The aim of this article is to look into the ethics of advertising, specifically advertising that focuses on children, explain the economic reasons for why target advertising happens and if there is a case for regulating children's advertising.
"The growth in children's advertising has been driven by efforts to increase not just current, but also future, consumption. Hoping that nostalgic childhood memories of a brand will lead to a lifetime of purchases, companies now plan "cradle-to-grave" advertising strategies". .
(Eric Schlosser, 2001 p.42).
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According to the opening extract an increase in children's advertising is a targeted aim by manufacturers to entice the young consumer and instil in them a lifetime of brand loyalty, but what is brand loyalty and why is it important. .
It is important because it costs more to advertise to a new customer than it does to keep an old one, but brand loyalty is when a consumer is unenthusiastic to change from their spending habits of a favoured good or service, but isn't this what all companies aspire too, no matter who the market is aimed at! It's all big business and it's a very competitive market out there.
Child advertising is defiantly on the increase, just by looking at commercial channels such as Citv on Carlton or any of the children's cable channels it is clear to see that children's hour is bombarded with bright, high-impact, fast action merchandising. .
Persuading somebody to buy your product in today's competitive market is a hard enough task, but even harder when your dealing with a market of trend setting, unpredictable, highly critical children who lose interest at the drop of a hat.
"It's estimated the average child sees between 20,000 - 40,000 commercials every year." (Leonhardt et al 1995 P.1).
For years, we have been exposed to the different forms of media, like newspapers, magazines, television, films, radio, and more recently the Internet.