HUMANING: OUR APPROACH TO MARKETING
Marketing Focused on Human Connection
Humaning is a unique, consumer-centric approach to marketing that creates real, human connections with purpose, moving Mondelēz International beyond cautious, data-driven tactics, and uncovering what unites us all. We are no longer marketing to consumers, but creating connections with humans.
Humaning is a natural fit for a company that creates the snacks that form the basis for connections between people all over the world and is a clear manifestation of the Mondelēz International brand purpose to do what is right: leading the future of snacking by offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. With humaning, we will feed the hunger for human connection in everything we do by being fully consumer-centric: Listening, empathizing and adapting to fit consumer needs at any moment with perfectly crafted products that are a source of delight.
How We Will Deliver Humaning
Humaning in Action
Humaning has long been at the heart of our boundary-pushing, inclusive brand marketing campaigns and corporate initiatives and we will continue to bring that goal to life. Humaning is when storytelling becomes storydoing and can be seen in examples such as:
OREO partnering with PFLAG National to create the #ProudParent platform, a long-term campaign celebrating families of all kinds and championing the idea that collectively we can make the world a more accepting, affirming and compassionate place, where all families belong. The #ProudParent platform debuted in June 2020 and in October, OREO and PFLAG National released a new film, titled Proud Parent, to highlight the important role of parental and community support and inspire a new generation of proud parents and allies. OREO also released Limited Edition #ProudParent OREO Rainbow Cookies to reward acts of allyship for the LGBTQ+ community.
Cadbury Dairy Milk encouraging the United Kingdom to Donate Your Words to combat the crisis of elderly loneliness with a multi-year campaign. The brand removed the words from our chocolate bar packaging, and donated 30p of each bar sold to Age UK, while encouraging people to donate their own words by reaching out to older people in their communities for a friendly chat. Since the start of the campaign in 2019, an estimated 1 million people have donated their words, and Cadbury Dairy Milk has donated more than £530,000 on behalf of Age UK and sold more than 1.1 million Donate Your Words chocolate bars.
Cocoa Life offering hope with a new sustainable business model grounded in strengthening cocoa communities and inspiring the next generation of cocoa farmers. Cocoa Life is tackling the complex challenge cocoa farmers face, including climate change, gender inequality, poverty and child labor.
Humaning As A Global Corporation
Humaning is reflected internally at Mondelēz International through our transparent diversity and inclusion goals and initiatives.
- We recently welcomed our Global Diversity & Inclusion Officer Robert Perkins, who plans to double Black representation in our U.S. management team by 2024.
- In 2021 we will become a member of Unstereotype Alliance, a thought-and-action platform that seeks to eradicate harmful stereotypes in media and advertising content, as well as the FreeTheWork initiative, a talent-discovery platform for advertisers to connect with underrepresented creators.
- We recently joined other leading international organizations as a signatory of the Board Diversity Action Alliance, which seeks to expand diversity on the boards of corporations, beginning with Black directors.
- We are also accelerating change through enhanced disclosure of Board directors’ race and ethnicity and annual reporting on diversity, equity and inclusion progress.
At Mondelēz International, we do not believe in advertising directly to children under 13 years of age, regardless of a product's nutritional profile. In 2005, we were the first company to announce global policies for advertising to children and we continue with our commitment today.
Our Global Approach
Our updated marketing to children policy, updated June 1, 2021, is global and applies to every market where we do business. In general, we:
- Do not advertise in any media primarily directed to children under the age of 13.
- Direct our advertising to gatekeepers (adults, parents, guardians), as well as people over age 13, who we empower with information and product choices to make mindful snacking decisions.
- Prohibit all marketing activities and techniques, including promotions, use of licensed characters, and premiums that appeal to children under age 6 (pre-school children).
- Prohibit all advertising and any type of commercial messaging and in-school marketing in primary and secondary schools (prior to university level).
Elements of Our Global Policy
Below are the main elements of our policy that guide our efforts:
- Prohibit any advertising where 30% or more of the total viewing audience is under the age of 13. Where audience data is not available, we use best judgment to avoid programs, websites, publications, and digital platforms that are geared for or have high appeal to children under age 13.
- Advertising in the following media is covered: TV, print, radio, our own brand websites, as well as third-party websites, digital and mobile media, social media, outdoor, smart phone/tablet apps, advergaming, word of mouth, DVD/video, gaming systems and in-cinema.
- Online/digital games and downloads will aim to have age gating/screening. Our brand websites follow age screening requirements of local legislation such as the U.S. Children’s Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), EUGDPR or other applicable local equivalent, to protect privacy, as well as to ensure that we have taken all reasonable steps to restrict children under age 13 from entering the site or downloading material.
- Prohibit all in-school marketing of our products in pre-school, primary and secondary schools (prior to university level) as well as early children education centers and children’s care.
- Do not permit any branded communication in schools, including branded educational materials or equipment – irrespective if schools request/permit it or if industry voluntary pledges we are a member of allow it.
- Do not use licensed characters or enter tie-ins with movies that primarily appeal to children under age 6, regardless of the product’s nutritional profile, in all marketing activities, including use on packaging and in-store communications.
- All communications on packaging and on in-store materials are directed to the gatekeeper/adults.
Our Food Marketing & Photography Standards
In addition to our marketing to children policy, our Food Marketing & Photography Standards provide further guidance. These standards are consistent with and support the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practice and the ICC Framework for Responsible Food and Beverage Communications. These standards ensure consistent, responsible depiction of food and lifestyle choices by:
- Showing consumption in responsible serving and portion sizes in food photography and video production
- Displaying balanced nutrition information and serving sizes in recipes
- Encouraging depiction of active lifestyles
- Portraying personal lifestyle safety; depict children engaged in safe behaviors, being supervised by adults
- Clearly representing eating occasions
- Representing consumers, showing diversity, in ethnicity, age, and gender, as well as size and shape
- Portraying safe food handling and kitchen practices
Working With Others To Support Responsible Marketing
We believe that, in addition to our own global marketing to children policy, supporting pledges at both global and national level encourages local companies to follow our lead and improve the types of products advertised to children. However, the requirements outlined in our internal marketing to children policy are followed in addition to voluntary industry marketing pledges.
Mondelēz International is a founding member of the International Food & Beverage Alliance, and along with other members, made a global commitment to the World Health Organization to either not advertise products to children under age 13 or only advertise products that meet specific nutrition criteria to children under age 13 and to monitor those efforts.
Monitoring Our Commitment
As part of its process, IFBA monitors and reports publicly on progress regularly to help member companies identify genuine breaches and instances where spots for restricted products were placed in or around daytime programs reaching 30 percent or more children under age 13.
Region and Local Market Pledges
We participate in marketing to children pledge programs all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, UAE, the U.S. and the EU.
Supporting the EU Pledge
One of the industry advertising commitments we have signed up to is the European Union Pledge, a voluntary initiative by leading food and beverage companies to change food and beverage advertising to children under the age of 13 in the European Union. In 2021, the EU Pledge was further enhanced to increase transparency and accountability by launching a mechanism through which members of the public and organizations can question the compliance of marketing communications with the commitment. More information can be found here. If you wish to file a complaint, click here.