Earlier today I was alerted to TissueBox Advertising, a company whose purpose, even by just reading the name, should be self explanatory. TissueBox states that it can put together a campaign of particular school-age demographics for a potential client, print up the tissue boxes, and distribute via donation to a school. To this point, many schools have chosen to “opt-in” to distributions in the future, with only 7% opting-out, according to the company. And to the company’s credit, they do have current/former school employees on their Advisory Board, as detailed here - but does that really matter?
So the question is, is it a good thing that companies are sponsoring tissues in school classrooms? Sure, it’s great that the products are there, because everyone knows what a problem it is to get your kid to have tissues of their own r not wipe their nose on their shirtsleeve - but what’s the cost? Now I don’t have children of my own, and am a marketer by trade, but sometimes something feels a little iffy to me. In this particular case, I cannot decide if it’s just the methodology that bothers me or something else.
The problem a lot of people have with marketing to teens (and younger children) is that it is, in a lot of cases, an effort to get individuals, many of whom don’t have money of their own just yet, outside of a few dollars’ allowance, to become brand loyal, and push for certain products to be purchased by their parent or guardian. While I’m sure all intentions are good here, and I for one do not take too much issue with advertising to young people in general, is a school the “right” opportunity to advertise your product or service? In this particular case, I think a serious look would have to be taken at the benefit of having your ad in front of students on a daily basis as opposed to the furor that could be caused by parents and kids who took offense to the tissue boxes. A school system is more than likely going to “go” with a plan to have tissues donated to it because of the value proposition put forth. I can’t say that parents and students would feel the same, unfortunately.
Related: The Media Awareness Network looks at marketing to teens and young children.
2 responses so far ↓
1 EdWonk // Nov 27, 2004 at 11:30 pm
I am BOTH a teacher and a parent. I have mixed feelings about this one. As a teacher, it’s good to have things that kids need, especially when the school won’t provide them. As a parent, I want my child’s school to be a “Commercial Free Zone.”
Tough Call….
2 Zeev // Dec 1, 2004 at 5:55 pm
Im a marketing major in university.
It doesn’t seem fair to hold kids as a captive audience in a classroom. Its one thing to advertise on TV where children or their parents can choose whether they want to watch the ad or not but to put a child in a classroom where learning occurs and place an ad right in front of the child… seems a little too much.
In effect we are than supporting advertisers to get into our lives and advertise more to us. Where will it stop than?
Kids have very impressionable minds and making them brand loyal from the start is too intrusive!