Kid-sumerism

How much buying power to children really have?

As someone who has studied communication for many years now, it might seem ironic, but I avoid news media outlets and marketing unless I specifically go looking for information to help me make an informed purchase (or if I have to for homework). As a mother with two small children I decided to get cable again. I hadn’t seen commercials in years (with the exception of YouTube ads every here and again). The blatant and unapologetic, not to mention loud, advertising on children’s channels is absolutely unreal, annoying and insanely effective. My daughters, age 2 and 5, used to come home from grandma’s house talking about toys I had never heard of or had any interest in. Since getting cable these commercial ads have invaded our conversations and since I’m usually in the room I get interrupted with the shrieking screams of “I want that!!!!! See mom, that’s what I was talking about!!”

Now my daughters aren’t allowed on YouTube (I’m a Crime Prevention Specialist and can tell you all the ways children are targeted on YouTube), but there are ways that children are targeted for products as well. Unboxing videos are the most obvious way children are being sold the latest toys.

If this isn’t enough exposure to marketing for a group that has no concept of money management let’s talk about McDonald’s for a second. USA Today published that 20% of all sales at McDonald’s included a toy. McDonald’s is the largest toy distributor in the world. Yes, you heard right. McDonald’s distributes more toys than WalMart and Target. Notice, I didn’t say toy seller. It’s all marketing. The toys keep your kids up to date with the latest movie or toy sensation to drain your wallet. Which brings me to the point of this blog: Whose wallet is being drained? Yep, it’s yours (and mine).

Are you really choosing to buy these toys? We, as adults, like to think we have a say in it, but do we really? If you’re going to buy any child a toy, what is the first thing you do? Ask the child “What do you like?” Does any kid not have an answer to this? They begin their enthusiastic and almost rehearsed monologue about some show or some toy and begin to rattle why these toys are the absolute best thing in the world and that they need it more than the air they breathe. At this point, whatever commercial or ad got them all worked up has affected your purchasing decisions and there you are in line or online about to buy something you still know nothing about because of an ad you have never seen.

According to an article in Revel Advertising kids consume your entire life the moment you even know you’re pregnant. Extended family and friends begin to invest their interest in this new little life. Clearly, this is common knowledge that is absolutely a way to exploit innocent minds into pestering the wallet holders in their lives to buy into the latest cheaply made and overpriced fad.

So why is this such an important demographic beyond the concept that they’re just easy targets? Well, let me tell you. Being impressionable also means that it’s a way to hook them young. Sound familiar? Just like the claims against the tobacco industry, brands are attempting to create a solid foundation of future consumers. Obviously, toys aren’t the same as tobacco but it’s still sort of unethical to bombard children with ads for things they can’t buy for themselves with money they made themselves just to re-wire their brains that aren’t old enough to make decisions for themselves so that they keep buying these brands as adults.

The communicator in me is in awe, but the mom in me is just a little bothered.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/11/19/five-things-about-mcdonalds/3643557/

http://www.reveladvertising.com/blog/2017/4/25/generational-marketing-kids-and-their-buying-power