Marketing
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- Date Submitted: 06/24/2013 09:57 PM
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Title: Marketing Techniques
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Story: Fast-Food Marketing Targets Children - Ethical or Unethical?
McDonald's Corporation began as a barbecue restaurant in 1945, and is now the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, with a presence in about 120 countries, and serves more than 60 mn. customers everyday.
Most companies use ‘target marketing’, i.e., identifying key or focus pockets of customers that it can best aim its products and marketing efforts at, as part of its marketing strategy. Some businesses target children as their favourite end-users and focus their products and marketing at them. They form a profitable and rewarding market but, in my view, younger children are impressionable and incapable of fully comprehending the implications of marketing tactics, so it might not be ethical to target them.
McDonalds is an example of a company aiming its marketing and advertising at children, who will ‘pester’ their parents to go buy a burger. In fact, conditions are such in the United States, that when children are asked to get ready for dinner, they say “When are we going for a 'Happy Meal'?” A ‘Happy Meal’ is the much advertised child meal at McDonalds, which consists of a meal packed in a cardboard box with a toy. Some doctors have coined the term ‘Unhappy meal’ to bring out the disadvantages of fast food in general.
Fast food is fast being touted as unhealthy, high-fat, and not nutritious enough for growing children. It is the biggest contributor to obesity in the country. However advertising to children works, as their minds are pliable and would easily believe what they see and hear. That could be one of the reasons why the American Psychological Association believes...
Author:
Story: Fast-Food Marketing Targets Children - Ethical or Unethical?
McDonald's Corporation began as a barbecue restaurant in 1945, and is now the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, with a presence in about 120 countries, and serves more than 60 mn. customers everyday.
Most companies use ‘target marketing’, i.e., identifying key or focus pockets of customers that it can best aim its products and marketing efforts at, as part of its marketing strategy. Some businesses target children as their favourite end-users and focus their products and marketing at them. They form a profitable and rewarding market but, in my view, younger children are impressionable and incapable of fully comprehending the implications of marketing tactics, so it might not be ethical to target them.
McDonalds is an example of a company aiming its marketing and advertising at children, who will ‘pester’ their parents to go buy a burger. In fact, conditions are such in the United States, that when children are asked to get ready for dinner, they say “When are we going for a 'Happy Meal'?” A ‘Happy Meal’ is the much advertised child meal at McDonalds, which consists of a meal packed in a cardboard box with a toy. Some doctors have coined the term ‘Unhappy meal’ to bring out the disadvantages of fast food in general.
Fast food is fast being touted as unhealthy, high-fat, and not nutritious enough for growing children. It is the biggest contributor to obesity in the country. However advertising to children works, as their minds are pliable and would easily believe what they see and hear. That could be one of the reasons why the American Psychological Association believes...