This “partnership” continues to attract media interest:
- ABC slammed for Swisse partnership
- ABC under fire over deal with vitamin giant Swisse Wellness
- “A disgrace.” Gruen, Checkout producer slams ABC deal with Swisse
- ABC announces partnership with Swisse Wellness
- Industry critic questions ABC deal with Swisse
- The Checkout producer slams ABC partnership with vitamin brand Swisse
- Calls for end to ABC, Monash partnership with Swisse
- ABC veterans find Swisse cash a bitter pill to swallow
- A special welcome to the ABC’s new commercial partner, Swisse
- ABC clarifies Swisse sponsorship after uni ‘damned by association’
- ABC amends website following CAM concerns
- ABC’s partnership with vitamin giant Swisse draws universities into its orbit
- Inside Swisse and its vexed ABC sponsorship deal
On 24 August 2016, the Vice Chancellor of Monash University, Margaret Gardner, wrote:
“There is no partnership between Monash and Swisse. Monash has a partnership with ABC International, which was put in place last year. This partnership is to provide communications across the region about Monash research, education, staff, students and alumni. …”
This begs the question as to why the Monash logo appears with Swisse on the ABC International promotion (above) and why these words were not used in the various press releases and media stories publicising the deal. The fact remains that Monash is damned by association. Why did they not insist on due diligence regarding what additional sponsors ABC International was going to line up?
Meanwhile, Swisse responds with a full page advertisement in “The Age” newspaper.
My comment: Victorian taxes at work; exporting unnecessary supplements to countries that need genuine medicines and public health interventions (and profits to China).
On August 25, 2016 Croaky was told by Monash Management,
“To suggest that because ABC International’s other partner logos appear on their website there is an inter-relationship between them, is false and misleading”.
However, I suggest that the average consumer, on viewing the adjacent logos, would come to a different conclusion. I believe the message in the above image is clear; on the one hand it’s worth a fortune to Swisse to have their brand linked in this way; on the other the reputation of Monash University (and the ABC and the Victorian Government) is now irreversibly linked to Swisse.
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