The amount of money that the food industry spends on advertising geared toward children is astonishing. Some estimate the number runs close to $15 billion a year. It's hard not to turn on the TV or go to the grocery store without seeing animated characters, toys, or partnerships with the hottest kids' movie. This is obviously done to draw their attention and create an emotional connection to the product and brand, preferably for life.
Advertisers focus on marketing to children for a variety of reasons. First, they influence purchasing decisions today, mainly through nagging and temper tantrums. There is also a long-term component to this strategy, brand building and customer loyalty. One day, these children will be buying for themselves, and eventually, their own kids. Children see, on average, 15 food-based commercials daily, according to KFF.org. Consider that over an entire childhood, the amount of advertisements will total in the tens of thousands, assuming the aforementioned averages.
While food shopping recently, I decided to take a moment and look at some of the marketing geared toward children. It's not hard to miss that almost every packaged item, geared to any age, are plastered with marketing claims and labels. These are always on the front of the package while the nutrition facts and ingredients are hidden somewhere more discreet, like the back or bottom and needing a magnifying glass to read.
As it pertains to children-focused marketing, it doesn't take long to notice that the movie character (always on the front) is huge while the actual food product is off to the side or corner, if it is even there at all. It is also important to note that the actual pictures of the food are often doctored or at least photographers spend hours framing the product in the best light possible. Your frozen lasagna is not going to look that good, "fresh" out of the microwave.
Children are easily influenced by a wide variety of things, including advertising. Did you ever see how glued they are to the TV? When they are in this state, their brains are usually in the alpha state, which is the same frequency hypnotists use to plant suggestions in your mind when someone wants to quit smoking or lose weight. So not only are these kids being influenced many times a day, but they are in highly susceptible states, which allows the message to sink right in. I believe the responsibility of a child's health rests with his or her parents, however, these practices need to be exposed.
With such a negative influence targeted towards our children, what can we do? I recommend shopping at health food stores like Whole Foods while avoiding the average chain. A health food store typically does not have any of the really unhealthy processed foods, so you are immediately improving your child's nutrition. The packaging there is also more likely to focus on the health of the product rather than deceptive marketing practices. I also suggest taking a close look at what your children watch on TV, both the actual program and the advertisements. Some stays limit or have no commercials while others have rules about the quality of the product being advertised. Finally, you need to instill the importance of nutritious food and making healthy food choices. You child may see 100,000 commercials about food by the time they're 18. Who do you want him or her listening to?
Advertisers focus on marketing to children for a variety of reasons. First, they influence purchasing decisions today, mainly through nagging and temper tantrums. There is also a long-term component to this strategy, brand building and customer loyalty. One day, these children will be buying for themselves, and eventually, their own kids. Children see, on average, 15 food-based commercials daily, according to KFF.org. Consider that over an entire childhood, the amount of advertisements will total in the tens of thousands, assuming the aforementioned averages.
While food shopping recently, I decided to take a moment and look at some of the marketing geared toward children. It's not hard to miss that almost every packaged item, geared to any age, are plastered with marketing claims and labels. These are always on the front of the package while the nutrition facts and ingredients are hidden somewhere more discreet, like the back or bottom and needing a magnifying glass to read.
As it pertains to children-focused marketing, it doesn't take long to notice that the movie character (always on the front) is huge while the actual food product is off to the side or corner, if it is even there at all. It is also important to note that the actual pictures of the food are often doctored or at least photographers spend hours framing the product in the best light possible. Your frozen lasagna is not going to look that good, "fresh" out of the microwave.
Children are easily influenced by a wide variety of things, including advertising. Did you ever see how glued they are to the TV? When they are in this state, their brains are usually in the alpha state, which is the same frequency hypnotists use to plant suggestions in your mind when someone wants to quit smoking or lose weight. So not only are these kids being influenced many times a day, but they are in highly susceptible states, which allows the message to sink right in. I believe the responsibility of a child's health rests with his or her parents, however, these practices need to be exposed.
With such a negative influence targeted towards our children, what can we do? I recommend shopping at health food stores like Whole Foods while avoiding the average chain. A health food store typically does not have any of the really unhealthy processed foods, so you are immediately improving your child's nutrition. The packaging there is also more likely to focus on the health of the product rather than deceptive marketing practices. I also suggest taking a close look at what your children watch on TV, both the actual program and the advertisements. Some stays limit or have no commercials while others have rules about the quality of the product being advertised. Finally, you need to instill the importance of nutritious food and making healthy food choices. You child may see 100,000 commercials about food by the time they're 18. Who do you want him or her listening to?
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