Day 046 - 04 Nov 94 - Page 50


     
     1        along.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  I would prefer to avoid the break today and just to
     4        continue.
     5
     6        (To the witness)  Just a couple of other points.  Can you
     7        remember any clauses in your code of advertising practice
     8        that relate to healthy eating?
     9        A.  The only one that I remember is that, if you are going
    10        to be doing any kind of advertising in the nutritional
    11        area, you are to get that checked off by the Creative
    12        department and the Legal department and some other
    13        departments.  There was something in there that was about
    14        that, but I believe that was the only part.
    15
    16   Q.   So, in other words, the only thing in your codes relevant
    17        to public health and nutrition is to get it checked out by
    18        the department; there are no guidelines, apart from that?
    19        A.  There are no guidelines, apart from that.
    20
    21   Q.   It does not really seem to have a very high priority, does
    22        it, as opposed to the development of the characters and all
    23        the other matters in the code?
    24        A.  You can make your own assessment of that.
    25
    26   Q.   Yes.  Finally, on this point, would it be fair to say that
    27        you have an enormous task, as the person in charge of
    28        promotions and advertising, or number 2, someone who is
    29        here to represent that department, in dealing with a huge
    30        credibility gap between the actual message you are trying
    31        to get over when it is compared to the product which you
    32        are trying to promote?
    33        A.  I do not believe so.
    34
    35   Q.   Would you say that, in general, in advertising, the larger
    36        the credibility gap, the more would have to be spent on
    37        advertising to overcome it?
    38        A.  Again, I am not sure what you mean by a "credibility
    39        gap".  Many people enjoy going to McDonald's and so,
    40        obviously, I think we feel very credible to those people.
    41
    42   Q.   But in advertising would you say it is a general----
    43        A.  If you do not deliver of-----
    44
    45   Q.   The poorer your product, the more you have to really
    46        advertise to convince people to eat it?
    47        A.  I do not think so.  I think at a point in time the
    48        product is either accepted or rejected by the people that
    49        use it.  Advertising overall is not make that much
    50        difference on a long term.  If you are in the business for 
    51        30 years, or however long you are in business, the product 
    52        itself is the one that is going to determine whether people 
    53        patronise you or not.  Advertising cannot work miracles.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:  Do you spend more money on children's advertising
    56        than your competitors?
    57        A.  I believe so.
    58
    59   Q.   Right.  Quite a lot more?
    60        A.  Again, I am not familiar with the direct proportion of

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