Published: June 2012

ID #: 68240

Journal: PLoS Med

Authors: Dorfman L, Cheyne A, Friedman LC, Wadud A, Gottlieb M

See more related research

Share


This article examines prominent cases from corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts by soda industry leaders PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and compares them with tobacco industry CSR campaigns. Researchers found that major soda manufacturers have recently employed elaborate, expensive, multinational CSR campaigns. The campaigns echo the tobacco industry’s use of CSR to focus responsibility on consumers rather than on the corporation, bolster the popularity of the companies and their products, and to prevent regulation. Unlike tobacco CSR campaigns, soda company CSR campaigns explicitly aim to increase sales, including among youth. Researchers also found that in response to health concerns about their products, soda companies appear to have launched CSR campaigns earlier than the tobacco industry did.

Related Research

November 2010

Examining Whether Cause Marketing by Soda Companies Mimics Tobacco-Industry Strategies to Thwart Regulation

The sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) industry is increasingly using corporate social responsibility campaigns—particularly cause marketing appeals via social media—to reach young people. The purpose of this study is to assess how the current cause marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns of the SSB industry compare to the strategies articulated and practiced by the tobacco industry. More

July 2024

Shared Perceptions on Upstream Factors that Influence Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Hispanic Families in the Greater Washington, DC, Metro Area: Qualitative Results From Focus Group Discussions

The study aimed to describe how Hispanic parents currently living in the greater Washington, DC, metro area and born outside of the United States, perceived upstream factors that influenced their current beverage choice. Six qualitative focus groups were conducted in Spanish in 2021. The five key findings were: Growing up (in their countries of origin More

March 2024

Centering equity in FDA regulation: Front-of-package food label effects in Latino and limited English proficiency populations

This project aims to determine the front-of-package label design that is most effective at helping Latino consumers identify and choose healthier products. The project also aims to explore whether the benefits of front-of-package design differ by English proficiency. Participants will include 4,000 US adults of parental age (18-55 years old) who identify as Latino. Participants More