I study at the Sauder School of Business this year but I’ll graduate in Arts. The fact of the matter is that I’ve always had an interest for Business but I’ve also always been scared of having to take unethical decisions for the sake of profit maximization. This year, as an exchange student, I decided to broaden my views and challenge my bias. I have to admit that “Ethics” seem to be an educational priority in the syllabuses of Sauder: the issue exists, the issue is identified; … and some people try to solve it at its deeper roots; that is to say the Business Schools.

Every commerce student caring about ethics like me must have seen this famous picture at least once. It illustrates the issue of selective marketing targeted to children and the problem of advertising to kids. There are three alternatives available to marketers to consider young children: see them as non-consumers, regard them as docile consumers or consider them as informed consumers. (McGee & Heubusch, 1997) Choosing the non-consumers alternative is uneconomical. Viewing them as docile consumers, however, brings out many ethical controversies. To avoid such debates, marketers need to inform children, respect them and eventually legitimately consider them as informed consumers.

Marketers should not take advantage of children’s vulnerability and naivety. They should include the parents in the entire marketing process. Some examples of unethical selective marketing to children involve targeting children between two cartoons on TV in the middle of the afternoon when their parents are not here; hiring psychologists to specifically design advertising campaigns for kids; and misleading children with their favorite heroes eating unhealthy chocolates… Marketing should remain ethical in terms of values communicated, respect of the stakeholders and marketing processes.

Sources:
– McGee, T. & Heubusch, K.; “Getting inside kids’ heads”; American Demographics, Vol. 19, No. 1. 1997