The Status of Women in India in the Past, Present and...

INTRODUCTION The issue of gender inequality is one which has been publicly reverberating through society for years. Gender inequality is one of the most serious ethical issues in India today. Gender inequality in India is described as a preferential treatment arising out of prejudice based on the gender. The aim of this research is to discuss the status of women in India in the past, present and future and discuss any political movements which took place in the society in order for Women to be regarded as equal. BODY India has always been one of the ancient civilizations to treat women with respect. Women in ancient India were held in high esteem and always held the position of a mother or a goddess. They occupied a dignified place in†¦show more content†¦The best example of this is Indira Gandhi who served as the Prime Minister of India for 15 years of her life. She is known for being the world’s longest serving woman Prime Minister ever. Despite having so many laws about the women rights in India. There are still women suffering from inequality in certain parts of the country. Today, India ranks 101 out of 134 countries on the gender inequality index. Many women are forced to suicide because of the inequality factors such as dowry, rape, sex selective abortion, acid throwing, trafficking and domestic violence. A shocking gang rape incident took place with 23 years old medicine students on a public transport in New Delhi on the 16th of December 2012. This incident became very popular across the nation and was widely protested by many people in the country. Rape statistics are very high in India, it is recorded that 1 female is sexually harassed every minutes in India. Sexual harassment has a high impact on the mental stability of a woman which leads them to suicide. In the modern day society equal access to property and land ownership is one of the most disputed issues with regards to gender inequality. Today women in India are often excluded from getting a share in the family’s property because of the gender discrimination. In the Indian society, only men of the family have the right of inheritance. This is because daughter. There areShow MoreRelatedRole Of Women In India1228 Words   |  5 Pagesto Ruwanpura (2004), employment of women in the formal labor market of urban India has increased at a rate of 4.33% per annum during the 1980s compared to the slower growth rate for men of 3.12%. However, women still represent only 17% of employment in the organized sector (Rustagi, 2004). Nevertheless, the highest shares of women in the organized sector employment are notably in the southern and northeastern states of India (Rustagi, 2004). In Assam, women constitute approximately 31% of allRead MoreHuman Geography : Study Of Spatial Patter n And Spatial Organization Of Human Activities1103 Words   |  5 Pagesof human activities is extremely important as it allows us to understand demography, the study of the characteristics of human populations. Demographics allow geographers and government agencies to look at population data from the past and the present to predict future trends in population growth or decline (Knox, 2013, p.2, 99-101). The information gathered through a census or vital records can for example help a nation adjust immigration levels if a country is having a very low birth rate or allocateRead MoreLow-Self-esteem: A Way of Life Taught over Centuries805 Words   |  4 Pagesand seen the present day version of beauty in a woman? Did she wear makeup? Was she thin enough to see through her skin? Or was she a more voluptuous body type? More than likely she was a thin woman who had makeup on and dyed or highlighted hair. She holds a job and is equal in legal status to a man. In most countries today, wom en are viewed as equal to a man both as a provider and as a citizen of the country in which they reside. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case. Women in early recordedRead MoreChild Marriage964 Words   |  4 PagesPresent time, child marriage is a curse in the global society. Child marriage is a violation of human rights. In most cases young girls get married off to significantly older men when they are still children. Child marriages must be viewed within a context of force and coercion, involving pressure and emotional blackmail, and children that lack the choice or capacity to give their full consent. Child marriage must therefore always be considered forced marriage because valid consent is absent - andRead MoreQuestions On Lack Of Infrastructure1423 Words   |  6 Pagesgraduates are coming out without the knowledge of skills and abilities and end result in remaining unemployed. If resources are provided then we can convert them into quality of workforce which is the dire need of country like India. (mishra, 2011) 5] Corruption: A country like India where corruption is common thing in every sector and education is also unfortunately been victim of corruptive practices. A story of one Income Tax officer who wants to be a professor of Chemistry has cleared NET and appearedRead MoreStella Mccartneys Brand Identity1630 Words   |  7 Pagesmainly provide, target markets, stores located and the communication with customers Like Stella target their customer as 20-50 years old people with higher income; Good fashion awareness; prefer design and high quality clothing; Eco-friendly, conscious women (Drexler, 2014). In this process, it exist competition such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood which has similar sustaining operation background (Cronin, 2014). At final stage, brand image as Receiver side, customer receive Stella particular imageRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility Has Long Gone1347 Words   |  6 Pagesyoung. Thus, supports long term growth chain of luxury value chain. The global luxury goods industry has been on an upward trend since the past few years. Even though the luxury brand indicates better quality, in the real world, it means high quality with high price. The United States is the largest consumer of luxury goods and will continue to be so in the future. LVMH is the most valuable luxury brand in the world. It was valued as $28.1 billion as of May 2015. About LVMH: LVMH is a multinationalRead MoreIndia My Native Land2185 Words   |  9 Pagesbetween three quatrains and an ending couplet, To India My Native Land is a song of love and deep emotion from Henry Louis Vivian Derozio to his fallen country, India. The poem  was published before Derozios untimely death at the age of twenty-two from cholera in 1831. The  abab abcc dede ff  rhyme scheme employed by Derozio is most clearly identifiable as a variation of Edmund Spensers  Amoretti  rhyme scheme Introduction to the Poem †¢ To India- My Native Land is one of the best known poem ofRead MoreChapter 3 Managing in a Global Environment Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesexporting, the barter of products for other products rather than the sale of products for currency. * Many companies are going straight to China or India as a first step into international business * Outsourcing is the most widespread involvement by foreign firms in these two countries * China is strong in manufacturing, whereas India is a major provider of services * Brazil, with its rapidly growing consumer market, is becoming a major player in the shifting international landscape Read MoreWhen Memories Become Traumatic : A Reading of Jamila Hashmi’s Exile and Joginder Paul’s Dariyaon Pyas2325 Words   |  9 Pages The Partition of India and Pakistan is considered to be a singular moment in the history of South Asia and Britain. Partition had two fold purposes, one it granted independence to a supposedly Hindu India and secondly created a new nation called Pakistan which was predominantly populated by Muslims. The violence that it generated was not only unprecedented but even barbaric. The vengeance that ordinary Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs wrecked on each other distorted the political judgements. The real sorrow

Argumentative Essay The 2nd Amendment - 806 Words

Name Goes Here Mr. Instructor ESE 95 – E13 September 5, 2013 Argumentative Essay: The 2nd Amendment The 2nd amendment is one of the most debated topics in the United States. It’s a very important topic because it concerns every citizen in the country. Many people feel that the 2nd amendment should be repelled to avoid unfortunate incidents such as a weapon landing on the hands of an irresponsible person simply by not securing the firearm appropriately, an increase of street shootings, and accidental trigger pulls. On the other hand, others believe that the right to bear arms is essential to our country because it protects us from devastating events, some of which†¦show more content†¦To prevent this from happening, the weapon must be concealed. Moreover, carrying firearms can lead to unnecessary police calls, which could cause huge misunderstandings. To put it in a police officer’s point of view, there could be so much confusion when approaching somebody who has a weaponShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Ess ay the Right to Bear Arms1159 Words   |  5 PagesUNIVERSIDAD DEL TURABO NAGUABO, PUERTO RICO ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY FINAL HOMEWORK LURDES M. PEREZ S00604108 PROF. RAMOS/ENGLISH 153 Right To Bear Arms Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to a complete stranger who is in your house, threatening to harm you, and your family, and you cannot do anything about it. Imagine, not being able to go target shooting or hunting, because there are laws passed to prevent you from owning a firearm. The truth is, more and more people inRead MoreWhy Gun Control Is Bad793 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control Argumentative Essay All guns have the potential to be dangerous and should be handled with care. Guns have been part of American life for as long as people can remember. For most people guns are perceived as very dangerous and harmful. 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The word â€Å"argument† is a technical term we will be using frequently in this course. Being logical means, among other things, that you should give an argument to support your conclusion if you expect other people to accept itRead MoreTop 1 Cause for Project Failure65023 Words   |  261 Pagesmostly on how well we did/do our jobs. Lucia Chambers Professional Project manager would like to chime in here and defend scope creep as a problem. I believe it is an opportunity! Scope creep can be managed into contract amendments, iterative and process-driven deliverables, and project extended phases. When a stakeholder is in the candy store choosing, and the money is finite, you offer some candy now, and high incentive to come back next week with next week s allowanceRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pageschange is instituted in knowledge-based library and information services organizations. notes 1. J. H. 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Sports as a Tool of Integration Free Essays

INTRODUCTION What is sport? According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. The meaning of â€Å"sport† is , activity that you do for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area and according to fixed rules. Through Wikipedia, sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. We will write a custom essay sample on Sports as a Tool of Integration or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree of skill, especially at higher levels. Hundreds of sports exist, including those for a single participant, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals. Some non-physical activities, such as board games and card games are sometimes referred to as sports, but a sport is generally recognised as being based in physical athleticism. What is integration? According the same Dictionary , the meaning of â€Å"integration† is, the act or process of combining two or more things so that they work together (=of integrating them) . Internet shows â€Å"Integration† (from the Latin integer, meaning whole or entire) generally means combining parts so that they work together or form a whole. * It is an act or instance of combining into an integral whole. * It is an act or instance of integrating a racial, religious, or ethnic group. * It is an act or instance of integrating an organization, place of business, school, etc. SPORTS as a tool of INTEGRATION More than just being about discipline and confidence, games bring the people together regardless of their background. SPORTS are all forms of physical activities that contribute to fitness, mental well-being and social interaction. They include play, recreation, organised casual or competitive sports as well as indigenous sports and games. By their very nature, sports essentially denote participation. They are about inclusion and citizenship. Sports activities bring individuals and communities together, highlighting commonalities and bridging cultural or ethnic divides. The easy and inherent ability of sports to bring people ogether make them a powerful communication tool. Sports provide a forum to learn skills such as discipline, confidence and leadership and core principles such as acceptance, cooperation and respect. Sports expound the value of effort and how to manage victory as well as defeat. The fundamental elements of sports make them a viable and practical tool to support the achievement of nation development. Taking part in activities will also help reduce the likelihood of many diseases a rising from a sedentary and inactive lifestyle. Sports programmes are effective tools for social mobilisation, supporting health activities and they can provide employment and contribute to local development. They encourage volunteerism and can be utilised to spearhead non-governmental changes and transformation initiatives. Sports can cut across barriers that divide societies, making them a powerful tool to support conflict prevention and peace-building efforts. When applied effectively, sports programmes promote social integration and foster tolerance, help reduce tension and generate dialogue. The concept of â€Å"Sports for All† is central to the understanding of sports. This concept aims to maximise access to and participation in appropriate forms of physical activities. Emphasis is placed on participation and accessibility for all groups in society regardless of gender, age, ability or race. Many of the core values inherent in sports are compatible with the principles necessary for development and peace, such as fair play, cooperation, sharing and respect. The life skills learned through sports help empower individuals and enhance psycho-social well-being such as increased resilience, self-esteem and connection with others. These features of sports are beneficial to people of all ages but they are especially vital to the healthy development of young people who will inherit positions of power and responsibility in government organisations. Sports are valuable tools to initiate social development and improve social cohesion, especially when implemented among young people. When social and personal skills are combined, sports can be an effective medium to intervene in a person’s ability to decide whether to abuse or not abuse drugs. This is especially true when elements of sports are combined with mechanisms and structures providing drug-related information and life-skills training. Sports can tackle causes of juvenile crime by helping youths make positive connections with adults and their peers, by integrating them into constructive activities within society and by providing useful activities. Besides , sports can be an effective tool for empowering girls and women, given that they are often excluded from participation and from enjoying its physical and psycho-social benefits. By directly challenging and dispelling misperception about women’s capabilities, integrated sports programmes help to reduce discrimination and widen women’s role. Last but not least , sports can integrate persons with disabilities into society, providing an arena for positive social interaction, reducing isolation and breaking down prejudices. Sports programmes for the disabled are also cost-effective methods of rehabilitation. They are highly therapeutic, improving motor skills and increasing mobility, self-sufficiency and self-confidence. The benefits are indeed tremendous and ideally sports can extend to previously unchartered territories of endeavours and manage human conflicts. Sports will continue to serve human development. What is â€Å"SPORT FOR ALL/ELITISM† The twin concepts of Sport for all (where everyone is encouraged and has the opportunity to take part in the sport of their choice, irrespective of any social or cultural differences such as wealth, gender or age) and Sporting excellence (where the very best performers are given additional support so that they may reach international success) can effectively be shown in the framework of a performance pyramid. There are four level: At foundation level – young children are introduced to sport and learn basic movement skills and a positive attitude to physical activity through a wide variety of activities, possibly through their schools pe programme. At participation level – youngsters choose to take part in selected activities for enjoyment and friendships, as well as for health and fitness. This may be through extra-curricular school activities, local centres and clubs. At performance level – participants are committed to performing in formally organised activities at higher club and regional levels. They are keen to improve their standard, train regularly and receive coaching. At excellence level – elite performers represent their country in national and international competition. They will be fully committed to their sport, and will, in some cases, train full time and receive financial, administrative, medical and personal support. The Sport for All campaign was launched in the UK in 1972 by the Sports Council. The Sports Council was, and remains, the catalyst and throughout, the on-going campaign has encouraged partners and organisations to join the campaign. In this way governing bodies of sport, local authorities through their leisure and amenity committees, local sports councils, sports centres and clubs have joined to promote what they have to offer. Aims: * Increase the rate of participation. * Improve performance at all levels. * Establish and reinforce the principle that the provision of opportunity to participate in sport and physical recreation is a social service. * Promote the concept that regular physical activity is beneficial to health. * To improve the quality of life. Objectives: The promotion of sport within target groups of non-participants. * The promotion of excellence in support of the governing bodies of sport. * Targeting inner city and areas of social deprivation. * Attracting sponsorship and financial investment in sport. * The reduction of coronary heart disease. * Opening up of natural resources, such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, countryside, coastal areas, hills and mountains for recreational use. Sport in Oly mpics (example) Sports have been bringing people from all over the world together since the first Olympics in Greece many years ago. Sports bring people a since of accomplishment but more importantly, unity. When playing a sport, whether it is with multiple people or by yourself, you have to be able to communicate with team members and coaches. If you are playing the sport by yourself, chances are you have a coach there at your side somewhere. Communication is extremely important when it comes to unity. It allows you to tell your other players or coach what is going on in a particular game situation in order to play as the game well. In a team setting, you know your team is unified when there is trust on the field or court. You have to be able to trust your teammate will make the important catch to get you the first down or trust in your teammate to score the winning basket to win the championship. Sometimes you get the important super star on your team yet your team cannot win. It is because his/her players cannot communicate with him/her and therefore they cannot trust him. This team lost the game before they ever started because without trust talent means nothing. Trust brings unity and is the key to winning games. Additionally, sports have created unity amongst small towns, big cities, and nations all over the world. When certain events such as the Olympics or the World Cup are played people will gather at the event, in a bar or at a friend’s house draped in their nation’s flag or wearing their favorite team’s colors. Without unity sports wouldn’t be any fun and no one would play them. Conclusion In conclusion, the information above show sports as a tool of integration. There are many of examples proved sports bring unity. For example, Olympics or the World Cup games are well-known events in the world which have the same the A. G. O (Aims, Goals, Objectives) are to unite the human all around the world. Besides that, the â€Å"Sport for All† campaign is also a big well-known event in the world. It promotes sport for all the human being to participate sport. Throughout this event, human from all around the world can gather together to play games or sports. As a result, integration of human formed indirectly. In Malaysia, sports have a function as a tool of integration too. The held of SUKMA( SUKAN MALAYSIA) and MSSM (MAJLIS SUKAN-SUKAN SEKOLAH MALAYSIA). These two national sports events bring all the Malaysian together to enjoy the event and to play the games together without looking at the races and religion. How to cite Sports as a Tool of Integration, Papers

Policy Power and Politics in Healthcare Policy Formulation

Question: Discuss about the Policy Power and Politics in Healthcare Policy Formulation. Answer: Civil servants or the other main players in each and every organization require the need to formulate policies that are in line with the organization's goals. A user-friendly standard on public policy and a standard known as the policy cycle was developed to help stakeholders in formulating and developing policies which can be adopted. There are some benefits that are associated with the use of a policy cycle (Simmons, 2015). One of the reasons as to why policy cycle is the appropriate tool to adopt in developing new policies is the fact that it ensures that a standard is maintained (Bollegala et al., 2016). Policies are very essential in ensuring that the government or an organization achieves its goals and therefore there is need to ensure that all policies formulated meet a minimum threshold set. This also ensures that the policy to be formulated and implemented does not infringe on the rights of the people and that there are consultations undertaken before any major decision is m ade. The other reason as to why a policy cycle is an important tool to adopt is that it makes it easier to formulate and implement new policies. Policy creation is not an easy task to undertake and therefore ensuring that there is a standard in place to make sure that the same is conducted efficiently is critical. By adopting a policy cycle, those involved in decision making can quickly formulate new policies that are to be adopted and implemented without any prior experience or studies in the same. Some of the stakeholders that frequently adopt the policy cycle in implementing new laws are those in healthcare. There have been two distinct public health approaches that have been in place. One has been termed as the old public health whereas the other is known as the new public health. It is important to understand that there have been some differences noted between the two public health approaches in which new public health is an improvement of the initial one (Tulchinsky Varavikova, 2014). The old public health was primarily concerned with the biological determinants of health which is in contrast to the new public health system. The old system was concerned with the causes of various public health issues and most of the time aimed to deal with the issues of public health as they arose. However, although the old public health system was involved in ensuring that health was improved there was the need to re- evaluate and come up with a better model. In this case, the new public health system was formulated and was aimed to address the public health issues in a more holistic manner. The new public health system would ensure that policies that were to be formulated were to educate the people on issues concerning health (Rosen Imperato, 2015). The new policies to be implemented on the new public health were aimed at being more preventive than re active to ensure that there were minimal public health concerns. A good example of a preventive action that was adopted by the new public health system was educating people on causes of obesity and how to prevent the same (Tulchinsky Varavikova, 2014). As a result of this campaign, the rising cases of obesity by the public came down. Another difference that has been identified between the two systems is the fact that, the new public health system is more expensive as compared to the old one. This is because there is need to undertake various campaigns which are aimed to promote better health care as opposed to the older system. There are some social determinants that influence an individual health status. Therefore when trying to understand a persons health status, it is important to put into consideration these factors to ensure that an effective policy in formulated and enacted to effectively deal with the health issue. One of the key social determinants of health is ones income and social status (Badland et al,. 2014). It is essential to understand that most people with a higher income or a higher social status have been found to be of better health. This is because they can afford to maintain a high standard of health which is not possible for low income earners. A higher status in the society also ensures that most people can approach and receive a higher quality of care as compared to those who are from a low-income background. Education is also another key social determinant of ones health. Most people with a higher level of education can easily understand some of the key concepts that promote better health (Valentine et al., 2016). In this case, therefore, it is easier for them to ensure that their health status is of a higher quality as compared to that of the uneducated people (Adler Stead, 2014). Social support is also another key social factor that determines ones health status. It is essential to understand that by being in a social group that encourages and educates each other on some of the health concerns, one can lead a better life. Therefore it is essential and vital for each and every one to ensure that they are part of a social support group. This is not only to improve their health but also on the health of the other members of the society. When developing a health advocacy policy, it is essential to place some factors into consideration. These factors ensure that the campaign will be sustainable and successful. In developing a national obesity prevention campaign, there are some factors to consider. This will ensure that the campaign is formulated given these factors thus ensuring the success of the same (Lobstein et al, 2015). One of the factors to consider while undertaking the campaigns is the average age of the people mostly affected by obesity. It is vital to understand that there is a particular age group that is more susceptible to obesity than the other and it is essential to formulate a campaign that targets the same. One of the factors that result in obesity is the type of food being consumed. Therefore, it is important to ensure that there is the accessibility of healthy food by consumers which in turn will result in better health care. One of the reasons as to why most people consume unhealthy food is due t o the high costs associated with it. Therefore, while formulating such a policy, it is essential to ensure that the prices of food are brought down (Swinburn et al., 2015). Another key factor to consider while promoting an obesity prevention policy is that of ensuring that people engage in physical activities more. Engaging in physical activities ensures that one can lose the excess weight in their body thus resulting in a healthier lifestyle. There are some factors that have been blamed as the key reasons as to why fewer people are now engaging in physical activities. One it is due to the lack of facilities that promote taking part in the same. In developing a smoke-free environment, there are some factors that must be placed into consideration. These factors ensure the success of the policy being implemented. One of the main issues to be considered is the effect of a smoky environment. There are some adverse effects that have been associated with a smoky environment and it necessary to guarantee that the policy being formulated is aimed at addressing this problem. Undertaking a study on the effects of a smoky environment will help one formulate a good program (Coppo et al., 2014). Another key factor to consider while formulating the policy is the costs that will be associated with the formulation and the implementation of the policy. It is, therefore, important to ensure that all the necessary financial support is available from all the stakeholders involved. Implementing a policy is not a cheap task, and therefore it is vital to ensure that there is an economic as well a healthier society sense. It is also very important to ensure that one is not trying to prevent people from undertaking their activities but rather trying to create a smoke-free environment within the institution. This will ensure that the people will not feel as if being infringed from undertaking their duties. Communication is another factor that should be considered while making such a policy is the method of communication ( Coppo et al., 2014). On each and every policy there is need to ensure that people understand what the policy entails and what it aims to achieve. People understanding the policy changes will be more willing to adapt to the policy thus resulting into success. Involving people in formulating the policy is also a key step in ensuring the policy formulation and adoption is a success (Veeranki et al., 2014). People who have not been involved in policy formulation will feel left out thus hampering the success of the same. References Simmons, M. M. (2015).The Integrated Disability Evaluation System; The Political Life Cycle of Health Policy from Concept to Evaluation(Doctoral dissertation, Johns Hopkins University). Badland, H., Whitzman, C., Lowe, M., Davern, M., Aye, L., Butterworth, I., ... Giles-Corti, B. (2014). Urban liveability: emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health.Social science medicine,111, 64-73. Tulchinsky, T. H., Varavikova, E. A. (2014).The new public health. Academic Press. Lobstein, T., Jackson-Leach, R., Moodie, M. L., Hall, K. D., Gortmaker, S. L., Swinburn, B. A., ... McPherson, K. (2015). Child and adolescent obesity: part of a bigger picture.The Lancet,385(9986), 2510-2520. Coppo, A., Galanti, M. R., Giordano, L., Buscemi, D., Bremberg, S., Faggiano, F. (2014). School policies for preventing smoking among young people.The Cochrane Library. Adler, N. E., Stead, W. W. (2015). Patients in contextEHR capture of social and behavioral determinants of health.New England Journal of Medicine,372(8), 698-701. Bollegala, N., Patel, K., Mosko, J. D., Bernstein, M., Brahmania, M., Liu, L., ... Weizman, A. V. (2016). Quality improvement primer series: the plan-do-study-act cycle and data display.Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology,14(9), 1230-1233. Rosen, G., Imperato, P. J. (2015).A history of public health. JHU Press. Valentine, N. B., Koller, T. S., Hosseinpoor, A. R. (2016). Monitoring health determinants with an equity focus: a key role in addressing social determinants, universal health coverage, and advancing the 2030 sustainable development agenda.Global Health Action,9. Swinburn, B., Kraak, V., Rutter, H., Vandevijvere, S., Lobstein, T., Sacks, G., ... Magnusson, R. (2015). Strengthening of accountability systems to create healthy food environments and reduce global obesity.The Lancet,385(9986), 2534-2545. Coppo, A., Galanti, M. R., Giordano, L., Buscemi, D., Bremberg, S., Faggiano, F. (2014). School policies for preventing smoking among young people.The Cochrane Library. Veeranki, S. P., Mamudu, H. M., Anderson, J. L., Zheng, S. (2014). Worldwide never-smoking youth susceptibility to smoking.Journal of Adolescent Health,54(2), 144-150.

Marketing Environment an Example of the Topic Education and science by

Marketing Environment by Expert Ellah PHD | 16 Dec 2016 Many companies are now using and/or are shifting to e-Business, and this exaggerated the effectiveness of marketing. Before using the non-e-Business, companies had problems with identifying, segmenting, and targeting the consumers, one of the reasons why a company cannot stabilize. Using the electronic technology nowadays, companies need not spend more time and penny in order to track the behaviors and patterns of the consumers as it was 50 years ago. Using the information gathered from tracking, companies can design products and effectively execute marketing initiatives that covers not just advertising but as well as planning and executing the conception, pricing, and promotion. Marketing also distributes ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges, which looks forward to satisfy inpidual and organizational objectives. The four Ps in marketing, product, pricing, promotion, and placement/distribution, were made simpler and easier with the quick hand of analysis of capabilities thr ough e-technology. Need essay sample on "Marketing Environment" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Also, more and more business transactions and processes are aided by technology that can create, improve, or align the product to customers needs. Affiliate Marketing Strategy for e-business, for instance, uses one site to lead track to online marketing which is similar to manufacturers that pay commissions to selling agents. Companies like Amazon use affiliate marketing reduce the cost-way to acquire customers. For each client who access on the companys logo and buy from the company, content site partners called affiliates, will get an income. A 15% commission of the sales is given by the Amazon for every customer/client referred to the company. The needs of the customer/client of Amazon are addressed by the companys report. The affiliate program is also known as syndicated selling (James, 2007). Content sponsorship, direct selling, infomediary, and intermediaries are all parts of the e-business model marketing strategy. For intermediaries, there are brokers for an online exchange, agent, and e-tailer. Next, an agent represents the seller, which is the affiliate program. Manufacturer's agent, metamediary, virtual mail, purchasing agent, shopping agent, reverse auction, and buyer cooperative are additional classifications. An e-tailer is a bit vendor for tangible products. The Amazon uses multilevel marketing network. The company gets information through the aide of the internet, and finds new customers as well as discovers new opportunities with existing customers and target new markets in effect to a fast-changing business world using that information. Its successful sales and marketing with the aide of the internet are due to five reasons. First, the company sets specific criteria to find competent leads, and develop effective lead-generation processes. Second, with extensive and accurate information in the internet, Amazon is able to project and makes it easy to clients/consumers to mail and provides the lists of sales leads online. Third, Amazon discovers new opportunities, and grab on the competitive landscape and target for business marketing programs. Fourth, clients get an easy search access of the Amazon. And lastly, the company is aided by powerful and cost-effective online tools. It helps create accurate lists of targeted sales leads. The company and its products and operations are known geographically speaking. For that reason, the lines of business bring the bulk of sales to the company. Furthermore, Amazon has extensive and impressive roster of brand names or customers. Not only that the company can access its competitors, but also the clients. EBay uses the same strategy as Amazon for its major products that include clothes, collectibles and sports equipments. As an auction company that needs larger market, it employs the internet where thousands of people could be the clients. This tool has also been used by ETRADE that gives answers and information for ebusiness. Important considerations like practicality, affordability and scalability of ebusiness are its concern. Similarly, one of the worlds leading computer manufacturers, Dell, has transformed and persified into wide range of business segments, which remains to be global over the years. Indeed, the strategy of Dell is global. The use of the internet to put the consumer closer to its market enables them to build customer base. Dell also finds the brick and mortar market strategy. As a result, sales offices and manufacturing outlets across North America, Europe, Asia and South America, are established. This way it has been able to gauge the local customers' needs as well as services desired. This strategy to gauge on local consumers was before and again is the strategy of Schwab, Gateway, Staples, and Borders. Even the company is global in approach; it cannot miss to think of the local consumers. Staples are effective on distributing promotional items that can help the company achieve a number of goals. In shifting to e-business the company still applies to generate referrals and repeat customers, memorable messages on promotional pens or t-shirts, etc, and give aways (Gallagher, 2007). There is no problem for the companies who start the business offline to later decide to extend the business online. In summary, ebusiness makes strategies and makes the business successful because of the transformation on how customers find the go-to place for information. Second is that customer find the way through the internet where they can expect to browse the products they want, and purchase it, because companies can place a wide range for customer information, thus greatly tracking the consumers who have the highest potential for purchasing products. Third, the e-business takes prospects right to the sale. After the customer had experience the promotion, he/she can immediately purchase the product. Fourth somehow takes an advantage to ebusiness over the brick-and-mortar. Ebusiness conveys a perception of being a full-service provider because for distributors and retailers, the company is an easy and comprehensive supplier. While brick-and-mortar are often judged by the inventory that is actually on hand and service provide at store. Fifth, ebusiness provides lower overhead, lower costs and better service like for music, publications, graphic design products because delivery is through digital form. And lastly, ebusiness creates worldwide presence through communication and distribution channel that offers global access on companys products and services. References: Edeh, C. (2007). Internet marketing Yesterday and Today: a Research Report [Electronic Version], 1-8. Retrieved August 24, 2007 Gallagher, M. (2007). Put Promotional Goods to Work for Your Business [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved August 24, 2007 from http://www.staples.com/sbd/content/article/o-r/promoproduct.html James. (2007). Affiliate Marketing Strategy for e-Business. [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved August 24, 2007 from http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/48102/Affiliate_Marketing_Strategy_for_e_Business.htm

Political concepts affect on 2004 election essays

Political concepts affect on 2004 election essays Political culture, public opinion, and the media represent significant political concepts in the American political system. All affect the views of the general public. All of these political concepts are interconnected, each influencing the other, and similarly these three political concepts often affect the general publics political tendencies. The American political culture consist of the common values and beliefs of citizens that have political consequences. The beliefs composing the political culture are generally structural beliefs based on the American ideals of freedom. A general consensus exists among citizens on these beliefs and they often shape the political playground. Public opinion encompasses the political attitudes expressed by ordinary citizens on various issues, usually measured through opinion polls. In a strong democracy, public opinion should affect government action. Though greatly influenced by the media, public opinion also tends to reflect our basic political culture. The medias job is to bring the public valid and relevant information about politics and the policies that affect ordinary citizens. The media greatly influences public opinion by shaping an agenda and nearly dictating what issues are of importance. Living in a democracy, citizens should ultimately control the government, and to do they must be well informed. These three fundamental political concepts all have an influence on how the American people vote. The influences vary from subtle to great but combined, these often these political concepts probably have the largest influence on how the electorate votes. Of the three political concepts being discussed, political culture has the least noticeable effect on the way citizens vote. It is very important that a candidates fundamental beliefs are in sync with the American electorate and President Bush and Senator Kerry do both share in those central American ideals. Had a major ...

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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Race and ethnicity - Essay Example Another thing that became a major hindrance in the community is racial abuse. Racial abuse has resulted in diversified and serious effects on adolescents and adults. The effects of racial harassment have long-standing issues and may stretch through out the life span. Short term or long term bullying tend to have serious mental difficulties on adults. Adults who continue to bully get into serious troubles and commit crimes like, marital violence, child abuse etc. It also affects the cordial relationship between the family members and friends. Though inequalities still exists, it doesn't mean that there shouldn't be any racial and ethnical categorization. In the present world scenario utmost importance is given to human rights. Under United Nations resolution human rights to every citizen of every country should be considered as an important factor. It's every country's responsibility to protect its citizen's basic human rights. Human rights violation should be considered as a serious offence, legal and appropriate action should be taken against those who violate these rights Assessing student's abilities and disabilities is the major factor and teachers should strive to identify these issues. By identifying their strengths and weaknesses one can easily work on these issues. Self-confidence plays an important role in everyone's lives. It is the deciding factor that decides a winner and a loser. In US the Blacks are the largest immigrants. They migrated from the far lands of the black continent Africa. In the past, since these countries were not as developed as US and their socio-economic structure was on decline, many of the citizens were forced to work as slaves and have to migrate to US. In US, Black immigrants have less education and less skill set, even among Black women also. Apart from other groups these Blacks have less human capital, so they have very less employers in their group and it is indirectly affecting their economic status and social environment also. Gender inequality was always prevailed among the Blacks. Since they were not the major community and further more they were immigrants, they had to face the brunt of racial abuse. One of the reasons of racial abuse was, fear among the US citizens was losing the jobs to these immigrants. Since the Blacks were ready to work for fewer wages there always lies the danger of losing jobs. Most of the Blacks were more or less unskilled or semi-skilled. This makes them of losing jobs very often. This brings more responsibilities on average Black women. Now she has to work outside to meet the daily requirements and look after the family. Bullying and racial harassment were the most dreaded things that most of the blacks and their children experienced in the pre and post civil war. The major reasons to start bullying and racial abusing depends on the characters surrounding the respective environment (like parents, neighbors, etc.,), children will face the immediate effect since they are the immediate guardians to the children, if not this parents or teachers at school whoever are close to the children with respect to time get to influence them. Human beings develop or grow by observing the surroundings and so they are called as social animals. The madness of depression is the antithesis of violence. It is a storm indeed, but a storm of murk. Soon evident are the slowed-down responses, near paralysis, psychic energy throttled

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Ethical Issues of Advertising to Children

Ethical Issues of Advertising to Children Ethical Dilemma, Practices and Implications of Children Advertising Creating outstanding products and programs to win marketplace is not an easy job. Specialists in marketing have to develop comprehensive research plans, carry out market researches, analyse the data collected and finally come up with marketing plans that target specific consumer segments. Finding out about human psychology, their preferences, choices and appeals are not only difficult but at times disappointingly inaccurate. Yet marketers today consider themselves experts in such endeavours, and are capable of achieving the almost impossible marketing objectives.   As if these aspects of marketing are not difficult enough, in modern-day marketing field there is a niche in which the marketers have to deal with children. The most difficult task is perhaps the determination of the choices and preferences of these fickle individuals who are still developing, absorbing the environment and learning to become like their adult counterparts. The task of marketing to children is not only daunting but also critical for many businesses such as Nike, Microsoft, Johnson Johnson, Disney, Pepsi, Sega,Kellogs and Mattel to name a few. These companies go through extensive research and consultancy to get to the untapped market of child consumers. One such example is evident in Dan S. Cuff and Robert H. Reiner’s (1998) Youth Market Systems.  According to the authors the development of outstanding products and programs to win childrens marketplace is entirely different from the rest of the market segments. For this purpose they invent a marketing process called Youth Market Systems. The System ensures marketers consider all aspects of marketing to children or teens for any category of goods or services that companies want to sell. There Isa great need for a system of analysis and interpretation as the authors feel that information pertaining to cognitive, emotional and social needs of age groups could transform the programs or product features that target them. Cuff and Reiner’s (1998) strategy merely opens window to the world of advertising to children. As one investigates the categories of products and services that are available to young children, one also tend to develop the consistent belief that children are a separate kind of consumer group and must be treated differently, from advertising to the designing of products. All these efforts no doubt are valid and justified in their own place and position, however a niggling thought crosses the mind when one observes the various approaches and efforts that marketers adopt to reach out to the vulnerable youth consumer segment. There are reasons for these tactics. Cuff and Rehire record approximately $1 billion annual gross revenue for Mattel Incorporated that sells Barbie’s. There are others such as Garfield, He-Man, Cabbage Patch Kids, Power Rangers, LEGO, GI Joes and a myriad of upcoming products invading the market with the sole purpose to tap on these young consumers who are bound by childish emotions and penchant for toys and games. Schemes and strategies are being devised to win over these young consumers for high stakes amounting to billions of pounds. What is more, advertising and marketing to children does not only involve the youngsters but their parents also. For example the Youth Market System identifies parents, grandparents and other close family members as the most influential on children’s purchasing decision. Exploring this group is critical because they are the ones who have control over the wallet and it is on them that children are dependent. The complexity in children marketing therefore lies in attracting both the youngsters and appealing to the parents. A winning formula must be developed to attract both the parents and children. The complexity of this formula makes success rate low which induces marketers to resort to all kinds of schemes and strategies to achieve their desired target, including crossing the line of ethics especially in the field of advertising of children related products (Cuff and Rehire 1998). Scholars and parents alike feel that there are no avenues that advertisers and businesses will not exploit to reach to the young consumers. Exploitations through mental, moral and physical developments of children are common. The strategies to target children involve creation of wants to satisfy the impulse rather than actual needs. For example consoles such as Mattels Hot Wheels, and Barbie’s fashion collections are not really required by children but wants created by advertisers and marketing campaigns. Long term needs satisfaction has been replaced by short term needs. They are not the only ones exploited. Their parents are also plagued with different kinds of created needs for their children such as the wellbeing; status symbol; and their selfish need to have their child preoccupied with the multitude of products and free them from child responsibilities. Statement of the Problem These aspects portray not only the ugly but also the unethical sides of the world of advertising. How true are these aspects and to what extent do advertisers reach to capture their target consumers? Do they cross the borders of ethics or not to maximise gains from vulnerable consumer market? And what, if anything, should be done to control and ultimately restrict the freedom of advertising aimed at children are some of the areas that the following research will endeavour to enumerate. Literature Review Children have become the key target for many advertisers. Children are vulnerable, easy to exploit consumers and they perceive things as advertisers want them to perceive, or so many of us believe. Despite the fact that children are nowadays smart and knowledgeable of the marketplace nevertheless for many marketers they are relatively easy to target due to the sheer size of the childrens consumer market. Advertisers thrive by earning billions of pounds with the backing and funding of the profit seeking organizations that hire them. These companies are not only producing goods that appeal to the children but they are also exploiting their parents. The dual targeting approach makes this market segment attractive as well as representative of high yield for investment. For example in many regions of the world including the US, Europe and Japan, companies are investing billions so that they can capture and tap the youth market segment but at the same time they are also reaping billions in return. Advertisers and marketers are entrusted with the task to achieve sales targets by generating desired actions from the segment. The wide appeal has motivated many professionals to enter and adopt whatever means and measures to achieve their targets. Ethical implications surpasses but few in the field of advertising that target children. For these reasons the authority, lobbyists and parents are demonstrating their concerns regarding the impact of media and advertising on children. The following literature review will first outline why and how children are targeted, followed by a review of the kind of ethical implications advertising and the media has on children. This will be followed by an exploration of the measures that are being taken to counteract the problem, if any. Children Advertising Advertising to children has not been an issue until recently with the boom of the media. More and more parents are concerned about the legal controls that the authority levy on advertising criteria as most are concerned about the kind of tactics advertisers are using to influence children for the sake of maximizing their profits. For example Begot and Dottie (2004) note that pornography, cigarette and tobacco related, alcohol and other products prohibited for children are being promoted on television freely without restriction. Advertisement messages for these adult related products are tailored for adult consumption but due to the appeal of mass viewership and the higher profits, the advertisements are aired during children television primetime. As a result the advertisements expose children to contents that are not meant for them. Had that been the only case then the issue of advertisement would not have been so controversial. Research suggest that children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old watch about 25 hours of television per week in the US and they are exposed to 20,000 commercials in a  year (Moore and Lutz 2000).Children at this age are vulnerable because they are developing a sense to comprehend and evaluate messages in the environment. Stimulated messages on television not only have a harmful impact but they are also detrimental in persuading children to develop wants for products that are not meant for them. According to Moore and Lutz (2000) Beyond advertisements, children gain marketplace information from the products they encounter, advice from friends and relatives, and their own consumption experiences. Through consumption, children learn what products are good and bad, whether advertising claims are truthful, what brands they prefer, and even products that convey social meanings apart from their functional properties. For children the experiences that heighten their importance in their social circle and the adult world have the most meaning. They do not have the ability to counteract or check on the viability or the authenticity of the message initially when they are young as they are dependent on adults for explanatory information accessible only through print media. By the time children grow to the teenage level the functionality of literacy diminishes tube replaced by their desire and need to fit in their social life. Without consideration for product usefulness or content, children develop wants for products beyond their pockets and reach. Similarly, children are also exposed to advertisements for fashion products that are actually designed for adult consumers but they are often condensed to tailor to the younger audience with the purpose to include the young consumers in the marketing campaigns. For this reason children develop receptivity for fashion products without the required information for decision making.  Moore and Lutz (2000) recognize the importance of childrens advertising and its impact on young audience by revealing that children are receptive to advertising demonstrated in experiments of relation between ads and products. They write: Research investigating childrens receptivity to television advertising has studied what children understand, under what circumstances they are persuaded, and how their responses evolve as they mature (e.g. Macklin 1987; Redder 1981). Drawing extensively on information processing and stage models, researchers have gained substantial insight into the development of childrens cognitive skills and their deployment during ad processing. (Moore and Lutz 2000) Their research indicates that children are at a stage where they are developing cognitive abilities. Advertisers vie on this susceptible developmental stage by targeting the limited processors of children that have not yet acquired efficient information processing strategies, a fact that may be reflected in their inability to distinguish between central and peripheral content in message learning. (Moore and Lutz2000). They further this idea by writing that at the stage of ages 8and 12 children are susceptible to information that are stimulated and that target the vulnerability of the strategic processors.   Because at this age group children tend to spontaneously employ efficient information storage and retrieval strategies. They organize and retrieve information based on available information and stimulus. Unless their knowledge of advertising is expressly activated by such acute, these children tend not to think critically or generate counterarguments spontaneously. They may also neglect to differentiate between central and peripheral content when learning new information. When there is an appropriate cue in their environment, however, they are likely to retrieve and use relevant information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Therefore children may develop recognition mechanism on how advertising should be viewed but that is dependent on external factors like parental guide, government policies or other mediating channels. Evidence suggests that there is substantial amount of influence on this age group when they are not guided in the preliminary stages in understanding the intent of advertisements. Research reveals that significant guidelines must be levied before children rationale and deliberate on the content of advertisements shown on television. â€Å"Advertising is thus implicitly accorded substantial power to shape children’s thinking until they acquire sufficient cognitive and attitudinal defences. (Moore and Lutz 2000). Other than the cognitive development impressions on children, advertising also influence them to take actions. In a study by Smithland Wynyard (1982) on consumer behaviour and response towards product trials offer through advertisements suggests that because consumers know that advertisers wish to present their brands in a favourable light, they react to ads by partially discounting claims and forming tentatively held brand beliefs and attitudes. In contrast when consumers have direct usage experience, they form stronger, more confidently held brand beliefs and attitudes. This phenomenon has been observed in a number of studies with adults and may be consistent with the case of children. The same expectations is held with regard to children advertising as researchers are of the opinion that with age, the capacity to form brand opinions tend to be more among older children. For example children of age groups 10 and 12, and 12 and 14year olds tend to tell the truth and more likely to be sceptical towards the institution of advertising rather than blindly accept advertisement claims. According to Michel Begot and Barbara Dottie (2004) children advertising are dynamic and highly appealing. The authors are of the opinion that children are the key target for advertisers because brand preferences in this age group remain unchanged for a long time. Children remain loyal to the brands they are used to yet at the same time they have growing pockets to afford more expensive items as they grow older. The above aspects indicate that children though are smart and knowledgeable to sceptically evaluate and experiment with products through advertisement claims they are also aware of the fact that these advertisers claim may not be true. At this point it is arguable to note that some school of thoughts separate the vulnerable youngsters from the smart young consumers who have the cognitive ability to critically examine the advertisement claims and disregard them if not proven true. According to Robertson and Resister (1974) if ads present information different from a childs actual experience, confusion may result and trust in advertising may be determined. Conversely, others suggest that until children actually experience discrepancies between products as advertised and as consumed, they are unable to fully comprehend advertisings persuasive intent. For this reason Moore and Lutz (2000) claim that advertising use frames for product trials known as transformational advertising in which adult consumers are drawn towards the products prior to advertising exposures by asking them to participate in the process of experimenting and interacting with the product with the view to interpret, evaluate and subsequently form their experience impressions. The expectancy or discrepancy frame sets are formed for comparison of later product trials which help in determining discrepancies or consistencies of product qualities. Mooreland Lutz (2000) present the testing paradigm to show that rational consumers are clever in testing advertising claims of product performances. Testing paradigm enable them the opportunity to evaluate and form opinions. Children, on the other hand do not have the same reaction or taste for distinguishing discrepancy in the same manner. On the other hand Ziegler (1996) believes that advertising and product trials have different effects on childrens capacity to integrate multiple sources of information for consideration. Young children tend to engage in one-dimensional thinking pattern and rely on multiple dimensions for a given task. Integration is imperative for children because they are dependent on this integration processing of information for forming perceptual domains and consumer behaviour. When younger children are presented with information it is encoded and stored in the recesses of the mind, and whenever needed retrieve it for evaluation. Information integration is basically combining new information presented in the media with the old information, and comparing the two. Disparate media information result in discrepancy inexperience. This in turn results in loss of trust in advertisement messages. Not all children however are wise enough to discriminate information. Moore and Lutz (2000) believe that age differences differentiate expectations and credibility of advertising. They write Younger children have been found to hold more positive attitudes about advertising, to be more likely to believe its claims, and to be less likely to understand its essential purpose. Thus, among younger children advertisings credibility is not likely to arise as a concern, and they are likely to perceive both advertising and a product trial experience as believable sources of information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Clearly, this statement identifies with the fact that younger children are more susceptible to advertising and they are prone to take actions without critical evaluation. For older children advertisers may not integrate strong expectations about a brand and instead focus on the stronger results to generate confidence in product usage (Fazio1986). Alternatively there are groups of advertisers who vie on the physical habits of children. For example one of the most invidious techniques is to use junk food in advertising for children. The use of celebrities to endorse these foods without any consideration for balanced diet or fitness is common in the industry. In the UK the BBC which is funded by licence and tax payers, received around 32 million pounds in 2001for franchising its Tweenies’ characters to McDonalds the Food Commission found that the Tweenies’ products were high in junk elements. Despite this fact the UK government continues to allow brands such as Cadburys to market its products and launch campaigns that have negative effects on the physical health of children. These efforts are designed to generate more profits and not the public interest. They are aware of the fact that the lack of exercise coupled with high calorie food result in obesity and other related diseases in children. The rate of obesity has doubled in the past 10 years from 8.5percent to 15 present among children under 16 years (The Lancet 2003).Yet advertisements continue to infiltrate the media and other channels with the objective to vie on children. Advertising Strategies Children have long been recognized as the target market for many companies due to its economic potential. Recent estimates by Moore(2004) indicate that children and associated markets account for 24billion dollars of direct spending and it has an additional 500 billion dollars influence over family purchases. Children are considered to be potential gold mines for campaigners and advertisers alike. Television channels and the print media as well as companies are constantly engaged in complex product placements, sales promotions, packaging design, public relations, and in-school marketing activities with the view to reach out to children and their parents. Given the time children spend in front of the television, on the Internet and media gadgets, marketers realize that children form a huge consumer base for â€Å"toys, breakfast cereals, candy and snacks etc. For this purpose there are more and more commercials on television to induce buying preference and action. TV commercials especially are being developed to induce children to purchase and participate in programs promoting cars, fashion, cell phones and other such adult related products. According to Moore (2004) At the root of the childrens advertising debate is the question of childrens unique vulnerabilities. Concerns about young children range from their inability to resist specific selling efforts to a fear that without benefit of well-developed critical thinking skills they may learn undesirable social values such as materialism†(Macklin, 1986 qt. Moore 2004). Her view is also affirmed by Cuff Andrei her (1998) who indicate through their study that children are susceptible to advertisements because of the extensive measures and strategies adopted by the advertisers. Their study reveals that marketers devise winning formulas to gain the confidence of children by sending out messages that winning children are those who are associated with certain brands. These may be Barbie, He-Man, Teletubbies or Spider-Man. Identification and association are the keys to the winning formula. The success rate of the winning formula depends on how deep an impact the product or brand has through the advertisements. These are developed based on the knowledge of the development of the mind of the growing consumers. The product leverage mix is formed based on qualities that are demanded by children such as characteristics of aero, power of a character and/or qualities of the product. The product leverage matrix is a comprehensive model formed for analysing the needs and wants of the young consumers and a guide to allow marketers to have look at the bigger picture. Once the matrix is determined the medium, concept, content, context, process, characters or personality, and attitude or style are established. Elements to be noted include: What is the psychological point of view of the target audience? What are the visual and verbal contents that will be used for the product? How marketers will form the context of the advertisements for the target audience and the kind of processes that will be involved to create an interface for interaction with the potential consumers? Character association or the use of personality to denote product quality is also common in the designing of the matrix etc. (Cuff and Rehire 1998). The marketers are also aware that young children are intelligent individuals who exercise their developing cognitive abilities by associating qualities with certain images. For example Bugs Bunny is clever rabbit or Kellogg’s Pop Tarts are fruity flavoured etc. They are able to associate as well as distinguish between products and characteristics of the products. Identifying the points of difference from the children’s perspectives is critical but not impossible. Acuffand Rehire (1998) also note that these are assumptions that adults make regarding the preferences of children such as teens wanting more energy; identifying with hero athletes; wanting great taste or new product names. Yet at the same time they also warn the marketers that: more often than not these assumptions are left unexamined as to veracity and strength. Its an important practice to check assumptions: check what the leverage actually is, and its relative power versus what has been assumed. More often than not, adults make erroneous assumptions about what kids perceive to be important and powerful because adults are looking at their product or program through adult eyes. It is critical to get at the actual leverage rather than the assumed leverage. With the above hypothetical Enerjuice example in mind, adults may be surprised when testing directly with kids focus groups reveals that the new products blue colour is its most powerful point of leverage and that the majority of kids tested dislike the new name. (Cuff and Rehire 1998). The basic premise in such a condition is that marketers need to ensure they give promises and fulfil them too thereby gaining competitive advantage. This kind of positioning helps them to organize and categorize products in the mind of the targeted consumers. In the end however, the marketers must realize that it is the bigger picture that needs to be satisfied that is product leverage matrix. At the centre of the matrix are the crucial elements that should not be neglected such as gender, stage, age, structure, dimension, style and past experience. The consumers are at the end of this list and are the most powerful deciding factor that can make or break their products. They conclude that Successful products and programs are those that satisfy their needs and wants in the short term (impulse) or in the long term. While a colourful and involving Tricks cereal package with a maze on the back provides for short-term needs satisfaction, Mattels Hot Wheel scars year after year continue to provide young boys with something they need and want small, easily manipulability, colourful minibars that are fun and involving to play cars with (Vroom! Vroom!) And to accumulate and collect. (Cuff and Rehire 1998). Ethical Implications Children advertising have attracted legal, scholars and parental attention. Proponents of the children targeted marketing and advertising argue that the financial backing that children programs are getting derive from sponsors who make programs on television possible. Advertising to children are therefore motivated by profitability. Furthermore they also argue that these sponsors target a separate niche market of children of age group 12 and 14. Advertising provides them with product information and does not really provide stimulus as children in this age group are more like adults with their specific ideologies, attitudes and behaviours where preferences of products and services are concerned. They have been exposed to persuasive messages for a long time and can distinguish persuasive messages from empowering ones. Thus they are product and advertising savvy. On the other hand opponents such as parents and consumer protection groups argue that advertising directed at children are not only unethical but they are also manipulative stimulants that promote consumerism in children from a very young age. Advertisements create wants and poor nutritional habits that induce children to pester parents for products that are harmful for them (Berger 1999). Their opinions have been affirmed by Cuff and Rehire (1997) who suggest that preschool children at two and three years old tend to identify with frequently seen images and therefore would be attracted towards spokes-character in advertising and marketing. The desire to see these characters and related products they see on television, packaging and promotions induce demand for the same among children. According to DelVecchio (1998, p. 225), The objective is to select an effective piece of advertising that will break through clutter, communicate the name of the brand, its key feature and benefit, and do so in a cool way that will elicit a childs request. Those advertisers are successful who successfully use innovation, meticulous marketing, planning and massive exposures in their key characters according to Schneider (1989). The ethical dilemma enters the scenario when one refers to the degree and extent of the use of stimuli. Research indicates that spokes-characters use role play and features that would relate animated with human characters and thereby influence childrens attitudes(Cheat et al 1992). The issues surrounding the use of advertising characters to children stem from the fact that the characters are commoditized without consideration for its impact on the children. Without regulations, advertisers tend to deviate from the conventional use of these characters. They treat children and adult related products alike. That is perhaps the reason why Cross (2002) indicates that there has been a rise in restrictions on tobacco advertising during the 1990sto curb tobacco companies from targeting children by the use of spokes-characters in their advertising and marketing campaigns. In this context advertisements have a deep ethical impact on the cognitive and development of growing children and the authority needs to recognize this fact. According to Redder (1981) children are vulnerable and fail to utilize cognitive plans for storing and retrieving information. The categorization of processing deficiencies stem from the childs inability to use the actual strategies and aids for storing information in the memory. Limited processing capabilities in young age group especially induce children to learn through memorization and are not capable of using tools for separating, segregating and processing information according to utility. Instead they use information incidentally. Television uses fast pace visual graphics and audio-visual medium to influence pre-schoolers and around that age group. The effects become consistent when children are regularly exposed to these audio-visual images so that they become imprinted on the minds of the young children (Alit et al 1980).Animation and other stimulus have double impact on the information processors of children. As children become receptive to advertisements or images that are regularly shown they come to recognize it in their daily experiences. Once the images are imprinted in the targeted group’s mind it is easy to generate brand recognition through triggering keys which may be in the form of visual or audio effects. Spokes-characters such cartoon characters have this essential effects on the children. Studies have found that young children often discriminate between products on simple heuristic of whether one particular quality (which may include brand name or character) is present or not (Rust and Hyatt 1991 qt.Neeley and Schumann 2004). Another aspect of advertisements is that children tend to associate with the characters and brand that they prefer. Instilling a brand in children’s minds is easy when spokes-characters are used to define the qualities of the products. For example in Ban’s (1996) study four and five year olds proved to be receptive to product characteristics by inferring spokes-characters. Bah gives the example of cereal boxes. Boxes with cartoons are associated with sugary and sweet cereal meant â€Å"for kids while those that do not have cartoons are bland and not sweet, and are meant for adults. This logic for cereal preferences and choices indicate that advertisements with their logos, characters and cartoons all have a great impact on the minds of young children in this age group. While Ban’s example seem harmless whereby advertisers are merely using the characteristics and qualities of products to appeal to the young consumers, Fischer et all’s (1991) example raises ethical dilemma. In their study the researchers asked children ages three to six to identify logo brands with the appropriate product. They observe that children tend to associate the Old Joe character with cigarettes. This association has been developed through the inference of the Camel advertisements that uses Old Joe a cartoon character for brand personalization. Hence, the researchers conclude that regardless of the intentions of advertisers and marketers, the effects of advertising on children are inevitable. Yet there are arguments against this view by psychologists such sapient (1929). This group of individuals are of the view that preoperational children between ages two and seven do not really process information logically or abstractly. They rely on processing strategies such as â€Å"transductive† to connect between thoughts and reasoning and therefore not susceptible to the underlying qualities. They may understand simple expressions of but have difficulty in associating it with product differentiation. Consequently Neely and Schumann (2004) write: While research findings show that young childr Ethical Issues of Advertising to Children Ethical Issues of Advertising to Children Ethical Dilemma, Practices and Implications of Children Advertising Creating outstanding products and programs to win marketplace is not an easy job. Specialists in marketing have to develop comprehensive research plans, carry out market researches, analyse the data collected and finally come up with marketing plans that target specific consumer segments. Finding out about human psychology, their preferences, choices and appeals are not only difficult but at times disappointingly inaccurate. Yet marketers today consider themselves experts in such endeavours, and are capable of achieving the almost impossible marketing objectives.   As if these aspects of marketing are not difficult enough, in modern-day marketing field there is a niche in which the marketers have to deal with children. The most difficult task is perhaps the determination of the choices and preferences of these fickle individuals who are still developing, absorbing the environment and learning to become like their adult counterparts. The task of marketing to children is not only daunting but also critical for many businesses such as Nike, Microsoft, Johnson Johnson, Disney, Pepsi, Sega,Kellogs and Mattel to name a few. These companies go through extensive research and consultancy to get to the untapped market of child consumers. One such example is evident in Dan S. Cuff and Robert H. Reiner’s (1998) Youth Market Systems.  According to the authors the development of outstanding products and programs to win childrens marketplace is entirely different from the rest of the market segments. For this purpose they invent a marketing process called Youth Market Systems. The System ensures marketers consider all aspects of marketing to children or teens for any category of goods or services that companies want to sell. There Isa great need for a system of analysis and interpretation as the authors feel that information pertaining to cognitive, emotional and social needs of age groups could transform the programs or product features that target them. Cuff and Reiner’s (1998) strategy merely opens window to the world of advertising to children. As one investigates the categories of products and services that are available to young children, one also tend to develop the consistent belief that children are a separate kind of consumer group and must be treated differently, from advertising to the designing of products. All these efforts no doubt are valid and justified in their own place and position, however a niggling thought crosses the mind when one observes the various approaches and efforts that marketers adopt to reach out to the vulnerable youth consumer segment. There are reasons for these tactics. Cuff and Rehire record approximately $1 billion annual gross revenue for Mattel Incorporated that sells Barbie’s. There are others such as Garfield, He-Man, Cabbage Patch Kids, Power Rangers, LEGO, GI Joes and a myriad of upcoming products invading the market with the sole purpose to tap on these young consumers who are bound by childish emotions and penchant for toys and games. Schemes and strategies are being devised to win over these young consumers for high stakes amounting to billions of pounds. What is more, advertising and marketing to children does not only involve the youngsters but their parents also. For example the Youth Market System identifies parents, grandparents and other close family members as the most influential on children’s purchasing decision. Exploring this group is critical because they are the ones who have control over the wallet and it is on them that children are dependent. The complexity in children marketing therefore lies in attracting both the youngsters and appealing to the parents. A winning formula must be developed to attract both the parents and children. The complexity of this formula makes success rate low which induces marketers to resort to all kinds of schemes and strategies to achieve their desired target, including crossing the line of ethics especially in the field of advertising of children related products (Cuff and Rehire 1998). Scholars and parents alike feel that there are no avenues that advertisers and businesses will not exploit to reach to the young consumers. Exploitations through mental, moral and physical developments of children are common. The strategies to target children involve creation of wants to satisfy the impulse rather than actual needs. For example consoles such as Mattels Hot Wheels, and Barbie’s fashion collections are not really required by children but wants created by advertisers and marketing campaigns. Long term needs satisfaction has been replaced by short term needs. They are not the only ones exploited. Their parents are also plagued with different kinds of created needs for their children such as the wellbeing; status symbol; and their selfish need to have their child preoccupied with the multitude of products and free them from child responsibilities. Statement of the Problem These aspects portray not only the ugly but also the unethical sides of the world of advertising. How true are these aspects and to what extent do advertisers reach to capture their target consumers? Do they cross the borders of ethics or not to maximise gains from vulnerable consumer market? And what, if anything, should be done to control and ultimately restrict the freedom of advertising aimed at children are some of the areas that the following research will endeavour to enumerate. Literature Review Children have become the key target for many advertisers. Children are vulnerable, easy to exploit consumers and they perceive things as advertisers want them to perceive, or so many of us believe. Despite the fact that children are nowadays smart and knowledgeable of the marketplace nevertheless for many marketers they are relatively easy to target due to the sheer size of the childrens consumer market. Advertisers thrive by earning billions of pounds with the backing and funding of the profit seeking organizations that hire them. These companies are not only producing goods that appeal to the children but they are also exploiting their parents. The dual targeting approach makes this market segment attractive as well as representative of high yield for investment. For example in many regions of the world including the US, Europe and Japan, companies are investing billions so that they can capture and tap the youth market segment but at the same time they are also reaping billions in return. Advertisers and marketers are entrusted with the task to achieve sales targets by generating desired actions from the segment. The wide appeal has motivated many professionals to enter and adopt whatever means and measures to achieve their targets. Ethical implications surpasses but few in the field of advertising that target children. For these reasons the authority, lobbyists and parents are demonstrating their concerns regarding the impact of media and advertising on children. The following literature review will first outline why and how children are targeted, followed by a review of the kind of ethical implications advertising and the media has on children. This will be followed by an exploration of the measures that are being taken to counteract the problem, if any. Children Advertising Advertising to children has not been an issue until recently with the boom of the media. More and more parents are concerned about the legal controls that the authority levy on advertising criteria as most are concerned about the kind of tactics advertisers are using to influence children for the sake of maximizing their profits. For example Begot and Dottie (2004) note that pornography, cigarette and tobacco related, alcohol and other products prohibited for children are being promoted on television freely without restriction. Advertisement messages for these adult related products are tailored for adult consumption but due to the appeal of mass viewership and the higher profits, the advertisements are aired during children television primetime. As a result the advertisements expose children to contents that are not meant for them. Had that been the only case then the issue of advertisement would not have been so controversial. Research suggest that children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old watch about 25 hours of television per week in the US and they are exposed to 20,000 commercials in a  year (Moore and Lutz 2000).Children at this age are vulnerable because they are developing a sense to comprehend and evaluate messages in the environment. Stimulated messages on television not only have a harmful impact but they are also detrimental in persuading children to develop wants for products that are not meant for them. According to Moore and Lutz (2000) Beyond advertisements, children gain marketplace information from the products they encounter, advice from friends and relatives, and their own consumption experiences. Through consumption, children learn what products are good and bad, whether advertising claims are truthful, what brands they prefer, and even products that convey social meanings apart from their functional properties. For children the experiences that heighten their importance in their social circle and the adult world have the most meaning. They do not have the ability to counteract or check on the viability or the authenticity of the message initially when they are young as they are dependent on adults for explanatory information accessible only through print media. By the time children grow to the teenage level the functionality of literacy diminishes tube replaced by their desire and need to fit in their social life. Without consideration for product usefulness or content, children develop wants for products beyond their pockets and reach. Similarly, children are also exposed to advertisements for fashion products that are actually designed for adult consumers but they are often condensed to tailor to the younger audience with the purpose to include the young consumers in the marketing campaigns. For this reason children develop receptivity for fashion products without the required information for decision making.  Moore and Lutz (2000) recognize the importance of childrens advertising and its impact on young audience by revealing that children are receptive to advertising demonstrated in experiments of relation between ads and products. They write: Research investigating childrens receptivity to television advertising has studied what children understand, under what circumstances they are persuaded, and how their responses evolve as they mature (e.g. Macklin 1987; Redder 1981). Drawing extensively on information processing and stage models, researchers have gained substantial insight into the development of childrens cognitive skills and their deployment during ad processing. (Moore and Lutz 2000) Their research indicates that children are at a stage where they are developing cognitive abilities. Advertisers vie on this susceptible developmental stage by targeting the limited processors of children that have not yet acquired efficient information processing strategies, a fact that may be reflected in their inability to distinguish between central and peripheral content in message learning. (Moore and Lutz2000). They further this idea by writing that at the stage of ages 8and 12 children are susceptible to information that are stimulated and that target the vulnerability of the strategic processors.   Because at this age group children tend to spontaneously employ efficient information storage and retrieval strategies. They organize and retrieve information based on available information and stimulus. Unless their knowledge of advertising is expressly activated by such acute, these children tend not to think critically or generate counterarguments spontaneously. They may also neglect to differentiate between central and peripheral content when learning new information. When there is an appropriate cue in their environment, however, they are likely to retrieve and use relevant information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Therefore children may develop recognition mechanism on how advertising should be viewed but that is dependent on external factors like parental guide, government policies or other mediating channels. Evidence suggests that there is substantial amount of influence on this age group when they are not guided in the preliminary stages in understanding the intent of advertisements. Research reveals that significant guidelines must be levied before children rationale and deliberate on the content of advertisements shown on television. â€Å"Advertising is thus implicitly accorded substantial power to shape children’s thinking until they acquire sufficient cognitive and attitudinal defences. (Moore and Lutz 2000). Other than the cognitive development impressions on children, advertising also influence them to take actions. In a study by Smithland Wynyard (1982) on consumer behaviour and response towards product trials offer through advertisements suggests that because consumers know that advertisers wish to present their brands in a favourable light, they react to ads by partially discounting claims and forming tentatively held brand beliefs and attitudes. In contrast when consumers have direct usage experience, they form stronger, more confidently held brand beliefs and attitudes. This phenomenon has been observed in a number of studies with adults and may be consistent with the case of children. The same expectations is held with regard to children advertising as researchers are of the opinion that with age, the capacity to form brand opinions tend to be more among older children. For example children of age groups 10 and 12, and 12 and 14year olds tend to tell the truth and more likely to be sceptical towards the institution of advertising rather than blindly accept advertisement claims. According to Michel Begot and Barbara Dottie (2004) children advertising are dynamic and highly appealing. The authors are of the opinion that children are the key target for advertisers because brand preferences in this age group remain unchanged for a long time. Children remain loyal to the brands they are used to yet at the same time they have growing pockets to afford more expensive items as they grow older. The above aspects indicate that children though are smart and knowledgeable to sceptically evaluate and experiment with products through advertisement claims they are also aware of the fact that these advertisers claim may not be true. At this point it is arguable to note that some school of thoughts separate the vulnerable youngsters from the smart young consumers who have the cognitive ability to critically examine the advertisement claims and disregard them if not proven true. According to Robertson and Resister (1974) if ads present information different from a childs actual experience, confusion may result and trust in advertising may be determined. Conversely, others suggest that until children actually experience discrepancies between products as advertised and as consumed, they are unable to fully comprehend advertisings persuasive intent. For this reason Moore and Lutz (2000) claim that advertising use frames for product trials known as transformational advertising in which adult consumers are drawn towards the products prior to advertising exposures by asking them to participate in the process of experimenting and interacting with the product with the view to interpret, evaluate and subsequently form their experience impressions. The expectancy or discrepancy frame sets are formed for comparison of later product trials which help in determining discrepancies or consistencies of product qualities. Mooreland Lutz (2000) present the testing paradigm to show that rational consumers are clever in testing advertising claims of product performances. Testing paradigm enable them the opportunity to evaluate and form opinions. Children, on the other hand do not have the same reaction or taste for distinguishing discrepancy in the same manner. On the other hand Ziegler (1996) believes that advertising and product trials have different effects on childrens capacity to integrate multiple sources of information for consideration. Young children tend to engage in one-dimensional thinking pattern and rely on multiple dimensions for a given task. Integration is imperative for children because they are dependent on this integration processing of information for forming perceptual domains and consumer behaviour. When younger children are presented with information it is encoded and stored in the recesses of the mind, and whenever needed retrieve it for evaluation. Information integration is basically combining new information presented in the media with the old information, and comparing the two. Disparate media information result in discrepancy inexperience. This in turn results in loss of trust in advertisement messages. Not all children however are wise enough to discriminate information. Moore and Lutz (2000) believe that age differences differentiate expectations and credibility of advertising. They write Younger children have been found to hold more positive attitudes about advertising, to be more likely to believe its claims, and to be less likely to understand its essential purpose. Thus, among younger children advertisings credibility is not likely to arise as a concern, and they are likely to perceive both advertising and a product trial experience as believable sources of information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Clearly, this statement identifies with the fact that younger children are more susceptible to advertising and they are prone to take actions without critical evaluation. For older children advertisers may not integrate strong expectations about a brand and instead focus on the stronger results to generate confidence in product usage (Fazio1986). Alternatively there are groups of advertisers who vie on the physical habits of children. For example one of the most invidious techniques is to use junk food in advertising for children. The use of celebrities to endorse these foods without any consideration for balanced diet or fitness is common in the industry. In the UK the BBC which is funded by licence and tax payers, received around 32 million pounds in 2001for franchising its Tweenies’ characters to McDonalds the Food Commission found that the Tweenies’ products were high in junk elements. Despite this fact the UK government continues to allow brands such as Cadburys to market its products and launch campaigns that have negative effects on the physical health of children. These efforts are designed to generate more profits and not the public interest. They are aware of the fact that the lack of exercise coupled with high calorie food result in obesity and other related diseases in children. The rate of obesity has doubled in the past 10 years from 8.5percent to 15 present among children under 16 years (The Lancet 2003).Yet advertisements continue to infiltrate the media and other channels with the objective to vie on children. Advertising Strategies Children have long been recognized as the target market for many companies due to its economic potential. Recent estimates by Moore(2004) indicate that children and associated markets account for 24billion dollars of direct spending and it has an additional 500 billion dollars influence over family purchases. Children are considered to be potential gold mines for campaigners and advertisers alike. Television channels and the print media as well as companies are constantly engaged in complex product placements, sales promotions, packaging design, public relations, and in-school marketing activities with the view to reach out to children and their parents. Given the time children spend in front of the television, on the Internet and media gadgets, marketers realize that children form a huge consumer base for â€Å"toys, breakfast cereals, candy and snacks etc. For this purpose there are more and more commercials on television to induce buying preference and action. TV commercials especially are being developed to induce children to purchase and participate in programs promoting cars, fashion, cell phones and other such adult related products. According to Moore (2004) At the root of the childrens advertising debate is the question of childrens unique vulnerabilities. Concerns about young children range from their inability to resist specific selling efforts to a fear that without benefit of well-developed critical thinking skills they may learn undesirable social values such as materialism†(Macklin, 1986 qt. Moore 2004). Her view is also affirmed by Cuff Andrei her (1998) who indicate through their study that children are susceptible to advertisements because of the extensive measures and strategies adopted by the advertisers. Their study reveals that marketers devise winning formulas to gain the confidence of children by sending out messages that winning children are those who are associated with certain brands. These may be Barbie, He-Man, Teletubbies or Spider-Man. Identification and association are the keys to the winning formula. The success rate of the winning formula depends on how deep an impact the product or brand has through the advertisements. These are developed based on the knowledge of the development of the mind of the growing consumers. The product leverage mix is formed based on qualities that are demanded by children such as characteristics of aero, power of a character and/or qualities of the product. The product leverage matrix is a comprehensive model formed for analysing the needs and wants of the young consumers and a guide to allow marketers to have look at the bigger picture. Once the matrix is determined the medium, concept, content, context, process, characters or personality, and attitude or style are established. Elements to be noted include: What is the psychological point of view of the target audience? What are the visual and verbal contents that will be used for the product? How marketers will form the context of the advertisements for the target audience and the kind of processes that will be involved to create an interface for interaction with the potential consumers? Character association or the use of personality to denote product quality is also common in the designing of the matrix etc. (Cuff and Rehire 1998). The marketers are also aware that young children are intelligent individuals who exercise their developing cognitive abilities by associating qualities with certain images. For example Bugs Bunny is clever rabbit or Kellogg’s Pop Tarts are fruity flavoured etc. They are able to associate as well as distinguish between products and characteristics of the products. Identifying the points of difference from the children’s perspectives is critical but not impossible. Acuffand Rehire (1998) also note that these are assumptions that adults make regarding the preferences of children such as teens wanting more energy; identifying with hero athletes; wanting great taste or new product names. Yet at the same time they also warn the marketers that: more often than not these assumptions are left unexamined as to veracity and strength. Its an important practice to check assumptions: check what the leverage actually is, and its relative power versus what has been assumed. More often than not, adults make erroneous assumptions about what kids perceive to be important and powerful because adults are looking at their product or program through adult eyes. It is critical to get at the actual leverage rather than the assumed leverage. With the above hypothetical Enerjuice example in mind, adults may be surprised when testing directly with kids focus groups reveals that the new products blue colour is its most powerful point of leverage and that the majority of kids tested dislike the new name. (Cuff and Rehire 1998). The basic premise in such a condition is that marketers need to ensure they give promises and fulfil them too thereby gaining competitive advantage. This kind of positioning helps them to organize and categorize products in the mind of the targeted consumers. In the end however, the marketers must realize that it is the bigger picture that needs to be satisfied that is product leverage matrix. At the centre of the matrix are the crucial elements that should not be neglected such as gender, stage, age, structure, dimension, style and past experience. The consumers are at the end of this list and are the most powerful deciding factor that can make or break their products. They conclude that Successful products and programs are those that satisfy their needs and wants in the short term (impulse) or in the long term. While a colourful and involving Tricks cereal package with a maze on the back provides for short-term needs satisfaction, Mattels Hot Wheel scars year after year continue to provide young boys with something they need and want small, easily manipulability, colourful minibars that are fun and involving to play cars with (Vroom! Vroom!) And to accumulate and collect. (Cuff and Rehire 1998). Ethical Implications Children advertising have attracted legal, scholars and parental attention. Proponents of the children targeted marketing and advertising argue that the financial backing that children programs are getting derive from sponsors who make programs on television possible. Advertising to children are therefore motivated by profitability. Furthermore they also argue that these sponsors target a separate niche market of children of age group 12 and 14. Advertising provides them with product information and does not really provide stimulus as children in this age group are more like adults with their specific ideologies, attitudes and behaviours where preferences of products and services are concerned. They have been exposed to persuasive messages for a long time and can distinguish persuasive messages from empowering ones. Thus they are product and advertising savvy. On the other hand opponents such as parents and consumer protection groups argue that advertising directed at children are not only unethical but they are also manipulative stimulants that promote consumerism in children from a very young age. Advertisements create wants and poor nutritional habits that induce children to pester parents for products that are harmful for them (Berger 1999). Their opinions have been affirmed by Cuff and Rehire (1997) who suggest that preschool children at two and three years old tend to identify with frequently seen images and therefore would be attracted towards spokes-character in advertising and marketing. The desire to see these characters and related products they see on television, packaging and promotions induce demand for the same among children. According to DelVecchio (1998, p. 225), The objective is to select an effective piece of advertising that will break through clutter, communicate the name of the brand, its key feature and benefit, and do so in a cool way that will elicit a childs request. Those advertisers are successful who successfully use innovation, meticulous marketing, planning and massive exposures in their key characters according to Schneider (1989). The ethical dilemma enters the scenario when one refers to the degree and extent of the use of stimuli. Research indicates that spokes-characters use role play and features that would relate animated with human characters and thereby influence childrens attitudes(Cheat et al 1992). The issues surrounding the use of advertising characters to children stem from the fact that the characters are commoditized without consideration for its impact on the children. Without regulations, advertisers tend to deviate from the conventional use of these characters. They treat children and adult related products alike. That is perhaps the reason why Cross (2002) indicates that there has been a rise in restrictions on tobacco advertising during the 1990sto curb tobacco companies from targeting children by the use of spokes-characters in their advertising and marketing campaigns. In this context advertisements have a deep ethical impact on the cognitive and development of growing children and the authority needs to recognize this fact. According to Redder (1981) children are vulnerable and fail to utilize cognitive plans for storing and retrieving information. The categorization of processing deficiencies stem from the childs inability to use the actual strategies and aids for storing information in the memory. Limited processing capabilities in young age group especially induce children to learn through memorization and are not capable of using tools for separating, segregating and processing information according to utility. Instead they use information incidentally. Television uses fast pace visual graphics and audio-visual medium to influence pre-schoolers and around that age group. The effects become consistent when children are regularly exposed to these audio-visual images so that they become imprinted on the minds of the young children (Alit et al 1980).Animation and other stimulus have double impact on the information processors of children. As children become receptive to advertisements or images that are regularly shown they come to recognize it in their daily experiences. Once the images are imprinted in the targeted group’s mind it is easy to generate brand recognition through triggering keys which may be in the form of visual or audio effects. Spokes-characters such cartoon characters have this essential effects on the children. Studies have found that young children often discriminate between products on simple heuristic of whether one particular quality (which may include brand name or character) is present or not (Rust and Hyatt 1991 qt.Neeley and Schumann 2004). Another aspect of advertisements is that children tend to associate with the characters and brand that they prefer. Instilling a brand in children’s minds is easy when spokes-characters are used to define the qualities of the products. For example in Ban’s (1996) study four and five year olds proved to be receptive to product characteristics by inferring spokes-characters. Bah gives the example of cereal boxes. Boxes with cartoons are associated with sugary and sweet cereal meant â€Å"for kids while those that do not have cartoons are bland and not sweet, and are meant for adults. This logic for cereal preferences and choices indicate that advertisements with their logos, characters and cartoons all have a great impact on the minds of young children in this age group. While Ban’s example seem harmless whereby advertisers are merely using the characteristics and qualities of products to appeal to the young consumers, Fischer et all’s (1991) example raises ethical dilemma. In their study the researchers asked children ages three to six to identify logo brands with the appropriate product. They observe that children tend to associate the Old Joe character with cigarettes. This association has been developed through the inference of the Camel advertisements that uses Old Joe a cartoon character for brand personalization. Hence, the researchers conclude that regardless of the intentions of advertisers and marketers, the effects of advertising on children are inevitable. Yet there are arguments against this view by psychologists such sapient (1929). This group of individuals are of the view that preoperational children between ages two and seven do not really process information logically or abstractly. They rely on processing strategies such as â€Å"transductive† to connect between thoughts and reasoning and therefore not susceptible to the underlying qualities. They may understand simple expressions of but have difficulty in associating it with product differentiation. Consequently Neely and Schumann (2004) write: While research findings show that young childr