
The average American child is exposed to a tremendous number of marketing messages each year. When just considering exposure to televised messages, children between the ages of 2 to 18 see 13,000 to 30,000 commercials each year (Gantz, Schwartz, Angelini, & Rideout, 2007). That number excludes the marketing messages that children see in other settings including those seen in online settings, in movies, on radio, in print, within videogames, on billboards, and even in schools. This level of exposure is of significant concern to children and advertising researchers, as there are serious questions regarding children’s vulnerability to marketing messages, particularly in contexts where there is less parental/policy oversight. (e.g., advergames). Moreover, with possible links between food marketing exposure and chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, the potential public health impact of specific marketing practices requires careful study. The Children and Marketing Working Group is taking a close examination of the short and long-term effects of marketing communication particularly within both developmental contexts and in newer media formats. We are also looking at how to protect children through advertising literacy programs or through the use of marketing techniques to encourage protective behaviors.
WORKGROUP MEMBERS
Workgroup Chair

Matthew Lapierre, PhD
Matthew Lapierre, PhD
Professor, Communication,
Advertising and Marketing
University of Arizona

Anna McAlister, PhD
Anna McAlister, PhD
Assistant Professor,
Department of Advertising and Public Relations,
Michigan State University

Esther Rosendaal, PhD

Frances Fleming-Milici, PhD
Frances Fleming-Milici, PhD
Research Associate,
University of Connecticut,
Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

Jessica Castonguay, PhD
Jessica Castonguay, PhD
Assistant Professor of Instruction,
Department of Advertising,
Temple University

Jennifer Harris, PhD
Jennifer Harris, PhD
Director of Marketing Initiatives,
University of Connecticut,
Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity