Executioners Outline for Children targeted by advertisers
Thesis Statement: what has caused advertisers to market to children so heavily, and what negative consequences arise from this?
Intro Strategy: narrative, interesting fact
Topic Sentence: Advertising is central to the marketing of the United States food
supply.
A. one of the largest.
B. Estimates are as high as $10 billion spent on advertising all types of food and beverages to America’s children and youth. (Money spent on Advertising)
C. Why is so much money spent on advertising? (Gallo)
Topic Sentence: There are many tactics used in fast food advertising
A. Fast food promotions
B. Multiple techniques and channels are used to reach youth
a. These food marketing channels include television, in-school marketing, product placements, kids clubs, the internet, toys and products with brand logos, and youth targeted promotions
Topic Sentence: Children today have more purchasing power
A. Children are much more vocal than they used to be and they are not afraid to speak up when they want something
B. Marketers rely on children to nag their parents rather than advertise to parents directly.
Topic Sentence: What drives the heavy marketing
A. Brand preferences in children appear to be related to two major factors; 1) Children’s positive experiences with a brand and 2) Parents liking that brand.
B. A child’s first request for a product occurs at about 24 months of age.(Berry)
C. Seventy-five percent of the time this request is made in a grocery store. Approximately 50% of these requests are for sugared brand name cereals. (Berry, 45)
Topic Sentence: The largest single source of media messages about food to children, especially younger children, is television
A. Over 75% of United States food manufacturers’ advertising budgets and 95% of United States fast food budgets are allocated to television. (Gallo)
B. Children view on average of one food commercial every five minutes of television viewing time, and may see as many as three hours of food commercials a week. (Integrating Results, 3)
C. In a study that examined United States food advertising during 52.5 hours of Saturday morning children’s programming. (Gamble, Cotugna, 263)
D. Things that parents would not want for their kids
Topic Sentence: The trends in fast food consumption have changed drastically over the past several decades.
A. Currently, fast food restaurants are often the overall choice for food away from home.
B. As parents experience busier lifestyles, they demand convenience for their family meals.
C. . Between 1977 and 1996, the percentage of meals eaten at fast food establishments increased 200%. According to a recent national household survey, 30% of youths between the age of 4 and 19 years old consume fast food on a typical day. School aged children and adolescents spend 8 billion and 13 billion dollars, respectively, of their own money on fast food. (Fast Food and Children)
Topic Sentence: The rise of childhood obesity in America is part of a larger story
A. Depending on how you measure it, between 15 and 24 percent of American children are overweight (Ruskin)
B. This is three times more than the rate of the 1970’s.(Ruskin)
C. There are many causes for this unfortunate trend, but the number one cause is the persistent theme of how corporations have insinuated themselves into virtually every corner of children’s lives.
Conclusion: Ways to offset the effect commercialism is having on our children