Ribena case study

[vifferman]

No............ But I'd like to know...

So would I.
I... uh... was hoping someone could help me.

[avgas]

Yeh turns out smoking kills too! who would have guessed.
This is exactly like the Marlboro bandwagon. Everyone throw stones at GSK.
Sheep

[Beemer]

Yeh turns out smoking kills too! who would have guessed.This is exactly like the Marlboro bandwagon. Everyone throw stones at GSK.
Sheep

Yes, but unfortunately it doesn't kill fast enough... and it's not a valid comparison as it's not like the makers of cigarettes are advertising that their product contains vitamins and minerals that will enhance your health.

Baaa.

[Zukin]

This is my repsonse
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...px?id=93576139

[The Stranger:Me]

It's not unlike some breakfast cereals.
Since when did simple grains have all these vitamins and minerals in such abundance. Well since they sprinkle it on at the end of processing.
Of course most people have milk, which washes most of the goodies off. So unless you drink the milk and lick you bowl clean - and empty the bag on your plate as well you are never going to actually ingest all these goodies. But they are in the packet as they say they are.

[vamr]

As an interested professional observer, I have been particularly interested in the reaction and responses of GlaxoSmithKline during the course of the Ribena saga involving the Commerce Commission.

In my view this is a classic example of how not to manage a public issue. I wonder how much GSK has "invested" on professional advice over the past few years, leading them down a path littered with gaffes, multi-national arrogance and lies. The damage to GSK's reputation from this event will be considerable, not to mention a knock-on effect onto all other "health" drinks.

Tui moment: "It was never our intention to mislead our customers."

I hope heads roll at GSK. This sort of behaviour by any organisation is unforgiveable, not least when it is supported/encouraged by communications "professionals".

I fully agree, without smacking how else would parents be able to instill the 'don't be a tell-tail' set of values. The real villains of this story are those two nosy girls and their failed parents. This country is too soft.

[Maha]

Yes, but unfortunately it doesn't kill fast enough... and it's not a valid comparison as it's not like the makers of cigarettes are advertising that their product contains vitamins and minerals that will enhance your health.

Baaa.

Back the Marlboro bandwagon up here!....its my understanding that if all the smokers in NZ were to give up/die whatever, the Government would have to find around $900,000,000 in tax pa....thats how much they receive in cigarette/tabacco tax each year. Petrol at $5 per ltr?....Higher income tax perhaps?..would that be better? Where would you like see the Government increase tax's to balance out 'smoking V non smoking'?

[Guitana]

To be brutally honest I fucken hate Ribena it's so sweet and sickly my mother used to ram it down my throat when I was a wee tacker and i've never drunk the purple weasel piss since!!!! Stick to OJ!!
At least Maccas company dosent lie about the contents of it's OJ!!
Go CHARLIES!!!!

[Macktheknife]

Maybe their reputation in NZ will be damaged but is it likely to get TV coverage and make headline news worldwide. The amount they were fined gives the impression that the offence was trivial. My bet is that it will be swept under the carpet and apart from NZ it will be business as usual and even here it will soon be forgotten. A fine of $5,000,000 would have had more impact. A company rep on the news last night admitted they'd made a mistake but added "Ribena concentrate has some vitamin C". No claim about the amount being higher than other products. He didn't sound too worried by the outcome.

Actually it already has, it has been big news in the UK as the company has been in the crapper there and I heard a rumour that the girls have been interviewed by both radio and newspapers in other countries too. Good on them I say.

[Hitcher]

I fully agree, without smacking how else would parents be able to instill the 'don't be a tell-tail' set of values.

Hopefully less successfully than the more elusive "tell-tale" values.

[Madness]

Back the Marlboro bandwagon up here!...

Now there's a quality product!

Every year smoking in N.Z declines by around 10%, as does the revenue take. The Government increase the excise duty on tobacco products every year to compensate (another smoking term) to ensure the $9,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 remains the same. If this trend continues, in 100 years or so there will be 283 smokers in N.Z and a pack of Marlboro Red 20's will cost around $18,000.

It's not like the makers of cigarettes are advertising that their product contains vitamins and minerals that will enhance your health.

I'm sure if legislation allowed advertising of any form at all it would eventually come to that.

[vamr]

Hopefully less successfully than the more elusive "tell-tale" values.

*FOREIGNER IMMUNITY*

[avgas]

The reason why i brought up Marlboro is that i have a good friend that works for them (well not them - more Altria Group). We found it funny the ammount of people who smoke Marlboro because its advertised as something "The Cool Cowboy/Hardman" would smoke.
This advertising is not only a direct lie (Cowboys didnt have Marlboro), but it is directly targeting a male population between the age 15-30, who want to be 'cool/hard'.
If you want to look at similar parallels, Ribena is for the 'health-conscious mum'.
Nutri-grain - 'wanna be hard youth'
Its all creative lies - to sell a product. Its not a conspiracy theory. Im not a naysayer - im just saying it is how it is.
You should always take advertising for a grain of salt.
The good thing about advertising is it is an exciting way to show a product. For most of us - its why we buy the things we buy. Not all lies are bad - some are motivating.
You cant blame GSK for lying to you, there is no point - you can only learn from the experience and blame yourself if you believe another advertising lie.

[avgas]

Only a matter of time before this happens with everyone talking...

[RantyDave]

It's all ok now,they have been hammered with a crippling fine.

I take it you're being sar-carstic? (http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/.../231/yo25.html)

200k? For misleading consumers for years? And not a minor piece of fraud either - it was basically the cornerstone of persuading consumers that this particular evil sugary crap is actually good for you. Good for kids. Trust us, we're a f*cking drug company. I would have them barred from selling stuff in NZ for years. Or get them to go through some horrifyingly expensive accreditation process for every single one of their products.

Buttwipes. We can, however, hope that their competitors now bring a similar action against them in the states where the legal system takes a dim view of everything from farting in polite company upwards.

Dave