In today's complex commercial world, children are increasingly recognized and behaving as an independent consumer group. With discretionary income to spend and influence on family purchases, children are a market force on the rise and consequently, a target audience for marketing and advertisements. But what messages are being directed at children and how will these messages affect their cognitive development and shape their lives?
While children are able to differentiate between marketing and other forms of communication from a young age, they're more vulnerable to manipulation through advertising messages and prone to accepting such messages as truthful and unbiased. Marketing tactics and advertising can lead children to adopt certain consumer behaviour which can result in negative impacts on children's physical and mental health. One such negative consequence of child- and youth-targeted marketing is obesity which is increasing rapidly in both developed and developing countries. Obesity has been linked to the consumption of energy-dense, micronutrient-poor products that are high in fat, sugar, salt and which are marketed directly to children.
Yet child- and youth-targeted marketing is more than just commercials in traditional media channels. Children today have access to countless media outlets that are far more difficult to monitor than radio or television. Marketing to children has expanded to include messaging at points of sale, children's clubs, sporting events, concerts, websites, social networking sites and even in schools. Marketing messages may introduce children to inappropriate content like violence, sexualization and unrealistic body images.
What actions can businesses take?
The Children's Rights and Business Principles are the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marketplace and community to respect and support children's rights. Principle six specifically calls upon businesses to ensure that communications and marketing do not have an adverse effect on children, but rather promote children's rights, positive self-esteem, healthy lifestyles and non-violent values. It also calls for marketing practices that comply with the standards of business conduct established by the World Health Assembly.
To better assess children's rights they relateto marketing and advertising, businesses must assess and understand their actual and potential impacts. For instance, businesses can ask themselves whether they have a global responsible marketing and advertising policy in place that prohibits harmful and unethical advertising related to children. Do they follow established guidelines and best practices for marketing and advertising; including participation in voluntary marketing codes and standards?
An important step for business is to empower its staff to make the right decisions by having in place policies and guidelines. A number of companies such as Lego, Disney, Unilever and H&M have already taken steps to integrate children's rights considerations into their marketing and advertising strategies.
This infograph offers some suggested actions for your business.
Towards new standards
Numerous industry groups have taken action and developed voluntary, self-regulatory international codes of conduct that specifically address the issue of marketing to children. For example, the EU Pledge on Food & Beverages commits leading food and beverage companies to changing the way they advertise to children by using commercial communication that support parents in making informed and healthy diet and lifestyle choices for their children. These are important steps, but more must be done.
Governments and other entities, including the United Nations, are also acting to address the negative effects of marketing. While legislation and regulatory measures cannot dictate all aspects of what is right and wrong in marketing to and with children, government measures to protect the rights of children in marketing are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In some countries, the dynamics of marketing to children are changing. In 2011, the United Kingdom commissioned a report known as the Bailey report, Letting Children Be Children, to counter the commercialization and sexualization of children via the internet, television, advertising and garment industry.
Much remains to be learned about how to regulate marketing practices and business has a key role to play in respecting and supporting children's rights in the marketplace. Marketing and advertising to children and young people can be an important aspect of a business strategy, yet children's rights such as the right to health, the right to non-discrimination or the right to be protected, must be at the core of considering any such marketing and advertising campaign. Unfortunately, self-regulatory initiatives are insufficient to guarantee that the impact of advertising on children is not harmful, which is why complementary action by governments and international organizations is important.
It is only by working together and combining the efforts of governments, business and other stakeholders that we can start shaping marketing and advertising practices as a positive contribution for our children today and future generations.
Bo Viktor Nylund is senior advisor, corporate social responsibility at UNICEF
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