I’ve read about you on your site so I have an unfair advantage as you don’t even know my name. I am AJ Wijetilleke and I am a marketing and sales coordinator for WITF, the public media outlet in Harrisburg, PA. Like you, the desire to work for a non-profit overtook my desire to work for the man. At WITF I truly do work for the people. I am also a student in the Integrated Marketing Communications graduate program at West Virginia University and this is a blog that I am creating as my final project for New Media studies.

I need to let you know immediately that I don’t disagree with you or the mission of Parents for Ethical Marketing at all. I know that, when you really take stock of how some things are being sold these days, it seem like we’re losing a battle. I think of Bratz dolls and I shake my head. When I think of my friend’s two-year-old and how much she wants one for her birthday in January, I actually sigh out loud. I don’t have children of my own but I do have children in my life for whom I care greatly. I try to be so careful about the gifts I give them so usually I give checkers, dominoes, or Uno decks. I’ve witnessed the look of disappointment on their faces when they realize none of those things require electricity or will talk back to them or some other silly thing. So I absolutely understand why you would make a comment about children being raised to be good consumers instead of good citizens.

I see your point of advertising being everywhere thus making it difficult to control your children’s exposure to it. It seems like everywhere we turn we are facing a sales pitch of some sort. In fact, advertising is all around us and we probably don’t even realize that we are being influenced by it at this point.

There is one statement that you wrote in your reply that I must disagree with: “One set of parents isn’t much of a match for a $17 billion industry!” You’re wrong. It’s much more dire than that. As parents you aren’t just doing battle with the marketing industry. You are fighting the influence of your children’s peers who have also been influenced by marketing but may have parents that are less aware of it or even not concerned about it.

No one wants to be the only kid without the latest gadget everyone is playing with or piece of clothing that everyone is wearing. I will admit that certainly marketing plays a part in that kind of reaction from children. But I also question if that isn’t simply human nature. There are some people who feel the need to conform.

Thank you for clearing up the persuasion issue for me. I was reasonably sure it had to be related to cognitive development since children are your concern. I’m eager to read your updates because that is something that needs to be taken into consideration.

Now, in reply to your rhetorical question of me regarding my struggle with advertising, it’s really simple: I don’t question the effectiveness of advertising at all. What I do question is why is it effective? I wonder if we weren’t subjected to marketing at all would we really want less or be content with what we have?

So I now have a question for you, Lisa? Do you (and/or your organization whichever you prefer) think that ethical marketing to children exists or can exist? If so, who is currently marketing in a respectful manner? If not, what do you suggest we as marketers do to remain ethical as you define it?

Thanks again!

AJ

Thanks so much for taking a critical look at our organization. You are correct in that I do have a bias against our consumer culture. I believe that kids are being raised to be good consumers instead of being good citizens.

Your other observation — that parents are ultimately responsible — is dead right. I hope we don’t give any other impression.

We do not, however, have ultimate control over where and when our kids are exposed to advertising. We can control it in our home, certainly, but we can’t control what goes on everywhere else: the grocery store, school, on buses, or at friends’ homes.

Part of our mission, though, is to help inform parents about all the tactics that are used so that they have more power to combat it (if they wish). One set of parents isn’t much of a match for a $17 billion industry!

So while parents are ultimately responsible, I don’t let corporate America off the hook entirely.

I think you’ve also made a good point about understanding the persuasive nature of advertising. To clarify, we were not addressing anything other than a child’s ability to understand (based on stages of congnitive development). We’ll need to clarify that on the site and in our material. Thanks — no one has ever pointed that out to me before!

And if you’re struggling to determine if advertising works or not, if it affects consumption, consider this: If advertising was not effective in selling products, companies would not do it.

Thanks again for your insights.