Commodifying childhood: NZ children see marketing for unhealthy products 76 times a day

By Leah Watkins, Associate Professor, Department of Marketing, University of Otago
Louise Signal, Professor, Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit, University of Otago

Media headlines, industry figures and research confirm what many parents suspect: marketing to children has not only grown in scale but also in sophistication.

It now happens in a wider variety of contexts, both physical and digital, and in a more systematic, integrated and personalised way than ever before.

Children in Aotearoa New Zealand are growing up in a commercial environment unlike any previous generation. Advertising isn’t just something they see between TV programmes. It’s woven into their physical environment and the digital platforms they use to learn, play…

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