The Flack

This weblog attempts to shine a brighter light on the subtle role public relations plays in politics, culture, media, business and sports. Through greater transparency, the author hopes to make the profession better understood and perhaps more widely appreciated.

Super Size Me has faded into a distant memory. Public awareness of the health perils of fast food spurred by that film and the indefatigable Michael Jacobson has all but dissipated. Fast food is hot again.

– McDonalds, reporting its best monthly sales in two years, chose to line its trays with nutrition information rather than fulfill its promise to eliminate trans-fat laden fries.

– In fact, the company just revealed that its fries have a significantly greater trans-fat content than believed.

– Burger King’s private investors, emboldened by their edgy new ad agency and big-headed mascot, will cash out big time in early spring.

– A new study debunks the long-held notion that lowering fat intake reduces certain types of cancer in women.

Sixty-four percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. Yet the epidemic has disappeared from the main media menu. Was it the PR maneuverings of the QSRs that so successfully protected their franchises? Has fast food’s success on The Street trumped the public good? Could we be seeing the natural counteraction to the media saturation of Super Size Me?

From a McDonalds spokesperson: “It is important to note that McDonald’s menu has a wide range of choice and variety, with an array of portion sizes, including three options with french fries: small, medium and large.” You choose.

Posted in Institutions & Enterprises, McDonalds | No Comments »

What’s Inside

Posted by Peter Himler on 26th October 2005


This blog has talked considerably about the natural tension that exists between transparency and message control. Can the two live side by side, or does transparency actually impair an enterprise’s ability to advocate its point of view? Furthermore, can opening the curtain to expose one’s warts, actually produce a reputational (and ultimately) financial benefit?

Yesterday, McDonalds held a news conference to announce that it would add nutritional information to its menu item wrappers. (Heretofore, that information only was available on its website and in-store brochures.) It follows the QSR’s efforts to re-make Ronald McDonald into a fitness advocate, and the industry’s efforts to blunt the criticism of its role in the obesity epidemic..

This is a bold, and some may think risky move, considering the quantity of fat and calories contained in a typical Big Mac. Nonetheless, I suspect most patrons of McDonalds won’t even read the wrappers, and Micky D’s gets a big PR boost for its open and honest approach.

Posted in McDonalds | No Comments »

Legally Fried

Posted by Peter Himler on 7th July 2005

Example

Writing in today’s New York Times, food/beverage business beat reporter Melanie Warner highlights the efforts by the industry to avert lawsuits over its role in the obesity epidemic. Specifically, she looks at the extensive regulatory and legislative lobbying done by the National Restaurant Association, the powerful trade association that represents the nation’s QSRs (quick service restaurants), among others.

Ironically, many of the NRA’s members are outwardly promoting programs and revised menus that are more healthful, while funding the trade association’s efforts to end frivolous lawsuits, e.g., “I’m obese because I like McDonald’s fries.”

The NGOs are none too happy by this industry effort. From a PR perspective, working behind a “third-party” group like the NRA makes issues advocacy more tenable than going it alone. (It also helps shield against potential criticism of contradictory policies.)

Posted in McDonalds, NGOs | No Comments »

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