Feb
3
As a celebration of their 50th anniversary, Sanrio partnered up with McDonald’s again to offer an exclusive adjustable watch that would be sold individually and with the purchase of your favorite Happy Meal. These cute and fully functional watches sold out within weeks and I personally was quite disappointed I didn’t collect them all when I had the chance to! The corporate partners both McDonalds and Sanrio have been working together for years and without a doubt they are looking to sell to kids. Even though a child’s personal income may just be $20 a month from allowance they spend (in the U.S) “more than $200 billion a year on personal items”1 and have a significant influence on their families overall spending.
However, is it ethically right to market to a vulnerable age demographic that are arguably the most impressionable? The Center for Science in the Public Interest doesn’t think so, they have threatened to sue McDonalds for using toys to lure children to preferring unhealthy meals. The meals have elevated levels of calories, fat and sugar that contribute to childhood obesity and is part of the reason why the generation of children who are eating these meals are being considered the first generation that will have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Children are unable to analyze and understand marketing tactics like a skeptical adult can.
While the toys may be irresistible, maybe parents could substitute purchasing the toys separately and making their own healthier, happier meals.
1 Textbook, Marketing: Second Edition. Pg 97
Comments
1 Comment so far
Good post, Carina.
This relates to family influence, doesn’t it? It’s really important for McDonalds to get kids in the door so that their parents will spend a lot of $. What do you think of Sanrio as a co-brand with McDonald’s? Why are they a good fit?
E