Moms Open to Parent-Focused Approaches To Reaching Children

Campbells soup labels for educationThe heat on marketers regarding virtually all advertising that reaches children continues to intensify. One of the latest manifestations is the Federal Communications Commission's June 26 decision to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on TV product placements, which are drawing fire primarily because of their potential influence on the young.

Marketing in school environments has, of course, also long been a focal point for groups advocating stricter controls on advertising to children.

In the midst of this controversy, new research on mothers' attitudes about marketing and advertising in schools from School Family Media, Inc. is shedding light on what is and is not acceptable from a parent's standpoint.

According to this research, moms take a practical attitude. By and large, they do object to marketing/advertising programs that directly target children and teens within the school environment, but support programs that focus communication on parents--particularly when the programs offer financial support for schools and educational programs.

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School Family Media (SFM) publishes parent/school-oriented magazines PTO Today and Jump In, and also has a marketing solutions division that helps consumer companies connect with mothers of school-age children through programs executed through parent/teacher organizations (PTOs) and PTAs. SFM conducted this online survey of mothers during April and May, in conjunction with Kid Power, an annual conference owned by the International Quality & Productivity Centre (IQPC).

The survey included detailed questions about key issues surrounding marketing/advertising through schools, such as the acceptability of student-versus parent-focused materials; in-classroom versus out-of-classroom materials; and general corporate responsibility in marketing through schools. Of the 1,186 respondents across 48 states, 93% were women between the ages of 25 and 54, with one or more children under the age of 18.

The results indicate that consumer product marketers need not fear that they are "trespassing on school grounds," as long as they shift their focus from directly targeting kids to connecting with parents "via mutually beneficial programs that are relevant to and supportive of the school community," according to John Driscoll, VP, business development for SFM.

Highlights of the findings:

  • Respondents affirmed a very low tolerance for through-school marketing and advertising that directly targets students. For example, just 9% of moms said that ads on school buses are acceptable, and only about one-third said that ads on book covers are acceptable. Only half found free curriculum materials that only feature a corporate logo acceptable.
  • Conversely, more than 92% found corporate-sponsored materials and samples distributed to parents at parent-attended school events acceptable.
  • More than 95% responded favorably to school redemption/rewards programs such as General Mills's "Box Tops for Education" and Campbell's "Labels for Education."

A typical respondent comment: "School budgets are strapped, so having opportunities to use conscientious corporate sponsors is a good thing, if done in the right way."

"Through-school, out-of-classroom marketing and school-business partnerships executed in the right way remain highly valued by parents and schools--and are probably one of the most direct and effective ways to connect with this audience," says SFM's Driscoll.

  • More than 80% of moms support educational materials and magazines provided free specifically to parents--a finding that would seem to affirm marketers' growing focus on direct-to-consumer, experiential approaches as a means of reaching and influencing purchase intent among families with school-age children.

Asked to rank their interest level in receiving free product information or samples from a range of product categories at parent-attended school events, mothers expressed the strongest support ("some" to "strong" interest) in information about health products and sports/fitness products (each supported by 85%), followed by toys/crafts (83%) and food/cooking (82%).

  • Nearly two-thirds of moms said that participation by major food and beverage marketers in the Better Business Bureau's Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), aimed in large part at reducing childhood obesity, is a genuine step in the right direction. However, 74% advocated further self-regulation, and said that the CFBAI should be extended to include all companies that advertise to kids, not just F&B companies.
  • Parents hold themselves most accountable when it comes to advertising and kids. Nearly 90% said that parents, not corporations or schools, are primarily responsible for limiting kids' exposure to advertising. SFM interprets this as another indicator that consumer marketers need to take a collaborative, parent-focused approach in marketing that involves schools.
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