Society for Nutrition Education Establishes Endowment Fund to Further Practice of Evidence-based Nutrition Marketing

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Nutrition Education (SNE) and leading global public relations agency Ketchum today announced the endowment of the Bee Marks Fund in recognition of Beatrice G. "Bee" Marks, 86, and her early contributions to the field of evidence-based nutrition communications and marketing.

Marks is credited as one of the first individuals to use nutrition science to market food on the basis of health and wellness and as a pioneer in the modern practice of food and nutrition marketing in the 1960s and '70s while at Ketchum. She has been with Ketchum for more than 40 years, and today continues her involvement with the agency by serving as a senior counselor. Her contributions have helped establish Ketchum's Food & Nutrition Practice as a global leader in food, wellness and nutrition marketing dedicated to the consumer, food service and industrial food sectors.

The fund will honor Marks by supporting an annual educational seminar - known as the Bee Marks Communications Symposium - to showcase current advancements and best practices in evidence-based nutrition communications and marketing. The first event to be supported by Ketchum and SNE is being held on July 13 in New Orleans - on the topic "Communicating Healthy Options Down the Street and Around the World." The first Bee Marks Communications Symposium was given at SNE's 1993 annual meeting; however, the fund itself was not formally approved as an endowment until this year.

"Through her remarkable achievements, Bee paved the way for new generations of nutrition and communication professionals to emulate her by making evidence-based science a cornerstone in communicating to the public," said Martha Archuleta, Ph.D., R.D., and president, Society for Nutrition Education. "The annual Bee Marks Communications Symposium furthers her work and honors her legacy by presenting lectures and panels that focus on communicating key nutrition topics and effectively reaching target markets."

Marks's breakthrough into nutrition marketing came with her representation of the Idaho Potato and Onion Commission (later named the U.S. Potato Board) in the early '70s. Reviewing materials that touted the health benefits of potatoes, including reports on levels of carbohydrates needed for proper brain function, she realized that consumers would have an interest in knowing more about the science behind eating, and made communicating this knowledge a focus of her strategic thinking.

Marks went on to mastermind a partnership with Redbook magazine to create a forum on a Proposed U.S. Federal Trade Commission Trade Regulation Rule on Food Advertising, at which academics, scientists, nutritionists, FTC members and magazine editors developed a response that was presented to Congress.

Along with the late Maggie Waldron, Marks was instrumental in the creation of the Ketchum Food Center, a groundbreaking test kitchen in San Francisco that was influential in shaping modern nutrition marketing practices and elevating the role of public relations in the food and food service industries. To this day, the Ketchum Food Center is the centerpiece of Ketchum's Global Food & Nutrition Practice and, over its 30-year history, has been graced with the presence of such culinary heavyweights as Julia Child, James Beard and Marion Cunningham.

"Bee forever changed and shaped the future of nutrition communications and marketing," said Linda Eatherton, partner and director, Ketchum Global Food & Nutrition Practice, and member, Society for Nutrition Education Foundation board of trustees. "Ketchum, our industry and our clients are indebted to her pioneering vision. It is this vision that shapes the way we serve our clients with innovative nutrition marketing approaches. We are always reminded of how powerful her contributions have been to all we do and will do going forward."

About the Society for Nutrition Education

SNE is an international organization of nutrition education professionals who are dedicated to promoting effective nutrition education and communication to support and improve healthful behaviors and who have a vision of healthy communities through nutrition education and advocacy. Our members conduct research in education, behavior, and communication; develop and disseminate innovative nutrition education strategies; and communicate information on food, nutrition, and health issues to students, professionals, policy makers, and the public. SNE members share ideas and resources through our journal, newsletter, annual conference, and the members-only listserv. Our Divisions offer networking opportunities for members with similar interests and expertise.

About Ketchum

A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global public relations agencies, operating in more than 50 countries. With five global practices - Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food & Nutrition, and Technology - and specialty capabilities that include Access Communications (high- and consumer-tech PR), Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), MMG (clinical trial recruitment), Ketchum Global Research Network, Ketchum Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communication expertise to build brands and reputations for clients. In 2009, Advertising Age named Ketchum to its annual "Ones to Watch" Agency A-List, noting the agency's long-standing client partnerships, digital and disruptive media expertise, and CSR and sustainability programming. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), visit www.ketchum.com.

SOURCE Ketchum

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