Advertising To Children Should Be Voluntarily Regulated

Advertising to children should be regulated by a voluntary code of practice, according to new research from the Chartered Institute Of Marketing (CIM).

The latest quarterly Marketing Trends Survey found that 76% of senior marketers believe that a code of practice for advertisers is the best way forward, while 46% approve of Government legislation to regulate marketing to children.

Only a third of respondents feel that EU legislation is needed, but the majority (71%) are in favour of parental control in addition to another form of regulation. When asked about what the CIM should do with marketing to children, 68% said that the marketing community should break new ground by educating consumers about advertising, while 62% believe that the CIM should lobby to push through legislation on the issue.

Commenting on the research, CIM’s International chairman, Mike Johnston, said: “Consumers are demanding that companies behave responsibly in marketing these products to children, and these results show that marketers are responding by showing that they are keen to take a lead on the issue.”

Last month research from the CIM revealed that 75% of adults believe that children are exposed to too much advertising. 73% of respondents believe that the laws governing advertising aimed at children should be strengthened, compared with 75% of those questioned in 2000 (see Children Exposed To Too Many Ads, Says CIM Research).

Chartered Institute Of Marketing: 01628 427 500 www.cim.co.uk

Recent Research Stories from NewsLine Only One In Ten Very Interested In Freeview Research Reflects Surge In Spam Mail Marketing Salaries Defy Advertising Downturn

Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left