It is never too late to become what you might have been.
-George Eliot
"Companies that target young children in marketing efforts are apparently getting through with their messages," observes Work and Family Life newsletter (May 2010). A University of Michigan study reported in this newsletter, found that children are influenced by advertising earlier than previously thought.
In the study, researchers showed a group of 3- to 5-year-olds a series of corporate logos and asked the children to identify them. Their rates of recognition were as high as 92 percent for some brands. McDonald's was the most commonly recognized, followed closely by other fast foods, sodas, and toys. At age 3, kids were readily able to recognize the brands that were marketed to them.
"There are plenty of 3- to 5-year olds basing their drink choices on 'bubbles' and 'fun,'" said study coauthor, Betina Cornwall. "It's clear from the fast-food branding segments of this study that we need to address the development of eating habits very early in life."
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Comments (5)
Displaying All 5 CommentsSpirit Child Yoga & RECE
Aurora, ON, Canada
Further to this topic, in community college I ask my students why chld care centres promote commerical cartoon characters by doing really bad murals and window "art" promoting these monolith companies.
Spirit Child Yoga & RECE
Aurora, ON, Canada
Scary message. That is why media literacy and critical thinking skills must be introduced and nurtured from a very young age.
However, As an early literacy consultant, I can tell you that we can capitalize on this awareness of logos by connecting it to reading. You can cut up food packages (espcially healthy ones) and flyers from well-known shops, and make them into a matching/memory game. You then scaffold the learning by talking about the letters and shapes in the logos, who goes to these stores, why, etc.
On another note, working with new parent groups, I have twice encountered mothers who used to work in marketing. Since becoming mothers, voiced that how children are marketed to is unethical and immoral and would be changing careers after maternity leave!
Albina Head Starat
Portland, OR, United States
My parents' generation worried about
the threat of "Godless communism," while extolling the virtues of Free Enterprise. The former has faded into history. It's the latter that's trying to take over the world!
Albina Head Starat
Portland, OR, United States
I am a Registered Dietitian working with young children in a large, urban Head Start. If I were QUEEN [or dictator or supreme being] I would not permit commercial displays of any kind on television programs designed for children. It is "TMI" and information that teaches them stuff they do not need to learn! Who knows for sure the effect this has on future decision making -- and possibly contributes to childhood obesity. Let them have a few years of freedom from this junk. Give their brains time to develop info processing, analytic, evaluation and decision-making skills in a neutral environment -- and then give them good information that will promote, not hamper, their healthy development. Anna H Petrov, RD
UCLA Early Care and Education
Los Angeles, CA, United States
This advertising may be even more pernicious that this study indicates. Diapers, even size 1 for the youngest babies are imprinted with Disney characters, Sesame street characters, Blues Clues and so on. VERY young babies, under a year old, will insist on diagers with certain pictures. This may seem innocuous at the time, but they are internalizing corporate logos long before they have any idea of the significance of them.
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