Transcript FFN- Your Trusted Friends - English100

Your Trusted
Friends
Vanessa Serrato
Thor Roe
“Your Trusted Friends”
In this chapter of Eric Schlosser’s book Fast
Food Nation he talks the similarities between
Walt Disney and Ray Kroc, mainly how their
rise to fame came about from their ability to
market and self-promote to children. Their
marketing tactics pioneered the techniques that
other companies have adopted to become
more successful today. This has brought up the
argument, however, that children are not yet
wise enough to understand that the companies
they love and trust so dearly only see them as
sales
Children’s Perspective:
Born to Buy
Children are at the point where their lives are
saturated with commercial marketing
Children aged 2-11 see 25,000+ advertisements in a
single year (CCFC)
Companies plan a “cradle-to-grave” advertising
strategy (Schlosser 43)
Develop “relationship” with these companies
Leads them to become loyal “Kid Kustomers”
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/issue/marketi
ng-children-overview
Parent’s Perspective:
I Love You, Don’t Cry
Boom for children marketing began in the 1980s...
“the decade of the child consumer” (Schlosser 43)
Parents felt bad for neglecting their children
Solution = buy child’s happiness
Leads to compulsive consumption on the parents’
parts, trying to keep their kids happy
Eric Schlosser- “Fast Food Nation” Ch. 2
Schools' Perspective: Money
Principals, often acting as gatekeepers for the
for Education
and
Operation
schools
see this practice
as good
for the school and
the education of students
Most do not believe the students are influenced by
the marketing
Findings suggest that viewing advertisements does
influence their audience, primarily in attitudes
towards brands
Often, the deal is a trade for product placement and
advertising for needed equipment, or a stipend from
the company if sales are good
Neither schools nor states typically regulate
commercial activities in schools.
“Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing
Children”. Sandra L. Calvert, Electronic Media
The Companies: Revenue
Streams and Public Good
The spending power of children is, altogether, in the area
of $1 trillion.
The average child watches about four hours of television
a day and sees more than 20,000 commercials annually
Provides a valuable source of funds to schools, at a time
when budgets in schools are shrinking
Highly cost-efficient and effective access to a target
group that many consider of prime importance
http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/speaker_pres
/data/3005
Key Terms
Marketing ethics
“Kid as Customers” (book)
“Kid Kustomers”... for life
James McNeil
Cross Promotions
Compulsive consumption
Marketing campaigns in schools
School finance/budget
Dan DeRose
Effects of childhood marketing
Critical Questions
Should it even be legal to market to children?
At which point does one’s conscience/ethics enter
into a business scheme and marketing campaigns?
What effect does this early onset marketing have on
children as they become adults?