MAY Mixed response to DoH Calorie Pledge


The Department of Health (DoH) published its finalised Calorie Reduction Pledge last month as part of its wider Public Health Responsibility Deal.Whilst a number of FMCG giants have already signed up, the Pledge has received a mixed response. The Pledge, which has already


seen companies such as Asda, Coca-Cola, Kerry Foods and Kraft sign up, is, according to Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley a key step in helping to reduce the UK’s population calorie consumption by five billion calories a day. Speaking of the Pledge,Mr.


Lansley said: “Eating and drinking too many calories is at the heart of the nation’s obesity problem. “We all have a role to play –


from individuals to public, private and non-governmental organisations – if we are going to cut five billion calories from our national diet. It is an ambitious challenge but the Responsibility Deal has made a great start. “This pledge is just the start of what must be a bigger, broader


commitment from the food industry. But it is a great step in the right direction.” Speaking of the firms who have


already signed up, which also includes Nestlé, Premier Foods, PepsiCo and Subway, who are all pledging to cut the calories of their products, Chair of the Responsibility Deal Food Network Dr Susan Jebb said: “I am delighted that these first companies are leading the way on this calorie reduction programme which is vital to tackle obesity and improve public health. “I am impatient to make


progress, but it will take time to change the eating habits of the nation. This is a marathon not a sprint and we all have to commit to support this programme of work for years to come.” However, there has been


criticism as some believe that some of the most instrumental players in high-calorie foods have been left out of the Pledge. Charlie Powell, of Sustain, the


food campaigning group, said: "It is shameful that the Department


of Health is fuelling an industry game of smoke and mirrors instead of demanding enforceable actions to reduce calorie content. “Without an end to junk food


marketing promotions, these token gestures become totally irrelevant. “We note that the calorie


reduction examples only cover small proportions of companies' products and that big names such asMcDonald's, Burger King and KFC are conspicuously missing.” Meanwhile, Diane AbbottMP,


Shadow Public HealthMinister, wrote on her website: “The truth is that this


Government has prioritised big business over British families, and we are now lumbered with these glorified corporate responsibility schemes camouflaging the fact that real change is not happening. “The government needs to get


a grip on the basics: better food labelling; protecting children from junk food advertising; a ban on trans-fat; and maintaining school food standards would be a solid start,” says Diane.


Magners’ new TV ad


Magnerswill be back on Britain’s TV screens this summerwith a multi-million pound advertising campaign featuring a brand new creative execution. The integrated campaign features TV, outdoor, digital and socialmedia, andwill run nationally to support key drinking occasions across the summermonths, such as the Queen’s Jubilee, Euro 2012 and The Olympics. The ad, called ‘Made in the Dark for a Better Taste’ is an evolution of the ‘There’sMethod In TheMagners' campaign first launched in 2010. It exemplifiesMagners’ philosophy around ‘doing things differently in order to get better results.’ In its latest incarnation, the creative focuses on the importance of darkness to the Magners production process in Clonmel. Head ofMarketing, Kirsty Hunter said: “We’re excited to be launching an innovative, fully integrated campaignwhichwe believewill engage our consumers during key drinking occasions this year. The newcampaignwill be complimented by some exciting on-pack and in-bar promotions whichwewill announce soon.”


Reef license transfers


Last month,Molson Coors Brewing Company UK Limited and Global Brands Limited announced that they had agreed a licensing agreement that will make Global Brands the producer and distributor of the Reef brand,. ChrisMcDonough,Managing


Director Brands Co,Molson Coors (UK) commented: “We are very proud of the success of Reef since its launch in 1998 and it still remains a favourite with consumers. Global Brands extensive experience in the RTD market makes them ideally placed to ensure Reef realises its full future potential and we wish them every success.” Simon Green,Marketing Director at Global Brands


commented: “We are delighted to bring Reef


into Global Brands’ portfolio. The RTD category is worth over £400 million and there is still a clear consumer demand for great tasting, differentiated drinks.We strongly believe in both the category and the brand.”


Unilever top Times graduate employer poll


Unilever has been voted by students interested in pursuing a career within marketing as Graduate Employer of Choice in The Times Graduate Recruitment Awards 2012. The FMCG giant was also ranked within the Top 20 of the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. The league table is based on the results of an unprompted survey of more than 17,000 students from the top 30 universities in the UK, all of whom are just about to graduate and are looking to start their first graduate job. Tim Munden, VP – HR, Unilever UK & Ireland, said,”The Unilever Future


Leaders Programme is an important engine of our talent pipeline. Almost a third of the UK and Ireland country leadership team all started their working lives at Unilever straight after graduating and have since carved very successful careers within the business. We believe our graduate programme offers an unrivalled opportunity for graduates. We are exceptionally proud to be named the Marketing Graduate Employer of Choice in The Times Graduate Recruitment Awards.” Unilever also recruits for 12 month and 12 week industrial placements.


6 | FMCG News | FMCGNews.co.uk


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