Advertising bans generally seem reactive and superficial to me. >From what I've seen other marketing bans have done little to affect the products. Have the bans on cigarette or alcohol advertising actually done anything to stem the tide of underage use of the products?
I agree fully that we're a marketing and entertainment-based culture (the news media's shift to an "edutainment" platform is the most frustrating example of this to me). However I still very little wrong with McDonald's (or most) advertising in and of itself. McDonald's is a family restaurant - they market to kids simply because they geared to kids. I don't consider it McDonald's "fault" that my son wants to go there every day - however I definitely consider it my responsibility not to let him and to teach him moderation. As for the "Monster Burger" - I still have no idea what's inherently wrong with that from a marketing perspective. If the public wants them it will become a success, if not it will fail. You said it yourself "does anybody really think that the Monster Burger is a good idea...?" The public makes up their minds and the product succeeds or fails. The underlying idea that businesses are out there "trying to make us fat" is just ridiculous. They are catering (some say pandering) to us - it's soley our responsibility to manage our diet. The only business conspiracy is to sell more product. When the public demands healthy food (or food catering to latest stupid diet fad) the industry responds. You can eat healthy at McDonald's today (both kids and adults) but the products simply don't sell nearly as well. I agree with informational measures (restaurants should have to provide nutritional information). In short I believe that the consumer should have all of the information needed to make an informed decision available but nothing should be done to legislate that decision. Jim Davis -----Original Message----- From: Wayne Putterill [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2004 8:10 AM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: now the truly important news I was using the scene to illustrate the power of marketing these days, I realise that in the US capitalism is next to godliness but it's got to the point where corporations have the power to make the consumers want their products even if they will kill them in the long term. I mean does anybody really think that the Monster Burger is a good idea for anyone to eat? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/11/18/wburg18.xml ) In the UK there are plans to stop all junk food being advertised before 9pm at night, which I think is an excellent idea. Kids are far too easily influenced and once they have bought into the lie the companies have them for life. BTW, as a Buddhist I'm an atheist too :) -----Original Message----- From: Jim Davis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 20 November 2004 21:44 To: CF-Community Subject: RE: now the truly important news Honestly I see nothing wrong with children recognizing Ronald more than Jesus. Are we up because the Christian church have worse marketing than McDonalds (as an atheist I actually consider both entities business organizations)? Macdonald's job, as a business, is to provide a service people want. It's the consumer's job to regulate their usage of that service. You can make an argument if they are misleading people, but I don't see how they have. Jim Davis -----Original Message----- From: Wayne Putterill [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 11:37 AM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: now the truly important news I agree with most of what you say, but McDonalds and the like have to take some responsibility for causing people to want their food through their marketing - particularly when it's aimed at kids. There is a very telling scene in Supersize me where children are shown pictures and asked if they know who the person is, they failed to identify Jesus but all recognised Ronald McDonald immediately. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:137313 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
