Sos Over Snack Foods Sms

Sun Herald

Sunday June 27, 2004

By DANIEL DASEY CONSUMER REPORTER

SNACK food companies are using text messaging competitions to collect mobile phone numbers of young people, raising the concerns of healthy eating groups.

Nestle and Cadbury Schweppes are two of several companies that have asked young consumers to send an SMS to enter competitions.

The development has set alarm bells ringing with the Coalition on Food Advertising to Children, a health advocacy group that is concerned companies will soon be sending direct marketing messages to children on their phones.

"SMS marketing is unsupervised by parents," spokeswoman Kaye Mehta said.

"Children are vulnerable to exploitation."

A competition being run by food giant Nestle in association with its Milo bars requires consumers to supply their mobile number for entry. The company website states that details collected from competitions can be used for marketing purposes.

But Nestle Australia's director of marketing communications Ian Alwill said the company had an "opt-in only" policy for SMS marketing.

A Cadbury Schweppes spokesman did not respond to repeated inquiries about SMS marketing and its The Lord Of The Rings promotion.

© 2004 Sun Herald

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