The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children: Parental Viewpoint

Journal of Business Ethics (2010) 91:299311 Springer 2009 DOI 10.1007/s10551-009-0084-2

The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children: Parental Viewpoint

Aysen Bakir Scott J. Vitell

ABSTRACT. The childrens market has become significantly more important to marketers in recent years. They have been spending increasing amounts on advertising, particularly of food and beverages, to reach this segment. At the same time, there is a critical debate among parents, government agencies, and industry experts as to the ethics of food advertising practices aimed toward children. The present study examines parents ethical views of food advertising targeting children. Findings indicate that parents beliefs concerning at least some dimensions of moral intensity are significantly related to their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions of food advertising targeting children as well as the perceived moral intensity of the situation.

KEY WORDS: parents, children, ethics, food advertising

The childrens market has become signicantly important to marketers (McNeal, 1998). Many marketers spend millions of dollars on advertising to reach this growing segment (Jardine and Wentz, 2005). More specically, food and beverage companies in the USA spend an estimated US $1012 billion targeting children and adolescents (McKay, 2005). According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, children are exposed to more than 7,600 commercials on candy, cereal, and fast food in any given year (Kotz, 2007).

The effects of advertising on children have been highly debated among various groups, including parents, researchers, industry experts, and government agencies. One of the primary debates has been the potential impact of food advertising directed at children. A variety of institutions are involved in this debate. Some of these organizations such as public advocacy groups criticize the food companies and television networks concerning the increased amounts spent as well as the types of promotional efforts targeted

at children (York, 2007). Furthermore, statistics provide substantial concern about obesity, showing that approximately 50% of elementary-school children and 80% of teenagers will battle obesity during their lifetime.

There is also debate among practitioners on advertising practices directed at children, with even marketing professionals indicating concern about advertising targeted at children. When interviewed, 35% of them consider the general ethical and moral standards in the industry to be lower than in the past, with 40% believing that these standards are about the same (Grimm,...