Since I addressed in my first post the ethical issue of marketing to children, I would like to continue on the same topic by responding to Iris Zhou’s post on Jours après Lunes’ unethical marketing approach. I would like to dive deeper in the analysis of this issue and remind first of all ourselves that “Jours après Lunes” is a lingerie line for young girls.

Iris mentions the fact that these ads featuring young girls in provocative and inviting poses may very much disturb and frighten the public. She also mentions, in a graver way, the ongoing human rights issues dealing with child exploitation and under-aged sex abuses. In fact, this entire issue is very grave because these peculiar unusual images may definitely impact children and adults in ways unexpected and uncontrolled by the marketers. When it comes to the factors impacting the consumer behavior, the marketers have no real control on the psychological state of their target segment. They can’t predict either their social and situational factors when being reached by these ads.

The marketers can only control the 4 Ps of the marketing mix. In our case Price and Place are not particularly relevant, but Product and Promotion, on the other hand, are ethically challenging. We can notice the efforts of the producers to pursue a differentiation strategy with their lingerie line for children. However, they are creating a need that is not fitting their target segment. The product is neither necessary nor ethical.

Finally, when it comes to Promotion, the marketers are communicating the wrong values. By targeting children, they are also abusing of their vulnerability as docile consumers. Children, furthermore, don’t hold the money required to buy the products. To a certain extent, the marketers count on them to pressure their parents. If a mother/father was to deliberately choose to buy such products for her/his daughter, I would personally consider such decision as being highly irresponsible (to say the least).