"Let’s face it: kids respond to their favorite characters that are hawking products in a plethora of licensing agreements these days. It’s nice, and refreshing, to see that when it comes to product roll-outs like these, we parents can give the nod to some of our kids’ requests and feel good about it, isn’t it?"

Ted - I know exactly what you're talking about.

http://www.chaosscenario.com/main/images/2007/10/30/dsc02180.jpg

Ted, I think I will take you up on this experiment and run a little test with my kids. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Also in the picture you provided, I think the little mini-paks of carrots and the like have more likelihood of consumption in lunches (child size portions) than the big box of Disney tomatoes. Packaging may make all the difference...

Hi Cam,

Thanks for the great photo! As parents, we all face the dilemma of trying to instill great eating habits in our kids...in the face of advertising that hawks snacks and candy all day long. If Mickey and Minnie can get our kids excited about eating fruits and veggies, I'm all for it.

Great idea, Paul. Let me know how you make out with your experiment. You're right: small portions that are compatible with lunch boxes or bags might be the best bet...especially when packaged in colorful Disney packaging.

Thanks for weighing in, guys.

Disney, the brand, has always stood for wholesome family entertainment. I'm glad to see that they've licensed their brand name to something equally wholesome. I also think this ought to make youth brands strongly consider how they are licensing their own identities. Are their licensees reflective of their brand values? Are they just seen as cash and profit centers, without much thought to whether both brands complement each others' values? Or worse, are they allowing their brands to be used to sell products or services that are less healthy for kids? These are questions that should be asked and sincerely answered, in my opinion. Thanks for another provocative post, Ted.

You raise a good point, Claire. With so much push back now from parents and school officials on kids' food choices due to obesity and health issues, it's extremely important for kids' brands to give strong consideration and closer scrutiny to their would-be licensing partners in food and beverages. Thanks for framing some important questions companies need to ask themselves before inking any licensing deals. To be fair, I do see more social responsibility happening among kids' brands and public pressure is having an impact in the licensing of many products.

I’m glad Disney has recognized the urgency and importance of childhood obesity — and committed to responsible marketing. But it just plain saddens me to see Disney branding clementines, cherries, cauliflower, and corn.

Fresh, delicious produce doesn’t need to be branded.

I'm with Gwyeneth -- fresh produce doesn't truly need to be branded. If we teach children from the start that fruits and veggies are good, they won't need to have Mickey's face on them in order to eat them... and when it comes down to it, if it's more expensive to purchase the Disney veggies vs. the "regular" supermarket veggies, I would hope that discerning parents would err on the side of their pocketbooks instead of branding.

Then again, I'm not a parent, so I don't /fully/ know how difficult it is to get a child to not get sucked into branding and to eat great foods...

Those who know me will attest that I am all about Disney all the time. It is literally a part of my family's legacy (been to WDW at least once a year since it opened in 1971).

I am also a huge fan of their marketing and branding. I proudly shared my free report Marketing Lessons from Walt. (http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2007/01/it_started_inno.html)

So, I really, really wish this was Disney actually caring about childhood obesity. But considering they have granted McDonald's exclusive rights to be INSIDE their theme parks with their french fry wagons, I suspect this was just a smart move on their part.

It's another product extension that fits their brand and will get them into a very family friendly environment -- the grocery stores.

Brilliant marketing -- yes. A sincere commitment to healthy kids -- I'm not so sure.

Drew

I agree with you, Gwyneth and Kermit, that individual fruits and vegetables can't be branded. However, in licensing its name and characters to create snack trays with combos of fruits, veggies, crackers and the like, Disney is not seeking to brand individual food items. The company is doing nothing differently than many other kids' brands that co-brand with snack companies. Popular kids' properties sell a lot of product in this country, and many kids' brands set up licenses with cookie and candy companies. It's much more wholesome to co-brand in the manner Disney is now doing.

Young children are increasingly bombarded with advertising that pushes fast food, candy and snack foods, making it extremely difficult for parents to get them to eat and enjoy nutritiously sound foods. Cam Beck wrote an excellent post a few months ago on the pull of McDonald's with youngsters, and the ongoing battle and responsibility parents have to hold the line in this regard. I urge you to read that.

It's so tough right now (in a society pervasive with junk food) that Jessica Seinfeld, as in Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld, has authored a new cookbook that incorporates pureed veggies in everything from pizza to brownies, unbeknown to kids. Her point, and I know this is controversial with many, is that cajoling young kids to eat veggies is so difficult, it's best to take this route until they get a bit older. Then, they will better understand their parents' explanations about sound nutritional choices and hopefully, begin to eat fruit and vegetables on their own. That is the premise of her argument.

I suspect that most parents, confronted with this situation, day in and day out, will welcome co-branded foods they can actually endorse for their children.

Thanks, Gwyneth and Kermit for weighing in on this issue.

Drew,

Thanks for adding something very important to this discussion. I was aware that Disney's food offerings in its own theme parks were not the most nutritious. However, I had read that this was being rectified and that the company was changing its menus. As far as McDonald's is concerned, they too have been under pressure to offer better kids' meal choices, and one would hope their wagons in the parks would reflect that. If that isn't the case, then a very mixed message is being sent. . .and what, as you state is a "brilliant marketing" move, will be perceived as a sham. And when it comes to marketing, perception is reality, so it really is incumbent on Disney to realign itself with a perceived, more "nutritious" brand for kids and families.

Great points, Drew. Thanks for adding a great deal to this post.

Daily Fix Readers,

For more great insights on this topic, please check out Drew McLellan's own blog:
http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/

Thanks, Drew.

Excellent topic. Here is an article you guys may find to be right on point:

' Anything made by McDonald's tastes better, preschoolers said in a study that powerfully demonstrates how advertising can trick the taste buds of young children.'

'In comparing identical McDonald's foods in name-brand and plain wrappers, the unmarked foods always lost. Even carrots, milk and apple juice tasted better to the kids when they were wrapped in the familiar packaging of the Golden Arches.'

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/06/mcdonalds.preschoolers.ap/index.html

Eden

I actually read that article, Eden, and thanks for bringing it up here because it really is germane to our discussion.

Let's just hope that fruit and veggie combos taste better to kids when served up on Disney character trays, as well. Thanks for adding a great point to this post, Eden.