Letters | Kids have great power, and advertisers great responsibility
- Children’s power to influence purchasing decisions is considerable, especially in wealthier households or where parents try to compensate for absence
- When focusing on children, marketers should avoid making misleading claims, exploiting children’s imagination and creating unrealistic expectations
The ways different households approach consumption can vary, depending on the type of family and the dynamics of decision-making within it. In nuclear families with only a pair of adults and one or more children, the approach to consumption is often influenced by the youngsters.
Children have their own wants and needs, and that has an effect on consumption decisions within the family. Children have been known to play an important role within consumption decisions, particularly for products relevant to them, such as cereal, juice, soft drinks, clothing, mobile phones and video games, with older children wielding greater power.
03:50
Creative father’s home-made toys continue to amaze in China
While focusing on children’s wants and needs, marketers should avoid making misleading claims, exploiting children’s imagination and creating unrealistic expectations to attract purchases.