State Soda Tax Could Be Lifeboat for Fiscally Strapped Counties

For cash-strapped counties struggling to fund vital programs, the state’s proposed soda tax (AB 669-Monning) could be a lifeboat, according to a new county-by-county analysis of how that revenue would be returned to local communities. The proposed penny an ounce tax on sugary beverages would raise an estimated $1.7 billion annually in California. The bulk of those funds – 85 percent or $1.4 billion – would be returned to counties proportional to their population to pay for education and children’s health programs.

“Local communities will be the direct beneficiaries of a soda tax,” explains Dr. Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, which conducted the study to better understand how the monies will be allocated. “A soda tax would return about $233 per student in the county to programs aimed at protecting the health and well-being of children. That’s a smart investment.”

Local schools will be the biggest winners of a soda tax, with about 60 percent of local funds going to the classroom and an additional 20 percent to help pay for improvements to physical education and provide nutritious school meals. AB 669 also carves out another 20 percent of the local funds to pay for local children’s programs like youth sports and afterschool programs.

To learn more about the study and see how much money would go to your county, visit the CCPHA website at: www.publichealthadvocacy.org/revenuestudy.html

We're published - twice over!

In a recent issue of PR News, our ground-breaking media advocacy work on behalf of California's menu labeling law was featured. The four-page analysis recognized our innovative approach that helped make California the first state in the nation to require restaurants to offer up basic nutrition information -- who knew that an Awesome Blossom had 3,000 calories!

Then, in what can only be payback for years of poring through tedious college textbooks, we find that we're now being taught in school. Yep, from page 199 to 212 in the 8th edition of Public Relations Cases, college PR students are learning about our successful efforts with the California Center for Public Health Advocacy to force legislators to take a role in addressing childhood obesity.

- Mike

Twitter and Brand Management: a Case Study

As communications professionals we always try to keep on top of the newest communication tools and how we can use those tools to best serve our clients needs. There’s been lot of conversation in our office lately about Twitter and it seems that we aren’t the only communications agency exploring the best ways to utilize Twitter.

For those unfamiliar with Twitter, it’s an online service enabling users to broadcast short messages (140 characters or less), known as tweets to friends or “followers.” Twitter is a form of microblogging – think of it as a combination of text messaging and blogging. Twitter is a way to engage in intimate, one-on-one communication and is another tool, for those in the world of public relations, to engage in a conversation rather than just letting it happen around you.

Johnson and Johnson recently learned how powerful a communication outlet social networking and media sites like Twitter are becoming. The company posted an ad online for Motrin, which equated carrying a baby in a sling to a painful fashion choice. By the following day, negative reactions appeared on Twitter, bloggers called for a boycott and angry comments filled up online message boards. Some of those offended even created counter ads, which they posted on YouTube. Johnson and Johnson quickly pulled the ad and a company spokesperson noted on its blog that the incident showed “it needed to pay closer attention to the conversations taking place online.”

I applaud Johnson and Johnson for its quick response and the important lesson it learned from the situation. We should all learn from Johnson and Johnson’s mistake – no one can afford to ignore what’s going on online.

~ Nicole