ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the impact of advertising on children. The main concern of advertisers is that their commercial messages are effective. Advertisements can influence children in a number of ways. They can increase young consumers’ awareness of brands and product attributes, influence attitudes toward brands and products, and influence intentions to purchase or actual purchase behavior. Advertising on television represents a particularly important product information source (Barry & Sheikh, 1977; Howard, Hulbert, & Lehmann, 1973; John, 1999a). Research evidence indicates that exposure to advertisements can increase children’s desire for products and may encourage them to ask their parents to make purchases on their behalf (Atkin, 1982).
