The And Online Socialization On Branded Websites Essay

Television ads are arguably the most influential form of advertisement for fast food chains considering the fact that there 115.6 million TV homes in the United States, and over half of these homes have at least three TV’s. Today’s children spend on average of 44.5 hours a week in front of some type of screen whether its computer, TV or cellphone. More than any other activity in their lives other than sleeping (American Physiological Association). It has been discovered that children under the age of eight have difficulties telling apart programming and advertising and do not understand the persuasive techniques used on them, making them the main target for fast food companies. By incorporating famous people in TV commercials, people of all ages are tricked into thinking that if they copy the actions of the famous than it is acceptable to give

In the past years advertising through media has significantly impacted the marketing industry. Industries have successfully accomplished impacting children through media by simply incorporating the four p’s of marketing, product, place, promotion, and price according to The American Marketing Association (EBSCO1). Nevertheless, companies thoroughly research information to learn what comes across as appealing to children. For example, companies advertising media incorporated attention grabbers including flashing banner ads, contests, sweepstakes, google sponsored links that matches the individual’s search history, tv commercials, are sneakily capturing the youth’s attention (Media). Cartoon network and Nickelodeon devote all their time entertaining and

Since the dawn of radio, large corporations have exploited this vulnerability by spending large amounts of money on advertisements aimed at convincing youths and teenagers that they need their products in order to be happy. When successful, these corporations unrealistic expectations of the value of consumer products, as they convince children they will find happiness through obtaining the latest Power Ranger action figure or eating a Big Mac. The graph (Source A) demonstrates how media is targeted at various types of audiences segmented by age, like kids, teens, and adults. It is particularly telling that commercial advertisements about foods are particularly geared towards children. This may be because children are the most impressionable in this area, or this may be because children at that age develop lifelong eating habits. One would expect children to have too little purchasing power to make their own food choices, Benady suggests a possible rationale for this targeting: children have a substantial “pester power” to pressure their

The amount of money that is spent marketing to children is outrageous. Companies purposefully market to the young children 's tastes in a variety of ways through package design, typefaces, pictures, and content. Key elements for successful

Shih continues to talk about how children are increasing more involved in the consumerism society in the United States. Children’s recognition of brands and tie to certain brand names has astonished most parents. Parents have even reported children as young as eighteen months old ask for brand name items. Children of different ages, going from toddlers to teens, are all directly advertised to. These age categories did not always exist. Before the gatekeeper model declined, people would normally say that younger age groups range from baby to child to teen. Now marketers have created more categories to directly market to, such as toddlers, children, tweens, teens, and even differentiation of products for different sexes. . Despite the marketing category they fall into, children see advertisements then ask their parents for the product or service

Throughout modern society, children have become the primary consumers of marketing (Hill, 2011, p. 348). As the documentary Consuming Kids illustrates, infants are easily deceived by society, culture, and especially media scams (Barbaro, 2008). Marketing has shifted the focus of children from traditional playing to various consumerist desires. This paper will explore the causes of the mass decline in childhood identity and the social implications involved. The impact of marketing for children will be examined through its effects on culture and society, children’s identity, consumerist tendencies, the increase in need for media and their effects through symbolic interactionism. Jennifer Ann Hill states, "Consumerism has led to a host of seemingly endless needs for sophisticated electronic media technology, making it increasingly difficult to provide children with an environment that allows for creativity or original thinking" (Hill, 2011, p. 352)??*** and the presence of this marketing is the catalyst to several different issues in the development of children (Hill, 2011, p. 352). In this report, I will contend that marketing is detrimental to the growth of children shaping youth to become lifelong consumers and how it is a societal problem.

News, media, advertisements, and word of mouth can all affect how a person identifies with a brand. Douglas Rushkoff uses children and young people in his essay to explain that if they do not identify with a brand they may not buy it. He explains that marketers plan specific ways to get young people to buy their product like using techniques to get young shoppers to experience a “state of confusion and vulnerability” while shopping and turning that into their benefit. (386 Rushkoff) These techniques may work for a while but the battle begins as the children “develop defense mechanisms” which are then counteracted by the marketers. (386 Rushkoff) He then goes on to show that marketing companies even use anthropologists to study young people to develop better marketing techniques.

It is commonly accepted that, children have no logical, intellectual skills that enable them to understand the nature or intent, they use and harm of the marketing that is directed to them. This is because; they become socially engaged at a very early age into paying attention to marketing messages both in and out of school. Unlike adults, children can easily be said to believe in what they see than what they hear. This makes it a more powerful force for companies to market to children than to adults.

Investigation into the effects of key influences on children 's consumer behaviour and brand knowledge to determine a new marketing strategy.

In 2002 Peterson and Fjellstrom found that in the United States and other leading world countries that children have gained an increased spending power in the families. This study followed a trend showing marketers began marketing their products toward the children not the parents. It has been said that every adult product from “soup to soap” has been scaled down and “funned up” to market to younger children. An increased advertising after school and on saturday morning has been added to market toys and food to children. In a study of nutritional foods and what sells them to children, Feinstein and Lobstein defined a child’s food as any product that includes at least one of the following: a character they see in a familiar cartoon,

In “Facts about marketing to children” it said “More than half of the children surveyed (53%) said that buying certain products make them feel better about themselves”. The average American child watches nearly 40,000 television ads a year. More than 10 percent of 12-13 have admitted they

Marketers all around the world has been working every day to create catchy advertisements, from the macaroni and cheese we all eat, to the weekend family entertainment options. This is becoming a problem. However, marketers are profiting not from just ordinary consumers, but children, tweens, and teens. The child marketing industry has revolutionized from the early days, and is still growing at a massive scale. How effective advertisements are specifically designed for children, tweens, and teenage audiences. How do marketers use methods to lure children in?

The problem of social marketing is prevalent in developed countries where government and campaigners contest improved child advertising standards with companies arguing that this issues depend on individual and parental choices. Children start their consumer journey during their first years of existence which make them to definitely deserve immense concern as consumers during this period. Studies show that child marketing of today cannot be compared with that of the past (Shan,2010). Today, marketing by child psychologists is made feasible by improved technology. Many years back, companies were using less than hundred million dollars annually marketing to children. Currently, more than seventeen billion is being used in the marketing field of children (Keyway et al., 2001).

“The consumer embryo begins to develop during the first year of existence. Children begin their consumer journey in infancy, and they certainly deserve consideration as consumers at that time” - James U. McNeal, Youth Marketer. Companies have their sights on kids for many reasons, but mainly because of their immense buying power, the amount of money they spend, totaling more than 40 billion dollars every year. However the main reason for marketers’ interest in kids, is actually the amount of adult spending that kids now directly influence, a colossal 700 billion dollars a year. (Consuming Kids, 2008). Marketers will do anything, ethical or not, to gain access to this money. This generation of children is marketed to in a way that has never been done before. There are so many ways of reaching children that there is a brand in front of their face every moment of every day, as shown in the graphic below, and this can cause physical and psychological repercussions. Children today are constantly bombarded with commercials and ads which cause adverse side effects like obesity and poor self esteem. Due to their lack of development, they are easily manipulated and influenced, and it is therefore immoral and unethical to market to children.

Even though marketing has the ability to influence people of all ages, children seem to be the most vulnerable ones. The 2003 Hastings report concluded, “on the evidence up to that date, that children in the UK are exposed to extensive food advertising, and that the diet advertised is considerably less healthy than the diet healthcare experts would recommend” (Halford and Boyland, 2013, p, 182). The case is not much different in other countries also. Reports from North America (Gantz, et al. 2007; Institute of Medicine, 2005) clearly indicated the increased vulnerability of children towards advertising and marketing activities of foods and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers. The majority of the children do not have the maturity to segregate between the good and evil. They are unaware of the traps made by the product manufacturers and service providers. Influenced by the attractive advertisements and the sales promotion activities by the foods and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers, children often compel their parents to purchase these things for them. Parents, on the other hand, are ready to satisfy the needs of their children since many of the parents think that fulfilling the demands of their children might help them to strengthen their relationships with their children. It should be noted that the parent child relationship in the