Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan: A Romantic Facebook Timeline
Why Facebook's Falling Share Price Really Doesn't Matter
In the past day or so, Burger King Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKC) and Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) have moved in opposite directions in terms of social responsibility and the role that each sees itself playing in the war on juvenile obesity.
Burger King announced that it will "help lead the way in promoting children's nutrition by joining 11 major food and beverage companies that have pledged to focus their advertising to children under 12 on products that promote healthy dietary choices and lifestyles."
The plan is pretty ambitious. In its marketing, it will target children only with products that have no more than 560 calories per meal, less than 30% of calories from fat, less than 10% of calories from saturated fat, no added trans fats, and no more than 10% of calories from added sugars. In addition, the burger giant will stop using third-party licensed characters to market unhealthy foods to children, stop advertising in elementary schools, and promote healthier lifestyles with its advertising. And to make eating healthy food easier, it will develop new items that are low in fat and sugar.
And now on to Starbucks: The company has a long-held policy of not targeting children with its ads. But now, a spokesman for the company says that it is considering adding new drinks and/or drink sizes to appeal to younger customers.
The company says it is reacting to the popularity of the chain among youth, and wants to explore the possibility of offering more age-appropriate sizes and products. But critics warn that there is simply no reason for kids to be drinking caffeine or high-calorie Frappuccinos, and that having kiddie-sizes would imply that there is.
The problem for Starbucks is that marketing to younger people could hurt the company's image, even if it tries to be careful. Won't the stores kind of lose their booshie atmosphere if there are sweaty 12-year olds running around? Would the gains from attracting a new market be outweighed by the damage to the brand?
As for Burger King, they should be congratulated, and hopefully parents will reward the chain by ordering up healthier meals for their children.
Goldman Earnings Sink After Buffett Dividend
Johnson & Johnson's Income Falls 23%
Burberry Shares Leap on Sales Update
Reader Comments (Page 7 of 7)
9-24-2007 @ 1:48AM
Bobby G said...
Learn how to make a great pot of coffee yourself and save a bundle and you won't have to put up with the prices and rude customers at Starbucks. Starbucks seems to attract those inconsiderate creeps that reach around you in line to grab something pre-packaged and then they jump to the front of the line and want to be rung up first because they don't have a coffee order. That often messes up the cashier's timing and the other people still have to wait in line longer because of the rude idiot. They get a lot of people like that at Starbucks. They do not have anything a kid needs at those outrageous prices either. Since I made a conscious choice not to patronize Starbucks on a regular basis years ago, I have probably been able to pay a couple of mortgage payments with what I saved. I stop in about once every 3 years if I am out of town and don't know where else to go. But, otherwise I don't even patronize the one across the street from my condo. And, I make a great pot of coffee myself at home. (It's not rocket science to make great coffee from fresh whole beans using your own little grinder. It takes less time than waiting in line too.) And, it is SO MUCH CHEAPER!
9-29-2007 @ 1:05AM
lauren said...
I'm 12 years old and i'm outraged at some of the comments here. If you look it up, kids actually have more taste buds than adults, so why would kids not know the difference between a 99 cent ice cream cone and starbucks? I have also looked up whether or not coffee stunts growth or not. It dosen't. Even if it did, i have classmates who drink two cans of soda daily, and apperently thats normal but a tall half-caf vanilla latte with skim milk isn't? And who assumed that kids would "run around" in a store? We aren't stupid, My peers and I were pretty much introduced to the concept of "inside voices" in the first grade.