Youngsters are being paid up to u00a325 (Rs 1,600) a week to promote sugary soft drinks, burgers and other products via social networking sites and playground chat
Youngsters are being paid up to u00a325 (Rs 1,600) a week to promote sugary soft drinks, burgers and other products via social networking sites and playground chat. Products like Cheesestrings and Coca-Cola, which have been criticised for being relatively high in saturated fat and salt, are at the centre of big business stealth marketing campaigns. The Dubit website, set up by a British entrepreneur, has recruited thousands of kids as young as seven to promote certain brands to their friends in return for money-off vouchers, which can be worth u00a325 a week, and free samples.
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Children and teens can be recruited as so-called "brand ambassadors" by the site. This involves performing a range of tasks, including putting up flyers, posting on message boards and social networks such as Facebook and Bebo, and hosting parties for friends.
The company insists there are safeguards to prevent exploitation. Anyone under the age of 16 is required to get their parents' permission. Children under the age of 12 are urged not to promote products to anyone except friends.
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Ed Mayo, co-author of Consumer Kids, a book on marketing to children, is highly critical of the way big businesses are targeting youth through the Internet. "About 85 per cent of children's websites collect personal information. Companies are not just stalking kids online, they are recruiting them to fight the battle for market share."
Among other brands using Dubit to promote their products to youngsters are Cola, and Cheestrings, which have been criticised for being relatively high in saturated fat and salt.
Sprite, Dr Pepper and a Barbie-themed MP3 player are also part of the promotional push.
Just last week, the Government's Food Standards Agency said it would be using the company's access to youngsters to pass on messages about the importance of a good diet. This followed disturbing research showing that many teen girls and boys are being starved of key nutrients because they are eating a poor diet.
This group were consuming too much junk, such as sugary soft drinks and snack foods, causing more than one in three to be be overweight.
Ironically, among the brands using Dubit to promote their products to youngsters are Fanta, which is part of Coca-Cola, and Cheesestrings, which have been criticised for being relatively high in saturated fat and salt.
Sprite, Dr Pepper and a Barbie-themed MP3 player are also part of the promotional push. Record labels are also using the marketing technique.
Marketing agency, in4merz.com, uses a network of 10,000 youths, aged 11-21, to promote pop artists including Lady Gaga, Jonas Brothers, Alexandra Burke, Sugababes and Pixie Lott on behalf of record labels.
The company claims to be signing up as many as 100 children a day. Members are rewarded with points for their promotional activities, which can be exchanged for music-related gifts.
Ed Mayo, co-author of Consumer Kids, a book on marketing to children, is highly critical of the way big business is targeting youngsters through the internet.
'About 85 per cent of children's favourite websites collect some sort of personal information,' he said.
'Companies are not just stalking kids online; they are also recruiting them to fight in the battle for brand domination and market share.
'Close on half a million young people in the UK alone have been enlisted by big youth brands, and that's the figure from just one recruitment agency.
'Kids are regularly signed up through the internet to be "insiders", "informers" and "lifestyle representatives" for big corporations.'
A spokesman for Coca-Cola said its brand ambassadors recruited through Dubit were over 16 and were told to make it clear they were being paid to promote the company's brands. A spokesman for Kerry Foods said its campaign to promote Cheestrings was a trial.
Dubit was founded by Adam Hildreth, aged 24, who came up with the idea at the age of 14 and left school at 16 to run it. He is said to be worth u00a312million.
The firm said of his recruits: 'They must make people aware they are involved in a project if talking about a product or brand. Anyone under the age of 16 must have explicit verbal parental consent to take part.'
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