The effectiveness of popular diet shakes for weight-management programs continues to divide opinion. Whilst celebrity testimonials and marketers claim the effectiveness of these products, health professionals contrive to challenge their efficacy in losing weight. The diet shake debate was reignited last week when Australian cricketer Shane Warne, speaking to Melbourne radio station 3AW, credited diet shakes for his own weight loss. According to recent figures from market researcher IBISWorld, more... ...Read more »

The Cancer Council of New South Wales has renewed calls for tighter regulations on using promotional characters on food packaging. It claims that nearly 75 per cent of promotional characters on Australian food packets spruik products that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. Research conducted by Cancer Council NSW with the University of Sydney’s Prevention Research Collaboration found that the market was “saturated” with licensed merchandise characters, such as cartoon characters, promoting less... ...Read more »

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accused some of Australia’s best-known chicken brands of making misleading promotional claims for sell their chicken products. The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd and Bartter Enterprises Pty Ltd which supply chickens nationally under the Steggles brand, as well as Turi Foods, which supplies La Ionica brand meat chickens in New South Wales and Victoria, and the Australian Chicken Meat... ...Read more »

Unilever Australasia has appointed Sydney-based advertising agency Whybin\TBWA to work across the local branding its multi-million dollar ice cream account in Australia. Unilever Australasia is the Australian and New Zealand subsidiary company of Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever. The Australian subidiary owns the Streets Ice-cream brand. Whybin\TBWA will commence work immediately on Unilever’s Magnum, Cornetto and Splice brands. The appointment was made without a pitch. Paul Bradbury, CEO... ...Read more »

Australian Food News has conducted a review of international marketing trends in the fields of dietary supplements and functional foods. Some such substances may not be permissible in Australia as foods, while some may require permission from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to be listed for sale in Australia as therapeutic products. Our Australian Food News review reveals several interesting trends. In particular, the marketing claims reveal the health function promotion priority claims... ...Read more »

A settlement has been reached between supermarket giant Woolworths and local family organic food business Honest to Goodness over the supermarket’s use of the phrase in their recent marketing campaign, which features celebrity chef Margaret Fulton. In a public statement, the supermarket said the settlement was mutually acceptable. “In regard to the recent trade mark proceedings, the parties have reached a settlement on mutually acceptable, confidential terms and on a without admissions basis. ... ...Read more »

Fisherman’s Friend throat lozenges have announced a new campaign aimed at double-digit growth for the brand. The campaign, designed by Stuart Alexander, marks a switch from TV advertising, which has seen steady growth for the brand, to an “aggressive below-the-line marketing campaign, driven by experiential sampling”. The campaign introduces two new “Fisherwoman”, in green (Fresh) and hot red latex (Feisty) ‘waders’, to represent both the Fresh Mint and Original... ...Read more »

McCain Foods Australia and New Zealand has announced a new “overarching global company philosophy”, pledging to “spread the goodness” with reformulation of products to eliminate additives or preservatives, emphasise its School Veggie Patches campaigns and highlight the benefits of fresh-frozen foods, and increase product transparency, which it says is “sure to further strengthen McCain Foods reputation in Australia and New Zealand.” “McCAIN has always been... ...Read more »

Cadbury has launched a new marketing campaign for its Favourites line, aimed at encouraging the product’s gift status in between the usual special occasions. The new “What to bring when you’re told not to bring a thing” TV commercial features an Australian family searching for the a gift when faced with a host who says they don’t want anything. In a dream sequence, family members struggle with inappropriate gifts, including a ridiculously large croquembouch, a 30L jelly... ...Read more »

The proportion of grocery products sold on promotion in the UK has hit an “all time high”, according to the latest data from research firm Nielsen. UK grocery sales witnessed a “dramatic” slowdown in March prompting the sector to employ “powerful” promotions in order to maintain sales, Nielsen claimed yesterday. “Shoppers are responding well to powerful promotions and we are seeing 40% of all sales now on promotion – an all time high,” senior... ...Read more »