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Marketing news and other sick stuff | Issue #16

Companies that aren’t Coca-Cola but happen to rent office space in the Coke building on New York’s Fifth Avenue are being restricted to a "Coke products only" policy. Allowing "noncompliant" beverages in the building could result in steep fines and possible eviction. Beverage choices are limited to those on a sheet–which some tenants suggest their employees tote around lest they forget what is and isn’t a Coke brand–listing the "correct" refreshment for every beverage category, from the classic cola down to bottled water. When food is delivered, orders are checked; if competing brands are discovered they’re trashed and the offending company and employee are informed. (Brandweek, 3/22/99)

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"Kids who do not eat a presweetened-cereal breakfast don’t get their daily nutrition. Fruit Loops is a very important food."

–Kellogg spokesperson Anthony Hebron (Wall Street Journal, 2/17/99)

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The college students clad in Nike wear at the Australian Open weren’t just any group of adoring, expensively dressed, photogenic tennis fans–they were paid for by Nike. The group sat in the official players’ seats on the Melbourne Park center court so they could be easily spotted by television cameras. They made themselves even more visible by standing up and singing during breaks. "It’s part of our objective to add color and atmosphere to the Aussie Open," said a Nike spokesperson.

Most fans at the Austalian Open said they didn’t know that the chanting supporters in the stands each day were in fact fake. Those tuned in to television did: Nike received enormous free publicity for the practice. (Reuters, 1/25/99)

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Among the offerings left by companies on school grounds after the Columbine shooting:

From Schwinn, a bicycle with a laminated card, emblazoned with the corporate logo and: "The darkness will lift. The ride will go on."

A pair of orange aprons with the Home Depot logo, signed by employees.

A banner on a fence near school: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the students, faculty, and friends of Columbine High School. From your Littleton Wal-Mart."

A banner posted near a busy park entrance with: "Love and prayers from the employees of U S West." According to a U S spokesperson, the company chose to omit its slogan: "Life is better here." (Wall Street Journal, 5/5/99)

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"Technology Tips for Toddlers,"
by Dr. Vicki Folds
A Tutor Time press release, 2/22/99

Our newest generation are sometimes called "Techno-Toddlers." Some child-development experts are warning parents to be wary and suspicious of letting their toddlers play on the computer. I disagree.

At Tutor Time child care centers, where 35,000 children ages infant to five-years-old are cared for daily, we encourage children as young as two-and-a-half to try the computer.

Face it: the technology age is here! Whether it is at home, in child care, or at school, children are exposed to monitors, keyboards, mouse pads, ATM’s, cell phones and other electronic devices. These devices should be treated as new tools for learning.

0-18 Months: Infants are too young for stimulation from computers. At 18 months, they become attracted to the sounds and colors of software programs, and they can sit in a parent’s lap at the computer and play with the mouse, touch the keyboard, and the screen.
18 Months-2 Years: A child may discover a cause and effect reaction to the computer and become fascinated with the device. Touch screens are very effective at this time since the toddler has not developed the necessary skills to use the mouse. Many toddlers enjoy pressing keyboard keys to see what will happen next.
2-3 Years: At this age, a child has a longer attention span and will be able to interact with a software program. They love to sing along with music and watch events unfold on the screen.
3-5 Years: Children this age adore the independence they have with the computer, turning it off and on, choosing from a desktop selection of software and involving themselves in software programs. The child’s motor ability has developed to the point where the small muscles of fingers and hands are more comfortable using the mouse and keyboard.

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Federal safety regulators have been considering changing a densely worded warning about on sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) with a more eye-catching rendition. In place of a 77-line block of text detailing SUV’s propensity to rollover, the options for the new warning includes: WARNING: HIGH RISK OF ROLLOVER. Automakers have deluged the NHTSA with comments, objecting strongly to phrases such as "high risk" as unduly alarmist. They suggested instead, "THIS VEHICLE HANDLES DIFFERENTLY THAN A CAR." The NHTSA used focus groups to develop the labels. In favor: bright colors and "the little guy flying out the side." Out: small, cluttered graphics and tire-tread marks. One participant didn’t want any label that would leave a sticky residue; another potential SUV driver worried that "abrasive" colors would clash with the interior. (Wall Street Journal, 2/24/99)

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The following was taken from the website for Edison Elementary School in Minot, North Dakota. The school is one of 51 public schools run by the Edison Project, a for-profit company based in New York. The Edison Project’s founder and president is Chris Whittle, who also founded Channel One, an ad- industry-funded in-school "news" program. This page, last updated August 1998, was taken down a couple of weeks before Stay Free! went to press.

Here’s How ANYONE, ANYWHERE Can Help Our School

Sprint long distance customers

Our school will receive 23 points for every dollar that you spend on residential long distance calls each month. Just call 1-800-268-9849 and ask to be registered to the Sprint/A+America program. Provide the customer service person with Edison School’s ID number: 58701-197. If you are not yet a Sprint long distance customer, but would like to become one to help our school, call 1-800-233-6080. You will receive Sprint’s famous dime-a-minute rate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and all weekend, plus 100 minutes of free long distance. We will receive 3,000 bonus points, along with the 23 points per dollar that you spend on residential long distance each month. There are no restrictions on who can participate, no cost to you or our school, no coupons to clip, and no limit to the technology equipment, electronics, computers, or software that we can redeem our points for!

AT&T long distance customers

Our school will receive five Learning Points for each dollar you spend on qualifying AT&T long distance calls each month. Just call 1-800-354-8800 and ask to be registered to the AT&T Learning Points Program and provide the customer service person with Edison’s School’s account number: 010 500 39. If you are not yet an AT&T long distance residential customer, but would like to become one to help our school, call 1-800-354-8800. We will receive 500 bonus points, along with the five Learning Points per dollar that you spend on residential long distance each month. There are no restrictions on who can participate, no cost to you or our school, no coupons to clip, and no limit to the computers, peripherals, educational software, or services from the AT&T Learning Points Catalogue that we can redeem our points for!

Target Guest Card customers

Through their School Fundraising Made Simple, Target will donate one percent of your total purchases made with your Target Guest Card to our school. Please take a minute to call 1-800-316-6142. There are no restrictions on who can participate, no cost to you or our school, no coupons to clip, and no limit the amount our school can receive to purchase much needed supplies.

General Mills Cereal consumers

Through the Big G Box Tops for Education program, General Mills will pay us fifteen or ten cents for each GM Box Top we collect. Did you know that this program also includes box tops from other Big G products? Every General Mills fruit snacks, Pop-Secret, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Golden Graham Treats, Sweet Rewards, and Yoplait Yogurt multipack product that carries the 2000 symbol on the box top is eligible.

Hershey Candies, Kodak Film, and Hefty Bag consumers

The Power of Purchasing Program offers our school the opportunity to collect UPC symbols in exchange for free equipment. Qualifying products include all Kodak film cameras, batteries, and videotape; Hershey candies such as Hugs, Kisses, Miniatures, Reeses Pieces, Kit Kat, Nutrageous, Hershey Chocolate USA, and more; all Hefty brand bags, baggies, and One-Zip freezer bags. We encourage you to mail your UPC symbols to us.

Campbell’s Soup consumers

Campbell’s Labels for Education allows our school to redeem product labels for free educational and athletic equipment. Did you know that this includes more than Campbell’s Soup products? Labels, UPC Symbols, and lids from all the following brands are also collected and redeemed: Prego, Open Pit, Pepperidge Farm, Milwaukee Pickles, Marie’s, Vlasic, Swanson Foods, Pace, V8, Franco American, as well as Campbells . . .

Pepsi Cola consumers

Northern Bottling Company of Minot pays our school ten cents for each twelve-pack carton from Pepsi, Caffeine Free Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Diet Caffeine Free Pepsi, and Diet Cherry Pepsi. Drop your cartons off before May 1999.

Miracle Mart shoppers

MarketPlace Foods donates five cents to our school for each ShurFine label redeemed . . .

See??? No Matter Who You Are, Or Where You Are From You Can Make A Big Difference In The Life Of A Child. This Page Is Not Big Enough To Say Thank You!