Issues Arising From Brand Awareness in Children - Research Paper Example

Marketing Ethics Chelladurai, VLBJCAS Consider the issues arising from brand awareness in children Introduction Market targeting sometimes generates public controversy especially when targeting children. The public is concerned when marketers take unfair advantage of vulnerable groups (such as children) or promote potentially harmful products. The Cereal industry has been heavily criticized for marketing efforts directed towards children. Critics worry that high-powered appeals presented through the mouths of lovable animated characters will overwhelm children's defenses and lead them to eat too much sugared cereal or poorly balanced breakfast. Toy Marketers have been similarly criticized. Mcdonald's and other chains have drawn criticism for far pitching their high fat, salt laden fat to low income inner city residents. Internal documents from Reynolds and Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation have revealed the extent to which these companies target black youth's age 16 to 25, particularly with their menthol brands. Not all attempts to target children, minorities, or other special segments draw criticisms. Colgate Palmolive's Colgate junior Toothpaste has special features designed to get children to brush longer and more often. Golden Ribbon Playthings has developed a highly acclaimed and very successful black character doll named "Huggy Bean" to connect minority consumers with their African heritage. Other Companies are responding to the special needs of minority segments and children. Thus the issue is not who is targeted but rather for how and what. Issues arising from brand awareness in children Issues over truth and honesty. In the 1940's and 1950's, tobacco used to be advertised as promoting health. Today an advertiser who fails to tell the truth not only offends against morality but also against the law. However the law permits "puffery". The difference between mere puffery and fraud is a slippery slope: "The problem... is the slippery slope by which variations on puffery can descend fairly quickly to lies." The issue is false advertising and this persuades children to buy products with false promises. Issues with violence, sex and profanity. Sexual innuendo is a mainstay of advertising content, and yet is also regarded as a form of sexual harassment. Violence is an issue especially for children's advertising and advertising likely to be seen by children. Taste and controversy. The advertising of certain products may strongly offend some people while being in the interests of others. Examples include: feminine hygiene products, hemorrhoid and constipation medication. Young children, in particular, have difficulty in distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world. Additionally children are unable to evaluate advertising claims. Children's cognitive structures are beginning to form and they are most sensitive to external influences. This is especially a problem when advertisements appear on school walls and posters and book covers and gain legitimacy from the supposed endorsement of the school so that children think they must be true. Children watching athletes in television commercials thought that the athletes paid to be in the advertisements to promote themselves rather than the products. They believed children in advertisements were real rather than paid actors and they often confused advertisements with news items. Generally they did not understand the commercial intent and manipulation behind advertisements. Older children pay less attention to advertisements and are more able to differentiate between the ads and TV programs but they are also easy prey for advertisers. Around puberty, in their early teens, children are forming their own identities and they are highly vulnerable to pressure to conform to group standards and mores. At this age they feel insecure and want to feel that they belong to their peer group. Advertising manipulates them through their insecurities, seeking to define normality for them; influencing the way they "view and obtain appropriate models for the adult world;" and undermining "fundamental human values in the development of the identity of children. Advertisements actively encourage them to seek happiness and esteem through consumption. The advertising of condoms has become acceptable in the interests of AIDS-prevention, but are nevertheless seen by some as promoting promiscuity. Some companies have actually marketed themselves on the basis of controversial advertising - see Benetton. Sony has also frequently attracted criticism for unethical content (portrayals of Jesus which enfuriated religious groups; racial innuendo in marketing black and white versions of its PSP product; graffiti adverts in major US cities). Negative advertising techniques, such as attack ads. In negative advertising, the advertiser highlights the disadvantages of competitor products rather than the advantages of their own. Brandweek magazine, also enthusing about "the marketing opportunity that kids around the world represent" pointed out that even in China where children don't get much income and save most of it, their total spending amounts to $2.6 billion per year, "second only to the US".[10] Brandweek cited a survey that showed McDonald's was the favourite fast food all over the world and Coke the favourite drink. It argued: If it is possible to create global preferences with food products--where obstacles like differences in local cuisine and culture exist--transcending cultural boundaries with toys, clothing and entertainment products should be considerably easier Average Income and Spending for Children aged 7-12 yrs Regular Income Annual Income# Savings Total Spending $US/month/child $US/year/child $US/year Germany 32.30 569.40 46% 0.9 billion UK 31.50 506.20 26% 1.7 billion US 29.10 493.10 21% 8.9 billion France 22.50 377.90 30% 2.2 billion Japan* 10.70 407.90 62% 1.0 billion China* 9.00 182.00 60% 2.6 billion * urban areas only # including special income Source: Laurie Klein, More than play dough', Brandweek, Vol. 38 (24 November 1997) The above statistic clearly indicates the reach of brands among children. The Brand awareness among children is very huge. Targeting children has a lot of benefits for companies. Some include: Religious obstacles are eliminated to a certain level Cultural obstacles are eliminated to a certain level It is for these reasons that marketing to children should be carefully restricted and these issues arising brand awareness in children must be carefully taken into account by marketers. In particular advertisements aimed at children under the age of 9 years old, including on the internet and during children's television programmes, should be banned. Such advertising subsidises the cost of these services at the cost of our children's values, sense of well-being, health and integrity. Moreover the future of the planet is at stake if we allow advertisers and marketers to turn children into hyper consumers of the future. Children's awareness of cigarette brand sponsorship of sports and games in the UK This study explores children's awareness of cigarette brand sponsorship of sporting events in the UK. Individual interviews were conducted with 726 children aged between 6 and 17 in Glasgow, UK. The findings indicate that the majority of children have some understanding of the meaning of 'sponsorship' by the late primary/early secondary years. About a third of the 10-and 11-year-olds and more than half of the secondary school children were able to name cigarette brands and sponsored sports. The brands and sports most frequently mentioned were John Player Special and motor racing, Embassay and snooker, Benson and Hedges and snooker, Marlboro and motor racing. Only 9% of the primary school children named Marlboro or John Player Special as sponsoring motor racing. Nevertheless, 47% of them pointed to advertisements for these brands (which did not refer to motor racing) as being liked by 'someone who likes excitement and fast racing cars'. This suggests that associations between brand names (or their visual cues) and exciting sports can be elicited by simple advertisements. That such associations can be elicited even in children of primary school age is a cause for concern. There were no significant differences between smokers and non-smokers in their awareness of brand sponsorship. This probably reflects the all-pervasive nature of cigarette sponsorship of sports and games. Study: Multiple Exposures to Banner Ads Increase Brand Awareness A study released yesterday found that there is a direct correlation between multiple exposures to banner ads and an increase in brand awareness. Diameter, the audience measurement and analysis division of DoubleClick Inc., conducted the Make-A-Wish Frequency Study for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening diseases. Results of the study showed that advertising awareness of the Make-A-Wish banner ad rose 51 percent after five exposures to the banner from an initial awareness level of 16 percent to 25 percent. More than five exposures to the banner, the study noted, had no measurable effect on advertising awareness, suggesting that marketers looking to increase advertising awareness should cap their ads' frequency at that level. For marketers looking to increase brand awareness, the study found an increase of 50 percent after eight exposures to the Make-A-Wish Foundation's ad. Also, element recall increased 126 percent after eight exposures, the study said. "Through the Make-A-Wish Frequency Study, we were able to demonstrate conclusively the extent to which the Web is an effective vehicle for branding," said Doug Knopper, vice president and general manager at Diameter. Knopper said that when participants were asked what they remembered about the ad they just saw, the tag line "All she wants this holiday season is Hope," which had an initial awareness of 4.2 percent, rose to 9.5 percent after five exposures. Advertising recall increased to 47.1 percent after eight exposures to the banner, from 22.8 percent after the initial exposure. "The sophisticated methodology illustrated for us exactly what role each element, specifically logo, image and message, plays in creating an impression on our audience," noted Paula Van Ness, president/CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. The Make-A-Wish Frequency Study was evaluated using Diameter's campaign evaluation system and DoubleClick's DART ad serving technology. Diameter said users were exposed to the Make-A-Wish banner ads a predetermined number of times and were segmented into four groups based on levels of exposure to the Make-A-Wish banner ad. Teen ridicule shapes consumer behavior and brand awareness Students learn the three R's in school, but there's a fourth one as well-ridicule, says a professor at the Ross School of Business. In a new study appearing in the September issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, David Wooten, assistant professor of marketing, explores the impact of adolescent ridicule on consumer behavior and brand consciousness. Ridicule, he says, helps teach teenagers what brands and styles of clothes and shoes to wear and which ones to avoid if they want acceptance from their peers. These pressures also play a major role in thefts and violence by teens who covet expensive symbols of belonging, but who cannot afford to buy them. "Although teaching is seldom the motive of teasers, learning is often a byproduct of teasing," Wooten says. "I find that the practice of ridicule both reflects and affects adolescents' perceptions of belongingness, the content of ridicule conveys information about the consumption norms and values of peer groups, and the experience of ridicule influences the acquisition, use and disposition of possessions." Wooten's study involved interviews with 43 older adolescents and young adults (ages 18-23), who discussed their teasing experiences as teenagers. Younger teens were not included because of the hurtful nature of discussing possibly painful teasing experiences, he says. African American males made up most of the sample. Ridicule fell into generally three areas: ostracism, in which the teaser flexes individual and group muscle at the expense of lower-status others (bully vs. victim); hazing, in which the teaser assumes a leadership role and teaches target how to gain membership (mentor vs. apprentice); and admonishment, in which the teaser polices group members and detains and embarrasses those who violate norms (police vs. delinquent). Students who are teased and those who observe teasing learn stereotypes about "avoidance" groups, consumption norms of the "in" groups, the use of possessions to communicate social links and to achieve acceptance goals and social consequences of nonconformity, Wooten says. "As a result, many targets and observers of ridicule alter their perceptions, acquisition, use and disposition of objects in order to avoid unwanted attention," he says. Wooten's findings support a policy of mandatory school uniforms, which may reduce the psychological and social pressures for teens to wear expensive brands and the financial burden on parents who buy them. On the other hand, if uniforms only are optional, they might eventually become stigma symbols, especially if the option to buy them is exercised only by strict parents and low-income families, he says. Internet Ethics for Targeting Kids The children's online privacy protection art, which took effect in April 2000, requires certain websites to get parental consent before consulting, using or disclosing personal information from children under 13. In addition to adhering to this act, online marketers should follow the guidelines for ethical marketing to children suggested by the direct marketing association: 1. Promote an online privacy statement. 2. Offer opt-out/opt-in options in which users have a choice of whether to stop or accept unwanted e-mail solicitation 3. Utilize technology options such as web site filtering programs like SurfWatch 4. Take into account the target market's age, knowledge, sophistication, and maturity when making decisions whether to collect data from or communicate with children online. 5. Be sensitive to parents concerns about the collection of children's data, and support the ability of the parents to limit the collection of this data. 6. Limit the use of data collected from children in the course of their online activities to promotion, sale or delivery of goods or services; the performance of market research; and other appropriate marketing activities. 7. Explain that the information is requested for marketing purposes. Implement strict security measures to ensure against unauthorized access, alteration, or dissemination of data collected from children online. References: 1) Kotler, Philip. Marketing Management, Eastern Economy Edition, Prentice-Hall India Ninth Edition, 2004. pg. 190, pg. 300-301, pg. 620-621. 2) David S. Waller, What factors make controversial advertising offensive, ANZCA04 Conference, Sydney, July 2004 3) Alan Thein Durning, How Much is Enough: The Consumer Society and the Future of the Earth, ed. Linda Starke, Worldwatch Environmental Alert Series (London: Earthscan, 1992), p. 120. 4) Laurie Klein, More than play dough', Brandweek, Vol. 38 (24 November 1997) 5) T. L. Stanley, Kiddie Cars', Brandweek, Vol. 36 (23 October 1995) 6) P.P. Aitken, D.S. Leathar and S.I. Squair, Advertising Research Unit, Department of Marketing, University of Strathclyde 173 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RQ, UK 7) By Bernie DeGroat, News Service 8) By Dean Tomasula, Senior Editor, May 4th, 2001 Read More