Aims, Methods, and Uncertainties Concerning Marketing to Children

The contemporary advertising industry exploits children by using the most effective techniques, among them psychology. It appears that children make up the section of the market that is subjected to subliminal persuasion of commercials which, in turn, translates into marketers' efforts to knowingly exploit young children's gullibility. Based upon data from recent studies, these efforts appear to be productive. But what are the aims, methods, and uncertainties concerning marketing to children?Marketers have taken advantage of children through research programs based on understanding the children's psyche. Such research programs are being arduously carried out in departments of various companies directing their products to children. Advertising, being a multi billion dollar business, is quite capable of investing seemingly endless capital to market research directed at finding new, more efficient ways to give advertisements greater appeal and success. "Psychological research is now a widespread source of corporate inspiration. Psychologists are regulars at marketing conferences".***(James

Advertising

English: A business ideally is continually seeking...

Banana Advertising

Mckinnon) One could wonder; what is the reason for such an intensive effort by marketers to discover the intricacies of children's thinking?Obviously, the aim is first and foremost to make money and to draw as many clients as possible. To achieve this children's vulnerabilities are manipulated by psychologists whose main aim is to swindle the unconscious consumer into consumerism. Materialistic values rooted early in childhood shape the psyche of a future child, teenager, and adult. At all those stages the victim of this process is mislead to believe that (s)he cannot be happy without constantly buying top products. The sooner the marketers achieve this goal the better, as their investment will yield a tremendous profit.

Children represent the most lucrative part of advertising industry because they influence at least three different markets: the direct market, which s sustained by the money spent by children themselves; the parental market, which...