The Parents Television Council looks beyond the creators of television programming. It is also acutely aware of which companies are supporting which programs, and it applauds those that support family-friendly material and boos those that support objectionable programming. Here are PTC’s cheers and jeers for 2013.
PTC President Tim Winter said, “This year’s analysis should provide greater clarity for those members of the public who wish to ‘vote with their wallets’ and have a direct impact in support of family entertainment. Those who are concerned about the effect that harmful media content has on children can play their part in supporting the ‘good’ sponsors and avoiding the ‘bad’ sponsors based on individual products.”
Winter continued, “We base this list purely on the sponsorship behavior we see from these companies. The most inspiring corporate performance came from Walmart, which had the best score across all categories. Walmart has a longstanding commitment to sponsoring more family-friendly TV programming. Walmart’s own market research found an 18 percent improvement in performance of its ad when that ad appears on a family-friendly program, as opposed to a program containing graphic sex and violence.”
Winter noted the continuation of some corporate patterns, singling out Procter & Gamble as a positive performer, and Unilever and Pepsi as disappointing performers. And McDonald’s was singled out as the most disappointing of all.
Winter wants consumers to use the list when making their own personal purchasing decisions.
Here, then, is the list for 2013, broken down for the first time by category:
Wireless Providers
BEST: Sprint
WORST: AT&T, Verizon
Banks
BEST: TD Bank, Chase
WORST: Wells Fargo, Bank of America
General Retail
BEST: Walmart, Sears
WORST: JC Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target
Clothing Retail
BEST: Famous Footwear, H&M
WORST: Old Navy/Gap, Burlington Coat Factory
Fast Food Restaurants
BEST: Dunkin Donuts, Dominos Pizza, Wendy’s, Arby’s
WORST: McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell
Restaurants
BEST: Red Lobster, Cracker Barrel
WORST: TGI Friday’s, Red Robin
Beverages
Sub-Category: Fruit Juice
BEST: Ocean Spray, Motts Apple
WORST: Welch’s
Sub-Category: Coffee/Tea
BEST: Folgers Coffee
WORST: Lipton Tea, Nespresso
Sub-Category: Soft Drink
BEST: Coca Cola, Diet Coke
WORST: Diet Pepsi, Dr. Pepper
Personal Items/Groceries
Sub-Category: Toilet Paper
BEST: Charmin
WORST: Quilted Northern
Sub-Category: Paper Towels
BEST: Bounty
WORST: Brawny
Sub-Category: Toothpaste
BEST: Crest, Colgate
WORST: Aquafresh
Sub-Category: Mouthwash
BEST: Act Mouthwash
WORST: Listerine
Cosmetics/Hair Care
BEST: Pantene, Estee Lauder
WORST: Maybelline, L’Oreal
Automobiles
BEST: Chevrolet
WORST: Honda
