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Dropping the plan to ban junk food ads in prime time was a bad move – the UK will regret it

The UK government’s Childhood Obesity Plan has been met with widespread anger from numerous health organisations. This was not least because it delivered “absolutely nothing” to regulate food advertising, something Jamie Oliver had called for.

A recent consultation recommended an extension of industry regulation in some areas of marketing activity to children, but TV advertising lay outside its remit. Should the government have taken the opportunity to address TV advertising by more direct intervention?

Of the many commercial communications children are exposed to, pre-9pm family TV programming (think Britain’s Got Talent or The X Factor) provides an easier target for legislation. Marketing communications, for better or worse, influence what we eat. Their effects depend, however, on whether their message really gets through to consumers in a media saturated society.

Organisations understand that even the best advertising plans are beset by “noise”. That is, we are surrounded by message clutter – and often messages conflict or compete. It is hard to get your message to stand out, to create buzz and prompt the audience into acting on it. All the more so where healthy messages are outspent by less healthy messages.

The national Change for Life marketing campaign deals with diet and is backed by Public Health England to the tune of around £9m annually. A sum making it hard for their healthy eating message to compete with alternative commercial messages that can pay around £150,000 for a 30-second slot in prime time.

But ad campaigns that are properly thought through, integrated and well supported can lift sales of healthier foods. Aldi has done just that through its sponsorship of Team GB, linked to television, in-store, digital, school and press activity around the theme of “home-grown heroes”. Much of the campaign had a fruity (and vegetable) theme and, according to a report in The Grocer – unfortunately behind a paywall – Aldi boosted its produce sales by 20%. It is a noteworthy, if discrete, instance of a healthier message breaking through – and a chink of light, perhaps, given declining fruit and veg sales despite consistent long-standing delivery of the five-a-day message.

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Collectively, studies show a moderate direct impact of adverts on children’s consumption of unhealthy foods. But recent research demonstrates that children feel a strong pull towards junk food advertising. Children aged eight to 12 describe junk food advertising as “tempting” and “addictive”. The picture emerges of children who know the food being sold to them on television is bad, but they still find them very seductive. This conundrum suggests less immediate and direct effect of advertising that are nevertheless more insidious and long-term.

Consumer researchers recognise the cultural role of adverts. Children are active users of advertising, reproducing their messages even in everyday play. So adverts play a role in forming our understanding of the world. And that often means understanding “bad” food as a reward, an indulgence or naughty but deserved pleasure.

Bad food isn’t fun

There is no better arena than prime time family TV for resource-rich corporations to promote an insidious message that “bad” food is “good” when it is a treat, or part of a balanced diet, a deserved indulgence, fun. These are generalised associations, with the less helpful aspects of our diet linked to an indulgent time period in the family week. Breaking this link would represent a modest step towards cultural change.

Meanwhile, the food industry has reacted in divergent ways to the childhood obesity plan. Sainsbury’s has been particularly vocal among retailers to regret its lack of legal teeth, particularly with respect to promotions and advertising – it wants more regulation to provide a level playing field. Soft drink companies are among those who feel unduly singled out. So, within a divided industry, what might additional TV regulation do?

First, we should not underestimate the voluntary steps taken towards a healthier future among food and drink manufacturers and retailers. These steps include “guiltless” checkout aisles in supermarkets – which don’t push sweets at children and their mothers. But there has also been widespread reformulation of products to remove sugar, alteration of key product ranges and additional food labelling.

Such steps are often achieved quietly and have been guardedly welcomed by health campaigners – mixed with a degree of scepticism. True, companies are acting in their own commercial interests. But in positioning themselves for commercial success in a possibly more healthy future society, industry players are important in bringing that future into being.

So, there are causes for optimism but – again – these need to punch through competition and message noise. The childhood obesity plan provided an opportunity to prevent organisations across the board from “doing the wrong thing”. An extension of the advertising ban until 9pm would have been a limited and well-defined step in clearing the path towards changing our culture’s relationship with food. It would also have forced the industry to focus on its better foods and wean itself off the bad habit of pushing junk food to children.

The Conversation

Gillian Hopkinson, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Lancaster University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Drop the ‘xenophobic’ attitude to trade says AIFST

At the recent 49th Annual Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Convention in Brisbane, most leading Australian food and agribusiness industry experts agreed that while innovation is the key to ensuring a viable future for the food and agribusiness industry, the concern around foreign investment is impacting markets and hindering the collaboration.

The panel, chaired by former ABC journalist Peter Couchman, comprised some of the industry’s leading decision-makers, including Peter Schutz (FIAL), Michele Allan (Science and Innovation Australia), Richard Katter (Ernst & Young), Dr André Teixeira (CSIRO), Terry O’Brien (Simplot), Janice Rueda (Archer Daniels Midland), Dr Ben Lyons (TSBE) and Alastair Maclachlan (Preshafruit). Chair of AIFST, Peter Schutz said the Australian food and agribusiness industry needs to work collaboratively and allow for investment in the industry.

“We need all components of the industry – including the business community, farmers, agribusinesses and the wider supply chain – all working together seamlessly.

“There is a lot of xenophobia in Australia, but we need these foreign markets to invest in the Australian food and agribusiness sector because they will guarantee us markets.

“This lack of collaboration culture within Australian food and agribusiness is impacting our readiness for engagement with the huge market potential of the emerging Asian middle class,” said Mr Schutz.

The panel agreed the Toowoomba region in Queensland is leading the way in food and agribusiness collaboration, and the rest of the nation needs to follow suit. “The Toowoomba and Surat Basin area is a stand-out region in terms of collaboration across universities, government and the production and agribusiness industry, opening up the region directly to international markets,” said Mr Schutz. CEO of the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) Dr Ben Lyons said that while Toowoomba is part of Australia’s leading agriculture region in terms of production and innovation, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of collaboration.

“We have a number of opportunities opening up to the local food and agribusiness market in Toowoomba, such as the opening of the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport servicing the Toowoomba region,” said Dr Lyons.

“This has given us the ability to export fresh meat from Toowoomba at 5pm that will arrive in Shanghai by 7am local time, to be served in a high-end Shanghai restaurant that night. This makes everything much more immediate.

“Australia as a whole needs to step away from being insular and become more open to foreign ownership and investment. Australia has had a mindset of protectionism in the past. I was quite upset by the Kidman ownership decision, because what impression about investing in Australia does that send to China?” he said.

Terry O’Brien, Managing Director of Simplot said the resistance to innovation and new ideas comes down to a number of Australian agricultural and food production companies being family-owned.

“I do a lot of work in Tasmania, where the farming and agricultural land has been passed through many generations. This creates a fear of growing new products including new varieties as they feel they haven’t been tried and tested.

“This region almost has to wait for the current generation to stop and the younger generation to step up to utilise their new technical skills and their ability to think collectively,” said Mr O’Brien.

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Australia’s drinking quantity decreases but quality increases

Australians say they are drinking less but better with our per capita spend on alcohol rising as we seek out more premium alcoholic beverages, according to a new report released today.

The emma (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia) Alcoholic Beverages Trends & Insights Report* found that half of people aged 18 years and over say they are drinking less now than they used to.

There is also a move to premium beverages, with the dollar value of liquor sales rising 1.5%^ in 2015, which means Australians are spending more on their favourite drink. Australia is an overwhelmingly wine and beer drinking nation. Wine is our most popular drink, although men up to age 65 prefer beer, the emma data has found.

Cider is our third most popular drink, followed by scotch or whiskey, with other varieties well behind. Women opt for wine more than twice as often as other drinks, whereas men are more varied in their consumption patterns.

White wine edges out red as the most consumed at 43% of adults, compared to 41%, while 23% enjoy sparkling wine or champagne.

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Alcohol is still very much part of Australian culture, with three quarters of adult men and women consuming an alcoholic beverage in the past four weeks.

“The trend towards drinking better offers growth opportunities to premium brands that can tap into the mindset of these consumers.

The move by Australians towards more premium beverages and spending more as a result, underscores the importance of effective brand positioning and marketing.”

Perceptions of quality and value change as people age and emma data shows that older people are more likely to believe that Australian wine is better than that from overseas.

They were also less likely to try foreign beers, preferring homegrown brands. There has been a shift in places and occasions where Australians prefer to drink, which changes by age and life stage. The majority of Australians prefer to drink at home, which was most prevalent among 30-32 years olds at 87%.

Venues where alcohol is consumed differ among various age groups. For example, among 24-26 year olds, 61% drank at a friend or relative’s house, while 19% of 18-20 year olds drank at a nightclub.

Among older people, 50% of 45-47 year olds drank at a restaurant or café, while 36% of 54-56 year olds drank at a bar or pub and a third of 66-68 year olds preferred RSLs, bowls or an AFL club.

According to Ipsos’s consumer segmentation, there are four key segments that represent 35% of Australia’s adult population who are the most likely to drink any alcohol more than once a week.

They are the ‘Educated Ambition’ (highest earners and most educated), ‘Social Creatives’ (young, affluent urbanites), ‘Serene Seclusion’ (people at or near retirement living in regional and rural areas) and ‘Conscientious Consumption’ (middle and upper class families) segments. *

The report draws on data from emma (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia) to explore the changing mindsets, preferences and behaviours of Australian adults towards alcohol. emma interviews more than 54,000 people each year. ^ IBISWorld Liquor Retailing in Australia, March 2016

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Report highlights new directions for packaging

‘New directions’ in packaging and labelling technology are a strong feature of today’s market – and the latest is digital direct-to-container print. It may, indeed, be a disruptive technology, as the new Direct Digital Printing Technology for Labeling & Product Decoration AWAreness Report 2016 demonstrates.

This latest addition to AWA Alexander Watson Associates’ portfolio of assessments of aspects of global label printing market provides a valuable resource for all interested in, or already committed to, this 21st-century product identification technology.

Eliminating entirely the need for a label on rigid or semi-rigid containers, direct digital print offers brand owners a new palette of opportunities — including economies of scale, shorter route to market, and enhanced levels of brand presentation and promotion, such as personalization.

However, this is a technology in its infancy, and further technical and commercial innovation and a broader supplier source at all levels can be expected.

The report posits that the total potential volume growth of the global label market could be negatively affected, losing market share to direct container print.

Pressure-sensitive and wet glue labels are the leading candidates for replacement, but sleeving and in-mould labels will not be immune.

Substitution of labels in all technologies will, says the report, represent the equivalent of 0.5%-1.0% of the global label market by 2019/2020.

Complete with an industry-wide survey of the technology’s present status and future opportunities, and a directory of equipment, inks, and ancillary manufacturers, Direct Digital Printing Technology for Labeling & Product Decoration AWAreness Report 2016 represents an expert overview of a key packaging market development.

The report may be ordered online via the AWA Alexander Watson Associates website, www.awa-bv.com, along with details of the company’s full range of market research and consultancy services and events.

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Result Group finds a new way to advertise on bottles

Australia’s largest label manufacturer worked in conjunction with one of Australasia’s largest food and beverage companies to find an innovative way to advertise on bottles.

To assist The Daily Drinks Company in advertising a promotional message, Labelmakers (in partnership with Lion) used the HERMA 400 to create a simplified adhesive neck tag for the company’s bottles.

According to Result Group, this type of promotional information usually hangs loosely over the bottle neck. However, this form of advertisement does not offer much content space and there is no guarantee that the neck tags will stay on the bottles up to the point of purchase.

Result Group believe that the adhesive neck tag will be successful, as it uses standard pressure sensitive materials and is easy for the production site to process with limited changes to the existing process.

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CCA launches new Sprite campaign

Coca-Cola South Pacific has launched the next phase of Sprite's 'Cut Through The Heat' brand campaign, dedicated to inspiring and empowering Aussies to deal with life's awkward moments. 

The campaign kicks will include the return of the brand's distinguished ambassador, Sprite Saver, who will amplify Sprite's 'cut through' message through a number of 'refreshing' environments.

There will be a heavy focus on social media, designed to build an active and engaged community of Sprite lovers and encourage younger consumers to build a connection and affinity with the brand. 

The company said that content will be geared towards sparking dialogue around cutting through heated moments, positioning Sprite as a tool to cut through them and demonstrating how it can give consumers the confidence to keep their cool.

Donna Mulholland, Group Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola South Pacific said: "We're looking to build brand equity and increase engagement amongst consumers by capturing their interest through a series of fun and engaging executions that will be rolled out in market in the coming months. Our refreshment message also remains at the heart of the campaign as we continue to educate consumers about the product benefits."

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Nestle accused of sexism, advertising watchdog disagrees

The Advertising Standards Board has dismissed complaints that a Nestle commercial is sexist and objectifies the man in the advert.

The television commercial for Nestle’s Sweetened Condensed Milk features a man cooking in the kitchen (Dave). He is not wearing a shirt but has an apron on. Two women (unseen) are commenting on the addition of the Sweetened Condensed Milk to the baking process and on the lavish spread on the bench. At the end, he lifts the head on the electric mixer before switching it off properly, and is splattered with cream.

Consumers complained “if the roles were reversed, with a young woman and older men, many people would object. Sexism works both ways. The young man is being objectified.”

Nestle responded by saying it intended for the advert to engage with women “in a humorous and off-beat manner.”

“While there might be an initial hint of a double entendre in the opening lines – with the women admiring our hero baker, it is soon apparent that the women are in fact talking about the lavish spread on the bench and the product being advertised and not the baker in the kitchen,” Nestle said.

“The tone used by the women is light hearted and flirty and the baker clearly interacts with the camera. There is no suggestion that the women are treating the baker in a manner which amounts to discrimination or vilification.”

The Advertising Standards Board sided with Nestle and concluded that the man in the advert is “clearly empowered and is not presented in manner which is degrading to men.”

The Board said in order to be in breach with the Code, the image would need to use sexual appeal in a manner that is both exploitative and degrading.

The Board noted that its role is to consider each advertisement on its own merit and that addressing hypothetical alternatives, such as if a woman was used instead, is not part of its role.

The Board concluded that the advertisement did not breach the Code on other grounds and dismisse the complaints.

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Alcohol companies target sport enthusiasts using social media

Alcohol companies are finding new ways to use the power of social media to pitch drinking as pivotal to the sporting experience, a new RMIT study shows.

Social media is now a key player in promoting alcohol – giving the industry the ability to reach millions of consumers and target young drinkers.

The Merging sport and drinking cultures through social media study, funded by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, found the alcohol industry timed its posts to tie in with professional sporting events to encourage consumption.

One of the authors of the study, associate professor Kate Westberg, from the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing said the industry’s social media strategies were carefully developed to go beyond promoting their product.

“The ultimate goal appears to be to merge the drinking culture with sport culture,” she said.

“They seek to normalise consumption by using social media to present drinking as an integral part of the sport experience whether spectatorship, celebration or commiseration.”

Sport provided a powerful marketing platform for the alcohol industry – particularly when combined with the collaborative and immersive nature of social media, the study found.

This included posing sports questions, using player endorsements and prompting fans to head to the pub when a game is about to start.

Many platforms encouraged users to interact with sites by liking or sharing content which sees consumers themselves become unofficial marketers for alcohol companies.

The study analysed Facebook, Twitter and YouTube content around the Australian Football League, National Rugby League and Australian Cricket 2013-14 seasons.

It found it was common for the industry to use social media to target consumers with product messages themed around sporting identity, culture and camaraderie.

Brands such as Carlton Draught, Victoria Bitter, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, XXXX Gold and Bundaberg Rum were looked at.

Brands use a range of mediums, such as smartphone apps, push notifications, trivia and tipping competitions, celebrity endorsements, promotional merchandise, videos, memes and co-created content linked to sport to engage with consumers and gain access to their extended social networks.

Sport-linked social media strategies featuring a “call to action” encouraging competition, collaboration, celebration and consumption were commonly used.

“The ‘calls to action’ aim to stimulate consumers to actively engage with the brand, rather than passively receiving brand messages, as is the case with conventional advertising,” Westberg said.

FARE Chief Executive, Michael Thorn , said the report offers further insights into the concerning ways in which the alcohol industry is able to co-opt the sporting culture in order to shape the drinking culture and manipulate consumers.

“Alcohol’s marketing and sponsorship linkages are most apparent on our TV screens, but in fact, are just as insidious on social media where the alcohol industry has become increasingly sophisticated in the ways it ties its products to professional sport,” he said.

“Of concern, the online space is even less regulated than traditional media. Self-regulation isn’t working, it isn’t protecting children from harmful alcohol advertising and those harms will continue until such time that the Commonwealth Government steps in.”

The researchers presented their findings at the World Social Marketing Conference this week in Sydney.

 

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SPC rolls out #MyFamilyCan

The labels of the Goulburn Valley, Ardmona and SPC ‪#‎MyFamilyCan range now feature local growers and farmers and the company is encouraging Australians to “support Aussie produce.”

“We know consumers want to know who grows their food and we’re proud to be recognised for our strong commitment to Australian grown and made food. So proud in fact we’ve launched #MyFamilyCan, an initiative that shows consumers exactly who is growing the food they are eating,” said Sandra Pereira, Marketing & Innovation Director, SPC.

Featuring six real-life Victorian farming families – the very people who grow the food for SPC – the initiative recognises that consumers want assurance that the food they eat is locally grown.

“SPC stands by Australian growers who produce the cleanest, greenest and safest food in the world. We’re proud to be associated with our growers and to do our part to market the obvious benefits of Australian grown and made products,” Pereira said.

In a series of short films soon to be released on social media, the first featuring Gary Godwill and his 86 year-old mother Dorothy (who still works in the orchard), this family-focused campaign also highlights what consumer support means to the farmers and their families. And what it means for Australia.

The Godwill family is one of six appearing on labels. The other families are: the Jaques family (Tallygaroopna), the Weeks family (Nanneella), the Turnbull family (Ardmona) the Scarcella family (Orrvale) and the Kennedy family (Carag Carag)

“Putting Australian families on the label gives people recognition of the actual people who are producing product. It will help Australians to understand where things are grown and where the food comes from. I think it’s a very positive step towards supporting families and supporting Australian farmers,” Godwill said in the video shared on Facebook.

Last year, SPC’s people-powered social media campaign, #SPCSunday, was recognised as the Grand Prix overall winner at The Communications Council's 2014 APMA Star Awards.

SPC also won the award for the “Best Use of Social Marketing in a Campaign” for SPC Ardmona’s agency, Leo Burnett Melbourne.

The campaign, which started with a community Facebook page and a single tweet, created a national groundswell of support and action in February this year.

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“Lesbian” banned by Nutella

A French Nutella marketing campaign, “Say It With Nutella” has banned the word “lesbian”, along with “Muslim” and “Jewish”.

“Say It With Nutella” allows users to create a custom jar of the famous chocolate spread with their own phrase, to share on social media, a news service for the gay community, Pink News reports.

The site says: “Here you can create your custom messages and share them with those you love.”

However, users have discovered a long list of words the site will not allow you to use. Along with swear words, drugs, and violent terms, the site does not allow “lesbian”, “Muslim” or “Jewish”.

The full list of banned words was found by viewing the site’s source code, RTL reports. Health-related words such as “obesity, “cancer” and “diabetes” as well as “palm oil”, the controversial ingredient in Nutella, are banned. Clearly anticipating that people would use the site to highlight the controversy surrounding the use of palm oil, which reportedly threatens orangutan habitats, words such as “boycott” and “orangutan” is not permitted.  While “gay” is fine, and “Christian” is allowed despite the ban on “Jewish” and “Muslim”.

Makers of Nutella, Ferrero, said in a statement: “The negative or insulting messages were directly removed from the field of possibilities, the idea being to use the jar of Nutella as a communication medium to share enthusiasm. Similarly, words of communities that are often subject to attacks by malicious people were removed from the proposals.”

 

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Coles “fresh apple” claims misleading

Coles is in “fresh” trouble over pink lady apples that were picked in April, but advertised as “Spring fruit”.

A complaint was made to the Advertising Standards Board over a “Feed Your Family Better” advertisement, where Curtis Stone makes reference to the Tasmanian grown apples being fresh at Coles right now and says “feed your family better, fresher, with spring fruit and veg from Coles…”

The complaint to the Board said “This is wrong and not possible, I live in Tassie and my apple tree is dormant! These apples would have been in storage for MONTHS, they are not fresh.”

Coles decided not to re-publish or re-broadcast the particular advertisement, but argued the advertisement is not misleading or in breach of the AANA Food and Beverages Code.

Despite being harvested in April, Coles maintains that the apples were fresh.

The apples were placed in a controlled low temperature and reduced oxygen (not frozen) environment, which the supermarket said preserves their freshness.

In its response to the complaint, Coles said it “considers apples can remain fresh, even if placed in cold storage. ‘Freshness’ is determined with regard to the quality of the produce, not whether it has been stored or not
“Coles’ view that produce can remain “fresh” despite storage is consistent with the Macquarie Dictionary, which defines ‘fresh’ as retaining the original properties unimpaired; not deteriorated; not canned or frozen; not preserved by pickling, salting, drying, etc”

The supermarket cited its decision to place the fruit in cold storage facilities as a way to avoid sourcing apples from outside Australia to fulfil demand and “support local growers by only selling in Coles stores Australian apples grown by local growers.”

But it was not the use of the word “fresh” that got Coles into trouble this time, rather, the mention of “Spring fruit”

The board considered “it is common practice for food bought in its natural state to be described as fresh and that the use of the word ‘fresh’ in relation to apples is not of itself misleading or designed to be misleading.”

The Board said “in the current advertisement there is a reference to ‘Spring’ fruit and considered that these additional references to Spring change the context of the word ‘fresh’ to imply that the advertised apples are Spring fruit and have been freshly picked during the Spring season ready for immediate sale.

“The Advertiser’s response that apples are generally harvested in Australia during autumn and considered that the average consumer would be used to seeing apples available in supermarkets all year round and may not be aware of this fact.

“The Board considered that the likely interpretation of the advertisement by the average consumer would be that the Tasmanian apples being promoted as fresh this Spring would have been freshly picked in recent weeks and not over 3 months ago.”

In September, Coles was banned from advertising that its bread was made, or baked on the day that it’s sold for three years, following an ACCC investigation.

The federal court ruled in June that the supermarket misled shoppers by claiming that its bread, together with a range of other baked goods were “freshly baked” or “Baked Fresh” when it had actually been par baked months earlier in factories overseas.

 

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Ginger beer launch targets red heads

Buderim Ginger is unveiling its new boutique non-alcoholic ginger beer, with a marketing campaign celebrating “all things ranga”.

The ginger beer is a blend using crop from Aussie ginger farmers with no artificial flavours or colours and is available in a 250ml slimline can and glass bottle.

To date, Buderim Ginger has only made its ginger beer available for distribution locally on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in its traditional glass bottle. However, the product will now be available nationally to distributors.

At the core of the campaign, is a website called ‘The Ginger Net’, which the company said “allows users to immerse themselves in the wild, wacky and entertaining world of the flame-haired.”

Buderim Ginger has also teamed up with Division Model Management to launch a national search for “Australia’s Hottest Ginger”. The winners: one red-haired female and one male winner be awarded the titles of ‘Buderim Ginger Australia’s Hottest Ginger’, and receive a 12-month modelling contract with Division Model Management.

 

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Nudie launches TVC [Video]

Nudie has launched its first advertisement on subscription TV, which aims to bring to life the characters from the kids nudie range, and highlight the benefits of the range.

The advertisement is currently playing on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Foxtel Family Movies, Arena and Lifestyle You.

Founder James Ajaka said he is thrilled to see nudie come to life on TV.

“We thought it was about time we brought our characters to life, plus we wanted to tell the world about our kids nudie range containing 100% real fruit juice and no nasties whatsoever,” Ajaka said.

Kids nudie was launched in June last year. The range is the only kids range in Australia containing 100% real fruit and has no added sugar, no preservatives or artificial flavours.

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Coles slapped with three year ban on bread ads

Following an investigation by the ACCC, Coles Supermarkets will be banned from advertising that its bread was made, or baked on the day that it’s sold for three years.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Coles in June last year, accusing the supermarket of engaging in deceptive and misleading conduct, relating to the claims on various ‘Cuisine Royale’ and ‘Coles Bakery’ branded bread products.

In his ruling back in June, Federal Court chief justice James Allsop said that claims made by Coles amounted to a misleading representation that the par baked bread products had been baked on the day of sale or baked in a fresh process using fresh not frozen product.

According to The Mercury, Allsop today ruled that the supermarket giant will be banned from promoting its bread as ‘baked today, sold today’ for a three year period. Coles must also inform consumers of the ban and communicate that it was found to have made false, misleading and deceptive representations in relations these products.

Coles still faces fines of up to $3 million over the claims, however the Federal Court has not yet confirmed if it will enforce the penalty.

 

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Prices down down, and the tab’s on Coles

Coles said it is funding the down down and deeper down down price cuts that it has announced across its freezer aisles.

A spokesperson for the supermarket said “Coles is investing millions of dollars in lowering prices and the price cuts across the freezer are being funded by Coles.”

Coles has expanded it’s down down and deeper down down discounted range across its freezer aisles, to include an additional 100 products.

Coles has added 35 new products on the down down list, and 66 products to the deeper down down products.

Some of these include:

  • Coles Brand Frozen Corn Cobs 1kg (Aussie Grown)
  • I&J Crispy Frozen Fish Fillets 425gm
  • Streets Blue Ribbon Ice Cream 2L, multiple varieties
  • Bulla Frozen Yoghurt 1.8L, Mango & Wildberry varieties
  • Coles Brand Frozen chips 1kg (Aussie Grown)
  • Coles Brand Frozen Fruit 300-500g, multiple varieties

The Deeper Down Down campaign began in February, with the discounting of brands such as Nescafe Blend 43, Lipton Black Tea Bags and Sanitarium Weetbix.

Last year, the Australian Food and Grocery Council criticised Coles’ and Woolworths’ discounting, claiming Coles favours its own private label products in its Down Down range. Coles retaliated, arguing that branded products make up 75 percent of all products in-store.

 

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Sara Lee releases first ad since 2011 [video]

Sara Lee has reinvigorated its brand with the release of its first ad since 2011, comprising its historic tagline, ‘Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.’

The ad shows a diverse range of Australians, all brought together by Sara Lee desserts, and was created by O’Shea & O’Brien (O&O).

Mike O’Brien, retail marketing director, McCain Foods said, “Sara Lee is one of Australia’s most loved brands, and we’re excited to once again showcase just how broad an appeal the brand and our products have.”

The TV campaign will be supported by in-store POS, digital and social media.

Sara Lee Australia was acquired by McCain Foods in February 2013, with the deal valued at $82 million.

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#SPCSunday media campaign wins APMA Star awards

People-powered social media campaign, #SPCSunday, was recognised as the Grand Prix overall winner at The Communications Council's 2014 APMA Star Awards.

SPC also won the award for the “Best Use of Social Marketing in a Campaign” for SPC Ardmona’s agency, Leo Burnett Melbourne.

The campaign, which started with a community Facebook page and a single tweet, created a national groundswell of support and action in February this year.

SPC Ardmona Marketing & Innovation Director, Bronwyn Powell, said: “We’re thrilled that #SPCSunday was recognised with top honours at last night’s marketing industry awards, but really all credit belongs to Teena Knight, Linda Drummond and the everyday Australians who got behind SPC and our fight.

“All of our workers have been overwhelmed by the amazing support shown by everyday Australians. #SPCSunday was an incredible example of how people can embrace social media and rally behind a cause they truly believe in and make a difference.”

The social media instigated campaign to save SPC started back in April 2013 when Teena Knight, a member of the Goulburn Valley community and from a family of Shepparton growers, recognised that the fruit industry was in crisis and took to social media to encourage Aussies to protect the industry that so many peoples’ livelihoods were dependent on. Teena started the Facebook Page Save SPCA Australian Made and Grown.

Then on Thursday 6 February 2014, Newcastle resident, Linda Drummond, kicked off a social media movement when she declared Sunday 9 February “SPC Sunday” and encouraged Aussies to get behind Australian farmers, workers and communities by enjoying SPC products.

Thanks to the campaign, a $100 million rescue package was granted, saving thousands of jobs and brightening the future of the iconic Aussie brand.

 

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Tip Top gets personal with new campaign

Rather than personalising labels like the successful Coke campaign in 2011, Tip Top are instead providing a ‘Mum Song Dedications’ digital platform.

The microsite follows a four-step process of choosing a melody, beats, effects and lyrics to create a personalised Tip Top ‘Good on ya mum’ song.

Each song is a digital revamp of the Tip Top jingle, which can then be shared on Facebook, in an email, or with a phone call.

The campaign will also be supported by in store promotion, out of home posters, TV, radio and PR.

Group Marketing Manager, Justine Cotter said “The jingle celebrates the effort mum goes to for her family and we are excited to provide an interactive platform that allows Aussies to create their own unique, personalised, and meaningful song to dedicate to their mums.”

To check out the microsite, click here.

 

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Crowdfunding pays off for Wakefield Grange

The first two weeks of the Wakefield Grange Nose to Tail Pozible crowdfunding campaign have proved to be very successful.

With 18 supporters coming forward to pledge funds, Wakefield Grange has reached over 10 percent of the $30,000 target with seven weeks to go in the campaign.

The campaign aims to raise enough funds to establish an on-site commercial kitchen and curing room, in which Sophie and Nathen Wakefield will produce a wide range of house-cured smallgoods and farm fresh charcuterie products.

The creation of a commercial kitchen and curing room will mean that the Wakefield’s will be able to utilise secondary cuts of meat and offal in their smallgoods and charcuterie, an important aspect of their whole-animal approach.

As well as producing their own range of meat products, the commercial kitchen will be available to lease by other primary producers who want to sell their wares to the public, and will also be used for a variety of on-farm education events.

If Wakefield Grange raises the $30,000, it will become the first agricultural business in South Australia to crowdfund successfully.

“There is a real passion in South Australia for genuine farm-fresh produce and for affordable, premium quality meat that has been produced sustainably,” Sophie Wakefield said, “and in extending further the ranges of meat products that we provide, we hope to be able to meet this growing demand.”

In recognition of their support, Wakefield Grange is offering funders a range of tempting rewards, ranging from fresh meat, smallgoods and charcuterie products, to butchery classes, farmgate shop vouchers and tickets to on-farm events.

The campaign runs until 19 August 2014, to make a pledge click here.

 

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Cadbury matches Facebook likes with chocolate

Cadbury is matching people’s Facebook likes and interests with a Dairy Milk flavour using a new Flavour Matcher app.

As part of Cadbury’s new campaign aimed at generating discussion about flavour preferences, Cadbury has built the app into a flavour-matching Facebook-powered vending machine – called The Joy Generator.

The Joy Generator lets users log-in to their Facebook profile and receive their personalised flavour match which is automatically dispensed (for free), before taking a snap with their flavour in a social media enabled picture booth.

The Flavour Matcher app built into the machine harnesses Facebook likes and interests across a number of categories from popular consumer brands, charities and sporting clubs through to music artists, TV shows, radio stations and movies to develop a match, mapped against Cadbury Dairy Milk flavour profiles.

The app will match consumers’ profiles to one flavour from Cadbury Dairy Milk’s famous range including Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut, Peppermint, Roasted Almond, Fruit & Nut, Rocky Road, Crunchie, Snack, Caramello, Turkish Delight, Top Deck and Black Forest.

The machine will be unveiled at Sydney’s Customs House forecourt on the 19th and 20th June from 10am-6pm, before moving to Melbourne’s Federation Square on the 23rd and 24th June from 10am-6pm across both days.

Cadbury Head of Marketing Ben Wicks said, “The Joy Generator and Flavour Matcher app are exciting world-first technologies that use insights from our research team to link flavour to likes and interests on people’s Facebook profiles. It’s a unique social experiment and we’re looking forward to getting the nation involved in the coming weeks and finding out which flavour matches come out on top!”

For those who can’t make it to Sydney and Melbourne to try the vending machine in person, the Flavour Matcher app will be available on the Cadbury Dairy Milk Facebook page in the coming weeks.