Marketing

The Formula for Deceiving Mothers Online

by Bob Burton — September 19, 2007 - 2:56am

Peggy O'Mara, the editor of Mothering Magazine, reports that "in addition to the inaccurate information on breastfeeding" by the media, the "marketing practices of the formula companies continue to undermine breastfeeding." She notes the existence of several "stealth" websites "that appear to be grassroots advocacy sites, but are actually mouthpieces for the formula industry." One of the websites, MomsFeedingFreedom.com, is campaigning against proposed restrictions on the free bags of infant form

Main Source: 
Mothering Magazine, September/October 2007

Ecomagine That: GE Campaign Not So Green

by Diane Farsetta — September 14, 2007 - 4:53pm

Two years into its "Ecomagination" environmental campaign, General Electric "continues to sell coal-fired steam turbines and is delving deeper into oil-and-gas production. Meanwhile, its finance unit seeks out coal-related investments including power plants. ... Yet these limitations haven't stopped GE from making a big marketing to-do of its commitment to the environment," notes Kathryn Kranhold.

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), September 14, 2007

Perk Poppers

by Bob Burton — September 13, 2007 - 5:08am

Ben Goldacre, a London-based doctor and writer, was a little "surprised" by a recent offer posted in an email on a science writers' mailing list.

Main Source: 
British Medical Journal (sub req'd), September 8, 2007

Fake Green Certification Backfires

by Bob Burton — August 29, 2007 - 5:13am

The Australian supermarket company Woolworths has withdrawn a range of tissue products after being outed by an anonymous blogger for using a "Sustainable Forest Fibre" logo on products sourced from a notorious Indonesian forestry company.

Main Source: 
Australian Associated Press, August 27, 2007

My Bucks Are Beautiful to P&G

by Diane Farsetta — August 28, 2007 - 3:44pm

The biggest U.S. advertiser, Procter & Gamble, is launching "a new multibrand campaign called 'My Black Is Beautiful,'" reports Advertising Age. The brainchild of P&G multicultural marketing director Najoh Tita Reid, the campaign seeks to "make all black girls and women" feel beautiful, while forging "a closer relationship between P&G brands and their black consumers." According to P&G research, "71% of black women feel they're portrayed worse than other women in media and advertising.

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, August 27, 2007

Beyond Petroleum, But Still Big on Ammonia and Soot

by Diane Farsetta — August 23, 2007 - 11:20am

The oil and energy company BP recently received "a permit from the state of Indiana to dump more toxic discharges from its Whiting, Ind., refinery into Lake Michigan," reports Advertising Age. The permit, "which allows BP to dump 54% more ammonia and 35% more suspended solids" in the Great Lake, has "enraged" Chicago officials.

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, August 20, 2007

McDonald's Advised to Fight or Fess Up

by Bob Burton — August 13, 2007 - 4:47am

McDonald's has been criticized by PR professionals for its response to the recent study by Stanford University School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital which found that young children preferred foods associated with the company's packagi

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, August 13, 2007

McCarrott's?

by Bob Burton — August 9, 2007 - 5:08am

A survey of the impact of marketing on children's taste preferences has revealed the power of McDonald's. Sixty-three preschoolers from low-income families in California were presented with five samples of identical foods and beverages, one in McDonald's packaging and the other in unbranded packaging. They were then asked "to indicate if they tasted the same or if one tasted better." The results?

Main Source: 
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, August 2007

Military Takes Aim at U.S. Propaganda Ban

by Bob Burton — July 31, 2007 - 5:36am

In preparing its marketing study commissioned by the U.S. military, the RAND Corporation sought the advice of PR advisers including Burson-Marsteller, Weber Shandwick, J.D.

Main Source: 
PR Week, July 30, 2007
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