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The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group

FRINGE EVENT
Melissa Huang
Serena Kuo
Jennifer Lam
Nathaniel Moore
Greg Raykhel
Michael Wu

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Introduction
Since the 1970s, America has been using high fructose corn syrup as its cheap alternative
for sweeteners, and as of now, it is 80% of the added sugars found in soda, ice cream, and baking
products (Lakhan, 2013, p. 5). Findings from large cross-sectional and prospective studies show
that increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is directly correlated with obesity in
both children and adults (Lakhan, 2013, p. 5). Obesity is a major problem in the United States
and it affects almost 60% of adults and 18% of children and adolescents (Lakhan, 2013, p. 1).
Several studies have been conducted to show the relationship between high fructose corn syrup
and obesity, and it is a problem that is not being addressed.
Counter arguments state that in moderation, HFCS has no adverse effects on a person.
However, the average citizen does not know how to control their intake of HFCS. Based off a
2000 calorie-based diet, the average American consumes 15% added sugars compared to the
suggested consumption range of 5-10%. Many people do not know that by drinking just one can
of soda, they have already consumed 15% of added sugars in their diet. Despite the distinct
nutritional labeling, people do not realize the high amount of sugar that is in each soda can
(Hellmich, 2014). Fructose does not provide the same reward and satisfaction that glucose does,
and this makes moderation even a bigger feat for consumers (Carnell, 2013). Because the
average American is consuming double the recommended amount, the issue with HFCS is
becoming more of a national dilemma.
The adverse effects of the overconsumption of drinking soda on a daily basis can be
compared to the adverse effects of smoking, but the effects of soda consumption is not widely
emphasized in the media. Because of this low awareness, many people do not realize the
imminent health concerns.

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With the development of a new healthier synthetic sweetener, the risk of obesity and
diabetes can be decreased substantially. It is important to find a sweetener that does not sacrifice
taste because people will fall back on the "better tasting" product. If we do not find a substitute
for HFCS, the sustainability of our world's health is at risk.

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Background
High Fructose Corn Syrup, or HFCS, is a famous artificial sweetener that can be found in
many beverages, processed foods, and condiments. The production of this sweetener has more
than tripled during the past three decades as it replaced the more expensive sugar in food
production. With the increasing popularity of High Fructose Corn syrup as an ingredient for
many foods, the cases of obesity and diabetes have also increased. Diabetes prevalence was
20% higher in countries with higher availability to HFCS compared to countries with low
availability (Goran, 2013, p. 55).

Obesity and High Fructose Corn Syrup. (2009). [Graph illustrating the trend with pounds of corn
syrup consumed and obesity studies] Diabetes Daily. Retrieved from
http://www.diabetesdaily.com/voices/files/2012/05/obesity-v-hfcs1211212.jpg

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This averaged availability of high-fructose corn syrup based on these rates of diabetes is
in 43 countries (Goodman, 2012). About half the countries had little high-fructose corn syrup in
their food supply while in the other 20 countries, HFCS in foods ranged from about a pound a
year per person in Germany to about 55 pounds per year in the United States (Goodman, 2012).
The overconsumption of added sugars does not only lead to obesity but also other health
concerns such as higher risks for heart disease, Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.
People who consumed more than 21% of daily calories from added sugar had double the risk of
death from heart disease (Helmich, 2014). To achieve 21% of your daily calories from added
sugars, it would only take 2 - 3 cans of sodas a day.
There were no overall differences in sugars that did not use HFCS, so there is a
suggestion that there is an independent relationship between HFCS and diabetes. These statistics
not only show a national issue for American citizens but also a global issue regarding HFCS. Not
only is high-fructose corn syrup making the average human obese, but it is also taking down the
worlds healthcare system along with it.
In Texas, researchers showed that the body converts fructose to body fat quickly.
Compared to triglycerides, which are a type of fat in the blood, fructose bypasses the pathway of
encountering the liver for energy and instead converts immediately to body fat (Parker-Poke,
2008). Lipogenesis, the conversion of which sugars are turned into body fat showed a higher
correlation in fructose proportioned drinks (Parker-Pope, 2008).
Dallas Health Helpers have taken some action in trying to find a different method to
handle high fructose corn syrup. Weight and body shape management and monitoring can help

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bring awareness on high fructose corn syrup. By eating less calories and less sugars and by
exercising more, there will be a large improvement to health (Wallace, 2013).

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Proposal Overview
The Healthier Tomorrow campaign will be implemented as a research program to
develop a safer alternative to HFCS. We will be advertising on public transportation, billboards,
online media, and a campaign website. The advertising will encourage the population of Dallas,
Texas to support the research program through donations. The marketing techniques employed
by the program will give Dr. Pepper a positive public image. The positive image generated by
this program will in the long run generate additional revenue for Dr. Pepper.

Campaign
We advocate promoting the Healthier Tomorrow campaign through public service
advertising beginning on June 12th, 2014 and continuing until December 31th, 2014. Advertising
will occur on local buses and trains, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, and on the Dallas Observers
website. We plan to utilize two advertising strategies in our approach to increase interest in
Healthier Tomorrow. The first strategy will be to raise community awareness about the dangers
of overconsumption of HFCS. This is to pave the way for the second strategy: advertising
Healthier Tomorrows campaign as the solution. Dr. Pepper will be publicly visible as a health
conscious company dedicated to building a healthier future. The Healthier Tomorrow campaign
will be able to reach a larger market at a higher saturation rate through this advertising and
increase the programs effectiveness.
The Healthier Tomorrow logo is intended to generate awareness about the health risks of
over consuming HFCS and encourage consumers to support a program to make the beverages
they enjoy safer to drink.

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The link to the programs website will be on all advertisements which will include the
following information:
1. Educate the consumer about the dangers of HFCS
2. Have an updated twitter feed about the latest safety advances
3. Allow for concerned philanthropists to donate to the program
We believe that the Healthier Tomorrow campaign should be a transparent one one that
has public weekly updates that show the status of the research. Not only will this hold the
researchers accountable for their work on a timely basis, it will allow supporters of the program
to be able to follow the work and see the progression of the project. We also plan to put the
amounts of total money donated, used, and still needed (estimate) to complete the project.
Because projects do not typically have this level of transparency, we are hoping to establish a
sense of trust with the community. This should then help the program receive appropriate
funding and garner more loyal support.
We have considered the possibility that advertising against HFCS can decrease sales;
however, because the everyday citizen has habitually consumed and overindulged in such a
HFCS-sweetened lifestyle, sales will not be affected greatly (Fields, 2004, p. 820). This is
comparative to the average smoker who is aware of potential lung cancer but still decides to
smoke cigarettes anyway. Because of this mentality and lifestyle habits, the targeted
demographic for a new alternative to HFCS is the average consumer (who is already overconsuming HFCS). In the long term, consumers will become supportive of a better, healthier
option once a new alternative is released.

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Research Program
The research program will start on January 5th, 2015 and run until December 31st, 2015.
The program is designed to develop an alternative to HFCS. Whether or not the public is
supportive of this project will be determined through the feedback the program receives from its
initial stages of advertising. The level of support can perhaps be quantitatively measured through
tracking the amount of traffic the programs website receives, number of followers on social
media, and the number of times #healthiertomorrow is used. We believe that by educating the
general public about the dangers of overconsumption of HFCS that they will become supportive
a new alternative.
In order to educate the public, Dr. Pepper employees will publish information on the
program website and set up times for the Dallas Health Helpers to host discussions about ways to
deal with HFCS until a new safer sweetener can be found. The aim of the research program is to
begin a transition where companies start aligning the consumers health conscious desires with
their business model. With the consumers underlying needs in mind, the research program will
address

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Plan Overview
Our research program involves doing
research to find a healthier replacement for
HFCS in carbonated beverages. This will
involve research regarding new and complex
issues with respect to the chemical structure
of HFCS, the way it tastes, and the function it
performs on a chemical level in every
carbonated beverage on the market. The
program will create jobs for researchers and
allow PhD candidates to get research credit as
they will have ample topics to discuss for
their respective theses. This will encourage
the PhD students who did research with Dr.
Pepper when they were getting their PhD to
apply to Dr. Pepper for job opportunities after
they obtain their doctorate.

Benefits
By promoting and actively pursuing Healthier Tomorrow, Dr. Pepper should receive
excellent feedback from the public on how to improve their products from health and taste critics
alike. In addition, health conscious consumers would be more likely to purchase Dr. Pepper
products because they know their money is going towards a cause they want to support. This

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will create additional revenue for Dr. Pepper. It will also attract talented students to apply for
jobs at Dr. Pepper and have a positive impact on the Dallas community.
On the Healthier Tomorrow website, posting will be allowed to give feedback on the program
and the status of the project.

Time Table
Date

Activity

2014
April 30
June 12
July 25
August 1
August 15
October 3
October 15
November 24-26

Receive funding from Dr. Pepper to begin research

Begin advertising to support the research program
Create website to generate awareness of research
Hire researchers and PhD students for the research program
Begin lab preparation for research program
Finalize lab preparation of research program
Complete hiring of all lab personnel
Hold lab orientation for all personnel

2015
January 5
July 25

Research for alternative substitute begins

Review summer lab results and mid-year check-in

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Staffing
Staff

Number

Compensation

Lead Scientist

$60,000.00

Scientist

$40,000.00

Research Assistants

Research Credit

Total

$100,000.00

For the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group research program, we will employ five workers. We
will assign one lead scientist who will oversee the operations of the research program, making
sure that every action taking during the research program has a measurable outcome. In addition,
the lead scientist will act as a direct supervisor to a scientist, who will be a PhD candidate. The
PhD candidate will have three research assistants working under him or her. The research
assistants are meant to run the logistics of the research program such as lab work including, but
not limited to, running trials, reviewing formulas, and testing hypotheses.

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Budget
Items
Maintenance of Lab

$0.00

Misc. Lab Equipment

$50,000.00

Description
Lab provided by
Dr. Pepper
Beakers, thermometers,
funnels, pipettes,
graduated cylinders, etc.

Lead Scientist

$60,000.00

Salary

Scientist

$40,000.00

Salary

Research Assistant (3) *

Total

Cost

$0.00
$150,000.00

*Research Assistants are college students working for research credit

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Authorization Request
We hereby are requesting the approval and funding for the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group research
program for the use of the company's research facilities along with the amount of $150,000. The
launch of the research program is projected to be on January 2015. The research program is
meant to further the research and development of finding a safer alternative for high fructose
corn syrup in caffeinated soft drinks.
The signature of Martin M. Ellen, Chief Financial Officer, will officially authorize the Dr.
Pepper Snapple Group research program effective January 2015.

Signed,
x________________________________________
Martin M. Ellen
Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Pepper Snapple Group

_____________________
Date

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References
Carnell, S. (2013). The Great Fructose Debate. Psychology Today, 46 ,42-43.
Fields, S. (2004). The Fat of the Land: Do Agricultural Subsidies Foster Poor Health?
Environmental Health Perspectives, 112, A820-A823. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247588/
Goodman, B. (2012, November 27). High-Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Diabetes. WebMD
Health News. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20121127/highfructose-corn-syrup-diabetes
Goran, M. I., Ulijaszek, S. J., & Ventura, E. E. (2013). High fructose corn syrup and diabetes
prevalence: a global perspective. Global Public Health, 8, 55-64.
doi:10.1080/17441692.2012.736257
Hellmich, N. (2014, February 4). Eating too much sugar deadly, study says. USA Today, p. 06b.
Lakhan, S. E., & Kirchgessner, A. (2013). The Emerging Role of Dietary Fructose in Obesity
and Cognitive Decline. Nutritional Journal, 12, 1-12. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-114
Obesity and High Fructose Corn Syrup. (2009). [Graph illustrating the trend with pounds of corn
syrup consumed and obesity studies] Diabetes Daily. Retrieved from
http://www.diabetesdaily.com/voices/files/2012/05/obesity-v-hfcs1211212.jpg
Parker-Pope, T. (2008, July 24). Does Fructose Make You Fatter? The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/does-fructose-make-you-fatter/

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Wallace, T. (2009) Dallas Health Helpers talks about high fructose corn syrup and its effects.
Dallas Health Helpers. Retrieved from http://dallashealthhelpers.com/tag/high-fructosecorn-syrup/