I previously wrote an article on here about a concept that I call a Nickel-a-Meal campaign to overcome obesity. The idea is that we would all voluntarily contribute an extra nickel (with an option to opt out, of course) for every burger, "value" meal or even bag of groceries at participating outlets (visable by a common logo), and then have these hundreds of millions of dollars nationwide each year go to food empowerment projects where the public gets a stronger voice in the business of nutrition and health from our menu selections.
On http://www.AlterNet.org today a great discussion is going on based on an article written by John Feller about this issue. But notice that most commentators have a general cynicism that there isn't much we can do but sit around and wait for the lawyers to turn the drive-up windows into drive-through settlement payoff points (a la the tobacco industry).
I disagree and think there is ample youth and community infrastructure to make this kind of idea work without government or lawyerly influences.
Check it out and share an idea or frustration to some degree.
Allan Shore
PS - You can see more about my idea at http://www.nickel-a-meal.info.
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Comments: 2
Some thoughts on marketing Nickel-A-Meal
1. Consider expanding your campaign past "against obesity." Lots of non-obese people want input on food they eat--perhaps more than obese people. I have written restaurant critics asking them when they cover a restaurant to include information on vegetarian and healthy options. I didn't expect them to review those options, but I wanted them to note if the restaurant offered such fare. (I haven't seen much along this line yet.)
2. Identify groups most affected by Nickel-A-Meal. Fast-food franchises, restaurants, obese people, chefs, cooking schools, restaurant critics, restaurant associations, food/restaurant magazines.
3. Develop two lists of talking points, one on advantages and one on challenges to be faced.
4. Using the basic talking points, make up specific presentations for each group showing WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM and noting the challenges.
For instance, what's in it for restaurant companies? Nickel-A-Meal can
i) Head off potential obesity law suits,
ii) Respond to national concerns about obesity,
iii) Keep and gain customers through personalization and responsiveness,
iv) Achieve better transparency of operations, which builds customer and government trust,
v) Provide a new marketing strategy,
vi) Make the restaurant operations more sustainable, and
vi) Put the company/restaurant in the forefront of the industry.
I can think of others given more time. Also, suggest easy ways the nickel can be collected, such as just collecting the nickel in a fish bowl at check-out or putting it on the receipt/charge slip and having the customer check it. Suggest ways the restaurant/company can use the nickels collected and note they'll need to follow through with results.
5. Test-implement your program in a defined area. California, the area where you live, would be a good place.
6. Take your show on the road. Write short, concise pieces about the project and send them as op-ed pieces to food editors, restaurant magazines. Try to get on the agendas of industry and company conferences.
7. Research foundations or organizations that might support this effort. With all the news coming out about obesity, they might be open to novel projects.
It's a lot of work, but perhaps you can gain some consulting work through it. And get business tax deductions for the resources you put into it. Perhaps your friends can help. Maybe some people enrolled in a Weight-Watchers-type group could be enlisted. Like you, I've always had ideas ahead of my time. But because of personal reasons and a demanding job, I never had the resources in money and time and physical energy to pursue my ideas. But right now I've got several nickels in my wallet itching to speak up.
In the meantime I will mark in my ledger book of life that you owe the project a few nickels.
By the way, I just published a featured article on the subject (under health issues) on a site called HappyNews.com. I found a group of 80,000 or so folks interested in, of all things, Slow Food USA. I'm trying to figure out how to capture their attention.