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Lovin' it: McBranding hooks preschoolers, study finds

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Rocket River, Aug 7, 2007.

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  1. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    does this concern you?
    If there is No Smoking Ads during kids time tv . . . and we say it is because they are bad for kids
    what about these fattie foods that are getting to our kids more and more

    And these kind of studies say their influence is more than just a little bit

    Rocket River



    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070806/hl_nm/kids_fastfood_dc


    Lovin' it: McBranding hooks preschoolers, study finds


    By Julie Steenhuysen
    Mon Aug 6, 4:05 PM ET



    CHICAGO (Reuters) - Preschoolers preferred the taste of burgers and fries when they came in McDonald's wrappers over the same food in plain wrapping, U.S. researchers said, suggesting fast-food marketing reaches the very young.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    "Overwhelmingly, kids chose the one that they perceived was from McDonald's," said obesity prevention expert Dr. Thomas Robinson of the Stanford University School of Medicine, whose work appears in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

    While prior studies have looked at the impact of individual ads on kids, Robinson and colleagues set out to study the overall influence of a company's brand -- based on everything from advertising to toy premiums and word of mouth.

    It comes as many food and restaurant companies face pressure to cut back on marketing to children as rates of obesity among that age group continue to climb.

    Robinson and colleagues conducted a taste test with a total of 63 kids aged 3 to 5 who were enrolled in a Head Start preschool for low-income families.

    They were offered five pairs of foods and asked if they tasted the same or to point to the one that tasted better.

    The food -- taken from the same order -- was wrapped in either McDonald's packaging or unbranded packages in the same color and style.

    In about 60 percent of the tastings, the kids preferred food in the McDonald's wrapper.

    "They actually thought the food tasted better," Robinson said in a telephone interview.

    EVEN 'MCCARROTS' PREFERRED

    About 22 percent of the kids chose food in the plain wrappers while 18 percent said the food tasted the same or were unable to complete the experiment.

    "It ranged from 48 percent who chose the hamburger up to over 70 percent who chose French fries as tasting better if they thought they were from McDonald's," he said.

    "Even for baby carrots, kids said the carrots they thought were from McDonald's tasted better," Robinson said.

    The same was true of milk.

    He said the study supports efforts to ban or regulate advertising or marketing of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages directed to young children.

    A McDonald's Corp. spokesman said the company has been working to address the need for responsible marketing to kids and providing healthy food choices.

    "McDonald's is only advertising Happy Meals with white meat McNuggets, fresh apple slices and low-fat milk, a right-sized meal of only 375 calories," said spokesman Walt Riker, in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.

    "Our recent program with 'Shrek' was our biggest-ever promotion of fruits, vegetables and milk, another indication of our progressive approach to responsible marketing," he said.

    The recent effort put the green ogre of the "Shrek" movies on a diet in a campaign that promoted healthier foods.

    Robinson acknowledged that fast-food marketers have added some healthy foods to their menus, but he said the study should raise some alarms for parents.

    "The majority of their marketing and reputation and brand is based on foods that are high in calories and fat and low in nutritional value," he said.
     
    #1 Rocket River, Aug 7, 2007
  2. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    if you have kids, you knew this as soon as your kid was able to speak. mickey d's advertising is like crack to kids
     
    #2 pgabriel, Aug 7, 2007
  3. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

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    Watch the movie Supersize Me. I watched it almost a year ago and I haven't had McDonalds since*. There's a whole segment on this topic (marketing to children). VERY disturbing.






    *I still eat Whataburger about once a week....
     
    #3 ima_drummer2k, Aug 7, 2007
  4. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    wait a minute, you watched some anti business, liberal propoganda and liked it?
     
    #4 pgabriel, Aug 7, 2007
  5. RocketMan Tex

    RocketMan Tex Member

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    Mickey D's has always advertised like this. The difference now is....kids sit on their asses playing video games instead of running around outside

    Is it any wonder that we as a nation are turning into blubber-butts?

    I have no kids, yet this concerns the hell out of me.
     
    #5 RocketMan Tex, Aug 7, 2007
  6. MR. MEOWGI

    MR. MEOWGI Contributing Member

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    Don't they also teach kids that hamburgers come from hamburger trees?
     
    #6 MR. MEOWGI, Aug 7, 2007
  7. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

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    Go pick a fight with someone else. I think DaDakota is logged on.


    Funny thing is, we ate the same crap kids eat today, but we actually got out and ran around after school, usually until the sun went down, instead of sitting in front of the video game console/TV/computer.

    When you're a kid, you can get away with eating a bunch of crap as long as you get off your ass and exercise. But kids today aren't doing that.
     
    #7 ima_drummer2k, Aug 7, 2007
  8. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    I'm not picking a fight, just found it odd from mr. personal responsibility.
     
    #8 pgabriel, Aug 7, 2007
  9. KaiSeR SoZe

    KaiSeR SoZe Member

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    lol..

    :D
     
    #9 KaiSeR SoZe, Aug 7, 2007
  10. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    they are serving apples now instead of fries with happy meals. my older son loves the fries...my younger son loves the apples.
     
    #10 MadMax, Aug 7, 2007
  11. MR. MEOWGI

    MR. MEOWGI Contributing Member

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    You really let your kids eat McDonald's?
     
    #11 MR. MEOWGI, Aug 7, 2007
  12. finalsbound

    finalsbound Member

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    I must concur with ima_drummer...after seeing "Supersize Me" in March I have not eaten at McDonald's since. From April through June actually I never once had fast food. That changed when I worked at Sonic the past couple months however. It's amazing how addicting fast food can become...and it sucks because I hate going out to eat and spending money. I think Sonic tater tots have hypnotized me though...
     
    #12 finalsbound, Aug 7, 2007
  13. hooroo

    hooroo Member

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    I wonder how old the kids were? If we're talking Grade 2 and under then it's highly likely they just showing support to something they like. If they're Grade 3 or over and truly believed what they tasted was different then you can blame the gene pool they came from.
     
    #13 hooroo, Aug 7, 2007
  14. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Member

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    Doesn't surprise me...And this works at any age...Hell, my kids always want to go to there or another fast food place that advertises...The advertising on kids shows today is ridiculous...Thank god for tivo so you can fast forward crap...

    I prefer to take my kids to Subway or boston market vs. those type of places...but c'mon, I will break down every once in a blue moon to go there, but that's very rare...

    btw, Supersize Me is a great movie...
     
    #14 rrj_gamz, Aug 7, 2007
  15. dntrwl

    dntrwl Member

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    its so true that if kids actually did activities instead of sit on ass and do nothing they wouldn't be having these problems. it is the parents fault for buying them video games and giving them computers at 10 years old
     
    #15 dntrwl, Aug 7, 2007
  16. WildSweet&Cool

    WildSweet&Cool Member

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    I watched Supersize Me and....

    1) I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know. Surprise! McDonalds food is bad for you! Who'd have thought!?!?

    2) I can't believe people didn't already know this.

    3) If the guy had done the same experiment with any other fast food place, it probably would have delivered the same results.

    4) I still eat McD's about once every three months. Sometimes I just need a fast, easy, and convenient solution.
     
    #16 WildSweet&Cool, Aug 7, 2007
  17. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    when I was a bank teller I hated counting money from fast food restaurants because of the greese smell. I remember a what a burger and a long john silver's in particular.
     
    #17 pgabriel, Aug 7, 2007
  18. professorjay

    professorjay Member

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    Not a surprise. It's worked since I was a kid, and will still be the same when I have grandkids.

    And I agree that Supersize Me was a great movie. Although I don't know why that would turn you off from McDonald's but not other fast food joints.
     
    #18 professorjay, Aug 7, 2007
  19. DarkHorse

    DarkHorse Member

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    My son is 15 months old now, and we don't even present him with the option of fast food.

    He doesn't miss it.
     
    #19 DarkHorse, Aug 7, 2007
  20. percicles

    percicles Member

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    I think the crap we ate was slightly healthier & the portions were smaller. Peanut oil was used instead of trans fats.
     
    #20 percicles, Aug 7, 2007
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