FREE ESSAY ON MARKETING EFFECTS ON CHILDREN

MARKETING EFFECTS ON CHILDREN

Marketers used many different themes and techniques to make sure that children remember
and ask for their products. During two hours of Saturday morning programming for children
over forty ads are shown for different commodity type products. Various techniques are
used to advertise these products and each ad have an underlying message.
Different commodity type products are advertised to children. The ads that we observed
fall into the categories of food, health and beauty products, movies and public service
announcements. In the category of food items such as, cereal, candies, fruit punch,
potato chips, frozen threats, hamburgers, French fries and chicken nuggets are marketed
in intriguing and appetizing ways. Barbie dolls and other animated toys from the movie
Tarzan were frequently advertised. Hair shampoo was also marketed to children. Most of
Disney's movies were advertised during this time and public service announcements to stay
off drugs and sign up for volunteer work were also feature in the two hours that we
watched.
The ad for each of these products used various techniques. Marketers realized that their
target audience are less likely to pay attention to their ads yet alone remember them so
they were pretty creative with the techniques they used. Most of the advertisement used
very intense colors such as, bright red, orange, blue, and neon colors. Loud music was
also frequently used among the ads. Some animation was used; however, real kids were most
frequently used. For example, the ad for Barbie shows Barbie as a real person playing
soccer with one of the players from the US Women's Soccer Team. Chucky Cheese ad
incorporated kids with loud music and neon colors to portray children having fun at
Chucky Cheese. CapriSun drink used special effects to market their products to the kids.
Oreo cereal used a news setting to show the importance of their cereal by showing an
anchor woman asking a kid, who is so much engage in eating his cereal, his opinion
regarding the taste of the cereal and then turning to the cow to ask her opinion. Humor
was the intent in this commercial because a cow cannot talk. Most ads over state the size
of their products. For example, an ad for Popsicle shows the Popsicle being so big that
it goes through the roof of the house. The techniques used were geared towards making a
lasting impression on the kids so that they will in turn influence their parents into
buying these products for them.
All of the products have an underlying message or theme. Through these ad kids are
encouraged to pursue an education, clean their rooms, and expect rewards for good
actions. Most of the advertisements also promote socialization and glamour. Chucky Cheese
ads start off with a jingle to do your math and clean your room, advocating cleanliness,
education, and reward for doing those things because if you do those things then you will
get to go to Chucky Cheese where you can have a real good time. The shampoo ad shows
children having fun at a park. Some of them were on swings with their beautiful hair
(which supposedly resulted from using the shampoo) swaying in the breeze while others
were washing their hair with the shampoo and others were roller skating in the air. The
underlying message seems to indicate that this is a highly sociable product, which is
used by all these different kids. McDonalds ad showed a mom picking up her son from
school, who told all his friends that he was going to so they too wanted to go as well.
Indicating a sense of sharing and unselfishness. The themes in all of the ads seems to
appeal to what will be of most importance to the kids not just as kids but also, as
adults.
We have observed that although more than forty ads were shown each was of a different
product and except for cereal there were no other products for competing against each
other. More of the ads had a lot of repetition for example you would see the same ad
every other commercial break during the program. This indicates that the theory of
frequent exposure was applied.
The prime time broadcasting network that we watched was the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC). Television was watched on a Saturday evening between the times of 8:00pm and
10:00pm. The programming at these times were America's Funniest Videos and an ABC
Saturday night movie "La Familia" within this two hour time slot there were ten channel
representation commercials, two public announcements, and eighteen product commercial
advertisements.
Within these two hours of programming there were five commercial breaks. The products
advertised included the following; two public service announcements, two household, two
personal hygiene, two food, four automotive, and two store. The ads varied in length from
ten, fifteen and thirty seconds. All commercials but three had background music. All ads
used bright colors, fast paced action and above average sound levels. These factors are
relevant to the viewers of this particular time slot, which range between 8 years of age
and up.
There were frequently used themes of fantasy, adventure, realism and humor. The
orientation of the viewer coincided with the product. Only two of the advertisements were
repeated within the two-hour period. The public service announcement was for the Boys and
Girls Club of America and Children First. The themes related to the Boys and Girls Club
of America and Children First were similar consisting of a realistic situation with
characters that included role models and children. This elaborated to both the child
viewer that it was fun, exciting and educational to be a participant to either of these
groups. That both viewers had something to offer both of these organizations.
Household product commercials were the same brand name "Glades" but the product line was
extended. Both the plug-ins and the refills were advertised with there own commercials.
The plug-ins were advertised first and then later the refills. They had similar color
schemes of light bright colors wit lots of white and similar settings like kitchen and
bathroom. The characters included a mother and her very large family conveying that
Glades keeps her house smelling fresh. 
The personal hygiene ads were split. The Aqua Fresh toothpaste was geared towards male
children using the Tarzan movie character as part of the adventure you experience when
you brush your teeth with Aqua Fresh. The commercial had an average boy about ten years
old brushing his teeth and spliced Tarzan movie clips into the commercial. Explaining how
you need to protect your teeth because it's a jungle out there. While the female
adult/teen commercial for Salon Selective was all young women with extremely shiny hair,
dressed in contemporary clothes with a shiny texture, lounging in very contemporary home
settings. The settings were designed in contrasting colors of the character's hair,
making their hair look even luxurious.
The food product television spots were from two major chains but not product competitors.
Both advertised toys and collectibles as part of the purchase agreement. McDonalds
commercial was soliciting the Tarzan kids meal. They combined a family going to eat with
movie excerpts and children being excited to receive the Tarzan toy. All the additional
toys were shown to let you know that you can collect them all. Little Caesar's Pizza was
the other as that included a collectable. A professional wrestler trading card came with
your purchase of a pizza. This ad had two famous wrestling and then agreeing to just sit
down and eat a pizza together this commercial was not specifically gear toward children
or adults but both.
There were no cartoons but real entertainers that have a fan base that ranges in age.
Rooms To Go and Wal-Mart stores both had commercials on during this time period. The
Wal-Mart commercial was showing how senior citizens on a budget feel young at heart when
they shop and save at Wal-Mart. As were Rooms To Go was advertising that they are having
a clearance sale on all rooms of furniture and that there are no payments until January
2001. There were no characters in the Rooms to Go ad, only the sales message in bright
yellow.
There were four automotive commercials within this time period - two luxury cars, one
truck, and one economy car. The first ad was for the Century Buick. It featured a
gentleman in the back seat of the car with a family driving around on vacation, with pop
music in the background, showing how much fun the car was and comparing the car to having
the most headroom in its class. The Oldsmobile was a completely different commercial
showing the driver being alone listening to classical music enjoying the car on a
fantastic day of driving, long winding roads and no traffic. The Chevy S-10 truck let you
know that if you are the outdoors type and like to listen to rock music and be
adventurous with your vehicle that a Chevy can handle anything. Finally, the Toyota ad
was based on safety and how it's mini van is safer than any other car in its class.
During this slot of television time we believe that the audience ages range from eight
years and up. America's Funniest Videos can be classified as a family viewed show.
Programs that every one would sit down and watch the parents and children together. The
advertisements within that time slot fit perfectly. Even towards the beginning of the
show there are more products advertised focusing on children. The kids' spots had some
type of incentive to the product where you felt like you were brushing your teeth with
Tarzan or you could get rewarded with WCW trading card. This seems to be implying that
there must always be some incentive to do anything, even when it should be ones own
desire not to have rotten teeth, that should make them brush their teeth. Even the adult
ads that were placed strategically within this time where making the viewer aware of the
rewards of the product. Not blantly but enough so you just might think that if you drive
a Chevy S-10 Pick Up you will be rewarded with the time to take your truck to the Grand
Canyon instead of just sitting on the highway. The Glades plug-ins is the same reasoning
if you use this product your bathroom can be use 100 times and smell just as fresh. You
could actually have the time to stand in the hall and watch people use your bathroom
without having to clean it.
Values are a set of shared beliefs and norms. A person's set of value plays a very
important role in consumption activities. Many products and services are purchased
because people believe these products will help attain a value-related goal. Different
cultures encourage conformity to a greater or lesser degree. Every culture has a set of
values that it imparts to its members. For example, people in one culture might feel that
being a unique individual is preferable to subordinating one's identity to the group.
Advertisers use these different cultures, beliefs and norms to their advantage when
promoting a product or service. 
Children are very inexperienced, innocent and are easily influenced by the things they
see on television that over a period of time they start to believe what they see and
hear. This is definitely what advertisers want. They want to make sure these children
remember their products for life so they exaggerate the ads, making it easier for
children to relate to them. Take for example, the "Chucky Cheese" ad. A child with an
untidy room hears his mom said that they are going to Chucky Cheese and in an instant he
cleans his room and ends up at Chucky Cheese. Children should be rewarded for their hard
work especially when they have out done themselves. Cleaning their room that is a part of
their everyday chore is not a reason to be rewarded. Each time this child cleans his
room, he will want to go to Chucky Cheese as a reward for his good efforts. The child
will remember clean room and associate that with going to Chucky Cheese. Marketers don't
care really what you did to end up in Chucky Cheese, what matters is that you are there.

Psychologist Abraham Mazlow, developed an approach to understanding personal growth and
the attainment of peak experiences. He formulated a hierarchy of biogenic and
psychongenic needs, in which levels of motives are specified from physiological need to
self-actualization. Marketers have adapted this universal approach to motivation because
it indirectly specifies certain types of product benefits children might be looking for,
depending on the different stages in their development and or their environmental
conditions. Ideally, children begin to format their lives into these ads that over a
period of time they begin loose perception on what is real and what is not. The shampoo
ad basically tells children that if they use that brand of shampoo they not only have
beautiful manageable hair but also they will be able to skate in the air, dance like
professional dancers and so forth. Naturally, the children want to be accepted among the
norms so they want to use this type of shampoo. It encourages them to be sociable and
give them a sense of belonging. 
Most of the ads during children's programs are one-sided appeals. A great percentage of
the ads shown is for toys and food such as, are cereal and candy. The message in these
ads is basically how great the product is or what the product can do for you. It never
states that eating too much candy will lead to cavities or that eating as excessive
amount of candy can make the some children a little hyper-active than others. All
children see is something that is great for them or something that will make them become
cool. 
There are certain consumers who have specific needs or goals and marketers focus on these
attributes to help them achieve their potential. Most consumers these days have a need
for affiliation. This need would be relevant to products and services that are consumed
in groups and alleviate loneliness, such as team sports and shopping malls. Many products
and services also allow children to feel that they have control over their surroundings
or accentuate a consumer's distinctive identity. For example, a brand of clothing (Guess)
claims to be as "individual as you are." 
Based on our observations, the relationship between advertising and consumers' values are
somewhat similar. Most of the advertisements on television are about what consumers want
or would like to have. Advertisements are based on consumers' values and marketers
perception of what they think the consumers' values are. Consumers are significantly
influenced by the actions of marketers. Much of what they learn about the world his
filtered through marketers via advertising. Ads show consumers how to act with regard to
recycling, drug and alcohol abuse, and even the type of cars and houses we might wish to
own. Products are designed to meet existing needs, and advertising only helps to
communicate their availability. Consumers are led to believe through advertising that the
products have magical properties; product will do special and mysterious things for
consumers in a way that will transform their lives. It provides simple, anxiety-reducing
answers to complex problems. 
Having watched the television ads and really paying attention to what the products are
and what the ad is trying to get across, we have learned through observation that a lot
of the ads have instilled the value of fairy tail living and no consequences. They seem
to never show you the person having to make time to scrub the bathroom twice a week or
the person having to be stuck in traffic, or working to make the car payment and
insurance payment. They show only how much easier you think your life will become after
using their product and how everything comes so easy with no work involved. It has been
said that Americans are getting lazy, fatter and more in debt today. Television and ads
are implying that this is exactly what we are supposed to be doing.
Bibliography
Source: Home Television