The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) — the vending machine industry association for all of you snacking junkies – is trying to take a bite out the perception that they are a major cause of obesity in kids. They named their initiative, begun earlier this year, Balanced for Life.
On their website they write: “The Balanced for Life campaign is designed to correct the misperceptions many have about vending’s role in growing obesity rates. All too often our industry is seen as a quick-fix solution to what is in fact a very complex problem. At the same time, we want to demonstrate that we want to be part of the solution by working to educate people about nutrition, healthy diets and the importance of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle.”
Also from the website is this campaign description: “The campaign will target a variety of school officials, including parents, school officials and educational boards, along with federal policy makers, Members of Congress, state legislators and the media. To get our messages out to these target audiences, the campaign is built around a comprehensive media campaign that includes advertising, newspaper editorials, bylined articles, television interviews and special events. In each case the campaign will deliver messages about the balanced choices that are available in today’s vending machines; the importance of balancing calories consumed with calories burned; the importance of daily physical activity; and the importance of teaching young people about the elements of a healthy, balanced diet. What we’re really trying to do is position our industry as a partner working to help solve the problem, explaining that vending machines in schools offer a balanced variety of foods and beverages and can be an important tool in teaching young people to make smart choices. “
The website does its job. A mission statement, print ads, machine graphics for vending machines, template media pieces, posters, and more are all available for free to the members. But it primarily looks like a “pull” strategy. NAMA has also partnered with the non-profit “America Scores” to work on making children live more active lives. The collaborative efforts are a wise step to lend the much-needed credence to such a campaign. Great stuff.
And yet, run a simple news search on the success of this effort and you find a plethora of vending machine-bashing stories from school districts throughout the country. Here is one of the latest headlines I found: “Health movement has school cafeterias in a food fight USA Today – Aug 21 8:44 PM. “Elizabeth Nyikako, 16, a senior at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, used to buy a Coke or a Twix candy bar from school vending machines, but no more. Now she gets bottled water and granola bars.”
The beverage distributors are also now in the fight to change the image.
Do you think that anything can work in situations such as these or are these groups simply facing an emotional runaway train?
