School-Based Marketing

School-Based Marketing

Should advertisers stay out of schools and respect them as a “commercial free” zone? If not, what limits should they abide by in attempting to advertise to school-aged children and teenagers?

When it comes to school I believe that learning is the key objective. Unfortunately it seems as though commercialism is growing in schools across America. I do not believe that advertisers should stay out of schools and respect them as a “commercial free” zone. I say this for two reasons. My first reason is that it is good business. Students like certain things like Coke products at lunch or in between classes. They should have that choice to be healthy or not. Also, one bottle of soda isn’t going to kill someone and I don’t see it hindering the student’s ability to learn. Businesses know that young people like sugars because their able to eat such things unlike older people who might have health problems. In knowing this, these companies make contracts like that of the case with the Colorado Springs school district signing an agreement with Coca-Cola under which the school district will receive$ 8.4 million over ten years with the chance of earning more if they exceed specific selling requirements. I understand having a sales quota to hit might not be the best because then you are pressing students to buy more, but at the same time, that’s how business works, so it’s give and take. I will talk about this later in terms of the limits that should be imposed. My second reason that I believe it is ok for businesses NOT to respect schools as a “commercial free” zone is that these kids should not be sheltered. School should not be an area where they are cut off from everything. Yes, as I mentioned earlier schools should be primarily concerned with learning, but at the same time kids need to make choices. If they choose to believe advertising around school because they are young and naïve then it ends up being a learning experience. I think it is good. Kids should be exposed to this stuff so they can learn, because years down the road they will be in the real world and have to make choices. I know it might seem like I’m comparing apples and oranges but it really isn’t. When you make choices of who to hang out with, when to study, and how to go about making healthy choices versus unhealthy choices it is all part of growing up. When I was in middle school soda was the big thing, there used to be advertisements around the school near the vending machines, etc… and yes, I would love to get a bottle when I could, but I also knew I needed to be active if I was going to do such things so I could stay healthy. There is always cause and effect to each decision we make so I don’t believe protecting kids from commercialism is the right way to go. When you are in the classroom it is about learning. When you are in between classes you have choices to make.

...