Blog o' RAMA

RAMA's May Meet-up

RAMA invites one and all to our second meet-up: come on out to network and get noticed.

No need to register. Just show up on Thursday, May 7th at Northfield's Food and Drink, located at 3001 Monroe Ave (entrance in back).

Time: 5:30- 7:30. We had outstanding attendance at our last event of this kind. Many board members will be there to answer any questions you have about us, as a growing Rochester organization.

Tweet it up if you Twitter!

Global Product Placement: Use Caution When Marketing to Children

This is Bill Ward, Collegiate Relations Chair for RAMA and Assistant Professor of Marketing in the  College of Business at Alfred University .

I was recently interviewed by Noriko Sawada, a journalist from a Japanese Magazine called Nikkei Business Associe, regarding the product placement by Visa in Hasbro's childrens' board game, the Game  of Life. Noriko has written a series of over 100 articles for the magazine called "America Now (or What's Up America)" on various topics ranging from child obesity, gay marriage and business trends.

Marketing to children is controversial in the U.S. because children are classified as "vulnerable consumers," making them a risky target for any marketer. However, Japanese children are seen as more vulnerable due to cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan . Also, Japan is still a predominately cash-based society and revolving credit is viewed with more caution compared to the U.S. Online shopping and a marketing push by banks in Japan is attributed to an increased use of credit in Japan.

I advocate that certain marketing techniques using controversial product categories targeting children, such as fast food and credit card product placement, not be used due to backlash potential. These product categories should be restricted, similar to alcohol and tobacco, to create a harbor for children safe from advertisers' clutches. In an op-ed piece I wrote for the Christian Science Monitor titled, Hollywood promotion...in church? , I also advocated that consumers should demand limits on the number and type of venues in which marketers can promote their products such as in churches and schools.

Product promotion, branded entertainment and cross-promotion will only increase as companies compete for profits and attention in a cluttered global marketplace. Marketers, especially those who represent potentially controversial product categories, must exercise extreme caution when targeting children with these techniques. Short term profits will not outweigh the negative impacts of consumer backlash and increased regulatory scrutiny. Complex cultural and regulatory considerations in the global arena make targeting children an even riskier proposition. Therefore, marketers must do their homework before launching a product or marketing campaign internationally.