Transcript Bejon Misra - Exchange4media

Marketing Responsibly to Children
At The ASCI,
Sliver Jubilee Seminar,
Mumbai, 10th June 2010
By
Bejon Misra
27 Years in the Indian
Consumer Movement
www.bejonmisra.com
Former Chairman, Consumer
Coordination Council, New
Delhi
www.core.nic.in
Children as Consumers
• Children are becoming
consumers at younger
and younger ages
• They are more
empowered today to not
only take decisions but
influencers too
• Access to Television
advertisements is a key
mover and has made the
difference
• Extremely poor
knowledge on health and
safety issues
What are the Consumer Rights ?
1.
The right to satisfaction of basic
needs
2.
The Right to Safety
3.
The Right to be Informed
4.
The Right to Choose
5.
The Right to be Heard
6.
The Right to Redress
7.
The Right to Consumer
Education
8.
The Right to a Healthy
Environment
What are the key issues ?
• 80% think TV Ads
are targeting
children the most
• 88% feel the food
companies should be
more responsible
towards children
• 84% feel Government
should do more to
protect the children
What are the Global Concerns
• Not to use Children as
tools of marketing
• Children can not be
commercialized
• School premises should
be insulated from brand
promotion
• Parents should bring
social values rather than
monetary incentives to
children
Link established between obesity
and marketing to children
• WHO Global Strategy on
Diet, Physical Activity &
health 2005
• Governments told to take
action on food marketing
to children WHA 2010
• India also joins the
movement to initiate
adoption of several UN
treaties on marketing to
children
Some of the + steps taken recently
• PepsiCo’s announcement on
new Global Policy 2012
• Creative movies like “Taare
Zameen Par” has proved the
success
• Consumers International
develops the code of
marketing to children
• Several countries bring in
regulations on marketing to
children
What is the way forward ?
• There are several existing
regulations let us not
create more
• In absence of relevant
research and
precautionary principles
we must develop the
code of conduct
• We should focus on
schools and Television
programs as the first
step forward
Health & Safety of Children
Should Always Prevail Over Profit
Thanks for listening to me