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Contrary to popular believes, children are not little adults.

Let them be little

In a world that focuses on academics, competitiveness and accomplishments, we


often forget about the importance of the innocence and wonder of a childhood. In
so doing we have spawned the emergence of the hurried child. A child’s
development can be hindered by overstimulation whereas children, who are
allowed to grow, explore and develop in an environment that protects the
innocence and idealism of a childhood has a stronger foundation on which to build
their character. Today’s world moves fast and preys on the naïve. Parents are
becoming increasingly aware of this thrust and are resisting brands that generates
pestering power by marketing directly to their children. They want their children to
explore the world through their own eyes and make their own discoveries versus
seeing the world through a sophisticated consumer lenses.

Over stimulated kids lose the ability to create fun on their own parents want to help
their children make healthy choices which is difficult to do when brands play the
children and use pester power to their advantage. Even more difficult is creating
connection between child and the parent in the over stimulating consumer
environment in which we live.

A family has evolved in what business research calls a decision making units.
Brands that support family values and respect the unit are winning the favor of the
parents who see little value in brands that aim their marketing directly at children.
Families want family friendly marketing. Be a leader in the growing trend. Today’s
young parents are taking a very active role I their children’s development. Embrace
the future and let them be little.

Impact on children's health

The 1995 National Nutrition Survey found an alarming proportion of children consuming non-
nutritious foods and not enough children consuming healthy foods. The non-nutritious foods
consumed by children, e.g. hamburgers, pizza, confectionery, soft drinks, are also those
promoted heavily during children's TV viewing times. (Australian Bureau of Statistics and
Department of Health and Family Services, Commonwealth of Australia, 1999)

At the same time, the number of Australian children who are overweight or obese is rapidly
increasing. (Magarey, Daniels and Boulton, 2001)
Pester power increases

Children are very powerful influencers of family purchases of every thing from the breakfast
cereals to the evening meal choices. See MacNeal, 1992.

Many products advertised on television are displayed in the supermarket at child's eye level.
Pester power works.

Young children are influenced to want

Sophisticated and aggressive techniques are used in marketing to children. Techniques used by
television food advertisers include prizes, giveaways, animation, special effects, story vignettes,
jingles, and popular personalities. The predominant messages directed to children are related to
having fun, being cool and the food being tasty. (Hill and Radimer, 1997; Morton, 1990;
Australian Broadcasting Tribunal, 1982)

Young children (under the age of eight years) are very susceptible to advertisements (See related
topic Overview of the effects of advertising directed at children). If an advertisement for a
product attracts their interest, they will ask for it even if it is a product for which they have no
need or use. (There's the story of the five year old boy who was asked what he would choose if
he had just one wish. His answer was "A Tampax, because if I had that I could swim, ride a
horse or do anything")

Children get the message to eat fatty, salty, sugary and fast foods

The messages for food ads on TV are encouraging children to the view that what's good to eat is
"good for them". In fact, television food ads during children's viewing times disproportionately
promote foods of low nutritional value-foods high in fat, sugar or salt. The proportion of ads
promoting non-nutritious foods range from 50-84%, and average 72%. The largest categories of
foods advertised tend to be chocolate and confectionery, fast food restaurants and sweetened
breakfast cereals. (Hill and Radimer, 1997)

Where does toy advertising occur?

Toys are promoted on television, by promotional segments within television programs, spin-offs
from movies, and links with fast food chains. Other methods include "virus marketing".

On television
Children are exposed to toy advertising on television. Children watching commercial children’s
television see up to 15 minutes per hour of commercials (that is, about 30 commercials per hour)
for a range of products including toys (and especially in the pre Christmas season).

Toys are promoted to children via television in a variety of other ways as well. These include
links with fast food chains (as premium offers), via toy-linked cartoon series, spin-off products
from children’ programs, and via hosted segments within television programs.

Cinema films

Children are exposed to spin-offs from cinema films.

Most films made for a child or family market, and even some classified MA15+ are linked to
toys or to other products, advertised in association with the film. Many children are made to feel
deficient if they can’t buy one of the spin-offs.

Some spin-off toys seem to be designed to make the child want to see the associated movie, for
example Spiderman toys designed for young children, even when the movie is classified
MA15+.

Viral marketing

This method involves the selection of the most "cool" kid in the school or club, and supplying
him or her with a free new toy or gadget. The child’s prestige as a leader provides the stimulus
for other children to want the toy or gadget as well.

Tube-watching Kids Prefer Junk Food

By Chitra Padmanabhan; Illustration by Anup Singh  

An interesting report on the eating habits of 91 families


in neighbourhoods around Washington DC, USA, has
revealed a significant set of findings: children
belonging to families that watch TV regularly during
mealtimes go more for pizza, snack foods and soft
drinks laced with caffeine, and less for fruits and
vegetables.

Brought out by Tufts University, Boston, the study was


reported widely by news agencies, including Reuters
and AP in January 2001. The study was released by the
American Academy of Pediatrics on its website.
Lead researcher Katharine Coon, is of the opinion that television itself as well as the kind of
foods advertised on it might be among the significant factors for this pattern of eating
habits. She bases her findings on three "well educated hypotheses" as she calls them:

1) Increased levels of TV watching correspond with "a cluster of family food behaviours
where people tend to be unfocused. They want easy routines, no muss, no fuss," the report
quotes Coon as saying. It is less fussy to grab a quick bite than fruits or vegetables that
may need sitting at the dining table for dinner.

Coon also points out that the food culture that is promoted on television, too, promotes the
quick bite and processed foods. In this sense, television could be seen as a marker for a
particular type of family culture, feels Coon.

2) The study also reveals that television mealtime habits are found more in families with
less educated mothers regarding an awareness of the qualities of food. The study also found
that television watching during mealtimes was more likely in single parent households.

3) The third significant hypothesis of Coon is that the advertising blitz of foods on television

could well be reinforcing the family's "eating decisions", says Coon.

Britania cream treat, Maggie(slupping, drinking),

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