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