CHILDREN AS A TARGET MARKET IN THE BRANDING PROCESS WITH EMPHASIS ON ETHICAL ASPECTS

Technological innovations in communication and distribution of information have changed the way in which a relationship with clients is nurtured. Expectations of customers have grown considerably over time so companies have to work hard to attract them and build a brand. In process of building strong relationship with clients firms use media and send massages to the end – users, and more often – kids. That is happening because children and teenagers have a major impact on family purchases. Brands become a part of their personality, and building loyalities is growing rapidly in teenage years. Firms engage psychologists, sociologists, psychiatrists to get deeper into their heads and achive as tight a relationship with children. The desire for profit can be attributed to unethical behaviour, hence the existence of numerous legal and ethic restrictions for children does not guarantee protection. But, some countries have have completely banned advertising to children under the age of 12. In the short term, it may also make sense, but in long run when children have unlimited Internet access where advertising can hardly be controlled, these children have no one who can protects them. In these paper the influence of brands on the behaviour of children will be explored and it will examine the ethical aspects of advertising to children