American Beverage Association
The American Beverage Association is a trade association for soft drink manufacturers. On its website it describes itself as comprising the "producers, marketers and distributors of virtually every non-alcoholic refreshment beverage you can name." [1]
Contents
ABA's School Vending Policy
"The first salvo in a broader public-relations counterattack by beverage companies to help the industry reverse its tarnished image", the Wall Street Journal reports, is voluntary restrictions on drink sales in schools. The guidelines, which will be touted "in full-page ads in several national newspapers," suggest that new school contracts remove carbonated soft drinks from elementary schools and remove sugary drinks from middle schools during school hours. All beverages will continue to be sold in high schools. [2]
Susan Neely, "the creator of the 'Harry and Louise' ads that helped torpedo President Clinton's health-care plan in the early 1990s," now heads the industry group American Beverage Association. She's leading the "multimillion-dollar advertising and PR campaign to show that the beverage industry derives a substantial portion of its sales and growth from healthier beverages." Neely told the Wall Street Journal, "you have to have an industry voice." [3]
"Soda industry touts school ban to quiet obesity critics," reads the PR Week headline on a story outlining the soft-drink industry's latest defensive move in response to national concerns about childhood obesity. PR giant Porter Novelli is working with the American Beverage Association to promote the trade group's recently announced school vending policy. The voluntary code recommends some limits on the sale of sugary carbonated beverages in schools, but still allows for sales of juices and sports drinks. [4]
According to PR Week, Porter Novelli "will assist [ABA] in talking about the new policy with educators, parents, legislators, regulators, and other groups interested in school nutrition issues." The group has already run full-page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today publicizing its new policy. Porter Novelli also worked on developing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid.
Contact details
American Beverage Association
1101 16 th St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Main Telephone Number: (202) 463- 6732
Fax Number: (202) 659-5349
Press Questions: (202) 463-6770
Email: info AT ameribev.org
Web: http://www.ameribev.org/
Other SourceWatch resources
External links
- "It's a‘Bevolution': National Soft Drink Association Changes Name To American Beverage Association to Reflect Wide Range of Beverages Industry Produces", Media Release, November 11, 2004.
- Betsy McKay, "Soda Marketers Will Cut Back Sales to Schools", Wall Street Journal, August 17, 2005. (Sub re'qd).
- Laura Miller, "ABA's School Vending Policy Fizzes On Obesity Prevention", PR Watch Blogs, August 23, 2005.
- John N. Frank, "Soda industry touts school ban to quiet obesity critics", PR Week, August 26, 2005. (Sub req'd).
- Michele Simon, "Big Soda's Puyblicity Stunt: The trade group responsible for pushing sugary drinks to children of all ages has just trumpeted another set of useless new guidelines", AlterNet, August 29, 2005.
