Marketing – Should Companies Market to Children

Introduction

The debate over whether marketing to children should be allowed centers around two opposing viewpoints: one that considers marketing to children unethical, and another that sees it as "just business." This essay aims to explain why marketing to children is unethical and should not be allowed.

Susceptibility to Manipulation

A major reason why marketing to children is unethical is due to children's increased susceptibility to manipulation because of their inability to think critically. According to an article from CourseBB (2019), this results in children being unable to understand the hidden messages used by advertisers to entice customers into purchasing their products. This, combined with a child's lack of responsibility, leads to impulsive decisions about advertised products. Because the child does not comprehend the negative effects, they might pressure their parents to purchase the product, leaving little room for parental protest. Consequently, parents often end up buying unnecessary products, resulting in wasted money.

Counterarguments: Critical Thinking and Marketing as a Tool

However, as noted by Watson (2017) in The Guardian, supporters of marketing to children argue that it promotes critical thinking in youngsters. They believe that parents could utilize these advertisements to teach their children to identify when a product is useless and a waste of money. This argument fails because most parents are uninterested in teaching critical thinking to a five-year-old who simply wants a new kitchen set, as the child is too young to grasp these concepts. Proponents also claim that marketing is essential for advertising products and informing potential customers. Unfortunately, businesses operating in child-focused industries, like the toy industry, automatically target children.

Collaboration Between Industries

The issue with marketing in such industries arises when companies collaborate with businesses outside of child-focused sectors to target children. A prime example is McDonald's and the 'Happy Meal' they offer to children. McDonald's, a fast food industry giant, collaborates with toy companies to include toys with their 'Happy Meal' to entice children to purchase the meal. This exacerbates growing health concerns as more children become overweight and obese due to fast food consumption. This type of marketing overlooks the children's needs, focusing instead on maximizing profit by disregarding the needs of their primary demographic.

Conclusion

Marketing to children should not be allowed because it is an unethical practice that manipulates children into buying products through ploys set up by companies. This practice exploits children's immaturity and parents' eagerness to please their children, ignoring the children's needs and prioritizing profit, even at the expense of their health.

References

CourseBB. (2019). Ethical Issues in Marketing to Children – CourseBB. Retrieved from https://www.coursebb.com/2019/ethical-issues-in-marketing-to-children/

Watson, B. (2017). The tricky business of advertising to children. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/sep/20/advertising-children-ethical-debate

Minsker, M. (2014). Is Kid-Targeted Marketing Unethical? CRM Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.destinationcrm.com/Authors/6091-Maria-Minsker.htm