Child-Aimed Advertisements

It seems as if Disney can't go a week without being caught up in some sort of controversy.

It is no secret that children are the easiest age group for companies to advertise to. Children do not have the ability to distinguish between a quality product and a product that is simply hyped up by the company advertising it, so companies do not have to put a lot of effort in order to get children to be interested in their products. In addition, children offer the largest incentive for advertisement because of the influence they have on the purchases of their parents. A simple temper fit can get many parents throughout the world to cave and buy whatever their children want to calm them down. Children account for an increasing amount of consumer spending every year. The amount of power children have in the market coupled with their naive nature makes them not only easy targets, but ideal targets for companies. 

Illustration of both child influence on parent and media influence on child.

Disney is among multiple companies who are currently under fire for "Child Influencer Advertisements," taking advantage of the susceptibility of children. As a company that is constantly under attack by critics who are fed up with the projection of Disney as an innocent company with strong family values, there was no chance of these advertisements going undetected. Multiple consumer watchdog groups, including Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Public Citizen, and the Center for Digital Democracy filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission in an attempt to improve regulations and protect children from companies who try to manipulate them. 

Since the Federal Trade Commission has already regulated television advertising as a result of a similar type of manipulation occurring in television shows, Disney and other companies saw a new pathway through the popularity and fairly under-regulated internet video stars and content creators. The internet creators are allowed to distribute ads and commercials without directly informing the audience that they are being paid to do so. While watching, the children can't distinguish between the paid advertisement or genuine satisfaction about a product.

(more information at https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/24/ftc-complaint-over-influencer-videos-targeting-kids/ and https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/24/ftc-complaint-alleges-google-disney-others-profit-from-deceptive-ads-aimed-at-kids/)

It is certain to say that these tactics may not be the most respectable method of advertising ad increasing sales; however, I would just like to remind everyone that Disney is a business(more specifically a business aimed to entertain children). While Disney may commit shady business maneuvers, it is important to realize that as a company, making money will usually take priority over moral obligation in practice. After all, Disney will want to try to stay as far as possible out of the financial danger zone, considering the financial state that the company had reached in the 80's and early 90's. The first priority of Disney will always be to stay in business and avoid bankruptcy. 

Since Disney is a business, I would judge its character based on the content that it puts out, not the marketing methods that it practices. If you want to judge Disney based on the Moana costume that it released or the messages that its movies send, that is fair game, in my opinion; however, as Disney is just doing its job by making money, using whatever marketing techniques are necessary to maximize profits. The marketers for Disney are simply executing their jobs to maintain job security and employment. 

In the capitalist economy of the United States, children are going to be exposed to advertisements geared toward them no matter what regulations take effect. The advertisements are on billboards, children's favorite sports teams and players, and even in some schools. Since the children can't distinguish paid advertisement versus unpaid advertisement, it is the parents' jobs to make sure that the children do not get taken advantage of. Whether the parents complete this simply by saying no when their kids ask for toys or helping them understand advertisements, they must make sure that their kids are not vulnerable in an economy full of advertisements geared toward them.

Although I have spent most of this post defending Disney, I would like to assert that I do not support the "Child Influencer Advertisement." It is not Disney's job to get rid of these advertisements, because they are making a profit from them. Instead, it is the job of the Federal Trade Commission. to regulate these ads to make sure that children are not being taken advantage of. It is time for the Federal Trade Commission to make a change and get strict.