Marketing Towards the Vulnerable
Marketing towards children in a way that speaks to them.
During October 2nd’s class, we were briefly shown an old McDonald’s advertisement of a baby swinging and smiling only at moments when he/she swung high enough to see the McDonald’s sign from the window and crying otherwise. What seems like harmless fun for older audiences may in fact be misunderstood by younger audiences who are less able to think critically, underscoring the implications of at times controversial marketing techniques and the responsibility of marketers and parents concerning more vulnerable audiences.
As Rebecca Clay writes in an article published by the American Psychological Association, the effect advertisers have on children can be profound and are generally focused on increasing profits rather than helping children. Children under 12 are already spending $28 billion a year and influence an additional $249 billion spent by their parents; it’s clear that children seem to have a special role in decision-making of a family’s purchases. As a result, children are now becoming the bullseye target for advertisers and more exposed than ever to consumer culture and unhealthy habits.
However, even though external influences like TV ads are making such strong impressions on children, the blame should not solely fall on the media or the government’s shoulders. I believe parents also have a great responsibility to take a limiting stance and talk candidly to their children when appropriate. Therefore, it is imperative that all three parties work together to regulate and restrict what is seen, heard and believed by children in their daily lives.
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