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Commercialism
in Schools
Children
as Human Subjects in Marketing Experiments:
Ethical
Responsibilities of Parents and Researchers
September
2002
1)
NEW WAY OF MARKETING TO CHILDREN, TAKE PARENTS OUT OF
LOOP
·
Old:
Manufacturer ----------------------------- > Parent
and Child
·
New:
Manufacturer ---------------------------- > Child
-
AVOID
parent entirely
-
DIRECTLY
target children only
and,
teach children tactics to influence
their parents
-
For
example, STEALTH
MARKETING
2)
MARKETING RESEARCH WITH KIDS
-
Major
Categories of Research with Children
-
Product
Concepts tests (e.g., packaging, appeal, characters,
ads)
-
Additional
Volume Potential in Existing Product Category (e.g.,
flavors of Pringles potato chips)
-
To
Test Commercials
-
Tests
to see how children will physically handle product
3)
MAJOR DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES
(A
lot depends on age of child)
-
Schools,
Daycare (quid pro quo)
-
Panels
-
Parents
already members of a Panel, kids now too!
-
National
Family Opinion (NFO), 200 kid responses, two page
survey, $7500
-
Online
-
This
type of research is growing fast
-
Useful
for short concept tests
-
Chat
rooms, company may look in, or create one to mine
information, STEALTH
again
-
Kids
Online Panels, children given $ incentives, (e.g.,
Kidzeyes.com)
-
Focus
Groups
-
Guided
Activities and Games, usually disguised so child
doesn't know it is marketing research
4)
MORAL ISSUES
-
Pontius
Pilate Plight (conflict that exists between
professional duties and personal reservations)
-
Consent,
Is It Really Informed if the Parents Don't
Understand Research Goals?
-
Are
the Parents Only Ones Responsible?
-
Are
Vendors Morally Responsible to Children? To Parents?
-
Clients
Moral Responsibilities to Vendor, to Children, to
Parents?
-
Marketing
Research Industrys' Moral Responsibilities to
Children? To Parents?
-
Four
Major Marketing Research Industry Associations, Do
They Have Codes of Ethics Regarding Children?
-
American
Marketing Association (AMA), NO CODES
-
CASRO,
(Council of American Survey Research Organizations),
NO CODES
-
ESOMAR,
(Word Association of Opinion and Marketing Research
Professionals), few but vague
-
MRA,
(Market Research Association) few but vague
Rosahn
(Bob) Abuja, Professor of Marketing, Xavier University,
Cincinnati, Ohio. Phone 513-232-9077, email, Ahuja@xu.edu,
or Graucho2@aol.com
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