Big players step up on obesity issues
How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions so far? It is hard to stay on track especially if one of your goals was to lose weight. It is a tricky, stubborn issue for adults and children alike. We applaud Coca Cola’s pledge to help raise awareness on the obesity issue and take steps to educate consumers on calorie counts and steps to burn calories. “We’ve learned that consumers love more information from us — and we really believe Coke has the power to connect people in a way that can help solve issues,” Ms. Kronauge said in an article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/business/media/coke-tv-ads-confront-obesity-and-sodas-role.html?_r=0.) Up to one out of every five children in the U. S. is overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise. Children whose parents or siblings are overweight may be at an increased risk of becoming overweight themselves, but this is usually linked to shared family behaviors such as eating and activity habits. Children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are lack of exercise, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors.
Another major player, McDonald’s, has voluntarily posted calorie count information on its menus nationwide. Federal regulation has already been passed that would require 20+ location chains to post calorie counting information, but implementation hasn’t been worked out. Rather than wait, the world’s largest hamburger purveyor decided to turn posting the calories before everyone else into a competitive advantage. Bet other chains are not far behind but good for the golden arches to blaze the trail.
While a healthy lifestyle is ultimately up to each individual, it does help when big companies make food choices and calorie information easier to obtain. Coke’s new “obesity” ad campaign is yet another example of their marketing brilliance and ability to market current messages to the public. Marketing can and should be informative, as well as raising brand awareness and increasing the bottom line. Connecting with your customer on a deeper and more meaningful level will always benefit your business.
Good luck staying on track with any and all of your new year’s resolutions and connecting with your customers.
addONE Marketing Solutions delivers experienced, marketing staffing solutions to fit any size project or budget. Filling marketing staffing gaps or providing affordable marketing solutions makes addONE marketing “the smartest addition you will ever make.” Atlanta-based and woman owned since 1998.Visit add1marketing.com for more information.
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Having easily accessible calorie counts is certainly beneficial for a lot of us. Even when I’m not specifically trying to lose weight, seeing those numbers gives me pause.
Even better are restaurants like Moe’s that provide detailed nutritional information on their site. I’d love to see Subway and other “custom built food” offer an interactive tool like theirs:
http://www.moes.com/food/nutrition/calculator/
Agree Mickey. A salad with dressing and the works always surprises me with the calorie counts!
Chipotle too! wonder why the fast food Mexican places have it and not other types of foods?
http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/nutrition_calculator/nutrition_calculator.aspx
A perfect example of transparency! Rather than hiding the nutritional facts, McDonalds has chosen to connect with their customers by making the important information readily available to them. I know those little numbers would impact what I choose to order in the drive thru!
No kidding – knowledge is power! Those little numbers can add up to big number for sure!
Savvy operators like Coke and McD’s know that if they start losing the parents to other, healthier alternatives for their families, then they likely lose the future, as well. The obese-child issue will continue to garner lots of attention, not unlike the sports-concussion concern that has become so publicized lately. And I’m sure parents will be paying close attention to what’s best for their kids’ health. The question for the soft-drink and fast-food providers is, does more public information help them or hurt them?
I like your article and think your points are valid but wouldn’t you say that Coke and McDonald’s are doing these things in order not to lose their customer base? The truth is, the foods just aren’t good for you, and are addictive. Will marketing and posting calorie counts be enough or will these companies be forced to make drastic changes to their recipes and marketing? It will be interesting to find out.
I certainly agree Courtney that the foods are not good for you but as you know people will often choose things that satisfy immediately, not good for them in the long run. At least these companies are trying to make the information available to the consumer so that they can make an educated decision. Hopefully in the long run, healthier options are demanded by the public and they respond. After all, one of Coke’s fastest growing business segments is the Dasani division. Baby steps to make big lasting changes. Thanks for your comments!