2008 Woodie Awards
Wrigley's and Weight Loss?
Kelsey Field
Issue date: 4/14/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Announced last week was Wrigley's Chewing Gums intent to launch an investigation into whether chewing gum can help to loose weight and to reduce stress. According to Chicago Business, the company will be launching a multimillion dollar, multi-year search into finding evidence that gum in fact helps those looking to shed a few pounds from their waists. The Wrigley's Social Science Institute will be the leading the way in the research, which is comprised of an "international panel of scientists and research experts."
Wrigley's claims that the reason behind the company's decision to research into the benefits of chewing gum has arisen from the decades of their consumers writing in and raving about the great affects that chewing gum has had for them. The 115 year old company is now responding to the advice of their customers by investing massive amounts of money into the research. The company is hoping that the results of the study, which will be released in about a year, will hold big benefits for the company, which already is the number one gum seller in the world, and holds 63% of the United States market.
In fact, Wrigley's is so confident that their research will prove to be true; they have already gone public with their research expedition and have begun compiling their preliminary booklet titled "The Benefits of Chewing". However, critics have been quick to warn against Wrigley's commitment to proving that chewing gum has benefits besides the typical fresh breath. Food analyst Bob Goldin cautions that as the American consumers are bombarded from all sides in the fight for the best weight loss product, many are beginning to view efforts such as Wrigley's as self-serving. Goldin also advises the public to not believe everything they read about the research because it is sponsored by Wrigley's and therefore is not as objective as it could be.
However, Wrigley's denies any biases, claiming that because the scientists are performing research in labs outside of the new research center and also because the research will be published in "peer review journals." The scientists will be looking into three areas of chewing gum, which are stress management, weight management and cognition and focus. The stress management will focus on answering questions such as does gum relieve tension, and does chewing gum stimulate certain areas of the brain. The scientists will also be considering whether gum, as a replacement for a high calorie snack, work also as an appetite suppressant, and whether the action of chewing helps with focus, concentration and alertness.
This movement towards weight loss is another part of the new leader's, fourth generation Bill Wrigley Jr., emphasis on marketing innovation and new products. The teeth whitening and sugarless gums have become top sellers since their introduction into the US market in 1999 and 2001. However, other products have not been so successful, including Surpass, an antacid which was removed from the market in 2003 after two years of low sales.
Wrigley's claims that the reason behind the company's decision to research into the benefits of chewing gum has arisen from the decades of their consumers writing in and raving about the great affects that chewing gum has had for them. The 115 year old company is now responding to the advice of their customers by investing massive amounts of money into the research. The company is hoping that the results of the study, which will be released in about a year, will hold big benefits for the company, which already is the number one gum seller in the world, and holds 63% of the United States market.
In fact, Wrigley's is so confident that their research will prove to be true; they have already gone public with their research expedition and have begun compiling their preliminary booklet titled "The Benefits of Chewing". However, critics have been quick to warn against Wrigley's commitment to proving that chewing gum has benefits besides the typical fresh breath. Food analyst Bob Goldin cautions that as the American consumers are bombarded from all sides in the fight for the best weight loss product, many are beginning to view efforts such as Wrigley's as self-serving. Goldin also advises the public to not believe everything they read about the research because it is sponsored by Wrigley's and therefore is not as objective as it could be.
However, Wrigley's denies any biases, claiming that because the scientists are performing research in labs outside of the new research center and also because the research will be published in "peer review journals." The scientists will be looking into three areas of chewing gum, which are stress management, weight management and cognition and focus. The stress management will focus on answering questions such as does gum relieve tension, and does chewing gum stimulate certain areas of the brain. The scientists will also be considering whether gum, as a replacement for a high calorie snack, work also as an appetite suppressant, and whether the action of chewing helps with focus, concentration and alertness.
This movement towards weight loss is another part of the new leader's, fourth generation Bill Wrigley Jr., emphasis on marketing innovation and new products. The teeth whitening and sugarless gums have become top sellers since their introduction into the US market in 1999 and 2001. However, other products have not been so successful, including Surpass, an antacid which was removed from the market in 2003 after two years of low sales.