Companies Shouldn't Market to Children Debate year 3

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Higher Colleges of Technology
RAK Colleges
Bachelor Business Program
BMHR N 310
Global Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility
Assessment Number 1
Companies Shouldn’t Market to Children
% of Final Grade 20%
Total Marks Available 65
Report: 20
Debate: 45
Result / 100
Prepared for Susan Bainbridge
Student Names Aaesha
Jawaher
Due date Oct 20, 2012

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Introduction
Marketing is a very important aspect of business and has an important effect on
the products consumers buy and the opinions they shape about a specific brand. Fast food
advertising and marketing to children have grown. Today, children’s advertising is
everywhere from the television to the Internet to public schools. Examples of
advertisements that are directed towards children alone are those ones that have cartoon
characters and are seen as specifically meant for children such as the toys in Happy
Meals. Children were always a prime advertising target for fast food restaurants. But the
question to be asked should companies market to children or should they stop. This report
will discuss our opinion in this case and provide some evidence that support our opinion.
CON Opinion
In our point of view companies should market to children for many reasons.
Firstly, Marketers see children as a future market because they have more market
potential than any other demographic group continued sales later (Bagdikian). In
instance, marketing helps develop children’s media literacy and critical decision making
which are necessary in adulthood. Moreover, through marketing children learn to analyze
what they are presented with and become more cleaver and wise. Secondly, marketing to
children is important for the company to become profitable faster than the other
companies. Kids watch different advertising from different websites, TV, billboards,
children magazines and by social communication .According to CBS news children from
8 to 12 years old spend $ 30 billion of their own many each year and influence an extra
$150 billion in family purchases (Lagorio). Thirdly, parents should be responsible for
their children’s choices. For example, they have to control them and not let them
purchase unnecessary and harmful products because any harm that happen to the children
it’s not the company’s responsibility. Fourthly, some parents think that their children
have some diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cancer because of the bad marketing but
in fact most diseases occur because of having poor nutrition and they have wrong life
style and weak body from their early age. Fifthly, all companies include instructions to
customers in their products with a lot of necessary information such as description of the
product, directions for use, expire date, the proper age for use and the contact information

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in case there are any problems so the customers have no excuse and they have to read the
instructions in the product very carefully before they buy it for their children to avoid any
unnecessary mistake that could happen. Finally, when the company targets the children
their idea will be more innovative and creative because they want to capture their hearts
and minds from the first sight. So they will always progress and improve their marketing
to become more successful. On the other hand, we definitely think that the other team
members think differently from us. We are certain that they will discuss the health matter
and how some companies market unhealthy products for the children that make them
under risk. Moreover, we think that they will argue about how some companies think
unethically. For example, some companies want to make profit in any way even if this
way will make the child’s life in danger especially the food company, they make
unhealthy food using cheap ingredients just to be profitable whereas the child’s life will
be threatened.
Conclusion
To sum up, companies should market to children because marketers view children
as the market of the future therefore they try to improve their critical thinking and
decision making to help them in the future. In addition, parents and the government
should get involved as well. It is the responsibility of the family and the social institutions
to protect those children if they think that they are in danger because of the marketers.
Finally, there isn’t anything wrong with businesses trying to make sales and profit even if
they targeted children but we should always watch the children especially those who
always set in front of the computer and televisions because not any mistake happen is the
company fault so the parents have to be aware and control their children as much as they
can.

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Bibliography
Bagdikian, Ben H. Children as Consumers. 2000. 7 October 2012
<http://www.globalissues.org/article/237/children-as-consumers>.
Lagorio, Christine. Resources: Marketing To Kids. 11 February 2009. 3 October 2012
<http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500823_162-2798401.html>.