Comments on: Does good branding influence toddlers?

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:13:15 +0000

By: Drew McLellan

Drew McLellan — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:11:19 +0000

Here’s my question to all 3 of you. Describe for me the responsibility parents have in this blend. Where do you draw the line?

Or do you think there’s a dual responsibility?

Drew

By: Mac Wilkins

Mac Wilkins — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:21:20 +0000

Here’s the question that I instantly asked inwardly when I was reading the first three paragraphs of your article (and it may all be the posing of an ignorant, albeit thorough man): Have any of those kids tested BEEN in a McDonalds before and ate a burger? If so, they may have already been influenced. But ah, that is for the Stanford guys to mull about.

Is Mcdonald evil for pushing fattening foods to children? McDonalds is evil for pushing fattening food to anyone, period. Any marketer has a responsibility regardless of target demographic. But perhaps, here in this particular market of kids and tweens, maybe it is enough to view it as- lets say, opportunity to influence values, instead of a affirming a responsibility for them (like a call to arms, marketers, hear ye, hear ye).

Mabe its too naive to expect responsibility from all companies as early as now. The important thing or the most essential responsibility we should be addressing now is the quality of the products we are packaging.

By: nesh thompson

nesh thompson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:43:19 +0000

Just read an article here that has a bit of relevance to this article. Does this mean that marketers not only have to worry about advertising to children but also to their parents? Babies Learn To Like Junk Food In The Womb

By: nesh thompson

nesh thompson — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:43:27 +0000

Good question Drew, and a topic that I find quite controversial in nature after watching things like “Supersize Me” etc.

I’m all for big conglomerates marketing in whatever way they think best but to an adult audience who should be able to show some level of discrimination. Children are at a level in development where they will develop their entire character on learned behaviour and so heavy marketing to toddlers is in fact enforcing stereotypes and imprinting on them forced values. What McDonalds do is tantamount to creating an addiction for products before the individual has the chance of waying up the pro’s and con’s. By the time they have that cognitive power it is too late.

Do I think marketers have a responsibility to children? Absolutely.