ALR383 Assignment 2 - Lobbing strategy. Business & Marketing

Alr383 Assignment 2 -- Lobbing Strategy
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Executive Summary
Obesity is a serious societal concern in the country that continues to impact the vast majority of the population with children and young people being top of the list. Individuals are overconsuming unhealthy meals that are rich in fats and calories that in turn not only make them become overweight but also expose them to various health complications including diabetes and heart diseases among others. Obesity is also putting unnecessary strain on the health care system in the country with substantial amounts of money being spent annually to address it and its associated medical conditions. Studies have shown that advertisement and promotion of unhealthy foods on television majorly contributes and influences children into their consumption. In that regard, it is highly recommended for legislation reforms that would see regulation of such advertisements to children. The Obesity Policy Coalition will seek to lobby the above proposal to different stakeholders including the government, private industry and civil societies. The primary objective is to reduce on the obesity cases in the country within 1 year. The OPC will use different communication tactics to reach the target publics such as speeches and letters. While the speech will be directed to all the three stakeholders, the letter will be written to the Prime Media Group.
Introduction
Over the recent past there have been several sensitization campaigns advising and encouraging individuals to embrace healthy lifestyles in light of escalating cases of obesity. Concerns have been raised that individuals are neither keen on consuming balanced and healthy diets nor engaging in physical exercises and as such, are becoming overweight. Obese individuals usually develop various health care complications including diabetes and heart ailments that not only strain their finances but also put their lives at risk. Particularly, it has been noted that young people are over-indulging in fast foods and basically meals that are rich in calories. Furthermore, advancements in technology have made the current generation utterly lazy to engage in any form of physical fitness including outdoor sporting activities. Online businesses have also compounded the issue even further because they allow individuals to access what they need at their doorsteps. With restaurants continuously promoting and advertising their unhealthy meals on TV, social media and other platforms targeting children it has become impossible addressing the issue of obesity. In that regard, it is vital that the government enacts legislations that regulate the promotion of unhealthy foods to children and overall prevent young people from being exposed to such advertisements.
Research
Obesity is a major societal issue in Australia not only because it results in various chronic diseases but also because it is financially draining on those affected and their families. Reports indicate that Australia incurred about $8.6 billion because of obesity and the figure has been on the rise ever since. While public health officials have been on the forefront of sensitizing the public about the obesity and the dangers it poses, the government is not doing enough in that regard. Although the government has ensured that there enough school activities motivating children on the importance of leading healthy lifestyles, non-regulation of the promotional practices of businesses in the food and beverages sector significantly curtail those initiatives.
The most important factor contributing to increased obesity rates in Australia is consumption of food which is processed and energy-dense. These meals that are mostly served in fast food restaurants are usually rich in calories that eventually cause people to become overweight. Furthermore, the packaging and marketing strategies adopted by food industry plays an important role in influencing population towards consumption of these products. Many businesses including restaurants in Australia have embraced technology and the online platform to conduct their operations. As such, the restaurants have created fancy websites and have ensured a strong online presence where they actively advertise and promote their delicacies. There are some restaurants that use TV to advertise their meals while others have embraced social media to reach out to an even larger audience. In most cases, these food outlets ensure that they depict finger-licking meals that influence their target audience which comprises of young people and children to purchase and engage in the unhealthy diets.
Based on the above facts, it is imperative that the government puts in place legislations that will regulate the promotion of unhealthy meals to children. Legal interventions have been phenomenal in solving public health issues concerning tobacco usage in the region and therefore, the same route should be taken to deal with the rising cases of obesity. The regulation of the promotion of unhealthy meals should not only be restricted to TV and digital media but also their sale in schools and colleges.
Target Publics
The lobbying strategy will target the following stakeholders or groups. The first group is the government which is not only the primary decision maker in the country but also plays a major role in the development of policies that regulate behavior. The federal government under the tutelage of the Minister for Health Greg Hunt and the Australian Government Department of Health are capable of supporting the lobbying campaign and assist in building scientific and effective programs to guide the mass Australians to control their weight and enjoy better health. The government can help in funding required for the research and development, training, and monitoring the health of public. Moreover, government can ensure collaborative approach across all sectors and stakeholders.
The second group is the private industry which encompasses businesses that are engaged in selling foods and beverages. It also includes the businesses that sell physical fitness equipment and services. The private industry also includes the media. Private industry retains a high power to influence and consequently can act as a barrier or a promoter of nutritional diet and physical exercises. The food industry can ensure the manufacture of healthy meals and that they are marketed responsibly. The food industry can also ensure that nutritional information is printed vividly on all food items put on display in supermarkets and retail outlets. Similarly, the media should report responsibly regarding body size and obesity. Furthermore, the commercial industry of weight loss should engage in accountable marketing and data for clients. The last group is the Civil Society and NGOs. Such organizations can coordinate with the government and private sector to influence the public. NGOs and civil society should advocate the importance of healthy food and physical exercises, along with reporting adequately about the key stakeholders’ performance.
Goals and Objectives
There are several goals and objectives of the lobbying strategy.
* To have the government enact at least three legislations regulating the promotion of unhealthy foods to children within 6 months.
* Ensure all food and beverage companies in the country display nutritional information on all their items put on display in supermarkets and retail outlets within 6 months.
* Triple the number of NGOs in the region advocating for the importance of healthy food and physical exercise within 6 months.
* Ensure that no business advertises unhealthy food products during meal times and in between children programs in the next 3 months.
* Ensure that food outlets practice responsible advertising on social media platforms and that they promote healthy lifestyles in their regular broadcasts within 6 months.
* Encourage the media to focus on broadcasting and highlighting ways that the public can lead healthy lifestyles as opposed to airing stories on body shaming within 3 months.
* Have more interaction and collaboration between the government and public health officials on addressing obesity in the country within 6 months.
* Ensure that businesses and retailers regulate the sale of high-sugar and high-fat foods to children within 3 months.
Communication Strategy
As it has been shared previously, there are different groups that will be targeted by the lobby strategy to address the escalating cases of obesity in the country. These include the government, private industry and civil society. In that regard, the organization will reach out to the government, stakeholders in the private industry and NGOs/ Civil society through letters and speeches. These two communication tactics will highlight on the issue that is obesity in the Australian society and share how it is causing various health complications in...