Impact of Television Advertisement on Purchases made for children (PDF)

Advertisements have become a trend these days for promoting the product or any service. It plays a vital role in forming an image in mind of family members because they are the means with which the manufacturer indirectly communicates with the family and provides necessary information to them. Advertising has become so integral part of our life & society that we cannot imagine any event, newspaper, magazine, TV serial, Cinema etc. without it. The advertisements are focused on the audience which mainly may either be persuaded by them or watch and pay attention to this medium. Television is an ideal way for advertisers to reach children as it is so omnipresent in homes around the world. An average Indian child watches 14 hours of Television each week. It was a vital marketing tool to appeal to the parents earlier but now they appeal directly the children who do not have the emotional or cognitive tools to evaluate what's being sold to them. Prior children used to play outdoor games, magazines, and comics but now most time is spent in watching television and with the increase in the trend of dual responsibilities of parents, they pay very less attention on the watching habits of their children. In addition to this the marketers use various stimulus in television commercials that includes repetition, branded characters, catchy and interesting production features, celebrity endorsements, and premiums free merchandise that accompanies a product.