Please answer 1 prompt and respond to 2 comments. Also, don’t forgot to have fun!
- What are two examples of how sugar suddenly became a matter of vivid distress to consumers in the 1970s? How did your examples affect the cereal companies?
- What do you think are the intentions of those in charge of sales in the food industry currently? If you were in charge of sales at Kellogg, would you focus more on consumer health or consumer sales and what changes might you implement?
2.
The food industry today still focuses on personal profit instead of community health. Products have made very few changes to help decrease the amount of sugar and calories in the market place. Giant food corporations make it seem like they are working to help keep the people healthy, but it is simply a facade. Instead of reducing the amount of sugar in their cereal when the public became concerned, Kellogg changed the names of their cereals. For example, “Sugar Frosted Flakes” was changed to be “Frosted Flakes” instead of changing its high percentage of sugar (Moss 75). This helps emphasize that there hasn’t been much change in the intentions from back then, because Frosted Flakes has the same nutritional value. Food producers keep the public hooked by using ludicrous amounts of sugar, but they make it seem like they are changing to appease the public’s perception. For example, granola bars have been publicized as being a healthy alternative to the unhealthy processed foods. Meanwhile, Nature Valley granola bars have 12 grams of sugar and has about the same nutritional value as a bowl of fruit loops (Bradley). The food industry advertises products as being healthy and wholesome, but they are still using sugar to trick and addict the consumer. If I were in charge of sales at Kellogg, I would focus on consumer health instead of consumer sales. I think that people are beginning to realize that the food choices that they are making will be detrimental to their health, and they are looking for healthier options. It may seem harmful to sales if Kellogg cuts down on its sugar use, but as more people are looking for healthier options, Kellogg will be a leader in this field and will be able to capture more customers. I would try to create products that contain less sugar and more wholesome ingredients. I would also ensure that the products are easy to eat on the go or reheat at home. More and more people are looking to live a healthier lifestyle, but still want convenience and if Kellogg changed their ways, they could be a leader in that department.
http://brucebradley.com/food/nature-valley-or-a-slippery-slope/
I like that you referred to Kellogg as the future leader of that department! A new health kick could be the next big thing. It’s up to the food companies to take a step in the right direction.
Samantha, you shared many points that I agree with. There is so much competition between the cereal companies that they have become afraid to make any drastic changes, even if it will benefit consumers’ health, because of fear of losing profit. It was amusing to me how the public’s anxiety about sugar caused many manufacturers, not just Kellogg’s, to drop the word sugar from their brand names to appear healthier. Is that really all it takes to help lessen consumers’ anxiety? :O
Well said. I like your ideas on the publics views of healthy food vs. the actuality that most of those foods aren’t good for one’s health. You used excellent sources to back your ideas. It would be great if healthy options that were actually healthy had a larger hold on the market, but it is hard to argue with the sales of what is actually purchased. Would a really healthy option even sell?
2) Those who are in charge of sales in the food industry are, without a doubt, focused on their profit. After all, they are not personally impacted by consumer health. I believe that their main concern is the amount of money they put in their pocket. Chapter four gave a lot of attention to the food companies use of advertising. On page 91, Moss says, “But with Kellogg spending $1 billion a year on advertising that can deeply influence America’s shopping habits, the commission was incensed.” Kellogg was doing all that it could to boost its sales, and this included false claims in their ads. The company portrayed their “Frosted Mini” line as one that would boost children’s performance in school, but when actually tested, the cereals resulted in no improvement. To me, this proves that the companies will go to any extent to be sure that their products sell. This is understandable though. If their products don’t sell, they face bankruptcy. Head of sales at Kellogg is a tough position to be put in. I feel as though it is almost impossible to find a perfect balance between consumer health and consumer sales, especially since Kellogg has dug itself into such a deep hole with the level of unhealthy that they have already reached. If I were to be put in charge of the sales at Kellogg, I would have to put consumer health first. I’d be faced with the difficult task of keeping sales up, but I think I’d feel too guilty to continue contributing to the obesity crisis. I’d begin with decreasing the amount of sugar in the cereals that children eat daily. The advertisements would highlight the truth, stating that the new version of the cereals are better for adults and kids alike. It would be an obstacle to maintain good taste without artificial flavored and (our good friends) salt, sugar, and fat. I can imagine facing a lot of failure before finally creating a healthy, good-tasting product. Our sales may decrease as a result, but at least we can say we did our part in the fight against obesity.
Good Points! I like that you looked at it from two sides of sales and consumer health!
Well put Jess! In changing the way food products are made, you will face a lot of failures before you succeed. Also shown in these food companies who changed their products numerous amounts of times to make it more appealing to their consumers.
It is upsetting that companies spend, in my opinion, a ludicrous amount of money on advertising the wrong kinds of foods when that money could be used in other ways, such as producing honest and wholesome products. I remember as a child, I actually begged my mother to buy Frosted Mini cereal because the commercial was played so many times on television about how it would boost performance in school. I ended up not enjoying the cereal because it was not sweet enough for me at the time and ended up throwing the entire cereal away (please don’t judge baby me). I honestly believe that we crave the foods that we eat and if we consume foods that contain less sugar, we will not crave sugar as much …eventually. I liked that you considered possible obstacles that manufacturers will face when considering making changes that will benefit consumer’s health but also how that in and of itself is a difficult change to make.
I thought it was funny in the reading where the healthy spas turned unhealthy quickly with the addition of sugar to cereal. Although the original brother was furious, the other was happy because consumers were excited about the new sugary cereal. The health of consumers was the main concern of the original brother as he had identified a problem within the food industry, but the second Kellogg brother focused on the monetary gain like other industry big dogs, which contributes to our obesity crisis which you touched upon. 🙁 We need to focus on health
2.) As the intentions and goals of those in charge of sales in the food industry now and then are simply to sell their products at all cost. Even if this means to create an false claims of the product to allow the consumer to be drawn to the product. An example of this occurred in 2008, it was stated that there was a clinical study done that showed that children who ate Frosted Mini Wheat Cereal had “23 percent better memory than kids who missed out on breakfast” (pg. 93) Regardless of the fact that this was debunked the company continued to air the commercial. Thus, this proves the fact that the people of sales in food industry now aim to simply sell their products.
Personally, if I were in charge of sales of the Kellogg’s food industry I would definitely focus more on the health of my consumers. To do this my the product I am trying sell must have some healthy aspect to it. Thus I would work with the team of people who create the cereals to try to ensure the product is not over saturated with sugars. Especially due to the fact that cereals in general are targeted to children. Furthermore, as the head of the sales of Kellogg’s ensure the way in which the product is advertised to the public. I would focus on the health of the cereal (and ensure all the information stated is true).
Katherine, it boggles my mind that companies were able to still air false advertisement after being debunked. I agree that it shows how people are motivated by sales and profit, but I also believe that it makes a statement about how powerful food companies are in our media and culture. They influence our decisions and lifestyle tremendously if we allow ourselves to believe what we hear on television or on the radio, etc., without doing further research on the matter. I like that you mentioned working with a team of people because with such a position comes with great responsibility and power and working with a team of people will offer you more perspectives on the matter. It is too great of a job to do on your own, in my opinion, it should be a team effort. 🙂
The intentions are purely for monetary purposes thus making their greed for wealth drive for sales. It seems like the companies do not care about the wellbeing of their of consumers thus feeding them with particular flavorful yet unhealthy foods. The chairman of Gerber’s rationale for their highly sweetened items, Blueberry Buckle and Raspberry Cobbler, was “‘never…particularly nutritious…we just said they tasted good.’ “ (Moss 75). If I was in charge of sales at Kellogg, I would focus more on consumer health that consumer sales. Even though there seems to be a high correlation between consumer sales and company’s profit, making sure that the consumers are eating something that is pure, healthy and also delicious should be the main concern. Even though trying to find foods that are both healthy and cheap is fairly hard to find, and it might discourage many of the consumers. So trying to find a product to mass produce that is both cheap and healthy might be a hassle but it is surely worth it. Instead of augmenting on the sugar epidemic, Kellogg should make sure that their products will not contribute to the consumer’s death sentence. I would also change the way the products are advertised. Instead of advertising the product directly to the children “during Saturday morning cartoons” (Moss 74), it would be nice to advertise directly to the parents/guardians, since most of the time they are to ones buying the product. Instead of inundating the child with bright colors and esoteric messages, the parents/guardians can have an honest and modest advertisement.
Yes Rosie! I really like your ideas, and yes even though changing the products to make them more healthier for consumers will be challenging, I believe it would have a great outcome.
Hi Rosie! I really like how you included the quote about Gerber Baby Food. It’s crazy because Gerber is supposed to be feeding and nurturing infants that don’t need a lot of sugar. Instead they are feeding them an excess amount of sugar that they don’t need and they are becoming addicted from a young age. I think it’s a good idea to advertise to the parents/guardians because they are the ones that need to make decisions about the health of their children. It’s not fair to use children to contribute to profit.
The “honest and modest advertisement” is a great way to put it. The advertisements’ purpose should be to inform the customer, not brainwash them. Really good points Rosie!!
I like your ideas on advertising to parents Rosie! I also believe children are in a sense victimized since they aren’t well educated as to the dangers of the such products from companies like Gerber. Advertising to the parents who can make a thorough and logical decision seems more plausible than to advertise to 5-11 year olds who predominately know only what they see.
I feel that food industries are aware of what their products are doing to the American people; however, everyone’s drive is money, and when you are making a lot of money from certain products, you are going to keep making more. Especially in the food industry where if you make something good, which gets people hooked, they are going to continue to make the product and probably alter in a few ways to appeal to other people’s taste. At this point they don’t really care what they put in their food, all that matters is that everyone is “happy”. And if people start to worry about their health, they’ll just change the name of the product to change society’s view on it. The cereal companies, like Post, Kellogg, and General Mills, have demonstrated this; “It de-sweetened the name of its leading brand, Sugar Frosted Flakes, by changing it to Frosted Flakes… The other manufacturers dropped the word sugar from their brand names too.” (pg. 75) This shows that they will do anything “dramatic” to keep selling their products. By changing the name and having the sales people promote that it is a “new, less sugary” product will anticipate more people in buying it.
Does Americans even know what good health mean anymore? We are constantly brainwashed by the media to buy processed foods that ‘good health’ doesn’t really have a meaning. In working for the Kellogg industry, I would definitely focus on consumer health. I believe that it is a big problem that more people should be aware of. Sugar, that sweet little demon that we love so much, should be added in moderate amounts. I don’t want to totally get rid of sugar, because our bodies need it, but having actually real sugar (not man made) in the cereal will keep us intact. Advertising this new change will be quite difficult, given that everyone is already use to the original TV ads, but it won’t be impossible. I would show kids and adults that cereal can be delicious and healthy. When Americans finally wake up and realize that they need to make a change to their diets, they would realize that the new cereals I designed is healthy and good for you (when eaten in moderate amounts).
Hi Tiana! I agree that it would be extremely difficult to change advertisements and people’s conceptions regarding sugar. It’s almost like sugar is part of our daily life and we can’t imagine life without it. I also like how you mentioned that you wouldn’t totally get rid of all sugar. I feel like sugar is ok if we eat it in moderation, but the food industry has taken it too far. We need to realize that the foods that we eat are actually doing more harm than good.
Thanks Sam! And yes, people always forget how important salt and sugar is, and think both of them are “evil”. But they aren’t, and people should learn to realize that they need those things to survive.
Although we do not see directly into the minds of those in charge at Kellogg or other brand companies, we do see the myriad of products on the shelves that hope to attract an extensive audience. We see products like fat free, sugar free, low salt, in addition to various flavors that target a population with concerns with different aspects of health. The wider audience and extensive product line allows brand companies to have more shelf space in the grocery store. The more shelf space, the more likely a company is to get your business.
It was explained in the novel how sugar was seen as a dangerous ingredient, companies changed names from “Sugar Frosted Flakes” to “Frosted Flakes”. The companies are willing to adapt their products for the consumer to ensure sales. The consumer is the means of success and continuation of the business as they know it.
If I were to be the manager of a company of this nature, I would place a focus on healthier foods. I know there is a connection between the increasing levels of diabetes and the increasing variety of processed foods within the American supermarkets. The focus on profit has caused a shift to occur from healthy foods being produced to quick ,convenient, and unhealthy foods to be available. I know at first the cost would be greater to purchase and produced healthy foods, but in the end it would be better morally to produce healthy foods for a healthier country. The change would have to expand further than just the food produced and focus on advertisements and reach as well.
1. In the 1970’s, sugar suddenly became a matter of intense concern to consumers because people started to realize the amount of sugar they were consuming by eating cereal and candy bars. One example acknowledges the amount of sugar in the cereals during that time period; “So the dentist took a trip to his local supermarkets, brought seventy-eight brands of cereal back to his lab, and proceeded to measure the sugar content of each with damning precision. A third of the brands has sugar levels between 10 percent and 25 percent. Another third ranged up to an alarming 50 perfect, and eleven climbed even higher still” (73-74). To think about how much sugar people were consuming on a daily was outrageous because children were being feed these kinds of cereals. So when consumers started to learn more about what was going inside their body and their loved ones, their must have been many who thought twice about buying certain kinds of cereals. I can assure you that people became aware about what to buy and how much sugar there was in it. As a result, consumers probably did not buy cereal so often aftering seeing the facts a scientist was proving with the experiment that had to do with the amount of sugar. Also, it said; “In 1975, taking his growing concern about sugar to the cereal industry, he penned a piece of advocacy journalism that newspapers around the country ran under the headline, “Is it Cereal or Candy?” … Many of their brands were, in fact, fortified with added vitamins and minerals. But the fortification was merely a ruse. Some candy bars had more protein than many cereals” (74). When seeing news on a well-known newspaper, readers tend to believe it all and start to panic or listen to what is saying. And so, by consumers reading about if their cereals were cereals or candy because of how much sugar there was, they most likely started to think twice. Therefore, more and more consumers most likely started to buy less and less, leaving companies gain less of a profit. Overall, there were certainly some consumers who thought about their health and their families.
What do you think are the intentions of those in charge of sales in the food industry currently? If you were in charge of sales at Kellogg, would you focus more on consumer health or consumer sales and what changes might you implement?
2. I believe the intentions of those in charge of sales in the food industry is to focus their attention on the betterment of the company and then to consider incorporating outside factors into the sales of the brand. Andrew Carnegie, a anti-imperialist and the steel industry’s monopolist in the late 19th century, said “And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department.” As I have interpreted the quotation, I have come to understand that it means that in business, one must do what they have to to thrive. With that in mind from one of our own history’s most successful industrialist and business man, I pardon the sales men in the food industry. I understand that the major competitors around have products comprised of sugar and a significant amount of unhealthy materials, so for Kellogg, for example, to enter a wheat based snack into the mix, they will be cast into the shadows. These sales representatives are people with wives, kids, husbands, and parents they need to provide for as well. Sales salaries at US Foods can range from $41,249-$84,231. When you are making below the belt salaries and your daughter needs braces and your son’s college tuition is $13,000, nearly a third of your ANNUAL salary, your biggest concern won’t be to find a way to market healthy food. While I do believe that at some point, we, as a society, have to become conscience of what we consume, I wouldn’t focus more on consumer sales given the opportunity to be in charge of the sales at Kellogg. The changes I would like to see come into place is to first diverge away from grains and wheat, and to find a way to create a healthier cereal or snack. i say this because grains and wheat have phytic acids which break down the enamel in teeth. And eventually while combating obesity, I would be spurring a whole new issue in cavities. I would also have more fruit based snacks to provide a source of natural sweetness. (Like Motts for Tots) I would also add in facts about remaining active on the packaging of the foods. And instead of receiving a prize somtimes, consumers can receive an educational pamphlet on exercise, because eating healthy needs a partner in exercise!