Post on 11-Apr-2017
transcript
Ethical or Unethical? Sohel Khatri
Marketing to Children
• The Happy Meal that is targeted towards children began in 1979 and became rapidly popular.
• In 2010 McDonald's was sued for unethical marketing practices
• Monet Parham came forth to sue McDonald's
Critics
• Nearly one in five children in the United States is obese, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
• And the food is more often junky than nutritious
• Is it unfair for McDonald's to bypass parents and market directly to little children
Customer views?
Nutritional information for Happy meal
Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest
Calories Percent of meal’s calories from saturated fat
Percent of meal’s calories from total fat
Sodium
Hamburger, French fries and soft drinks
590 8% 31% 710 milligrams
Hamburger, Apple dippers and low fat milk
450 7% 18% 570 milligrams
McD Advertising
• Brilliant Marketing Campaign
• The key issue here is whether this is deceptive. Because children do not yet have the reasoning to understand unfair marketing.
Questions?
• Should advertising fast food to children be illegal?
• What is the government's role?
• Best way to fight childhood obesity is more exercise and less time spent watching TV or playing video games?
• Happy Meal advertising ethical or unethical?
What is being done?
• McDonald's has been told to change its advertising to focus on the food and not on its Happy Meal toys
• In some countries, including the UK, there is a ban on advertising foods high in fat, salt, and sugar to children.
• McDonald’s has taken steps to provide healthier options on its menus, like salads and smoothies
• The fast food company has been fined $1.6 million for allegedly using advertisements to target children in Brazil
Cont.
• McDonald's giving away books in Happy Meal
• McDonald’s Is Transforming Happy Meal Boxes Into VR Headsets