Introduction

Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade its viewers, readers or listeners to take
some action. It usually includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service
could benefit the consumer, to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume that particular
brand. Modern advertising developed with the rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.

Commercial advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or

services through branding, which involves the repetition of an image or product name in an effort to
associate related qualities with the brand in the minds of consumers. Different types of media can be
used to deliver these messages, including traditional media such as newspapers, magazines,
television, radio, outdoor or direct mail. Advertising may be placed by an advertising agency on
behalf of a company or other organization.

Organizations that spend money on advertising promoting items other than a consumer
product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental
agencies. Nonprofit organizations may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as a public service
announcement.

Objectives of the Study

The subject matter for this Project is to study the effects of advertisement on children. Following are
the main objectives of this report.

 To know the children's awareness about confectionary Products & their advertisements.

 To study the impact of advertisement of confectionary Products on children.

 To know whether is there any connection between TV watching habit of children and their
medium of study or not.

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 Research Methodology
Statement of the Problem

Through this report we want to find out how children are influenced by the advertisements especially
of confectionary products. So the statement of this project would be ‘Effect of Advertisements on
Children with special reference to confectionary products’
The research process goes within the following confectionary products:
 Biscuits
 Chocolates
 Wafers
 Noodles
 Sauces
 Health Drinks

Research Design
Research design selected for this project is Descriptive.

Scope:
The research will be done at Hyderabad city only.

Sampling Plan:-

Target Population : - Target population for this research would be children with age of 8-15
and their parents.

Sample Unit : - Sample unit for this research would be children with age of 8-15 and
their parents of a selected area.

Sampling Technique : - Stratified Random Sampling

Sample Size : - 300 (150 children and 150 parents)

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Sampling Methods:

There are mainly two of sampling methods which are being used by the marketers:
1. Probability Sampling (Random Sampling)
2. Non – probability Sampling

Probability sampling is a method for drawing a sample from a population such that all possible
samples have a known and specified probability of being drawn.
Non probability sampling is a sampling procedure in which the selection of population
elements is based in part on the judgment of the researcher or field interviewer.
The sampling method for this report would be probability sampling because here each sample
has equal chance of being selected and again it would be stratified random sampling

Data Collection Method:

There are mainly two types of data collection methods which are as follows:

 Primary Data
Primary Data is the one that is being collected by the researcher itself and is being collected for the
first time. Researcher has collected this data with a specific purpose of studying the problem.
Primary Data in the research process would be collected by filling up questionnaires from children
and their parents.

 Secondary Data

Secondary Data is the data that already exists and in ready to use format and gathered by somebody
else. This data can be in the form of articles in magazines, journals, government reports or any other
historical data. It might even be the different articles in newspaper and on the internet blogs.
Secondary Data that would be used by researcher in the research process as supportive
documents are from the various newspaper articles, magazines related to specific industry, books in
the specific field of advertising and various different internet sites.

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Instrument:-
The instrument selected for the primary data is structured questionnaire.

Tentative plan:-
The tentative plan for this research would be as following.
 Research methodology
 Advertising Industry
 Indian Advertising Industry
 Children and Advertising
 Rules and Regulations of Advertising to Children
 Analysis of Primary Data
 Testing of Hypothesis
 Key Findings
 Suggestions
 Conclusion
 Bibliography
 Annexure

Expected contribution of the study

The research or study will help to understand how children are influenced by the advertisements of
confectionary products.

Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries of this research would be researchers, students & the company with confectionary
products.

Limitations
The major barriers in conducting the survey are:

1. Time Limitation
2. Financial Limitations

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 3. Geographical Limitations

1. Time Limitations

For a researcher time has always worked as a barrier to his/her research process. As we are
conducting the survey in the different schools of Hyderabad city and observing the students aging
between 8 years to 15 years, time has always worked as a limitation to the research process

2. Financial Limitations

Another major limitation for this study is financial limitation. Finance is the major limitation for any
study. Again for this study finance does matter to the researcher to some extent.

3. Geographic Limitations

As we all know that Hyderabad is becoming a mega city. It covers big number of people living in the
area. There are thousands of primary schools where the students are studying. Also the weather of
Ahmadabad city is very hot and hence it is impractical to work for more than 3 to 4 hours a day in
field. (Because children can be interviewed either at the school opening time or the recess time or the
school closing time only).

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 Types of advertising
Virtually any medium can be used for advertising. Commercial advertising media can include a wall
paintings, billboards, street furniture components, printed flyers and rack cards, radio, cinema and
television adverts, web banners, mobile telephone screens, shopping carts, web popup, skywriting,
bus stop benches, human billboards, magazines, newspapers, sides of buses, banners attached to or
sides of airplanes ("logojets"), in-flight advertisements on seatback tray tables or overhead storage
bins, taxicab doors, roof mounts and passenger screens, musical stage shows, subway platforms and
trains, doors of bathroom stalls, stickers on apples in supermarkets, shopping cart handles
(grabertising), the opening section of streaming audio and video, posters, and the backs of event
tickets and supermarket receipts. Any place an "identified" sponsor pays to deliver their message
through a medium is advertising.

Television

The TV commercial is generally considered the most effective mass-market advertising format, as is
reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for commercial airtime during popular TV events.
The annual Super Bowl football game in the United States is known as the most prominent
advertising event on television. The average cost of a single thirty-second TV spot during this game
has reached US$3 million (as of 2009).

The majorities of television commercials feature a song or jingle that listeners soon relate to
the product.

Virtual advertisements may be inserted into regular television programming through computer
graphics. It is typically inserted into otherwise blank backdrops or used to replace local billboards
that are not relevant to the remote broadcast audience. More controversially, virtual billboards may
be inserted into the background where none exist in real-life. Virtual product placement is also
possible.

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Infomercials

An infomercial is a long-format television commercial, typically five minutes or longer. The word
"infomercial" is a portmanteau of the words "information" & "commercial". The main objective in an
infomercial is to create an impulse purchase, so that the consumer sees the presentation and then
immediately buys the product through the advertised toll-free telephone number or website.
Infomercials describe, display, and often demonstrate products and their features, and commonly
have testimonials from consumers and industry professionals.

Radio advertising

Radio advertising is a form of advertising via the medium of radio.

Radio advertisements are broadcasted as radio waves to the air from a transmitter to an
antenna and a thus to a receiving device. Airtime is purchased from a station or network in exchange
for airing the commercials. While radio has the obvious limitation of being restricted to sound, this
becomes its major disadvantage.

Press advertising

Press advertising describes advertising in a printed medium such as a newspaper, magazine, or trade
journal. This encompasses everything from media with a very broad readership base, such as a major
national newspaper or magazine, to more narrowly targeted media such as local newspapers and trade
journals on very specialized topics. A form of press advertising is classified advertising, which allows
private individuals or companies to purchase a small, narrowly targeted ad for a low fee advertising a
product or service.

Online advertising

Online advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web for the
expressed purpose of delivering marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of online
advertising include contextual ads that appear on search engine results pages, banner ads, in text ads,
Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, online classified advertising, advertising networks and
e-mail marketing, including e-mail spam.

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Billboard advertising

Billboards are large structures located in public places which display advertisements to passing
pedestrians and motorists. Most often, they are located on main roads with a large amount of passing
motor and pedestrian traffic; however, they can be placed in any location with large amounts of
viewers, such as on mass transit vehicles and in stations, in shopping malls or office buildings, and in
stadiums.

Mobile billboard advertising

The RedEye newspaper advertised to its target market at North Avenue Beach with a sailboat
billboard on Lake Michigan.

Mobile billboards are generally vehicle mounted billboards or digital screens. These can be on
dedicated vehicles built solely for carrying advertisements along routes preselected by clients, they
can also be specially-equipped cargo trucks or, in some cases, large banners strewn from planes. The
billboards are often lighted; some being backlit, and others employing spotlights. Some billboard
displays are static, while others change; for example, continuously or periodically rotating among a
set of advertisements.
Mobile displays are used for various situations in metropolitan areas throughout the world,
including:

 Target advertising
 One-day, and long-term campaigns

 Conventions

 Sporting events

 Store openings and similar promotional events

 Big advertisements from smaller companies

 Others

In-store advertising

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In-store advertising is any advertisement placed in a retail store. It includes placement of a product in
visible locations in a store, such as at eye level, at the ends of aisles and near checkout counters, eye-
catching displays promoting a specific product, and advertisements in such places as shopping carts
and in-store video displays.

Covert advertising

Covert advertising, also known as guerrilla advertising, is when a product or brand is embedded in
entertainment and media. For example, in a film, the main character can use an item or other of a
definite brand, as in the movie Minority Report, where Tom Cruise's character John Anderton owns a
phone with the Nokia logo clearly written in the top corner, or his watch engraved with the Bulgaria
logo. Another example of advertising in film is in I, Robot, where main character played by Will
Smith mentions his Converse shoes several times, calling them "classics," because the film is set far
in the future. I, Robot and Spaceballs also showcase futuristic cars with the Audi and Mercedes-Benz
logos clearly displayed on the front of the vehicles. Cadillac chose to advertise in the movie The
Matrix Reloaded, which as a result contained many scenes in which Cadillac cars were used.
Similarly, product placement for Omega Watches, Ford, VAIO, BMW and Aston Martin cars are
featured in recent James Bond films, most notably Casino Royale. In "Fantastic Four: Rise of the
Silver Surfer", the main transport vehicle shows a large Dodge logo on the front. Blade Runner
includes some of the most obvious product placement; the whole film stops to show a Coca-Cola
billboard

Celebrities

This type of advertising focuses upon using celebrity power, fame, money, popularity to gain
recognition for their products and promote specific stores or products. Advertisers often advertise
their products, for example, when celebrities share their favorite products or wear clothes by specific
brands or designers. Celebrities are often involved in advertising campaigns such as television or
print adverts to advertise specific or general products.

The use of celebrities to endorse a brand can have its downsides, however. One mistake by a
celebrity can be detrimental to the public relations of a brand. For example, following his
performance of eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, swimmer Michael

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Phelps' contract with Kellogg's was terminated, as Kellogg's did not want to associate with him after
he was photographed smoking marijuana

Recent Trends in Advertising

 Internet Advertising

Internet Marketing is the online advertisement and selling of products, services or businesses
through the Internet. Online advertising is possible only if one has its own website. Having a website
for a particular business is worthless until and unless people know about your business and put their
trust and likings on services that you provide. So, having a website is just like having a shop, if
people find you, they obviously visit it, and visit it again if they find it really interesting.

Internet Advertising is the latest and most effective method of business promotion. It is
necessary to help people find you more easily, know your presence, know more about the services
and products that you offer and assure people what real difference you can bring about in comparison
to other similar service providers. To make your website worth interesting, different Website
advertising strategies are available today, such as, pay per click advertising, banner advertising, email
marketing, search engine marketing through search engine optimization, affiliate, article, blog and
interactive marketing services. If these strategies are dealt attentively, then you can experience the
difference that online business can bring on your business.

There are 26 million Internet users in India, largely in the age group of 20 to 40 - a target-base
for India's rapid growth advertising industry is increasingly looking at. It's reboot time for Indian
advertising with predictions that the online segment is likely to cross the 100 million dollar mark by
2010, according to a study by MSN.

India's advertising industry generates about 2.2 billion dollars annually, according to industry
sources. Currently, online advertising comprises less than one per cent of the pie. The total spending
for 2016-2017 was about 18 million dollars, but the Indian Online Association (IOA), predicts this
will touch 57 million in 2018-2019.

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 Internet is increasingly a part of the media mix for advertisers as they realize its high potential
in reach and penetration. Print and television still hog a major share of Indian advertising at 700 to
920 million dollars annually. But digital advertising industry players point out that television too saw
a sluggish beginning and then exploded as cable TV entered the arena. So what's holding back the
online advertising boom? It’s the unfamiliarity with the new medium, a lack of understanding of its
reach and potential, a fear of venturing into a new area. The limited reach of Internet - it has only 26
million users in a country of one billion - is another reason. The mobile industry has far overtaken
Internet with a user base of 50 million in India and is growing by the day.

Unlike print and TV, the consumer can decide when and how he wants to be exposed to a
campaign, and the advertiser too can filter targets in terms of groups and locales. The Internet has
great cost advantage as well. The cost per 1,000 reach is very effective when compared to other
media. Finance is the main sector going for Internet advertising in India. Most in the advertising
industry agree that today even a brilliant campaign has a vital element missing if there is no Internet
presence.

Leading portals in India like Rediff, Yahoo and MSN are also seeing a revival. Rediff saw an
increase of over 70 per cent in online revenue on its India operations in 2016. It largely comprised
advertising and fee-based services like online subscriptions, mobile downloads and online shopping.
And there were more than two dozen first time advertisers the same year. Yahoo! India saw a 100 per
cent growth in advertising in 2016. Indiatimes.com, the online operations of one of India's leading
media groups estimated total advertising on its site to be around 3.5-4.6 million U.S. dollars in 2016.
All top advertising agencies in India from JWT, Lowe Lint’s, O&M and Mudra have interactive arms
or links with the same.

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 Internet Users in India:

Year Users Usage Source

1998 14,00,000 ITU

1999 28,00,000 ITU

2012 55,00,000 ITU

2013 70,00,000 ITU

2014 1,65,00,000 ITU

2015 2,25,00,000 ITU

2016 3,92,00,000 C.I.Almanac

2017 5,06,00,000 C.I.Almanac

2018 4,00,00,000 IAMAI

2019 4,20,00,000 Internet world star

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  Mobile Advertising

Mobile advertising in India is at a very nascent stage compared to markets like Japan, Korea and
West, but many are reported to be preparing to get into the act. “The future for mobile advertising is
already here, despite not being on many marketers’ radars yet. Hundreds of millions of ads are
already being run, click-through rates are much higher than online. The growth of 3G networks,
IPTV and high end gaming on mobile phones will open new avenues for advertising on mobile.

The size of mobile advertising in India is miniscule, it has potential to grow at 200% a year,
giving operators a new revenue source. With the average revenue per user (ARPU) constantly falling,
it could be a saving grace for operators. From Rs 356 in March last year, the ARPU in December
2018 has declined by 115 to touch Rs 316. The worldwide mobile advertising market is pegged at $1
billion currently. IDC believes with more than two billion mobile users in the world, it prevails as the
first medium through which advertisers can reach such a large audience on an individual basis.

In India, it is currently a Rs 5-6 crore market, set to grow to Rs 20-25 crore by March 2008. It
is clearly a medium that needs to be evangelised to brands as how Internet advertising was done to
brands in early 2012 - 2013. Mobile advertising can take many forms like SMS broadcast, MMS
broadcast, sponsored content, WAP ads and product placement in games. Currently, it is restricted to
SMS based activities in the country. Some FMCG, beverage and entertainment companies have
tested MMS too and few operators have also tried to get sponsorship revenue from value added
services.

Seeing the huge potential of mobile advertising in future, operators like Bharti Airtel, MTNL,
Reliance and Tata Teleservices are exploring the option, but feel it will take some time for the format
to take off in the country in a big way.

Targeted mobile advertising is 50% more acceptable to mobile internet users than untargeted
ads, according to the consumer mobile advertising report conducted with more than 1,200 mobile
internet users across the US, Europe and India. As 70% of the SMSes have less than 40 characters,
value added services provider Cellebrum has come up with a solution where micro advertisements
are inserted into the text messages of subscribers who opt-in to the programme in exchange for
incentives such as free SMS or reduced tariffs.

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 In the not too distant future, we will have the freedom to choose whether we wish to pay for
our mobile calls or have it free. Soon enough we will be given a free mobile phone and be allowed to
make and receive calls for free provided we are willing to pay with our attention to short advertising
messages while using these phone. For instance, when we answer or make a call, before we get
connected, we will hear the advertising message. This message will more than likely be of some
interest to us because the advertiser would have information about who we are based on what content
we subscribe to from the ocean of published content.

 Freelance advertising

In freelance advertising, companies hold public competitions to create ads for their product, the best
one of which is chosen for widespread distribution with a prize given to the winner(s). During the
2019 Super Bowl, Pepsico held such a contest for the creation of a 30-second television ad for the
Doritos brand of chips, offering a cash prize to the winner. Chevrolet held a similar competition for
their Tahoe line of SUVs. This type of advertising, however, is still in its infancy. It may ultimately
decrease the importance of advertising agencies by creating a niche for independent freelancers

 Embedded advertising

Embedded advertising or in-film ad placements are happening on a larger scale now than ever before.
Films like Krish had over a dozen placements including Lay’s, Bournvita, Samsung, Faber Castell
and Hero Honda.

 Shift in Message from Product Features to Consumer Benefits

A common rule in the advertising industry is the “one message” strategy. In short, it is based on the
premise that one unique selling proposition (USP) is effective. This reflects concerns over how
communicating a multitude of messages in a single advertisement may easily distract consumers and
cause difficulties in understanding the underlying message, thus weakening the advertisement’s
effects. So, a common and frequently made mistake made in current commercials is that they often
end up communicating product features while obscuring their message and emphasizing
technological prowess. In particular, this trend was noticeable in industries where technological
capability was a differentiating point and complex functions were the competitive edge.

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 Recent successful commercials have instead adopted a strategy of soft appeal focused on
consumer benefits, rather than one of hard appeal, communicating product characteristics. The keys
to success for these advertisements have been the use of consumer language and attractive images
when communicating features and technologies. Selecting a simple and clear message as well as
delivering messages focusing on consumers' benefits is helpful to raise message appeal, brand
awareness and brand power.

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 Top ten Advertising Agencies of India

 Ogilvy and Mather Limited:- Headed by Mr. Piyush Pandey:

The most local of the internationals, The most international of the locals are words written to
describe the identity of Ogilvy. Basically, what this means is that the advertising agency follows the
local market, understands the customer's needs and then networks worldwide with MNC and other
relevant clients.

In all its years of business, Ogilvy has struggled to build brands and has proved its ability to build
brands. The agency does its best to enhance the customer-brand relation. For this, it undergoes the
process of scrutiny of the tools and techniques which work well to build a long and lasting
association with a brand.
 Mudra communications Pvt. Ltd:- Head: Mr. Madhukar Kamath:

The agency practises the art of communication in order to express ideas that can shape the brands. As
the name suggests, the agency is influenced by the artistic traditions of Indian dance, drama and
painting. These, in turn, inculcate feelings, ideas, thoughts and emotions for the success of a brand.
Mudra peeps into the local consumer markets, channels and media, and has its own identity in
communication of brands. It looks for the entrepreneurial zeal which causes continuous and speedy
growth for each brand. The advertising agency always believed in doing interesting work that pleases
its clients.
 Lintas India Pvt. Ltd:- Head: Mr. Pranesh Misra (President & COO - Lowe, India):

After the merge of Lintas India Ltd. with Lowe Lintas and Partners group of the UK, it is now known
as Lowe Lintas. India Pvt. Ltd. The turnover of Lintas is Rs. 750 crore. The advertising agency
inculcates advertising, media buying house, direct marketing, public relations, design consultancy,
market research, events, rural communications and interactive communications. Enterprise Nexus,
the agency partner of Lowe in India, continues to be a member and is known as the ‘Independent
Brands’ division which is the only specialist in advertising and marketing communications. Lowe

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Lintas India is a successful agency which is inclined towards quality creative advertising and works
for the benefit of its clients.
 JWT (Hindustan Thompson Associates Pvt. Ltd.):- Head:Mr.Colvyn Harris (Chief
Executive Officer):

The advertising agency has a special portfolio which includes creativity, innovation, clients, case
studies, awards, well-thought out leadership and talent. Clients perceive the agency as a resource of
ideas which tell the brand’s story to the customer, dealing with market research. In this process, the
agency includes innovative ideas.
 FCB-Ulka advertising pvt. Ltd:- Head Mr. Anil Kapoor (Managing Director and CEO):

FCB, being one of the the top three advertising agencies in the USA, ranks number 10 in the world.
FCB-Ulka has made its mark in India as Ulka Advertising. It was founded in 1961. On the creative
front, Ulka is known to stand out. FCB-Ulka has made a smooth transition from a creative shop to a
large mainstream agency. Around the mid-seventies, FCB-Ulka had become the fifth largest agency
in India and has sustained this status till date. The efforts of FCB-Ulka deserve praise. It also gave
recognition to those brands that were not in the limelight earlier but are now completely above other
market players. Santoor soap did thorough research and focused on advertising which gave growing
sales figures against stiff competition from Levers and P&G brands. Not surprisingly, FCB-Ulka is
seen as a turnaround specialist - an agency that does brand building and more.
 Rediffusion DY&R Pvt Ltd:- Mr. Mahesh Chauhan (President):

This advertising agency places its people first. It believes that the strength of a brand lies in the
efforts the people of the organization make. Rediffusion DY&R follows system-driven ‘thinking’ in
its culture. The agency attracts right minds because it thinks of a perfect balance between creativity
and strategy.
 RK Swamy BBDO Pvt Ltd:- Mr. Srinivasan K Swamy (Head)

It is the agency of the worldwide-renowned BBDO network. The advertising agency suggests comes
up with solutions for its clients regarding their marketing communication problems and provides
them with intelligent solutions and supports them in attaining their goals. The symbol or logo of the
advertising agency is Hansa and is known to separate milk from the water. Similarly, RK Swamy of
BBDO is capable of deriving the essential elements from the irrelevant ones in order to promote each
brand. The agency practises high level of commitment and spirited teamwork for a common cause.

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  McCann-Ericsson India Ltd:- Sorab Mistry (Head)

This advertising agency is a leading global agency and has the power and passion to achieve its
mission .McCann-Ericsson is known as a world class advertising agency and has found outstanding
talent in its employees.
 Leo Burnett:- Mr. Arvind Sharma (Chairman and CEO):

The advertising agency is totally idea-centric. It generates big brand ideas. It regards the pencil as its
engine no matter the size - it is the means through which it can generate plenty of creative ideas. The
agency is never too satisfied with its endless efforts in building up a brand. It believes that the brands
can become and remain leaders by building better ideas. It's no wonder that the founder of the
advertising agency, Leo Burnett, regards the pencil as a metaphor for the kind of ideas he was coming
up with for his clients.
 Grey worldwide (India) Pvt Ltd:- Mr. Nirvik Singh (President south east Asia & chairman
South Asia, Grey Global):

The agency handles above the line advertising for the Grey group. It has launched Dominos in India.
It has had Ambuja cement, Thums Up, Arrow, Lee and many more brands in its portfolio. The
mission of the agency is to remain the largest global integrated agency to leading brand ideas.

The list of the top ten advertising agencies is not always stable and remains interchanging.
The additions and deletion of a few of them formulates the list. But each of them are making their
way to becoming the best, and their efforts are making are each making a mark in the Indian
advertising scenario.

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 CHILDREN & ADVERTISING

Advertising to children is the act of marketing or advertising products or services to children, as

defined by national legislation and advertising standards. Advertising to children is often the subject
of debate, relating to the alleged influence on children’s consumption. Rules on advertising to
children have largely evolved in recent years. In most countries, advertising for children is now
framed by a mix of legislation and advertising self-regulation.

 Scope and Form

Advertising to children can take place on traditional media – television, radio and print – as well as
new media (internet and other electronic media). Packaging, in-store advertising, event sponsorship
and promotions can also be means to advertise to children.

There is no universal definition of a child (although UNESCO - the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, defines early childhood as ages 0– 8 years).
Children are otherwise defined according to national jurisdictions. For the purposes of advertising
law, the definition of a child varies from one jurisdiction to another. However, 12 is commonly used
as a cut-off point, on the basis of the widespread academic view that by the age of 12 children have
developed their behavior as consumers, effectively recognize advertising and are able to adopt critical
attitudes towards it.

There is no global data on ad spending directed at children, only data for specific sectors.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food and beverage companies (44 companies reporting
to the FTC) in the US spent approximately $1.6 billion in 2018 to promote their products/services to
children.

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 Advertising standards

In many countries worldwide, advertising is also governed by self-regulatory codes of conduct.

Advertisers, advertising agencies and the media agree on a code of advertising standards – a set of
ethical and behavioral rules they commit to respecting – which is enforced by a Self Regulatory
Organisation, often an independent industry-funded body, responsible for drafting, amending and
enforcing the code. Self-Regulatory Organizations for advertising are increasingly following the best
practice model agreed with regulators and consumer and public health groups in Europe. At a
minimum, the general aim of self-regulatory codes is to ensure that any advertising is 'legal, decent,
honest and truthful', but in most countries detailed rules are in place for different advertising
techniques and sectors.

Advertising self-regulation is built on different levels. On a global level, the International

Chamber of Commerce has drafted a global code on marketing communications. All forms of
marketing communications worldwide must conform to the ICC Consolidated Code on Advertising
and Marketing. The code includes a specific section, detailing the special care needed when
communicating with children.

Since 2018, a global code of practice on food marketing communications is also in place. The
Framework for Responsible Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Marketing Communications of the
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) sets down global requirements for food and beverage
marketing communications on all media, including the internet Key provisions include: the need for
substantiation for claims or health benefits; no encouragement of excess consumption; no
representation of snacks as meals; no undermining of healthy lifestyle messages; no undermining of
the role of parents.

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 Children and TV Advertising

As many authors states, there are many television advertisements based on children and it is faced
that children urge their parents to purchase what they want without needing. For a whole generation
of new age children, television is as influential as a parent or a teacher (Panwar, 2018). According to
Wiman (1986), children who talk with their parents more frequently about TV advertising and
commercials make more purchase requests. Children considered television to be one of life’s
necessities. Studies commissioned by cable television networks in USA, found that an average of 43
per cent of total purchases made by parents were influenced by children (Cooper in Caruana, and
Vassallo; 2015). Exposure to it was usually extensive – before school, after school, during
homework, at weekends, with or without friends (Hanley, 2012). Marketers understand this fact very
well. With the growing influence of media on children, an increasingly large number of
advertisements are today directed to them (Panwar, Agnihotri, 2018).

Children, for example, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, or those who have less
access to their parents may not only spend more time with the media. But, may continue to rely more
heavily on TV advertising for the information that they seek in various areas (Brown, Childers,
Bauman and Koch in Evra; 1995). Parents create direct opportunities by interacting with their
children about purchase requests, giving them pocket money and taking them to shopping excursions
(Ward, Wackman, and Wartella; 1977). Children spend a large amount of time watching television.
They pay more attention to commercials broadcast during children’s programming. Commercials
broadcast during children’s programming are designed to capture the younger child’s attention by the
use of cartoon characters, music, subjective camera angles and editing (Stern & Harmon, 1986).

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 TV Advertising & Children in India

More than half of television viewers in India today are children of below 15 years. And yet
there is hardly any sensitivity about the relevance and impact of what is dished out by various
television channels. All of them are operating in a competitive mode for one upmanship in the race
for viewership. In this order channels are concerned more about “what interests or attracts” rather
than what is “in the interest” of children. Neither the Government nor the parents or the teachers
seems to be concerned about this situation. For, the generation next and the civil society of the
country is shaped and molded by what they are exposed to today on the “idiot-box” day in and day
out.

Research studies over the year’s world over; have brought out various types of negative
impact of intense viewing of television by children. The direct influence of TV viewing on the extent
of violence and deviant behavior pattern of children has been reiterated – even in India. In fact, there
are a couple of confessions by adolescents, even a biography, as to how they picked up ideas about a
rape or robbery or revenge or killing or suicide or kidnap, etc from one or other TV programme.
Even some court judgments have commented on such effect of TV programmes. That TV has a
double-edged effect and that it is the negative character which impacts more than positive potential
often is known.

But what is not realized is that there are no serious efforts to explore positive virtues of TV
and that parents who should be more concerned about such a phenomena hardly do anything about it.
In fact, studies have brought out, for example, that in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, parents enjoy the
same fare of TV along with their children and as keenly; where as in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal,
parents try to restrain their children in favor of some discriminative viewing. Teachers and social
activists in a couple of places have been occasionally demonstrating about the influence of television
contents. Political parties too do not seem to be concerned to do something about. BJP, however,
had referred to this adverse trend in its election manifesto a few years ago. But did nothing on
coming to power.

22
 Even the code for advertising, although outdated and inadequate, is conscious of
“implications” to children of certain broadcasts and realizes the scope for misuse. For example,
under the code no advertisements should be accepted which lures children to believe that if they do
not own or use the product advertised they will be inferior to other children or that they are liable to
ridicule for not owning or using a particular brand. However, in reality there is neither strict
monitoring of the advertisements nor a rigid follow-up despite that many ads on television fall under
this category. And most of these children’s channels have become marketing outlets for brands
altogether to India.

Against this background and in this context there are certain recent trends on the Indian TV
scene, which need to be taken note. More and more channels are going for “children’s programmes”.
In fact, more channels are coming in describing themselves as “children’s channel” or positioning
themselves as such. Most of these are beamed into the country as if no one in the country, the
Government the least, is concerned about such a trend. What is not taken note is that:

(a) Most of these children’s channels and programmes are of foreign origin or remake of them and
are reruns over the years,

(b) They do not have anything to do with enrichment or supplementary scope for school education or
imparting moral standards (there are of course some good pre-school programmes);

(c) Some of these foreign channels are now entering their second phase in the country taking to
marketing of toys and tools for children promoted in these serials.

And, worse, as a result of all this, there has been a decline recently in the extent of locally
originated programmes for children even in Indian channels. To complicate the matter further these
foreign programmes for children are now being dubbed into Indian languages.

There are international lobbies operating aggressively to thrust upon animation serials for
children on countries like India. That is how today cartoons have become synonymous for Children’s
TV. Most of these serials are produced after so much research. But not for ensuring educational or
general knowledge aspects but for capturing and retaining eyeballs of children again and again and to
see their serials have certain “dope-effect” on children.

23
 This recent launch of DTH services in a competitive mode brings out the urgency for
Government take a view of this proliferation of uninhibited foreign fare for children and doing
something about it so that television is also used with more concern and for positive ends.

The least the Government should do is to prescribe that every channel being down linked
must have certain percent of locally produced and originating programmes for children. In fact, in
the case of children channels, this percentage of locally originated programmes has to be higher.
Canada and European Union countries have one or other provisions in this regard. If France has
prescribed 30 percent of contents of channels should be locally originated, India should go for a
higher percentage, not less.

India has a rich tradition of enriching children with folk tales and grandma tales and imparting
values and imparting discipline and moral values in an entertaining format. When some of us
advocated and argued a couple of decades ago for expansion of TV network in the country and for
going for color television, one hope was that children’s fare will get some priority and all that
treasure of India gets a chance to figure. But what is happening now is contrary. The exceptions are
only a few. For, there is a decline in the extent of children’s participation even in national channels.
The best specific examples of course are Malguidi Days, Panchatantra, Tenaliraman and the like.
Realizing these strengths of Indian tradition, some foreign producers are scouting in India to capture
talent for television, particularly in animation format. But what about our own initiatives?

We do not seem to learn from our experiences. All India Radio in the earlier years has set
good examples for children’s programmes, which were enriching as well as entertaining and
supplementary to school education. In fact, the format of those AIR programmes was such that they
were participatory and empowering confidence and courage building in children and respect for
elders and environment. Today most imported children’s programmes are all out to promote
materialism, selfishness, consumerism and “at any cost” approach to life.

24
 How Children Process Advertisements

To be effective, marketing campaigns must get children to attend to the message, desire a specific
product, recognize and remember that product, and purchase it. How well children understand the
persuasive intent of advertisements also affects the success of commercials.

Attention.
Commercials that are designed to attract and hold children’s attention are characterized by lively
action, sound effects, and loud music. The animated character Tony the Tiger, for example, bursts
onto the screen, proclaiming that Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes are “GRRRRRREAT!!” One study found
that preschoolers paid more attention to commercials full of action, sound effects, and loud music
than to more low-key commercials. Audio features are particularly important in gaining children’s
attention. Another study found that children aged three to eight were more attentive to commercials
that were higher in audio than in video complexity. Audio features have more recruiting power than
visual features because interesting sounds can get children who are not looking at the television
screen to direct their visual attention to it. These findings are consistent with Piaget’s insight that
young children are especially focused on the attention-getting perceptual qualities of presentations.
Children’s patterns of attention help reveal how well they can make distinctions between the
commercial and the television program.
In one study, researchers trained mothers to examine their children’s visual attention to
Saturday morning cartoons and advertisements. The mothers reported that the younger children (five
to eight) continued to pay attention when a commercial came on but that children older than eight
looked away. The older children’s awareness of the break in the content suggests that they are less
susceptible than the younger children to the effects of advertising.

25
 Marketing Promos Targeting Children

Children play an important role in the household decision making process by attempting to influence
their parents acquisition, usage and disposition behavior. The most common is that children nag until
their parents finally give in. Research finds that success of such attempts on the type of offering,
characteristics of the parents, age of the child and stage of the process.

Children are more likely to influence the parents for the purchase of child related products as
cereals, cookies, snacks, car vacation and new computer technologies. For clothing and toys, children
often use that argument that “Everyone else has one” and because parents want to avoid being
identified as ‘scrim piers’ they will often given in.

Interestingly, children consistently overestimate how much influence they have in most of the
decisions.

Working and single parents on the other hand are more likely to give in because thay face
more time pressures. Another important finding is that the older the child the more influence he/she
will exert on the parents.

Targeting Children
Marketers are increasingly targeting the young children because of the influence that these kids have
on their parents; buying decision. Advertisers are influencing the kids through various educational
programs, games and certain other promotional events. The promos aim at increasing the brand
visibility and developing an emotional connect with the kids.

In India, kids have a considerable amount of demographic representation which marketers

want to capitalize on. Marketers are targeting the kids because kids influence buying decisions, they
exert pressure on the parents for a certain product purchase and they are the future adult consumers.

In the earlier days, marketers aimed at influencing the parents for purchase related to kid’s
products. Of late, marketers are trying to influence the kids directly through various promos and

26
contests that provide them with lots of fun and adventure. By doing so, marketers are aiming to
occupy the young minds successfully.

Generally, the contests are specially designed to target a particular age group of kids. The
response from the kids is usually high because of the emotional tie-ups which is generated by the
promos. This is the major success factor for the marketers. The common thing in all these promos is
that they provide fun and adventure to the kids.

A Bag of Contests from Marketers

Rasna – Slogan Contest

Rasna conducted a slogan contest for the kids between the age group of 4-10 years. The contest was
very simple. The kids has to complete a slogan “I love rasna juc up because …….” and send the same
along with 10 single served sachets of Rasna.

A panel of judges was identified to decide the winners of the contest. Ten lucky winners could
enjoy a ride on a flight with Karisma Kapoor who was the brand ambassador of Rasna. The
participants who could not make it to the finals were also entitled to win 1000 early bird prizes.

Britania – “Jetix Power Your Rangers Contest”

This was one of the biggest kids contest conducted in India. The kids were given a call by the rangers
to save them from trouble by powering them through dinogems which was hid by the villains. The
dinogems were hidden in the fort of evil and the map was destroyed. The kids through this contest
had to put together and indentify the dinogems which ultimately powered the rangers.

The contest was aired on the television channels everyday. With every pack of Britania treat,
one part of the map was given (fortress of Evil). The kids had to collect the dinogems. By the end of
contest, the dinogems which was the power source of rangers.

27
The entries could be through SMS, phone calls or by e-mails. Five lucky winners made a trip to New
Zealand with their families. Fifty five other winners were given playStation and power ranger game.
Besides, 10,000 quick gun prizes and “Power your ranger bravery medals” were also given.

Maggi Quiz contest

This contest was held for students of IV, V and VI classes and included questions on general
knowledge and individual subjects. The first round was an intra school written quiz competition. The
second round was an oral quiz round and for the winners of the first round. The final contest was
conducted between six teams comprising of two students each. During these quiz round, audience
questions were also asked. The winning team was given Maggie gift packets and the members of the
audiences who participated in the quiz were given sample packs of Maggi.

Kellogg Mobile Contest

Kellogs India in association with mobile2win presented a contest for kids in the age group 4-11. The
theme of this contest was about rescuing chocos from crafty croc.

Crafty croc. Was the villain who was threatening the brand mascot Choco bear about stealing
chocos from him. All kids who wanted to participate in the contest had to buy a pack of chocos and
solve the cues provided on the pack in the form of crossword puzzles. Once the puzzle was solved, a
name would be revealed which had to be sent to the company. The company then decides the winner
on the basis of lots.

Boomer Bubble Blowing Championship

This championship was conducted in different cities. Wrigly, the bubblegum making company,
conducted this contest in which the winners of the contest were given a chance to be with the boomer
man in the boomer television commercial.
The entire process was very simple. The kid who could blow the biggest bubble was the
winner. The contest was open to kids within the age group of 8-12 years. The contest was held in two
cites and two winners were selected from each city and the final winner was selected form that. The
contest was held in schools, malls, residential complexes and market locations. Massive media
support was given to this contest.

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Apsara Excellence Awards Arts Contest
An arts contest was conducted by Hindustan Pencils Limited. The contest targeted four divisions of
students depending on the class in which they were studying. These divisions included students of
kindergarten and nursery, those studying in I to IV, V to VII and from VIII to X classes.

All the required material like pencils, sharpeners, erasers, pastle colors, water colors was
provided by Hinduatan Pencils to the contestants. The results were declared on the spot by evaluating
the entries. The evolution was done by a panel of judges comprising of eminent artists. All students
got a certificate of participation and the winners were given special prizes. The best entry was
awarded with the Apsara Excellence Award Rotating Trophy.

Many more such contests have been conducted by marketers like Funskool which conducted
the “Little Pet Shop Coloring Contest”, Cadbury with the Bournvita quiz contest, ITC’s “Classmate
notebooks young authors contest” and so on.

Marketers Expectation
The marketers conducting such contests usually aim for brand recall which would get converted into
sales after the contests.

“Kids are generally open to experimentation and if you can weave them into your game plan,
they can be excellent ‘Carriers’ of new innovations and quality products in to homes’, says Vijay
Subramaniam, General Manager (Laundry and Homecare), Henkel India.

The marketers provide excitement to the kids through fun and adventure programs and
ultimately aim to increase the sales considerably.

By organizing such contests, the marketers prompt the kids to buy and use their products
once. Also these contests generate a demand for the products. By aiming at brand recall the marketers
aim at increasing their market share considerably.

Another important aspect that the marketers consider is the ‘pester power’ of the children
which pressurizes the parents to make many buying decisions. Contests also introduces a ‘me too’

29
attitude in kids. When a kid participates in a contest it influences the other children to participate. The
marketers thereby try to make the maximum from these contests.

Conclusion

Marketing through contests and influencing kids is not a favorable option many of the times. Even
though they generate a lot of fun and excitement, launching very aggressive marketing campaigns
could create some ill effects on the children and thereby gain the wrath of the parents. Hence, the
parents and elders in the families must ensure that the kids do not fall prey to these kinds of promos.
Apart from this, the government should take some initiatives and put some restrictions on such ads.

30
 Effects of Advertisements on Children

Advertisements are meant to influence the minds of the target group that should ultimately result in a
sale for the client. However, sometimes, it can raise many questions when targeted for children. Read
on to know about the various effects of advertising on children.

Does advertising have a strong hold over the way we think or act? Does the mass media
dictate our needs and wants? Well, there are plenty of theories about the effects of advertising.
Various creative heads that belong to different advertising agencies are often churning out new ideas
to deliver their message to the public. Children form the major chunks of the target group for
advertisers. Many advertisements aimed towards children are a sole proof of this fact. The prime
motive of any advertisement is to convince the viewer about the quality of the product and instill that
urge in him/her to purchase the same. Today, advertising plays an important role in the society, as it
tends to influence young minds in particular.

The first prime motive of advertising is to attract attention. With children, the messages need
to be conveyed in a different manner. Goods are particularly packaged in order to appeal to the
younger generation. Children today, are more specific about their needs and wants. Children are
therefore reckoned to be a major ‘buying force’ by advertisers.

However, advertising can also have a negative influence over young minds if parents are not
really careful and do not teach their children about the importance of money. In many cases, children
tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed through the advertisement. They end up having wrong
notions about many issues. Advertising influences the minds of children, which creates a need to own
that particular product being advertised. Glossy images on the magazines or billboards or flashy
advertisements on television only create the urge for impulsive buying. Parents who cannot deal with
the rising demands or temper tantrums only tend to give in to the demands of their children. Children
then get used to a certain kind of lifestyle, which is shown on the television or through various media.
This only creates a very wrong impression on their young minds making them lose the ability to live
a life without relying on materialistic joys. The power of advertising thus, cannot be ignored.

31
For example, a child may prefer only a specific pair of branded jeans as compared to other clothing
available in stores. He/she may want to live the life that is projected in the advertisements. The child
may dictate to his/her parents about personal preferences in clothing, food, toys etc.

Well, with these kinds of effects of advertising, one wonders who is to be blamed in this whole issue.
Parents play a major role in this case. They need to monitor what influences the minds of children.
Parents also need to be firm with children whenever their demands increase. Children need to be told
gently that a ‘no’ cannot be converted into a ‘yes’ with tears or brawls! Parents also need to instill
good habits and help children to differentiate between right and wrong. And the sooner it’s told, the
better it would be for the child and subsequently parents as well. Advertisers on the other hand, can
also try to put their message across creatively and target the entire family rather than just children.
This will ensure even parents stay within the loop and can monitor the demands of the children. With
a balanced approach, the negative effects of advertising can surely be curbed to a great extent.

The ad filmmakers are formulating fresh ways of enticing the consumers to buy their
products. If an advertisement for a product attracts the consumers, they tend to purchase it frequently,
or at least buy it once. If a company has to survive in this competitive world, he/she has to project the
image of its products in such a way that they pick up the maximum sales, when they hit the stores.
The best way to persuade the consumer to stick to the product of the particular brand, when numerous
choices are provided to him/her in the market, is attractive advertisement. However, the ad
filmmakers should remember that the commercials can also have negative IMPACT on people,
especially the young children. In this article, we have presented some of the most visible effects of
advertising on children, positive as well as negative.

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 There is great concern about children as viewers of advertisements primarily because young
children are exposed to thousands of commercials each year in India. Marketers use television as a
medium of communication since it affords access to children at much earlier ages than print media
can accomplish, largely because textual literacy does not develop until many years after children have
become regular television viewers.

Approximately, 80% of all advertising targeted to children falls within four product
categories: toys, cereals, candies, and fast-food restaurants. Young children are able to differentiate
between a TV program and a commercial but are unable to understand the intent of an advertisement
until they are 8-10 years of age. According to Seiter, advertising to children avoids any appeal to the
rational, emphasizing instead that ads are for entertainment and "enjoyable for their own sake" as
opposed to providing any real consumer information.

The most common persuasive strategy employed in advertising to children is to associate the
product with fun and happiness, rather than to provide any factual product-related information.
Hence, children in the age category 8-10 years have a positive attitude towards advertisements.
Knowledge of advertising tactics and appeals emerges only in early adolescence and develops
thereafter. The ability to recognize bias and deception in ads, coupled with an understanding of
advertising's persuasive intent, results in less trust and less liking of commercials. With increasing
age, children's attitude towards ads changes from being positive to negative and further as children
step into adolescence, they become skeptical of advertising. Children in young adolescence even
exhibited mistrustful predispositions towards advertising. In adolescents, knowledge about advertiser
tactics increased with age. Higher levels of knowledge of advertiser tactics and certain personality
variables were positively related to adolescents' skepticism towards advertising.

33
Positive Effects of Advertisements on Children

 Advertising makes the kids aware of the new products available in the market. It increases
their knowledge about the latest innovations, in the field of technology as well as otherwise.
 Convincing ads, which center around healthy food products, can help improve the diet of a
child, if they are attractive enough. 

Negative Effects of Advertisements on Children

 Advertisements encourage the children to persuade their parents to purchase the products
shown in the commercials, whether useful or not. The little ones tend to get adamant, if they
are not bought the product.
 Children often tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed in commercials. They overlook the
positive side and concentrate more on the negatives.

 Many advertisements in the present times include dangerous stunts, which can be performed
only by experts. Even though the commercials broadcast the statutory warnings with the ad,
the kids often try to imitate the stunts at home, with fatal results.

 The flashy advertisements broadcast in television generate impulse shopping in children.

 Children, after watching the glitter of commercials, often lose the ability to live a life without
materialistic joy.

 The kids usually get more attracted towards the costly branded products, such as jeans and
accessories. They disregard the inexpensive, but useful, ones that are not shown in the
commercials.

 Advertisements have an indirect effect on the behavior of children. They might develop
temper tantrums, when deprived of the latest toys and clothes that are shown in the
commercials.

 The personal preferences in clothing, toys, food and luxurious of children are altered by the
advertisements, to a great extent.

34
  Junk foods, such as pizzas, burgers and soft drinks, are heavily promoted during children's TV
viewing time. This develops a craving for fatty, sugary and fast foods in kids, thereby
affecting their health adversely.

Rules and Regulations of Advertising to

Children in India

Like Canada, The UK, and other countries featured in this series, in India there are specific rules and
legislation concerning advertising and children. However, children in India seem to be particularly
vulnerable to the infringement of these regulations, which is unfortunately a common occurrence.

Television

The Cable Act provides guidelines for programmes and advertisements on television. All
programmes must adhere to the codes before being transmitted. The codes of the Cable Act include
the following provisions relating to children:

 Programmes on cable television should not denigrate children.

 Programmes meant for children should not contain any bad language or explicit scenes of
violence.
 Programmes for adults should normally be aired after 11 pm and before 6 am
 Programmes unsuitable for children must not be shown at times when the largest numbers of
children are viewing.
 Unhealthy practices’ showing children begging or acting in an undignified or indecent way
are prohibited.

A first offence for contravening the Cable Act is punishable with up to two years imprisonment or
with a fine of up to 1000 rupees (£12) or both. For subsequent offences, the punishment is prison for
up to five years and a fine of up to 5000 rupees (about £60).

35
Books and magazines

Publications that are deemed ‘harmful’ to children in India are regulated by the Young Act. ‘Harmful
publications’ are defined as ‘books, magazines, pamphlets, leaflets … wherein stories are told
portraying criminal offences, acts of violence or cruelty, incidents of repulsive or horrible nature, in
such a way that the publication as a whole tends to corrupt a child into whose hands it might fall,
whether by inciting or encouraging the child to commit offences or acts of violence or cruelty or in
any other manner.’ The Young Act details penalties for the sale, hire, distribution, public exhibition,
circulation, printing, production or possession of harmful publications. Advertising a ‘harmful
publication’ is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, with or without a fine. The court can
also order destruction of the offending publication.

Shaktiman

The children’s television series Shaktiman has been a cause of controversy in India for several years.
Children across the country have attempted to emulate their hero, Shaktiman, with tragic
consequences. Since 1998 there have been several accidents and fatalities as children have risked
their lives believing that Shaktiman will be there. There have been several court cases to stop save
them, or that they can assume his powers broadcast of the programme, but as litigation in India often
takes place over several years, most of the cases are still pending. However, the legal process has
resulted in a caution notice being displayed at the beginning of the programme, aimed at children and
parents, highlighting that Shaktiman is a fictional character and his actions should not be imitated.
Unfortunately the law does not seem to have solved the problem. On 23 June 2016 a nine-year-old
school girl in Kolkata accidentally hung herself by attempting to twirl in the air like the superhero.

Advertisements

36
There are no specific guidelines about acceptable advertisements aimed at children in India.
However, if there is a complaint about an ad it may be withdrawn after consideration by the
Advertising Standards Council. For example, an advertisement for a child’s drink was withdrawn as
it featured six children at the top of their class at school, implying the drink had given them exam
success. There is also no law in India which lays down guidelines for the use of child models in
advertisements. Whether children should work in this way is a matter of current debate, but there has
been no legislation passed as yet. However, there are some strict laws relating to advertising and
children. Selling, hiring, distributing, exhibiting or circulating an obscene object to a person under the
age of 20 years is punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to three years or fine of up to 2012
rupees (£26) or both. Subsequent offences are punishable with an imprisonment of up to four years
and a fine of up to 5000 rupees (£60).

Internet

Regulation on the internet in India is strict. The IT Act penalizes publication and transmission of
material which is obscene, lascivious or appeals to prurient interest. The Act can be invoked for such
material on the ground that it has the propensity to corrupt the minds of children.

Film

The Board of Film Certification grants appropriate viewing ratings for films. If a film is suitable for
all and subject to no restrictions it will be given a U certificate. A UA certificate is granted for films
where children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult in the cinema. A film that is not suitable
for under-18s is given an A certificate. The granting or refusal of film certificates is published in the
Gazette of India (an official government publication that discloses changes in the law or the
introduction of new regulations). The certification once granted is valid for a period of 10 years.

Infant milk substitutes

The Indian government is committed to promoting and protecting breastfeeding. The parliament
passed the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production,
Supply and Distribution) Act in 1992. This act prohibits the promotion of infant foods, infant milk
substitutes and feeding bottles. This is to ensure ‘that no impression is given that feeding of these

37
products is equivalent to, or better than, breastfeeding’. Violations of the act result in imprisonment
for up to three years and/ or a fine of up to 5000 rupees.

Cigarettes and alcohol

In India there are central government guidelines on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol, but each state
has a different age limit for the consumption of alcohol and tobacco – for example, you must be over
25 years of age to buy alcohol in New Delhi. Most shops that sells cigarettes and alcohol display a
sign showing the age restrictions in that state.
Advertising in schools

There are no bars on advertising in schools in India. In fact, Coca-Cola and Pepsi offer several
sponsorships to schools, particularly for sporting activities.

 Legal Implications:

In India, there are no specific advertising laws that relate to children and food-related advertisements
in particular. A host of laws and Acts like the 'Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995' and the
'Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Food Act' deal with children-related advertising
in a vague way. Not only are there advertisements that are targeted at children but a host of them that
feature young children, even babies.
In most parts of the world, there are few or no specific rules concerning food advertising to
children beyond the rules which must apply to all advertising. In India, even general rules pertaining
to advertising are very lax. Also, there are no regulatory bodies that monitor TV advertisements.
Apart from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that decides to intervene when it wants to,
there are only voluntary groups like the 'Advertising Agencies Association of India', and the
'Advertising Standards Council of India', both of which are business organizations and can only put
moral pressure on advertisers and companies to withdraw objectionable advertisements. There is
urgent need for voluntary and government pressure groups to seriously take note of the situation. The
government needs to draft and implement laws that do not deal with advertising in general but are
specific and relate to every aspect of advertising, especially those that target young children and
pertain to food. In other parts of the world, there exist voluntary groups like the 'Adbusters' and

38
'Mothers groups' that watch and pressure governments to clamp down on aggressive and intrusive
advertising. At present there are various laws implemented by government under various ministries.
The various laws are as follows:

DATA
ANALYSIS

39
Demographic Analysis

AGE:-

Age Students
8 yrs. 7
9 yrs. 15
10yrs. 20
11 yrs. 20
12 yrs. 23
13 yrs. 43
14 yrs. 18
15 yrs. 4

8 yrs.
4 7
18 15 9 yrs.
10yrs.
20 11 yrs.
12 yrs.
43
20 13 yrs.
14 yrs.
23
15 yrs.

Analysis:

The above chart shows that there are more number of 13 years student and as far as 15 years students
are concerned they are very less.

40
Medium of Study and Student

Medium of study Students

Gujarati 66
English 84

Students

44% 56%
Gujarati
English

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that there are more number of children who are studying in English
medium than in Gujarati Medium

41
Q1 How many hours a day do you watch TV?

less then 1 hour 29

1-2 hours 46
2-3 hours 47
more then 3 hours 28

19% 19%
less then 1 hour
1-2 hours
31% 31% 2-3 hours
more then 3 hours

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that as far as TV watching habit of children is concerned, there are 31% of
children who watch television for 1-2 hours a day.

There are also 31% children who watch television for 2-3 hrs. and 19% children who watch
television for more than 3 hours a day

This shows that most of the children like to watch television for 1-3 hours a day and this is
because they might be busy with their home work and project work of their school.

42
 Q2. What do you like to watch on TV?

Cartoons 97
Reality Shows 28
Movies 78
Serials 23
Song based programmes 31
Others 13

97
100 78
90
80
70
60
50 28 31
40 23
30 13
20
10
0

Analysis:

The above bar chat shows that there are more number of children who like to watch cartoons and
movies on Television than reality shows, serials, song based programmes and other programmes like
programmes which come on Discovery channel, National Geography channel and so on.

In our survey we have found that there are 97 children who like to watch cartoons on
television because they are more fascinated towards that.

Apart from that, there are 78 children who like to watch movies on television which might be
because of his/her favorite actor or actress.

43
Q3. From the following confectionary products which is your favorite product/s.

Biscuits 86
Wafers 57
Chocolates 78
Sauces 29
Noodles 38
Health Drinks 42

86
90 78
80
70 57
60
38 42
50
40 29
30
20
10
0

Analysis:

The above bar chart shows that as far as confectionary products are concerned, children like to have
more Biscuits, Wafers and Chocolates than Sauces, Noodles and Health Drinks.
In our survey we have found that Biscuits, Wafers and Chocolates are preferred by 86, 57 and
78 children respectively.
This shows that children are attracted more towards Biscuits, Wafers and Chocolates than
other confectionery products.

44
Q4. You are familiar with the advertisements of which of the confectionary products?

Biscuits 79
Wafers 59
Chocolates 61
Sauces 29
Noodles 36
Health Drinks 53

79
80
70 59 61
60 53
50
36
40 29
30
20
10
0
Biscuits Wafers Chocolates Sauces Noodles Health
Drinks

Analysis:

The above bar chart shows that children are more familiar with the advertisements of Biscuits,
Wafers, Chocolates and Health Drinks than the advertisements of Sauces and Noodles.
In our survey we have found that 79 children who are familiar with the advertisements of
Biscuits. Children who are familiar with advertisements of the Wafers and Chocolates are 59 and 61
respectively.
This is because, in majority of the advertisements of Biscuits, Chocolates and Wafers
celebrity is shown wherein advertisements of other confectionary products generally me too model is
shown, and children get easily attracted by that celebrity to purchase those products.

45
Q5. After watching ad. of any confectionary product, have you ever tried to purchase that product?

Yes 92
No 58

39% 61%
Yes
No

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that after watching advertisement of confectionary products majority of
the children have tried to purchase that product which they have shown in the advertisement.
In our survey we have found that 61% children have tried to purchase confectionary products
after watching advertisements of those products
This shows that how children are influenced by the advertisements of confectionary products
and this may affect to those families in which source of income is not that much strong.

46
Q6. If yes, then which confectionary product you have tried to purchase?

Biscuit 78
Wafer 21
Chocolate 52
Sauce 18
Noodle 37
Health Drink 46

78
80
70
60 52
46
50
37
40
30 21 18
20
10
0
Biscuit Wafer Chocolate Sauce Noodle Health
Drink

Analysis:

The above bar chart shows that after watching advertisements of confectionary products, children
have tried to purchase more Biscuit, Chocolate and Health Drink than Wafer, Sauce and Noodle.
In our survey we have found that there are 78 children who have tried to purchase Biscuit, 52
children who have tried to purchase Chocolate and 46 children who have tried to purchase Health
Drink after watching advertisement of the same.
This shows that children are influenced more by the advertisements of Biscuits, Chocolates
and Health Drinks and there are some specific advertisements of Biscuits, Chocolates and Health
Drinks in which children have mainly targeted.

47
Q7. Do you like to watch advertisements of Confectionary product on which media?

TV 118
Magazine 33
Newspaper 27
Hoardings 4

2%

15%
65% TV
Magazine
18% Newspaper
Hoardings

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that children like to watch advertisements of confectionary products on
TV rather than any other medium of advertising.
In our survey we have found that 65% children like to watch advertisements of confectionary
products on TV than in Magazine, Newspaper and on Hoardings.
This is because TV advertisement can be shown more effectively with both audio and video
effect than by the other medium and only these factors play a vital role to influence the children.

48
Q.8 You buy that confectionary products because…………….

Free Promotional items 71

Friend's Influence 24
Association of favorite character 40
Want to be like that character 15

Free Promotional items

10%

27% 47%
Friend's Influence

Association of favorite
16% character
Want to be like that
character

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that children like to buy confectionary products because free items like
tattoo and other things are attached with them.
In our survey we have found that 47% children like to buy confectionary products just
because they get free tattoo and all that children accessories on the purchase of the confectionary
products. There are 27% children also who like to buy confectionary product just because his/her
favorite celebrity is associated with that product and there are 16% children who buy confectionary
products just because of their friend’s influence. They just believe that my friend has that product so I
should also have that product.
So children like to buy confectionary product not only because it gives free promotional
products but also because his/her friend’s influence and his/her favorite celebrity is associated with it.

49
PART B:-

Q1. How often advertisements of confectionary products influence purchase decision of your
children?

Often 42
Sometimes 66
Rarely 30
Not at all 12

28%
8%

Often
20%
Sometimes
Rarely
44%
Not at all

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that advertisements of confectionary products some times affect purchase
decision of children.
In our survey we have found that there are 28% parents who replied that advertisements of
confectionary products affect more often purchase decision of their children. While 44% & 20%
parents replied that advertisements affect purchase decision of their children sometimes and rarely
respectively.
This shows that purchase decision of children is sometimes influenced after watching
advertisements of confectionary products.

50
Q2. How often does your child insist you to purchase any confectionary products after watching
advertisements of the same?

Often 40
Sometimes 56
Rarely 44
Not at all 10

7%
27%
29%
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
37% Not at all

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that there are more number of children who insist their parents sometimes
to purchase any confectionary product after watching its advertisements.
In our survey we have found that there are 27% parents who replied that more often their
child insists them to purchase any confectionary product after watching its advertisements. And there
are 37% parents who replied that sometimes their child insists them to purchase any confectionary
product after watching its advertisements. Children who not at all insist their parents to purchase any
confectionary product after watching its advertisements are very less.
This shows that how advertisements of confectionary products affect children.

51
Q3. How do you react to your child when he/she insist you to buy any confectionary product after
watching its advertisements?

Mostly Agree 39
Agree 56
Disagree 32
Mostly Disagree 23

26%
15%
Mostly Agree
Agree
21%
38% Disagree
Mostly Disagree

Analysis:

The above pie chart shows that parents become agree when their child insists them to purchase any
confectionary product after watching its advertisements.
In our survey we have found that there are 38% parents who replied that generally they do
agree when their child insists them to purchase any confectionary product after watching its
advertisements. There are 26% parents who replied that they mostly agree when their child insists
them to purchase any confectionary product after watching its advertisements.
This shows that majority of parents are not conscious about effects of advertisements on their
children especially in case of confectionary products.

52
TESTING OF
HYPOTHESIS

53
Hypothesis 1: After watching the advertisements of confectionary product children insist their
parents to buy that product is dependent on their age or not

Ho: After watching the advertisements of confectionary products children insist their parents to buy
that product is dependent on their age

H1: After watching the advertisements of confectionary products children insist their parents to buy
that product is not dependent on their age

  Age  
  8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Total
Often 2 3 5 4 19 4 2 1 40
Sometimes 4 9 12 0 3 22 6 0 56
Rarely 1 2 3 15 0 14 6 3 44
Not at all 0 1 0 1 1 3 4 0 10
Total 7 15 20 20 23 43 18 4 150

Fo Fe (Fo-Fe) (Fo-Fe)2 (Fo-Fe)2/Fe

7 6.53 0.47 0.22 0.03
12 10.07 1.93 3.72 0.37
3 5.4 -2.4 5.76 1.07
5 5.33 -0.33 0.11 0.02
12 7.45 4.55 20.7 2.78
3 5.87 -2.87 8.24 1.40
4 6.66 -2.66 7.08 1.06
0 7.45 -7.45 55.5 7.45
15 5.87 9.13 83.36 14.20
20 7.46 12.54 157.25 21.08
3 8.59 -5.59 31.25 3.64
0 6.75 -6.75 45.56 6.75
5 12.98 -7.98 63.68 4.91
22 16.05 5.95 35.4 2.21
14 12.61 1.39 3.49 0.28
5 7.67 -2.67 7.13 0.93
6 6.72 -0.72 0.52 0.08
6 5.28 0.72 0.52 0.10
8 5.2 2.8 7.84 1.51
        ∑ (Fo-Fe)2/Fe = 69.87

54
So, Calculated= (Fo-Fe)2/Fe

= 69.87

Calculation of Tabulated:

DF= (r-1) (c-1)

= (4-1) (8-1)

= (3)*(7)

= 21

Significance Level is 5% = 0.05

Tabulated = 32.67

Here, Tab < Cal

So, Ho is rejected.

Therefore after watching advertisements of confectionary product children insist their parent to buy
that product is not dependent on their age.

55
Hypothesis 2: TV watching habit of children is dependent on their medium of study or not

Ho: TV watching habit of children is dependent on their medium of study

H1: TV watching habit of children is not dependent on their medium of study

  Medium of Study  
  Gujarati English Total
< 1 hour 1 28 29
1-2 hours 22 24 46
2-3 Hours 36 11 47
> 3 Hours 7 21 28
Total 66 84 150

Fo Fe (Fo-Fe) (Fo-Fe)2 (Fo-Fe)2/Fe

1 12.76 -11.76 138.3 10.84
22 20.24 1.76 3.1 0.15
36 20.68 15.32 234.7 11.35
7 12.32 -5.32 28.3 2.3
28 16.24 11.76 138.3 8.52
24 25.76 -1.76 3.1 0.12
11 26.32 -15.32 234.7 8.92
21 15.68 5.32 28.3 1.8
        ∑ (Fo-Fe)2/Fe
        =44

56
So, Calculated = ∑ (Fo-Fe)2/Fe
= 44

Calculation Of Tabulated:

DF= (r-1) (c-1)

= (4-1) (2-1)

= (3)*(1)

=3

Significance Level is 5% = 0.05

Tabulated = 7.815

Here, Tab < Cal

So, Ho is rejected.

Therefore TV watching habit of children is not dependent on their Medium of Study.

57
 FINDINGS
 From our survey we have found that more number of children watch television for 1-3 hours a
day.

 As far as watching any particular program on television is concerned, children like to watch
cartoon movies or cartoon serials on television. Children also like to watch movies on television.

 Among selected confectionary products from Biscuits, Wafers, Chocolates, Sauces, Noodles
and Health Drinks, children like to have Biscuits, Wafers and Chocolates more than other
confectionary products.

 Majority of children are familiar with the advertisements of Biscuits, Wafers, Chocolates and
Health Drinks more than the Sauces, Noodles and.

 After watching advertisements of any confectionary products majority of children have tried
to purchase that product.

 Those children who have tried to purchase confectionary product after watching its
advertisements, in that they like to buy more Biscuits, Chocolates and Health Drinks.

 Majority of children like to watch advertisements of confectionary products on television

rather any other media.

 Majority of children like to buy confectionary products because it gives free tattoo and other
promotional things. There are some children also who like to buy confectionary products just
because his/her favorite celebrity is associated with the advertisement of that product.

58
 SUGGESTIONS

 To some extent children have limited understanding so advertisers should not directly
persuade children to buy the product which is shown in the advertisement.

 As far as advertisements of confectionary products are concerned, advertisements should be

seen with their pros and cons. E.g. Chocolate

 Advertisers must not misuse children’s relative inexperience.

 Children can be easily attracted by the celebrity so, as far as confectionary products are
concerned celebrity should not directly or indirectly persuade children to buy that product
which he/she has shown using that product.

 It is the duty of parents to see what their children are watching on television and if they are
highly influenced by the advertisements especially of confectionary products then parents
should try to explain them what are the pros and cons of that product by using it.

59
 CONCLUSION

 Today, particularly young children play an important role as consumers. Especially

confectionary products (Biscuits, Chocolates, Wafers, Sauces, Noodles and Health Drinks)
are concerned they do not care price of which they want to buy. Also they do not care whether
these products are healthy for them or not.

 While they are shopping, the first thing comes in their mind is to purchase the advertised
products. In this situation, the advertising has a stronger effect on younger children than the
older children.

 Nowadays it seems that children’s impact on family decision in shopping has been steadily
increased.

 After the research, it was found as far as confectionary products are concerned children
sometimes insist their parents to purchase those products for them.

 As far as confectionary products are concerned, children are influenced more by television
advertisements than by the other medium of advertising. Even though there are lots of tools to
show the goods or services, television was chosen as the best way that can enhance the
company's profits greatly by most of researchers.

 Also this research validated that among many communication tools, television advertisements
have more impact and effect on children than the other medium of advertising.

 Children’s ages are important to understand the television advertisements. Children's

comprehension of television commercials increases with age.

60
BIBLIOGRAPHY

61
Books:
 George Belch and George Michel, ‘Advertising and Sales Promotion Management’, 6th
Edition
 Ogilvy David ‘Ogilvy on Advertising’ by, Prion Books, London, 1997

Magazines:
 Advertising Express, Article: Marketing Promos Targeting Children
 Advertising Age, Article: Effects of Advertisements on Children

Web Links:
 http://www.wikipedia.com
 http://www.agencyfaqs.com
 http://www.wowessays.com
 http://www.media-awareness.ca/.../advertising.../kids_advertising_rules
 http://www.c-i-a.com/( Computer Industry Almance)\

 http://www.Itu.com (Intrenation Telecommunication Union)

 http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/in.htm

62
ANNEXURE

Annexure

63
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are MBA student of N. R. Institute of Business Management Hyderabad. We are doing
one Grand Project on ‘Effect of Advertisements on Children with special reference to
Confectionary products’. For that we want your support by filling up this questionnaire for us.
There are two parts in our questionnaire, one is to be filled up by children and other is to be filled up
by his/her parents.
We assure you that information will not be misused and we’ll use information just for our
project purpose. Thanking You.

PART A (To be filled by Children)

Q1 How many hours a day do you watch TV?

Less than 1 hour 1 – 2 hours

2 – 3 hours More than 3 hours

Q2 What do you like to watch on TV?

Cartoons
Reality shows
Movies
TV serials
Song based programmes
Others_________________

Q3 From the following confectionary products which is your favorite product/s?

Biscuits
Wafers
Chocolates
Sauces
Noodles
Health Drinks (i.e. Bournvita, Complain, Boost, etc.)

Q4 You are familiar with advertisements of which of the following confectionary products?

64
Biscuits Sauces
Wafers Noodles
Chocolates Health Drinks (i.e. Bournvita, Complain, Boost, etc)

Q5 After watching ad of any confectionary products, have you ever tried to purchase that product?

Yes No

Q6 If yes then which confectionary product you have tried to purchase?

Biscuit Sauce
Wafer Noodle
Chocolate Health Drink (i.e. Bournvita, Complain, Boost,
etc)

Q7 Do you like to watch ad of confectionary products on which media?

TV
Magazine
Newspaper
Hoardings

Q8 You buy that confectionary product because.........

It gives free tattoo or any other thing

Your friend has that product
Your favorite cartoon character/favorite celebrity is associated with it
You want to be like the character of that ad.

PART B (To be filled by Parents)

Q1 How often advertisements of confectionary products influence purchase decision of your

children?

Often Rarely
Sometimes Not at all

Q2 How often does your child insist you to purchase any confectionary product after watching ad of
the same?

65
Often Rarely
Sometimes Not at all

Q3 How do you react to your child when he/she insist you to buy any confectionary product after
watching its ad?

Mostly agree Disagree

Agree Mostly disagree

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name : - _________________________________________________________

Mother/Father Name : - _________________________________________________________

Age : - ________

Std. :- 4th 7th

5th 8th
6th

School : -__________________________________________________________

Medium of Study :- Gujarati English

66