Marketing to kids

[freeflybella 0]

Ever stop to think about how much advertising is marketed to kids?

"The Nag Factor" is an actual term used by a bunch of suits giving powerpoint presentations to a bunch of other suits. "How do we get kids to nag their parents for our product?"

I've been in advertising for almost 15 years and there are quite a few accounts I refuse to work on: vaccines, fast food...but nothing makes me more sick than marketing to kids.

It's been proven over and over again - the earlier something is introduced to children - the more likely it is to stick throughout their lives.

Besides the nag factor - kids are getting sexualized and violent messages, too.

Knowing this - how can advertising to kids be tolerated?

Sure it's effective - but is that all that matters? Selling your crap?

http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[Conundrum 1]

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is that all that matters? Selling your crap?

Yes, to companies who don't care who they sell to as long as they're making money.

I believe in the end it's the parents responsibility to keep an eye on what their children are watching/seeing and nip it in the bud if they think they're getting undesireable information. The problem with today is that most parents don't really care to do anything about it.

[freeflybella 0]

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is that all that matters? Selling your crap?

Yes, to companies who don't care who they sell to as long as they're making money.

I believe in the end it's the parents responsibility to keep an eye on what their children are watching/seeing and nip it in the bud if they think they're getting undesireable information. The problem with today is that most parents don't really care to do anything about it.

It's just a bit more extensive than that. Shielding your kid from marketing messages would be a full-time job - and even at that, not sure it can be done.

My position differs, I guess. I believe that if something has no value - then it's risks will outweigh it's benefits everytime.

Cold medicine makes money for pharma. but it has no value to kids. Take it away.

Creating a desire in a child who doesn't have the maturity to discern messages - or even the ability to purchase the item - has no value (other than to make money for the company). In addition, other less overt messages can be introduced - actually making it harmful.

Overall parental involvement is important - but it's a whole other can of worms.

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[peregrinerose 0]

It's only a problem if the parents aren't regulating what their kids watch and if the parents cave to the kids' nagging. Parents who are consistent with what they will and will not let their kids have end up with kids that don't nag. Kids only nag if they have parents that occasionally give in.

People don't want to raise their kids any more, they leave it to schools, TV and computers to do it and then wonder why they don't like the results.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[freeflybella 0]

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It's only a problem if the parents aren't regulating what their kids watch and if the parents cave to the kids' nagging. Parents who are consistent with what they will and will not let their kids have end up with kids that don't nag. Kids only nag if they have parents that occasionally give in.

People don't want to raise their kids any more, they leave it to schools, TV and computers to do it and then wonder why they don't like the results.

This is almost counterintuitive to your point.

If I am the parent - and it's my job to make the decisions for my child, my job to discern needs/wants, my responsibility to be the gatekeeper of info, etc... then doesn't even seem that much more insidious that marketers are trying to bypass me and head straight to my child?

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[peregrinerose 0]

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If I am the parent - and it's my job to make the decisions for my child, my job to discern needs/wants, my responsibility to be the gatekeeper of info, etc... then doesn't even seem that much more insidious that marketers are trying to bypass me and head straight to my child?

Not at all... your child doesn't have the money to spend, you do. You decide if you cave to your kid's nagging or not. Depending on the age of the child, it's your decision to educate your child regarding financial managment, advertising, appropriate eating/buying habits.

Advertisers can spend all day trying to get your kid to nag you. Who cares? It's only a problem if you decide to let your kids make your spending decisions.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[freeflybella 0]

Agreed.

Except that letting your kids make your spending decisions isn't the only problem. That's one problem.

In a day's worth of kids commercials - kids are presented with a view of other kids and the things they are doing. Kids can't discern between what's real and what's portrayed in advertising.

Sure, as a parent it's our job to mitigate those messages, but when they are repeated and that appealing - you just can't be sure what's getting in.

Of course, we can disagree.

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[Conundrum 1]

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Advertisers can spend all day trying to get your kid to nag you. Who cares? It's only a problem if you decide to let your kids make your spending decisions.

DING DING DING!

I might be annoying, but as a parent, it's your responsibility to not give in to every little thing your kid wants.

That's why so many kids are brats these days.

[skybytch 273]

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If I am the parent - and it's my job to make the decisions for my child, my job to discern needs/wants, my responsibility to be the gatekeeper of info, etc... then doesn't even seem that much more insidious that marketers are trying to bypass me and head straight to my child?

Yes.

How do you combat it? You teach your child to think for themselves and question everything starting at a very young age.

It's unfortunate that most of us have to wait until we are in college to learn critical thinking skills and how to apply them in everyday life. If I'd learned this stuff at my mother's knee, I likely wouldn't have bought into our consumer culture the way I did... and I certainly would have taught it to my son who is right now paying for it with monthly bills that have tied him to a job he hates...

[peregrinerose 0]

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Sure, as a parent it's our job to mitigate those messages, but when they are repeated and that appealing - you just can't be sure what's getting in.

I agree with that.... so talk with your kids about what they see in ads. Kid's aren't stupid. They can learn what's real, what's appropriate, and what's just an advertiser trying to get them to spend money.... give them a chance, use it as a tool to educate them on an age appropriate level. It'll make them smarter consumers as adults.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[PLFXpert 0]

I understand where you're coming from.

And I'll go ahead and be the broken record and state I did a massive research report on this very subject in college. Not much surprised me, and I don't share your overall views about marketing to kids. But, I still care and admittedly some things (like breast implant ads in Seventeen magazine--a magazine actually targeted to early teens like 13, 14, & 15 and thus its reader's average age is 14) disgusted me.

Still, I agree with others a solid foundation must be built in the child by the parent. My parent's were out of town all the time and I was frequently left unsupervised. I even subscribed to Seventeen magazine. Somehow I came out with good grades, no desire for implants, and the ability to see through the crap that is/was often presented to me.

My father NEVER caved to my demands.

Such marketing to kids works b/c parents like those on Sweet Sixteen DO cave to their children's demands.

While both the advertisers themselves AND the parent are to "blame", what are we really blaming them for? The kid has a cough and at the store points out to his mom the cough medicine with the cartoon character on it he saw on a commercial. Mom buys that kind. Child takes it w/out a fuss. I don't see what difference it makes. I don't think there's an epidemic of children sneaking swigs of cough medicine when mommy's not looking b/c the commercial makes it look cool.

Now, teens on the other hand. They're scary. I have no idea how they think up doing some of the shit I've heard, seen & read about. It certainly wasn't in a commercial. Seems like mom just wasn't paying attention to the friends little Jimmy was hanging out with (or she just gave birth to a bad egg. It happens.).

But, again--that's another can of worms.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[freeflybella 0]

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I agree with that.... so talk with your kids about what they see in ads. Kid's aren't stupid. They can learn what's real, what's appropriate, and what's just an advertiser trying to get them to spend money.... give them a chance, use it as a tool to educate them on an age appropriate level. It'll make them smarter consumers as adults.

How weird is it that the involved parents are the ones who are the most proactive in trying to curtail marketing to kids. Says to me that it's more than just being "uninvolved" that's the issue.

I would never say "I'm involved and taking care of my kid so screw those who don't have the same priorities or opinions as me".

That's just me, I guess.

Bikini-clad Barbie dolls advertising Happy Meals is just as sickening as breast-implant ads in magazines, in my opinion.

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[peregrinerose 0]

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How weird is it that the involved parents are the ones who are the most proactive in trying to curtail marketing to kids. Says to me that it's more than just being "uninvolved" that's the issue.

I disagree with that.... in general, the people who are complaing about external influences raising their children are the very ones that are letting those external influences raise their children and not talking to and raising their kids directly.... not saying that's you specifically, just what I've seen overall.

People are quick to blame everyone but themselves for their kids bad behavior or other issues.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[freeflybella 0]

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in general, the people who are complaining about external influences raising their children

Not at all what I'm talking about.

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[PLFXpert 0]

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Bikini-clad Barbie dolls advertising Happy Meals is just as sickening as breast-implant ads in magazines, in my opinion.

Did you play with Barbie as a child?

I did.

I stopped playing with Barbie long before I gave a shit what I looked like or compared myself to other women. I suppose one could argue Barbie is one of the first memories in our subconscious of an ideal woman, but...geez, I had my mom, my stepmom, my school teacher, and my piano teacher who I also played with and they certainly didn't look like Barbie. I'm pretty sure I figured out at some point that Barbie was just a doll.

Now, I'm not saying they couldn't at least construct her in actually possible proportions, but...

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I would never say "I'm involved and taking care of my kid so screw those who don't have the same priorities or opinions as me".

Who said that?

I agree with peregrinerose--use it as a tool to teach children for future reference. There's a lot of marketing to adults equally disgusting (I recently posted a "mommy makeover" thread in SC regarding). I would think a healthy understanding of advertising as a child would help them later in life.

It's not a bad or lost cause wanting to improve on the status quo.

But, in the meantime...

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[Royd 0]

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Besides the nag factor - kids are getting sexualized and violent messages, too.

Why do you think they are trying to cram this stuff into kids heads at school in the 2nd and 3rd grade?

[freeflybella 0]

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Besides the nag factor - kids are getting sexualized and violent messages, too.

Why do you think they are trying to cram this stuff into kids heads at school in the 2nd and 3rd grade?

Is this a rhetorical question?

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[freeflybella 0]

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There's a lot of marketing to adults equally disgusting

There is a reasonable presumption of maturity there. As an adult you are capable of making decisions, your brain is fully matured, you have a certain level of life experience, etc.

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a healthy understanding of advertising as a child

Of course it's necessary to talk about ads to kids. They see the ads out there targeted to adults. Right there is my opportunity to discuss advertising to my kid. I still don't get why anyone thinks ads targeting kids is even considered acceptable.

Tell me why you think ads targeting kids is a good thing. What's the benefit that overrides the harm?

There is all kinds of research to show that promoting consumerism in very young kids increases depression, eating disorders, anxiety, etc.

Just 10 years ago, advertisers spent under 100 million targeting kids. Today they spend 2 billion.

The argument that "I did xxxx and I turned out OK" is just a bad argument.

We learn. We evolve. We change what's acceptable based on what we discover.

anyhoo...

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[Squeak 17]

From the responses i have read, everyone seems to be talking about how THEY would look after THIER particular Jill/Johnny. and educate and shelter them from the mass media monsters.
But no one has mentioned peer group pressure from fellow school kids. Take a look around a few schools and see how kids respond and react to those who are different and not conforming.
Mass media does work, and regardless of how much sheltering you give your kids, it will get through directly or indirectly.
I agree with Bella, more should be done to curtail it when it is directly focussed on kids.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Bolas 5]

Sadly, unless someone starts suing these companies for the impact to children and winning, they've got 0 fiscal reason to stop.

Business ethics these days are "How long can we get away with it before getting sued or it's made illegal?"

They prey on old people the same way.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[PLFXpert 0]

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Tell me why you think ads targeting kids is a good thing.

I'm not sure where I ever said it was good or bad.

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The argument that "I did xxxx and I turned out OK" is just a bad argument.

Agreed, for the most part. Who is debating?

If this is your cause, I think it's a decent one to fight for.

I personally am just not loosing sleep over Barbie or children's cough medicine.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[PLFXpert 0]

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I agree with Bella, more should be done to curtail it when it is directly focussed on kids.

So what are you going to do?

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.