There is an interesting discussion over at Corporate Babysitter at the moment which is formulating a wish list for children’s marketing. What would ethical marketing aimed at children look like to you, if you had your way? Lisa from Corporate Babysitter kicks the wish list off with some perfect suggestions.
1. Do not take advantage of my child’s underdeveloped reasoning skills or her insecurities to convince her she must have a product.
2. Stay out of the public schools. Advertising to kids while they are truly a captive audience is, well, kinda creepy.
3. Do not make toys that are lethal. Honest to God, how hard is it to figure out if something you are selling is a choking hazard? And if you insist on producing toys in China, here’s a hint: Buy toys made in the other line.
4. For every new product that encourages my daughter to express her inner princess, provide something that encourages her inner jock. For every fashion doll with clothing and hair accessories, create a doll with a backpack and some books. For every movie or cartoon or book that focuses on a girl’s search for true love, make one where she pursues a meaningful goal.
5. Stop encouraging my kids to be crap collectors (I’m talking to you, McDonald’s).
I like #4
The only “ethical marketing aimed at children” I will ever support is the BAN OF ALL OF IT!!!
KILL IT!!! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!
And #1 is the reason for this.
My gut is to agree with Mary here, but I haven’t learned enough to know at what age kids can be taught to examine what’s being presented to them critically. I have started teaching marketing cynicism to my 5 yr old, but I don’t know whether it is having any impact.
I think the only ethical way to sell things to children before they can perform this critical analysis is to sell it to me.
And whatever it is that McDonalds does that manages to get into their psyche before they can talk, and irrespective of whether they have ever been there, is clearly evil…
I have to agree with Mary “ethical marketing” would not be aimed at children.
I’d like to see advertising to the wee folks banned too. I guess I do my own passive marketing campaigns at home though. The other day driving past a shiny new McDonald’s in our town, my three-year-old, who has never eaten at McDonald’s (and doesn’t really know the brand name because we haven’t brought it up much) blurted out, “I hate that place!” I wonder how long that’s going to last.