WOM Ethics--Marketing to Children

My opinion is certainly not a new one. Professor Barnes has mentioned about his interpretation of marketing-to-minors since the first day of class. As I read through the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I find that Standard 7 (quoted below) is unrealistic.

“Standard 7 – Marketing to children and adolescents: A WOMMA member shall not include children under the age of 13 in any of its word of mouth marketing programs or campaigns; and shall comply with all applicable laws dealing with minors”—WOMMA Ethics Toolkit

Let me analyze each problematic word.

Shall not “Include”—I wonder how. Nowadays we don’t live in bubbles. Our lives are colliding with others each minute; our views are shaped and changed by the current events, the fashion, and the hot topics. The children don’t play with their age-groups anymore. Some hang out with the cool kids who are older; some go shopping or watch TV with moms or relatives. Some go on camping trips or conferences and meet other groups of people. Children have their networks too.

“All applicable” laws—who defines applicable? Is law simply enough? One thing I learn as I grow up is that lawyers’ jobs are to go around the laws. Find the holes. Drill on the words. When does someone go to a lawyer and the lawyer tells s/he that “Oh, I am sorry. I cannot help you because your action is illegal under ALL laws?” Even serial killers have lawyers who are on their sides. Instead, I argue that we shall comply with our fundamental ethical standard. If you don’t want this ___(marketing effort)___to be seen by your own children, don’t impose it on other people’s children.

Marketing professors have taught me that marketing efforts should be directed at the persons who have the power to make the purchase. At the same time, they reminded me that end users who may not have the purchasing power can have a very strong demanding power. Toddlers demand toys. Children demand the cool kind of pets. Adolescents demand the fashionable style of clothing.

We also cannot deny the fact that children and adolescents are the easiest group of people to target using Word of Mouth. They can be easily affected and molded by others. They have the sharpest sense. Think “Silly Band”. Marketing to children is also the most risky. The cool-ness of a product is short-lived like a spark. The range of favorability is wide. A product can be “Awesome!” or it can become “Boo!” Marketing to children is also the most profitable. Once a child likes an icon, an image, a product, s/he wants it all over the body. Clothes, shoes, lunch bags, backpack, cereal…Think “Hannah Montana”. Marketing to children—if it is done correctly and successfully—is the best positioned investment ever. We grow up with some products and we see them as part of our lives, even when we become old and wrinkly. Think “Coke”.

Instead of drilling on the wording of a sentence, why don’t I (we) think about how to market effectively and appropriately to children? As much as all code of ethics are utopian in nature, as much as I think code of ethics are easily said than done, we shall do our best to adhere to the fundamental ideas behind these standards and to make our world a better place to work, play, live, and love.