Marketers Target Children, Adolescents, Directly Through Social Networking and New Techologies
Some of the techniques used are the following: cell phones, instant messaging, video games, user-generated video, and three-dimensional virtual worlds. The full report - "Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age" - is available at http://www.digitalads.org/
Even as junk food marketers claim to be cleaning up their act, the food industry is targeting children in new and more subtle ways. These social networking sites and technologies do not involve parents at all.
A coalition of advocacy groups submitted the report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today, calling on the agency to expand its investigation of food and beverage marketing to include the full of range of digital marketing to children and adolescents.
Examples cited in the report include:
To "create a compelling way to connect with the younger demographic," 600 McDonald's restaurants in California launched a mobile marketing campaign, urging young cell phone users to text-message to a special phone number to receive an instant electronic coupon for a free McFlurry dessert.
Coca-Cola's "My Coke Rewards" program offers special codes in its products that enable young people to access a website, where they can earn such rewards as downloadable ring tones and "amazing sports and entertainment experiences." This technique is part of a strategy for behavioral profiling, where marketers compile a detailed profile of each customer, including demographic data, purchasing behavior, responses to advertising messages, and even the extent and nature of social networks.
Food marketers are commercializing online communities by aggressively moving into MySpace and other social networking sites. One technique is to create "branded profiles" that invite children and teens to become "friends" with popular spokescharacters. "Welcome to the King's Court," beckons the Burger KingMySpace profile. "The virtual home of the Burger King. He's giving away free episodes of the Fox shows '24,' 'Pinks,' and 'First Friend.'"
Wendy's placed several "commercials masquerading as videos" on YouTube, specifically designed to attract "young consumers." The video "Molly Grows Up", which generated more than 300,000 views, is about a young girl is shown ordering "her first 99-cent Junior Bacon cheeseburger and Frosty."
The Mars candy company enlisted the musical group Black Eyed Peas to make a series of "webisodes" called "Instant Def," in order to promote Snickers bars to teens. This is an example of brand-saturated environments that weave products seamlessly into interactive entertainment content.
SOURCE:
Published by Lynn Glessner
Recently left the IT field to become a SAHM with two kids, multiple pets, and one man-child running a music production business. View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentGood article. Parents just need to be aware of these things. Of course, parents need to be aware of LOTS of things. It's our job. :-)
I could see why they would be doing this. This is the perfect way for them to get more business. Good article.
This is just the way of business. Target the audience that will make you the most money. Same goes for video games, movies, and almost everything else. Good read though.
I don't have to worry about this for at least a couple years (I hope), but to know that I eventually will is pretty disheartening.
I didn't think about that with the Coke rewards program -- I guess they have ranges on those numbers to determine the region each particular product is sold in! You could get a ton of information just from that and the registration section.
I don't think there is anything technically "wrong" with what marketeers are doing, but parents need to be very aware of it. If as a parent you are trying to counter-balance a multi-billion dollar industry, that's a big job.
I totally agree with Aly here. I see no problem with the companies using new technology to market either.
Companies will do whatever it takes to sell their products.
I don't know about other parents, but my child never had her own phone, cell phone, computer, or pager until she was 18 and could pay for it. The problem does not lie with the marketers -they are making a buck off parents who don't control what their kids use. Why wouldn't they - that is their business? Kids pressure parents into thinking they have to have these things to "be cool." It's as easy as turning off your TV. Good topic - great report. Thanks.