Transcript Exploratory study on children’s perception of TV ad in

Exploratory study on children’s
perception of TV ad in urban China
Kara Chan, Hong Kong Baptist University
James McNeal, Guanghua School of
Management, Peking University
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Chinese children as consumers
One-child policy in urban China
1-2-4, one child spoilt by parents and
grandparents
290 million children aged 14 or below (US
population of 60 million)
Estimated that in 1999, 60 urban children
spent US$6 billion and influence family
purchase worth US$67 billion
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Chinese children as consumers
Index of influence: 68% on 24 routinely
purchased family items, compared to 45% in
US (McNeal 1992)
Main sources of new products: TV, parents,
retail outlets, and the mass media
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Chinese perspective on child
development
Emphasis on moralistic orientation
Filial piety
Good manners
Importance of education
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TV advertising and children
With increase in age, comes
Increased understanding of TV commercials
Decreased trust in commercials
Decreased liking of commercials
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Ad regulation in Mainland China
No specific law about children’s advertising
China Advertising Association’s guidelines for
spiritual civilization (for children’s ad)
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Should not induce children to pester parents
Respectful to seniors and others
Should not link superiority with possessions
Should not deceive children
Child should be save, no smoking/drinking
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Illegal ad activities
According to China Consumer Association
Snacks claim that increase children’s
intelligence
Health foods enables students to score full
marks in examinations
Shoes can enhance growth
Promotional gimmicks
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Research objectives
Explore Chinese children’s understanding and
perceptions of television advertising
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Research method
Focus group study
Three age groups: 6-8, 9-10, 11-12
Conducted at Peking University
October 2001
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findings
Understanding increases with age
– Commercials give us a break (boy, 6)
– Commercials tell us about new products (girl, 9)
– Commercials want people to buy the products. When
more people buy the products, a company can
expand its business and become a well-known
international company (boy, 11)
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What they like and don’t like
Younger children like funny and educational ads
Older children like funny and meaningful
commercials
They like jingles
Among 22 favorite commercials, 6 are PSAs
Dislike slow, long and repetitive commercials
Dislike commercials that exaggerate and make
false claims, dislike medicine commercials
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Perceived truthfulness
Most of them said commercials are partly true
Younger children consider an ad not true
because of visual presentation not real
– A commercial shows a man coming out from a
bubble. It is impossible. (girl, 7)
Older children suggest more ways to check
– I’ll try the product to see (girl, 11)
– See if the endorser is credible (boy, 11)
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Advertised vs non-advertised brands
Younger children have greater confidence in
advertised brands, other children are skeptical
Advertised brands are being tested or used.
They should be better. (Girl, 7)
Only brands of poor quality or those
overproduced need to advertise. (Girl, 12)
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conclusion
Seems to have developmental changes with age
Higher awareness of public services advertising
Should verify the result with quantitative study
Compare liking and disliking of advertising that
uses different creative executions
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