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The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children: Parental Viewpoint

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Abstract

The children’s market has become significantly more important to marketers in recent years. They have been spending increasing amounts on advertising, particularly of food and beverages, to reach this segment. At the same time, there is a critical debate among parents, government agencies, and industry experts as to the ethics of food advertising practices aimed toward children. The␣present study examines parents’ ethical views of food advertising targeting children. Findings indicate that parents’ beliefs concerning at least some dimensions of moral intensity are significantly related to their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions of food advertising targeting children as well as the perceived moral intensity of the situation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5590, Normal, IL, 61790-5590, U.S.A.

    Aysen Bakir

  2. School of Business Administration, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, U.S.A.

    Scott J. Vitell

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  1. Aysen Bakir
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  2. Scott J. Vitell
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Correspondence to Aysen Bakir.

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Bakir, A., Vitell, S.J. The Ethics of Food Advertising Targeted Toward Children: Parental Viewpoint. J Bus Ethics 91, 299–311 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0084-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0084-2

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