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This article, ”Selling Health Food to China” (Wall Street Journal, December 13, 2010 – non-subscribers click here) will give you a versatile set of examples.  The examples can be used when you teach the external market environment or about adapting products for international markets.  The Chinese are becoming increasingly concerned with their health.  Major consumer products companies, including Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Pepsico, are adding many traditional Chinese ingredients to gain credibility for their healthy foods.

KFC has found itself between a rock and a hard place.  Following general trends toward healthier fare, the company has developed and more aggressively promoted some of its healthier fare (read grilled instead of fried chicken).  On the other hand, many franchisees are upset with the new emphasis and feel the strategy confuses customers.  They don’t want KFC to turn its back on its fried heritage.  Interesting marketing strategy questions to raise in class — see “Why KFC Franchisees are Squawking” (Bloomberg BusinessWeek, August 12, 2010).

This article, “GoodGuide Puts Brands’ Ethical Claims to the Test,” at AdAge.com, (September 28, 2009) describes the new GoodGuide website.  This site has a database rating about 75,000 consumer products on health, environmental, and social impact using a 10-point scale.  The article discusses some possible strategies that might be employed by the website. Even if you cannot check out the article, you can link to www.GoodGuide.com and check out the website.