Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Advertising that targets children is not a new phenomenon as they have an important impact on the buying decisions their parents make. The aim of this study is to investigate the process of making and planning advertising for families, children and parents, and the role of the advertising agencies. The investigated fields were how advertisers target children and who decides the target for advertising. The research focused on two main questions: how the target of advertising is determined and how advertisers see children as a target group.
The empirical study was implemented by using the qualitative method of theme interviews. The research data was gathered in Helsinki, Finland, from eight art directors in advertising agencies. According to the advertising agencies, they have to help their client to specify their target and message. Most of the advertising agencies have been helping their clients to clarify the segment and also to find new markets. They have also been trying to find new markets for children. In the literature, children are seen as victims of ads, and for advertisers, children are a very challenging target group. Advertisers also feel that children are used to see ads everywhere and that makes them a more challenging target.