As small business marketing consultants in Sydney we always keep up to date with the latest marketing news. This recent news isn’t very positive but is definitely newsworthy in setting an example of what a business needs to always keep an eye out for.

Kellogg has been forced to pull two ads for its LCM snack bars this week after a complaint from the advocacy group Obesity Policy Coalition was upheld by the Advertising Standards Board (ABS). 

According to Marketing Magazine Online in two weeks there has been two complaints given to the ABS against Kellogg’s recent ‘fun facts’ animated advertisements for marketing unhealthy food to children and was found to be in breach of the Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative (RCMI).

Obesity Policy Coalition spokeswoman, Jane Martin, told the ABC Online that using animation is inappropriate when advertising junk food.

Martin says that children should be protected from this kind of marketing as they are vulnerable and cannot distinguish between advertising and entertainment and claims that self-regulation of junk food ads has not been effective with hopes that costly action should serve as a deterrent to companies considering similar approaches. 

Martin called on the government to regulate the advertising of unhealthy foods to children, saying industry has failed to play by the rules. 

In every industry even in our small business marketing consultancy industry there are rules to abide by even if mistakes are made unintentional there should always be a governing body to help fix the errors.