Kellogg’s plans to modify its unhealthy products aimed at children, such as Pop Tarts and some of their breakfast cereals. In Kellogg’s own estimation, at least half their products are missing important nutritional marks. To address the childhood obesity epidemic, Kellogg’s will be reformulating these unhealthy processed foods…except where consumers do not like the taste change, in which case, they’ll just stop marketing those products to kids.

Hmm. They’ve read a page from the failed New Coke playbook, as this article explains. I understand that Kellogg’s doesn’t want to upset or turn away its core users (intentionally loaded term), and I suppose ceasing marketing to children is a decent compromise. But I wonder how long it’s going to be before companies start taking more responsibility. We’re just selling what people want… And so, they dance around the problem – make the product slightly more healthy, or just market it to adults. Eliminating the problem would mean radically changing the products, likely ruining the brand and killing off the company. The company’s products are the problem.

Kellogg’s could announce that they’re completely abolishing all the beloved unhealthy products and will henceforward only be producing nutritious, high-fiber, lightly-sweetened, naturally-made, ethically-produced foods. They could create a campaign enjoining the public to get behind their huge risk, their about-face, their earnest attempt to change the world by caring about children’s health. Can you imagine the promotions, publicity and the wallop of terror to their competitors? Well, more likely, the cackles of glee, because Kellogg’s would never do this, nor would any other big food producer.

The products are the problem, sure. But people do like their Pop Tarts. Someone has to make the first move…

Kellogg’s, from the article:

“It means we have a lot of work to do,” said Chief Executive David Mackay. “If we can’t make those products taste just as good as they do today and make them as appealing, then we won’t reformulate them and we won’t advertise them.“

More on Kellogg’s products (Has MacKay had a change of heart?)

Lean is in the eye of the marketer (scroll down to point #4)

HT: Cardio Blog

[tags] David MacKay, Kellogg’s, children’s health, snack foods, Pop Tarts, breakfast cereals [/tags]

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