be part of the solution to childhood obesity and other issues. --- ## Kellogg’s surveys Latina mothers to determine attitudes and behaviors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kelloggs-surveys-latina-mothers-to-determine-attitudes-and-behaviors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-21 Words: 68 > Kellog's surveys Latina moms about daily breakfast habits and perceptions. They find that Latina moms are 20 percent more likely than moms overall to get up earlier to prepare children's... Kellog’s surveys Latina moms about daily breakfast habits and perceptions. They find that Latina moms are 20 percent more likely than moms overall to get up earlier to prepare children’s breakfast; and they perceive cereal as a “great snack to keep the body nourished throughout the day.” Kellogg’s will likely use this information to target their products to Latina mothers. --- ## Report: Few marketers excel at appealing to diverse audiences URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-few-marketers-excel-at-appealing-to-diverse-audiences/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-21 Words: 60 > In this piece, the Hispanic PR Blog discusses how different corporations like McDonald's, Nestle, Pepsi and Ford market online to the Latino audience. Marketing messages in Spanish is a common... In this piece, the Hispanic PR Blog discusses how different corporations like McDonald’s, Nestle, Pepsi and Ford market online to the Latino audience. Marketing messages in Spanish is a common strategy for all of them. A critical perspective missing in this piece is the types of products marketed to Latinos, such as fatty and sugary foods and beverages. --- ## Cinnabon makes TV debut URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cinnabon-makes-tv-debut/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-20 Words: 23 > The Cinnabon bakery chain is set to receive its first television exposure through a national campaign featuring International Delight Cinnabon-flavored coffee creamer. The Cinnabon bakery chain is set to receive its first television exposure through a national campaign featuring International Delight Cinnabon-flavored coffee creamer. --- ## The candification of our food: The case of the fruit-less fruit snack URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-candification-of-our-food-the-case-of-the-fruit-less-fruit-snack/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-20 Words: 37 > Professor emeritus Samira Kawash supports CSPI's class action suit against General Mills. She sees the complaint against fruit snacks as "just the beginning" of effective and necessary criticism of deceptive... Professor emeritus Samira Kawash supports CSPI’s class action suit against General Mills. She sees the complaint against fruit snacks as “just the beginning” of effective and necessary criticism of deceptive food labeling practices. --- ## Institute of Medicine releases tough report on front-of-package labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/institute-of-medicine-releases-tough-report-on-front-of-package-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-20 Words: 55 > Marion Nestle supports the IOM's recently released report on Front of Package labeling. Though she says she believes that front of package labeling is "an inherently bad idea ... [because]... Marion Nestle supports the IOM’s recently released report on Front of Package labeling. Though she says she believes that front of package labeling is “an inherently bad idea … [because] FOP labels are a tool for selling,” she considers the proposal a “huge improvement” over current food industry practices. --- ## Baskin-Robbins uses online contest to allow fans to create their own flavor URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/baskin-robbins-uses-online-contest-to-allow-fans-to-create-their-own-flavor/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-19 Words: 21 > The Baskin-Robbins culinary team will chose the top 20 finalists; then fans will vote online to determine the winning creation. The Baskin-Robbins culinary team will chose the top 20 finalists; then fans will vote online to determine the winning creation. --- ## Facebook fans say ‘Coke is it’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/facebook-fans-say-coke-is-it/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-19 Words: 40 > A recent study of different brands' "Facebook health" puts Coca-Cola at the top of the list: the brand has a base of 34 million fans, which is growing at a... A recent study of different brands’ “Facebook health” puts Coca-Cola at the top of the list: the brand has a base of 34 million fans, which is growing at a monthly rate of almost 3 percent. --- ## PepsiCo hit with allegations of deceptive advertising to teens URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-hit-with-allegations-of-deceptive-advertising-to-teens/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-19 Words: 26 > Consumer groups such as The Center for Digital Democracy have filed a complaint with the FTC against PepsiCo, arguing that teen-targeted Doritos campaigns are deceptive. Consumer groups such as The Center for Digital Democracy have filed a complaint with the FTC against PepsiCo, arguing that teen-targeted Doritos campaigns are deceptive. --- ## Marketers try to capture growing bicultural population URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-try-to-capture-growing-bicultural-population/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-17 Words: 42 > Written from a marketing perspective, this article discusses marketers' need to keep their messages consistent when targeting "fusionistas" -- a term used to describe young bicultural, bilingual millennials who identify... Written from a marketing perspective, this article discusses marketers’ need to keep their messages consistent when targeting “fusionistas” — a term used to describe young bicultural, bilingual millennials who identify both as 100 percent Latino and 100 percent American. --- ## CSPI files suit against General Mills Fruit Snacks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cspi-files-suit-against-general-mills-fruit-snacks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-17 Words: 36 > CSPI has filed a complaint against General Mills contending that the company has violated several state laws regulating deceptive advertising by using words like "naturally flavored" to advertise Fruit Roll... CSPI has filed a complaint against General Mills contending that the company has violated several state laws regulating deceptive advertising by using words like “naturally flavored” to advertise Fruit Roll Ups and other products. --- ## Popeye’s Dip-N Chick’n popular online URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/popeyes-dip-n-chickn-popular-online/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-16 Words: 29 > Popeye's has designed a new limited-time online contest to increase its product availability. In the first week and a half, more than 4,000 people registered. Popeye’s has designed a new limited-time online contest to increase its product availability. In the first week and a half, more than 4,000 people registered. --- ## Food fight over marketing to kids misses mark URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-fight-over-marketing-to-kids-misses-mark/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-16 Words: 46 > An editorial in USA Today argues that the food industry's plan for self-regulation to "reduce unhealthy ingredients and make kids' food more nutritious" is sufficient. The article suggests that "politicians... An editorial in USA Today argues that the food industry’s plan for self-regulation to “reduce unhealthy ingredients and make kids’ food more nutritious” is sufficient. The article suggests that “politicians and bureaucrats . . . turn their attention to other matters.” --- ## McDonald’s and General Mills see greater revenue as a result of targeting Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-and-general-mills-see-greater-revenue-as-a-result-of-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-14 Words: 50 > A report by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies states that those corporations that target their marketing to Latinos are seeing greater revenues. General Mills and McDonald's were designated "leaders"... A report by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies states that those corporations that target their marketing to Latinos are seeing greater revenues. General Mills and McDonald’s were designated “leaders” because they spend more money to target Latinos, often through ads on TV or other videos. --- ## ‘Better for you’ products better for food industry? Only if they can be marketed as such URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/better-for-you-products-better-for-food-industry-only-if-they-can-be-marketed-as-such/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-14 Words: 56 > Marion Nestle says she is concerned about the public health implications of the Hudson Institute's report on "better for you" foods. She says the study may force public health officials... Marion Nestle says she is concerned about the public health implications of the Hudson Institute’s report on “better for you” foods. She says the study may force public health officials to “let food companies market their products any way they like” if they want these companies to make healthier items. --- ## ‘Better for you’ foods may be better for company profits URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/better-for-you-foods-may-be-better-for-company-profits/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-13 Words: 40 > A recent study from the Hudson Institute shows that companies who make "better for you" products enjoy "stronger sales growth ... and better company reputations," among other benefits, compared to... A recent study from the Hudson Institute shows that companies who make “better for you” products enjoy “stronger sales growth … and better company reputations,” among other benefits, compared to companies who make fewer BFY foods. --- ## Arby’s Foundation promotes its brand through “No Kid Hungry” campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/arbys-foundation-promotes-its-brand-through-no-kid-hungry-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-12 Words: 38 > As part of its collaboration with the "No Kid Hungry" campaign, the Arby‰Ûªs Good Mood Food truck delivers Arby‰Ûªs kids‰Ûª meals and snacks to schools and after-school programs in the... As part of its collaboration with the “No Kid Hungry” campaign, the Arby‰Ûªs Good Mood Food truck delivers Arby‰Ûªs kids‰Ûª meals and snacks to schools and after-school programs in the Atlanta area. --- ## Kellogg ‘teams’ up for 2012 Olympics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kellogg-teams-up-for-2012-olympics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-12 Words: 38 > Kellogg Company is working with seven Team USA athletes for a marketing campaign around the 2012 Olympics. The athletes on "Team Kellogg's" will appear in television, print, online, packaging, and... Kellogg Company is working with seven Team USA athletes for a marketing campaign around the 2012 Olympics. The athletes on “Team Kellogg’s” will appear in television, print, online, packaging, and point-of-purchase advertisements. --- ## House holds hearings on nutrition stands for food marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/house-holds-hearings-on-nutrition-stands-for-food-marketing-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-12 Words: 29 > Marion Nestle summarizes reports on the House hearings on the IWG report recommendations. She says she is disturbed by the FTC's increasingly lenient position on the recommendations. Marion Nestle summarizes reports on the House hearings on the IWG report recommendations. She says she is disturbed by the FTC’s increasingly lenient position on the recommendations. --- ## The subtleties of marketing beer to Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-subtleties-of-marketing-beer-to-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-11 Words: 65 > Given that Latinos are 19 percent more likely to purchase beer than the rest of U.S. consumers, beer makers continue to capitalize and target their marketing to Latinos. Much of... Given that Latinos are 19 percent more likely to purchase beer than the rest of U.S. consumers, beer makers continue to capitalize and target their marketing to Latinos. Much of the marketing is through “Spanish TV and radio, sponsorships of Major League Soccer events and concerts.” A marketing consultant advises beer companies how to tailor to different Latino audiences, including bicultural audiences. --- ## Travelers, Pepsi, and Black & Decker talk about targeting women and Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/travelers-pepsi-and-black-decker-talk-about-targeting-women-and-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-11 Words: 49 > Travelers is broadening its marketing focus during golf events to include women; Pepsi is increasing its efforts to appeal to women, who are the majority shopper for Pepsi products; and... Travelers is broadening its marketing focus during golf events to include women; Pepsi is increasing its efforts to appeal to women, who are the majority shopper for Pepsi products; and tool company Stanley Black & Decker has started targeting Latinos because they are emerging as a market among contractors. --- ## McCormick uses scholarship fund to capture attention of U.S. Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mccormick-uses-scholarship-fund-to-capture-attention-of-u-s-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-11 Words: 56 > In an effort to target future Latino chefs, McCormick & Company, donated $30,000 to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to fund CIA Latino students. The scholarship fund is part... In an effort to target future Latino chefs, McCormick & Company, donated $30,000 to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to fund CIA Latino students. The scholarship fund is part of the “Asando Sabroso” (Grilling with Flavor) tour, which offered product sample and flavor ideas to consumers in Latino markets in the Southwest. --- ## Krispy Kreme uses Halloween-themed website and contests to promote its doughnuts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/krispy-kreme-uses-halloween-themed-website-and-contests-to-promote-its-doughnuts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-11 Words: 20 > The promotion is oriented toward families and children, with a family photo contest and downloadable Halloween coloring pages for kids. The promotion is oriented toward families and children, with a family photo contest and downloadable Halloween coloring pages for kids. --- ## The long trip from yummy to good for you URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-long-trip-from-yummy-to-good-for-you/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-11 Words: 46 > Industry insider Thom Forbes discusses the "delicate balancing act" the food industry faces as it restructures unhealthy foods. He doubts that most consumers will embrace less-healthy alternatives and acknowledges that... Industry insider Thom Forbes discusses the “delicate balancing act” the food industry faces as it restructures unhealthy foods. He doubts that most consumers will embrace less-healthy alternatives and acknowledges that messages delivered to individuals may not be as helpful as population-wide interventions. --- ## Marketing to multiethnic audiences URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-to-multiethnic-audiences/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-10 Words: 69 > A new report from the Selig Center for Economic Growth reports that the combined buying power of communities of color will increase from $1.6 trillion in 2010 to $2.1 trillion... A new report from the Selig Center for Economic Growth reports that the combined buying power of communities of color will increase from $1.6 trillion in 2010 to $2.1 trillion in 2015, accounting for 15 percent of the nation’s buying power. Given this increasing buying power, marketers are aggressively trying to reach communities of color and persuade companies to spend more money on targeted marketing. --- ## Welch’s targets working moms with simplified nutrition messaging URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/welchs-targets-working-moms-with-simplified-nutrition-messaging/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-10 Words: 29 > Welch's new campaign uses language, such as "no-sugar added" and "all natural," that has a stronger "emotional pull" with moms. Welch’s new campaign uses language, such as “no-sugar added” and “all natural,” that has a stronger “emotional pull” with moms. --- ## Rumor alert: White House backing off from standards for food marketing? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rumor-alert-white-house-backing-off-from-standards-for-food-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-10 Words: 36 > Marion Nestle is dismayed by rumors that the White House is pressuring the FTC to relax its recommendations for nutrition standards for foods marketed to children. She presents rebuttals from... Marion Nestle is dismayed by rumors that the White House is pressuring the FTC to relax its recommendations for nutrition standards for foods marketed to children. She presents rebuttals from Margo Wootan, Dale Kunkel, and others. --- ## Oscar Meyer Launches Facebook App to Target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oscar-meyer-launches-facebook-app-to-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-07 Words: 42 > Kraft Food's Oscar Mayer's new app is called "Sandwichemos" and "encourages Hispanic consumers, who highly value using food/meals to bond with family and friends, to connect with the brand by... Kraft Food’s Oscar Mayer’s new app is called “Sandwichemos” and “encourages Hispanic consumers, who highly value using food/meals to bond with family and friends, to connect with the brand by building virtual sandwiches.” --- ## Taco Bell goes on black ops mission for MLB TV spot URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-goes-on-black-ops-mission-for-mlb-tv-spot/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-07 Words: 27 > Taco Bell's latest Major League Baseball TV spot, which aired during Game 5 of the American League Division Series, features San Francisco Giant Brian Wilson. Taco Bell’s latest Major League Baseball TV spot, which aired during Game 5 of the American League Division Series, features San Francisco Giant Brian Wilson. --- ## Taco Bell markets its brand with ‘Feed the Beat’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-markets-its-brand-with-feed-the-beat-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-07 Words: 49 > Taco Bell's "Feed the Beat" campaign gives emerging artists a chance to win Taco Bell gift cards and be included in future Taco Bell advertising. This year, past and current... Taco Bell’s “Feed the Beat” campaign gives emerging artists a chance to win Taco Bell gift cards and be included in future Taco Bell advertising. This year, past and current FTB artists are using social media to raise awareness about the World Hunger Relief Campaign. --- ## Marketers call for FTC to scrap food guidelines URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-call-for-ftc-to-scrap-food-guidelines/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-07 Words: 24 > Manufacturers and advertisers have called on the federal government to entirely abandon the FTC's proposed guidelines for regulating food marketing to children. Manufacturers and advertisers have called on the federal government to entirely abandon the FTC’s proposed guidelines for regulating food marketing to children. --- ## Pillsbury partners with Gospel artists in an attempt to target African Americans URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pillsbury-partners-with-gospel-artists-in-an-attempt-to-target-african-americans/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-06 Words: 57 > Pillsbury is targeting African Americans by extending its partnership with Grammy-award winning gospel duo Mary Mary in its launch of Egg Scrambles and Grands! Biscuit Sandwiches. The launch will kick... Pillsbury is targeting African Americans by extending its partnership with Grammy-award winning gospel duo Mary Mary in its launch of Egg Scrambles and Grands! Biscuit Sandwiches. The launch will kick off with a cause marketing contest, which encourages churches to participate. The winning church will receive a Mary Mary concert and a breakfast sponsored by Pillsbury. --- ## Whataburger: TV part of major new campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/whataburger-tv-part-of-major-new-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-06 Words: 26 > Fast-casual burger chain Whataburger has attracted significant industry attention for its plans to launch a new marketing campaign for the first time in 9 years. Fast-casual burger chain Whataburger has attracted significant industry attention for its plans to launch a new marketing campaign for the first time in 9 years. --- ## A little scavenging can win you free Dunkin’ sandwiches URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-little-scavenging-can-win-you-free-dunkin-sandwiches/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-05 Words: 26 > For the month of October, Dunkin' Donuts franchises in the Boston area have partnered with SCVNGR, a social media game, to promote its deli sandwiches. For the month of October, Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in the Boston area have partnered with SCVNGR, a social media game, to promote its deli sandwiches. --- ## Q&A: Mildenhall on Coke’s ‘liquid’ marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/qa-mildenhall-on-cokes-liquid-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-05 Words: 38 > Jonathan Mildenhall, vice president of global advertising strategy at Coca Cola, discusses the company's efforts to "[use] digital media to crowdsource creativity and increase engagement" (a strategy he terms "liquid... Jonathan Mildenhall, vice president of global advertising strategy at Coca Cola, discusses the company’s efforts to “[use] digital media to crowdsource creativity and increase engagement” (a strategy he terms “liquid and linked”). --- ## Jackie Chan stages interventions for V8 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jackie-chan-stages-interventions-for-v8/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-04 Words: 36 > Popular actor and cultural icon Jackie Chan is at the center of V8's campaign (which includes social media, TV, and print ads) to launch new brands, and to stimulate sales... Popular actor and cultural icon Jackie Chan is at the center of V8’s campaign (which includes social media, TV, and print ads) to launch new brands, and to stimulate sales of its original juices. --- ## Top 5 reasons why Latinos must be on your advertising agenda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/top-5-reasons-why-latinos-must-be-on-your-advertising-agenda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-03 Words: 38 > Advertising Week this year features several seminars that underscore the industry's growing focus on Latino customers. To that end, marketing executive Lili Gil discusses news and demographic indicators that she... Advertising Week this year features several seminars that underscore the industry’s growing focus on Latino customers. To that end, marketing executive Lili Gil discusses news and demographic indicators that she believes justify Latino-focused target marketing. --- ## TV advertising evolving to reflect influence of bicultural Latinos [video] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tv-advertising-evolving-to-reflect-influence-of-bicultural-latinos-video/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-03 Words: 24 > As part of its Advertising Week coverage, the Huffington Post highlights a series of ads that show biculturalism as reflected through the advertising lens. As part of its Advertising Week coverage, the Huffington Post highlights a series of ads that show biculturalism as reflected through the advertising lens. --- ## Chef Boyardee targets moms with ‘family-friendly’ dinner recipes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chef-boyardee-targets-moms-with-family-friendly-dinner-recipes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-03 Words: 24 > Chef Boyardee is debuting a series of house parties designed to spotlight the recipes for "easy dinner dishes" featuring Chef Boyardee foods. Chef Boyardee is debuting a series of house parties designed to spotlight the recipes for “easy dinner dishes” featuring Chef Boyardee foods. --- ## After years of ‘research’ and millions of dollars, is Wendy’s new burger really any better? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/after-years-of-research-and-millions-of-dollars-is-wendys-new-burger-really-any-better/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-10-03 Words: 34 > Jim Hightower is scornful of Wendy's much ballyhooed new "Hot 'n Juicy Burger", which recently debuted after 2.5 years and millions of dollars of research and product testing. Jim Hightower is scornful of Wendy’s much ballyhooed new “Hot ‘n Juicy Burger”, which recently debuted after 2.5 years and millions of dollars of research and product testing. --- ## The new age of food marketing: How companies are targeting and luring our kids — and what advocates can do about it URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-new-age-of-food-marketing-how-companies-are-targeting-and-luring-our-kids-and-what-advocates-can-do-about-it/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4614 > Marketing has long been a feature of our daily landscape. But the explosion of digital culture in recent years has dramatically changed the playing field and the rules, especially for... Marketing has long been a feature of our daily landscape. But the explosion of digital culture in recent years has dramatically changed the playing field and the rules, especially for children and teenagers, and companies marketing fast food, snack food, and soft drinks are at the forefront of the game. Young people’s relationship with media is no longer limited to the passive, one-sided consumption of TV commercials, print ads, and the like. Now our kids are interacting with brands and products every day, often unwittingly inviting marketers to connect with them and their friends online. Marketers are carefully tracking teens online and by cell phone, mining conversations on Facebook and Twitter, collecting data to develop and record personalized behavioral profiles, and more. The traditional marketing paradigm is spinning into an unprecedented new world, as fast food, snack, and beverage companies draw from an expanding toolbox of sophisticated online and social marketing techniques.1,2 Today, powerful and intense promotions are completely, seamlessly integrated into young people’s social relationships and minute-by-minute interactions. Why should health advocates be concerned about the new marketing paradigm? Because young people’s choices about what to eat and when are largely shaped by food and beverage marketing — and these industries are now reaching our kids through a multitude of interactive devices and platforms, pushing products onto young consumers who lack the information and capacity to understand the consequences of an impulsive decision.3, 4 Food and beverage marketing to children in America represents a direct threat to the health prospects of the next generation.5 Now more than ever, children in the United States are growing up in environments saturated with marketing for fast food, snacks, and sugary beverages. Today, one in three teens is either overweight or obese, and overweight young people are likely to stay overweight throughout their lives, which puts them at higher risk for serious and even life-threatening health problems. Teenagers are an obvious prime audience for digital marketing strategies, given their avid use of mobile phones, media players, blogs, online video channels, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and other digital media platforms and devices. And they’re especially vulnerable to food and beverage marketers’ tactics: The teen years are a critical developmental period when consumer and eating behaviors are established that may well last throughout an individual’s lifetime.6, 7 What’s more, growing research suggests that biological and psychosocial attributes of the adolescent experience may play an important role in making teens more vulnerable to marketing.8, 9 Research on brain development, for example, has found that the prefrontal cortex — which controls inhibition — may not fully mature until early adulthood.10, 11 ,12, 13 Meanwhile, children entering puberty experience hormonal changes that make them more receptive to environmental stimuli. In other words, at the time in their lives when their biological urges are particularly intense, adolescents have not yet acquired the ability to control these urges. Researchers suggest that these innate factors are likely to make teens more susceptible to advertising, especially when they are distracted, exposed to high-level stimuli, or subjected to peer pressure — all hallmarks of digital marketing tactics.14 The impact of food marketing on ethnic minority youth is a particular concern. Obesity rates are significantly higher for African-American girls and Hispanic boys than for whites, and ethnic youth are targeted aggressively by the food, beverage, and fast food industries. Research shows that ethnic minority youth are more interested in, positive toward, and influenced by marketing than non-Hispanic whites.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 A research group backed by McDonald’s, Kraft, PepsiCo, Burger King, and others calls Hispanics “the most important U.S. demographic growth driver in the food, beverage, and restaurant sectors.”21 And African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than “general market” consumers to use social networking spaces to share opinions with friends about products, services, and brands, according to a column in Advertising Age.22 Driven by the growing number of ethnic youth, as well as by their heavy use of new media and cultural trendsetting, digital marketers have made understanding and connecting with ethnic youth a priority. Of all the tactics fast food, snack food, and soft drink companies routinely use to target children and adolescents, many fall into five broad categories: 1 Creating immersive environments 2 Infiltrating social networks 3 Location-based and mobile marketing 4 Collecting personal data 5 Studying and triggering the subconscious This report provides a brief snapshot of these five categories. You can also download additional details and visual examples of these tactics ... --- ## Food marketing guidelines: Are Feds backing down? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-marketing-guidelines-are-feds-backing-down/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-30 Words: 43 > Some in the food industry see a recent letter from the Obama administration to the House Energy and Commerce Chairman as a sign that the administration is softening its position... Some in the food industry see a recent letter from the Obama administration to the House Energy and Commerce Chairman as a sign that the administration is softening its position regarding the proposed voluntary nutritional guidelines for marketing foods and beverages to children. --- ## Dunkin’ stardom awaits most passionate coffee fan URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-stardom-awaits-most-passionate-coffee-fan/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-29 Words: 43 > To celebrate National Coffee Day, Dunkin' Donuts is promoting a social media-based contest to find "the country's most passionate Dunkin' Donuts coffee fan." Winners will receive free coffee and the... To celebrate National Coffee Day, Dunkin’ Donuts is promoting a social media-based contest to find “the country’s most passionate Dunkin’ Donuts coffee fan.” Winners will receive free coffee and the chance to appear in an advertisement. --- ## Coca-Cola launches global 2012 Olympics campaign with Mark Ronson URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-launches-global-2012-olympics-campaign-with-mark-ronson/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-29 Words: 33 > Coca-Cola has tapped popular producer Mark Ronson to head its "Move to the beat" campaign for the 2012 Olympics. The campaign will "bring together music, youth, and sports." Coca-Cola has tapped popular producer Mark Ronson to head its “Move to the beat” campaign for the 2012 Olympics. The campaign will “bring together music, youth, and sports.” --- ## ‘Got Milk?’ goes Peanuts for Halloween URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/got-milk-goes-peanuts-for-halloween/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-29 Words: 39 > The Milk Processors Education Program is using Peanuts characters as part of an effort to make chocolate milk "the official drink of Halloween." The promotion, which targets mothers, will include... The Milk Processors Education Program is using Peanuts characters as part of an effort to make chocolate milk “the official drink of Halloween.” The promotion, which targets mothers, will include print, online, and point-of-sale advertising. --- ## Yoplait, Betsey Johnson team up in NYC URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yoplait-betsey-johnson-team-up-in-nyc/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-29 Words: 39 > Yoplait has recruited fashion students to distribute free samples to New Yorkers with both "style and substance (like Yoplait)." The event is part of Yoplait's partnership with designer Betsey Johnson... Yoplait has recruited fashion students to distribute free samples to New Yorkers with both “style and substance (like Yoplait).” The event is part of Yoplait’s partnership with designer Betsey Johnson to promote breast cancer awareness. --- ## Coca-Cola, UN team on women’s empowerment URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-un-team-on-womens-empowerment/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-28 Words: 36 > The Coca-Cola Company has announced plans to partner with the United Nations' UN Women Initiative. They have signed a statement of support for the Initiative's "Empowerment Principles", among other steps. The Coca-Cola Company has announced plans to partner with the United Nations’ UN Women Initiative. They have signed a statement of support for the Initiative’s “Empowerment Principles”, among other steps. --- ## The Hershey Company to present at the 25th Annual Hispanic Heritage Award URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-hershey-company-to-present-at-the-25th-annual-hispanic-heritage-award/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-27 Words: 44 > The Hershey Company, the largest chocolate maker in North America, presented the Vision Award to famous Latino musician Juanes at the Hispanic Heritage Awards on September 15. The Hershey Company... The Hershey Company, the largest chocolate maker in North America, presented the Vision Award to famous Latino musician Juanes at the Hispanic Heritage Awards on September 15. The Hershey Company touted the award as part of its “[dedication] to the Latino community.” --- ## 7-Eleven offers CofFREE day, Facebook game URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-offers-coffree-day-facebook-game/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-27 Words: 24 > 7-Eleven offered customers free medium-sized cups of coffee to mark National Coffee Day. The promotion was paired with an interactive Facebook game. 7-Eleven offered customers free medium-sized cups of coffee to mark National Coffee Day. The promotion was paired with an interactive Facebook game. --- ## Spotlight on the food category: Leading growth in Spanish-language online campaigns in 2011 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/spotlight-on-the-food-category-leading-growth-in-spanish-language-online-campaigns-in-2011/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-26 Words: 35 > Food websites showed dramatic growth compared to other Spanish-language sites in a study by HispanicWebMonitor. Compared to last year, there was a 35.5 percent increase in the number of Spanish-language... Food websites showed dramatic growth compared to other Spanish-language sites in a study by HispanicWebMonitor. Compared to last year, there was a 35.5 percent increase in the number of Spanish-language food campaigns. --- ## Lunch behaviors can vary significantly by generation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lunch-behaviors-can-vary-significantly-by-generation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-25 Words: 26 > A new "Lunch Consumer Trend Report," which may be of use to marketers, indicates that millennials are the heaviest users of restaurants at lunchtime. A new “Lunch Consumer Trend Report,” which may be of use to marketers, indicates that millennials are the heaviest users of restaurants at lunchtime. --- ## Food industry redubs FOP labeling system URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-redubs-fop-labeling-system/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-23 Words: 29 > Instead of "Nutrition Keys," the food and beverage industry has renamed the labeling system "Facts up Front" and has launched a Web site, FactsUpFront.org. Instead of “Nutrition Keys,” the food and beverage industry has renamed the labeling system “Facts up Front” and has launched a Web site, FactsUpFront.org. --- ## Yum! brands launch annual world hunger relief with Christina Aguilera URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yum-brands-launch-annual-world-hunger-relief-with-christina-aguilera/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-23 Words: 23 > Yum! brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell feature pop star Christina Aguilera in their launch of the annual World Hunger Relief initiative. Yum! brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell feature pop star Christina Aguilera in their launch of the annual World Hunger Relief initiative. --- ## Bud Light pairs with hip-hop star Pitbull in new multicultural TV campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bud-light-pairs-with-hip-hop-star-pitbull-in-new-multicultural-tv-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-23 Words: 65 > Bud Light's newest campaign features Cuban-American rapper Pitbull in TV advertisements on both major broadcast networks and Hispanic TV. The spots are aimed at "tapping into [Pitbull's] rising stardom and... Bud Light’s newest campaign features Cuban-American rapper Pitbull in TV advertisements on both major broadcast networks and Hispanic TV. The spots are aimed at “tapping into [Pitbull’s] rising stardom and crossover appeal.” The company claims the promotion is not a Latino campaign, but “a multicultural campaign that is going to reach all of [their] core drinkers.” --- ## Pepsi re-rolls out the big guns in ‘X Factor’ debut spots URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-re-rolls-out-the-big-guns-in-x-factor-debut-spots/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-22 Words: 40 > During the premier of the new singing contest the 'X Factor', Pepsi received more than $6,500,000 in free media exposure through verbal mention, product consumptions and other product placements like... During the premier of the new singing contest the ‘X Factor’, Pepsi received more than $6,500,000 in free media exposure through verbal mention, product consumptions and other product placements like cups on the judges’ tables. --- ## Studies put soda in the crosshairs — even more URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/studies-put-soda-in-the-crosshairs-even-more/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-22 Words: 26 > Two studies suggest that obesity rates might be leveling off and that consumption of sugars has also dropped. The discussion centers on consumption of sugary beverages. Two studies suggest that obesity rates might be leveling off and that consumption of sugars has also dropped. The discussion centers on consumption of sugary beverages. --- ## A tax on soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-tax-on-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-22 Words: 23 > What should the UN do to address obesity? Commentator and author Raj Patel says a soda tax can be part of the solution. What should the UN do to address obesity? Commentator and author Raj Patel says a soda tax can be part of the solution. --- ## Nielson, NNPA release report, ‘The State of the African American Consumer’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nielson-nnpa-release-report-the-state-of-the-african-american-consumer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-22 Words: 30 > A new report from Nielson and the National Newspaper Publisher's Association provides marketers with extensive information about the buying and media habits and consumer trends of African Americans. A new report from Nielson and the National Newspaper Publisher’s Association provides marketers with extensive information about the buying and media habits and consumer trends of African Americans. --- ## Corn Refiners Association to the FDA: We will call HFCS ‘corn sugar’ whether you like it or not URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/corn-refiners-association-to-the-fda-we-will-call-hfcs-corn-sugar-whether-you-like-it-or-not/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-21 Words: 21 > Marion Nestle points out that "changing the name of HFCS to corn sugar is about marketing, not public health." Marion Nestle points out that “changing the name of HFCS to corn sugar is about marketing, not public health.” --- ## Killing the ‘King’ looks positive for Burger King URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/killing-the-king-looks-positive-for-burger-king/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-20 Words: 16 > Consumer perceptions of Burger King improved following the withdrawal of company spokescharacter "the King." Consumer perceptions of Burger King improved following the withdrawal of company spokescharacter “the King.” --- ## A good month for obesity prevention and health promotion URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-good-month-for-obesity-prevention-and-health-promotion/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-19 Words: 57 > September has been a pretty good month in the fight against the soda industry. Several efforts underscore the length Big Soda will go to to expand its market and show... September has been a pretty good month in the fight against the soda industry. Several efforts underscore the length Big Soda will go to to expand its market and show how the public, government and the Fourth Estate can do more to hold the industry’s feet to the fire about the way it promotes soda. --- ## Public schools face the rising cost of serving lunch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/public-schools-face-the-rising-cost-of-serving-lunch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-19 Words: 15 > In the midst of budget cuts, the more nutritious school lunches are also more expensive. In the midst of budget cuts, the more nutritious school lunches are also more expensive. --- ## World leaders must take binding steps to curb unhealthy food industry URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/world-leaders-must-take-binding-steps-to-curb-unhealthy-food-industry/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-19 Words: 39 > During the opening of the UN General Assembly summit on Non-Communicable Diseases, UN Secretary General Ban urged food and beverage companies, the media, marketing and advertising companies to promote healthy... During the opening of the UN General Assembly summit on Non-Communicable Diseases, UN Secretary General Ban urged food and beverage companies, the media, marketing and advertising companies to promote healthy living instead of promoting processed foods to children. --- ## Coke tailors its soda sizes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-tailors-its-soda-sizes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-19 Words: 44 > Coca-Cola Co. has created more package sizes that are smaller and cheaper. This week it will launch the 12.5oz at 89 cents and reduce the price of its 8-pack of... Coca-Cola Co. has created more package sizes that are smaller and cheaper. This week it will launch the 12.5oz at 89 cents and reduce the price of its 8-pack of 7.5 oz Coke “mini” cans by 20 percent. --- ## United Nations to consider the effects of food marketing on chronic disease URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/united-nations-to-consider-the-effects-of-food-marketing-on-chronic-disease/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-19 Words: 47 > The UN General Assembly will meet in New York on September 19 and 20 to generate a global response to the rise in obesity. Discussions will include food marketing regulations.... The UN General Assembly will meet in New York on September 19 and 20 to generate a global response to the rise in obesity. Discussions will include food marketing regulations. Nestle remarks, “Let’s hope the General Assembly puts health above politics this time.” --- ## Nickelodeon’s capital play day URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nickelodeons-capital-play-day/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-18 Words: 39 > Nickelodeon's annual event, Worldwide Day of Play, will be in Washington, D.C. On the day of the event, Nickelodeon and its website will be turned off for 3 hours to... Nickelodeon’s annual event, Worldwide Day of Play, will be in Washington, D.C. On the day of the event, Nickelodeon and its website will be turned off for 3 hours to encourage children to do physical activities. --- ## Burger King sidelines creepy king, readies ‘sensational’ menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-sidelines-creepy-king-readies-sensational-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-17 Words: 40 > Burger King retires the company's spokescharacter, the King, claiming that the departure is due to the company's broadening consumer base. The company also says that it will develop "a new... Burger King retires the company’s spokescharacter, the King, claiming that the departure is due to the company’s broadening consumer base. The company also says that it will develop “a new children’s program.” --- ## Proponents of new food marketing guidelines win Senate victory URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/proponents-of-new-food-marketing-guidelines-win-senate-victory/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-16 Words: 25 > The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday night to support the guidelines, as part of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2012. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday night to support the guidelines, as part of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2012. --- ## Birds Eye aims to shake up frozen veggie status quo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/birds-eye-aims-to-shake-up-frozen-veggie-status-quo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-16 Words: 67 > Pinnacle Foods Group brand and maker of frozen vegetables, Birds Eye, takes advantage of the First Lady's "Let‰Ûªs Move" initiative and the USDA's new MyPlate, which encourage more vegetable consumption.... Pinnacle Foods Group brand and maker of frozen vegetables, Birds Eye, takes advantage of the First Lady’s “Let‰Ûªs Move” initiative and the USDA’s new MyPlate, which encourage more vegetable consumption. Birds Eye launches the marketing initiative “Discover the Wonder of Vegetables” that includes a new campaign called “At Birds Eye, It’s Always Vegetable Season.” --- ## Hola: P&G targets Latino shoppers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hola-pg-targets-latino-shoppers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-15 Words: 35 > P&G is just one of many companies that is looking to the Latino market as a means of boosting slumping sales. Their targeting campaign may provide a model that other... P&G is just one of many companies that is looking to the Latino market as a means of boosting slumping sales. Their targeting campaign may provide a model that other companies will follow. --- ## Knowing our consumers through their own stories: Hispanics and content creation URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/knowing-our-consumers-through-their-own-stories-hispanics-and-content-creation/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-15 Words: 55 > A recent report indicates that Latinos are "Creators" of social media -- that is, they are more likely than non-Latinos to write and publish blogs, videos, etc. Industry writer Maria-Gracias... A recent report indicates that Latinos are “Creators” of social media — that is, they are more likely than non-Latinos to write and publish blogs, videos, etc. Industry writer Maria-Gracias Inglessis urges marketers to take advantage of this finding to “build a stronger online dialogue with the Hispanic consumer.” --- ## Teens in the crosshairs: Is targeted marketing ethical? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/teens-in-the-crosshairs-is-targeted-marketing-ethical/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-14 Words: 28 > An article from the American University in Washington's business research magazine explores the ethics of target marketing to American teenagers in the age of digital advertising. An article from the American University in Washington’s business research magazine explores the ethics of target marketing to American teenagers in the age of digital advertising. --- ## Ads pushing unhealthy food should not be targeting kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ads-pushing-unhealthy-food-should-not-be-targeting-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-14 Words: 37 > American Heart Association volunteer Dr. Kenneth Maynard urges food companies to adopt the government's food marketing guidelines to "help families make healthier food choice and reduce the risk for hear... American Heart Association volunteer Dr. Kenneth Maynard urges food companies to adopt the government’s food marketing guidelines to “help families make healthier food choice and reduce the risk for hear disease and stroke.” --- ## PepsiCo makes Hispanic move to Alma DDB, LatinWorks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-makes-hispanic-move-to-alma-ddb-latinworks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-12 Words: 15 > PepsiCo is changing its multicultural staffing in an effort to ramp up advertising to Latinos. PepsiCo is changing its multicultural staffing in an effort to ramp up advertising to Latinos. --- ## NABOB/Power of Urban Radio Forum gets keynote from McDonald’s Neil Golden URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nabobpower-of-urban-radio-forum-gets-keynote-from-mcdonalds-neil-golden/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-12 Words: 76 > The Senior Vice President of McDonalds will deliver the keynote address at a forum hosted by the Nation Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) on September 22. The speech is... The Senior Vice President of McDonalds will deliver the keynote address at a forum hosted by the Nation Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) on September 22. The speech is being billed as “a unique opportunity to have a key decision-maker present from a distinguished company that … has set a global standard when it comes to African-American marketing and the role that Urban Radio plays tactically,” according to one Forum founder. --- ## Gatorade, NBA take athlete pitch on the road URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gatorade-nba-take-athlete-pitch-on-the-road/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-12 Words: 33 > Gatorade and the National Basketball Association (NBA) launch a road show called the "Gatorade NBA Training Center" that features former NBA players in a series of events to attract athletic... Gatorade and the National Basketball Association (NBA) launch a road show called the “Gatorade NBA Training Center” that features former NBA players in a series of events to attract athletic consumers. --- ## McDonald’s New York metro introduces new Happy Meal URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-new-york-metro-introduces-new-happy-meal/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-12 Words: 46 > This week, McDonald‰Ûªs launches a new Happy meal, which the company claims will help families "make nutrition-minded choices." The new Happy Meal will automatically include apple slices, choice of beverage... This week, McDonald‰Ûªs launches a new Happy meal, which the company claims will help families “make nutrition-minded choices.” The new Happy Meal will automatically include apple slices, choice of beverage with options like fat-free chocolate milk, and smaller French Fries package. --- ## Soda tax halts Coca-Cola investment in France URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/soda-tax-halts-coca-cola-investment-in-france/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-09 Words: 45 > Coca-Cola suspends a $22 million investment in France to protest the country's new tax on sugary drinks, declaring that "This (investment) has not been cancelled but it must be re-evaluated... Coca-Cola suspends a $22 million investment in France to protest the country’s new tax on sugary drinks, declaring that “This (investment) has not been cancelled but it must be re-evaluated in the context of uncertainty created by the tax.” --- ## Transparency is best URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/transparency-is-best/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-09 Words: 55 > In this letter to the editor to The Guardian, the Public Relations Society of America argues that "businesses can be a positive partner" to inform consumers. The public relations firm... In this letter to the editor to The Guardian, the Public Relations Society of America argues that “businesses can be a positive partner” to inform consumers. The public relations firm states that transparency in how companies market foods to children is the best approach so that ‰ÛÏboth parties [adults and children] benefit.” --- ## Why you should use Tumblr to reach online Hispanics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-you-should-use-tumblr-to-reach-online-hispanics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-08 Words: 38 > Tumblr is the second most visited site by Latino web users, and now supports Spanish. Industry commenter Lee Van encourages marketers to use this social media platform to effectively target... Tumblr is the second most visited site by Latino web users, and now supports Spanish. Industry commenter Lee Van encourages marketers to use this social media platform to effectively target Latinos, and particularly young, female Latina web users. --- ## No surprise: Corporate responsibility works better for corporations than public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/no-surprise-corporate-responsibility-works-better-for-corporations-than-public-health/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-08 Words: 35 > Nestle critiques the UK government‰Ûªs Public Health Responsibility Deal, which involves a voluntary partnership with the industry. She notes how 33 national food companies have failed to commit to one... Nestle critiques the UK government‰Ûªs Public Health Responsibility Deal, which involves a voluntary partnership with the industry. She notes how 33 national food companies have failed to commit to one or more voluntary pledges. --- ## Supporters of food marketing guidelines fighting back URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/supporters-of-food-marketing-guidelines-fighting-back/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-07 Words: 51 > In response to industry claims that the government's voluntary guidelines infringe on First Amendment rights, the Food Marketing Workgroup organizes a letter from 36 law professors who argue that the... In response to industry claims that the government’s voluntary guidelines infringe on First Amendment rights, the Food Marketing Workgroup organizes a letter from 36 law professors who argue that the voluntary guidelines do not violate the First Amendment. The letter was sent to the FTC, USDA, USDA and CDC. --- ## Boston launches ad campaign against sugary beverages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/boston-launches-ad-campaign-against-sugary-beverages/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-07 Words: 38 > Mayor Thomas M. Menino and public health officials launch a public awareness campaign to reduce consumption of sugary drinks among Boston residents. The campaign will focus on Latino and black... Mayor Thomas M. Menino and public health officials launch a public awareness campaign to reduce consumption of sugary drinks among Boston residents. The campaign will focus on Latino and black neighborhoods and targets parents, teens and young adults. --- ## Some fast food chains aim to accept food stamps URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/some-fast-food-chains-aim-to-accept-food-stamps/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-07 Words: 28 > Those who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have different opinions on whether fast food outlets like KFC and Taco Bell should be able to accept food stamps. Those who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have different opinions on whether fast food outlets like KFC and Taco Bell should be able to accept food stamps. --- ## Panda Express expands into Mexico URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/panda-express-expands-into-mexico/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-06 Words: 41 > Panda Express has opened its first outlet in Mexico City, and plans to expand further into Mexico. The chain plans to exploit the fact that "in Mexico today, there is... Panda Express has opened its first outlet in Mexico City, and plans to expand further into Mexico. The chain plans to exploit the fact that “in Mexico today, there is no clear leader in the Chinese fast casual industry.” --- ## PepsiCo executive discusses the Hispanic market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-executive-discusses-the-hispanic-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-06 Words: 82 > PepsiCo was a sponsor of this year's Hispanic 360 Retail Summit and plans to sponsor next year's event. Marie Quintana, the senior vice president of multicultural sales for PepsiCo, discusses... PepsiCo was a sponsor of this year’s Hispanic 360 Retail Summit and plans to sponsor next year’s event. Marie Quintana, the senior vice president of multicultural sales for PepsiCo, discusses the Latino market, saying “[it‰Ûªs] no longer a niche market. It is truly a mainstream market now. Understanding the Hispanic market is what our retailers have to do and companies like PepsiCo are really in a position to help them get closer to that consumer.” --- ## PepsiCo and National Football League renew long-term partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-and-national-football-league-renew-long-term-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-06 Words: 30 > The renewal between PepsiCo and the NFL includes Gatorade, PepsiMax and Frito-Lay cross-promotions with NFL athletes and "digital fan engagement concepts for millenials and other audiences." The renewal between PepsiCo and the NFL includes Gatorade, PepsiMax and Frito-Lay cross-promotions with NFL athletes and “digital fan engagement concepts for millenials and other audiences.” --- ## The food industry vs. nutrition standards: A First Amendment issue? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-food-industry-vs-nutrition-standards-a-first-amendment-issue/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-06 Words: 48 > Nestle makes the case for why the government's proposed nutrition standards need to be mandatory. Legal scholars point out that because the standards are voluntary, companies are free to ignore... Nestle makes the case for why the government’s proposed nutrition standards need to be mandatory. Legal scholars point out that because the standards are voluntary, companies are free to ignore them. Meanwhile, the industry charges that the nutrition standards violate First Amendment rights to free speech. --- ## New school nutrition law takes youths’ health to heart URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-school-nutrition-law-takes-youths-health-to-heart/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-04 Words: 34 > Nutrition expert Marion Nestle discusses the school meal law, Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. She notes that the law needs to be turned into regulations so that it can be implemented... Nutrition expert Marion Nestle discusses the school meal law, Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. She notes that the law needs to be turned into regulations so that it can be implemented across all schools. --- ## Campbell Soup vows to hold line on marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbell-soup-vows-to-hold-line-on-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-09-02 Words: 18 > To counter its sluggish sales, Campbell Soup plans to invest $100 million into marketing and innovation in 2012. To counter its sluggish sales, Campbell Soup plans to invest $100 million into marketing and innovation in 2012. --- ## Half the people in U.S. drink sugary beverages daily, CDC says URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/half-the-people-in-u-s-drink-sugary-beverages-daily-cdc-says/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-31 Words: 48 > A new report from the CDC finds that half the people in the U.S. drink a sugary beverage a day; 70 percent of boys aged 2 to 19 drink a... A new report from the CDC finds that half the people in the U.S. drink a sugary beverage a day; 70 percent of boys aged 2 to 19 drink a sugary beverage on any given day; and Mexican Americans and blacks consume more sugary beverages than whites. --- ## CSPI, cities launch soda-curbing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cspi-cities-launch-soda-curbing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-31 Words: 44 > On the heels of the CDC report on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, public health departments and local and national health groups partner to... On the heels of the CDC report on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, public health departments and local and national health groups partner to launch the campaign “Life’s Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks.” --- ## Quaker promo: Heartthrob sends personal messages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/quaker-promo-heartthrob-sends-personal-messages/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-30 Words: 43 > To boost sales of its Chewy Granola Bars, Quaker targets kids with personalized messages to phones from pop idol Nick Jonas. Codes are found inside the boxes of bars. When... To boost sales of its Chewy Granola Bars, Quaker targets kids with personalized messages to phones from pop idol Nick Jonas. Codes are found inside the boxes of bars. When the codes are entered online, users can create customized messages from Nick Jonas. --- ## Coca-Cola seeks shop to mine social web URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-seeks-shop-to-mine-social-web/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-30 Words: 32 > Coca-Cola North America announces that it will formally track what consumers say about Coca-Cola brands across Twitter, Facebook and other channels. The corporation will use the information to target consumers. Coca-Cola North America announces that it will formally track what consumers say about Coca-Cola brands across Twitter, Facebook and other channels. The corporation will use the information to target consumers. --- ## Do school soda bans curb obesity in kids? What Boston study shows URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/do-school-soda-bans-curb-obesity-in-kids-what-boston-study-shows/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-30 Words: 44 > A new study suggests that Boston's ban on sugar-sweetened beverages worked to decrease kids' consumption of soft drinks: from 1.71 servings in 2004 to 1.38 servings in 2006. The decrease... A new study suggests that Boston’s ban on sugar-sweetened beverages worked to decrease kids’ consumption of soft drinks: from 1.71 servings in 2004 to 1.38 servings in 2006. The decrease translates to about 45 fewer calories per day. --- ## A tiger at 60: How Kellogg’s Tony is changing for a new age URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-tiger-at-60-how-kelloggs-tony-is-changing-for-a-new-age/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-29 Words: 49 > Facing criticism about food marketing to children, Kellogg's has repositioned its advertising for Frosted Flakes to target dads. The advertisements will still feature the iconic Tony the Tiger mascot, but... Facing criticism about food marketing to children, Kellogg’s has repositioned its advertising for Frosted Flakes to target dads. The advertisements will still feature the iconic Tony the Tiger mascot, but will air during adult-oriented sports programming and will feature a father playing football with his son. --- ## Mentos app helps fans improve their friends URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mentos-app-helps-fans-improve-their-friends/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-26 Words: 36 > The Facebook page for Mentos candy now features an app that allows users to send their friends a "life guidance" video that is personalized using information pulled from the recipient's... The Facebook page for Mentos candy now features an app that allows users to send their friends a “life guidance” video that is personalized using information pulled from the recipient’s Facebook profile. --- ## Surprise! Food companies still market to children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/surprise-food-companies-still-market-to-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-26 Words: 40 > Marion Nestle is unimpressed by the most recent update to the Institute of Medicine's report on food marketing to children. She chides the authors for failing to acknowledge the need... Marion Nestle is unimpressed by the most recent update to the Institute of Medicine’s report on food marketing to children. She chides the authors for failing to acknowledge the need for federal regulation of food advertising to children. --- ## New York becomes the Occupied Territories URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-york-becomes-the-occupied-territories/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-26 Words: 74 > To the great alarm of many in the community and abroad, a story published by the Associated Press reveals that the CIA and New York Police Department have been working... To the great alarm of many in the community and abroad, a story published by the Associated Press reveals that the CIA and New York Police Department have been working together to “monitor Muslim communities” in the New York area. The program has drawn severe criticism, with advocates arguing that it violates First Amendment protections and resembles programs launched in the Civil Rights and Vietnam era targeting communities in the United States. --- ## Talking about: Boosting physical activity and student achievement through quality physical education URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-boosting-physical-activity-and-student-achievement-through-quality-physical-education/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 918 > Physical activity is vital to children's lifelong health and success. When children are physically active, they develop habits that will benefit them now and later in life. Physical activity not... Physical activity is vital to children’s lifelong health and success. When children are physically active, they develop habits that will benefit them now and later in life. Physical activity not only decreases children’s risk of developing diabetes and other chronic health problems, it can also increase their capacity for learning.1 Yet many children aren’t active enough. Two out of three U.S. high school students aren’t getting recommended levels of physical activity.2 And in California, nearly one in three teens is not regularly active.3 Improving physical education (P.E.) is one important way to help increase opportunities for students to be active. However, in the face of shrinking budgets and test-score driven legislation, many schools have scaled back on and, in some cases, eliminated P.E. entirely.4 Some low-cost strategies can help California schools reverse this harmful trend. Why does physical education matter to academic achievement? Students who are less physically active tend to have lower grades and test scores.5 Research shows that students who participate in 20 minutes of vigorous activity at least three days a week have better grades.6 When students do not get physical activity breaks, they have more trouble concentrating and behaving in the classroom.7 Physical activity can improve self-esteem, which is associated with higher academic performance.8 What challenges within California’s P.E. landscape are contributing to inadequate physical activity in P.E. among students? California’s requirements for total amount of time students spend in P.E. fall well below national recommendations. The state requirement that elementary students get 100 minutes of P.E. per week is one-third lower than national recommendations. And California’s requirement that middle- and high-school students receive 200 minutes of P.E. each week is one-fifth lower.9 California’s P.E. classes often don’t provide enough physical activity.10 On average, students in California get only four minutes of vigorous activity for every half hour spent in P.E. class,11 when national guidelines recommend that they be engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (that which increases breathing and heart rate in amounts comparable, respectively, to that for brisk walking and jogging) for at least half of each P.E. class.12 Time allotted for physical activity decreases as P.E. class sizes increase, yet many schools have no limit on class size.13 Schools in lower-income communities report that their students — a group already at higher risk for overweight and obesity — spend about 20 percent less time being active during P.E. classes than those in more affluent schools.14 What can California schools do to boost physical activity levels through quality P.E.? Provide a strong curriculum that effectively increases MVPA and meets state requirements for P.E. Make sure students engage in MVPA for at least 50 percent of their P.E. class time. Explore low-cost strategies such as using inexpensive or donated equipment (e.g. jump ropes) to increase MVPA in P.E. Monitor activity levels using tools such as stopwatches or heart rate monitors. Keep P.E. class sizes small so that they are consistent with other subjects and do not exceed 45 students. Make sure teachers instructing P.E. are qualified and receive training opportunities. Encourage community buy-in and explore funding opportunities by seeking partnerships with local nonprofits, hospitals, sports teams, and other organizations. References 1. Chomitz, V., Slining, M., McGowan, R., Mitchell, S., Dawson, G. & Hacker, K. (2009). Is there a relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement? Positive results from public school children in the northeastern United States. Journal of School Health, 79 (1), 30-36 2. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries. (2008 June 6). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States 2007. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control. 57(SS04);1-131. Retrieved July 29, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5704a1.htm. 3. Babey, Susan H., Allison L. Diamant, E. Richard Brown, and Theresa Hastert (2005). California Adolescents Increasingly Inactive. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/publication.asp?pubID=137. 4. Active Living Research (2007). Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance. San Diego: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 5. Active Living Research (2007). Op. cit. 6. Coe, D.P, Pivarnik, J.M., Womack, C.J., Reeves, M.J.; Malina, R.M. (2006). Effect of Physical Education and Activity Levels on Academic Achievement in Children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 38(8):1515-1519. 7. Active Living Research (2007). Op. cit. 8. Coe, et al. (2006). 9. UCLA Center to Eliminate Health Disparities (2007). Failing Fitness: Physical Activity and Physical Education in Scho... --- ## McD’s latest Happy Meal toys: Mini Skechers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcds-latest-happy-meal-toys-mini-skechers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-25 Words: 36 > McDonald's has partnered with Skechers for a Happy Meal promotion that allows children to collect one of 6 toy versions of collectible Twinkle Toes by Skechers shoes. The campaign includes... McDonald’s has partnered with Skechers for a Happy Meal promotion that allows children to collect one of 6 toy versions of collectible Twinkle Toes by Skechers shoes. The campaign includes TV and online advertising. --- ## Burger King adds Quaker oatmeal to breakfast menu URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-adds-quaker-oatmeal-to-breakfast-menu/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-24 Words: 41 > Burger King has added Quaker oatmeal to its breakfast menu. The chain has also unveiled advertising that promotes "fresh ingredients" and "better-for-you meal offerings" as part of a larger effort... Burger King has added Quaker oatmeal to its breakfast menu. The chain has also unveiled advertising that promotes “fresh ingredients” and “better-for-you meal offerings” as part of a larger effort to target women with children. --- ## Coke intros Freestyle digital replica app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-intros-freestyle-digital-replica-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-24 Words: 46 > Coke's new app features an interactive replica of the brand's new Freestyle vending machine, which dispenses up to 125 flavors of soft drink. The app is intended to familiarize Millennials,... Coke’s new app features an interactive replica of the brand’s new Freestyle vending machine, which dispenses up to 125 flavors of soft drink. The app is intended to familiarize Millennials, who are “particularly drawn to the machines,” with the Freestyle. --- ## Dunkin’ running location-based contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-running-location-based-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-24 Words: 45 > Dunkin' Donuts has launched a location-based promotion called "Be the President of Dunkin' Nation." Participants can check into Dunkin' locations for a chance to win a prize package that includes... Dunkin’ Donuts has launched a location-based promotion called “Be the President of Dunkin’ Nation.” Participants can check into Dunkin’ locations for a chance to win a prize package that includes a 50″ TV and a $200 gift card. --- ## Gatorade grapples with keeping new team together at retail URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/gatorade-grapples-with-keeping-new-team-together-at-retail/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-22 Words: 51 > Gatorade's efforts to reposition itself as a sports-nutrition brand are hampered by retailers' confusion about how to position the products. Gatorade executives are mapping the marketplace to determine the sales... Gatorade’s efforts to reposition itself as a sports-nutrition brand are hampered by retailers’ confusion about how to position the products. Gatorade executives are mapping the marketplace to determine the sales outlets (like stores located near high schools and gyms) where elaborate product displays will be most effective. --- ## Snapple, Maroon 5 team on tea URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snapple-maroon-5-team-on-tea/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-22 Words: 33 > Snapple and Maroon 5 have partnered to release a beverage that will help support Feeding America. The product, called "Tea Will Be Loved," is named after a popular Maroon 5... Snapple and Maroon 5 have partnered to release a beverage that will help support Feeding America. The product, called “Tea Will Be Loved,” is named after a popular Maroon 5 single. --- ## Goya celebrates anniversary by sponsoring Latino concert series URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/goya-celebrates-anniversary-by-sponsoring-latino-concert-series/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-20 Words: 30 > To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Latino-owned food company, Goya Foods Inc., sponsors a six-city concert series with popular Latino artists Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel and Marco Antonio Solis. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Latino-owned food company, Goya Foods Inc., sponsors a six-city concert series with popular Latino artists Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel and Marco Antonio Solis. --- ## Supermarkets turn attention to underserved areas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/supermarkets-turn-attention-to-underserved-areas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-19 Words: 32 > Experts say that there is no one solution to bringing fresh food to underserved communities, and some grocers argue that the key is tailoring it to the specific needs of... Experts say that there is no one solution to bringing fresh food to underserved communities, and some grocers argue that the key is tailoring it to the specific needs of the community. --- ## USDA rejects ban on using food stamps to buy soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/usda-rejects-ban-on-using-food-stamps-to-buy-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-19 Words: 67 > In a victory for the soft-drink industry, the federal government rejects New York City Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to bar the use of food stamps to purchase soda and other sugary... In a victory for the soft-drink industry, the federal government rejects New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to bar the use of food stamps to purchase soda and other sugary drinks. The proposal was part of the Mayor’s plan to fight obesity, but critics, including the soda industry, argued that it singled out low-income communities and “micromanaged” their lives. --- ## Burger King dethrones mascot in an effort to freshen brand URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-dethrones-mascot-in-an-effort-to-freshen-brand/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-19 Words: 25 > Burger King has announced that it will retire its controversial "king" mascot. The chain plans to unveil more "food-centric" advertising. Burger King has announced that it will retire its controversial “king” mascot. The chain plans to unveil more “food-centric” advertising. --- ## Domino’s CEO calls for menu-labeling flexibility URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-ceo-calls-for-menu-labeling-flexibility/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-19 Words: 35 > Domino's CEO has published a letter encouraging the FDA to rethink how it will implement the new federal menu-labeling law. He argues that menu boards are irrelevant for a delivery-oriented... Domino’s CEO has published a letter encouraging the FDA to rethink how it will implement the new federal menu-labeling law. He argues that menu boards are irrelevant for a delivery-oriented business. --- ## Dunkin’ Donuts opens shop in Sims’ universe URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-donuts-opens-shop-in-sims-universe/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-18 Words: 43 > For the next six months, Dunkin' Donuts products will be featured in a Sims Social Facebook game, with the goal of "reach[ing] out to young adults" and "mak[ing] the brand... For the next six months, Dunkin’ Donuts products will be featured in a Sims Social Facebook game, with the goal of “reach[ing] out to young adults” and “mak[ing] the brand more relevant to a broadening audience.” --- ## Movement to ban alcohol ads from all city-owned property gains ground in Los Angeles URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/movement-to-ban-alcohol-ads-from-all-city-owned-property-gains-ground-in-los-angeles/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-18 Words: 32 > Councilman Richard Alarcon's draws community support for introducing an ordinance to ban alcohol ads on city-owned property in Los Angeles. The policy resembles ordinances in San Francisco and Philadelphia. Councilman Richard Alarcon’s draws community support for introducing an ordinance to ban alcohol ads on city-owned property in Los Angeles. The policy resembles ordinances in San Francisco and Philadelphia. --- ## The new TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie hitting shelves URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-new-triple-double-oreo-cookie-hitting-shelves/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-17 Words: 25 > OREO will launch its newest cookie with a promotion featuring Shaquille O'Neal and other members of the "Double Stuf Racing League." OREO will launch its newest cookie with a promotion featuring Shaquille O’Neal and other members of the “Double Stuf Racing League.” --- ## Subway takes on grease in product launch spots URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-takes-on-grease-in-product-launch-spots/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-17 Words: 48 > Subway's new TV spots criticize other quick service chains for using grease and oil to fry burgers and French fries. The spots are part of a campaign to launch the... Subway’s new TV spots criticize other quick service chains for using grease and oil to fry burgers and French fries. The spots are part of a campaign to launch the new Oven Crisp Chicken Sub, part of the chain’s “Fresh Fit” menu. --- ## Get ready for the battle of the Latino basket URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/get-ready-for-the-battle-of-the-latino-basket/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-16 Words: 51 > The Hispanic Retail 360 Conference was held last week in San Diego and many of the attendants wanted to "learn how to win the Latino consumer." For example, Ad Age... The Hispanic Retail 360 Conference was held last week in San Diego and many of the attendants wanted to “learn how to win the Latino consumer.” For example, Ad Age Columnist Chiqui Cartagena reports that PepsiCo is shifting to “bring Latino flavors to mainstream products like Gatorade.” --- ## Marketing to kids gets more savvy with new technologies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-to-kids-gets-more-savvy-with-new-technologies/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-16 Words: 23 > Marketing professionals, parents, and doctors discuss the increasingly sophisticated online tactics that marketers use to promote fast food, among other products, to children. Marketing professionals, parents, and doctors discuss the increasingly sophisticated online tactics that marketers use to promote fast food, among other products, to children. --- ## Chipotle festivals to spotlight food sourcing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chipotle-festivals-to-spotlight-food-sourcing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-16 Words: 40 > Chipotle Mexican Grill will throw a festival in Chicago's Lincoln Park to spotlight its "commitment to affordable, quality food made with ingredients from sustainable sources." Follow-up events will take place... Chipotle Mexican Grill will throw a festival in Chicago’s Lincoln Park to spotlight its “commitment to affordable, quality food made with ingredients from sustainable sources.” Follow-up events will take place in other U.S. cities. --- ## Nestle launches ‘Echale agua a tu vida’ targeting Latina moms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nestle-launches-echale-agua-a-tu-vida-targeting-latina-moms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-16 Words: 53 > Nestle Waters launches its campaign "Echale Agua a Tu Vida", which is described as a "brand platform of educating Latina mothers on the importance of healthy hydration and active lifestyles."... Nestle Waters launches its campaign “Echale Agua a Tu Vida”, which is described as a “brand platform of educating Latina mothers on the importance of healthy hydration and active lifestyles.” Nestle has created soccer clinics in key Latino markets such as Miami, Los Angeles, Houston and Washington D.C. --- ## Taco Bell promotes up-and-coming bands with contest URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-promotes-up-and-coming-bands-with-contest/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-15 Words: 35 > Emerging artists are urged to enter Taco Bell's Feed the Beat program for a chance to be featured in a national commercial. Winners also receive substantial Taco Bell gift cards... Emerging artists are urged to enter Taco Bell’s Feed the Beat program for a chance to be featured in a national commercial. Winners also receive substantial Taco Bell gift cards and other prizes. --- ## Editorial: Soft drink information campaign should open eyes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/editorial-soft-drink-information-campaign-should-open-eyes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-15 Words: 24 > The editorial staff of the Portland (Maine) Press Herald supports a new city-wide public health campaign on the dangers of sugary soft drinks. The editorial staff of the Portland (Maine) Press Herald supports a new city-wide public health campaign on the dangers of sugary soft drinks. --- ## Kraft using ’emotional profiling’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-using-emotional-profiling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-15 Words: 36 > Kraft Foods has developed a sophisticated new research method that will help them identify the difference between products that consumers accept, and those they prefer. The company will use the... Kraft Foods has developed a sophisticated new research method that will help them identify the difference between products that consumers accept, and those they prefer. The company will use the method to develop and launch products. --- ## Marketers see millions of social media opportunities with Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketers-see-millions-of-social-media-opportunities-with-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-12 Words: 29 > As Latinos grow in numbers and in their technology use, marketers are seeing greater opportunities to take advantage of the "$1 trillion US market" that Latinos offer. As Latinos grow in numbers and in their technology use, marketers are seeing greater opportunities to take advantage of the “$1 trillion US market” that Latinos offer. --- ## Watching TV while gulping Mountain Dew: A fascinating look at the show Dewheads tweet about most URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/watching-tv-while-gulping-mountain-dew-a-fascinating-look-at-the-show-dewheads-tweet-about-most/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-12 Words: 27 > Columnist Simon Dumenco introduces marketers to Bluefin, a company that helps marketers target TV audiences by analyzing real-time social media data about their preferences and relationships. Columnist Simon Dumenco introduces marketers to Bluefin, a company that helps marketers target TV audiences by analyzing real-time social media data about their preferences and relationships. --- ## Coca-Cola partners with Univision to launch contest targeted at Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-partners-with-univision-to-launch-contest-targeted-at-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-12 Words: 95 > Using Hispanic Heritage Month as a promotional opportunity, Coca-Cola partners with Univision and celebrity Chef Ingrid Hoffman to launch the "Celebremos Nuestro Sabor con Coca-Cola" (Celebrate our Flavor with Coca-Cola).... Using Hispanic Heritage Month as a promotional opportunity, Coca-Cola partners with Univision and celebrity Chef Ingrid Hoffman to launch the “Celebremos Nuestro Sabor con Coca-Cola” (Celebrate our Flavor with Coca-Cola). To enter the contest, people need to upload a picture of their favorite dish and an essay explaining “what inspired the dish and how they enjoy it with Coca-Cola” onto Univision.com. The two winners will receive $5,000 grand prize and have their favorite recipe featured on Univison’s popular show “Despierta America.” --- ## Taco Bell using QR codes for MTV content URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-using-qr-codes-for-mtv-content/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-12 Words: 41 > As part of Taco Bell's sponsorship of MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs), the chain is offering fountain drink cups branded with codes that customers can use to access a mobile... As part of Taco Bell’s sponsorship of MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs), the chain is offering fountain drink cups branded with codes that customers can use to access a mobile website featuring videos and other VMA content. --- ## How marketers persuade communities of color to reach for bottled water over tap URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-marketers-persuade-communities-of-color-to-reach-for-bottled-water-over-tap/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-11 Words: 49 > Communities of color consume and spend more on bottled water than their white counterparts. In this blog post, Nadia Arumugan discusses the marketing tactics that companies use to target Blacks... Communities of color consume and spend more on bottled water than their white counterparts. In this blog post, Nadia Arumugan discusses the marketing tactics that companies use to target Blacks and Latinos. These include: Latino-specific bottled water brands; targeting minority moms; celebrity endorsements; and playing the purity game. --- ## Facebook use among Latinos continues to grow rapidly URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/facebook-use-among-latinos-continues-to-grow-rapidly/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-10 Words: 60 > According to online data reports, Latinos' use of Facebook went up 167 percent vs. 21 percent for the general population. Latinos are getting more access to Internet through mobile devices... According to online data reports, Latinos’ use of Facebook went up 167 percent vs. 21 percent for the general population. Latinos are getting more access to Internet through mobile devices and communicate with family through social networks. For example, “when they discover something that interests them, they are quick to invite their friends and family to join.” --- ## A familiar brand promotes a new line of cheesy and easy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-familiar-brand-promotes-a-new-line-of-cheesy-and-easy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-10 Words: 44 > Kraft Foods has launched TV spots, online advertising, and social media marketing as part of a campaign to promote Velveeta Cheesy Skillets as easy-to-prepare family meals. The campaign assures mothers... Kraft Foods has launched TV spots, online advertising, and social media marketing as part of a campaign to promote Velveeta Cheesy Skillets as easy-to-prepare family meals. The campaign assures mothers that the meals, while simple, are “hands-on” and homey. --- ## The Coca-Cola Foundation continues funding obesity initiatives in Latino communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-coca-cola-foundation-continues-funding-obesity-initiatives-in-latino-communities/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-09 Words: 69 > Coca-Cola gives $75,000 to "Vive en Forma," (Live in Shape), which is a program that works on addressing obesity among the Latino communities in Chicago. The funding is part of... Coca-Cola gives $75,000 to “Vive en Forma,” (Live in Shape), which is a program that works on addressing obesity among the Latino communities in Chicago. The funding is part of $2 million in grants that are heavily promoted as Coca-Cola’s support for “education and youth development; community programs; diversity and inclusion programs; active, healthy living; water stewardship; and community recycling.” --- ## Coca-Cola’s futuristic soda fountain to get 2012 ad push URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-futuristic-soda-fountain-to-get-2012-ad-push/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 36 > Coke executives are working on plans for a marketing push for the company's new soda fountain, which serves up to 125 different soft drinks. The fountain is particularly successful in... Coke executives are working on plans for a marketing push for the company’s new soda fountain, which serves up to 125 different soft drinks. The fountain is particularly successful in youth and multicultural markets. --- ## Should we be so happy about the Happy Meal makeover? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/should-we-be-so-happy-about-the-happy-meal-makeover/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 52 > Columnist Christina Pirello is skeptical about McDonald's new Happy Meal: She argues that the Happy Meal makeover is a public relations stunt and points out that the majority of the... Columnist Christina Pirello is skeptical about McDonald’s new Happy Meal: She argues that the Happy Meal makeover is a public relations stunt and points out that the majority of the chain’s menu is still “excessively large, salty, fatty, and filled with ingredients that should terrify us.” --- ## End of the Korean Grocer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/end-of-the-korean-grocer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 44 > President of Korean-American Grocers Association predicts that in 10 years, there will be no Korean groceries in New York City, contrasted to the 2,500 stores in 1991. Why? The reporter... President of Korean-American Grocers Association predicts that in 10 years, there will be no Korean groceries in New York City, contrasted to the 2,500 stores in 1991. Why? The reporter points to gentrification in NYC resulting in high pressures on immigrant communities. --- ## Domino’s revives mascot in Facebook competition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-revives-mascot-in-facebook-competition/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 42 > Domino's has brought back its iconic "Noid" mascot for a limited-time Facebook promotion. Users who "like" Domino's Facebook page can play an arcade game for a chance to win free... Domino’s has brought back its iconic “Noid” mascot for a limited-time Facebook promotion. Users who “like” Domino’s Facebook page can play an arcade game for a chance to win free pizza gift cards. --- ## Eat breakfast, win cash: GOT MILK to award $30K to California public schools in back-to-school programs URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/eat-breakfast-win-cash-got-milk-to-award-30k-to-california-public-schools-in-back-to-school-programs/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 26 > The California Milk Processor board is promoting a contest that will allow California high schools that promote breakfast with milk to win money for student activities. The California Milk Processor board is promoting a contest that will allow California high schools that promote breakfast with milk to win money for student activities. --- ## McDonald’s ‘Smurfs’ the Earth, plants trees with new promo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-smurfs-the-earth-plants-trees-with-new-promo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 55 > McDonald's newest tie-in with the movie The Smurfs encourages kids to buy Apple Dippers with their Happy Meals. The Dipper packages are marked with codes that kids can enter online... McDonald’s newest tie-in with the movie The Smurfs encourages kids to buy Apple Dippers with their Happy Meals. The Dipper packages are marked with codes that kids can enter online to plant a tree. The promotion was structured to “engage kids” and forge “direct connections” with the brand. --- ## 7-Eleven, Twix, Guard sponsor WWE Summer Slam URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-twix-guard-sponsor-wwe-summer-slam/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-08 Words: 16 > 7-Eleven, Twix, and Skittles are among the sponsors of WWE's popular SummerSlam event. 7-Eleven, Twix, and Skittles are among the sponsors of WWE’s popular SummerSlam event. --- ## McDonald’s Happy Meal healthier? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-happy-meal-healthier/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-07 Words: 56 > Should public health professionals support McDonald's newly reformulated Happy Meals as "baby steps" in the right direction, in the hope that more changes will follow? Marion Nestle argues that the... Should public health professionals support McDonald’s newly reformulated Happy Meals as “baby steps” in the right direction, in the hope that more changes will follow? Marion Nestle argues that the new meals are merely part of a calculated effort on McDonald’s part to prevent more communities from implementing nutrition standards. --- ## Coca-Cola targets Latinos in Texas via scholarships URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-targets-latinos-in-texas-via-scholarships/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-05 Words: 55 > Coca-Cola, the Greater Houston Retailers Association and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund partner to provide $30,000 in scholarships to 17 Latino students. As part of the campaign to increase awareness of... Coca-Cola, the Greater Houston Retailers Association and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund partner to provide $30,000 in scholarships to 17 Latino students. As part of the campaign to increase awareness of the program, GHRA and Coca-Cola created “bilingual, point-of-sale signage and product displays” in 1,500 locations throughout Houston. --- ## Enough to make you lose your appetite URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/enough-to-make-you-lose-your-appetite/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-05 Words: 66 > Beth Johnson, head of industry consulting group Food Directions, objects to the Interagency Working Group's food marketing recommendations. She charges that these guidelines are too restrictive and would limit "healthy"... Beth Johnson, head of industry consulting group Food Directions, objects to the Interagency Working Group’s food marketing recommendations. She charges that these guidelines are too restrictive and would limit “healthy” foods. She argues that the childhood obesity crisis should be fought by “promoting education and increasing physical activity,” not by “[giving] meal-time decision making … to government.” --- ## Butterfinger recruits UGC for Rob Lowe movie URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/butterfinger-recruits-ugc-for-rob-lowe-movie/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-05 Words: 47 > Parks and Recreation star Rob Lowe is directing a comedy-horror film for Butterfinger that is designed to generate social media buzz. The film, which plays off Butterfinger's famous tagline, is... Parks and Recreation star Rob Lowe is directing a comedy-horror film for Butterfinger that is designed to generate social media buzz. The film, which plays off Butterfinger’s famous tagline, is linked with a Facebook sweepstakes, Comic-Con appearances, and other efforts to engage fans. --- ## Subway planning global mobile efforts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-planning-global-mobile-efforts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-05 Words: 23 > Subway is launching location-aware mobile websites that will allow users to order sandwiches and pick them up from the nearest Subway restaurant. Subway is launching location-aware mobile websites that will allow users to order sandwiches and pick them up from the nearest Subway restaurant. --- ## Is Latino advertising a discipline? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-latino-advertising-a-discipline/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-04 Words: 61 > MediaPost's Jose Villa describes how large agencies are "crowding out" Latino ad shops. Current trends show that Latino advertising industry has divided into one of two ways: one where "general... MediaPost’s Jose Villa describes how large agencies are “crowding out” Latino ad shops. Current trends show that Latino advertising industry has divided into one of two ways: one where “general market” agencies have created their own ethnic marketing teams; the second where businesses have merged their “Hispanic assignments” into the general market agencies. --- ## Bloomberg to use own funds in plan to aid minority youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bloomberg-to-use-own-funds-in-plan-to-aid-minority-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-03 Words: 41 > As part of a three-year program, the funds will help create job recruitment centers, fatherhood classes, and other educational classes. The goal is to prevent young men of color from... As part of a three-year program, the funds will help create job recruitment centers, fatherhood classes, and other educational classes. The goal is to prevent young men of color from “entering or returning to the criminal justice system.” --- ## Disloyal polar bears vs. disloyal santa in Pepsi spots URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/disloyal-polar-bears-vs-disloyal-santa-in-pepsi-spots/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-03 Words: 30 > Columnist Simon Dumenco analyzes social media feedback to Pepsi's newest TV spots, which parody popular and child-friendly Coke spokescharacters like Santa Claus and the Coke Polar Bears. Columnist Simon Dumenco analyzes social media feedback to Pepsi’s newest TV spots, which parody popular and child-friendly Coke spokescharacters like Santa Claus and the Coke Polar Bears. --- ## Dunkin’ launches K-Cups; Starbucks soon to follow URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-launches-k-cups-starbucks-soon-to-follow/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-03 Words: 20 > Dunkin' Donuts will soon begin selling its coffee in single-serve cups. Starbucks plans to follow suit this fall. Dunkin’ Donuts will soon begin selling its coffee in single-serve cups. Starbucks plans to follow suit this fall. --- ## Healthy food for kids? Not on TV commercials, study finds URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/healthy-food-for-kids-not-on-tv-commercials-study-finds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-02 Words: 63 > A recent study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows that the number of food ads that children see has dropped since the implementation of the Children's Food... A recent study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows that the number of food ads that children see has dropped since the implementation of the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. However, the drop is not significant, and in fact, children now see more ads for fast food restaurants than they did before the Initiative went into effect. --- ## Editorial: More than a spoonful of sugar URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/editorial-more-than-a-spoonful-of-sugar/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-01 Words: 39 > In this editorial, the LA Times criticizes both industry and government voluntary guidelines for foods marketed to children. They advocate for policies that eliminate subsidies for junk food ingredients, such... In this editorial, the LA Times criticizes both industry and government voluntary guidelines for foods marketed to children. They advocate for policies that eliminate subsidies for junk food ingredients, such as corn used to make high-fructose corn syrup. --- ## A rift divides members of journalism groups URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-rift-divides-members-of-journalism-groups/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-01 Words: 46 > The National Association of Black Journalists has withdrawn from the Unity: Journalists of Color Coalition. The debate centered over how much revenue each organization should receive as a result of... The National Association of Black Journalists has withdrawn from the Unity: Journalists of Color Coalition. The debate centered over how much revenue each organization should receive as a result of the annual conference and whether the revenue was being used effectively to support journalists of color. --- ## Tully’s coffee helps create community centers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tullys-coffee-helps-create-community-centers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-08-01 Words: 36 > Tully's Coffee has partnered with nonprofit Pomegranate Center to promote the "Taste of Community Program," which funds the revitalization of community spaces. The program is linked to a Facebook-based grant... Tully’s Coffee has partnered with nonprofit Pomegranate Center to promote the “Taste of Community Program,” which funds the revitalization of community spaces. The program is linked to a Facebook-based grant contest. --- ## Flaunting Latino clich̩s in an effort to defuse them URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/flaunting-latino-clich%cc%a9s-in-an-effort-to-defuse-them/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-31 Words: 38 > The New York International Latino Film Festival has launched a provocative advertising campaign that pokes fun at clich̩d depictions of Latinos in movies, and "blur[s] the lines between the Latino... The New York International Latino Film Festival has launched a provocative advertising campaign that pokes fun at clich̩d depictions of Latinos in movies, and “blur[s] the lines between the Latino and non-Latino market.” --- ## Democrats criticize food marketing rules for kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/democrats-criticize-food-marketing-rules-for-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-29 Words: 50 > The National Association of Convenience Stores releases information stating that some Democrats question the government's proposed voluntary guidelines for food marketed to kids. These Democrats are asking the USDA, DHHS... The National Association of Convenience Stores releases information stating that some Democrats question the government’s proposed voluntary guidelines for food marketed to kids. These Democrats are asking the USDA, DHHS and FTC for a cost-benefit investigation to consider the voluntary guideline’s “economic impact.” --- ## Editorial: Blame parents, not McDonald’s URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/editorial-blame-parents-not-mcdonalds/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-29 Words: 53 > This editorial assigns responsibility for our childhood obesity epidemic to parents, saying that "It's easier to blame corporations for the ills of America ‰Û_ but parents ought to know that... This editorial assigns responsibility for our childhood obesity epidemic to parents, saying that “It’s easier to blame corporations for the ills of America ‰Û_ but parents ought to know that they, not Ronald McDonald or Uncle Sam, should be the principal influences on their children’s diet choices.” --- ## Are Hispanics still a minority? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/are-hispanics-still-a-minority/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-29 Words: 33 > Since Latinos now make up 26 percent of city populations (more than any other minority group), this writer argues that funding for multicultural advertising, and particularly Latino-targeted advertising, should grow... Since Latinos now make up 26 percent of city populations (more than any other minority group), this writer argues that funding for multicultural advertising, and particularly Latino-targeted advertising, should grow as well. --- ## The beginning of a multicultural marketing approach URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-beginning-of-a-multicultural-marketing-approach/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-28 Words: 36 > Marketing professional Sebastian Aroca argues that, within the decade, Latinos and non-Latinos will be absorbed into a larger multicultural society. He advises marketers to be aware that acculturation is "a... Marketing professional Sebastian Aroca argues that, within the decade, Latinos and non-Latinos will be absorbed into a larger multicultural society. He advises marketers to be aware that acculturation is “a two way street.” --- ## Coca-Cola’s Telenovela Club announces eight winners URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-colas-telenovela-club-announces-eight-winners/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-28 Words: 51 > Coca-Cola selects eight telenovela fan winners who participated in sweepstakes as part of the My Coke Rewards Telenovela Club promotion. The grand prize includes a weekend with two telenovela stars,... Coca-Cola selects eight telenovela fan winners who participated in sweepstakes as part of the My Coke Rewards Telenovela Club promotion. The grand prize includes a weekend with two telenovela stars, Cristian de la Fuentes and Jacqueline Bracamontes. The next Telenovela Club promotion will start on August 30 through mycokerewards.com. --- ## PepsiCo sponsors 2011 NCLR affiliate lunch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-sponsors-2011-nclr-affiliate-lunch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-28 Words: 50 > As part of PepsiCo's initiative "La Promesa de PepsiCo" targeting Latinos, the company co-sponsors National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) national luncheon. Industry representative says: "Our partnership with NCLR will... As part of PepsiCo’s initiative “La Promesa de PepsiCo” targeting Latinos, the company co-sponsors National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) national luncheon. Industry representative says: “Our partnership with NCLR will help us achieve those goals and be part of the solution.” --- ## Christina Aguilera lends voice in new public service announcement for Yum! brands World Hunger Relief effort this fall URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/christina-aguilera-lends-voice-in-new-public-service-announcement-for-yum-brands-world-hunger-relief-effort-this-fall/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-27 Words: 31 > Yum! Brands partners with pop star Christina Aguilera to launch the World Hunger Relief initiative in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bells chains. Funds will benefit the UN World Food... Yum! Brands partners with pop star Christina Aguilera to launch the World Hunger Relief initiative in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bells chains. Funds will benefit the UN World Food Program. --- ## Let’s talk about McDonald’s Happy Meal changes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/lets-talk-about-mcdonalds-happy-meal-changes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-27 Words: 52 > Nestle is not impressed with McDonald's new Happy Meal. She points out that several of McDonald's changes are only more choices for parents and children, such as the low-fat milk... Nestle is not impressed with McDonald’s new Happy Meal. She points out that several of McDonald’s changes are only more choices for parents and children, such as the low-fat milk option, and the automatic changes like the 3-4 apple slices are “tiny baby steps.” --- ## McDonald’s announces commitments to offer improved nutrition choices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-announces-commitments-to-offer-improved-nutrition-choices/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-26 Words: 44 > McDonald's changes its menu to include more "nutritionally-balanced choices" and promote more nutrition information through its national marketing initiatives. The new Happy Meal, rolling out by September 2011, will include... McDonald’s changes its menu to include more “nutritionally-balanced choices” and promote more nutrition information through its national marketing initiatives. The new Happy Meal, rolling out by September 2011, will include apple slices and a smaller portion of French fries. --- ## Webinar: Using data to make the case for prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-using-data-to-make-the-case-for-prevention-registration-required/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 60 > Sexual and domestic violence advocates cannot change norms and environments without acknowledging and leveraging the critical role that media coverage has in shaping the understanding of, and conversations about, violence.... Sexual and domestic violence advocates cannot change norms and environments without acknowledging and leveraging the critical role that media coverage has in shaping the understanding of, and conversations about, violence. ln this web conference, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman and Prevention Institute’s Larry Cohen discuss how to make the case for prevention using data and other forms of media messaging. --- ## Campbell’s soup fights the salt wars URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/campbells-soup-fights-the-salt-wars/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-25 Words: 43 > Campbell's soup recently announced that it will no longer reduce its salt content because the lower levels did not produce sales. Nestle comments: "When it comes to a commitment to... Campbell’s soup recently announced that it will no longer reduce its salt content because the lower levels did not produce sales. Nestle comments: “When it comes to a commitment to public health, the bottom line is all that counts.” --- ## Ad Age’s Hispanic fact pack: Your guide to the Latino market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ad-ages-hispanic-fact-pack-your-guide-to-the-latino-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-25 Words: 22 > Advertising Age has released its annual Hispanic Fact Pack, which contains key data for marketers seeking to target the emerging Latino market. Advertising Age has released its annual Hispanic Fact Pack, which contains key data for marketers seeking to target the emerging Latino market. --- ## Diageo’s new Hispanic strategy includes big buy on Univision URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/diageos-new-hispanic-strategy-includes-big-buy-on-univision/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-25 Words: 39 > Diageo recently purchased a huge amount of upfront advertising time on Univision, as part of a push to target Latinos. The liquor giant markets such brands as Smirnoff and Ketel... Diageo recently purchased a huge amount of upfront advertising time on Univision, as part of a push to target Latinos. The liquor giant markets such brands as Smirnoff and Ketel One vodkas, Jose Cuervo tequila, and Captain Morgan rum. --- ## Bad food? Tax it and subsidize vegetables URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bad-food-tax-it-and-subsidize-vegetables/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-23 Words: 31 > New York Times Op-Ed columnist, Mark Bittman, argues that the government should tax unhealthful foods, like sodas and French fries, and use the funds to subsidize healthier foods like vegetables. New York Times Op-Ed columnist, Mark Bittman, argues that the government should tax unhealthful foods, like sodas and French fries, and use the funds to subsidize healthier foods like vegetables. --- ## Mrs. Obama’s food access initiatives: Retailers say ‘yes’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mrs-obamas-food-access-initiatives-retailers-say-yes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-22 Words: 36 > In response to the First Lady's food access initiative, several supermarket and drug store chains, like Walmart and Walgreens, have announced that they will find ways to introduce healthier foods... In response to the First Lady’s food access initiative, several supermarket and drug store chains, like Walmart and Walgreens, have announced that they will find ways to introduce healthier foods into low-income areas --- ## Where is the Latino market going? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/where-is-the-latino-market-going/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-22 Words: 38 > Latino marketing professional Ederick Lokpez discusses the evolution of the Latino market. He believes that "culture and heritage" will no longer be enough to "capture the attention" of the Latino... Latino marketing professional Ederick Lokpez discusses the evolution of the Latino market. He believes that “culture and heritage” will no longer be enough to “capture the attention” of the Latino consumers of the future. --- ## Defying easy categorization: Latinos and communiction technology URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/defying-easy-categorization-latinos-and-communiction-technology/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-21 Words: 20 > Marketers must be aware of and responsive to the complex relationship between Latinos and technology, argues industry professional Andrew Speyer. Marketers must be aware of and responsive to the complex relationship between Latinos and technology, argues industry professional Andrew Speyer. --- ## McDonald’s loses bid to move Happy Meal lawsuit URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-loses-bid-to-move-happy-meal-lawsuit/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-20 Words: 41 > The federal court sends McDonald's case back to a state court in San Francisco. The fast-food giant had attempted to defend its case in a federal court, which is generally... The federal court sends McDonald’s case back to a state court in San Francisco. The fast-food giant had attempted to defend its case in a federal court, which is generally viewed as “friendlier” than state courts. --- ## Michelle Obama announces initiative to get stores to expand into low-income areas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/michelle-obama-announces-initiative-to-get-stores-to-expand-into-low-income-areas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-20 Words: 27 > First Lady Michelle Obama announces a healthful food financing initiative, the California FreshWorks Fund, which aims to get more grocery stores into food desert locations in California. First Lady Michelle Obama announces a healthful food financing initiative, the California FreshWorks Fund, which aims to get more grocery stores into food desert locations in California. --- ## Hispanic marketers need to put language war behind them URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hispanic-marketers-need-to-put-language-war-behind-them/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-19 Words: 38 > Industry commenter David Morse encourages marketers to look beyond language issues as they target Latino children. Instead, he advises them to embed messages that will be culturally relevant for Latino... Industry commenter David Morse encourages marketers to look beyond language issues as they target Latino children. Instead, he advises them to embed messages that will be culturally relevant for Latino youth in advertising to a more general audience. --- ## Dairy Queen partners with mobile agency and launches the Miracle Treat Day Campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dairy-queen-partners-with-mobile-agency-and-launches-the-miracle-treat-day-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-18 Words: 40 > Dairy Queen partners with Mobio Technologies, a mobile marketing agency, and launches the Miracle Treat Day Campaign. DQ customers can use their smartphones to scan special QR barcodes on Blizzard... Dairy Queen partners with Mobio Technologies, a mobile marketing agency, and launches the Miracle Treat Day Campaign. DQ customers can use their smartphones to scan special QR barcodes on Blizzard cups to donate to the Children’s Miracle Network. --- ## Editorial: Selling the idea of better kid food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/editorial-selling-the-idea-of-better-kid-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-18 Words: 52 > In this editorial, The Roanoke Times in Virginia comments on food makers' push back against the federal government's marketing and nutrition guidelines for foods marketed to children. It notes that... In this editorial, The Roanoke Times in Virginia comments on food makers’ push back against the federal government’s marketing and nutrition guidelines for foods marketed to children. It notes that food makers acknowledge that only 12 of the 100 most consumed foods the U.S. would meet the criteria. --- ## Coke extends BET partnership into the store URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-extends-bet-partnership-into-the-store/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-18 Words: 42 > Coca-Cola is expanding its partnership with Black Entertainment Television (BET) in an effort to expand its audience among African American teens. Coke is sponsoring giveaways and contests, as well as... Coca-Cola is expanding its partnership with Black Entertainment Television (BET) in an effort to expand its audience among African American teens. Coke is sponsoring giveaways and contests, as well as expanded advertising on 106 & Park, a popular music variety show. --- ## Domino’s utilizes social media to reinvent company URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-utilizes-social-media-to-reinvent-company/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-15 Words: 18 > Domino's executives attribute the chain's comeback to both improved product, and social media integration. Domino’s executives attribute the chain’s comeback to both improved product, and social media integration. --- ## Coke recruits Londoners to carry torch URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coke-recruits-londoners-to-carry-torch/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-15 Words: 37 > In preparation for the London Olympics in 2012, Coke is recruiting young people to carry the torch. Users are encouraged to make an application video using a computer program that... In preparation for the London Olympics in 2012, Coke is recruiting young people to carry the torch. Users are encouraged to make an application video using a computer program that draws from their own social media presence. --- ## Food makers push back on ads for children URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-makers-push-back-on-ads-for-children/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-14 Words: 30 > The New York Times summarizes the food industry's most recent efforts to forestall federal regulation by updating the voluntary Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative regulations. The New York Times summarizes the food industry’s most recent efforts to forestall federal regulation by updating the voluntary Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative regulations. --- ## Pepsi makes a summer splash onto viral video chart URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-makes-a-summer-splash-onto-viral-video-chart/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-14 Words: 43 > Pepsi's "Summer Time is Pepsi Time" video has attracted a great deal of online attention. The ad is part of Pepsi's marketing push to reclaim sales after it fell behind... Pepsi’s “Summer Time is Pepsi Time” video has attracted a great deal of online attention. The ad is part of Pepsi’s marketing push to reclaim sales after it fell behind both Coke and Diet Coke last year. --- ## Restaurant industry launches Healthful Kids Meal initiative URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/restaurant-industry-launches-healthful-kids-meal-initiative/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-14 Words: 61 > The National Restaurant Association recently launched KidsLiveWell, a voluntary program designed to "spur chains to offer and promote healthier kids-meal options": many chains are participating, though McDonald's is noticeably absent.... The National Restaurant Association recently launched KidsLiveWell, a voluntary program designed to “spur chains to offer and promote healthier kids-meal options”: many chains are participating, though McDonald’s is noticeably absent. The initiative has drawn criticism from many advocates, and has attracted considerable media attention (stories appeared in Media Post, other trade press, and many local papers). --- ## Last chance to comment on proposed kids’ food marketing standards URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/last-chance-to-comment-on-proposed-kids-food-marketing-standards/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-14 Words: 41 > Marion Nestle is concerned that the Interagency Working Group's proposed nutrition standards for marketing foods to children are too lax. However, she says she does feel that the standards may... Marion Nestle is concerned that the Interagency Working Group’s proposed nutrition standards for marketing foods to children are too lax. However, she says she does feel that the standards may have some merit, and encourages readers to file comments. --- ## Online retailers should put up a “se habla espanol” sign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/online-retailers-should-put-up-a-se-habla-espanol-sign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-14 Words: 37 > The online market of U.S. Latinos has grown significantly: Industry professional Lee Van advises retailers to capitalize on this growth by building online relationships with Latinos through Spanish-language content, customer... The online market of U.S. Latinos has grown significantly: Industry professional Lee Van advises retailers to capitalize on this growth by building online relationships with Latinos through Spanish-language content, customer support, and other outreach techniques. --- ## Caffeine makes kids prefer certain sodas URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/caffeine-makes-kids-prefer-certain-sodas/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-12 Words: 22 > Scientists hypothesize that caffeine, which manufacturers routinely add to sodas "for flavor", teaches kids to prefer certain sugar-sweetened beverages. Scientists hypothesize that caffeine, which manufacturers routinely add to sodas “for flavor”, teaches kids to prefer certain sugar-sweetened beverages. --- ## Touch-screen Coca-Cola soda fountain offers more than 120 different drinks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/touch-screen-coca-cola-soda-fountain-offers-more-than-120-different-drinks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-12 Words: 21 > Coca-Cola is unveiling its latest soda fountains, which offer up to 120 different Coke-branded drinks and track purchasing trends. Coca-Cola is unveiling its latest soda fountains, which offer up to 120 different Coke-branded drinks and track purchasing trends. --- ## Brewers tap Hispanic consumers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brewers-tap-hispanic-consumers/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-12 Words: 39 > To combat the economic downturn, brewers are directing their advertising toward Latinos. Among other promotions, MillerCoors is using bilingual advertising and sponsoring a Mexican soccer league, while Anheuser-Busch is sponsoring... To combat the economic downturn, brewers are directing their advertising toward Latinos. Among other promotions, MillerCoors is using bilingual advertising and sponsoring a Mexican soccer league, while Anheuser-Busch is sponsoring popular Latino rapper Pitbull’s upcoming tour. --- ## Pepsi beverage guru unveils his plan to win the world over URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsi-beverage-guru-unveils-his-plan-to-win-the-world-over/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-12 Words: 54 > PepsiCo's "Global Beverage Group" represents its transition to push more aggressively its marketing efforts on a global scale. These include advertising Gatorade internationally, the campaign "Summer Time is Pepsi Time"... PepsiCo’s “Global Beverage Group” represents its transition to push more aggressively its marketing efforts on a global scale. These include advertising Gatorade internationally, the campaign “Summer Time is Pepsi Time” which will run through Labor Day, and brand integration in the singing show “The X Factor.” --- ## What one food fight reveals about bad business URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-one-food-fight-reveals-about-bad-business/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-12 Words: 61 > BNET's Christopher Elliott comments on the industry's "Sensible Food Policy Coalition" which is lobbying against government voluntary nutritional guidelines. He compares it to other similar corporate actions, such as the... BNET’s Christopher Elliott comments on the industry’s “Sensible Food Policy Coalition” which is lobbying against government voluntary nutritional guidelines. He compares it to other similar corporate actions, such as the tobacco industry’s “The Tobacco Institute,” which was funded by the industry to block legislation attempting to curb smoking or marketing practices. --- ## What not to do when marketing to Hispanics URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/what-not-to-do-when-marketing-to-hispanics/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-12 Words: 16 > Marketing executive Anthony Eros offers advertising professionals guidance on how to most effectively target Latino consumers. Marketing executive Anthony Eros offers advertising professionals guidance on how to most effectively target Latino consumers. --- ## Pros, cons of new nutrition labels on front of food packages URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pros-cons-of-new-nutrition-labels-on-front-of-food-packages/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-11 Words: 39 > Lori Corbin cites Margo Wootan's concerns about the Nutrition Keys front-of-package labeling. Among other problems, she cites the labeling scheme's complexity and argues that it is not as strong as... Lori Corbin cites Margo Wootan’s concerns about the Nutrition Keys front-of-package labeling. Among other problems, she cites the labeling scheme’s complexity and argues that it is not as strong as it could be. --- ## Experts say chocolate gets kids hooked on dairy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/experts-say-chocolate-gets-kids-hooked-on-dairy/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-11 Words: 30 > Banning chocolate milk in schools stirs heated debate in Massachusetts. Those who argue in favor of keeping it in schools claim that removing it will decrease milk consumption among kids. Banning chocolate milk in schools stirs heated debate in Massachusetts. Those who argue in favor of keeping it in schools claim that removing it will decrease milk consumption among kids. --- ## Industries lobby against voluntary nutrition guidelines for food marketed to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/industries-lobby-against-voluntary-nutrition-guidelines-for-food-marketed-to-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-09 Words: 25 > The food and advertising industries have launched a multi-pronged campaign to squash government efforts to create voluntary nutritional guidelines for foods marketed to children. The food and advertising industries have launched a multi-pronged campaign to squash government efforts to create voluntary nutritional guidelines for foods marketed to children. --- ## FTC chairman: Look for new industry food marketing guidelines URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ftc-chairman-look-for-new-industry-food-marketing-guidelines/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-08 Words: 22 > In another attempt to fight the government's voluntary nutrition guidelines, the industry will propose new self-regulatory guidelines this week. In another attempt to fight the government’s voluntary nutrition guidelines, the industry will propose new self-regulatory guidelines this week. --- ## Coca-Cola ‰ÛÒ Reaching Latinos through soccer URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-%c2%89uo-reaching-latinos-through-soccer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-08 Words: 29 > Coca-Cola's efforts to target Latinos using soccer-themed commercials that play during the popular Copa de Oro is met with approval by some Latino marketing professionals. Coca-Cola’s efforts to target Latinos using soccer-themed commercials that play during the popular Copa de Oro is met with approval by some Latino marketing professionals. --- ## Hispanic advertising goes digital … sort of URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/hispanic-advertising-goes-digital-sort-of/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-07 Words: 59 > Marketers understand that Latinos are heavy users of digital media, evidenced by the digital themes present in the Latino-targeted advertisements that aired during the Copa de Oro. However, most of... Marketers understand that Latinos are heavy users of digital media, evidenced by the digital themes present in the Latino-targeted advertisements that aired during the Copa de Oro. However, most of the money for Latino marketing goes to traditional media, like television advertising. Columnist Jose Villa sees many untapped opportunities for marketers to use digital media to reach Latinos. --- ## PepsiCo’s health push URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsicos-health-push/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-07 Words: 17 > PepsiCo's "Global Nutrition Group" launches "good for you" products in India. PepsiCo’s “Global Nutrition Group” launches “good for you” products in India. --- ## Menu labels: Groups battle over compliance scope URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/menu-labels-groups-battle-over-compliance-scope/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-07 Words: 32 > In response to the FDA's menu labeling regulations released in April, several groups have filed comments debating what types of venues should fall under the "similar food establishments." In response to the FDA’s menu labeling regulations released in April, several groups have filed comments debating what types of venues should fall under the “similar food establishments.” --- ## [Latinos] are hot topic of Nielsen Conference; Coca-Cola says it will target Latino youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/latinos-are-hot-topic-of-nielsen-conference-coca-cola-says-it-will-target-latino-youth/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-06 Words: 71 > Advertising Age's blogger Chiqui Cartagena discusses how the Nielsen Conference focused much more on multicultural audiences this year than in previous years. Coca-Cola's CMO Bea Perez says that "86% of... Advertising Age’s blogger Chiqui Cartagena discusses how the Nielsen Conference focused much more on multicultural audiences this year than in previous years. Coca-Cola’s CMO Bea Perez says that “86% of the growth through 2020 for Coca-Cola’s youth-target market will come from multicultural consumers, especially Hispanic, and that focusing on this segment was critical to the company’s future growth.” --- ## New ‘Nutrition Keys’ labeling leaves food buyers confused URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-nutrition-keys-labeling-leaves-food-buyers-confused/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-06 Words: 25 > A recent article published in New England Journal of Medicine finds that the industry's new "Nutrition Keys" are deceptive and confusing. A recent article published in New England Journal of Medicine finds that the industry’s new “Nutrition Keys” are deceptive and confusing. --- ## As SF denounces soda, Coca-Cola donates $250,000 to parks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/as-sf-denounces-soda-coca-cola-donates-250000-to-parks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-06 Words: 71 > As part of Coca-Cola's "Live Positively" campaign, the beverage giant donates $250K to the Parks and Recreations Department in San Francisco. While Coca-Cola claims that the donation "has nothing to... As part of Coca-Cola’s “Live Positively” campaign, the beverage giant donates $250K to the Parks and Recreations Department in San Francisco. While Coca-Cola claims that the donation “has nothing to do with promoting its products,” its logo appears on the Parks Trust website where users are encouraged to vote for the Golden Gate Park so that it can win $100K from Coca-Cola. --- ## Perrier returns to the airwaves to target younger audience URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/perrier-returns-to-the-airwaves-to-target-younger-audience/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-06 Words: 26 > A new marketing campaign for Perrier seeks to raise brand awareness among younger consumers with a series of TV commercials and YouTube videos, among other promotions. A new marketing campaign for Perrier seeks to raise brand awareness among younger consumers with a series of TV commercials and YouTube videos, among other promotions. --- ## New book discusses how to target the ‘New Latino Consumer’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/new-book-discusses-how-to-target-the-new-latino-consumer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-05 Words: 45 > In this revised edition of their book, Felipe and Betty Ann Korzenny provide strategies for marketers to connect with the Latino consumers. They use 25 industry case studies to illustrate... In this revised edition of their book, Felipe and Betty Ann Korzenny provide strategies for marketers to connect with the Latino consumers. They use 25 industry case studies to illustrate the main points and how to establish “strong bonds” with the Latino community. --- ## 7-Eleven partners with Universal Pix, DreamWorks URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/7-eleven-partners-with-universal-pix-dreamworks/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-05 Words: 24 > The promotion includes new Slurpees featuring the "Cowboys & Aliens" movie, radio advertising, and specially designed "Cowboys & Aliens" cups. The promotion includes new Slurpees featuring the “Cowboys & Aliens” movie, radio advertising, and specially designed “Cowboys & Aliens” cups. --- ## McDonalds gives award to R&B singer Mary J. Blige at 365 Black Awards Show URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-gives-award-to-rb-singer-mary-j-blige-at-365-black-awards-show/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-04 Words: 51 > McDonald's 365 Black Awards honor 365 African American entrepreneurs who give back to their community. This year, R&B singer Mary J. Blige's FAWN project (For the Advancement of Women Now)... McDonald’s 365 Black Awards honor 365 African American entrepreneurs who give back to their community. This year, R&B singer Mary J. Blige’s FAWN project (For the Advancement of Women Now) is being recognized and will kick off the annual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. --- ## Memo to PepsiCo from its investors: Hello! You’re in the soda business URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/memo-to-pepsico-from-its-investors-hello-youre-in-the-soda-business/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-02 Words: 48 > Melanie Warner believes Pepsi can balance promotion of its "healthier for you" products with sales of "fun" items. However, she warns that PepsiCo will "never be the truly responsible corporate... Melanie Warner believes Pepsi can balance promotion of its “healthier for you” products with sales of “fun” items. However, she warns that PepsiCo will “never be the truly responsible corporate citizen and public health darling [CEO Indra Nooyi] wants it to be.” --- ## How Washington gives marketing to kids a free pass URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/how-washington-gives-marketing-to-kids-a-free-pass/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-02 Words: 37 > The FTC has denied the food industry's allegations that it is attempting to regulate marketing to children. Marion Nestle takes the FTC to task for failing to "rein in industry... The FTC has denied the food industry’s allegations that it is attempting to regulate marketing to children. Marion Nestle takes the FTC to task for failing to “rein in industry excesses, when necessary.” --- ## White House’s Sam Kass on obesity: Soda is not to blame URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/white-houses-sam-kass-on-obesity-soda-is-not-to-blame/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-01 Words: 35 > The Senior Policy Advisor for the Let's Move campaign caused controversy last week when he told an audience of public health professionals that soda is not the cause of the... The Senior Policy Advisor for the Let’s Move campaign caused controversy last week when he told an audience of public health professionals that soda is not the cause of the childhood obesity epidemic. --- ## Rage against the machine: Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s tout hand-made food that isn’t URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/rage-against-the-machine-carls-jr-and-hardees-tout-hand-made-food-that-isnt/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-01 Words: 35 > Melanie Warner takes fast food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's to task for promoting "simple," "wholesome", and "hand made" menu items that are anything but. Melanie Warner takes fast food chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s to task for promoting “simple,” “wholesome”, and “hand made” menu items that are anything but. --- ## Pepsi’s ‘health food’ initiatives in trouble? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsis-health-food-initiatives-in-trouble/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-01 Words: 25 > Marion Nestle analyzes the difficulties that PepsiCo faces as it attempts to push "healthier-for-you" products instead of sodas and snack foods. Marion Nestle analyzes the difficulties that PepsiCo faces as it attempts to push “healthier-for-you” products instead of sodas and snack foods. --- ## Kraft spiffs up its old brands URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-spiffs-up-its-old-brands/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-01 Words: 25 > Kraft Foods is attempting to update its image through an aggressive campaign involving social media and other strategies. WSJ registration required to view full article. Kraft Foods is attempting to update its image through an aggressive campaign involving social media and other strategies. WSJ registration required to view full article. --- ## KFC relaunches grilled chicken, hires ‘chief chicken officer’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kfc-relaunches-grilled-chicken-hires-chief-chicken-officer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-07-01 Words: 42 > KFC's latest marketing efforts include a relaunch of grilled chicken, and the unveiling of a "chief chicken officer." The chain is attempting to broaden its appeal by offering "ostensibly healthier... KFC’s latest marketing efforts include a relaunch of grilled chicken, and the unveiling of a “chief chicken officer.” The chain is attempting to broaden its appeal by offering “ostensibly healthier menu items” for health-conscious consumers. --- ## Big Red back on TV with ‘different’ campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/big-red-back-on-tv-with-different-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-30 Words: 46 > Big Red, the #1 red soda brand, has launched its first TV promotion in more than 25 years as part of a new "Tastes Good to be Different" campaign. The... Big Red, the #1 red soda brand, has launched its first TV promotion in more than 25 years as part of a new “Tastes Good to be Different” campaign. The integrated campaign is intended to update the brand‰Ûªs packaging and image among consumers. --- ## Dunkin’ doing first movie partnership URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dunkin-doing-first-movie-partnership/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-28 Words: 22 > Dunkin' Donuts has partnered with summer blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger for the chain's first movie tie-ins. Dunkin’ Donuts has partnered with summer blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger for the chain’s first movie tie-ins. --- ## McDonald’s will start serving Caf̩ con Leche to target Latinos URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mcdonalds-will-start-serving-caf%cc%a9-con-leche-to-target-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-28 Words: 22 > McDonald's will introduce Caf̩ con Leche drinks in South Florida exclusively in order to appeal to its large Latino population. McDonald’s will introduce Caf̩ con Leche drinks in South Florida exclusively in order to appeal to its large Latino population. --- ## The value-meal index, or why $1 hamburgers are still hot URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-value-meal-index-or-why-1-hamburgers-are-still-hot/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-28 Words: 27 > Value meals are more popular during times of economic hardship, but because they don't generate significant profit, fast feeders are promoting them less and less. Value meals are more popular during times of economic hardship, but because they don’t generate significant profit, fast feeders are promoting them less and less. --- ## Chiquita, ‘Rio’ web partnership delivers big results URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/chiquita-rio-web-partnership-delivers-big-results/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-27 Words: 36 > A Chiquita-branded microsite promotes both the animated film "Rio", and the Chiquita brand. The interactive site and related marketing campaign (which targeted top online parenting sites) generated significant traffic and... A Chiquita-branded microsite promotes both the animated film “Rio”, and the Chiquita brand. The interactive site and related marketing campaign (which targeted top online parenting sites) generated significant traffic and engagement for Chiquita. --- ## IHOP campaign says, ‘Make it an IHOP day’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/ihop-campaign-says-make-it-an-ihop-day/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-27 Words: 25 > IHOP's new campaign encourages customers to "make it an IHOP day". The promotion features bilingual advertisements and social media tie-ins. IHOP’s new campaign encourages customers to “make it an IHOP day”. The promotion features bilingual advertisements and social media tie-ins. --- ## IOM advice for preventing childhood obesity focuses on personal responsibility URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/iom-advice-for-preventing-childhood-obesity-focuses-on-personal-responsibility/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-24 Words: 28 > Marion Nestle is dismayed that the newest IOM guidelines on preventing childhood obesity ignore the food environment and, specifically, food marketing. Instead, the recommendations focus on personal responsibility Marion Nestle is dismayed that the newest IOM guidelines on preventing childhood obesity ignore the food environment and, specifically, food marketing. Instead, the recommendations focus on personal responsibility --- ## Targeting Latinos: Marketers say it’s not just about language, it’s about understanding URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/targeting-latinos-marketers-say-its-not-just-about-language-its-about-understanding/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-23 Words: 48 > Given the tremendous diversity in our population and especially among Latinos, Media Post's Juan Aceves argues that the entire advertising industry needs to revamp its strategies to "adapt to a... Given the tremendous diversity in our population and especially among Latinos, Media Post’s Juan Aceves argues that the entire advertising industry needs to revamp its strategies to “adapt to a new reality” and that the “White majority is not the standard anymore.” --- ## Oscar Mayer launches sandwich combinations URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/oscar-mayer-launches-sandwich-combinations/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-23 Words: 20 > Kraft Foods has launched Oscar Mayer Sandwich Combinations, which include a deli-style sandwich, a side dish, and a dessert. Kraft Foods has launched Oscar Mayer Sandwich Combinations, which include a deli-style sandwich, a side dish, and a dessert. --- ## Report: Nearly half of new generation Latinos want more bilingual/bicultural content URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/report-nearly-half-of-new-generation-latinos-want-more-bilingualbicultural-content/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-23 Words: 94 > Tr3s, Motivo Insights, LLC and the New Generation Latino Consortium (NGLC) have produced The Maximo Report which discusses findings on 14-34 year olds Latinos, both U.S. and foreign-borns who have... Tr3s, Motivo Insights, LLC and the New Generation Latino Consortium (NGLC) have produced The Maximo Report which discusses findings on 14-34 year olds Latinos, both U.S. and foreign-borns who have lived in the U.S. for 15 years or more. It finds that “50% of New Generation Latinos (NGLs) seek more bilingual/bicultural programs and over 30% look for ‘mainstream’ English-only context.” It also finds that NGLs are “language neutral regarding TV content but want to see themselves and their dual culture lifestyle represented.” --- ## Failed Taco Bell freebie: A Facebook mystery URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/failed-taco-bell-freebie-a-facebook-mystery/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-22 Words: 30 > Taco Bell's efforts to use social media for marketing have not always been successful: During one recent campaign, the chain found itself unable to give away free tacos. Taco Bell’s efforts to use social media for marketing have not always been successful: During one recent campaign, the chain found itself unable to give away free tacos. --- ## Food industry and health experts face off over package labeling URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/food-industry-and-health-experts-face-off-over-package-labeling/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-22 Words: 21 > NPR summarizes the controversy surrounding Nutrition Keys labeling and the opposing viewpoints of public health advocates and The Grocery Manufacturers Association. NPR summarizes the controversy surrounding Nutrition Keys labeling and the opposing viewpoints of public health advocates and The Grocery Manufacturers Association. --- ## Jack in the Box eliminates toys from kids’ meals URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/jack-in-the-box-eliminates-toys-from-kids-meals/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-22 Words: 48 > Jack in the Box has announced that it will no longer use toys to market its food to children. Some marketers believe the change will not have a significant impact,... Jack in the Box has announced that it will no longer use toys to market its food to children. Some marketers believe the change will not have a significant impact, because kids’ meals make up only a small portion of Jack in the Box’s sales. --- ## Kraft Mac & Cheese offers ‘macsurance’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-mac-cheese-offers-macsurance/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-21 Words: 50 > Kraft Macaroni & Cheese offers kids "Macsurance" to help them protect themselves against parents who sneak bites of their macaroni and cheese. The Macsurance promotion, which includes TV commercials and... Kraft Macaroni & Cheese offers kids “Macsurance” to help them protect themselves against parents who sneak bites of their macaroni and cheese. The Macsurance promotion, which includes TV commercials and a social media campaign, is part of Kraft’s “You Know You Love It” campaign. --- ## Tecate encourages Latinos to select next ‘Chicas Tecate’ for new marketing campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tecate-encourages-latinos-to-select-next-chicas-tecate-for-new-marketing-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-21 Words: 62 > Tecate wants Latinos to select an "elite group of Chicas Tecate" (Tecate Girls) to represent the brand and is providing incentives like a chance to win a trip for two... Tecate wants Latinos to select an “elite group of Chicas Tecate” (Tecate Girls) to represent the brand and is providing incentives like a chance to win a trip for two to a major boxing event and behind-the-scenes access. Fans can vote for thee “Chicas Tecate” by “liking” them on the Tecate Boxing Facebook page. --- ## Domino’s, Starbucks, Subway sign on as BET awards sponsors URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dominos-starbucks-subway-sign-on-as-bet-awards-sponsors/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-21 Words: 31 > BET (Black Entertainment Television) awards is partnering with food and beverage companies like Domino's, Coca-Cola and Starbucks to sponsor the BET Awards pre-show countdown on June 27. BET (Black Entertainment Television) awards is partnering with food and beverage companies like Domino’s, Coca-Cola and Starbucks to sponsor the BET Awards pre-show countdown on June 27. --- ## More fun with cause marketing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/more-fun-with-cause-marketing/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-21 Words: 40 > Marion Nestle presents more examples of cause marketing, including a promotion that rewards blood donors with a Burger King value meal. She concludes, "cause marketing ... is much more about... Marion Nestle presents more examples of cause marketing, including a promotion that rewards blood donors with a Burger King value meal. She concludes, “cause marketing … is much more about the marketing than it is about the cause.” --- ## Subway dominates with health-oriented QSR patrons URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/subway-dominates-with-health-oriented-qsr-patrons/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-19 Words: 38 > Subway's efforts to market itself as a health-oriented chain have been successful, according to experts. The chain is now the leading source of lunch and dinner fast food orders purchased... Subway’s efforts to market itself as a health-oriented chain have been successful, according to experts. The chain is now the leading source of lunch and dinner fast food orders purchased for “health” reasons. --- ## PepsiCo buys out Latino journalists and students URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsico-buys-out-latino-journalists-and-students/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-17 Words: 44 > As part of "La Promesa de PepsiCo" campaign, PepsiCo announced that it will give a $50,000 contribution to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) that will go towards scholarships... As part of “La Promesa de PepsiCo” campaign, PepsiCo announced that it will give a $50,000 contribution to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) that will go towards scholarships and internships for students going into communications, journalism, or social media. --- ## Nielsen: Blacks watch more video on mobile phones than any other group URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nielsen-blacks-watch-more-video-on-mobile-phones-than-any-other-group/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-17 Words: 31 > A new Nielsen report finds that African-Americans spent the most time than any other ethnic group watching video on traditional TVs (212 hours) and mobile phones (6 hours) per month. A new Nielsen report finds that African-Americans spent the most time than any other ethnic group watching video on traditional TVs (212 hours) and mobile phones (6 hours) per month. --- ## Yoplait ad is merely the tip of Madison Ave’s ‘normalization’ of anorexia URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/yoplait-ad-is-merely-the-tip-of-madison-aves-normalization-of-anorexia/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-17 Words: 48 > Yoplait recently pulled a yogurt ad that was accused of encouraging anorexia. Columnist Jim Edwards calls the ad part of "advertising's history of pro-anorexic grotesques." He commends Yoplait for refusing... Yoplait recently pulled a yogurt ad that was accused of encouraging anorexia. Columnist Jim Edwards calls the ad part of “advertising’s history of pro-anorexic grotesques.” He commends Yoplait for refusing to go along with the marketing industry’s “body fascism.” --- ## The latest in cause marketing: KFC, Pepsi, and diabetes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-latest-in-cause-marketing-kfc-pepsi-and-diabetes/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-17 Words: 49 > Marion Nestle takes the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to task for partnering with KFC and Pepsi to raise money for Type 1 Diabetes research. Specifically, a new promotion at KFC... Marion Nestle takes the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to task for partnering with KFC and Pepsi to raise money for Type 1 Diabetes research. Specifically, a new promotion at KFC encourages patrons to purchase a “mega jug” of soda to make a $1 donation to the JDRF. --- ## Burger King Freebie tests fans’ endurance URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/burger-king-freebie-tests-fans-endurance/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-16 Words: 26 > Burger King's "Whopper Lust" campaign challenges users to watch a video of the sandwich for extended periods to qualify for free burgers. Burger King’s “Whopper Lust” campaign challenges users to watch a video of the sandwich for extended periods to qualify for free burgers. --- ## Starbucks launches Android payment app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/starbucks-launches-android-payment-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-16 Words: 19 > The Starbucks for Android app allows Android users to pay for their purchases with their smartphone, among other features. The Starbucks for Android app allows Android users to pay for their purchases with their smartphone, among other features. --- ## Cadbury’s apology to Naomi Campbell follows a history of racist advertising URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/cadburys-apology-to-naomi-campbell-follows-a-history-of-racist-advertising/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-16 Words: 78 > Campbell apologizes to model Naomi Cambell for its Bliss chocolate bar ad that said "Move over Naomi, there‰Ûªs a new diva in town." Campbell expressed that "It‰Ûªs upsetting to be... Campbell apologizes to model Naomi Cambell for its Bliss chocolate bar ad that said “Move over Naomi, there‰Ûªs a new diva in town.” Campbell expressed that “It‰Ûªs upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me but for all black people.” BNET‰Ûªs Jim Edwards describes other racist Cadbury ads that have also drawn complaints, including a 2009 commercial featuring an African village and portraying villagers as “buffooning simpletons.” --- ## Tap your way to Domino’s Pizza URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tap-your-way-to-dominos-pizza/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-16 Words: 32 > Domino's has released its new iPhone App, which allows users to access and order from the Domino's menu, and to use a variety of local and national coupons. Domino’s has released its new iPhone App, which allows users to access and order from the Domino’s menu, and to use a variety of local and national coupons. --- ## Share your journeys with loved ones with the new ‘mi vida, a mi manera’ app URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/share-your-journeys-with-loved-ones-with-the-new-mi-vida-a-mi-manera-app/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-15 Words: 48 > As part of its "Mi Vida, A Mi Manera" (My Life, My Way) campaign, Time Warner Cable launches a new app that lets fans of the "Mi Cultura" (My Culture)... As part of its “Mi Vida, A Mi Manera” (My Life, My Way) campaign, Time Warner Cable launches a new app that lets fans of the “Mi Cultura” (My Culture) facebook page create videos, music, and upload photos to share with friends and family. --- ## Latina mom bloggers platform launches to help marketers engage hispanic moms URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/latina-mom-bloggers-platform-launches-to-help-marketers-engage-hispanic-moms/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-15 Words: 53 > The Latina Mom Bloggers network provides marketers with comprehensive word of mouth communications services that target Latina moms. This group is highly coveted because it represents important purchase decision-makers in... The Latina Mom Bloggers network provides marketers with comprehensive word of mouth communications services that target Latina moms. This group is highly coveted because it represents important purchase decision-makers in the Latino market. Perra Jolly of JollyMom and Eva Smith of Tech. Food. Life. are partnering with Hispanicize to launch the network. --- ## Mountain Dew thanks fans by name in a new campaign URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/mountain-dew-thanks-fans-by-name-in-a-new-campaign/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-15 Words: 32 > Mountain Dew's new "Back by Popular Dewmand" campaign highlights the efforts of individual fans to support various limited time Mountain Dew products, such as Pitch Black and Supernova. Mountain Dew’s new “Back by Popular Dewmand” campaign highlights the efforts of individual fans to support various limited time Mountain Dew products, such as Pitch Black and Supernova. --- ## Fast feeders move upscale with caf̩ concepts URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/fast-feeders-move-upscale-with-caf%cc%a9-concepts/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-15 Words: 28 > Fast food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway are rolling out revamped, high-end locations in an effort to compete with Starbucks and other cafes. Fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway are rolling out revamped, high-end locations in an effort to compete with Starbucks and other cafes. --- ## Is Ronald McDonald responsible for childhood obesity? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/is-ronald-mcdonald-responsible-for-childhood-obesity/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-14 Words: 36 > Writer Elaine Fogel argues that McDonald‰Ûªs alone should not be "penalized" with a food-marketing ban. She believes that schools should implement nutrition and health education programs to address concerns about... Writer Elaine Fogel argues that McDonald‰Ûªs alone should not be “penalized” with a food-marketing ban. She believes that schools should implement nutrition and health education programs to address concerns about childhood obesity. --- ## Republica Deportiva teams up with Coke Zero URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/republica-deportiva-teams-up-with-coke-zero/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-14 Words: 47 > Republica Deportiva, the sports show that kicked off its tour in Texas on June 5th, has partnered with Coke Zero. The events will feature competitive sports challenges, like 3 on... Republica Deportiva, the sports show that kicked off its tour in Texas on June 5th, has partnered with Coke Zero. The events will feature competitive sports challenges, like 3 on 3 soccer tournaments, provide prizes and encourage participants to “quench their thirst with Coke Zero.” --- ## Pepsi’s mid-calorie NEXT to launch in July URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsis-mid-calorie-next-to-launch-in-july/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-14 Words: 37 > Pepsi's NEXT, a reduced-sugar and reduced-calorie cola, will launch in July. To distinguish NEXT from Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max, advertising will focus on a reduced-sugar, rather than a reduced-calories,... Pepsi’s NEXT, a reduced-sugar and reduced-calorie cola, will launch in July. To distinguish NEXT from Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max, advertising will focus on a reduced-sugar, rather than a reduced-calories, message. --- ## A city tries to slim down URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-city-tries-to-slim-down/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-14 Words: 20 > Louisville, Kentucky is battling both skyrocketing obesity rates, and the efforts of fast food companies who are targeting the city. Louisville, Kentucky is battling both skyrocketing obesity rates, and the efforts of fast food companies who are targeting the city. --- ## School buses no place for junk food ads URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/school-buses-no-place-for-junk-food-ads/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-11 Words: 40 > The director of the NY State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance takes on a proposal that would allow New York school buses to carry advertising. She urges legislators to... The director of the NY State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance takes on a proposal that would allow New York school buses to carry advertising. She urges legislators to take a stand against these “predatory” marketing practices. --- ## Dole blitzes key cities to pump up banana sales URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dole-blitzes-key-cities-to-pump-up-banana-sales/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-10 Words: 40 > Dole has launched a campaign in US cities to publicize new ways to enjoy bananas during the summer. The campaign, which includes a significant social media component, promotes bananas as... Dole has launched a campaign in US cities to publicize new ways to enjoy bananas during the summer. The campaign, which includes a significant social media component, promotes bananas as a dessert, as a beverage, and as a dinner item. --- ## Dr Pepper sponsors premios juventud VIP tour URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/dr-pepper-sponsors-premios-juventud-vip-tour/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-09 Words: 41 > Dr. Pepper will sponsor a series of concerts leading up to Univision‰Ûªs Latino youth awards show, Premios Juventud, that celebrates pop culture. Marketing firm Eventus is working with Univision and... Dr. Pepper will sponsor a series of concerts leading up to Univision‰Ûªs Latino youth awards show, Premios Juventud, that celebrates pop culture. Marketing firm Eventus is working with Univision and Dr. Pepper to “connect brands with multicultural audiences.” --- ## Brisk’s Green Tea features ‘Green Lantern’ design URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/brisks-green-tea-features-green-lantern-design/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-09 Words: 19 > To support the upcoming "Green Lantern" movie, Pepsi's Brisk Iced Tea will feature themed bottles. To support the upcoming “Green Lantern” movie, Pepsi’s Brisk Iced Tea will feature themed bottles. --- ## TGI Friday’s ‘Buy your friend a beer’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/tgi-fridays-buy-your-friend-a-beer/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-09 Words: 23 > A new app allows Facebook users to buy their friends and family members beer by "liking" TGI Friday's page. A new app allows Facebook users to buy their friends and family members beer by “liking” TGI Friday’s page. --- ## Sneaky snacks aimed at youth glamorize a vicious drug culture URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/sneaky-snacks-aimed-at-youth-glamorize-a-vicious-drug-culture/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-09 Words: 50 > Angelina Osornio warns parents about snack foods that explicitly or implicitly promote drug use, such as Purple Stuff (a soft drink whose name and logo are associated with recreational cough... Angelina Osornio warns parents about snack foods that explicitly or implicitly promote drug use, such as Purple Stuff (a soft drink whose name and logo are associated with recreational cough syrup use), and Lazy Cakes (a snack cake that is marketed as a “relaxation brownie” and contains melatonin). --- ## ‘Buscando Coca-Cola’ invites Latino soccer fans to unite & ‘open happiness’ URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/buscando-coca-cola-invites-latino-soccer-fans-to-unite-open-happiness/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-08 Words: 95 > Piggybacking on the soccer excitement among Latinos, Coca Cola launches a series of marketing advertisements and campaigns to reach Latino soccer fans. These include a new ad titled "Buscando Coca-Cola"... Piggybacking on the soccer excitement among Latinos, Coca Cola launches a series of marketing advertisements and campaigns to reach Latino soccer fans. These include a new ad titled “Buscando Coca-Cola” that claims to embody the unifying element in Coca-Cola. Other marketing events include the “Coca-Cola Happiness Dome,” “Coke Zero Impressive Moments,” “Powerade Challenge” and a “Coca-Cola Gigapixel Fan Cam” that can take a 360-degree snapshot of the stadium during selected games and encourages fans to tag themselves in the photos. --- ## Taco Bell shows (positive) perception uptrends URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/taco-bell-shows-positive-perception-uptrends/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-07 Words: 21 > Taco Bell's aggressive response to the lawsuit involving its beef filling has significantly improved customer perceptions of the chain. Taco Bell’s aggressive response to the lawsuit involving its beef filling has significantly improved customer perceptions of the chain. --- ## Energy drinks are not for kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/energy-drinks-are-not-for-kids/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-07 Words: 38 > The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children avoid energy and sports drinks, which are heavily marketed to this age group. These drinks may add significant calories to their... The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children avoid energy and sports drinks, which are heavily marketed to this age group. These drinks may add significant calories to their diets and cause problems related to caffeine consumption. --- ## Marketing to Latinos takes center stage URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/marketing-to-latinos-takes-center-stage/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-07 Words: 33 > Brands are creating more sophisticated, "hipper" and targeted campaigns to reach Latinos. Strategies include teaming up with famous Latino celebrities and spokesperson, and hiring consultants to reach Venezuelans, Brazilians and... Brands are creating more sophisticated, “hipper” and targeted campaigns to reach Latinos. Strategies include teaming up with famous Latino celebrities and spokesperson, and hiring consultants to reach Venezuelans, Brazilians and Columbians. --- ## Pepsi’s bizarro world: Boycotted over embryonic cells linked to lo-cal soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/pepsis-bizarro-world-boycotted-over-embryonic-cells-linked-to-lo-cal-soda/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-04 Words: 19 > Anti-abortion groups attack Pepsi because it is being associated with using fetal kidney cells to create artificial sweeteners. Anti-abortion groups attack Pepsi because it is being associated with using fetal kidney cells to create artificial sweeteners. --- ## Bot repositions from kid- to adult-targeted URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/bot-repositions-from-kid-to-adult-targeted/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-03 Words: 24 > Bot, originally conceived as a "different kind of kids' beverage," is being repositioned as an alternative to flavored water for adults. Bot, originally conceived as a “different kind of kids’ beverage,” is being repositioned as an alternative to flavored water for adults. --- ## Why sports drinks no longer have a health halo URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/why-sports-drinks-no-longer-have-a-health-halo/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-03 Words: 16 > Melanie Warner discusses the American Academy of Pediatrics' report declaring sports drinks harmful to children. Melanie Warner discusses the American Academy of Pediatrics’ report declaring sports drinks harmful to children. --- ## Deconstructing the USDA‰Ûªs new food plate URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/deconstructing-the-usda%c2%89uas-new-food-plate/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-03 Words: 30 > Nestle discusses the pros and cons of the new food plate that replaced the food pyramid. One of her critiques is that protein is a nutrient and not a food. Nestle discusses the pros and cons of the new food plate that replaced the food pyramid. One of her critiques is that protein is a nutrient and not a food. --- ## Curbing our junk-food appetite URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/curbing-our-junk-food-appetite/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-03 Words: 25 > In this editorial, the LA Times compares obesity with smoking and notes that regulating junk food marketing is much more complicated than regulating cigarette advertising. In this editorial, the LA Times compares obesity with smoking and notes that regulating junk food marketing is much more complicated than regulating cigarette advertising. --- ## More consistent standards needed to limit children’s exposure to unhealthy food ads URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/more-consistent-standards-needed-to-limit-childrens-exposure-to-unhealthy-food-ads/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-03 Words: 39 > The Yale Rudd Center has published a study that analyzes the industry self-regulatory pledges to curb marketing to children. It concludes that the pledges will result in few significant reductions... The Yale Rudd Center has published a study that analyzes the industry self-regulatory pledges to curb marketing to children. It concludes that the pledges will result in few significant reductions in children‰Ûªs exposure to unhealthy food marketing. --- ## Nutrition plate unveiled, replacing food pyramid URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/nutrition-plate-unveiled-replacing-food-pyramid/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-03 Words: 29 > The new Food Plate, called MyPlate, replaces the food pyramid and is considered part of the First Lady‰Ûªs campaign to reduce obesity by reminding consumers about healthful diets. The new Food Plate, called MyPlate, replaces the food pyramid and is considered part of the First Lady‰Ûªs campaign to reduce obesity by reminding consumers about healthful diets. --- ## A ‘required living’ list for marketers targeting [Latinos] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/a-required-living-list-for-marketers-targeting-latinos/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-02 Words: 47 > Newman-Carrasco provides tips and resources to advertisers to make their marketing culturally relevant and targeted to Latinos. These include going to Latino theater companies, listening to audio on the Immigrant... Newman-Carrasco provides tips and resources to advertisers to make their marketing culturally relevant and targeted to Latinos. These include going to Latino theater companies, listening to audio on the Immigrant Archive Project website, reading Latino blogs, and “understanding the breadth of Latino music genres.” --- ## Shaquille O’Neal teams up with OREO and milk for iconic ‘Got Milk?’ ad URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/shaquille-oneal-teams-up-with-oreo-and-milk-for-iconic-got-milk-ad/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-02 Words: 55 > Piggybacking on National Dairy Month, OREO and milk industry partners with NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal and his mother in a commercial featuring the classic Oreo cookies and milk combination. The... Piggybacking on National Dairy Month, OREO and milk industry partners with NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal and his mother in a commercial featuring the classic Oreo cookies and milk combination. The promotion includes a sweepstakes that encourages users to use their cellphones or go online for a chance to win free milk and cookies. --- ## Snazzy soda fountain makes twin cities debut URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/snazzy-soda-fountain-makes-twin-cities-debut/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-06-02 Words: 24 > The new Coke fountain machines have touch screens and provide 125 different drinks that include waters, sports drinks, and exclusive products like Orange Coke. The new Coke fountain machines have touch screens and provide 125 different drinks that include waters, sports drinks, and exclusive products like Orange Coke. --- ## In corn syrup vs. sugar squabble, which sweetener takes the cake? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/in-corn-syrup-vs-sugar-squabble-which-sweetener-takes-the-cake/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-05-31 Words: 19 > 5 more companies join the lawsuit against the corn industry to stop marketing HFCS as natural or corn sugar. 5 more companies join the lawsuit against the corn industry to stop marketing HFCS as natural or corn sugar. --- ## Kraft aims Kool-Aid ads at a growing Latino market URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/kraft-aims-kool-aid-ads-at-a-growing-latino-market/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-05-27 Words: 64 > Kraft says it will be tripling its spending on Latino Marketing this year and Kool-Aid is dedicating the majority of its 2011 marketing budget to reach Latinos. It has launched... Kraft says it will be tripling its spending on Latino Marketing this year and Kool-Aid is dedicating the majority of its 2011 marketing budget to reach Latinos. It has launched a series of television commercials on Univision and Telemundo that feature Latino families drinking Kool-Aid. It will also be focusing on in-store marketing, digital and print advertising to continue targeting Latinos. --- ## Issue 19: Case by case: News coverage of child sexual abuse URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-19-case-by-case-news-coverage-of-child-sexual-abuse/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 6061 > No one likes to talk about child sexual abuse. Yet tens of thousands of children are sexually assaulted every year in the United States.1 A matter this serious and pervasive... No one likes to talk about child sexual abuse. Yet tens of thousands of children are sexually assaulted every year in the United States.1 A matter this serious and pervasive deserves attention. News coverage in particular is important because it puts issues in front of the public and in front of policy makers. News coverage of child sexual abuse is doubly important because the abuse is often hidden from view. For many people — including many policy makers — news coverage will be the only way they learn about the issue. Occasionally, a headline-grabbing story puts child sexual abuse on the public agenda. One recent example occurred in 2002 and 2003, when revelations about abuse in the Catholic Church surfaced.2 After the story broke, ongoing coverage forced the church to respond. Among other concessions, U.S. Catholic bishops adopted a revised policy on child sexual abuse in 2002.3 Media exposure also resulted in legal pressure to compensate victims: As of 2009, the Catholic Church has paid more than $2.6 billion in such abuse-related costs.4 Prominent events like the revelations about abuse within the Catholic Church can propel the issue into the spotlight. But how do journalists cover child sexual abuse in the absence of a prominent case? Do they cover it routinely? Do sensationalist stories focusing on the “stranger danger” misconception (that victims of child sexual abuse do not know their abuser) dominate news coverage? Or does the news reflect the prevailing patterns of child sexual abuse? Is preventing child sexual abuse discussed? In this framing memo we examine how child sexual abuse is portrayed in the news. What we did To understand how child sexual abuse is covered, we selected a representative sample of U.S. news, then coded the content in detail. Selecting the sample We sampled newspapers because their content is available in easily accessible archives, allowing us to examine several years of news coverage, and because newspapers typically set the agenda for other media, including television news and blogs.5 Using an extensive set of keywords, we searched the Nexis-Lexis database for child sexual abuse articles that appeared in U.S. newspapers from 2007 through 2009. We examined coverage from 2007-2009 so that we would have a substantial recent time period yet avoid the bulk of news coverage related to the Catholic Church abuses reported during 2002-2006. While those revelations — and the pressure on the church to prosecute offenders — were extremely important, we didn’t want the coverage of one institution to overwhelm what we might see in general coverage of the issue. Our final sample included only news and opinion articles that dealt primarily with child sexual abuse. We also wanted to be sure the sample was representative of all national newspaper coverage. We selected a chronological random sample so there would be equal numbers of each day of the week (the same number of Mondays, Tuesdays, etc.) for each year of study.6 This helps guard against distortions that could come from a sample loaded with fat Sunday papers that might be heavy on feature stories, or thin Monday papers light on news. The random sample also guards against a major news event dominating coverage. This was important because we wanted to see how child sexual abuse is routinely covered. We constructed two weeks for each year for a total of 42 days of news coverage. Coding the sample We developed a coding protocol to document patterns and themes in the coverage. We began by adapting coding protocols from our previous studies on violence, as well as measures used by other published work on child sexual abuse in the news.7 8 9 10We used an iterative process until we reached satisfactory inter-rater reliability (Krippendorf’s alpha >0.7) for all coding measures. What we found Newspaper coverage Our search yielded 348 articles on child sexual abuse reported on our sample days in U.S. newspapers from 2007 through 2009. After we eliminated duplicates and articles that mentioned child sexual abuse only in passing, we had 260 substantive articles on child sexual abuse to analyze. Most of the articles (93%) were news or feature stories. The remaining items were editorials, op-eds, letters to the editor, and columns. The overwhelming majority of articles (236, or 91%) focused on one or more specific child sexual abuse incidents. The remaining 24 pieces reported on a general theme relating to child sexual abuse (such as the stranger danger misconception), but did not include details of a specific incident. What were the stories about? The most common topic (33%) of child sexual abuse coverage was criminal justice, such as arrests and trials of accused perpetrators (see Table 1). Another 12% focused on abuse that occurred in a school setting or described the accused as a teacher or school official. Solutions — including both policy solutions, such as legislative directives to track child pornography on the Internet, and community pr... --- ## Food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents: An environment at odds with good health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/food-and-beverage-marketing-to-children-and-adolescents-an-environment-at-odds-with-good-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 8042 > The science is clear: the environments where children grow up, play and go to school affect their diets and health.1, 2 The same environments also structure the choices children, their... The science is clear: the environments where children grow up, play and go to school affect their diets and health.1, 2 The same environments also structure the choices children, their families and caregivers make about food and physical activity.3 Children in the United States grow up in environments saturated by food and beverage marketing, the bulk of it for foods low in nutrients and high in calories, sugars, salt and fat.2 A rigorous review by an independent committee of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that such marketing influences children’s and adolescents’ food preferences and purchasing requests, and dietary intake,2 and it contributes to the high rates of overweight and obesity observed in American children and adolescents, ages 2 to 19.4, 5 Between 1994 and 2004, 58 percent of new food products marketed to children and adolescents were in the candies, snacks, cookies and ice cream categories, and 40 percent of new beverage products were in the fruit and fruit-flavored drinks categories.6 To reach children and adolescents, food and beverage companies use integrated marketing communications strategies, which encompass all forms of communication about products and services. Integrated marketing communications strategies include creating special products6 and packaging7 for children; adjusting price points so products are affordable to youths with limited budgets; making products available in the places frequented by youths; and conducting numerous promotions so that young people will remember, prefer and predictably select specific companies’ brands, many of which do not offer products that contribute to a healthful diet consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.8 In 2007, 11 major food and beverage marketers pledged to improve their advertising and marketing practices aimed at children ages 12 and younger through the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI),9 which is overseen by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. In 2010, the number of participating companies increased to 17, and the pledges were expanded to require adherents to devote 100 percent of child-targeted advertising to “better-for-you” products, such as Burger King’s Fresh Apple Fries. (The original pledge involved increasing the percentage of advertising for better-for-you products by 50 percent.) The pledges were revised further to include improving the percentage of better-for-you products advertised using new media as well. New forms of digital media include websites, mobile marketing via SMS text and Web-enabled phones, social networks, online games and video, and DVD content.10 Independent researchers have since found that CFBAI-participating companies’ changes to television advertising practices to be largely ineffective.11, 12 Focusing on studies published between January 2008 and February 2011, this synthesis examines research on U.S. trends in food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents. It builds on a Healthy Eating Research brief released in October 200813 and examines the growing body of research that independently assesses industry self-regulation. It also identifies policy implications and highlights additional research needs and opportunities. Key research results Young people consume more media than ever before, spending 7.5 hours per day online, watching television (TV), using mobile devices, listening to music, playing video games and reading print materials. Moreover, youths often multitask, so their consumption of various media totals nearly 11 hours daily.14 During those hours, food and beverage marketing is pervasive. For example, the fast-food restaurant industry alone spent more than $4.2 billion dollars in 2009 — nearly half a million dollars every hour — on marketing to children and adults.15 Research across a variety of print, broadcast and digital media (i.e., TV, websites, digital advergames, games that incorporate brands as content into the game experience, and product packaging) demonstrates that marketing is effective. Young people’s exposure to food and beverage marketing affects their preferences for the branded products. Research on TV advertising alone shows that exposure affects young people’s consumption of the marketed products,16–18 and influences their food and beverage purchasing patterns even five years after the initial exposure.18 The food and beverage industry spends most of their money marketing their products to children and adolescents on TV advertisements.19 Two studies have confirmed that, except for fast-food restaurants, food and beverage companies reduced the number of TV food and beverage advertisements targeted to children before industry self-regulatory pledges were made in 2007.11, 20 Still, the use of licensed characters by CFBAI member companies doubled during this time,11 and the nutritional quality of the foods these companies market to children and adolescents on TV has not improved, as over 80 percent of products a... --- ## Webinar: Strategies to increase breastfeeding in your county URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-strategies-to-increase-breastfeeding-in-your-county/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 64 > This webinar, hosted by the Family Health Outcomes Project at the University of California, San Francisco, highlights ways to encourage breastfeeding at multiple levels — individual, community and policy. BMSG’s... This webinar, hosted by the Family Health Outcomes Project at the University of California, San Francisco, highlights ways to encourage breastfeeding at multiple levels — individual, community and policy. BMSG’s Heather Gehlert discusses how to frame the issue in ways that maximize support for it. The recording, slides and other resources are all available at http://fhop.ucsf.edu/fhop/htm/prods/IPinformational.htm. --- ## Webinar: Target marketing of junk foods to communities of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-target-marketing-of-junk-foods-to-communities-of-color/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 46 > This webinar, featuring American University’s Dr. Sonya Grier and Chicago State University’s Kwesi Ronald Harris, explores how the target marketing of junk food and beverages disproportionately affects communities of color,... This webinar, featuring American University’s Dr. Sonya Grier and Chicago State University’s Kwesi Ronald Harris, explores how the target marketing of junk food and beverages disproportionately affects communities of color, exposes some of the more insidious practices, and discusses community efforts to fight back. --- ## Making the case for prevention: Basic messages for health departments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/making-the-case-for-prevention-basic-messages-for-health-departments/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2678 > At BMSG, we work to help advocates make the case for systems and structures that will improve health. This document is designed to help health departments better explain their goals... At BMSG, we work to help advocates make the case for systems and structures that will improve health. This document is designed to help health departments better explain their goals and rationale for prevention. It’s a starting point to use for tailoring messages for the media, policy makers and community leaders. First, a few guidelines. Messages in general have moving parts depending on the outcome you seek, the audience, and who delivers the message. The only hard and fast rules are: pay attention to order, which means prompting the environmental perspective first; state your values; and be sure the solution gets at least as much attention — or more — than the problem. Some messages here do all these things at once, which can be a bit awkward. Not every sentence in a speech or op-ed must contain all three items. But as a unit, the speech or op-ed should start by prompting the environment, incorporate values, and state the solution clearly. The message rules apply to all audiences, but the audience will dictate how you apply them. So, for example, if your audience is business leaders the value you emphasize might be ingenuity and can-do spirit. If the audience is residents you might emphasize health, fairness or community cohesion. You know your audience — and your own values — best, so you should choose the emphasis. Messages should be true and consistent but tailored so people, no matter where they live or what they do, can find themselves in your vision of health. Lastly, and this may be surprising, avoid using “choice” since it points to the person and away from the environment. Many people are talking about “making the healthy choice the easy choice” as a way of bridging the individual and the environment. Fair enough. But unless we can make the environment visible, the bridge won’t take us all the way. Most people don’t need to be prompted to see the person but do need to be prompted to see the settings and circumstances around people. Without that direct connection, the term will reinforce the idea that people make choices, not that environments shape choices. Especially if you say choice, be explicit and describe the role of the environment. The messages Localize these messages and the answers to questions that follow by naming your key partners, inserting images from the region that everyone will recognize, and editing them to reflect your policy and environmental change priorities. We’ve left a blank [_____] or an asterisk [*] in the spots where the statement could be easily localized. Our health is affected by our communities — where we live, work, learn and play. People breathe easier and are healthier when the air is free from tobacco smoke and when children cannot obtain tobacco products. We eat better when healthy food is more available than junk food and sugary beverages. We move more when we have inviting places nearby to be active. We live longer, healthier lives in these communities. Unfortunately, in some of our neighborhoods* healthy food isn’t readily available, and soda is more available than milk; even taking a walk is a challenge for people who live where sidewalks don’t exist or are in ill-repair; there are few parks or other places for children and families to be safely active. More people smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke. The result is higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease. This is a tragedy for the families who suffer directly, and it’s also a loss for the rest of the county. For our residents and region to thrive, we need all our county* residents to be healthy. The good news is we can fix many of the health problems we face, and prevent other problems from starting. When we work together — our public health department, cities, schools, businesses, and community-based organizations — we can overcome even the most tenacious problems. We have skilled, creative and dedicated people who can make our region* the best it can be. [If you are highlighting a new program or special focus] Our agency* and partners* were recently awarded a highly competitive grant that gives our county the resources to bring talented people together to put their dedication to work. Through this new program, our health department, together with our partners*, will transform systems and environments to create neighborhoods that foster health. These changes will make it easier for everyone to be healthier. Our health is affected by the decisions our community makes every day — and the public health department and its local partners* can create opportunities to make it easier to be healthier, not harder. Not every neighborhood can have a ______ [insert a positive local example here of an environmental feature that benefits health]. But every neighborhood* can have a thriving market with fresh produce and safe, clean, interesting places to walk. Every neighborhood can be protected from tobacco smoke and make tobacco products less accessible to young people. That’s what we’re workin... --- ## Video: Digital food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-digital-food-and-beverage-marketing-to-children-and-adolescents/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 55 > Food and beverage marketing influences what products kids ask for, what they end up consuming and what eating habits they carry with them into adulthood. In this interview, BMSG director... Food and beverage marketing influences what products kids ask for, what they end up consuming and what eating habits they carry with them into adulthood. In this interview, BMSG director Lori Dorfman discusses new tactics this industry uses to target youth online and explains how these strategies are different from more traditional forms of marketing. --- ## The powerful relationship between kids and fast food URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/the-powerful-relationship-between-kids-and-fast-food/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-01-31 Words: 58 > Molly Aronica presents a series of articles, videos, and slide shows that demonstrate the strong ties that fast food companies have established with children through advertising. She points out that... Molly Aronica presents a series of articles, videos, and slide shows that demonstrate the strong ties that fast food companies have established with children through advertising. She points out that fast feeders have shifted their marketing focus from children to parents who they hope will “feel good about buying ‘healthy’ alternatives for their children.” --- ## Coca-Cola to invest $1 billion in Mexico this year URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/eye-on-marketers/coca-cola-to-invest-1-billion-in-mexico-this-year/ Type: eye-on-marketers Modified: 2011-01-30 Words: 75 > The investment comes as part of a $5-billion, five-year plan. President Felipe Calderon discusses affects the plan will have on Mexico's economy and job creation; however, he makes no mention... The investment comes as part of a $5-billion, five-year plan. President Felipe Calderon discusses affects the plan will have on Mexico’s economy and job creation; however, he makes no mention of health repercussions. Given the rise of diabetes, obesity and dental caries, all which are linked to high consumption of sugary beverages, it will be important to see how Coca-Cola’s investment affects the health of the Mexican population. --- ## Target marketing soda & fast food: Problems with business as usual URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/target-marketing-soda-fast-food-problems-with-business-as-usual/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 3522 > This framing brief was prepared for Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE). It is also available in Spanish. Understanding structural racism: The birdcage Philosopher Marilyn Frye1says structural racism is like a... This framing brief was prepared for Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE). It is also available in Spanish. Understanding structural racism: The birdcage Philosopher Marilyn Frye1says structural racism is like a bird in a birdcage. We like this image because it illustrates the way racial inequalities operate in our society. The bars work together to trap the bird. Each bar is connected with others it is the system of bars that traps the bird, just as our system of education, housing, food, and employment interact to form unjust structures that privilege some and hinder opportunities for others. Viewed from this perspective, structural racism is not simply intentional decisions by racist individuals, but the product of overlapping systems and institutions that create and reproduce racial inequalities. Junk food target marketing is one of the bars on the birdcage of structural racism. Although the targeted marketing of unhealthy foods to communities of color does not generate as many headlines as policing practices, unequal schools and job opportunities, or recreational and food access, it contributes to our unequal society. In this brief, we explain how target marketing works and why targeting foods and drinks high in sugars, salt, and fats to African Americans and Latinos contributes to racial inequities. What is target marketing? One of the main goals of fast food and soda marketing is to make you to feel special, like the product is just for you. The object is to increase the amount of soda or fast food customers currently consuming and keep them coming back for more, to compete for customers of other brands, and create a positive public image. To do this, marketers divide their customers into different groups so they can design campaigns based on the things that make each group distinct, like people’s age, income, location, gender, race or ethnicity. This practice is known as target marketing. When marketers segment their audience by race or ethnicity they call it “multicultural marketing,”2but we will refer to it as target marketing because the point of the marketing isn’t to celebrate the multitude of cultures in the U.S., the point is to get certain groups to eat and drink more junk food. Target marketing works within the four P’s of marketing: product, place, price, and promotion: Product This is the item being marketed. Companies create whole product lines to attract specific target markets. Take Coke Zero (“Real Coke Taste, Zero Calories”), created because many men do not like ordering “diet” drinks, which they perceive to be for women who are watching their weight. Coke Zero’s no-frills black-and-red bottle has been branded with a large “Z” to evoke masculine taste. In 2007, according to Sports Business Journal, the company spent $13 million during the NCAA basketball tournament to boost the then-new product. Taking advantage of the latest in digital and social media, PepsiCo’s DEWmocracy campaign for Mountain Dew is targeting “the always-on generation of multicultural youth ages 13-24,”3 to create, name, and vote on new Mountain Dew flavors, all examples of changing the product itself to target a specific group. Place This is where products are sold and consumed. Industries always try to get their products into new places. No companies are better at Place marketing than Coca-Cola and Pepsi. No matter where you are on the globe, the companies make sure a Coke or a Pepsi is within reach. Pepsi has a long history of target marketing related to Place: As a result of segregated regiments in WWII, Pepsi-Cola reports that it was the only soft drink available to African-American soldiers. By the end of that war, it was the soft drink of choice among that overseas group. For decades, Pepsi had bragging rights to being first choice of African-Americans. Walter Mack, Pepsi’s president during the 1940s, hired a former executive of the National Urban League to increase its sales to the Black community. Edward Boyd, credited by many with being the first to use target marketing, hired a team of 10 African-American salesmen who traveled the country spreading the Pepsi story of equality. At age 7, Ron Brown, later President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce, was featured in Pepsi’s first ad aimed at the Black community.4The “places” Pepsi captured with its marketing were African American neighborhoods across the country. Target marketing by place works not just for foods and drinks, but also for stores and restaurants. Low income, African-American, and mixed-race neighborhoods have more fast food restaurants than white or high-income neighborhoods, while just the opposite is true of grocery stores.5 Access to stores that sell healthy food directly affects the community’s health: areas with supermarkets have lower levels of adolescent obesity, while areas with convenience stores have higher levels of overweight adolescents.6 Price The price of a product may not seem like marketing. But prices also re... --- ## The soda and fast food industries target their marketing towards mothers of color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-soda-and-fast-food-industries-target-their-marketing-towards-mothers-of-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1955 > This publication was prepared for Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE). It is also available in Spanish. What is "target marketing" and how does it relate to race? Some people think... This publication was prepared for Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE). It is also available in Spanish. What is “target marketing” and how does it relate to race? Some people think of target marketing as innocent promotion of products to certain groups. For example, Coca-Cola created Coke Zero so that the company could target men who were uncomfortable choosing a product that said “diet” on the label. But there is also another type of target marketing that focuses on communities of color. The industry often calls this “multicultural marketing.” The industry does target marketing by using carefully chosen language and visual cues, such as popular celebrities, designed to resonate with the specific community so that this group responds favorably to their product and brand.1,2 The problem with target marketing is that it exploits cultural ties and values to create a demand for some of the unhealthiest foods and beverages that contribute to the obesity epidemic that disproportionately affects communities of color. One group that the food and beverage industry is currently targeting is African American and Latina mothers. This group, which Telemundo’s Chief Operating Officer describes as “Chief Household Officers,” is a very important population for the industry because they are often the ones who decide what types of food to buy for their families.3 In addition, Latina women are one of the fastest-growing Internet users4 and African-American moms are one of the most loyal groups to brands.5Two campaigns from 2010 targeting ethnic moms‰ — General Mills’ Que Rica Vida and PepsiCo’s Pepsi We Inspire‰ — are examples of this type of target marketing. General Mills’ “Que Rica Vida” campaign targets Latina moms Que Rica Vida (QRV, “what a rich, fulfilling life”6) is a campaign sponsored by General Mills targeting Latina mothers. The QRV program and website is written in Spanish and claims to encourage healthier lifestyles by promoting education, nutrition, and balanced diets. It focuses on three themes: “education,” “moments around the table,” and “health and wellbeing.”7 According to General Mills’ Multicultural Marketing Manager, Rodolfo Rodriguez, the strategy behind Que Rica Vida is to “gain awareness and trial by positioning General Mills as a trusted source of information for Hispanic moms who need help navigating life in the United States.”8 The site draws on cultural ties centered on family, Latino recipes, and children. The website also uses blogs and articles written by Latina women, photos of Latina mothers, and pictures of family dinners. The website’s “OpiniÌ_n” section encourages users to post their thoughts and recipe ideas. In the process, users lend their support to the brand and become spokespersons or “brand advocates.” Brand advocates are especially important for marketers because they lend the brand their integrity when the Latina moms discuss the brand among their family and friends. In addition to the website, General Mills QRV campaign uses other ways to reach the Latina mothers: a free QRV magazine, raffles at supermarkets, and nutrition classes offered in select locations with high Latino populations such as Los Angeles, Houston and Miami. The main food products promoted in these are General Mills products, such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Bisquick, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Hamburger Helper. The QRV magazine is published every three months with articles about what the company thinks are healthy foods, simple recipes tailored for Latinos (example “chiles poblanos rellenos”) and coupons for General Mills products. General Mills’ target marketing campaign takes advantage of the fact that, according to a leading marketing blog, Latinas “are one of the fastest-growing online demographics.”9 Because Latina women are becoming more deeply engaged in social networks, marketing experts warn that “if brands don’t find a way to join these conversations, they are missing out on connecting with Latina women in an authentic and relevant way.”10 “Pepsi We Inspire” targets African-American moms Similar to General Mill’s QRV campaign, the “Pepsi We Inspire” campaign targets African American mothers. This website (http://www.pepsiweinspire.com) is heavily branded: it is filled with Pepsi’s logos, its blue, silver, and red colors, and Facebook “Like” links. It offers an online community forum that encourages users to share their thoughts, personal stories, and photos to inspire others. Six themes serve as the pillars of the campaign: beauty, laughter, joy, hope, wisdom, and love. PepsiCo uses popular African-American celebrities to represent and personify each trait. For example, Queen Latifah is the icon for beauty and Keshia Cole is the icon for hope. The online campaign aims to engage AfricanAmerican moms with blogs, photos of everyday moms, social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube, and personal stories from celebrities and everyday African-American women. The social-networking aspect of... --- ## La mercadotecnia dirigida de la soda y comida rápida: Problemas con el negocio como de costumbre URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/la-mercadotecnia-dirigida-de-la-soda-y-comida-riapida-problemas-con-el-negocio-como-de-costumbre/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4107 > Tambien disponible en Inglés. Entendiendo el Racismo Estructural: La Jaula del Pájaro La filósofa Marilyn Frye1 dice que el racismo estructural es como un pájaro en una jaula. Nos gusta... Tambien disponible en Inglés. Entendiendo el Racismo Estructural: La Jaula del Pájaro La filósofa Marilyn Frye1 dice que el racismo estructural es como un pájaro en una jaula. Nos gusta esta imagen porque demuestra como el racismo funciona en nuestra sociedad. Las rejas trabajan juntas para atrapar al pájaro. Cada reja está conectada a otras – es el sistema de rejas que atrapa al pájaro, así como nuestro sistema de educación, alojamiento, comida, y empleo trabajan juntos para crear estructuras injustas que les dan privilegios a unos y les limitan oportunidades a otros. Desde este punto de vista, el racismo estructural no se trata de solo las decisiones intencionales de gente racista, sino también el producto de sistemas e instituciones que crean y reproducen el racismo. La mercadotecnia dirigida de la comida chatarra es una de las rejas del racismo estructural. Aunque la mercadotecnia dirigida de las comidas insalubres hacia comunidades de color no crea tantas noticias como prácticas de la policía, o falta de oportunidades en las escuelas y empleo, o acceso a comida y recreación, también contribuye a las injusticias en nuestra sociedad. En este documento, explicamos como funciona la mercadotecnia dirigida y porque dirigiendo las comidas y bebidas altas en azúcar, sal, y grasa hacia afroamericanos y latinos contribuye al racismo. ?Que es ‘mercadotecnia dirigida’? Unas de la metas principales de la mercadotecnia de la comida chatarra y sodas es hacer que usted se sienta especial, como que el producto fuera solo para usted. El objetivo es aumentar la cantidad de soda o de comida chatarra que el cliente consume y hacer que sigan regresando para más, para competir por clientes con otras marcas, y crear un imagen positiva. Para hacer esto, los especialistas en la mercadotecnia dividen sus clientes entre diferentes grupos para que ellos puedan diseñar campañas basadas en cosas que distinguen a cada grupo, como la edad, ingreso, lugar, género, raza o etnicidad. Esta práctica es conocida como mercadotecnia dirigida. Cuando el grupo es dividido basado en su raza o etnicidad, los especialistas en la mercadotecnia le llaman “mercadotecnia multicultural,”2 pero nosotros le llamaremos mercadotecnia dirigida porque el punto de la mercadotecnia no es celebrar las varias culturas en los Estados Unidos, sino hacer que ciertos grupos coman y beban más comida chatarra. La mercadotecnia dirigida funciona dentro de las cuatro P’s de la mercadotecnia general: producto, plaza (o lugar), precio, y promoción. Producto: Este es el artículo promovido. Empresas crean líneas de productos enteras para atraer ciertos mercados. Por ejemplo, la soda llamada “Coke Zero” (“Sabor de Coca de Verdad, Zero Calorias”) fue creada porque muchos hombres no les gusta ordenar bebidas de “dieta,” los cuales se perciben como para mujeres que vigilan su peso. El bote sencillo del Coke Zero es rojo y negro, y está marcado con una grande “Z” para evocar la masculinidad y así atraer la audiencia masculina. En el 2007, según el Sports Business Journal (la publicación científica de empresas de deportes), la empresa gastó $13 millones durante el torneo de baloncesto de la NCAA (por su sigla en inglés) para promover el producto, el cual en ese tiempo era nuevo. En una reciente campaña que aprovechó de lo último de los medios digitales y sociales, la campaña llamada “DEWmocracy” de PepsiCo para la soda “Mountain Dew” se enfoca en los adolescentes, “la generación multicultural de edades 13 a 24 que siempre está activa,”3 para crear, nombrar, y votar sobre los nuevos sabores de Mountain Dew, demostrando ejemplos de cómo la industria cambia el producto para atraer a un grupo específico. Plaza (o Lugar): Estos son los lugares donde los productos se venden y se consumen. Las empresas siempre tratan de meter sus productos en nuevos lugares. Ninguna empresa es mejor en mercadotecnia basada en la plaza (conocido en Inglés como “place-based marketing”) que Coca-Cola y Pepsi. No importa donde usted esté en el mundo, las empresas se aseguran que una Coca-Cola o una Pepsi esté al alcance. Pepsi tiene una grande historia de mercadotecnia dirigida relacionado con la Plaza: como consequencia de los regimientos segregados en la Guerra Mundial II, Pepsi-Cola reportó que era la única soda disponible para los soldados afroamericanos. Al final de esa guerra, Pepsi-Cola era la soda de preferencia entre el grupo extranjero. Por décadas, Pepsi tuvo derechos para jactar que era la primera opción entre los afroamericanos. Walter Mack, el presidente de Pepsi durante la década de 1940, contrató un ejecutivo que era parte de la Liga Urbana y Nacional (National Urban League) para desarrollar un programa que aumentara las ventas en la comunidad afroamericana. Edward Boyd, quien recibe crédito por ser el primero en usar mercadotecnia dirigida, contrató un equipo de 10 vendedores afroamericanos quienes viajaban por todo el país hablando la historia de la equidad de Pepsi. A los 7 años, Ron Brow... --- ## La mercadotecnia dirigida a madres de color URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/la-mercadotecnia-dirigida-a-madres-de-color/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2041 > Tambien disponible en Inglés. ?Que es la "mercadotecnia dirigida" y cómo se relaciona a la raza y etnicidad? Algunas personas piensan que la mercadotecnia dirigida es una promoción inocente de... Tambien disponible en Inglés. ?Que es la “mercadotecnia dirigida” y cómo se relaciona a la raza y etnicidad? Algunas personas piensan que la mercadotecnia dirigida es una promoción inocente de productos hacia ciertos grupos. Por ejemplo, Coca-Cola creó “Coke Zero” para atraer a hombres quienes estaban incómodos ordenando un producto que dijera “dieta” en la etiqueta. Pero hay otro tipo de mercadotecnia dirigida que se enfoca en comunidades de color. La industria suele llamarlo “mercadotecnia multicultural.” La industria usa la mercadotecnia dirigida usando lenguaje y visuales que han sido escogidas cuidadosamente, como por ejemplo ciertos actores famosos, todo para que resonen con ciertas comunidades y para que este grupo responda favorablemente al producto.1,2 El problema con la mercadotecnia dirigida es que se aprovecha de valores culturales para crear una demanda para alimentos insalubres los cuales contribuyen a la epidemia de la obesidad que afecta más a las comunidades de color. Las madres latinas y afroamericanas son ejemplos de comunidades que son el objeto de la mercadotecnia dirigida de parte de la industria de alimentos. Un ejecutivo de Telemundo las describe como “Oficiales Primarias del Hogar” (“Chief Financial Officer”) por que ellas son las que deciden que tipos de alimentos hay que comprar para sus familias.3 Las mujeres latinas son unos de los grupos que está creciendo en el uso del Internet4 y madres afroamericanas son muy leales a las marcas.5 Dos campañas del 2010 enfocándose en madres de color – “Que Rica Vida” de General Mills y “Pepsi We Inspire” (Pepsi Nosotros Inspiramos) de PepsiCo – son ejemplos de este tipo de mercadotecnia dirigida. La Campaña de General Mills’ “Que Rica Vida” se dirige hacia Madres Latinas Que Rica Vida (QRV) es una campaña patrocinada por General Mills y se dirige a madres latinas. El programa QRV y sitio en la web están escritos en Español y reclama apoyar estilos de vida mas saludables a través de promoción de la educación, nutrición, y dietas balanceadas. Se enfoca en tres temas: “educación,” “momentos alrededor de la mesa,” y “salud y bienestar.”6 Según el manejador de mercadotecnia multicultural de General Mills, Rodolfo Rodriguez, “la estrategia de Que Rica Vida es ‘obtener conocimiento de General Mills como una fuente de información de confianza para madres Hispanas quienes necesitan ayuda a navegar la vida en los Estados Unidos.”7 El sitio en la web se basa en la cultura latina centrada en la familia, recetas latinas, e hijos/hijas. El sitio en la web también usa blogs y artículos escritos por latinas, fotos de madres latinas, y fotos de cenas con la familia. La sección que se llama “Opinión” anima a usuarios a escribir blogs acerca de sus pensamientos e ideas para recetas. En el proceso, estas personas apoyan la marca y se convierten en portavoces para la empresa. Estas personas son especialmente importantes para la industria porque les prestan su integridad a la industria cuando ellas platican acerca de la marca entre familia y amigas. Además del sitio, la campaña QRV usa otras maneras para alcanzar a madres latinas: una revista de QRV gratis, rifas en supermercados, y clases de nutrición ofrecidos en ciertos lugares con alta población latina como Los Ángeles, Houston, y Miami. Los alimentos principales que promueven son productos de General Mills, los cuales incluyen Honey Nut Cheerios, Bisquick, Cinnamon Toast Crunch y Hamburger Helper. La revista de QRV es publicada cada tres meses e incluye artículos acerca de las comidas que la empresa piensa son saludables, recetas para latinos (como por ejemplo chiles poblanos rellenos) y cupones para productos de General Mills. La campaña de mercadotecnia dirigida se aprovecha de que, según uno de los lideres en mercadotecnia de blogs, latinas son “unas de las demográficas que esta creciendo mas rápidamente en el Internet.”8 Como latinas se están entablando más en las redes sociales, los expertos en la mercadotecnia advierten que “si las marcas no encuentran un modo de entrar en estas conversaciones, ellos pierden una oportunidad de conectarse con mujeres latinas en una manera auténtica y relevante.”9 La Campaña “Pepsi Nosotros Inspiramos” (Pepsi We Inspire) se Dirige Hacia Madres Afroamericanas Así como en la campaña de General Mills, “Pepsi Nosotros Inspiramos” (Pepsi We Inspire, en inglés) es otra campaña en el Internet y se dirige a madres afroamericanas. Este sitio en la Web (http://www.pepsiweinspire.com) tiene la marca de Pepsi por todos lados: está llena con logos de Pepsi, los colores azul, silver, y rojo, y enlaces a Facebook diciendo “Like” (“me gusta”). El sitio en la Web ofrece un foro en el Internet que deja que usuarios compartan sus pensamientos, historias personales, y fotos para inspirar a otros. Seis temas sirven como los pilares de la campaña: belleza, riza, alegría, esperanza, sabiduría, y amor. PepsiCo usa famosos actores y cantantes afroamericanos para representar y personificar cada ca... --- ## Talking about: Healthier beverage environments URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-healthier-beverage-environments/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 694 > What surrounds us shapes our health in many ways. One of the most important influences on health is the beverage environment. We are what we drink — and what we... What surrounds us shapes our health in many ways. One of the most important influences on health is the beverage environment. We are what we drink — and what we drink is shaped by what beverages are available, sold and promoted in our communities. Public health advocates in California and nationwide are working to change beverage environments in order to increase the availability and consumption of water and other healthy beverages, while decreasing consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Why does the beverage environment matter? New research paints a dramatic picture of the significant role that soda consumption has on health: In a recent research review, only one high-risk dietary practice emerged as being definitively linked to overweight in children: intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.1 Daily intake of sugar-sweetened beverages is estimated to increase the risk of developing diabetes by 32%.2 Soda contributes nearly half the additional calories Americans have consumed since obesity levels first began rising in the 1970s.3 The average American drinks nearly 50 gallons of sweetened beverages per year.4 In California, 41% of children ages 2 to 11 and 62% of teens drink soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages daily.5 Water is the most healthful beverage for hydration, yet schools are not required to provide it during mealtimes.6 In California, 40% of school districts recently reported no access to free drinking water for students during meals and many communities report not having safe drinking water.7 What can we do to improve beverage environments? One of the most effective population-wide obesity prevention strategies we could enact would be to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by raising their price via an excise tax. A recent USDA study found that consumers facing a higher price induced by a soda tax would react by choosing other beverages, such as diet drinks, bottled water, juice, coffee/tea, or milk. 8 In California, a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would also raise $1 billion per year to promote healthyeating and physical activity in schools and communities. Other important strategies to improve beverage environments locally and statewide include: Work to make sure all California communities have safe drinking water flowing from their taps. Require that all vending and concession beverages sold at cityor countyowned parks and facilities comply with healthy beverage standards. Make free, fresh drinking water readily available during meals in school food service areas. Establish nutrition standards for beverages served in childcare settings. Increase support for breastfeeding and pumping at worksites and publicfacilities. For more information, see the California Campaign for Healthy Beverages: http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/healthy_bev.html. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s “Talking About” series provides advocates with straightforward language on how our environment shapes our health, and what we can do to improve both. Supported in part by a grant from The California Endowment. References 1 Woodward-Lopez, G., Ritchie, L., Kao., J., Crawford, P. Sweetened Beverages & Obesity. Webinar. Center for Weight and Health, University of California, Berkeley. May 6, 2010. 2 Lambrakos, L.K., Coxson, P., Goldman, L., Bibbins-Domingo, K. Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and the Attributable Burden to Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease. Presentation. San Francisco. March 5, 2010. 3 Woodward-Lopez G, Kao K, Ritchie L. To what extent have sweetened beverages contributed to the obesity epidemic? UC Berkeley Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health. January 2009 ‰ÛÒ unpublished. 4 “Shifts in Patterns and Consumption of Beverages between 1965 and 2002.” Obesity. 2007; 15: 2739-2747. 5 Babey SH, Jones M, Yu H and Goldstein H. Bubbling over: Soda consumption and its link to obesity in California. Healthy Policy Brief: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Sept 2009. 6 Chandran, Kumar. Improving Water Consumption in Schools: Challenges, Promising Practices, and Next Steps. California Food Policy Advocates, October 2009. 7 CA Project Lean. Presentation. Oakland, CA. September 14, 2009. 8 Smith, T.A., Biing-Hwan, L., and Jonq-Ying, L. Taxing Caloric Sweetened Beverages: Potential Effects on Beverage Consumption, Calorie Intake, and Obesity, ERR-100, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July 2010. --- ## Talking about: The retail food environment URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-the-retail-food-environment/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 806 > What we eat is influenced by what's readily available in our community. In California, there are more than four times as many fast food restaurants and convenience stores as supermarkets... What we eat is influenced by what’s readily available in our community. In California, there are more than four times as many fast food restaurants and convenience stores as supermarkets and produce vendors.1 So it’s not hard to see a connection between the lack of healthy food and the high rates of obesity and diabetes crippling our state.2 Why does the retail food environment matter? Research has shown that living near quality supermarkets can improve health, but not all communities have supermarkets: People who live in low-income neighborhoods have fewer places to buy healthy foods than those living in more affluent neighborhoods, in part due toa lack of supermarkets.3 In a multi-state study, African Americans living near a supermarket were 54% more likely to meet nutritional guidelines for fruit and vegetables and 22% more likely to meet recommended limits for fat consumption than those without a supermarket nearby.4 Many poor families have to travel long distances to get to a supermarket, often by public transportation; as a result, it is easier to shop at the local convenience store, where food is often more expensive and less nutritious.5 Fast food harms health, yet it is often more readily available than healthier foods: Between 1975 and 1992, the number of fast-food restaurants grew 147%, and the number of meals and snacks eaten at fast-food restaurants increased 200%.6 On a typical day, 30% of American children and teenagers eat at least one fast food meal.7 The presence and heavy marketing of fast food in the neighborhood makes it harder for parents to get their kids to eat healthier foods.8 How can we improve the retail food environment? Several strategies can help shift the ratio of healthy to harmful foods in local neighborhoods: Work to attract grocery stores to under-served areas. New York City’s plan offers tax incentives and zoning exemptions (to allow larger stores than would otherwise be permitted) to developers who will build full-service markets providing fresh produce, dairy and other fresh foods in areas without such stores.9 Bring small produce vendors to unlikely locations. Set up a weekly produce cart or farmer’s market at a school, hospital, or other community gathering places. Encourage “market makeovers.” With some support, many small market owners can provide and promote fresh produce in their stores. Incentives such as small business loans, tax benefits and specialized training on how to manage fresh produce inventories in a cost-effective way can help convert corner stores to a source of healthy food in their neighborhoods.10,11 Reduce fast food outlets. Communities can use local ordinances to set limits on the number and location of fast food restaurants, or refuse new drive- through zoning permits as a way of capping the number of fast food outlets. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s “Talking About” series provides advocates with straightforward language on how our environment shapes our health, and what we can do to improve both. Supported in part by a grant from The California Endowment. References 1 Searching for Healthy Food: The Food Landscape in California Cities and Counties. California Center for Public Health Advocacy, January 2007. http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/RFEI/presskit_RFEI.pdf. 2 California Center for Public Health Advocacy, PolicyLink & UCLA Center for Health Policy (2008). Designed for disease: the link between local food environments and obesity and diabetes. Policy brief: Los Angeles. 3 Mikkelsen, L. and Chehimi, S. (2007). The links between neighborhood food environment and childhood nutrition [policy brief]. Prevention Institute, Oakland, CA. 4 Morland, K., Wing, S., Diez Roux, A. “The contextual effect of the local food environment on residents’ diets: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.” American Journal of Public Health. 2002; 92:1761-1767. 5 Mikkelsen and Chehimi. Op. cit. 6 French, S.A., Story, M., Jeffery, R.W. Environmental influences on eating and physical activity. Annual Review of Public Health. 2001;22: 309-35. 7 Bowman, Shanthy A., Gortmaker, Steven L., Ebbeling, Cara B., Pereira, Mark A. and Ludwig, David S. Effects of Fast-Food Consumption on Energy Intake and Diet Quality Among Children in a National Household Survey. PEDIATRICS Vol. 113 No. 1, pp. 112-118. January 2004. 8 Mikkelsen and Chehimi. Op. cit. 9 Cardwell, Diane: A plan to add supermarkets to poor areas, with healthy results. New York Times, Sept. 23, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24yregion/24super.html. 10 Literacy for Environmental Justice (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008 from http://www.lejyouth.org/programs/food.html. 11 Hartford Food System (2008). Strategies that work: real solutions to community food problems. Retrieved December 20, 2008 from: http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa/enacteighborhood/documents/community.stores.eb.healthy_retailers08.pdf. --- ## Talking about: Joint use URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-joint-use/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 677 > Joint use is a way to increase opportunities for children and adults to be more physically active. The term refers to two or more entities — usually a school and... Joint use is a way to increase opportunities for children and adults to be more physically active. The term refers to two or more entities — usually a school and a city or private organization — sharing indoor and outdoor spaces like gymnasiums, athletic fields and playgrounds. The concept is simple: share resources to keep costs down and communities healthy. Joint use agreements come in many forms: A principal unlocks the school gate after hours so neighbors can shoot hoops or play ball on evenings and weekends. A school and community swim team share a pool. A school opens its soccer field to a local league for weekend games. A YMCA opens its gym to the local PE teacher so students have a place to exercise. Why is joint use needed? The research is clear: the more active children are, the healthier they will be now and when they grow up. Yet certain places make physical activity harder instead of easier. Experts know that where we live, work and play — the physical environment itself — determines, to a large degree, whether we will be healthy. Too often, kids find the gate to their school’s blacktop or basketball court locked after school hours, locking them out of opportunities to be active. Closing off recreational facilities after school leaves many children and families struggling to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. They may live in an area without a safe park nearby or be unable to afford exercise equipment or a gym membership. Joint use agreements can help address these problems. Joint use makes physical activity easier by providing kids and adults alike with safe, conveniently located and inviting places to exercise and play. Besides making sense from a health perspective, joint use agreements make sense financially because they build upon assets a community already has. Sharing existing space is cheaper and more efficient than duplicating the same facilities in other parts of the community. Where is joint use happening? Joint use is happening in cities throughout California and across the nation. In fact, the concept of joint use is not new. Schools have shared their land and facilities for community use for over 200 years. Most states, including California, have policies to encourage or require schools to make facilities open to the public. In California, a 2008 survey conducted by the Center for Cities and Schools revealed that close to 60 percent of responding schooldistricts already have some type of joint use partnership, but thousands still do not. How does it work? Joint use agreements facilitate a partnership between entities, often school districts and local government agencies (e.g. parks and recreation or nonprofit organizations), to open up spaces such as playgrounds, athletic fields, pools, and gymnasiums to the community outside of school hours, or to open up community facilities to schools at a reduced cost or for free. Joint use partnerships can be formal (based on a legal document) or informal (based on a handshake), but formal agreements offer increased protections for both the facility and the community group using the facility. Since school staffing can change over time, personal relationships are not the most secure way to guarantee access to facilities into the future. A formal agreement can also help prevent problems related to maintenance, operations, liability, ownership or cost from arising. What makes joint use partnerships successful? To be successful, partnerships should have: Clearly articulated goals Detailed planning that includes sources of funding and division of responsibilities A recognition of the individual benefits to each partner A long-term commitment from everyone involved Ongoing communication among partners and with the community A process for resolving any conflicts that may arise Support from policy makers and community members For more information and to connect with others working on joint use, go to www.jointuse.org. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s “Talking About” series provides advocates with straightforward language on how our environment shapes our health, and what we can do to improve both. Supported in part by a grant from The California Endowment. --- ## Talking about: The walkable community URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-the-walkable-community/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 562 > Our physical environment can influence whether we walk, take public transit or drive. Research shows the number of people exercising is substantially higher in neighborhoods that are easy to get... Our physical environment can influence whether we walk, take public transit or drive. Research shows the number of people exercising is substantially higher in neighborhoods that are easy to get around by bicycle, wheelchair, public transit or on foot. Too many neighborhoods have high traffic volume, sidewalks that are broken or nonexistent, and large stretches of streets that are unlit at night. It’s not much of a stretch to see how streets like this contribute to high rates of diabetes and other chronic diseases related to lack of physical activity. What is a walkable community? A neighborhood’s “walkability” is a measure of how well it encourages physical activity. What does a walkable neighborhood look like? Ideally, it features a mix of housing, businesses, retail, schools and parks within walking distance so that people drive less and walk more. It includes even sidewalks or walking paths and good lighting so people feel safer getting around on foot, even after dark. How does a walkable community make a difference? Research has shown that: Physical activity levels significantly increased in neighborhoods with adequatesidewalks and bike lanes, particularly in low-income communities.1 Street networks that offer direct routes (a grid pattern where the streets interconnect easily, as opposed to having many cul de sacs or dead-endstreets) can also increase walking, bicycling and use of public transit. 2, 3 Adequate, safe routes to schools can increase the number of childrenwalking to school.4 What can we do to create walkable communities? We can ensure our communities make it easier for us to get to work or school, or even to run errands, by implementing smart land-use policies. This means improving places that have already been built and being smart about planning new environments. Specific strategies include: Direct more funding toward walking/biking infrastructure. (One recent surveyrevealed that Americans would like 15 times more federal funding allocated for biking and walking. What’s more, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and walking paths can be built for the cost of just one mile of a four-lane highway.5 Improve street connectivity and create more pedestrian paths in sprawling communities. Expand public transit. Slow traffic to make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Establish safe routes to school. (Visit www.saferoutestoschools.org for moreinformation.) Invest in communities that are already walkable (e.g. repair sidewalks, addmore street lighting). Increase support for mixed-use and compact zoning. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s “Talking About” series provides advocates with straightforward language on how our environment shapes our health, and what we can do to improve both. Supported in part by a grant from The California Endowment. References 1 Moudon, AV & Lee, C. (2003). Walking and bicycling: an evaluation of environmental audit instruments. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18 (1), 21-37. 2 Brownson, R., Hoener, C. & Brennan, L. (2004). Reliability of two instruments for auditing the environment for physical activity. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1, 191-208. 3 Greenwald, M. & Boarnet, M. (2001). Built environment as determinant of walking behavior: analyzing non-work pedestrian travel in Portland, Oregon. Transportation Research Record, 1780, 33-42. 4 Active Living Research (2008). Designing for active living among adults. Retrieved November 6, 2008 from http://www.activelivingresearch.org/files/Active_Adults.pdf 5 Greenwald. Op. cit. --- ## Talking about: The built environment and health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/talking-about-the-built-environment-and-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 865 > The way a community is designed affects how healthy its residents can become. Call it our "built environment" or our "food and fitness environment," it includes the places where we... The way a community is designed affects how healthy its residents can become. Call it our “built environment” or our “food and fitness environment,” it includes the places where we live, work, eat and play, and is one of the most important factors determining our health and fitness. How easy or difficult our environment makes it for us to be healthy begins with policies governing how land is used. These policies help determine what types of businesses go into our neighborhoods, what kind of housing is constructed, where parks are located, what condition the sidewalks are in, and how well public transit serves our communities. Everything from the location of buildings to the layout of streets can influence our health. How does the built environment affect health? Healthy neighborhoods lead to healthy people. Making healthy options more accessible will benefit not just individual health, but the health of the community as a whole. Everyone — including city and transportation planners and policy makers — has a role in protecting the public’s health. Understanding the built environment can help explain why some communities face higher rates of chronic disease. Availability of safe places to exercise and play: People who have parks nearby exercise 38% more than those who do not live near parks.1 Lower-income communities, including predominantly Latino and African American communities, often have fewer resources to support active lifestyles and public places to play.2 The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) recommends communities have at least six to 10 acres of open space per 1,000 residents. In California, some low-income communities of color have as little as one-sixth that amount.3 Availability of healthy food choices: In California, there are four times more fast food outlets and convenience stores than grocery stores and produce markets.4 Quality of food is lower and the cost is higher in low-income communities and communities of color than in those that are mostly White.5 Access to public transit and walkable neighborhoods: People are significantly more active in neighborhoods with adequate sidewalks and bike lanes, particularly in low-income communities.6 Street networks that offer direct routes (a grid pattern where the streets interconnect easily, as opposed to having many cul de sacs or dead-end streets) can also increase walking, bicycling and use of public transit. 7, 8 Adequate, safe routes to schools increase the number of children walking to school.9 How can we build healthier environments? Communities across California are mobilizing to address this imbalance and give all families equal opportunities to live a healthy, active life, by supporting sound land-use, transit and zoning policies. Some approaches include: Enact policies that restrict where fast food outlets operate, for instance by keeping them away from schools. Encourage more healthy options like grocery stores or farmers markets. Encourage the joint use of school and community resources to increase the amount of open space available for physical activity. Make sure all streets are well lit and have well-maintained sidewalks. Require developers to build adequate parks, playgrounds and/or walking trails in new housing developments. Stimulate mixed-use developments, which put housing near retail and transit centers and encourage more active living. Berkeley Media Studies Group’s “Talking About” series provides advocates with straightforward language on how our environment shapes our health, and what we can do to improve both. Supported in part by a grant from The California Endowment. References 1 Designing for Active Living Among Adults. Publication. 2008. Active Living Research, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 21 May 2009. http://www.activelivingresearch.org/files/Active_Adults.pdf. 2 Powell, L. M., S. Slater, and F. J. Chaloupka. “The relationship between community physical activity settings and race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.” Evidenced Based Preventive Medicine 1 (2004): 135-44. 21 May 2009. http://impacteen.econ.uic.edu/journal_pub/pub_PDFs/EBPM-1-2-Powell%20et%20al1.pdf. 3 Sister, C., J. Wilson, and J. Wolch. The Green Visions Plan for 21st Century Southern California: Ch. 15 Park Congestion and Strategies to Increase Park Equity. Publication. Dec. 2007. University of Southern California GIS Research Laboratory and Center for Sustainable Cities. 21 May 2009. 4 California Center for Public Health Advocacy. (2007). Searching for healthy food: the food landscape in California cities and counties. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/RFEI/presskit_RFEI.pdf. 5 Mikkelson, L. & Chehimi, S. (2007). The links between the neighborhood food environment and childhood nutrition. Oakland: Prevention Institute. 6 Moudon, AV & Lee, C. (2003). Walking and bicycling: an evaluation of environmental audit instruments. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18 (1), 21-37. 7 Brownson, R., Hoener, C. & B... --- ## Webinar: Talking about healthy people in healthy places: Linking values to policy and environmental change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/webinar-talking-about-healthy-people-in-healthy-places-linking-values-to-policy-and-environmental-change/ Type: events Modified: 2018-05-25 Words: 45 > Developing broad-based policy and environmental change to foster healthy places and people requires effective communication about the importance of healthy, equitable communities. Webinar panelists Lori Dorfman of BMSG and Phil... Developing broad-based policy and environmental change to foster healthy places and people requires effective communication about the importance of healthy, equitable communities. Webinar panelists Lori Dorfman of BMSG and Phil Steger of ISAIAH discuss framing and other communication strategies to help advance this reality. --- ## Making the case for breastfeeding: The health argument isn’t enough URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/making-the-case-for-breastfeeding-the-health-argument-isnt-enough/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2534 > On April 12, 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle printed two letters to the editor on breastfeeding: Make it easier for new moms Billions of dollars saved by something that is... On April 12, 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle printed two letters to the editor on breastfeeding: Make it easier for new moms Billions of dollars saved by something that is essentially free breast-feeding should be a no-brainer (“Breast-feeding for 6 months can save lives, money,” April 5). Most moms would do this if it were easy. As a breast-feeding mother and a doctor working with children full time, I can say breast-feeding is not easy. Even with California laws that try to provide protected time and places to pump breast milk, why does it feel as if it would be easier to take a smoking break than a pumping break? The benefits of breast-feeding are clear. We need to implement existing laws. Each workplace should identify a place and a time for its breastfeeding employees. Bottom line: Our society and the workplace need to embrace the idea that women who work will breast-feed. We will all benefit. -Holly Martin, MD, San Francisco The many advantages of breastfeeding The study that breast-feeding would save lives and money is an excellent discussion that brings light to the significant health and cost benefits of breast-feeding. Study after study has shown that breasts are best. However, many women who are capable of breast-feeding choose not to do so because they do not quite see the tremendous advantages of breast-feeding that cannot be accomplished through formula feeding. As a student nurse and future midwife, I am passionate about encouraging and empowering mothers through evidence-based research to make an informed choice to breast-feed if they are capable of doing so. It is essential that we begin to move to a nation that encourages and support [sic] women to breast-feed from day one. It not only saves lives and health care costs, it has huge benefits for the mother. Breastfeeding promotes postpartum weight loss, emotional well-being and bonding with the infant. Breast-feeding has been linked to reduced risks of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. It also is hugely cost-effective — breast-feeding is free, while formula averages $1,200 a year. -Deana Harris, student nurse, UCSF These letters illustrate two different ways advocates talk about breastfeeding. One highlights the barriers that prevent even the most dedicated mothers from breastfeeding. The other touts the health benefits for mothers and babies. In this Framing Brief, we argue that advocates need to emulate and repeat the letter that describes the context for breastfeeding rather than the letter that focuses exclusively on its health benefits. What’s wrong with the health benefits of breastfeeding? The health benefits are obviously important — that’s why advocates want more women to breastfeed — but breastfeeding rates will never increase unless we ensure that institutions like hospitals and workplaces support breastfeeding. This is because breastfeeding is not simply a function of individual mothers’ intent, but rather an outcome of a society that supports women, children and families. Advocates must change people’s understanding of breastfeeding so that they see not just the act itself but the context of real women’s lives in which it takes place. With the context visible, advocates will be better able to create support for the policies that will make it easier for more women to initiate and continue breastfeeding. The health argument by itself is not enough because it puts sole attention on the mother and child and none on the circumstances surrounding them. Repeating the health benefits of breastfeeding without including the context suggests that the major impediment to breastfeeding is that mothers do not know its value. For some that may be true. But survey data1 indicate that women know there are health benefits, yet they still do not breastfeed as much as they intend. Health messages about breastfeeding can educate new mothers and the general public, but education alone will not help if the social and structural barriers to breastfeeding are not removed. It would be like entreating mothers to feed their families more fruits and vegetables without considering whether they had access to affordable grocery stores nearby. Or encouraging children to play outside without regard for whether neighborhoods were safe, sidewalks were present, or parks were nearby. If the goal is structural or environmental changes that support breastfeeding, then advocates’ messages must illustrate the landscape that surrounds breastfeeding mothers to make visible why those structural changes are needed. And the messages must link the policy changes to that landscape. Tell a bigger story about breastfeeding Too often, the story on breastfeeding is narrowly framed around the mother and child. And framing literature tells us that unless we explicitly change the picture, it will be hard for audiences to see why policy matters.2 Advocates should ask themselves: What do we see when we pull the lens back from the mother and child? It might be the workplace, the ho... --- ## Website: jointuse.org URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/website-jointuse-org/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 79 > This site explores a public health strategy called joint use, which increases opportunities for children and adults to be physically active by allowing schools and communities to share resources like... This site explores a public health strategy called joint use, which increases opportunities for children and adults to be physically active by allowing schools and communities to share resources like parks, swimming pools and playgrounds. Visit jointuse.org to watch videos of joint use success stories, view PhotoVoice photo essays by youth documenting barriers to physical activity, download fact sheets, research summaries and policy analyses, and find out how to jumpstart a joint use partnership in your own community. --- ## Recording: News conference on digital marketing and alcohol URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/events/recording-news-conference-on-digital-marketing-and-alcohol/ Type: events Modified: 2018-11-06 Words: 50 > Alcohol companies are using the latest new media technologies to promote their products in ways that appeal to youth, explains a 2010 report from the Center for Digital Democracy and... Alcohol companies are using the latest new media technologies to promote their products in ways that appeal to youth, explains a 2010 report from the Center for Digital Democracy and Berkeley Media Studies Group. This online news conference shares key findings from the report, Alcohol marketing in the digital age. --- ## Issue 18: Talking about breastfeeding: Why the health argument isn’t enough URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-18-talking-about-breastfeeding-why-the-health-argument-isnt-enough/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7798 > In 2007, paparazzi snapped photos of Maggie Gyllenhaal breastfeeding her daughter in public. The photos flooded the Internet and Gyllenhaal was labeled a feminist superhero.1 In 2008, W Magazine splashed... In 2007, paparazzi snapped photos of Maggie Gyllenhaal breastfeeding her daughter in public. The photos flooded the Internet and Gyllenhaal was labeled a feminist superhero.1 In 2008, W Magazine splashed a breastfeeding Angelina Jolie across its front cover. The smiling Jolie was called “beautiful,” “natural” and “peaceful.”2 Both women gave a heavy dose of celebrity to what the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and others in public health have been telling mothers for years: Breast milk is best. The message, backed by studies linking breastfeeding to health benefits both for the baby (e.g. higher IQs, lower obesity rates, protection against heart disease) and the mother (e.g. decreased risks of osteoporosis, breast and ovarian cancers, and type-2 diabetes), sounds simple enough. But for many women, breastfeeding is not so easy. A searing article by Hanna Rosin3, published in 2009 in the Atlantic, made palpable this reality, raising the profile of the breast milk-formula debate and putting public health advocates in the hot seat: Were the health benefits of breastfeeding as proven as popular literature suggested? Was breastfeeding a realistic option for all mothers? Rosin, mother of three, was skeptical. So she researched — and soul-searched — and the mother in her conceded that, for the baby’s health, “yes, breast is probably best.” But to questions outside of health, the woman in her said “no.” For Rosin, breastfeeding was not just a matter of science, nor was it the stuff of celebrity bliss. It was a strain. And after 28 months of it, she described it as a prison. Rosin is not alone in her experience. Nationally, less than 12 percent of women breastfeed exclusively, giving their children no solid foods and no liquids other than breast milk for a full six months4, as organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and World Health Organization recommend. Although the majority of women start out wishing to breastfeed — in California, nearly 87 percent of new mothers initiate breastfeeding5 — something happens along the way that discourages more than half of them from continuing to breastfeed exclusively. Too often, that discouragement begins in the hospital, where outdated policies, insufficient support and routine practices such as separating the mother from the baby and handing out free formula samples can undermine a mother’s best efforts to breastfeed. By the time they leave the hospital, only 43 percent of California mothers are still breastfeeding exclusively, and that number continues to drop as women encounter more obstacles outside of the hospital.6 A lack of cultural support can make breastfeeding in public embarrassing and impractical. A lack of workplace support can put breastfeeding at odds with a woman’s job. For example, policies requiring paid maternal leave and on-site lactation rooms for returning mothers often go unenforced, particularly among low-wage-earning women — the very population that already experiences health disparities and stands to benefit the most from breastfeeding. On top of these hurdles, breastfeeding can be painful and time-consuming because, unlike bottle-feeding, it requires the mother to be present. Rosin’s article gives voice to the many women who want to breastfeed but have found its barriers too high, too exhausting. It also gives public health advocates an impetus to analyze public conversations and attitudes about breastfeeding and evaluate to what extent their own messages are successful in focusing on the policies needed to remove the obstacles that keep women from breastfeeding. To that end, the California WIC Association approached Berkeley Media Studies Group for help with analyzing its materials on breastfeeding, paying particular attention to CWA’s reports on breastfeeding rates in various hospitals and regions throughout the state and the news coverage they had generated. Because women who exclusively breastfeed in the hospital are more likely to exclusively breastfeed at home, one of CWA’s objectives is to improve the policies surrounding the education and support that hospitals give to mothers with newborns. CWA would like to see all delivery hospitals and birth centers in California either adopt “model hospital” policies — those recommended by the California Department of Public Health for meeting state and national breastfeeding goals — or become certified as “Baby-Friendly” — an international designation with detailed guidelines for achieving the same goals. Although California boasts more Baby-Friendly hospitals than any other state, as of 2007, there were only 187 out of more than 250 hospitals, about 7 percent. By 2009 there were 26.8To help bring that number up, CWA has added a robust arm to its media advocacy strategy that focuses specifically on medical professionals, hospital administrators and other community decision makers, outlin... --- ## Video: Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles advances goals through media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-violence-prevention-coalition-of-greater-los-angeles-advances-goals-through-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 53 > After participating in media advocacy trainings from BMSG, the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles leveraged its newly acquired skills to voice opposition to Proposition 6, which threatened to... After participating in media advocacy trainings from BMSG, the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles leveraged its newly acquired skills to voice opposition to Proposition 6, which threatened to increase the number of crimes for which 14-year-olds could be tried as adults. The group continues to practice media advocacy today. --- ## Attention, Walmart shoppers: Healthy snacks in aisles 7 and 21 URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/attention-walmart-shoppers-healthy-snacks-in-aisles-7-and-21/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 739 > Middle-schoolers in the Northern California town of Anderson were fed up with the amount of junk food in the check-out stands of their local grocery stores, mini-mart and gas stations.... Middle-schoolers in the Northern California town of Anderson were fed up with the amount of junk food in the check-out stands of their local grocery stores, mini-mart and gas stations. They knew that the placement and heavy promotion of these products encouraged their peers to eat unhealthily. They decided to approach the management of area stores to outline their solution: Check-out stands offering healthier foods such as fruit and granola bars. Thanks to months of working with The California Endowment’s Healthy Eating Active Communities (HEAC) initiative staff, the students were savvy about the effect of these products on their bodies and minds, such as increased risk for diabetes and decreased concentration at school after eating junk food. HEAC staff helped the youth learn about acceptable levels of fat, sugar, and sodium content, appropriate portion sizes, and how to read product labels for nutritional content, so they knew precisely what they meant when they demanded “healthier” choices. The first store manager who agreed to meet with the students was Tim Trimble, the manager of the Anderson Walmart. He was impressed with their passion and knowledge, and receptive to their request. However, Trimble explained that due to long- term contracts with a few manufacturers, Walmart could not offer an entirely junk food-free check-out stand. But Trimble said he could pilot a check-out stand that included less junk food and more healthy options. Trimble had three conditions the students had to meet if the Anderson store was to incorporate the “healthy options” check stands. First, in order to ensure that the community supported the proposed change, he asked the students to distribute surveys and obtain approval from ten percent of the 35,000 weekly customers shopping at Walmart. Second, the students would have to be sure the healthy foods could be displayed in a way that met Walmart’s specific display standards. Finally, the healthier options would have to show increased sales. “It sounded like a lot, but the students were determined and convinced that they had community support,” said Sheryl Brophy Vietti, a community development coordinator for Shasta County Public Health. Undeterred, the youth gathered the required feedback from shoppers — including whopping 600 surveys in one day — which overwhelmingly favored the proposed stands. They also took on the complicated task of designing a new check-out stand that met Walmart’s specifications. When the Anderson Walmart unveiled two pilot check-out stands in the spring of 2007, they were an immediate success. Sales doubled. Walmart staff found it impossible to keep the healthy options stocked, frequently selling out of them within two hours. The healthier snacks created such a demand that they drew the attention of media and of neighboring Walmart managers, including one as far away as Indiana, who plans to implement the change in his Fort Wayne store. Trimble has reported on the achievement at Walmart district meetings, and plans to present it at a regional meeting with managers throughout California. Anderson youth and public health advocates are hopeful that their proposal will have a local ripple effect, and plan to work with other local stores to follow Walmart’s example. They also hope for a giant ripple effect, where Walmart would offer the healthier options at stands in stores throughout California, and then nationwide, perhaps even influencing Walmart’s competitors to make healthy changes. Many challenges remain, including Walmart’s multi-year contracts with junk food companies that require product placement in the check-out stands. Moreover, candy and gum suppliers may prove to be vocal opponents if they see their sales drop in the check-out stands hosting the healthy options, or if stores agree to stands with only healthy options. In Anderson, young people inspired by HEAC are hoping a business policy shift in one store serving one community will one day have an even greater impact on the health of Walmart shoppers throughout the country. For more information about this case study, please contact: Sheryl Brophy Vietti, Community Development Coordinator Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health email: svietti@co.shasta.ca.us website: http://www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/hhsa_index/Public_health.aspx For more about the youths’ work with the Anderson Walmart, please visit the following: http://redding.comews/2007/jun/09/pupils-seek-healthier-food/ --- ## Sugar water gets a facelift: What marketing does for soda URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/sugar-water-gets-a-facelift-what-marketing-does-for-soda/ Type: publications Modified: 2024-10-16 Words: 8701 > Carbonated water. High fructose corn syrup. Sucrose. Sugar. Caramel color. Phosphoric acid. Artificial flavors. Natural flavors. Caffeine. Citric acid. Potassium benzoate. Sodium benzoate. Sodium citrate. Without marketing, sodas would be... Carbonated water. High fructose corn syrup. Sucrose. Sugar. Caramel color. Phosphoric acid. Artificial flavors. Natural flavors. Caffeine. Citric acid. Potassium benzoate. Sodium benzoate. Sodium citrate. Without marketing, sodas would be known only for the ingredients listed on their bottles and cans. Instead, they are known for their elaborate campaigns and catchy jingles.The three companies that produce the majority of the industry’s 450 soft drinks — Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Cadbury Schweppes* — make sure of that.1 You can walk on “The Coke Side of Life” or “Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff ” (or buy both and get double the amount of branded T-shirts and other “stuff “). If marketing didn’t work, the Coca-Cola Company wouldn’t pay $35 million a year to cosponsor American Idol, and Pepsi wouldn’t have invested $1.2 billion in 2008 just to revamp its logo. Much of the cost for this change has gone toward replacing the old Pepsi logo with the new one everywhere it appears around the world: trucks, vending machines, stadium signs, and point-of-sale materials.2 The marketing blitz is more than just business as usual; it’s part of the soda industry’s response to the country’s declining consumption of full-calorie soda, which has been sliding for the past decade.As obesity rates rise and type 2 diabetes — once unheard of in children — becomes commonplace, more people than ever are drinking diet sodas or switching to other beverages. In recent years, the public health establishment dealt a powerful blow to the soda industry when it demanded the removal of soda vending machines in schools. In 2006, under threat of lawsuits and regulation, soda executives from the three top companies conceded. They also promised to insert healthy diet or lifestyle messages into at least half of their advertising to children under 12 years old. Now the $72 billion carbonated soft drink industry3 is doing everything it can to keep its current customers and attract new ones.”We’ve got to recruit new users and hold on to users as they age,” Bill Elmore, president and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Consolidated, told the Wall Street Journal.4 So far, the industry’s amped up marketing efforts seem to be working: In spite of increased demand for diet drinks and an industry-wide bruising from the public health establishment, full-calorie soda — delivering 13 teaspoons of sugar per can — is still the most popular drink in the United States, dominating over 70% of the non-alcoholic beverage market.5 What marketing tactics are soda companies using to distinguish their particular combination of carbonated water, sugar, flavor, and other chemicals? Who is their target audience? In this framing brief, we find out. Top soda brands In 2007, the three top carbonated soft drink companies spent a total of $608.5 million on domestic advertising6 — more than $1 million a day in the United States alone.The top 10 selling carbonated soft drinks haven’t changed much in the last decade. In order of sales (with their companies in parentheses), top brands include:7 1. Coke Classic2. Pepsi-Cola3. Diet Coke4. Mountain Dew (Pepsi Cola)5. Diet Pepsi 6. Dr Pepper (Cadbury Schweppes)7. Sprite (Coca-Cola Company)8. Fanta (Coca-Cola Company)9. Diet Mountain Dew (Pepsi Cola)10. Diet Dr Pepper (Cadbury Schweppes) What has changed is how the industry spends its marketing dollars. The 4 P’s of marketing Soda may be on “The Most Wanted List” of public health advocates and policy makers, but its marketers present the opposite picture. Consider the four “Ps” of marketing — product, promotion, place and price. Together, they represent strategies to target specific demographic groups. The object is to maintain and increase consumption of existing customers, attract new ones, compete for customers of other brands, and create a positive public image. Analyzing the four “Ps” of soda marketing is one way to understand the industry’s tactics and develop effective responses. PRODUCT: This is the item being marketed and the package in which it is sold. Sometimes, this marketing involves inventing a product to attract consumers who are not already using a product. Take Coke Zero (“Real Coke Taste, Zero Calories”), created because many men do not like ordering “diet” drinks, which they perceive to be for women who are watching their weight. Coke Zero’s no-frills black-and-red bottle has been branded with a large “Z” to evoke masculine taste. In 2007, according to SportsBusiness Journal, the company spent $13 million during the NCAA basketball tournament to boost the then-new product.67 PLACE: This is the location of sale, service and consumption, and industry practices used in making it work. No companies are better at “place” than Coca-Cola and Pepsi. For those who think ethnic targeting regarding place is new, consider the history of Pepsi: As a result of segregated regiments in WWII, Pepsi-Cola reports that it was the only soft drink available to African-American sold... --- ## Moving from them to us: Challenges in reframing violence among youth URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/moving-from-them-to-us-challenges-in-reframing-violence-among-youth/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 11758 > Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where one class is made to feel that society is organized in a conspiracy to oppress, rob and... Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where one class is made to feel that society is organized in a conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe. — Frederick Douglass At Berkeley Media Studies Group, we study the news because it has a profound effect on how the public and policy makers understand public health issues and what can be done about them. This is especially true in the area of violence among youth. Our studies and others’ have shown that the news paints a distorted picture, emphasizing youth as perpetrators rather than as victims of violence; conflating race and violence; and giving short shrift to prevention. As violence dominates headlines, this distortion becomes more important, since the news coverage shapes policy debate. Public health advocates are then challenged to make the case for prevention in the face of fear and doubt. This is an important time to help policy makers and the public understand that violence is preventable, not inevitable, and that a comprehensive approach — what we would call a public health approach that addresses the root causes of violence — can help communities make a difference. One national effort aimed at addressing the root causes of violence in cities across America is Urban Networks to Increase Thriving Youth (UNITY). The UNITY national consortium, supported by CDC and led by Prevention Institute, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the UCLA School of Public Health Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center, consists of more than 200 members from city government, national and state organizations, and community-based organizations across the country. UNITY helps institute policies and new practices that 1) prevent violence up front, before it happens, 2) intervene in the thick of it for families and neighborhoods already at risk, and 3) address the aftermathof violence to repair the trauma and help young people reenter society safely, successfully, and sustainably. On behalf of UNITY, Prevention Institute asked BMSG to collect, summarize, and synthesize the work that has been done to date on framing youth and violence. This paper describes framing and the challenges particular to the context of violence prevention, with the goal of moving youth violence from being understood primarily as a criminal justice issue dealt with after the fact to being seen as a preventable public health issue. The paper explores how youth and violence have been portrayed in the news (based on BMSG’s as well as others’ studies); how the issue of race complicates depictions of youth and violence; and how public attitudes about government can inhibit public support for violence prevention. Based on this review, we make recommendations to the UNITY National Consortium for reframing violence among youth. The paper begins with an overview of framing generally, followed by a discussion of how framing applies to news in particular and how youth, race, and crime have been portrayed in news coverage. It is important to consider how race and government are framed in addition to how violence is framed because youth violence is conflated with race and because the solutions to violence are dependent on government participation. The paper then considers challenges for reframing violence among youth in the light of how race and government are framed. Based on this review, and drawing from our experience working on and studying violence prevention and other public health issues, we make recommendations for next steps to UNITY and its partners. Framing: What it is Framing means many different things to people. Some think of framing as finding the right words for a message, others believe frames reflect notions of how the world works, and still others believe that frames tap complex moral structures that trigger how people react to a whole constellation of social and public policy issues in our society. We describe two types of frames, conceptual frames and news frames, that we believe have the most bearing on how to create messages that emphasize public health aspects of violence prevention. An important aspect of framing both conceptually and in news coverage is that it is much more than just finding and saying the right words; it is about how people create and derive meaning from the world around them. Conceptual frames Cognitive linguists argue that frames are the conceptual bedrock for making sense of the world around us.1 People are only able to interpret words, images, actions, or text of any kind because their brains fit those texts into an existing conceptual system that gives them order and coherence. Just a few cues — a word, an image — trigger whole networks of concepts that structure meaning. These cues trigger frames which lead to certain interpretations. Frames are often expressed in metaphors that people use routinely to understand abstract issues: horse race metaphors are common in ... --- ## Promoting physical activity and healthy eating: Convergence in framing the role of industry [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/promoting-physical-activity-and-healthy-eating-convergence-in-framing-the-role-of-industry-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 26 > Citation Dorfman, L., Yancey, A.K. Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: Convergence in framing the role of industry. Preventive Medicine, 49 (2009); pp. 303-305. Citation Dorfman, L., Yancey, A.K. Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: Convergence in framing the role of industry. Preventive Medicine, 49 (2009); pp. 303-305. --- ## What surrounds us shapes us: Making the case for environmental change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/what-surrounds-us-shapes-us-making-the-case-for-environmental-change/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2760 > Creating healthy environments starts with knowing what you want to change. Then you have to find the right language to talk about it effectively. Language is important because how an... Creating healthy environments starts with knowing what you want to change. Then you have to find the right language to talk about it effectively. Language is important because how an issue is described, or framed, can affect whether it has popular or political support. Linguists say that framing is how our minds recognize patterns of ideas, categorize them, and derive meaning from them. Framing is the translation process between incoming information things we see, read, or hear and the ideas already in our heads. Frames are important to advocates because they influence how people react to ideas.1 Consider one example from Kraft Foods. When Kraft reframed recipes as “solutions” rather than as”cooking,” more people requested the company’s recipes. Mary Beth West, Kraft’s Chief Marketing Officer, explained that communicating this idea in the recipe’s title could bump it to the top of Kraft’s request list: “‘Learn to cook stir-fry’ is fast to the bottom; ‘Easy stir-fry in 15 minutes’ is at the top. Framing it more as a food solution and an idea of getting dinner on the table is what it’s all about.”2 Language can create a “frame of mind” that makes some ideas attractive and others not. Whether promoting recipes or promoting policy, the frame matters. This framing brief suggests how to create frames that can help people see that environments affect health. When people understand that idea, they are more likely to support policies that improve those environments. Shifting from portrait to landscape Research shows that in the U.S., most of the time most people think that individuals are masters of their own destiny. People believe that hard work, discipline, and self-determination will outweigh other factors such as the conditions in which they live. These values extend to people’s perceptions about health as well: their gut-level assumption what we call the default frame is that individuals can control their own health outcomes if they make the right choices. The problem with the default frame is that it hides the influence of the places where people live, work,and play. The default frame is like a portrait,focused narrowly on the details of a single person. Advocates need to evoke frames that are more like landscapes frames that include people, but also the context that surrounds them. Advocates slip into the default frame when they encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer fatty foods, without mentioning the need for all neighborhoods to have stores that sell healthy foods at affordable prices; or when they tell parents to make sure their children get enough exercise, but don’t make the case for neighborhoods and schools that offer safe places for children to play, free of violence and crime. Advocates need to broaden the default frame from its exclusive focus on the individual or portrait to a landscape perspective that makes visible the external factors in the environment. By painting a broader picture, advocates can help people see that neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces influence health. Only then will policies that improve places make sense to people. To do this, advocates need to think about what they say and ask themselves: What assumptions does our language trigger? What pictures are we bringing to mind? Do they lead to support for our policy and reinforce our values? Advocates have to start with a frame that brings to mind place. Then they can talk about the people in those places. Triggering an environmental frame How can advocates trigger the idea that contexts affect individuals? Research from the FrameWorks Institute suggests reminding people that where we live, work, or play (including homes, schools, offices, businesses, stores, parks, and any other physical spaces), affects our daily lives, including our health. When we improve and maintain these environments, the health of the people who live and work there improves as well. Advocates can trigger an environmental frame by starting their communications with a vivid description of the environment that contributes to poor health, as well as the kind of place that supports health. Then, advocates can state the value that motivates them to make the change they seek. To that they can add a clear, simple description of their policy. The task is to create an image of the world that, linked to the advocates’ values, accommodates their policy solutions and creates the desired place-based frame. Below is an equation that incorporates each of the variables needed to create the desired frame: For example, community members advocating for the city to work with businesses to promote corner stores that sell healthier food could combine their policy goal with the value of fairness and say something like this: “Children are healthier when their communities provide healthy food. But when neighborhood stores don’t have a selection of healthy food, people simply can’t feed their families the way they want to, and their health suffers. It’s no... --- ## Issue 17: Debates from four states over selling soda in schools URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-17-debates-from-four-states-over-selling-soda-in-schools/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5685 > Teens are drinking more soda than ever before. In 1996, the average teenage boy in the United States consumed more than 1.5 cans of soda a day, and the average... Teens are drinking more soda than ever before. In 1996, the average teenage boy in the United States consumed more than 1.5 cans of soda a day, and the average teenage girl drank one 12ounce can of soda per day, over double the amount teenagers drank in 1977.1 Concerned about the health effects of consuming sugary beverages,2, 3, 4 public health advocates around the country are working to create environments where healthier beverages are the norm. Many have focused their attention on schools, where students spend many hours each day, and where adults can control which beverages are sold. In early 2006, four states, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Maryland, introduced legislation that included restrictions on the sales of sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. Within months, the bills had met different fates: two were enacted, a third was rewritten to no longer limit beverage sales, and the fate of the fourth remained uncertain until the close of the year, when it died. 2006 was also the year that the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, announced two agreements. On May 3, 2006, a Memorandum of Understanding was established between the Alliance and Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and the American Beverage Association to change the guidelines for beverages offered in schools5; on October 6, a similar agreement was garnered with Campbell Soup Company, Dannon, Kraft Foods, Mars, and PepsiCo to create voluntary guidelines for snacks sold in schools.6 Soda and junk food were getting attention from the public and private sectors in 2006. We wanted to know: how were the arguments for and against restricting access to soda and junk food being portrayed? Who was making the arguments, and what were they saying? What we did This study examines the debates surrounding the 2006 state legislation in Connecticut, Maryland, Indiana, and Massachusetts as reflected in the news and opinion coverage in each state’s newspapers and in arguments that appeared in legislative documents. We also examined articles on school nutrition policies from Ohio newspapers in order to compare the public conversation on school nutrition in a state without pending legislation. For each state with pending school nutrition legislation, we searched newspapers in the Nexis database for relevant articles spanning the date of the bill’s introduction through one month after its final status was determined, or the end of the calendar year. The date ranges for Connecticut were February 1—June 30, 2006; for Indiana, January 1—April 30, 2006; for Massachusetts, January 1—December 31, 2006; and Maryland was January 1—May 31, 2006. For Ohio, we searched all of 2006 for articles discussing school nutrition policy. We assessed two distinct sets of newspaper news and opinion pieces. The first set — Topics in School Nutrition Policy — includes news and opinion pieces from Massachusetts and Ohio. We compared nutrition topics in coverage from these two states since the sample period for each spanned the entire 2006 calendar year. This way, we could compare the general topics in nutrition news and opinion coverage from one state with pending legislation (Massachusetts) and one without (Ohio). The Massachusetts articles that focused on state-level nutrition were not part of this analysis set. The second set we assessed — State Legislation on Nutrition — includes articles from each of the four states with pending legislation on nutrition. In this set we examined the frames, or central arguments, that characterized the debate. Frames are powerful because they foster certain interpretations and hinder others — often without the news consumer’s awareness. Frames shape the parameters of debate as they create tracks for a train of thought and once on that track it’s hard to get off. To determine how the pieces were framed we read a small number of stories to generate preliminary categories, using as a starting point the coding instrument we developed for our prior study of the first school soda sales bans in California (see Issue 157). After reading the sample, we revised and added to these frames, coded another sample, discussed our findings, and further revised the coding scheme to reflect the frames we were seeing in the coverage, resolve differences, and refine our categories. We repeated the process until we were satisfied that the frames included in the analysis reflected the full range present in the sample. Because the local context was quite different across states, refining the frames was more complex than it had been in our California study where the policy context was quite similar across study sites. We also analyzed legislative documents for frames. We found these documents by collecting available materials from the states’ government Web sites, the University of California, Berkeley law school library, and from relevant offices in the pa... --- ## Video: More than a message: Framing issues from public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-more-than-a-message-framing-issues-from-public-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 39 > Delivering the keynote address for the 2008 True Spin Conference in Denver, BMSG's director Lori Dorfman explains our approach to media advocacy, why message is never first, and what public... Delivering the keynote address for the 2008 True Spin Conference in Denver, BMSG’s director Lori Dorfman explains our approach to media advocacy, why message is never first, and what public health advocates need to know about framing. --- ## Food marketers greenwash junk food: Companies tout link to health and environmental movements URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/food-marketers-greenwash-junk-food-companies-tout-link-to-health-and-environmental-movements/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1583 > Food and beverage companies are feeling increasing pressure from public health advocates and government to change their products and practices. Desperate to cast a healthy glow around themselves and their... Food and beverage companies are feeling increasing pressure from public health advocates and government to change their products and practices. Desperate to cast a healthy glow around themselves and their products, company brands from “McDonald’s to Coca-Cola to Mars are launching and marketing new product lines with health-oriented messages and purpose.”1 Some of this marketing uses the color green to evoke the idea of good health. Green is a handy shortcut for “good” or “better for you” since the color has come to mean “good for the earth.” Now, food companies are using the color in their marketing‰ÛÓsometimes to signal that their products are healthier, and sometimes to indicate they are using earth-friendly practices. In this framing brief, we explain how food and beverage companies are borrowing the symbolism of the environmental movement to cast a favorable green light on themselves and their products. Food marketing goes green April 22, 1970 marked the first Earth Day in the US, and that same year political Green parties began forming around the world to put environmental and social justice concerns front and center in politics. Today, the color green is used in advertising to signify not only earth-friendly politics but also to represent earth-friendly products and manufacturing processes. Almost from the beginning of the environmental movement in the 1970s, certain companies have used the color green to associate themselves and their products with being environmentally friendly, even when their actions are not. According to corporate watchdog CorpWatch, as early as 1969 public utilities spent eight times more on advertising about being green (i.e., good to the environment) than they spent on the anti-pollution research they were trumpeting in the ads.2 This tactic is known as greenwashing‰ÛÓdisseminating disinformation to appear environmentally responsible. As New York Times reporter Kim Severson put it, “Buy a greenwashed product and you’re buying a specific set of healthy environmental and socially correct values.”3 In this way, the companies can seem to make it easier for consumers to do right in the world just by making a certain purchase. Food companies are now on the “green bandwagon,” hoping that consumers’ positive associations with the color will translate into positive attitudes toward‰ÛÓand higher sales for‰ÛÓtheir products. Sometimes food companies use green on their packaging to suggest health in the nutritional qualities of a product; but sometimes healthy is about fewer toxins in agriculture, or the health of the environment in general. The confusion can benefit food and beverage companies because if consumers equate green with either their own health or with the health of the environment, they are likely to extend that favorable association to the product and to the company. And they do. Advertising Age reported that 78% of people surveyed in nine countries “like to buy brands that have an ecoconscience” and a survey released in January 2008 showed that half of Americans polled “consider at least one sustainability factor” when they decide what to purchase and where to shop.4 The positive associations with green as good for the environment blend with positive associations with green as nutritious or good for health. “In addition to their own wellness,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle, “more consumers are also looking to take care of the Earth.”5 Consumers may choose a green product for either reason, and either way the company benefits. Promoting green products How do companies show they are green? Two examples come from Kraft and PepsiCo. Here, both companies have created green symbols for their food packaging to alert customers that the product with the green seal is healthier than other products offered by that same company. The green seal gives consumers a green light to indulge in that “healthier” food. Green strategies mean not only being sure the green products are widely available where other foods are available, but also that they are placed in aisles and stores associated with health, such as stores like Whole Foods or the natural foods aisle in the grocery store. Jim Holbrook, CEO of EMAK Worldwide, a marketing company, advises companies to use promotions, packaging, and placement in stores to signal health by “using such things as recycled paper,” avoiding overpackaging, and placing the products in “the upscale nutrition sections of chain stores.”6 “It’s only a matter of time,” Holbrook tells Adweek,”until healthy living products seem more interesting and innovative than the alternative.” In addition to using the green packaging cues so that products look healthy, Holbrook says companies should use other techniques for making the consumer aware of the company’s dedication to health. General Mill’s Cheerios, for example, is “empowering children to be the advocates for healthy living in the family” with an ad that shows a young child helping keep his father’s heart hea... --- ## Using media advocacy to influence policy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/using-media-advocacy-to-influence-policy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 43 > Citation Dorfman, L. Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy. Chapter 15 in R. J. Bensley & J. Brookins-Fisher (Eds.), Community Health Education Methods: A Practitioner's Guide (3rd edition). Sudbury, MA:... Citation Dorfman, L. Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy. Chapter 15 in R. J. Bensley & J. Brookins-Fisher (Eds.), Community Health Education Methods: A Practitioner’s Guide (3rd edition). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2008. Contact us for a copy --- ## Website: digitalads.org URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/website-digitalads-org/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 81 > This website exposes the immersive and often insidious practices food and beverage companies use to market their products to children and youth online, using everything from websites to mobile phones.... This website exposes the immersive and often insidious practices food and beverage companies use to market their products to children and youth online, using everything from websites to mobile phones. The foods and beverages being marketed are, by and large, among those that health experts, including the Institute of Medicine, have said children should avoid. Visit the site to learn more about digital marketing, read reports from experts on the subject, and keep up-to-date on the latest ad campaigns. --- ## Reading between the lines: Understanding food industry responses to concerns about nutrition URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/reading-between-the-lines-understanding-food-industry-responses-to-concerns-about-nutrition/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5321 > All eyes seem to be turning to food these days. Cities around the country, following New York's lead, are considering banning trans fats. School districts are removing junk food. Celebrity... All eyes seem to be turning to food these days. Cities around the country, following New York’s lead, are considering banning trans fats. School districts are removing junk food. Celebrity chefs are trying to improve what comes out of the school lunch room.The Federal Trade Commission and the Institute of Medicine are investigating food and beverage company marketing practices targeting children. Food companies are feeling the heat. Concerned about rising rates of diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases, public health advocates are demanding change. And the food and beverage industry is responding.Periodic news flurries report company promises to limit advertising to children and improve the nutritional quality of their products. Wendy’s promised to remove trans fats. Kraft promised to stop advertising certain products to children under 11. Soda companies promised not to sell soda in elementary and middle schools.The response has been so marked, in fact, that an editorial in Advertising Age called on the food industry to stop acquiescing to critics’ demands and instead fight back.1 Consider one example. In September 2006 Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, announced it will introduce a new line of “baked, vitamin-fortified fruit and vegetable chips” to sell in the produce aisle.2 This seems like a positive step — after all, the more options there are for fruits and vegetables, the more chances people will have to get their recommended daily servings. But Advertising Age reports that the new products “are intended … to improve Frito’s image as critics rally against obesity-causing fatty foods like its mainstay potato and tortilla chips.”3 How should advocates interpret Frito-Lay’s action? When a food or beverage company does something that might be good for health, should public health groups congratulate them publicly? If not, why not? What do these promises mean? When companies’ words don’t match their deeds the answers are not always clear. This Framing Brief describes how food and beverage companies are reacting to pressure from public health groups and explores the implications for framing public health’s responses to those actions. How are food companies responding to concerns about nutrition? In an ideal world food companies would be able to increase profits and improve health at the same time. Some companies may want to do this, and we want them to succeed. But there is an inherent tension between food and beverage companies profiting from business as usual and the new concerns about health. The Wall Street Journal confronted this tension in an interview with the CEO of McDonald’s. The Wall Street Journal: You’ve made it a priority to put a big emphasis on health and nutrition both in the menu and in the marketing. Is the message compatible with burgers and french fries and milkshakes? Jim Skinner, CEO of McDonald’s: What I put an emphasis on is what we call balanced, active lifestyles. When you look at the kinds of choices we’ve provided, we’ve done more work here than probably any other restaurant company in trying to be part of the solution.We are not going to solve the world’s obesity problem. But what we can do is be productive and be part of the solution. We are not prescribing what people should eat. I don’t say to you: “Get up in the morning, and if you don’t eat apple slices you’re going to have a problem.” We have to provide choices so that you say, “I can go there because there’s a choice that makes me feel good.” But we have to remember who we are. We were a hamburger company. That’s the way we started.4 Jim Skinner’s answer reveals several themes, or frames, that appear regularly in industry responses to concerns about health. Frames are the conceptual underpinning for how people understand what they see and hear. Different frames will suggest different interpretations, different values, and different roles for individuals or government in solving problems. Philip Morris provides us with a good example of how a corporation tries to frame public thinking. In an internal company presentation in 1993, Philip Morris outlined its strategy to eliminate discussion of health and safety around cigarettes by changing the focus of — we would say reframe — the issue:”Cigarette tax become[s] an issue of fairness and effective tax policy. Cigarette marketing is an issue of freedom of commercial speech. Environmental tobacco smoke becomes an issue of accommodation. Cigarette-related fires become an issue of prudent fire safety programs. And so on.”5 Food and beverage companies also want to frame how the public views them.The frames from food and beverage companies emphasize personal responsibility over environmental factors, try to shift attention to exercise rather than food, and highlight choice. We can see each of these frames, and a few more, in the statement from Skinner. Balance, or shifting from an emphasis on food to an emphasis on activity: The first thing Skinner says in response to The W... --- ## Navigating the trade press: What are the food and beverage industries discussing? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/navigating-the-trade-press-what-are-the-food-and-beverage-industries-discussing/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 6880 > Our public conversation about food and beverage policy is influenced by many sources, including industry stakeholders. We mapped the food, beverage, and advertising trade press, a rich source of information... Our public conversation about food and beverage policy is influenced by many sources, including industry stakeholders. We mapped the food, beverage, and advertising trade press, a rich source of information on the industries that, to a large degree, determine what Americans eat. Introduction Public health advocates are often at a disadvantage when facing corporate heavyweights from the alcohol, tobacco, food, and firearm industries simply because they are not privy to the same information about products, consumers, marketing and advertising, and other forces that drive the industry. Tobacco control advocates learned this first, and created some of the earliest electronic advocacy tools as mechanisms for sharing information about the industry; now they mine the tobacco industry documents for insights into corporate strategies. Alcohol control advocates have benefited from the Marin Institute’s unparalleled alcohol industry and policy database which makes accessible articles from the industry’s own literature — expensive and exclusive, but highly informative publications like Beer Insights and Issues, along with more popular periodicals like Advertising Age. For violence prevention advocates, the Violence Policy Center watchdogs the firearms industry, sends out electronic alerts, and guides advocates to the key publications they should watch to stay informed, such as American Rifleman magazine. Public health advocates working to prevent obesity need the same understanding of the food, beverage, and advertising1 literatures as their colleagues have built for tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. This report takes the first step on a similar path for obesity by determining which are the few “must read” periodicals from the food, beverage, and advertising industries. We have identified and assessed the key industry periodicals, including standard advertising industry magazines such as AdWeek and Advertising Age, the Marketplace section of the Wall Street Journal, and other more specialized journals from the food and beverage industries such as Beverage World and Food Processing. Methods To identify and assess the trade press, we first compiled a list of periodicals from the bibliographies of recent books on food in the United States.2 We augmented this list with literature available in the Haas Business and Economics and the Bioscience libraries at UC Berkeley, the UC Davis and San Jose State University libraries, and other academic and on-line sources. We were especially interested in identifying sources that routinely discuss the introduction of new products, promotions, and other issues of potential interest for public health advocates and for journalists covering these industries. The result is an annotated bibliography listing those publications, with a description of the kinds of information in each. This report summarizes highlights from the bibliography and explains how regular monitoring of the industry literature might aid advocacy efforts to prevent and reduce obesity. How to use this information This report emphasizes several periodicals from the bibliography that, in our opinion, provide insight into how the food industry thinks — at least how it thinks in public. If advocates regularly review these sources, they will be on top of the issues that head the food and beverage industries’ agenda. Below we describe these sources, how often they appear, where to find them, and what to expect when you peruse them. The food and beverage industries are complex and broad in scope. The number of products itself is dizzying, and the business and science associated with food cultivation and production, including agriculture, marketing, transportation, cooling, manufacturing, processing, storing, freezing, flavoring, coloring, distribution, hospitality, and consumer research, characterize a field with innumerable sub-categories and specializations, all of which have their own publications and concerns. What we have compiled here is a broad survey of this literature. The bibliography of more than 200 titles from the food, beverage, and advertising industries is available to download at http://bmsg.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/bmsg_appendix_food_industry_sources_0-1.xls. The spreadsheet includes the titles, publishers and Internet addresses of the listed publications in addition to descriptions of content. Many food products or special aspects of the industry have their own trade associations, such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association or the Sugar Association, and their Web sites and electronic publications provide a wealth of information for their members. The most current and comprehensive sources of information across sectors of the food and beverage industries are typically Web-based and may require membership and/or subscriptions for access to the full on-line content. The Grocery Manufacturers of America and the Food Institute are the most prominent of these broad-spectrum Web sites, and are included in t... --- ## Interactive food & beverage marketing: Targeting children and youth in the digital age — brief report URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/interactive-food-beverage-marketing-targeting-children-and-youth-in-the-digital-age-brief-report/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 6901 > Today, U.S. children are confronting myriad diseases associated with excessive weight gain and poor nutrition. Type 2 diabetes, a serious medical condition previously found only in adults, has become common... Today, U.S. children are confronting myriad diseases associated with excessive weight gain and poor nutrition. Type 2 diabetes, a serious medical condition previously found only in adults, has become common in children and adolescents.1 Government agencies and public health professionals have become increasingly concerned over the role of advertising in promoting “high-calorie, low-nutrient” products to young people.2 Most of the policy debate has focused on TV commercials targeted at young children. However, marketing now extends far beyond the confines of television and even the Internet, into an expanding and ubiquitous digital media culture.3 The proliferation of media in children’s lives has created a new “marketing ecosystem” that encompasses cell phones, mobile music devices, instant messaging, videogames, and virtual, three-dimensional worlds.4 These new marketing practices are fundamentally transforming how food and beverage companies do business with young people in the twenty-first century. The findings presented here are based on a larger report. Multicultural marketing Food companies are working with a growing number of ad agencies, market research firms, and consulting groups that specialize in developing digital strategies for targeting African-American and Latino children and youth. These multicultural marketing efforts have produced a variety of techniques tailored to specific ethnic groups, including African Americans and Hispanics who are deemed less cynical about and more receptive to advertising.i For example, African-American youth are considered particularly good candidates for “urban marketing” campaigns that employ peer-to-peer and viral strategies.ii “Hispanic and African American audiences,” explained one multicultural marketing expert, “are already utilizing mobile tools, such as text messaging, that are at the heart of most successful mobile campaigns at a much higher rate than the general population.”iii A presentation by the Interactive Advertising Bureau advised marketers: “Hispanics are best reached with an integrated multi-media message which entertains, engages, and provokes action.” Among the most effective ingredients for successful campaigns are “emotion” (particularly “humor”), “advergames,” “viral marketing,” and “email registration.”iv Annual “U.S. Multicultural Kids” reports by Nickelodeon and Cultural Access Group provide a steady stream of useful market research on patterns of media use and product consumption among young ethnic consumers, in order to “optimize relevant and impactful brand relationships.”v According to the 2006 report, minority children have particularly strong influence on what their parents purchase, including decisions about snacks, breakfast foods, and other packaged food brands.vi Cheskin—a market research company whose clients include Nestlé, Coca-Cola, ConAgra, and General Mills—conducted a “video profile” of 30 bicultural U.S. Hispanic teens, 13-19, titled “Nuestro Futuro: Hispanic Teens in Their Own Words.” Promotional copy for the video promised marketers an intimate look into the lifestyles and longings of this lucrative youth demographic: “They live on MySpace.com and shop at Abercrombie, but listen to Spanish radio and embrace diversity. They’re proud of their unique individuality and their collective Hispanic heritage. It’s no secret that U.S. Hispanic teens are an appealing segment and a challenging one. So what’s the secret to reaching them?”vii Burrell Communications Group, Advertising Age’s “Multicultural Agency of the Year” for 2005, refers to its specialty as “Yurban Marketing”®. In a 2006 speech, co-CEO Fay Ferguson discussed effective ways for reaching young African Americans, describing a recent online campaign for one of the agency’s clients, McDonald’s, that “capitalized on the audience’s heavy involvement with NBA basketball.” Combining “All-Star updates, a sweepstakes and a branded game” on BET.com, the interactive promotion yielded impressive results: “an average visit to the McDonald’s-branded content area lasted more than 20 minutes, and more than 37 percent of site visitors played the game for an average of 25 minutes each.”viii “Generation digital” Approximately 70% of children 8-11 go online from home. Of those, 37% use instant messaging and 35% play games.ix 93% of 12 to 17 year-olds use the Internet; more than half of online teens (55%) use social networks.x Of the more than 25 million 12-17 year-olds in the U.S., 20 million are gamers.xi A majority of 13 to 17 year-olds (57%) have cell phones. Teenagers are more likely than other mobile users to use their phones to access shopping guides and get movie and restaurant information.xii 57% of online teenagers post their own “user-generated content” on the Web, including photos, stories, art work, audio, and video.xiii Mobile marketing Cell phones are one of the most important digital platforms for marketing to young people, enabling companies to directly target user... --- ## Issue 16: Moving from head to heart: Using media advocacy to talk about affordable housing URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-16-moving-from-head-to-heart-using-media-advocacy-to-talk-about-affordable-housing/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 9535 > This is the story of how a group of dedicated but frustrated affordable housing advocates learned to tell their story so it reflected their values and the values that resonated... This is the story of how a group of dedicated but frustrated affordable housing advocates learned to tell their story so it reflected their values and the values that resonated with policy makers. What they thought would be a simple refresher course in working with the media transformed their own understanding of affordable housing, how to talk about it, and, ultimately, what was done about it. The story begins in 2003 when Oregon was fast becoming one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. The cost of owning a home in Oregon had been rising dramatically, and in both the cities and rural areas, rents had been rising steadily as well. The growing expense of either owning or renting safe, decent housing was becoming increasingly out of reach for low-income Oregonians. Advocates knew that the need for state and local jurisdictions to provide public funding for affordable housing was more important than ever. But despite their in-depth knowledge and fierce passion, advocates for affordable housing had been getting nowhere with the Oregon legislature. “We were getting our butts kicked,” said Michael Anderson of the Community Development Network, a trade association representing 20 community development corporations in the Portland metropolitan area. Anderson and other advocates, including Janet Byrd of the Neighborhood Partnership Fund, had come to Salem, Oregon’s state capital, to promote affordable housing policies during that year’s legislative session. But the advocates couldn’t even get a committee hearing on any of their proposed bills. The advocates’ primary policy goal was to persuade the state legislature to exempt Portland from a 1989 law that blocks local jurisdictions from instituting Real Estate Transfer Fees. These fees on real estate transactions can serve as an ongoing source of funding for affordable housing. Some advocates believed such a fee could generate $30 million annually in the Portland metropolitan area to help shelter low-income individuals. Yet not all the affordable housing advocates agreed that the Real Estate Transfer Fee should be the primary policy goal. The Housing Lobby Coalition, a group that had joined together to enact Oregon’s first Housing Trust Fund in the early 1990’s, like Anderson’s group, was advocating to preserve Oregon’s Housing Trust Fund and to extend the “sunset clause” on the Affordable Housing Tax Credit. But the Housing Lobby Coalition did not support the Real Estate Transfer Fee because it did not believe it was politically feasible. Paul Rainey, lobbyist for the Association of Oregon Housing Authorities, a collection of 23 statewide agencies that manage public housing and federal rent assistance programs, lamented that housing groups both inside and outside the Housing Lobby Coalition too often worked at cross-purposes. “We were always checking on each other, making sure another group wasn’t doing something that hurt our interests,” said Rainey. The increasingly fragmented approach to housing was starting to hurt everyone. The advocates’ frustration drove them to reassess how they did their work. Over the years, housing advocates had frequently talked with legislators in Salem and distributed fact sheets describing their policy goals. These tactics and others, such as maintaining a media list and issuing news releases, had helped these groups win some housing victories at both city and state levels. But efforts to obtain significant regional or statewide policies were failing, and had been faltering for some time. While the advocates were able to push through some small bills that year, they could not prevent the state legislature from removing $6 million from the Housing Trust Fund. Nor were they able to get the life of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit extended. The Real Estate Transfer Fee, the “Holy Grail” in the eyes of some advocates, seemed no more attainable than it had been when the Portland housing advocates first started pursuing the policy more than 13 years before. Like Michael Anderson and Janet Byrd, Paul Rainey and his allies had hoped to accomplish more during the 2003 state legislature. “That was a frustrating session…overall we saw a reduction in available funds for affordable housing, as we were losing to other politically popular issues,” Rainey said. Highlighting how diffuse their advocacy approach had been, he concluded, “We didn’t have a strong voice or collaboration.” Advocates felt that if affordable housing were to make it onto the legislative agenda the next time around, the housing groups would have to try something new. Trying a new strategy: Emulating a successful coalition While housing advocates were experiencing frustrating defeats in Oregon, a powerful housing coalition was at work elsewhere, communicating with a state legislature that routinely allocated millions of dollars for affordable housing on an annual basis. In the state of Washington, the 15-year old Washington Low Income Housing Alliance had advoc... --- ## The problem with obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-problem-with-obesity/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1277 > Obesity has become the popular term for a set of problems that result in premature death and injury from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is a convenient term, but... Obesity has become the popular term for a set of problems that result in premature death and injury from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is a convenient term, but we should stop using it. This framing brief explains why. How is obesity currently being framed? The word “obesity” triggers in people more then a technical idea about “energy balance” or people burning fewer calories than they consume. This is because people understand words only as part of larger systems of ideas called frames. Ideas about what obesity means, or why it happens, are the unspoken parts of the frame that appear automatically in people’s heads when they hear the word. Current popular frames on obesity center around appearance and health. These frames include the idea that the direct cause of obesity is overeating and that overeating is bad for health and bad for appearance. But the frames evoke more than that. Expressed in terms of character, people become obese when they lack willpower. And, even more deeply embedded is the idea that people who lack willpower are of poor character. These underlying assumptions about obesity can be evoked whenever obesity is referred to, without ever saying, for example, “willpower” or “character.” Willpower and character can be evoked — packaged with obesity — regardless of whether the speaker intends them to be included, simply because those concepts have previously regularly been coincident with obesity. In this sense,”lack of willpower” is the default frame for obesity. But willpower is only part of the story because people make choices about what to eat or whether to exercise in the context of an environment. Creating schools and neighborhoods where healthy foods are widely available will have a beneficial effect on all kinds of health outcomes, including obesity. Reframing obesity will make it easier to help people understand how changes in the environment can help. What’s wrong with how obesity is framed now? Obesity is a bodily condition, not a social condition‰ — people are obese, communities or neighborhoods aren’t obese. Using the term makes it harder to illustrate the conditions that inhibit healthy eating and activity. Specifically: Obesity narrows the problem, elevating one risk factor above others. Obesity is only one of many risk factors for diabetes and heart disease and in some cases may not be the most important one. Skinny people can also be malnourished and at risk for diabetes. A focus on obesity obscures the other risk factors and equates thinness with health. A focus on weight instead of nutrition may lead people to adopt popular weight-loss diets rather than eating nutritious foods. Obesity is stigmatizing. The stigmatization can lead to extreme responses like bulimia or anorexia. Less extreme responses are also damaging: obese people may be too ashamed to exercise and so avoid health promoting behaviors. There is also evidence that obese women are discriminated against in health care settings and as a result avoid or postpone seeking medical care. This is about more than feelings; stigmatization can put people’s health at risk. A focus on obesity favors powerful stakeholders like the food, pharmaceutical, and diet industries. The food industry benefits when the focus is on obesity because the way obesity is typically framed puts the blame on the person with the problem. The food and beverage industry can blame people’s inability to control themselves and argue that problem “users,” not problem products or problem promotions, cause obesity. This argument is akin to the way the alcohol industry benefits if the public focuses on alcoholics rather than the broad spectrum of alcohol problems. Pharmaceutical companies benefit from an individualized focus on obesity because it medicalizes the problem, suggesting drugs and surgery as the solutions. And, of course, the diet industry benefits because overweight and obese people are a key market for diet plans and products, despite the fact that little evidence shows diet products to be beneficial and in many cases may do more harm than good. “Obesity” moves the conversation downstream. Because obesity is considered a personal condition, not a social condition, the term keeps the conversation focused downstream on the bodies of specific individuals, making it harder to shift the focus upstream to the conditions that inhibit healthy eating and physical activity for the overall population. If we don’t say “obesity” then what should we say? Currently there is no easy answer to this question. The challenge is to reframe the concept of obesity so that it can be more easily understood as an issue that is social, economic, and political in nature. We need new terminology that encompasses obesity but names the problem in the settings and circumstances that surround individual decision-making about what food to eat and whether to move more or move less. The task for reframing is to be able to describe these issues so they invoke the en... --- ## Video: Fighting junk food marketing to kids URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-fighting-junk-food-marketing-to-kids/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-21 Words: 38 > Food and beverage corporations' marketing practices go far beyond TV advertising. This video illustrates the extent of the problem and what local groups can do about it. Contact us for... Food and beverage corporations’ marketing practices go far beyond TV advertising. This video illustrates the extent of the problem and what local groups can do about it. Contact us for a DVD version. Also available in Spanish. --- ## Video: Luchemos contra la promocin de alimentos chatarra entre los niños URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/video-luchemos-contra-la-promocin-de-alimentos-chatarra-entre-los-ninos/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 45 > La mercadotecnia de las industrias de alimentos y bebidas insalubres no se cumple con los anuncios de televisión. Este video demuestra el alcance del problema, y presenta soluciones para partidarios... La mercadotecnia de las industrias de alimentos y bebidas insalubres no se cumple con los anuncios de televisión. Este video demuestra el alcance del problema, y presenta soluciones para partidarios de comunidades. Póngase en contacto con BMSG para obtener un DVD. Tambien disponible en Inglés. --- ## Framing the economic benefits of investments in early childhood development URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/framing-the-economic-benefits-of-investments-in-early-childhood-development/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5060 > The early childhood development (ECD) field has been energized by a chorus of new voices from outside its ranks: economists. Through fresh analyses and close examinations of existing data, several... The early childhood development (ECD) field has been energized by a chorus of new voices from outside its ranks: economists. Through fresh analyses and close examinations of existing data, several renown economists — including Nobel Laureate James Heckman — have determined that public entities will find excellent returns on their investments in quality ECD programs. The economic benefits case is gathering steam as the data are analyzed from long-term studies and new research is conducted. The economists’ arguments reinforce what those in the ECD field have known for some time: that benefits from quality ECD programs accrue not only to individual children and families, but also to society as a whole. But explaining that fact to those outside the field, however, has not been easy. The purpose of this working paper is to make that job easier by explaining how to frame the exciting findings from economists so non-economists, including policy makers, advocates of ECD programs, and the public, will more easily see their value. There are at least two reasons that we need to think through how best to communicate what the economists have concluded about investments in quality ECD programs. First, the jargon in the field is short-hand for broader concepts that may not be well understood. The concepts need clear, simple explication. Second, the language we use to express ourselves — jargon or not — triggers specific interpretations in audiences, sometimes interpretations that we don’t intend or support. We need to be sure that the language we use logically leads to the policy out-come we seek, in this case, substantial investments in ECD programs that produce successful results. The language we use is generated from the underlying framework we have operating in our minds that we use to understand what ECD is and how it fits into the world around us. After summarizing the messages that these compelling analyses suggest, the paper delves into what “frames” are and why they matter. It then suggests two frames that will help audiences recognize the benefits of ECD. It concludes with specific examples of how advocates for ECD programs can use the frames when making presentations or answering questions. Message summary The beauty of the economic arguments overall, and why the ECD field is abuzz, is that they are simple, compelling, upheld by research, and being touted by those without a preexisting interest in children. Leading economists have simply done the math and confirmed what every parent and first grade teacher knows: investing in kids pays off. Benefits accrue for children themselves, their siblings, their families, the neighborhoods where they live, and society at large. To take full advantage of the power of their analyses and their novelty as champions for investments in ECD, economists and those trumpeting their arguments should frame the benefits of investing in ECD as a social good: Explain that what we give to children we get back many times over. We get a huge return on our investment because quality ECD goes further than simply preparing individual children for their personal success. Quality settings prepare children together, in groups, so they learn how to interact, solve problems, work through frustration, and form community. The investment in quality ECD matures and multiplies, resulting in a population that knows the value of working together. Say clearly that not only our economy but our democracy depends on what we provide for our youngest citizens. The children benefit from quality ECD as individuals because they do better in school and better in life. Families benefit because their children do better, so family life is better. The economy benefits because schools improve, crime goes down, and the workforce is better prepared. But most important, our society benefits because children who participate in quality ECD are better prepared to be citizens in democracy. Emphasize the implications of the economic findings not just for individual children and families, but for society as a whole. The benefits of quality ECD translate to the next generation; the investment in a child now is realized immediately and realized once again much later when that child has children. The benefits spread across time and across communities. Repeat the values frame as often as possible. Facts are important, but alone will not sway audiences. Policy makers will choose to support investments in quality ECD because of why it matters to them and their constituents. Remind them that tomorrow’s democracy is dependent upon what we provide for children today. Acknowledge the role of personal responsibility but help people see what enables it. Parents are, of course, responsible for their children, but the economists’ findings tell us that there are other important determinants of children’s success in addition to what parents are doing. No one needs to be reminded of parents’ role, but most everyone needs help understanding the... --- ## More than a message: Framing public health advocacy to change corporate practices URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/more-than-a-message-framing-public-health-advocacy-to-change-corporate-practices/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 8285 > If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers. — Thomas Pynchon (2000) Public health educators are often confronted by challenging arguments... If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers. — Thomas Pynchon (2000) Public health educators are often confronted by challenging arguments from companies that produce harmful products. Tobacco companies say they sell a legal product. Alcohol companies insist that most people drink responsibly and that the companies should not be blamed if some people abuse their products. Junk food purveyors say that it is the parents’ responsibility to control what children eat. Car companies say that the key to greater safety on the road is changes in drivers’ behavior. Public health educators often struggle to respond to such arguments. They are put on the defensive, and the language does not come easily. It is no wonder — after all, each industry argument is truthful, if incomplete. One reason public health advocates have difficulty responding may be that they do not understand that public health language needs to be rooted in a framework of values. The good news is that in fact, public health has a clear, consistent set of values that can guide health educators’ messages. Just as the corporate arguments are organized along a consistent set of values, public health advocates can reframe issues with the same level of confidence and consistency to reflect broader public health goals. Public health and social justice For more than a generation, public health practitioners have been guided by the work of Daniel Beauchamp (1976), who argues that the ethic of public health is social justice. “Public health should be a way of doing justice,” Beauchamp wrote, “a way of asserting the value and priority of all human life” (p. 8). Beauchamp called for newly constructed collective definitions of public health problems that clearly communicate “that the origins of [death and disability] lie beyond merely individual factors” (p. 9), despite the fact that individual factors must, of course, be acknowledged. The biggest barrier to achieving social justice is the competing ethic of market justice. Market justice is rooted in the basic notion of Adam Smith’s (2000) invisible hand, the idea that the market will naturally respond to the desires of the people and so the unfettered marketplace is the best way to serve those desires. Market justice ideals have long dominated political and cultural life in the United States. Much of the debate on policy issues concerns whether or how to restrain the marketplace with regulation. Regulation is always seen as a constraint on the free market, to be tolerated only in limited circumstances. It is no surprise then that market justice dominates current thinking and practice in public health. Politicians’ focus on tax cuts as a means of unleashing market power and solving societal problems is a good example of how public health suffers when market justice predominates. Services for helping people and policies for protecting people are left unfunded as tax cuts are embraced and available funds disappear. Without a shift to social justice, says Beauchamp (1976), progress in public health will be thwarted. A shift to stronger social justice values would bring greater public health gains for communities and individuals because policies to ensure equitable public health outcomes would be put in place to counter the ill effects of the market (see Table 1). The fight against tobacco can be seen as one clearly successful example of the shift that Beauchamp (1976) advocated. Tobacco has been fundamentally redefined from an individual problem called smoking to a public issue called tobacco, from a focus on blaming the smoker to a focus on the role of industry and the government. Consequently, strategies are now directed toward creating rules that hold the tobacco industry disproportionately, but fairly, accountable for the death and disability it has caused. A new definition of the problem exposed the limits of the norm of individual responsibility, challenged the market justice ethic driving public policy, and made room for a shift toward collective solutions emphasizing social justice. Public health is, arguably, a long way from completing its task, but surely, the tide has turned and we are headed toward a world with less tobacco, not more. Practitioners working in other public health arenas are now eyeing tobacco control enviously, wondering if similar tactics will work to advance fairer policy approaches to obesity and other public health problems. Certainly, this is possible and there is much to learn from successes, and failures, in tobacco control. Fundamentally, however, the shift must be tied to a core set of values, and for public health, those values should reflect social justice. As Beauchamp (1976) explains, The central problems remain the injustice of a market ethic that unfairly protects majorities and powerful interests from their fair share of the burdens of prevention, and of convincing the public that the task of protecting the public’s health li... --- ## Meta messaging framing your case and reinforcing your allies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/meta-messaging-framing-your-case-and-reinforcing-your-allies/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5190 > In October 2003, The Praxis Project was honored to host a rather informal conversation of some of the smartest, most visionary communications strategists of our time -- Charles Fulwood of... In October 2003, The Praxis Project was honored to host a rather informal conversation of some of the smartest, most visionary communications strategists of our time — Charles Fulwood of MediaVision USA, Gwen McKinney of McKinney Public Relations, George Lakoff and Lawrence Wallack of the Rockridge Institute, and Berkeley Media Studies Group’s Lori Dorfman. The purpose of the discussion was to think together about the current “framing terrain” and what progressive advocates could do to make headway. Now, after a tumultuous and divisive election, many of us have focused like a laser on what was said and not said and who did a better job of articulating what, as if words alone shaped the outcome. This memo makes clear that words alone cannot shape any political outcome. Organizing. Infrastructure. Strategy. These form the foundation from which power is built. Messaging helps us clarify and communicate so that we can help expand our base and affect the public conversation. This memo was inspired by that conversation in important ways, as well as by much that has happened in the intervening months. The gathering did not produce a consensus and this document is not a summary of what was said. It only draws from the conversation in places. This memo focuses on an idea that Praxis has been playing with over the last few years with a number of partners across the country. We are grateful to Lark Corbeil of Public News Service, Youth Media Council and Berkeley Media Studies Group and others in the august gathering mentioned above for helping to move our thinking on this issue. This work is made possible through the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To these folk and the many others we have learned from via Praxis’ Learning Circles and discussions along the way, go our heartfelt thanks and credit for what works and none of the blame. The mistakes and shortcomings that may appear within these pages are Praxis’ alone. The Berkeley Media Studies Group did the yeoman’s work in drafting this guide. Our special thanks to Lori Dorfman for her hard work in making this memo a reality. Meta messaging: Framing what you say to make your case and reinforce your allies A message memo from the Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Praxis Project The battleground for social justice is vast: living wage in Miami, affordable housing in Portland, smoke free restaurants in New York, health care for the uninsured in Denver, fighting hunger in Los Angeles, safe streets in Oakland, gay marriage in Boston. Each issue is different, but each, in a fundamental way, is the same. Does that mean we can all say the same thing? This message memo explains how these issues are different and the same, and how, as advocates, we can make the most of it in our messages. Everyone can’t fight every battle at once. Yet we believe advocates working on issues as different as gay marriage and affordable housing can construct messages that serve their own immediate strategic needs and, at the same time, echo one another’s larger goals for social change. This memo tells you why we think that’s possible and how to do it. I. First and foremost: Message is never first or foremost The words we use to make our case are important, yet, they are never the first consideration. Persuasive overarching messages can only emerge from comprehensive planning in which program, policy, public opinion, and media objectives are integrated into consistent messages aimed at well-defined audiences. You start with where you really want to go, and plot the ride along the way. Our words, therefore, are always dependent on the actual change we want to see in the world, and how we think that change will occur. It’s why we say you can never have a media strategy without an overall strategy. It’s a simple premise, yet, often overlooked — sometimes because advocates haven’t yet figured out what they want or determined the best strategy and tactics to achieve their goal. Figure that out first, message will follow. Always. Once you know what you want and have a strategy for getting it, then come framing the message. Afterwards, of course, that message has to be delivered — to specific audiences, by selected messengers. But even the most carefully chosen and expertly delivered message will never be the only thing the audience considers. Messages are delivered in a context — some call it the “message environment.” Often it is a news context, since advocates frequently target policy makers who rely on the news to tell them what’s important. Other contexts will also influence how messages are understood by various audiences, like political or cultural contexts. Messages, therefore, are not static. They have to be developed from strategy (which changes), delivered by messengers (who change) to a target audience (which might also change) in a specific context (also in flux). The question is: how do we construct a persuasive message across a variety of issues amidst all this motion? The a... --- ## Issue 15: Obesity crisis or soda scapegoat? The debate over selling soda in schools URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-15-obesity-crisis-or-soda-scapegoat-the-debate-over-selling-soda-in-schools/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-22 Words: 4391 > Introduction In 1999 a Venice High School student asked a simple question that changed business practices in California's largest school district. She wanted to know: can the school sell 100%... Introduction In 1999 a Venice High School student asked a simple question that changed business practices in California’s largest school district. She wanted to know: can the school sell 100% fruit juice in its vending machines? Her health teacher took the question to the school’s financial manager, who, to her surprise, said no. Venice High School could not sell fruit juice because it would conflict with the school’s soda contract. From that moment, the fight was on.1 On August 22, 2002, the Los Angeles school board voted to ban soda sales in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Similar fights were underway elsewhere where students, parents, teachers, and health personnel were concerned about the growing tide of overweight and obesity. In California the year before, on December 12, 2001, the Oakland Unified School District passed a nutrition policy that included a ban on soda sales on school campuses. The Oakland and Los Angeles actions received widespread news coverage, and were among the events that reporters began to characterize as “a culture war for the new century.”2 The news coverage of the California school soda sales bans offers the opportunity to systematically analyze the public debate on this public health issue. Genuine concern about students’ health and well-being motivates supporters of the soda bans. But they are met by fierce opposition from school administrators who don’t want to lose revenue and soda companies who don’t want to lose their foothold with a burgeoning market. We wanted to learn from the news coverage how each side of this debate characterizes its position. How were the Oakland and Los Angeles Unified School Districts’ soda sales bans portrayed in the news? Were the school board actions heralded or dismissed? Who was quoted in the news coverage, and what did they say? Why study the news? Every day, there are thousands of stories waiting to be told. Some of these may directly affect our lives and those of people we know, while other stories may shed light on aspects of life that we may never have considered. It would be impossible to cover all stories each day journalists must choose what stories to cover. In selecting one story over another, journalists whittle down the thousands of possible stories into the dozens that will be brought to our attention and then become topics of public conversation and policy debate. After deciding which stories to cover, reporters and editors also make choices about how to tell the story. Reporters consider whom to quote, what facts to use, what metaphors enhance storytelling, what pictures and visual images are best, what to leave in and what to leave out. These decisions shape the story, and consequently, our understanding of the issue. Journalists’ choices legitimate certain people and viewpoints; elements included in the story are more credible than those that are excluded. Journalists’ selection process is known as news framing. Like a frame around a painting, the news frame draws attention to a specific picture and separates told from untold pieces of the story. Elements in the story are said to be in the frame; elements left out of the story are outside the frame. Frames are boundaries around a news story delineating what is and is not news. Frames are powerful because they foster certain interpretations and hinder others often without the news consumer’s awareness. Frames are central arguments or perspectives on a news story that shape the perspective of the news audience on the issue. A frame does this by providing cues that activate a scenario in the minds of the audience. Frames create tracks for a train of thought and once on that track it’s hard to get off. What we did To determine how the California soda sales bans were framed, we analyzed the content of selected news media from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2002. This sample allowed us to examine the framing both before and after passage of the soda sales bans in both Oakland and Los Angeles. To gather the sample of articles, we conducted a key word search in the LexisNexis database using the search terms “soda and Oakland Unified School District” and “soda and Los Angeles Unified School District.” The search returned 84 news and opinion pieces: 42 news articles, 30 opinion pieces (editorials, op-eds, columns and letters to the editor), eight articles from trade publications such as Nation’s Restaurant News, three television transcripts, and one radio transcript. To determine how the pieces were framed, we first read a small number of the stories to generate preliminary categories. Using these categories we coded the remaining pieces, discussed our findings, and subsequently revised the coding scheme to resolve differences and refine our initial categories. A third coder and one author then recoded the entire sample. The framing battle: From obesity crisis to soda scapegoat We found 13 frames that fall into three general areas: frames supporting the soda sales bans,... --- ## Auto hazard control: Lessons for addressing obesity from the history of auto hazard control URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/auto-hazard-control-lessons-for-addressing-obesity-from-the-history-of-auto-hazard-control/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4693 > Death and injury from motor vehicle crashes had reached epidemic levels by the 1950s and continues at unacceptably high levels today. The lessons learned in failed and successful attempts to... Death and injury from motor vehicle crashes had reached epidemic levels by the 1950s and continues at unacceptably high levels today. The lessons learned in failed and successful attempts to reduce auto crash losses can provide guideposts for obesity control efforts. From behavioral to environmental changes The early decades of motor vehicle crash injury control were devoted almost entirely to behavior-change efforts. These reflected two premises that heavily influenced public and industry policies related to injury prevention. Since all “traffic accidents” involved a driver and the driver’s actions, drivers were presumed to be the cause of severe and fatal crash injuries occurring in collisions. Indeed, the word “accident,” which is pre-scientific and fatalistic, says much about the conventional wisdom of injury prevention during those decades and, to some extent, at present. (This “blame the victim” mindset toward drivers ignores the exposure to injury of non-driver occupants in crashes, whether the driver was at fault or not.) The principal way to prevent severe and fatal injuries was to prevent “accidents.” Since these were “caused” by drivers, common sense dictated that modifying the driver behavior would achieve adequate injury control. Until the 1960s this view dominated auto crash injury control policies, and is influential even today. The problem was addressed in terms of individual behavior rather than the population-based countermeasures that an epidemiological framework would dictate. Consequently, resources have been devoted to making drivers “safe,” i.e., less likely to cause collisions, but with disappointing results. Interventions using environmental and policy changes are more apt to produce useful results than those directed purely at educating, persuading or browbeating drivers. Environmental approaches use laws and rules to govern and shape the actions of motor vehicle operators in the highway environment. These include adopting signing and signal standards, improving roadway design, setting driver licensing age and performance criteria, and mandating enforceable controls over speed and patently unsafe driving such as driving under the influence (DUI). Without doubt these steps, largely carried out at the state level, have kept highway crash death and injury increases from rising even more alarmingly. They can accurately be defined as a series of environmental alterations intended, with some success, to modify driver behavior. But can efforts directed at making drivers safer without changing the environment succeed? For an answer, it is useful to examine the history of driver education. The limits of driver education After WWII the explosion in demand for automobiles and highways led to the initiation of driver education (DE) courses in high schools across the country. Offered to teenagers as an inducement to early procurement of licenses, the courses employed cars that were provided gratis by auto companies, and coursework supported by the companies and by auto casualty insurers. Although their end purpose was to expand the purchase and use of cars by lowering the age of drivers, they were heavily touted as a way to turn young people, who are especially at risk on the highway, into “safe drivers.” Driver education thus became a mainstay of the behavior-change approach and was held to be an essential component of highway crash injury control from the early 1950s until 1968, when Daniel Patrick Moynihan authored a report for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in which he questioned the conventional wisdom favoring DE. It was not until the 1970s, however, that DE’s effectiveness or lack thereof was systematically evaluated. Starting in 1975 and continuing through the 1980s, studies found that high school DE courses had no effect of reducing collision involvement by their graduates, and in fact seemed to have a negative outcome because they increased the collision exposure of young people by putting them behind the wheel at an earlier age. DEs are no longer a high priority in auto-safety programming at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though research and demonstration projects devoted to finding ways to make DE “work” as an effective injury-control approach continue in and out of government.1 From “accident prevention” to injury control Another approach to motor vehicle crash injury control emerged in the 1930s. A few crash investigators, physicians, researchers and independent engineers were becoming aware that auto design was playing a large and ominous role in causing injuries generated in crashes. They began calling for basic design improvements that would minimize the harmful impact of energy released in a crash — improvements such as seat belts, non-lacerating windshields, and non-rigid steering columns. They recognized that the direct cause of crash injuries is occupants’ exposure to intolerably high forces over extended moments of time. These ... --- ## Alcohol: Lessons for addressing obesity from the history of alcohol control URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/alcohol-lessons-for-addressing-obesity-from-the-history-of-alcohol-control/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 3722 > Alcohol policy work has a number of important similarities to nutrition and fitness policy. Alcohol, like food, is deeply embedded into our culture and in most cultures, it is considered... Alcohol policy work has a number of important similarities to nutrition and fitness policy. Alcohol, like food, is deeply embedded into our culture and in most cultures, it is considered healthy in moderation. Drinking alcohol is associated with celebration and pleasure, relaxation and reward. Therefore, its regulation in the interest of public health and safety even in the face of high rates of alcohol related morbidity and mortality has been met with ambivalence and resistance. Shifting emphasis from mostly individual behavior to more balance between environment and behavior Work on alcohol issues for centuries was characterized as treatment of alcoholism in the main. Alcohol problems were drinking problems problems that were borne by the drinker and their family members. People with drinking problems were people with character problems. They couldn’t “hold their liquor” or resist temptation much like people think of those with food issues today. The U.S. temperance movement, led mostly by Christian women, operated out of the belief that no one could drink in moderation and resist alcohol’s “temptation to ruin”. They rebelled against a culture that seemed saturated with over drinking, alcohol-related violence and other problems and built an impressive grassroots movement (with Black and White leadership) to regulate alcohol and the alcohol environment. They helped push through the nation’s brief experiment with alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. And it was the legacy of Prohibition and the temperance movement (or more precisely the resulting backlash) that made the field focus ever so sharply on individual dependency and treatment. By 1940, no one wanted to be accused of supporting Prohibition and most attempts to regulate the alcohol environment was characterized as Prohibition the Sequel and as a result were quickly abandoned. By the 1960s, federal and municipal development policies had helped to create huge pockets of urban poverty where alcohol outlets were concentrated along with illegal drug sales and violence. During this period, there was additional federal funding for treatment centers to deal with the increases in drug use and problems (including alcohol) as well as community action programs (CAPs) to address community development issues. By the late 1970s, more and more urban treatment providers and researchers (the husband and wife team of the Fulliloves being among the most famous of the researchers) began to make the link between “place” or environment and health with regard to alcohol and other drugs. The crack epidemic of the early 1980s really brought these issues into the spotlight. Communities were clamoring for more to be done than treatment. With the nation’s greater awareness of drug problems came more public support for action for prevention beyond “Just Say No”. Boomers that might have “turned on and tuned out” in the 1960s were in 1980 raising teens of their own. The resulting shift toward more policy-focused approaches occurred as a result of several intersecting initiatives occurring during this period: Government and foundation funding of local, community-based prevention coalitions to work on drug policy, including alcohol, primarily through the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (primarily through Fighting Back) Government and foundation funding of alcohol policy research (and collaboration between researchers) that helped to create the institutionalization of a cohort of researchers on alcohol policy and environmental approaches. The formation of The Marin Institute, Alcohol Research Group, Center on Alcohol Studies, Trauma Foundation, and the expansion of alcohol work at the Prevention Research Center were all part of this growing “researcher community”. The establishment of neighborhood groups and other grassroots community organizations growing out of the Pacific Institute for Community Organizing (PICO) and other Alinsky model networks. These groups focused on very local issues and alcohol policy (due to its impact) was a central part of the agenda. Expansion into alcohol related work by organizations coming out of the consumer protection movement (e.g., Center for Science in the Public Interest, Advocacy Institute) and expansion into alcohol policy work by alcohol groups previously focused on treatment and prevention (e.g., Mothers Against Drunk Driving, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence). In fact, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) made a significant impact on state and federal policy when they shifted more of their resources and efforts toward legislative advocacy and less on individual behavior change (designated drivers and the like). MADD brought a broad base, moral authority and significant funding to the table that were leveraged for legislative efforts like laws to lower the legal amount of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) allowed while driving and the 1984 landmark law to raise the minimum drinking age t... --- ## Guns: Lessons for addressing obesity from a public health approach to gun violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/guns-lessons-for-addressing-obesity-from-a-public-health-approach-to-gun-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2640 > The purpose of this memorandum is to review the history of the public health approach to gun violence prevention, with a focus on certain aspects of firearm policy-making in the... The purpose of this memorandum is to review the history of the public health approach to gun violence prevention, with a focus on certain aspects of firearm policy-making in the United States, so that it can be determined whether there are lessons to be learned from those experiences that will relate to policy changes regarding nutrition and obesity. The shift from behavioral approaches to policy approaches to reduce gun violence Guns have long been prevalent in American culture and have taken a heavy toll in morbidity and mortality, but gun violence was not seen as a public health issue until relatively recently. Traditionally, gun violence was viewed as involving crime or mental health problems, and most interventions to reduce gun violence focused on altering the behaviors of maladjusted people. There are several reasons for the delayed recognition of gun-related injuries as a public health problem. First, the scope of the problem was masked because the number of gun related deaths was traditionally fractionated among homicides, suicides, and unintended deaths; i.e., only in the past few decades did researchers aggregate all gun deaths in providing the descriptive epidemiology of gun mortality. Second, it was generally believed that the approaches to reducing gun deaths were wholly dependent upon and different for the specific intents associated with the deaths (homicidal, suicidal, and unintentional). There was no realization that firearm policies to reduce homicides might also affect suicides and unintended deaths. Third, the field of injury prevention within the discipline of public health did not mature until the 1970s, and therefore, modern understandings of the theoretical underpinnings for gun violence prevention were delayed until that time. Beginning about 1980, the field of injury prevention recognized that guns were the second leading cause of injury deaths in the United States (surpassed only by motor vehicle-related deaths), and that a focus on the product associated with all of these deaths might aid in prevention. This is one of the great contributions of the fields of public health and injury control. Rather than relying solely on changing the behaviors of those at risk of injury or disease, public health looks at the agents, vehicles and vectors associated with morbidity and mortality, as well as the social and physical environments. Public health realizes that it is often insufficient to exhort people to be careful in avoiding risks. If you want to reduce the incidence of water-borne cholera, consider removing the pump handle from a contaminated well in addition to asking people to boil their water. If you want to reduce highway fatalities, make cars crashworthy so that when the foreseeable crash occurs, the decelerative forces on the car’s occupants are managed at non-fatal levels, as well as asking people to drive more carefully. If you want to reduce gun-related deaths, formulate policies that address gun design, distribution, and possession in addition to trying to manage anger and depression among the gun-toting population. It was also discussed for the first time in the early 1980s that gun policies would likely vary in their effectiveness depending upon what aspect of guns were addressed by the policy. A suggestion was made that we think of a gun as having a “lifespan” with several important stages in that lifespan that could be the foci of policy efforts to reduce gun violence. Those stages are the “birth” or manufacture of the gun including decisions made about its design, the sale of the gun, its possession (or carrying), and finally its use when the trigger is pulled. While most gun policy at the time addressed the last of these stages, the suggestion was made that policy would be most effective in preventing gun-related deaths if the policy focus was shifted back to the early stages of the gun’s lifespan. It should be easier to control the design of the gun than to control the behaviors of millions of people into whose hands new guns are placed every year. And by controlling the design of the gun (perhaps by legislation, regulation, and litigation), deaths can be averted. Guns can have more safety devices, such as loaded chamber indicators and magazine disconnect devices, and guns can be made so that they are operable only by authorized persons. Curious toddlers or depressed teenagers who find a gun in their homes should not be able to discharge the gun. The half million guns that are stolen each year in the United States in home burglaries would be inoperable by the thieves, if the design of guns was controlled by meaningful policies. In a relatively short period of time, the nation’s approach to preventing gun violence was materially changed, with guns being seen for the first time as household products that needed to be regulated for the public’s safety. It was recognized that our nation’s problem with gun violence involved not only the person pulling the trigger, but als... --- ## Obesity: Environmental strategies for preventing childhood obesity URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/obesity-environmental-strategies-for-preventing-childhood-obesity/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 3902 > Childhood overweight and physical inactivity have reached epidemic levels in the United States, and they are taking a terrible toll on health. Skyrocketing obesity rates are a symptom of current... Childhood overweight and physical inactivity have reached epidemic levels in the United States, and they are taking a terrible toll on health. Skyrocketing obesity rates are a symptom of current community norms shaped by a market-driven economy that promotes overeating and sedentary behavior. Children and adults are targets of intensive marketing campaigns promoting soda, fast foods, high-calorie snacks, automobiles, and passive leisure-time activities including TV, movies, and video games. These commodities are frequently more readily available in schools and communities than healthy eating options, physical education, and attractive walking, biking, and other exercise opportunities. Background The problem of overweight affects more than 1 in 7 youth ages 6-17 (Flegal, et al., 2002; Ogden, et al., 2002). A number of factors contribute to this rising rate of childhood overweight. However, there is a consensus among scientists and medical professionals that overweight is chiefly a symptom of poor diet and lack of physical activity. (Berkey, et al., 2000; Rowlands, et al., 1999). Low physical activity levels and poor eating patterns have resulted in children experiencing increasing rates of diseases that have traditionally been thought of as adult medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Unhealthy habits are contributing to increased risk even among normal weight children. Although rates of poor nutrition, physical inactivity and diabetes are increasing among all children, disparities in these rates are related to ethnic background and socioeconomic status. A number of environmental and social factors are responsible for these differences. Preventing childhood obesity must address the social and environmental factors that undermine the health of children. Efforts to treat overweight children through dieting, drugs, or surgery only place these children at higher risk for ongoing health problems and serve to further stigmatize fat children. Focusing on prevention and changing the food and physical activity environment will help to make healthy behaviors more accessible to all children. Overweight National rates of children who are overweight are soaring. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data show that the prevalence of overweight among children from six to eleven years old increased nearly four-fold between 1963 and 2000 (Ogden et al., 2002). Among adolescents from 12-19 years old, the prevalence of overweight increased more than three-fold between 1966 and 2000 (Ogden et al., 2002). Though the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents is increasing, the rate of increase is particularly pronounced among certain ethnic groups (Ogden et al., 2002). For example, Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS) data showed that 14% of low-income California youth under the age of 12 are overweight compared to 10.7% of low-income children nationally (CMS, 2000). According to the Surgeon General (2001), overweight children face a greater risk of a host of problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, asthma, sleep apnea, chronic hypoxemia (too little oxygen in the blood), early maturation, and orthopedic problems. Overweight children also suffer psychosocial problems, including low self-esteem, poor body image, and symptoms of depression (UCB/Cooperative Extension, 2000). For girls in particular, poor self-image from being categorized as obese follows them into adulthood, resulting in fewer years of completed education, lower family incomes, and higher rates of poverty, regardless of their initial socioeconomic background (Dietz, 1998). Obese children are also hospitalized more often than children with healthy weight (Wang et al., 2002). Because overweight children are likely to become overweight adults, these children are more liable to suffer from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes in adulthood‰ÛÓall chronic, but largely preventable diseases. Physical activity The majority of children of all ages in the United States do not get enough physical activity; fully one-third are considered physically inactive (CDC, 2001). Data from the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that more than 30% of the youth responding did not participate in either moderate or vigorous physical activity over the previous week (CDC, 2001) compared to 14% in 1996 (Surgeon General, 1996). Only 3% of respondents to the 2001 YRBS met the Healthy People 2010 Objective for continuous vigorous physical activity (Pate et al., 2002). According to the YRBS survey, only 52% of students in the U.S. were enrolled in a physical education class, and only 32% attended a physical education class daily. Youth of all ethnicities are participating in less physical activity than recommended by the Surgeon General, and youth today are less physically active than youth in the past. Based on data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, amount... --- ## Tobacco: Lessons for addressing obesity from the history of tobacco control URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/tobacco-lessons-for-addressing-obesity-from-the-history-of-tobacco-control/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4500 > In the field of tobacco control, there has been a shift from primarily behavioral approaches toward policy approaches. What were the key events that facilitated this shift? The attempt to... In the field of tobacco control, there has been a shift from primarily behavioral approaches toward policy approaches. What were the key events that facilitated this shift? The attempt to reduce smoking has always involved a mix of behavioral and policy approaches. A more useful distinction differentiates education and persuasion, which dominated early tobacco control, from attempts to alter the environment in which smoking occurs. Increasing emphasis on policy measures has naturally accompanied the shift toward the latter. Restrictions on where people can smoke evolved out of frustration with the limited success achieved by education and persuasion, and tactical recognition that protecting the “innocent victim” — the nonsmoker assaulted by environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) — constituted a winning strategy. Let me illustrate. Merely 11 days after release of the first Surgeon General’s report in 1964,1 the Federal Trade Commission proposed rules requiring warning labels on cigarette packages and ads. A Congressional law in 1965 preempted the FTC’s action, mandating a modest “caution” placed on cigarette packs but omitting ads. Thus, policy was there at the beginning of the antismoking campaign. However, the very nature of that policy was an attempt to inform and educate, and implicitly to persuade people to avoid smoking. The (naÌøve) belief was that, informed of smoking’s hazards, kids would not start and adults would quit. This was reflected in the early reliance on school health education to deter future generations from becoming smokers, and simple media messages to convince adults to quit — the hallmarks of the early campaign. This inform/educate/persuade phase of the campaign lasted slightly less than a decade. This approach achieved some success — many highly educated smokers did quit — but the public health community viewed the overall response as a dismal failure. Annual adult per capita cigarette consumption declined only modestly during the decade following the first Surgeon General’s report. Yet had pre-report patterns of increasing smoking persisted, per capita consumption would have risen steadily, becoming 20-30% higher than the figure actually realized in 1975.2 Indeed, eventually adult per capita consumption would have leveled out at around 6000 cigarettes per year, compared with the peak level of 4200 attained the year before the Surgeon General’s report. (For perspective, per capita consumption fell to 2000 two years ago.) The inform/educate/persuade phase of the antismoking campaign ended, as it began, with a policy measure. In 1967, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that broadcasters had to donate airtime to the antismoking cause to balance the effect of pervasive cigarette ads. Lasting through 1970, the highly novel antismoking ads were associated with the first four-year decline in per capita consumption since the advent of the cigarette.3 As the first phase of the campaign drew to a close, recognition dawned that the nonsmoking message was failing to reach the least educated members of society. Strikingly, in the early 1960s the prevalence of smoking among college graduates did not differ much from that of Americans lacking high school degrees. By the mid-1970s, a gap of nearly 10 percentage points had opened up between the two groups, as the most highly educated quit and the least educated exhibited virtually no change in smoking prevalence. Today, fewer than 10% of college graduates smoke, while over 30% of the least educated continue to smoke. In 1972, Surgeon General Jesse Steinfeld introduced the notion that cigarette smoke might damage the health of nonsmokers.4 In 1973, Arizona adopted the first modern-era state law restricting smoking in public places. Two years later, Minnesota adopted the first comprehensive state clean indoor air (CIA) law. Today, 45 states have CIA laws on the books, with many having tightened their restrictions over time. The shift toward emphasizing the rights (and health) of nonsmokers defined the second and, in many ways, transforming phase of the antismoking campaign. In 1978, a tobacco-industry study concluded that the nonsmokers’ rights movement constituted the industry’s greatest threat.5 Savvy tobacco control activists understood the power of the nonsmokers’ rights message and played it effectively in one state and community after another. Underlying the shift toward phase two of the campaign was a palpable change of “tone”. In the early years, the antismoking campaign had a “helpful,” almost paternalistic feel to it: we, the educated, will help those who have yet to see the light. In the nonsmokers’ right era, “we” had in large part given up hope of reaching “them,” so the strategy became one of protecting ourselves from the behavior of the recalcitrant. CIA laws have succeeded in protecting nonsmokers from ETS.6 Research demonstrates as well that smoking declines among employees subject to smoking bans at work.7 The CIA era is experien... --- ## Accelerating policy on nutrition: Lessons from tobacco, alcohol, firearms and traffic safety — appendix [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/accelerating-policy-on-nutrition-lessons-from-tobacco-alcohol-firearms-and-traffic-safety-appendix-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 41 > This appendix to the preliminary report outlines the components of an infrastructure to support policy advocacy to prevent and reduce obesity: policy advocacy support, bridging, and media advocacy. It also... This appendix to the preliminary report outlines the components of an infrastructure to support policy advocacy to prevent and reduce obesity: policy advocacy support, bridging, and media advocacy. It also describes 20 research questions for accelerating progress on obesity. Download appendix > --- ## Studying the news on public health: How content analysis supports media advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/studying-the-news-on-public-health-how-content-analysis-supports-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 100 > In this article, published in the American Journal of Health Behavior, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses how analyzing the news can help advocates find ways to garner media coverage for... In this article, published in the American Journal of Health Behavior, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman discusses how analyzing the news can help advocates find ways to garner media coverage for their issue and advance policy. Findings from BMSG’s research on how two public health issues have been portrayed in the news suggest ways that advocates can make themselves — and data — more readily available to reporters. The research also underscores how journalists can improve their reporting by expanding their list of sources, including more context in their work, and asking better questions based on epidemiology. Access the article > --- ## Issue 14: Making the case for paid family leave: How California’s landmark law was framed in the news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-14-making-the-case-for-paid-family-leave-how-californias-landmark-law-was-framed-in-the-news/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-21 Words: 9472 > Introduction In February 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows workers in eligible companies 12 weeks of job-guaranteed unpaid time off to... Introduction In February 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows workers in eligible companies 12 weeks of job-guaranteed unpaid time off to care for an ill relative or a new child. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that the law applied to state workers as well. Although heralded at the time as a breakthrough for families, it has become clear that even workers who are eligible often do not take leave because they cannot afford to take the time off without pay.1 In early 2002, California State Senator Sheila Kuehl introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1661, Family Temporary Disability Insurance to provide “wage replacement benefits to workers who take time off work to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parents, domestic partner or to bond with a new child.”2 Governor Gray Davis signed SB 1661 on September 24, 2002, making California the first state in the nation to offer paid family leave. The public health benefits of paid family leave are numerous. Family leave strengthens health through the healing that comes from personal interaction and care. The opportunity for parents to remain home with a new child will facilitate bonding between parent and child. Financial support for employees to care for adult family members helps reduce or avoid costs for skilled nursing and the associated medical costs incurred if no one is available to care for an individual, not to mention providing peace of mind. Despite these benefits, SB 1661 was highly contentious. The business community vigorously opposed the legislation. Consequently, the news coverage reflected much debate between stakeholders in the months prior to the Governor’s signing the bill into law. We examined the news coverage of paid family leave, to learn from California’s experience so advocates in other states grappling with establishing their own paid family leave programs can be prepared to face reporters. We also hope this analysis will help reporters be better prepared to cover the issue comprehensively. Specifically, we wanted to discover how paid family leave was framed in the news. Did the opinions of proponents or opponents come through most clearly? What were their arguments? Who voiced these arguments, and what values did they evoke? Framing: What it is, why it’s important The process of organizing information and making meaning is called framing. In news coverage, the frame is the way an issue is defined, packaged, and presented in the news. When covering stories, journalists select certain arguments, examples, images, messages, and sources to create a picture of the issue. This selection — or omission — of arguments and voices not only indicates to readers what is important about an issue, but also what is not. In so doing, reporters indicate what or who is credible, which positions and arguments are valid, and which aspects of an issue need not even be considered. Like a frame around a painting, the news frame draws attention to a specific picture and separates told from untold pieces of the story: elements in the story are said to be in the frame; elements left out of the story are outside the frame. Frames are the boundaries around a news story; they delineate what is and is not news. Frames are powerful because they foster certain interpretations and hinder others — often without the reader’s awareness. Frames are central arguments or perspectives on a news story that shape the perspective of the news audience on the issue. A frame does this by providing cues that activate a scenario in the minds of some readers. Frames create tracks for a train of thought and once on that track it’s hard to get off.3 What we did To determine how paid family leave was framed, we analyzed the content of news media coverage of California Senate Bill 1661 as debate heated up in the months prior to the Governor’s signing the bill and the weeks following, from June 1 through October 31, 2002 (with the addition of one article from November 7, 2002). To gather the sample of articles, we conducted a key word search of all California and national newspapers in the Lexis-Nexis database for the phrases “SB 1661” and “paid family leave.” Staff from the Labor Project for Working Families (a Berkeley, California, based non-profit that led this effort) and Senator Kuehl’s office provided us with additional California and national newspaper articles as well as magazine pieces and radio transcripts. We obtained television clips from two sources: The Television News Archives at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and Multivision Inc. Vanderbilt supplied footage from the national evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC. Multivision Inc. provided local news clips for the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto and Fresno-Visalia markets as well as for national cable programs including BET, CNN Money Morning, and MSNBC. We first viewed the television news coverage to generate framing categ... --- ## Issue 13: Distracted by drama: How California newspapers portray intimate partner violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-13-distracted-by-drama-how-california-newspapers-portray-intimate-partner-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-19 Words: 10041 > Introduction As a wannabe policeman, Dan McGovern had to know the two officers would riddle him with bullets when he pulled a .45 caliber pistol out of his waistband in... Introduction As a wannabe policeman, Dan McGovern had to know the two officers would riddle him with bullets when he pulled a .45 caliber pistol out of his waistband in the chill dark of a February morning and pointed it at them. The patrolmen were waiting to arrest McGovern at his apartment after he had fractured the skull of his Russian mail-order bride. Eight police trigger pulls later the 42-year-old mechanic lay dead. Two mornings later the San Jose Mercury News would tell his story. It would not be an account of domestic violence, however, but a love story. “This is the story of Dan McGovern,” it began, “who friends and family say, loved cars, cops, guns and most of all, the woman he met after paying $3,000 to a professional matchmaking service.”1 The article barely mentioned domestic violence. Rather it portrayed a simple, but good man, driven to apparent suicide by his consuming love for a manipulative foreign bride who done him wrong. Breathing new life into old stereotypes Advocates for battered women began calling the Mercury News just hours after the paper hit their doorsteps in February 2001. The dramatic front-page story, they charged, reinforced warped stereotypes about violence between intimate partners: directing sympathy to the batterer and disparaging the victim. “I heard some people react to this story that maybe she [the wife] tricked him to get over here,” said Rolanda Pierre-Dixon, the attorney who leads the domestic violence unit at the Santa Clara County Prosecutors Office. “People were saying, ‘what a great guy!’ and ‘geez, he finally met the love of his life and she deserted him.'”2 “If I’m a woman and I’m getting beaten, and I read this story, it’s tremendously negative because my batterer is telling me all the time no one would believe me,” fumed Lisa Breen Strickland, executive director of the Support Network for Battered Women in Mountain View. “There are social norms that support domestic violence,” explained Janet Carter, managing director of the Family Violence Prevention Fund in San Francisco. Among them: “this is a normal part of marriage…a family affair…he was so angry he couldn’t help it…there must be a reason he did this. The press reflects this. The public thinks, ‘if she would just change her behavior,’ rather than if he would just change his behavior.” “It’s not a love story when a man beats a woman so seriously that she goes to the hospital with severe head injuries,” Mercury News reporter Michelle Guido complained. Even before the first calls rang in the newsroom, the editor who signed off on the story had second thoughts. “I confess I just dropped the ball,” said Marc Brown. The following day he picked it up. The Mercury News published a second story about the McGovern case. It said even broken-hearted men don’t get to crack the skulls of the women they love. Intimate partner violence in the news How news media tell the story of intimate partner violence (IPV) will have a profound effect on what our society decides to do about it. News both reflects and shapes public attitudes — and these can stimulate or stymie policies that might remedy spousal and dating violence. So it is important to discover whether the issue is overlooked or distorted in the press. Violence between those who are or have been in a romantic or sexual relationship is a vast public health problem. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports:The proportion of women experiencing IPV during a lifetime has been estimated from 25.5% to 40%, and as high as 53.6% when including psychological/emotional abuse. IPV has been reported as the most common cause of nonfatal injury to women in the United States, as well as a major source of healthcare utilization and cost, serious chronic health problems or poor physical health and psychological problems or poor mental health.3 Such violence is also the most frequent felony arrest in many jurisdictions.4 On average, more than three women are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands every day in the U.S.5 While women are disproportionately the victims and males the perpetrators, IPV also refers to male victims and same-gender couples. Beyond the toll on millions of victims’ physical and mental health, IPV also correlates with child abuse.6 Batterers often don’t stop with spouses. And because children are frequently present when spouses are abused, young ones become 7 to 15 times more likely than nonexposed children to abuse partners when they become adults.7 Without intervention, domestic violence perpetuates itself. Battered women’s advocates and feminist scholars8 have complained about how such violence has been portrayed for more than a decade. But because such research has been anecdotal — focusing on one case or another — the extent that U.S. news media downplay violence against women or shift responsibility from perpetrators to victims has been difficult to judge. Was the Mercury News’first story about Dan McGovern, the good guy gone wrong, typic... --- ## Website: Health and safety URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/website-health-and-safety/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 52 > This prototype website incorporates data and resources about violence to show how journalists can use a data-driven approach to crime reporting. It can also serve as a model for web-based... This prototype website incorporates data and resources about violence to show how journalists can use a data-driven approach to crime reporting. It can also serve as a model for web-based reporting on other public health issues. Learn here about how web shells can enhance coverage of violence and other issues. --- ## Youth violence stories focus on events, not causes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/youth-violence-stories-focus-on-events-not-causes/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 28 > Citation Dorfman, L and McManus, J. Youth Violence Stories Focus on Events, Not Causes. Newspaper Research Journal, 23(4):6-20, Fall 2002. Contact us for a copy Citation Dorfman, L and McManus, J. Youth Violence Stories Focus on Events, Not Causes. Newspaper Research Journal, 23(4):6-20, Fall 2002. Contact us for a copy --- ## Issue 12: American values and the news about children’s health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-12-american-values-and-the-news-about-childrens-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-16 Words: 10310 > Introduction Talk about "values" is prominent in public discourse these days. Much like terms such as "liberal" and "government," the term "values" often acts as political shorthand, most commonly for... Introduction Talk about “values” is prominent in public discourse these days. Much like terms such as “liberal” and “government,” the term “values” often acts as political shorthand, most commonly for the political agenda of social conservatives. Many conservatives readily invoke the term, while liberals have generally shied away, shuddering; more recently, some politicians such as Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman embraced the term “values” in hopes of neutralizing its politically polarizing power. The political use of “values,” however, has obscured a fundamental point: Values systems are crucial to any political culture, and a main root of public opinion in any society. It is rarely if ever the case that one political camp “has” values or values values while the others don’t. Rather, as students of political culture know, the culture of any society is premised on at least one values system, and often more than one. While it is tempting to identify any one culture solely by its “dominant” beliefs, many cultures are characterized by multiple values systems.1 A great deal of politics and policy-making can therefore be understood as a competition among values systems. Politicians seek to mobilize voters not simply on the basis of information, but by articulating ideas that resonate with their constituents’ ideals and aspirations — and that oppose or undermine values with which they disagree. And while they may be motivated largely by the goal of staying in power, policy-makers often also seek to make good policy.2 Of course, what is “good” policy depends largely upon the values lens through which one sees the world. The public participates in this ongoing values discourse in various ways — as voters, as respondents to opinion polls, as advocates and activists, but also as news consumers. In fact, practically speaking, most Americans interact with the values systems of their political culture chiefly by reading, watching, or listening to the news about social problems. The news media are a main source of most people’s knowledge about problems in society, as evidenced by numerous studies of the “agenda-setting” power of the media.3 News coverage of social problems provides a key public forum — or potential forum — for policy-makers, academic experts, and citizens of all sorts to talk about problems and policies that could address them. And that conversation necessarily involves at least implicit talk about values, since “the enduring values of community life [are what] give rise to controversy over particular policies.”4 This study explores how the news media convey and construct two competing American values systems: individualism and a value system that we call interconnection. While the intellectual history of these two values systems is rich and somewhat complex, the essentials of each value system can be easily understood. We describe these two values systems in the next section, followed by an analysis of how those values appear in the news about four key issues in children’s health: nutrition, immunization, traumatic injury, and insurance coverage. But first we want to highlight why it is crucial to better understand how these values shape the public image of issues such as children’s health. News coverage of social problems provides a key public forum — or potential forum — for policy-makers, academic experts, and citizens of all sorts to talk about problems and policies that could address them. Why study values in the news? We undertook this study in order to better understand what public health problems look like when viewed through these two values systems in the news. We also wanted to look for interconnection language in the news, in part to see to what degree it is present, and in part to think about how to improve it. We believe that interconnection values are an essential counterpoint to Americans’ typically individualistic understanding of social problems. In particular, the challenges associated with raising a generation of healthier children can be approached more creatively and effectively, we believe, when we can also view those problems through the lens of interconnection. But the values of interconnection in many ways directly challenge the values of individualism, and many public health experts, advocates, and other concerned citizens often seem unable to clearly articulate interconnection values in clear and resonant ways. Viewing public health problems afresh therefore becomes difficult for a public that is very accustomed to seeing social problems in individualistic terms. When individualism permeates public thinking about social problems such as improving children’s health, it limits what can be done to address those problems in at least four ways. First, individualism limits our understanding of what causes social problems by highlighting individual choice and obscuring political and corporate power and various forms of collective choice. Individualism’s emphasis on personal responsibil... --- ## Issue 11: Silent revolution: How U.S. newspapers portray child care URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-11-silent-revolution-how-u-s-newspapers-portray-child-care/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-16 Words: 6870 > Introduction Imagine a news story so big, it touches the hearts and strains the pocketbooks of 10 million American families. It's also a business story about a giant emerging industry... Introduction Imagine a news story so big, it touches the hearts and strains the pocketbooks of 10 million American families. It’s also a business story about a giant emerging industry that is beginning to rival agricultural crops in size and impact. It’s a story about women’s ability to pursue careers. It’s a science story, about advances in understanding how and when children’s brains develop capacity not just for knowledge, but also for citizenship. And it’s a political story about who and how many will enjoy the American dream. You’ll have to imagine much of this story. American newspapers great and small have paid scant attention to a sea change in how Americans care for their young children. In 1950, a minority of women worked — about one in three. Now it’s a majority — six in 10.1 In 1950 most children under the age of five were cared for at home, usually by their mothers. Today only 14% of U.S. children spend their first three years in the full-time care of a parent.2 Even the majority of mothers with children less than a year old are working or seeking work.3 Increasing gender parity in education and career opportunity, the increase in single-parent families, the growth of the workforce over the past decade, and new limits on welfare benefits have invited — or pushed — women into the workforce in unprecedented numbers. As a result, child care has become a major industry, generating billions in revenues and creating thousands of jobs. Not since the establishment of universal public education in the 19th century drew children from farms and factories into schoolhouses has there been such a turnaround in the lives of young people. At the same time, cognitive scientists have discovered that children can and do learn a great deal in their first five years and early relationships can shape what kind of people they will grow up to be.4 What’s absorbed — if the child’s environment provides them — are not just the shapes and sounds of letters, or how to hold a pencil and throw a ball, but reasoning, empathy for others and moral accountability.5 Research is unanimous that the quality of child care matters a great deal. It matters particularly for children coming from families with few resources — those unable to provide their children a richly stimulating and supportive environment at home. The most comprehensive study of child care associates high quality child care with improved school readiness and better thinking and language skills.6 Despite its importance to our society — laying the foundation for an educated and responsible citizenry — and to our economy — generating jobs and freeing parents to pursue employment — quality child care is scarce in the U.S.7 In some European nations, early childhood education is government-supported and universally available.8 But here, many parents strain to pay, often spending more for child care than for housing.9 As a result high quality care is much more accessible to the rich than poor or even middle class.10 Child care divides rather than unites us. The severe shortage of quality child care and paucity of reporting may be related. News coverage can powerfully influence which issues the public and government officials pay attention to, and which are ignored. It also provides most of the information for interpreting those issues. So we examined how care for pre-school children (those under 6 years old) has been reported in a national sample of newspapers. We chose newspapers over broadcast media because the press covers a wider array of issues and drills deeper. We examined the entire child care universe, from private homes to child care centers and pre-schools. We included all types of care providers — parents, relatives, nannies, licensed operators and others. We asked four central questions: How frequent is coverage, both on business pages and elsewhere in the paper? Which of the many issues surrounding child care are most often covered — the availability of placements, their affordability, their quality, the size and impact of the child care industry, etc.? How is child care framed? That is, which arguments or descriptions of reality get the most play, and thus have the greatest chance to influence public and official opinion? Which get the least, or are missing? For instance, how frequently do stories portray child care as inferior or superior to having a parent stay at home with children? Or describe it as a benefit business must provide to recruit top talent, particularly among women? Or as an educational intervention that might level the playing field between “haves” and “have-nots” and thus benefit society as a whole? Or as a prerequisite of successful school reform? Or as an intrusive expansion of public education, taking over tasks better left to families? Whom does the press most often quote on these issues — care providers, advocates, business people, politicians, parents, tax-payer groups, others? Since sources often are enmeshed in their own self-inter... --- ## What a health and safety section or ‘shell’ looks like on a news organization’s website URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/what-a-health-and-safety-section-or-shell-looks-like-on-a-news-organizations-website/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 1711 > Why a health and safety shell? The development of a health and safety shell for news organization websites emerged out of the Reporting on Violence project. As we worked with... Why a health and safety shell? The development of a health and safety shell for news organization websites emerged out of the Reporting on Violence project. As we worked with reporters on adding a public health approach to reporting violence, it was clear that violent crime reporting should be folded into a news organization’s health and safety coverage. After all, homicide and suicide appear in most communities’ list of top-ten premature deaths (before the average age of death in a community — in the U.S., it’s around 75 years), along with heart disease, cancer and stroke. Among the top injuries in communities are aggravated assault, much of which is violence against women and children. With the advent of news organizations using the World Wide Web as a publishing vehicle, and the news organizations’ desire to strengthen their principle news franchise — local coverage — it was a logical step to organize a crime and violence site to be part of a larger locally oriented community health and safety site. In this Web medium, daily and feature stories can be embedded in a “shell” of data and resources that add context and continuity to a topic to make it easier for readers to personalize news and put it in context. What’s a shell? Context and continuity are hard to come by in print and television. Newspapers get thrown into the daily recycle pile. TV news disappears into the ether. News organizations that initially embraced the immediacy of the Web are beginning to take advantage of two of its other most important characteristics — context and continuity. On the Web, stories of the day can sit in the middle of links to data, community resources, stories that have been previously published, and background information that don’t have to be repeated in every story on the same topic. A Web shell comprises the links to data, resources, backgrounders and archives that wrap around the stories of the day. Web shells can be compared to Russian “nesting” dolls. Story shells can live in issues shells, which can live in beat shells. A beat shell organizes the data, resources, backgrounders and archives for traditional news beats, such as sports, business, local and state government, education, health and safety, transportation, etc. Examples of good beat shells include the New York Times business site, CJOnline’s Kansas Legislature site, Lawrence Journal-World’s KU Sports site, the Sacramento Bee’s entertainment site, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Transportation site. An issue shell organizes data, resources, backgrounders and archives around an issue that the news organization is likely to cover for a while. Many news organizations dabbled in issue shells before the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, but almost all embraced them after the terrorist attack generated so much news and information. Examples of issue shells relating to Sept. 11 are the Washington Post’s America at War, the Los Angeles Times’ Response to Terror, and the PBS News Hour’s The Response. Other issue shells include TBO.com’s Hurricane WeatherCenter. The Washington Post organizes its issue shells into a “specials” section. A story shell organizes data, resources, and backgrounders in a story package. Examples: Durham Herald-Sun’s Touching Hearts, the Magnolia Plantation story in a New York Times “Race in America” series (click on “launch complete flash tour”), and the Everett (Washington) Herald Waterfront Renaissance site. What’s in a health and safety beat shell? Although many news organizations cover health as a beat, most of the stories focus on one event, person, or issue. There’s little attention paid to the overall health status of the community. Are people getting healthier in this community? Or is the community’s health deteriorating? What are the top ten causes of premature death (before the average age of death in a community – in the U.S., it’s around 75 years), and what are community leaders doing to decrease those deaths? What are the top ten chronic diseases? What are the top ten causes of injury? Are other communities doing a better job of reducing injuries and deaths? The U.S. Department of Health has set national goals on improving the health of Americans. How is this community measuring up? Many local news organizations’ health sites or sections run nationally focused stories about the newest “disease of the week,” such as SARS or West Nile virus. These stories leave readers wondering how that disease plays out in their own backyard – how much of a threat is the disease in this community? How does it compare to other diseases — is it something I need to worry about, or are the chances of me or my family getting it about the same as being hit by lightning? By knowing what the community’s major health problems are, i.e., by accumulating community health data, a news organization can provide more health information that’s relevant and useful to its readers and viewers. Adding local databases to a health Web she... --- ## Issue 10: Newspaper coverage of childhood nutrition policies URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-10-newspaper-coverage-of-childhood-nutrition-policies/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-15 Words: 4218 > Introduction News coverage can have a strong influence on how the public and policy makers interpret and respond to social issues. To advocate effectively for policies that will improve childhood... Introduction News coverage can have a strong influence on how the public and policy makers interpret and respond to social issues. To advocate effectively for policies that will improve childhood nutrition, advocates must be able to articulate a clear message that resonates with specific audiences. They have to make their case well, and make it publicly. This means they must understand the current public conversation regarding nutrition policy and how it is being framed in the news. Similarly, if journalists are going to tell the story of childhood nutrition as it is debated by different stakeholders, they should know what parts of that discussion are being emphasized and which, if any, are being neglected. For these reasons, we wanted to know how the news was covering childhood nutrition policy. To find out, we analyzed a representative sample of newspaper coverage of policy debates around childhood nutrition to determine the dominant subjects, spokespeople, and arguments being used on the issue. The purpose of the content analysis research is to give advocates a thorough grounding in the way their issue is being portrayed in the news and thus, by extension, being presented to policy makers and the public. What we did To select our sample, we searched the online Nexis database for news coverage as well as editorials, letters and opinion pieces printed in the Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, San Diego Union Tribune, and San Francisco Chronicle from July 1998 through August 2000. We chose these papers in order to understand how the relevant issues were portrayed across California, in major newspapers that are read by statewide policy makers and opinion leaders. We focused specifically on these newspapers because they are some of the news sources most critical in shaping state-level policymakers’ understanding of key public issues, and because they are also influential in setting the agenda for television news coverage. To capture any pieces having to do with policies related to childhood nutrition, school lunches/breakfasts, obesity prevention, etc., we devised a three-part key word search. We searched for pieces that contained one of the terms “child (including children, child’s, etc.) or teen or adolescent or youth” and one of the terms “nutrition or diet or fast food or school lunch or school breakfast or snack or obese (including obesity, etc.) or overweight or pouring contract” and one of the terms “policy or rule or law or legislation (including legislate, etc.) or contract.” There were more than 2000 pieces that contained that combination of key words in the five newspapers over the two years. Narrowing the search to include pieces where the search terms occurred within 30 words of each other limited the sample to 171 pieces, which were also more likely to be substantive discussions of the issues. We then eliminated duplicate stories (such as the same editorial printed in both the city and Orange County editions of the Los Angeles Times; we counted such instances as a single piece) and those that did not deal substantively with child nutrition. To qualify as substantive, at least one-third of the piece had to discuss nutrition issues, to ensure that the article was not simply a passing reference to the topic. After eliminating duplicates and nonsubstantive pieces, we were left with 88 pieces that were then coded in depth. We coded the sample to determine primary subjects, initial frames or arguments, byline, date, placement, individuals and organizations quoted, policies mentioned, and other factors. We coded for both problem definition and solutions mentioned; that is, to what do sources quoted in the newspaper attribute the problem of childhood obesity or other nutrition problems, and what solutions or policies do they suggest to remedy the problem? We worked with Project LEAN, a project of the California Department of Health Services and the Public Health Institute, in this phase to discover the issues and spokespeople they are most interested in tracking in the news. (Project LEAN’s mission is to increase healthy eating and physical activity to reduce the prevalence of chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, and diabetes.) Next we developed a coding instrument for the quantitative count of key variables and collection of basic information. We then entered decisions about research variables into a computer database in order to automate the analysis. What we found Source: The Fresno Bee had the most pieces on the subject, with 26% of the total. This was followed closely by the Sacramento Bee (23%), San Diego Union Tribune (22%), and the Los Angeles Times (18%). The San Francisco Chronicle had the fewest substantive pieces on childhood nutrition during the sample period, with 11% of the sample. Wire stories vs. local stories: We found that fully one quarter of the pieces in our sample were from wire services, such as Associated Press or Reuters, or were firs... --- ## Reporting on violence: Bringing a public health perspective into the newsroom URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/reporting-on-violence-bringing-a-public-health-perspective-into-the-newsroom/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 35 > Citation: Dorfman, L, Thorson, E and Stevens, J E. Reporting on Violence: Bringing a Public Health Perspective into the Newsroom. Health Education & Behavior, 28(4):402-419, August 2001. Contact us for... Citation: Dorfman, L, Thorson, E and Stevens, J E. Reporting on Violence: Bringing a Public Health Perspective into the Newsroom. Health Education & Behavior, 28(4):402-419, August 2001. Contact us for a copy --- ## Off balance: Youth, race & crime in the news [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/off-balance-youth-race-crime-in-the-news-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 67 > This report assesses findings from content analyses on crime news, investigating whether news coverage reflects actual crime trends; how news coverage depicts minorities and crime; and whether news coverage disproportionately... This report assesses findings from content analyses on crime news, investigating whether news coverage reflects actual crime trends; how news coverage depicts minorities and crime; and whether news coverage disproportionately depicts minority youth as perpetrators. Citation Dorfman, L and Schiraldi, V. Off Balance: Youth, Race, and Crime in the News. Building Blocks For Youth Initiative: Washington, D.C., 2001, www.buildingblocksforyouth.org. Download the full report > --- ## Videos: A public health approach to reporting on youth violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/videos-a-public-health-approach-to-reporting-on-youth-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 42 > These videos were developed as part of a project to educate journalists on how to apply a public health approach to reporting on crime and violence. They show the original... These videos were developed as part of a project to educate journalists on how to apply a public health approach to reporting on crime and violence. They show the original and revised versions of a local newscast on youth homicide. Original Revised --- ## Videos: A public health approach to reporting on hate crimes URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/videos-a-public-health-approach-to-reporting-on-hate-crimes/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 43 > These videos were developed as part of a project to educate journalists on how to apply a public health approach to reporting on crime and violence. They show the original... These videos were developed as part of a project to educate journalists on how to apply a public health approach to reporting on crime and violence. They show the original and revised versions of a local newscast on hate crimes. Original Revised --- ## Videos: A public health approach to reporting on bomb threats URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/videos-a-public-health-approach-to-reporting-on-bomb-threats/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 43 > These videos were developed as part of a project to educate journalists on how to apply a public health approach to reporting on crime and violence. They show the original... These videos were developed as part of a project to educate journalists on how to apply a public health approach to reporting on crime and violence. They show the original and revised versions of a local newscast on a bomb threat. Original Revised --- ## Issue 9: Youth and violence in California newspapers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-9-youth-and-violence-in-california-newspapers/ Type: publications Modified: 2026-10-14 Words: 6991 > Introduction In the week following Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris' bloody rampage through Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, journalists left few clues unexamined in their effort to explain the... Introduction In the week following Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris’ bloody rampage through Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, journalists left few clues unexamined in their effort to explain the tragedy. Were the wise-cracking, bomb-tossing teens on drugs? Drunk? Were they members of a violent subculture? Unsupervised by parents? Had violent media images numbed them to the painful consequences of such actions? Were the two young men harassed by more popular classmates? Had they suffered abuse as children? Witnessed personal violence? Or were they just evil? Reporting was broad, deep and so ubiquitous that it frightened students, teachers and parents coast-to-coast, provoking numerous disruptions as schools closed and students were punished at the hint of violence. But your child has a greater chance of being killed by lightning than in school, less than one in a million. In fact, youth are far more vulnerable outside of school — hanging out with friends, in the neighborhood, even at home. Suburban schools are particularly safe.1 In short, what happened on a chilly April day at Columbine High School was highly atypical of youth violence in the United States. That gave the news shock value. Made it sell. But much more important for citizens almost a thousand miles away in California is coverage of near and likely dangers. Our research measures how reporting about these proximate and probable threats to California young people compares with coverage of dangers rare and remote. The comparison is important. Much of our picture of reality beyond the range of our own ears and eyes is crafted in newsrooms. In fact, we sometimes imagine we personally experienced events we only read about or saw on television.2 Further, mediated ideas tell us what to expect, shaping even what we experience personally. These media-suffused pictures in our heads3are the resource we will use to decide such issues as funding for public education and whether to try juveniles as adults. And those decisions will shape our future. We analyzed this mediated mosaic, over a year and immediately after a major event — Columbine — in three of California’s largest and best newspapers. We wanted to know: Are young people getting their share of the press’ attention? What kind of attention is it? Which topics get the most play? Are young people presented as they are, or as “problems,” or perhaps even “predators?” How often do youth stories focus on violence? What is missing from the mosaic? How are stories about youth violence reported? We employed many measures, asking: How substantive is the coverage — a series of disjointed episodes of violence, or more thoughtful articles about trends and issues? When reporters tell a story what is included and what is pushed to the margin or left out? Who or what gets blamed? What is the nature of the problem? Who is responsible for fixing it? Who do reporters quote? Who is left out? How much context accompanies descriptions of violence? What can we do to ensure a more accurate and useful picture of youth, and particularly violence affecting youth? These media-suffused pictures in our heads3are the resource we will use to decide such issues as funding for public education and whether to try juveniles as adults. And those decisions will shape our future. Methods Although fewer Americans are reading the news than a decade ago, newspapers are still the standard-bearers of journalism. With more reporters than local television, print usually sets the agenda for broadcast and digs deeper into issues. We chose three of the largest, and by reputation, best newspapers in California.4 The Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sacramento Bee. We created two samples. In the first, we randomly selected one newspaper every 13 days for a year — from June, 1998 through May, 1999. To maximize representativeness, we designed the sample to include equal numbers of papers from Sunday through Saturday.5 The second sample consisted of the seven days in April 1999 following the shootings at Columbine. The two samples did not overlap.6This allowed us to compare the portrayal of youth routinely with coverage immediately after a major news event. Readers pay more attention to prominently displayed or promoted stories and journalists put their best out front. So we analyzed every story that began or was “teased” on the front page, the local/metro front page, the front of the lifestyle section and the first page of any inserted weekly local news sections. We also scrutinized “sidebars” of display page stories — adjacent articles about the same topic on an inside page. Finally, we examined editorials, including op-ed columns. Overall, we analyzed 3,174 articles. Findings 1. Are young people getting their share of attention? We defined “young” to include all legal minors — children and adolescents below the age of 18 — and young adults through age 24. This represents 37 percent of California’s population.7 In the ye... --- ## Issue 8: The debate on gun policies in U.S. and midwest newspapers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-8-the-debate-on-gun-policies-in-u-s-and-midwest-newspapers/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 8675 > Gun violence and its prevention were thrust dramatically onto the public's agenda on April 20, 1999, with the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. President Clinton and the... Gun violence and its prevention were thrust dramatically onto the public’s agenda on April 20, 1999, with the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. President Clinton and the Congress responded with proposals ranging from mandating background checks for gun purchases at gun shows to cracking down on juvenile offenders. Spurred by the tragedy, people across the country debated how to prevent young people from getting access to firearms. However, the Columbine shootings did not happen in a vacuum. Communities throughout the U.S. were already grappling with issues over firearms availability and safety. In the Midwest in particular, over the next one to two years, every Midwest state except Indiana1 is expected to consider legislation that would require a concealed firearms permit to be issued to any non-convict who applies. This reflects a national strategic priority on the part of the National Rifle Association to weaken limitations on carrying concealed weapons (CCW) and fight other public health approaches to reducing handgun availability. The national attention paid to the spring 1999 Missouri vote on carrying concealed weapons (CCW) is evidence of the media’s strong interest in the controversy generated by this issue. Economist John Lott, the leading spokesperson for this perspective, is actively seeking and receiving significant coverage for his position that “the presence of concealed guns generally saves lives.” In addition, other visible and vocal proponents of unfettered gun availability advance his perspective. In a letter to the editor published in The New York Times on April 14, 1999, a writer quoting Lott’s research suggested that “criminals are deterred because they don’t know which potential victims are armed.” However, a strong body of public health research reaches different conclusions. For example, one study found that having a gun in the home triples the risk that a resident or friend of that household will be killed with the gun.2Such research details the severe detrimental public health effects of widespread, easy access to guns. Firearms injury prevention experts and advocates know a great deal about their issues, but they do not always have the language and strategic focus to be effective spokespeople with journalists. While they may be able to articulate the problem, many are unable to discuss solutions from a public health perspective in the concise and compelling terms journalists require. As a result, public health perspectives on the impact of handguns may be marginalized or left out of news coverage. Why analyze media coverage? Our objective with this analysis is to give advocates a thorough grounding in the way their issue is being portrayed in the news and thus, by extension, being presented to policy makers and the public. Abundant evidence indicates that the news media play a powerful role in setting policy agendas and framing the way the public and policy makers think about and respond to issues.3If public health advocates are to advance the discussion of gun violence as a public health issue, they must understand how the issue is being presented in public discussions. They must be able to make strong yet concise arguments for reasonable firearm laws, as well as anticipate and counter arguments opposing such laws. We analyzed a representative sample of newspaper coverage of policy debates around major handgun policies to determine the dominant arguments, frames, statistics and metaphors being used on both sides of the issue. For example, how prominent is the argument that citizens have the right to protect themselves with guns? How prominent are claims that gun owners also have responsibilities to the public safety and so it is reasonable to restrict where they can carry firearms? Gun policies in newspaper coverage To assess the range of arguments and symbols used in the debate over gun policies, we conducted a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of newspaper coverage from the spring of 1999. We searched three months of coverage, from March 1 through May 31, 1999; we deliberately chose this time frame in order to be able to sample perspectives on gun policies both immediately before and after the Columbine shootings. We searched the Chicago Tribune, Columbia Dispatch, Des Moines Register, Detroit Free-Press, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Indianapolis Star, New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post. These papers represent one prominent newspaper from each Midwest state, in order to understand issues of specific concern to Joyce Foundation grantees in that area, as well as some national perspectives. We selected the New York Times because of its status as the “paper of record” for the country, USA Today for its broad national reach and the Washington Post for its influence in federal policy debates. We searched these sources for all articles or opinion pieces that included in their headline or lead paragraph the te... --- ## The California Violence Prevention Initiative: Advancing policy to ban Saturday Night Specials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-california-violence-prevention-initiative-advancing-policy-to-ban-saturday-night-specials/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 30 > Citation Wallack, L. The California Violence Prevention Initiative: Advancing Policy to Ban Saturday Night Specials. Health Education & Behavior, 26(6):841-857, December 1999. Contact us for a copy Citation Wallack, L. The California Violence Prevention Initiative: Advancing Policy to Ban Saturday Night Specials. Health Education & Behavior, 26(6):841-857, December 1999. Contact us for a copy --- ## Issue 7: Child care coverage in U.S. newspapers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-7-child-care-coverage-in-u-s-newspapers/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5819 > For many families, current economic reality requires that both parents work outside the home; consequently, most Americans accept child care as a fact of life. New work requirements for welfare... For many families, current economic reality requires that both parents work outside the home; consequently, most Americans accept child care as a fact of life. New work requirements for welfare recipients have accelerated the need for more child care and recent brain research has emphasized the importance of its quality if children are to grow with the capacity to learn and thrive. Yet the public believes child care is a private problem to be resolved by the individual family rather than be addressed by society as a whole. In 1998, a Harris poll reported that most Americans (60%) believe that child care is primarily a family’s responsibility. Similar questions about education or health care produce very different results. Americans acknowledge the overall societal implications of those benefits. News coverage can have a strong influence on how the public and policy makers interpret and respond to social issues. To advocate effectively for high quality, adequately supported child care and early childhood education, advocates must be able to articulate a clear message that resonates with specific audiences. They have to make their case well, and make it publicly. This means they must understand the current public conversation regarding child care policy issues and how the issue is being framed in the news. Similarly, if journalists are going to tell the story of child care as it is debated by different stakeholders, they should know what parts of that discussion are being emphasized and which, if any, are being neglected. For these reasons, we wanted to know how the news was covering child care. To find out, we analyzed news coverage and editorial content on child care as it has been discussed in the nation’s major newspapers over the last five years. We first present our methods for sampling the coverage, then what we found in the analysis, and finally our recommendations based on those findings for child care advocates and for journalists covering the issue. Methods We examined five years of news coverage to determine how the issue of child care was being portrayed in 18 of the nation’s major newspapers (see Table 1 for the list of newspapers).* Our first step was to search those papers electronically to determine how often the term “child care” appeared each year. We considered this the “universe” of child care stories. Next, from that universe, we selected a random sample of 500 articles to examine more closely. We then determined how many of these 500 dealt substantively with child care issues. To qualify as substantive, at least one-third of the piece had to discuss child care issues, to ensure that the reference to child care was not simply a passing one. The 110 pieces that met this definition were then read and analyzed in depth. Because the sample was selected scientifically, we can generalize our findings to the universe of child care pieces in the 18 newspapers over the five years. Findings How often does “child care” appear in newspapers? From 1994 through 1998, the term “child care” appeared in 27,435 articles, editorials, op-eds or letters to the editor in the nation’s major newspapers (see Table 1). However, the vast majority (78%) of these articles contained insubstantial references, as when child care was mentioned in a list of budget categories in articles on governments’ funding priorities, or included in a list of other issues of concern to female voters, for instance. Most of the pieces were news or feature stories (66%); 16% were columns or op-eds. Twelve percent were letters to the editor and 5% were editorials. There were 1,517 more pieces with the term “child care” in 1998 than in 1994. The term appeared most frequently in the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, Arizona Republic, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The New York Post had the fewest mentions of child care. What is being said about child care? Most of the substantive pieces concerned government action of some kind: either new government initiatives (33%), such as welfare-to-work, subsidies, or tax breaks for child care, or the licensing and oversight of child care (19%). (See Table 2 below.) (Pieces were considered substantive if at least one-third discussed some aspect of child care.) Of all the key concepts or phrases related to child care and early childhood development, government subsidies and issues about low income working families appeared most often and were closely integrated. The next two most frequent topics were advice for parents (10%) and stories about crimes or tragedies in child care settings (9%). Other topics, such as labor and compensation issues for child care workers, profiles of providers or families seeking child care, research or study results, family-friendly work policies or other issues each received about 5% of the substantive coverage. Nearly half (47%) of the sample of substantive stories were predominantly focused on some policy issue related to child care. This propor... --- ## Constructing violence as a public health problem URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/constructing-violence-as-a-public-health-problem/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 24 > Citation Winett, L. Constructing Violence as a Public Health Problem. Public Health Reports, 113:498-507, Nov/Dec 1998. Contact us for a copy Citation Winett, L. Constructing Violence as a Public Health Problem. Public Health Reports, 113:498-507, Nov/Dec 1998. Contact us for a copy --- ## Issue 6: Youth radio: Broadcasting violence prevention URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-6-youth-radio-broadcasting-violence-prevention/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5256 > It's Sunday morning at eight o'clock. The radio is tuned in at 94.9 on the FM dial. With a hip-hop beat in the background and a microphone in front of... It’s Sunday morning at eight o’clock. The radio is tuned in at 94.9 on the FM dial. With a hip-hop beat in the background and a microphone in front of them, Anita Johnson and Alex Savidge invite listeners throughout Northern California to stay tuned for the next two hours by announcing: “Youth Radio… Bringing you community programming for the people, — la raza — by the people, and always telling it like it is, on WILD — WILD — WILD 94.9 baby!” Johnson and Savidge are part of Youth Radio, a multicultural training program for teenagers and young adults in broadcasting and journalism. WILD 94.9 isn’t the only place on the dial where Youth Radio voices are heard. These young journalists are heard on radio stations across the nation as well as locally in their community. This is the story of the contributions made by Youth Radio in bringing the youth voice to the airwaves and educating the greater public about the concerns and interests of young people. And, it is a story of youth using radio to create their own representations as a mechanism for violence prevention. Youth radio: Young people as resources Youth Radio is dedicated to bringing youth voices to young and adult audiences through hands-on study in radio broadcasting. The programs offered by Youth Radio have explicit goals of increasing self esteem, building leadership, and mending race relations. Youth Radio offers young people experience and gives the public images of competent young people. This innovative program began in Berkeley in 1980, with the name “Youth News.” Since its inception it has been an after-school program in which Bay Area high school students learn to write and report news stories for public radio broadcasting. Wilma Consul, who was Youth Radio’s first School-to-Work coordinator, remembers the “good-old days”: “I graduated from Youth News in 1986, and that’s something I carry in my resume no matter how long ago it was.” She says, “That experience prepared me for Columbia School of Journalism” where Consul earned a masters degree in journalism. Youth development in a professional setting is the cornerstone of Youth Radio. The core training is an intensive, twelve-week course in the fundamentals of radio production and journalism. Students receive instruction, mentoring, and career guidance from some of the area’s best journalists, engineers, and music programmers. As part of their training, students produce their own live radio magazine by, for and about youth. In this real-life learning laboratory, students are responsible for all aspects of studio operations, including on-air announcing, music programming, news writing, reporting, interviewing, radio engineering, editing and production. Promising graduates of the core training are hired as peer teachers to train the next group of students as well as further develop their own skills and staff the office. The concept of youth-training-youth has been so successful that more than half of the core training is now taught by peer teachers. Under close adult supervision, peer teachers develop leadership skills and act as role models and mentors for new students. Now an editorial assistant at a music industry trade magazine, Ayoka Medlock was a member of the National Public Radio Diversity Initiative Training. She was with Youth Radio for four years starting when she was a junior in high school. As one of Youth Radio’s founding students, she has become a mentor to students who followed her into the program. Who better to inform youth than young people themselves? Part of being young is asking questions, wanting answers, and having faith, convictions, enthusiasm, and hope. “Youth,” says Ellin O’Leary, president and founder of Youth Radio, “is that moment of freedom before adulthood where you get to define yourself, what you are.” O’Leary believes that young people have the power within themselves to effect change. She has spent the past 17 years supporting that conviction. Youth Radio students address violence prevention in their work. They report news stories on contemporary violence topics such as the controversial youth curfew laws and other topics, but from the perspective of young people’s strengths and contributions to society. Julian Ledesma, who is about to enter the masters program at San Francisco State University, has been associated with Youth Radio since he was 17, is one of O’Leary’s many students. He believes youth voices are necessary for preventing violence. He says, “We are always talking about youth violence and youth issues and, it gets too somber. Let’s get on with it! We know there are problems &;mdash; but, do we have to keep mentioning them? The gang epidemic, the drug problem, the statistics on gun-related deaths…. It’s depressing, it’s sad, it gets redundant.” Critically he asks, “How do we inform, enlighten people, and at the same time — not turn them off? How do we change it, get a different angle, put it in a fresher way?” Quickly, with the sharp edge of a trai... --- ## The roles of speakers in local television news stories on youth and violence URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-roles-of-speakers-in-local-television-news-stories-on-youth-and-violence/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 36 > Citation Dorfman, L and Woodruff, K. The roles of speakers in local television news stories on youth and violence. Journal of Popular Film & Television, 26(2):80-85, Summer 1998. Contact us... Citation Dorfman, L and Woodruff, K. The roles of speakers in local television news stories on youth and violence. Journal of Popular Film & Television, 26(2):80-85, Summer 1998. Contact us for a copy --- ## Issue 5: Newspaper frames of childhood lead poisoning URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-5-newspaper-frames-of-childhood-lead-poisoning/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 2128 > The leading environmental threat to children's health is lead poisoning. Both advocates and opponents develop frames that lend support to their positions. The frame is the ideological and practical boundary... The leading environmental threat to children’s health is lead poisoning. Both advocates and opponents develop frames that lend support to their positions. The frame is the ideological and practical boundary that guides the process of shaping bits of information into a news story. News articles that set the agenda on lead issues can reflect, reinforce, or challenge stakeholders’ frames. We sampled stories in the popular press to identify the frames being put forth on childhood lead poisoning and to determine which frames were applied most often. Stories on lead poisoning, especially lead abatement and screening, were identified through a search of files maintained by the Lexis/Nexis information service. The time period searched was approximately January 1993 through March 1994. The initial search identified nearly 800 stories. Ninety-seven of these stories were retrieved and reviewed in detail. Many were lengthy features, editorials, or op-eds. Those reviewed included all major stories from newspapers with national readership (New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune) and a sampling of stories from newspapers in regions with ongoing abatement activity (including Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Hartford, and New Orleans.). A sample from specialty publications such as In Health, Paint and Coatings Journal, and Real Estate Today were also included. Finally, eleven stories published after the original search were identified and reviewed, for a total of 108 articles. Themes in the stories were compiled and categorized. Many stories relied on one frame throughout. Some were dryly factual, while others related several frames and the people identified with them. The frames described below are those which appeared most often in the stories reviewed. Of course, any single story generally includes only a few elements of the frame, and these elements often appear subtly. Alternative interpretations could be made. Major frames Details on the major frames are provided in this table. General themes are summarized below, along with notes on how each frame fits into the overall public discourse about lead abatement and screening. Frames supporting a strong government role in lead abatement and screening Responsibility to future generations The most consistent and perhaps strongest frame is that of intergenerational responsibility: that we must make the world safe for children. The particular power of this frame is its limitlessness, drawing on unbounded feelings of parental love and responsibility. This limitlessness makes irrelevant the fact that today’s children have far lower blood-lead levels than their parents because any amount is too much. This frame may also draw on parental guilt. At a time when we seem unable to provide economic security or safe streets, perhaps lead abatement is one thing we can get right. All we need is money. In this sense, lead abatement also draws on an historical American preference for addressing problems that have technical solutions. Environmental justice This frame emphasizes the importance of abatement as a means of redressing risk disparities that follow lines of race and class. The power of this frame is that it casts prevention as an individual right rather than a social good. This preempts much discussion about efficiency, competing resource demands, and other complications. This frame does not require demonstrating that lead exposure is among the most important or remediable manifestations of racism, but simply that it is a manifestation. Then any opponents can be subtly tarred as insensitive to racial and class concerns. Relying primarily on this frame risks pigeonholing abatement as an issue only of poor or minority groups. As such it could face a developing backlash against related issues such as immigration or affirmative action. Corporate irresponsibility Emphasis on the culpability of lead and paint manufacturers is lighter than what might be expected, given their record of suppressing scientific evidence and marketing a hazardous product. Key corporations and their executives seem to have been spared the public wrath now being directed towards the tobacco industry. Use of the corporate irresponsibility frame is mainly limited to problems resulting from current production, such as smelters polluting nearby homes and schools. Stories on litigation against paint manufacturers could not avoid this frame, but even then the treatment is often light. Perhaps Americans’ tendency to ignore history makes accountability fade over the years. Sloppy lead abatement contractors are also included in this frame. In fact, contractors seem to be blamed for lead-related problems more often and more bitterly than are paint manufacturers. Threatening environment This is the weakest and least political of the pro-abatement frames. Assigning no responsibility for the existence of current lead problems, the frame itself is not explicitly stated. Lead poisoning is treated a... --- ## Alcohol in the news: The role for researchers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/alcohol-in-the-news-the-role-for-researchers/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 28 > Citation Dorfman, L and Wallack, L. Alcohol in the news: the role for researchers. Contemporary Drug Problems, 25(1):65-84, Spring 1998. Contact us for a copy Citation Dorfman, L and Wallack, L. Alcohol in the news: the role for researchers. Contemporary Drug Problems, 25(1):65-84, Spring 1998. Contact us for a copy --- ## Issue 4: Children’s health in the news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-4-childrens-health-in-the-news/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 4484 > Most people get most of their information about health and social issues from news. Thus the way we identify, define and respond to social and health issues is in large... Most people get most of their information about health and social issues from news. Thus the way we identify, define and respond to social and health issues is in large part dependent on how those issues are framed in the news. The purpose of this framing memo is to assess and help us understand the current news environment in which children’s health issues are portrayed. A framing memo is a tool for understanding how an issue is presented and discussed in the news media. It analyzes the arguments and images people use to define and discuss an issue so that a blur of news coverage can be viewed in a methodical, meaningful way. Based on editorial and news content of relevant news sources, the framing memo provides an analytic yet practical perspective on the arguments that shape news coverage. The purpose is systematically and efficiently to review public discussion surrounding an issue so the structure and complexities of the public conversation can be understood. A more traditional content analysis would determine the relative amount an issue appears in a given medium. In framing memos we are interested in “how” rather than “how much” of a subject is portrayed. What we did We searched three months of coverage (January through March 1997) from the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, New York Times, USA Today and National Public Radio for all articles or opinion pieces that included in their headline or lead paragraph the terms “prenatal,” “preschool,” “early childhood development,” “well baby care,” “child care,” “day care,” “baby-sit,” and “family-friendly.” In addition, we took any items that included the terms “health care,” “Medicaid,” “asthma,” “immunizations,” “benefit,” “employ,” “insure,” “access,” “safety,” “discipline,” “learn,” “community-building,” or “work” if the item also included “baby/ies,” “toddler,” “infant,” “child,” “parent,” “mother,” “father,” or “family.” These key words were selected to give us a broad range of articles and opinion pieces on children’s health, both on specific health issues and on the issues of children’s well-being in the broader environment. The key word search generated more than 3,500 titles. We reviewed those, and eliminated all items that were clearly not about children or children’s health. We selected for analysis all articles that appeared to be comprehensive explorations of major children’s health issues: for example, we selected pieces on violence in schools; we did not select pieces on specific violent crimes. We coded each of the selected pieces for whether it was news or opinion, its primary subject, whether it mentioned a specific age group, who was quoted in the piece, and what solutions were advanced, if any, to the issues discussed. At least two people read each piece to identify themes and frames. What we found The vast majority (94%) of the 3,500 titles were not directly about children’s health. For example, articles with references to a “parent company” or a description of a wildlife preserve program as “day care for baby seals” met the criteria for the key word search, even though they were not about children’s health. This shows that children or the concept of family appear far more often in news and opinion as metaphors than as real life figures or issues. Only 201 pieces substantively addressed children’s health. Of these, the majority (77%) were news articles or features; the remainder were letters to the editor, editorials, op-eds and talk radio transcripts. The most prolific source on children’s health was the Los Angeles Times, with 69 pieces. During the three-month sample period National Public Radio aired six pieces on children’s health. The most common subject found in our sample was child safety (27% of the sample). The next most frequent child health subjects were violence, including child abuse and neglect (20%), access to health care services (13%), general health and well baby care (7%), prenatal care (6%), and various diseases (5%). All other subjects each accounted for less than 5% of the sample (see Table 1 below). To flesh out further quantitative data that could shed light on how children’s health is currently reported, we looked at the ages of children covered, solutions presented, and speakers quoted in the sample: Ages of children covered While we searched for key words that would identify stories about the health of young children in particular, nearly half of pieces (48%) did not specify the age of children affected by the issue. Among those that did differentiate, one-third of the pieces focused on children ages 12 and under; 6% covered youth ages 13 and up. While most news articles discuss young people in general terms rather than by specific age groups, when writers do specify ages, younger children appear to be far more newsworthy than teens. Solutions presented Agenda-setting research demonstrates that the subjects covered in the news are those to which the public is likely to pay attention.... --- ## Issue 3: Oakland shows the way: The Coalition on Alcohol Outlet Issues and media advocacy as a tool for policy change URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-3-oakland-shows-the-way-the-coalition-on-alcohol-outlet-issues-and-media-advocacy-as-a-tool-for-policy-change/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 7433 > In September 1993, the alcohol industry was running scared. So scared, in fact, that the widely read industry publication Market Watch ran a dire warning about a threat sweeping the... In September 1993, the alcohol industry was running scared. So scared, in fact, that the widely read industry publication Market Watch ran a dire warning about a threat sweeping the nation: communities organizing to place controls on alcohol outlets at the local level. “Now’s the time to get up from behind your sales counter or bar and act before it’s too late,” Marvin Shanken wrote in an editorial, sounding an urgent call to retailers and tavern owners.1 A groundbreaking ordinance passed by the City Council of Oakland, California was what had liquor store owners worried. The ordinance addressed the proliferation of alcohol outlets in inner city neighborhoods and the violence, drug dealing, and other problems associated with them. The most controversial piece of legislation included a $600 annual fee to be paid by liquor store owners to cover the costs of an education, monitoring and enforcement program designed to reduce crime around problem outlets. Oakland’s Coalition on Alcohol Outlet Issues (CAOI), a group of community activists and service providers, viewed Shanken’s editorial and others like it as an indication that the Coalition was a force to be reckoned with — they were shifting the traditional balances of power. CAOI spearheaded a long-term, intensive community organizing effort to pass two precedent-setting ordinances.2 In addition to community organizing and policy development CAOI used media advocacy during their four-year effort. Media advocacy is “…a hybrid tool, combining community advocacy approaches with the strategic and innovative use of media to better pressure decision makers to change policy.”3This case study examines the way CAOI strategically used media advocacy techniques to support the passage of healthy public policy. Community organizing and policy advocacy Oakland’s Ordinance No. 11625 began with a fortuitous and independent interest in liquor stores in low income neighborhoods shared by CAOI members and Oakland City Councilmember Nate Miley. The origins of the ordinance date back to the mid-1970s when the Oakland Community Organization (OCO), a citizen action group, became concerned with the crime and loitering liquor stores brought to Oakland’s flatland neighborhoods. The flatland neighborhoods are a stark contrast to the affluent neighborhoods in Oakland. The flatlands are decidedly poor: the area has the lowest median household income in the city, the highest number of public housing projects, the fewest grocery stores, eating places, community centers and job opportunities, and three to five times as many liquor stores as in wealthier areas of the city.4 And, many liquor stores pose serious public health and safety problems for neighborhoods because they attract violence, drug dealing, gambling, prostitution, public drinking and drunkenness, vandalism, graffiti and loitering.5 Due to OCO’s organizing efforts, the City Council passed an ordinance in 1977 requiring those who wanted to establish new alcohol outlets (liquor stores, convenience stores, markets and bars) to obtain a conditional use permit (CUP). A CUP regulates land use by allowing specific types of business activities with special permission, usually requiring that permit holders agree to follow those conditions laid out by the city. It is a useful tool for controlling the location and business practices of commercial land uses. This ordinance required that new alcoholic beverage retailers be at least 1000 feet away from existing alcohol outlets on specific “problem streets.” Despite passage of the 1977 CUP, crime and nuisance problems still surrounded many Oakland liquor outlets. Though the city had gained some local control over the activities of new alcohol outlets and the proliferation of alcohol outlets had slowed somewhat, the outlets in operation prior to 1977 were not covered by the CUP ordinance. Additionally, the city had only one staff person responsible for monitoring complaints about the hundreds of businesses operating in Oakland under any type of CUP, alcohol-related or not. City officials and the police regularly received numerous complaints about dangerous and illegal activities associated with alcohol outlets. In one two-month period during 1993, Oakland police reported 908 calls regarding 140 liquor stores. Oakland City Councilmember Miley had worked on the earlier liquor store campaign as an organizer for OCO. In 1991, he revisited the issue when he and Alameda County Supervisor Don Perata held two community meetings concerning the saturation of Oakland’s flatlands area with alcohol and tobacco billboards. At the meetings, community members indicated that their primary concern was with liquor stores rather than with billboards. As a result of information presented at the community meetings, Miley directed the city Planning Department to research the feasibility of new legislation to strengthen the 1977 ordinance. The Planning Department suggested that the city could use its local land use a... --- ## Youth and violence on local television news in California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/youth-and-violence-on-local-television-news-in-california/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 35 > Citation Dorfman, L, Woodruff, K, Chavez, V and Wallack, L. Youth and violence on local television news in California. American Journal of Public Health, 87(8):1311-1316, August 1997. Contact us for... Citation Dorfman, L, Woodruff, K, Chavez, V and Wallack, L. Youth and violence on local television news in California. American Journal of Public Health, 87(8):1311-1316, August 1997. Contact us for a copy --- ## Communications and public health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/communications-and-public-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 37 > Citation Wallack, L, Dorfman, L and Woodruff, K. Communications and Public Health. The Principles of Public Health Practice, 3:183-194 in Scutchfield and Keck (Eds.) Delmar Publishers: Albany, New York, 1997.... Citation Wallack, L, Dorfman, L and Woodruff, K. Communications and Public Health. The Principles of Public Health Practice, 3:183-194 in Scutchfield and Keck (Eds.) Delmar Publishers: Albany, New York, 1997. Contact us for a copy --- ## Issue 2: Junk gun bans in California newspapers URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-2-junk-gun-bans-in-california-newspapers/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 5407 > Californians made history in 1996: across the state, 29 cities and counties voted to ban "junk guns" — the small, cheap handguns used disproportionately in crime. By the end of... Californians made history in 1996: across the state, 29 cities and counties voted to ban “junk guns” — the small, cheap handguns used disproportionately in crime. By the end of 1996, more than 8 million Californians — over a quarter of the state’s population — lived in areas covered by “Saturday night special” bans.1 National advocates view these actions as a bellwether for gun control efforts elsewhere, anticipating that the events in California presage future battles across the country. In the United States today, three times as many children are murdered with guns as in 1950, and firearms suicide rates for children and young people have quadrupled.2 In California and eight other states, guns have surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading killer of young people.3 In response, public health and violence prevention advocates have worked to increase support for grassroots gun control efforts. The junk gun ban movement in California is the latest and most visible effort to reduce the toll of injury and death from handguns. Abundant evidence indicates that the news media play a powerful role in setting policy agendas and framing the way the public and policy makers think about and respond to issues.4If public health advocates are to advance the gun control debate in California, they must understand how the issue is being presented in public discussions. They must be able to make strong yet concise arguments for reasonable firearm restrictions, as well as anticipate and counter arguments opposing such restrictions. Background In 1968, Congress banned the importation of nonsporting handguns, commonly called Saturday night specials or junk guns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) classifies handguns as nonsporting handguns according to the quality of the metal, size, caliber, safety and other features of the weapon.5 Domestic production of these guns was not covered by the 1968 Gun Act because, at the time, few junk guns were manufactured in the U.S. Since then, however, a handful of firearms manufacturers in southern California have emerged as the nation’s leading junk gun producers, making 80% of the cheap handguns sold in the U.S.6 In May 1995, for the first time in state history, the California Senate voted to ban the manufacture, possession, and sale of nonsporting handguns as defined by the BATF. The bill died in the Assembly Public Safety Committee. However, communities throughout the state, such as San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and West Hollywood, have pursued bans on junk guns at the local level.7 On January 16, 1996, West Hollywood became the first California city to pass an ordinance banning junk guns, based on evidence demonstrating the threat to public health and safety presented by these firearms. The California Rifle and Pistol Association, National Rifle Association, and four individual plaintiffs filed suit against West Hollywood in response to its ban, arguing that state law pre-empts the ordinance. On November 15, 1996, a state court ruled in favor of West Hollywood and upheld the ban ordinance.7(As of this writing, an appeal is pending.) Gun control advocates see the ruling as a green light to continue their work to reduce the number of junk guns in circulation. Why junk guns? Violence prevention advocates have focused specifically on junk guns because their small size and low price make them particularly attractive to criminals and their poor construction makes them unsafe to users. The BATF found that junk guns are 3.4 times more likely to be involved in violent crimes than other handguns. Seven of the 10 guns traced most often by the BATF in 1994 were junk guns made in California.8 Because they are made of lower quality materials and lack safety devices, junk guns can hurt the user. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, about 30% of all unintentional shootings could be prevented if domestic handguns were made at least as safe as imported handguns.9Junk guns often fail simple drop tests, and have no safety devices such as a loaded chamber indicator or trigger lock to prevent unintended discharges. Californians overwhelmingly support the ban of these weapons. In 1995 polls, 78% of California voters — including 72% of handgun owners — favored the ban.10 After hearing that most of the nation’s junk guns are made in this state, the overwhelming majority (78%) said they would favor a ban on the guns’ manufacture in California. Junk gun bans in California newspapers To assess the range of arguments and symbols used in the debate over junk gun laws, we examined California newspaper coverage of this issue. We conducted a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 1996 newspaper coverage of local junk gun bans in California cities and counties where junk gun ban votes took place. We searched the Lexis/Nexis database plus additional California newspapers11 for news articles and opinion or editorial pieces that mentioned “gun,” “Saturday night special,” “ha... --- ## Issue 1: What is media advocacy? URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/issue-1-what-is-media-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 3448 > An eighth grade girl in Pojoaque, New Mexico, a family physician in Davis, California, and a network of tobacco control advocates around the country, along with many others, all share... An eighth grade girl in Pojoaque, New Mexico, a family physician in Davis, California, and a network of tobacco control advocates around the country, along with many others, all share a strong belief in the power of the media to promote public health goals. Each took on powerful “manufacturers of illness,” and each, in part by attracting news attention, were able to achieve their objectives. In Pojoaque, a students’ substance abuse project turned into a battle to remove an alcohol billboard from the immediate area of the school. The combination of community organizing and the power of the press enabled a young girl to take on alcohol advertisers and bring the billboard down. In Davis, a physician, concerned about escalating gun violence from easily available handguns, conducted scientific research to focus attention on the need for policy change. His efforts are bringing attention to gun manufacturers who produce Saturday Night Specials. Using this physician’s research and media attention, local residents are insisting that those dangerous and poorly made weapons be banned from their communities. Across the country, tobacco control advocates successfully developed a media strategy to counter the Philip Morris “Bill of Rights Tour,” in which the tobacco corporation took an original copy of the Bill of Rights on a 52-city tour to mark its 200th anniversary. The cigarette maker’s public relations dream turned into a nightmare — and the tour was cut short — after advocates successfully reframed the issue in the media and made it a health story. These examples illustrate a creative and innovative approach to using mass media as an advocacy tool. What these people learned, and what others are learning in communities across the country, is that advocacy groups can capture the power of the press and use it to promote social change. “Media advocacy” can be used to address a variety of public health and social problems to shape public debate, to speak directly to those with influence, and to apply pressure to decision makers.1 Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass media to support community organizing and advance healthy public policies. It is a tactic for community groups and others to communicate their own story in their own words to promote social change. Historically, the mass media have tended to present health issues in medical terms, with a focus on personal health habits, medical miracles, physician heroics or technological breakthroughs. The media have largely ignored social, economic, and political determinants of health. Media advocates try to balance news coverage by emphasizing the social and economic, rather than personal and behavioral, roots of health. Media advocacy assumes that the root of most health problems lies not in people simply lacking proper health information — an information gap — but primarily in groups not having the power to change social and economic conditions — a power gap. Many in the field of public health are working to shift the mass media’s focus from individual change to social change, from simply providing health information to promoting healthy policies, from giving people a message about their personal health to giving communities a voice in defining and acting on public health issues. Just say no … no, no! A classic example of using the media to fill the information gap is the Partnership for a Drug Free America. This program is based on the idea that if people really knew how bad and “uncool” drugs were, they wouldn’t use them. While memorable, the strong statements these ads make generally do not take a public health approach. Instead, they focus almost exclusively on individual behavior and personal responsibility by insisting that the drug problem is only the individual’s problem, not a problem with deep and complex social and economic roots. For example, the ads never question root causes or the government’s emphasis on law enforcement over treatment. As one reporter observed, “If there are mitigating reasons for drug use — poverty, family turmoil, self-medication, curiosity — you’d never know it from the Partnership ads.”2 The Partnership campaigns assume that information inoculates people against using heroin, cocaine or marijuana. Although individual education is certainly necessary, it is not sufficient to repair social conditions that contribute to the problem, such as alienation, discrimination, poor housing, poor education, and lack of economic opportunity. Because these conditions are part of the problem, any solution that does not take them into account inevitably will be inadequate. In fact, the Partnership’s public service advertisements, despite their intent to improve the public’s health, ultimately may do more harm than good by undermining support for more effective health promotion and social change efforts.3 Instead, these ads occupy valuable media time with compelling messages that reinforce a victim-blaming approach. Consequently, attention is ... --- ## The affirmative action debate [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-affirmative-action-debate-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 33 > Citation Woodruff, K, Wallack, L and Wallis, K. The affirmative action debate. Framing memo for The Certain Trumpet program, published by the Advocacy Institute, Washington DC, September 1996. Contact us... Citation Woodruff, K, Wallack, L and Wallis, K. The affirmative action debate. Framing memo for The Certain Trumpet program, published by the Advocacy Institute, Washington DC, September 1996. Contact us for a copy --- ## Media advocacy: A strategy for advancing policy and promoting health URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/media-advocacy-a-strategy-for-advancing-policy-and-promoting-health/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 39 > Citation Wallack, L and Dorfman, L. Media advocacy: A strategy for advancing policy and promoting health. Health Education Quarterly, 23(3):293-317, August 1996; uses case studies of violence prevention and public... Citation Wallack, L and Dorfman, L. Media advocacy: A strategy for advancing policy and promoting health. Health Education Quarterly, 23(3):293-317, August 1996; uses case studies of violence prevention and public housing. Contact us for a copy --- ## Alcohol advertising and violence against women: A media advocacy case study URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/alcohol-advertising-and-violence-against-women-a-media-advocacy-case-study/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 28 > Citation Woodruff, K. Alcohol advertising and violence against women: A media advocacy case study. Health Education Quarterly, 23(3):330-345, August 1996. Contact us for a copy Citation Woodruff, K. Alcohol advertising and violence against women: A media advocacy case study. Health Education Quarterly, 23(3):330-345, August 1996. Contact us for a copy --- ## Visualizing America’s drug problems: An ethnographic content analysis of illegal drug stories on the nightly news URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/visualizing-americas-drug-problems-an-ethnographic-content-analysis-of-illegal-drug-stories-on-the-nightly-news/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 38 > Citation Jernigan, D and Dorfman, L. Visualizing America's drug problems: An ethnographic content analysis of illegal drug stories on the nightly news. Contemporary Drug Problems, 23(2):169-196, Summer 1996. Contact us... Citation Jernigan, D and Dorfman, L. Visualizing America’s drug problems: An ethnographic content analysis of illegal drug stories on the nightly news. Contemporary Drug Problems, 23(2):169-196, Summer 1996. Contact us for a copy --- ## Local television news coverage of President Clinton’s introduction of the Health Security act URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/local-television-news-coverage-of-president-clintons-introduction-of-the-health-security-act/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 42 > Citation Dorfman, L, Schauffler, H H, Wilkerson, J and Feinson, J. Local television news coverage of President Clinton's introduction of the Health Security Act. Journal of the American Medical Association,... Citation Dorfman, L, Schauffler, H H, Wilkerson, J and Feinson, J. Local television news coverage of President Clinton’s introduction of the Health Security Act. Journal of the American Medical Association, 275(15):1201-1205. 1996. Contact us for a copy --- ## Advancing public health goals through mass media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advancing-public-health-goals-through-mass-media/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 27 > Citation Winett, L and Wallack, L. Advancing Public Health goals through mass media. Journal of Health Communication, 1(2):173-196, 1996. Contact us for a copy Citation Winett, L and Wallack, L. Advancing Public Health goals through mass media. Journal of Health Communication, 1(2):173-196, 1996. Contact us for a copy --- ## Spanish language television news portrayals of youth and violence in California URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/spanish-language-television-news-portrayals-of-youth-and-violence-in-california/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 34 > Citation Chavez, V., and Dorfman, L. Spanish language television news portrayals of youth and violence in California. International Quarterly of Community Health Education. 16(2):121-138, 1996-1997. Contact us for a copy Citation Chavez, V., and Dorfman, L. Spanish language television news portrayals of youth and violence in California. International Quarterly of Community Health Education. 16(2):121-138, 1996-1997. Contact us for a copy --- ## Media strategies for community health advocacy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/media-strategies-for-community-health-advocacy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 20 > Citation Media Strategies for Community Health Advocacy. Primary Care, 22(4):805-815, December 1995. Contact us for a copy Citation Media Strategies for Community Health Advocacy. Primary Care, 22(4):805-815, December 1995. Contact us for a copy --- ## Media advocacy: A strategy for empowering people and communities URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/media-advocacy-a-strategy-for-empowering-people-and-communities/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 28 > Citation Wallack, L. Media Advocacy: A Strategy for Empowering People and Communities. Journal of Public Health Policy, 155(4):420-436, Winter 1994. Contact us for a copy Citation Wallack, L. Media Advocacy: A Strategy for Empowering People and Communities. Journal of Public Health Policy, 155(4):420-436, Winter 1994. Contact us for a copy --- ## Physicians as advocates: Promoting healthy public policy via the media URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/physicians-as-advocates-promoting-healthy-public-policy-via-the-media/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 26 > Citation Woodruff, K. Physicians as Advocates: Promoting Healthy Public Policy via the Media. California Physician, 11(6):48-50, June 1994. Contact us for a copy Citation Woodruff, K. Physicians as Advocates: Promoting Healthy Public Policy via the Media. California Physician, 11(6):48-50, June 1994. Contact us for a copy --- ## The Berkeley Media Studies Group: Media advocacy for healthy public policy URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-berkeley-media-studies-group-media-advocacy-for-healthy-public-policy/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 32 > Citation Woodruff, K. The Berkeley Media Studies Group: Media Advocacy for Healthy Public Policy. University of California Public Health at Berkeley, 2(2):2-6, Spring 1994. Contact us for a copy Citation Woodruff, K. The Berkeley Media Studies Group: Media Advocacy for Healthy Public Policy. University of California Public Health at Berkeley, 2(2):2-6, Spring 1994. Contact us for a copy --- ## Advertising health: The case for counter-ads [pdf] URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/advertising-health-the-case-for-counter-ads-pdf/ Type: publications Modified: 2018-11-17 Words: 23 > Citation Dorfman, L and Wallack, L. Advertising Health: The Case for Counter-Ads. Public Health Reports, 108(6):716-26, November-December. 1993. Citation Dorfman, L and Wallack, L. Advertising Health: The Case for Counter-Ads. Public Health Reports, 108(6):716-26, November-December. 1993. --- ## Health messages on television commercials URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/health-messages-on-television-commercials/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 26 > Citation Wallack, L and Dorfman, L. Health Messages on Television Commercials. American Journal of Health Promotion. 6(3):190-6. 1992. Contact us for a copy Citation Wallack, L and Dorfman, L. Health Messages on Television Commercials. American Journal of Health Promotion. 6(3):190-6. 1992. Contact us for a copy --- ## Television news, hegemony and health (letter) URL: https://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/television-news-hegemony-and-health-letter/ Type: publications Modified: 2025-01-15 Words: 727 > Evidence suggests that the media play an important agenda-setting role on social issues.1-3 Scholars have identified specific ways that the news frames stories to fit dominant perceptions of social problems.... Evidence suggests that the media play an important agenda-setting role on social issues.1-3 Scholars have identified specific ways that the news frames stories to fit dominant perceptions of social problems. 4 Gitlin suggests that broadcast news provides a specific frame by presenting information in terms of an event, a person, and a visible conflict that advances the story.4 These journalistic conventions may limit the way in which social issues, including health, are portrayed. Together with its agenda-setting function, the news may determine to a large degree not only which health issues the public thinks about, but also how those issues are thought about. We examined the content and framing of health issues in the news as part of a larger study of health messages on television. This study was a content analysis of a composite day constructed from 20 one-hour segments, randomly selected from 6:00 am to 2:00 am over the period April 18 to May 7, 1989. News accounted for 41/2 hours (23%) of the total sample. Of 105 separate news stories included in this sample, 43 (41%) concerned health. Health topics discussed on the news included death or injury (either from homicide, assault, natural disaster, vehicle crashes, explosion, or illness), threats of harm (lead poisoning in the workplace and radon contaminating the nation’s schools), drugs (teenage drug and alcohol use at after-prom parties and the war on drugs), and medical stories (a child’s fight with cystic fibrosis and his experimental heart-lung transplant as well as various celebrity cases of heart disease). Social issues related to health included stories on a proposed assault weapon ban, child safety (featuring McGruff the Safety Dog), community mental health after mass murder, and protesters demanding more tax money be spent on AIDS and the homeless. Nightline focused on the controversy over new “AIDS self-tests.” Though health was a frequent topic on the news, health stories were not presented from a public health perspective. For example, the cystic fibrosis story featured experimental surgery, portraying the doctor as a high-tech hero, despite his protests that the new surgery was not expected to be a cure. The focus on medical technology and victims in this and other stories served to define and reinforce health problems as individual issues. A story on radon gas seeping into the nation’s classrooms provides another example of the news “frame.” The story highlighted the danger, equating radiation levels to “25 000 chest x-rays a year” with a health risk “equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes a day.” While the news portrayed the Environmental Protection Agency as taking official action by alerting us to the problem, ultimately no agency was held accountable for alleviating the danger. By not asking critical questions about responsibility, the news helped to maintain the dominant news frame that government is watching out for the public’s health, perhaps providing a false sense of well-being and contributing to complacency among the public. In general, health stories were presented in terms of individual behavior or responsibility. Social and economic factors external to the individual were largely ignored whereas biomedical and technological solutions to health problems were emphasized. This contributes to public health problems being understood in isolation from the larger social and political context.5 In sum, journalistic practices likely contribute to the hegemony of individual-level explanations of health issues and so may systematically inhibit a broader public health understanding of health problems. References 1. Rogers EM, Dearing JW. Agenda-setting research: where has it been, where is it going? Communication Yearbook 11. 1988:555-594. 2. McCombs M, Shaw D. The agenda setting function of mass media. Public Opinion Q. 1972-1973;36:176-187. 3. Iyengar S, Kinder DR. News That Matters. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press; 1987. 4. Gitlin T. The Whole World Is Watching. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press; 1980. 5. Wallack L. Improving health promotion: media advocacy and social marketing approaches. In: Atkin C, Wallack L, eds.Mass Co unication and Public Health, Complexities and Conflicts. Newbury Park, Calif: Sage Publications Inc; 1990:147-163. Citation Wallack, L and Dorfman, L. Television News, Hegemony, and Health. American Journal of Public Health, 82(1):125-6, (letter), 1992. ---