There are many opinions about whose responsibility it is to monitor what a child is exposed to when it comes to marketing. On the one hand, the parent should monitor what messages are being delivered. On the other hand, this has become increasingly difficult to do with the advancements of technology reaching far beyond the television. Children are a coveted audience for many reasons. They have considerable influence over purchases made by their parents because they will become intolerable until the parents caves in. Many marketers take advantage of this awareness by promoting this behavior in an effort to create brand loyalty starting in the cradle.

1. Marchant, Stephanie
IMC 619 Week 2
Page 1
There are many opinions about whose responsibility it is to monitor what a child
is exposed to when it comes to marketing. On the one hand, the parent should monitor
what messages are being delivered. On the other hand, this has become increasingly
difficult to do with the advancements of technology reaching far beyond the television.
Children are a coveted audience for many reasons. They have considerable influence
over purchases made by their parents because they will become intolerable until the
parents caves in. Many marketers take advantage of this awareness by promoting this
behavior in an effort to create brand loyalty starting in the cradle. (Marketing to
Children, 2013) Advertisers spend an estimated $17 billion marketing specifically to
children in the United States. Children are more influenced by commercialism than
previous generations and this can present significant conflict with their parents. (Shah,
2010)
With more than 200 million “Likes” on Facebook, the Walt Disney Company and
all its entities (Disney) is one of the most powerful brands around, online and off. And
they take this responsibility very seriously. They have dedicated teams to oversee all
aspects of marketing and promotional practices, especially when it comes to children.
They know children are impressionable and the Disney brand speaks not only to them
but to their parents – who were once children – as well. Not only does Disney know
how to acquire new customers, they have mastered the art of keeping them happy on a
continual basis. Their target audience may be children, but the money comes from the
pockets of their parents. Disney respects that.
Advertising to children: is it ethical
Disney is diligent in its belief that parents know what is best for their family and
strive to deliver marketing messages in a way that families are comfortable with. They
adhere to the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the National Advertising
Review Council (NARC) strict guidelines for all media outlets that target children 12 and
under. These guidelines include that marketing must not be deceptive, inappropriate,
unfair, or exploitative in any way. (The Walt Disney Company, 2012) These self-
imposed restrictions empower parents in the decision making process of what their child
interprets – with their limited cognitive abilities – when they see anything from Disney.
This is evident in their website, disney.com, and the lack of blatant marketing
messages from the initial point of entry throughout the site. Instead, Disney engages
the visitor by offering access to any message of their individual selection rather than
forcing the message on them.
Disney’s Powerful Marketing Machine
Disney's website is easy to find without prior knowledge of its address, being well
positioned on numerous Internet search engines. Therefore, it is easy to see how
Disney attempts to surround its existing and future consumers with a global marketing
campaign that is immersive and crosses international borders with a minimum of
change. (Martin & Yecies, 2013) They aggressively pursue new audiences as well as
trying to maintain its current consumer base by driving traffic toward its website. Disney

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focuses on access to interactive online technology by specifically promoting Disney
merchandise through the Internet and vice versa.
The packaging of Disney culture has now reached global markets once
unattainable. The Internet, in particular, has delivered this culture to millions of
households, schools and workplaces all over the world. Their website represents all of
the individual Disney business units as a whole. Unlike any other promotional vehicle,
disney.com has given all the Disney business units direct access to consumers' homes
and the ability to solicit immediate interaction.
The Mouse knows what you want
The Disney web site is sleek and impressive to navigate. Visitors can view
movie clips, TV schedules and episodes, games galore, music, events, and travel
information, as well as a Disney shopping extravaganza. Children are engaged by
being able to visit specific areas of interest and parents are relieved to know their
children are in a safe place. Not only are children involved, but parents – especially
moms – can learn successful parenting tips through Disney’s Spoonful, Babble, and
BabyZone websites. Families can plan their Disney vacation, learn about upcoming
movie releases, and get the inside scoop on all things Disney. Visitors can sign up to
receive weekly emails and connect through social media outlets like Twitter and
Facebook, and “Pin” Disney items to their Pinterest boards. (Disney, 2013) And, of
course, any data that is collected is mined by Disney to better personalize future
marketing endeavors to these individuals.
Building a better Mouse trap
Disney also advertises its website address in newsletters and at the end credits
of its home videos and theatrically released features. Each of these cross-promotion
vehicles drives traffic toward the disney.com home page while reminding audiences
how easy it is to log on.
As long as Disney maintains its high standards of developing and distributing
their marketing message, no immediate concerns are raised. It is important that the
tactics and interactions are well crafted and thought out to continue building on the
sense of community Disney has established through all of its media outlets. Looking at
the content shared on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube it is clear that the messages are
not purely product-driven; in fact, they are more conversational and interactive in nature.
Disney recognizes the importance of connecting with its fans and these new media
marketing channels allows them to speak with each one individually.

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References
Disney. (2013, November 2). Retrieved from Disney: http://disney.com/
Marketing to Children. (2013, November 2). Retrieved from Campaign for a Commercial
Free Childhood: http://commercialfreechildhood.org/resource/marketing-children-
overview
Martin, B., & Yecies, B. (2013, November 2). Disney through the Web looking glass.
Retrieved from First Monday:
http://www.firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/1153/1073
Shah, A. (2010, November 21). Children as Consumers. Retrieved from Global Issues:
http://www.global issues.org/article/237/chidren-as-consumers
The Walt Disney Company. (2012, November 2). Corporate Responsibility Report.
Retrieved from The Walt Disney Company:
http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/citizenship/responsible-content