This post is brought to you by the Dr Pepper Snapple group and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own
Recently, I had the chance to attend a virtual briefing with the Dr Pepper Snapple Group to talk all about their commitment to balance and active play. Because I have a few in my house who love Dr Pepper, I was thrilled to get to have a little more in depth look into the brand. I was actually shocked at how many brands fall under the Dr Pepper Snapple group that are staples in our house. 7-Up, Mr & Mrs. T’s Bloody Mary Mix, Clamato, IBC Rootbeer, Dr Pepper, Snapple, Canada Dry, Real Lemon, Country Time, just to name a few.
Today I want to share with you some of what I learned during the briefing. Did you know that DPS is the third largest beverage manufacturer in the U.S….the leader in flavors! Offering more than 50 brands of carbonated soft drinks, teas, juices, mixers and other premium beverages. That means, we as consumers, have plenty to choose from! There were two big commitments DPS told use about while on the briefing. The first being commitment to balance and the second being the commitment to active play.
Commitment to Balance
Because healthy living depends on balancing the calories you consume with the calories you burn through physical activity, DPS is taking steps to allow their products while achieving that balance. Offering a full range of products that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, they are focused on reducing calories. By offering smaller sizes and improving nutrition, we can enjoy that tea, juice, soda, and still maintain balance.
I had no idea how much work went into making their products. Did you know they have team of highly trained and experienced subject-matter experts – scientists, engineers and specialists – dedicated to creating great tasting products. With 4 research and development labs, DPS is able to make decisions faster and get products from idea to marker in a shorter amount of time. They have hired flavorists (seriously how cool of a title is that), which require a 7-10 year apprenticeship! They are definitely seriously about making great tasting product!
The past two years, DPS, made a goal of ensuring that at least half of the innovation projects are focused on health and wellness..and they surpassed that goal! Because they want you to be able to get a look into the nutrition content of the major products, they created dpsgproductfacts.com. So, go check it out and get the info you want on your favorite drinks! I love that they really want to give people choices AND information! In fact as part of that information, they have put the calorie count on the front of all beverage containers..so you can see it at a glance!
Commitment to Active Play
I have kids who are active and as a parent that is extremely important to me, so I was thrilled to learn of DPS active play commitment. Did you know that only 20% of children live near a park and for some kids, that is the only way they get active play. In fact, two-thirds of kids get less than ONE HOUR of play a day…that’s so heartbreaking to me. With kids, 8-18 spending an average of 7.5 hours on media, it’s no surprise that obesity rates have tripled in the 6 to 11 year old category. To combat that, DPS has created their Let’s Play initiative.
The initiative launched in 2011 and provided kids and families with inspiration, tools, and places to tackle that lack of play! They have committed more than $28 million dollars since the launch of the program and have impacted millions of organizations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Partnering with KaBOOM!, DPS has been able to provide places for kids to be active and have fun. Making playground improvements and even building from the ground up, they are giving communities a place to take their children.
Not only that, but through the partnership with Good Sports they are able to give the tools needed to bring structured team sports to underfunded communities. All 3 of my kids are in sports, and love being in them. It breaks my heart knowing there are children who don’t get that same opportunity. Thankfully, DPS is taking the steps needed to remedy that!
Since the start of the program DPS has worked with KaBOOM! to build or fix up 2,188 playgrounds across the country. Through the partnership with Good Sports they have donated $1.6 million in grants for new sports equipment to 803 organizations, impacting more than 7.5 million kids. By 2017, this initiative provide nearly 10 million kids with more opportunities to play with either new or improved playgrounds and sports equipment, helping kids achieve healthier lifestyles. That’s amazing!
If you would like to find out more about the Let’s Play initiative, then be sure to check out LetsPlay.com. Follow them on facebook, twitter, and pinterest for the latest happenings. You can even submit a nomination for a grant here.
I was very impressed with all the information about the commitment to balance and active lifestyles DPS shared with us. I love that the are committed to healthier lifestyles and better products. As a consumer and parent, both are important to me. What do you think of their Let’s Play initiative?
Toni Patton
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