Of Obesity and Marketing
Author: Jeff McElnea

Marketers and the general public are asking who’s to blame for America's obesity problem -- consumers or marketers? Is there a government role and if so, what should it be? What should marketers be doing to support healthy causes? And, which brands are leading the way?

These are just some of the hard, and sometimes unsettling, questions that many marketers are navigating through these days.

However, as underscored by a recent survey by Reveries Magazine, little doubt seems to exist among marketers regarding where responsibility rests on this issue.

In the survey of more than 400 marketers, 54 percent pinned the blame on consumers rather than themselves for America’s current health problems. Thirty-four percent of marketers accepted equal culpability, while just six percent blamed themselves.

Given the respondent base of predominantly senior-level marketing executives, this prevailing view is hardly surprising. But, the degree to which marketers shift responsibility to consumers gives one pause. Finger pointing at your own customers can be a rather risky exercise.

Well, at least the food industry, unlike its show business brethren, hasn't yet arrested any of its customers! The attitude, however, does seem to fly in the face of that most basic principle of marketing: the customer is king. In this case, maybe it's Henry VIII -- but I digress.

Most marketers in this survey also said that companies like Kraft, with its pledge to reduce the fat content and portion sizes of its products, will not make much of a dent in consumers’ well being -- unless, of course, it prompts other major marketers to follow suit. It's hard to argue with that perspective.

Meanwhile, the idea of a Government “fat warning” label on products, similar to those for tobacco and alcohol, intrigued some marketers in the Reveries survey -- although an even number felt that such a warning should not be used.

It does seem a little contradictory that the same respondents who overwhelmingly said controlling calories is the consumer's responsibility would also favor a "fat warning." Then again, such labeling might lessen public opinion pressure and be welcomed by some marketers.

When asked which brands are doing the best job of marketing health and fitness to Americans, marketers tended to rattle off the usual suspects, such as Gatorade, Stonyfield Farms, Subway, Whole Foods Supermarkets and Special K cereal. A number of respondents mentioned non-food marketers, such Nike and Crunch Gyms, as well.

Receiving far fewer mentions were the smaller healthy organic marketers, such as Hain Celestial. Sure, they lack the financial and media muscle of their larger brethren, but they are also attracting some attention from the big guns, like Kraft. It will certainly be interesting to see how Hain’s various soy products catch on and perhaps whether certain larger brands might ultimately borrow a page or two from their playbook to market their own healthy brands.

A few respondents mentioned some of the more successful health education campaigns in recent years, suggesting that they may provide a model for the current situation. There clearly is an opportunity for stronger alliances and even alignment between the scientific community and brands.

Think about the American Heart Association and Cheerios “heart healthy” initiatives. Or, Dole and Del Monte’s work with the National Cancer Institute’s 5-A-Day campaign to promote fruit and vegetable consumption.

To be sure, marketers are correct that consumption is a function of consumer behavior. Certainly, there’s been a slow behavioral change over the last 40 years or so, at least among certain segments of the population, toward healthier eating. But, we Americans have a fierce determination of “doing it our way” and a certain disregard for authority and science, and that makes behavioral change especially challenging.

At the same time, marketers plainly have an opportunity here. Through appealing communications and innovative programs, marketers can move consumers to habit-forming behavioral change -- assuming, of course, that such is consistent with their marketing strategies!

In fact, some of the survey findings offer a good starting point. When asked other than formulating “better-for-you” foods, what marketers can do to promote health and fitness among Americans, two respondents offered somewhat similar comments that stood out:

“Make it cool to eat healthy”

“Make it fun to eat healthy”

Such is already happening at the grass roots level, as was recently reported in Newsweek magazine. For example, in Santa Ana, California, a community group called Latino Health Access formed the Arriba Health Club at a neighborhood elementary school. Each day, 25 kids do calisthenics, play sports and run an obstacle course after school. They learn how to eat better by playing 5-A-Day Bingo and watching MTV-style videos about smart eating.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, a group of community activists helped convert a 21-mile stretch of unused railroad tracks into a paved highway that links eight communities, providing an ideal venue for biking, running, nature walks and exploring. "It's our favorite place to be," said one 12-year-old girl, confirming that the trail, for her, was more about fun than fitness, per se.

Sure, these may be somewhat random examples. But, just think of the huge opportunities for the right brands to align themselves with initiatives such as these and others in a positive and meaningful way. That consumers bear the final responsibility for their own decisions about consumption should not get in the way of helping them make the kind of choices that can lead to healthier -- and more fun-filled -- lives.

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Jeff McElnea, formerly chairman and CEO of Einson Freeman, is chief marketing officer for the Meatless Monday Campaign, a national non-profit public health campaign in association with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Backed by 27 other public health schools across the country, Meatless Monday encourages consumers to reduce consumption of saturated fat through moderation in meat and high-fat dairy consumption to help prevent heart disease, stroke and cancer, the three leading causes of death in America. For more information, visit http://www.meatlessmonday.com, and sign up for the campaign's weekly e-newsletter, Eater's Digest.






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Jeff McElnea, formerly chairman and CEO of Einson Freeman, is chief marketing officer for the Meatless Monday Campaign, a national non-profit public health campaign in association with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Backed by 27 other public health schools across the country, Meatless Monday encourages consumers to reduce consumption of saturated fat through moderation in meat and high-fat dairy consumption to help prevent heart disease, stroke and cancer, the three leading causes of death in America. For more information, visit http://www.meatlessmonday.com.

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