Archived News
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Coca-Cola fights obesity? Oh, please.-1/16/13 

Marion Nestle presents some tangible solutions that Coke could embrace if they were truly motivated to helping prevent obesity. She also addresses Coke's financial motivation for embracing diet/reduced calorie drinks, a fact which has slid under the radar in some coverage. more

In Russia, fast food advertising will be restricted as part of national health care program to tackle obesity-1/15/13

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 directed at a younger audience, in particular billboards near schools, and ads on children’s television. more

Coke launches the "Come Together" campaign, ostensibly to work toward obesity prevention-1/14/13 

The company’s new commercial touts the company's own self-regulatory efforts, and plenty of personal responsibility rhetoric running throughout. The article includes great soundbites from Michele Simon, who takes on the fallacy of the industry's "it's all about balance" line, and Harold Goldstein, who gets to the heart of this "PR campaign that will do nothing to combat obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay." more

Pepperidge Farm launches Jingos! chips, with Hispanic-themed flavors-1/7/13

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. more

 

“Zona de Sabor” website launches new tablet experience-12/28/12

“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 the website to be navigated more easily on tablets. more
 

Alcohol industry & Nielsen partner together to target Millennial, Latino consumers-12/21/12 

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.” more

Coca-Cola plans to lure shoppers back to the beverage aisle-12/17/12 

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. more

Frito-Lay targets Millenials with new Cantina chips-12/17/12

Frito-Lay’s Tostitos brand is targeting Millenials with Cantina chips, a brand that emulates flavors found in Mexican restaurant. The company has planned its biggest ever launch-campaign investment, as well as a package redesign, to reach youth. more

PepsiCo plans to remind consumers about diet drinks with Diet Pepsi push-12/17/12 

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. more

Food companies play ambivalent role in fight against obesity-12/15/12 

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 US and abroad, and concludes “even as companies develop nutritious products, they will keep marketing fizzy drinks and crisps until consumers stop buying them.” more
 

Oreo caps 100th anniversary promotion with promotional delivery to Antarctica-12/14/12 

Oreo concludes the yearlong 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.  more

Nutri-Medias educational tool promises to fortify young people’s defenses against food industry advertising-12/13/12

 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. more
 

Childhood obesity rates decline in some cities that have adopted policies to create healthier communities-12/12/12

 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. more

McDonald's global focus pays off-12/12/12 

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.” more

Kellogg’s unveiled “healthier” breakfast products with more fiber, less sugar -12/11/12

The retooled product offerings include cereals and Pop Tarts, such as the Oatmeal Delights Frosted Strawberry flavor. 1 tart still has 14g of sugar, and there are 2 tarts in a pack.more

New research suggests the high salt content of processed and fast food triggers childhood obesity-12/10/12

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.more

The addition of coconut water may be a new trend in beverage reformulations-12/10/12  

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 exec at a fruit-juice-concentrate company, big beverage makers are “keen to cash in on the general health halo imparted by coconut water.”more

 

A food industry conference withdraws invitation to a Canadian obesity doctor-12/10/12

 

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. more

Op-Ed: Government has an important role to play in individual food choices-12/7/12

 In this op-ed, longtime advertising executive Miles Spicer argues that, despite arguments about government overreach and intrusion, “government concern about health and fitness matters is not only desirable, but in a sense necessary if America is to remain strong and healthy.”  more

 Latino foods and beverage growth is set to skyrocket -12/7/12

The prediction by Packaged Facts will no doubt fuel heavy marketing to Latino communities and beyond, as the article notes that “Hispanic foods” are becoming more popular in mainstream America “thanks to the influence of Hispanics and the popularity of foodie culture.” more

 Dunkin’ Donuts milks the holiday “home stretch” (already?) with new contests-12/6/12 

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 e-mail, text and Facebook.  more

Planters peanuts boosts social marketing efforts to celebrate 50th anniversary-12/6/12

 Planters is following the advertising formula used by so many other purveyors of consumer packaged goods – they’re expanding their social marketing (along with their line of flavors) and boasting health claims. The current Facebook promotion offers coupons to fans as an anniversary “thank-you.” more

Nestle launches "El Mejor Nido," a holiday-themed campaign targeting Latino families-12/6/12

 

 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. more

Advocates call on Nickelodeon to adopt stricter advertising standards-12/5/12 

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). The industry site MediaPost wrote a balanced article on the story. more

Ice cream flavor named for pro-immigration reform star baseball player-12/4/12

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. more

 
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