p2pnet news | Advertising:- An addiction is a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual’s health, mental state or social life, says the Wikipedia.

In other words, it’s a bad thing …

… unless you’re a tobacco company or a toy maker. In that case, addiction is a good thing.

Back in July, “Our daughter, Emma … is an avid surfer,” I posted, going on, “We home school her and information she gathers online comprises a vital and important part of her education.”

She’s an intelligent kid but that notwithstanding, I said, but, “she’s an easy mark for online predators of the nonsexual kind” —- “marketeers who operate what are are euphemistically called social networking sites” but which are in fact, “hardcore commercial pages, purpose-designed to get kids who use them to blackmail their parents into buying product”.

One such is Webkinz, a fuzzy toy site that’s sweeping the net, sucking in young surfers, I added.

A bit strong?

“Webkinz pets are lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code that lets you enter Webkinz World and play with a virtual version of your pet,” says the site FAQ.

Lil’ Kinz are around $12 and the bigger versions, something like $14, and according to Emma, one of her friends has successfully nagged her parents into buying all of them - all 72!

Say the kid has the cheaper ones, that’s more than $860, without tax!

Then there’s all the must-have peripheral junk such as body spritz (body spritz?), bookmarks, trinkets, lip gloss, mouse pads, purses and even trading cards. And of course, your kid can also do a little harmless, educational gambling on Wheel of WOW and Wishing Well.

‘Growing audiences of kids’

Things have become even worse since I wrote Curse of the Webkinz. They’re now being pushed - and I do mean pushed - in our local grocery store right up front near the cash register where we - or, rather, our children - can’t possibly miss them.

They’re also in drug store, and we’ve even seen a gas station with a hand-written sign proudly saying Webkinz Here!

These particular stuffies, made by Canada’s Ganz, are probably the most pervasive of the various child magnets, but there are plenty of other sites blatantly or subtly selling to kids, including tots.

Now, “At a recent conference on virtual worlds in San Jose, Calif., executives from some of the industry’s biggest sites touted growing audiences of kids, who spend hours a month playing games and socializing,” says CNET News, going on:

Some of those communities boasted of successful experiments with marketing. For example, preteens are driving virtual Toyota Scions on sites such as Whyville.net and Gaia Online, and they’re wearing the latest digital fashions from DKNY at Stardoll.com. Nickelodeon also talked about coming plans to run “immersive” ads in its 3D environment for kids ages 7 to 14.

Executives at these companies, and their investors, agree that virtual worlds are engaging enough to children to provide an unprecedented opportunity for marketing. But in a nascent industry with relatively no standards for advertising, media watchdogs, educators and even some gamemakers are worried.

But, “This is a very powerful medium for marketing because it involves this huge engagement. It’s more powerful than a sugar cereal commercial,” said Bob Bowers, CEO of Numedeon, “whose Whyville members spend about three and a half hours a month on the virtual world”

Therefore, “there need to be standards,” he says.

Advertising in virtual worlds

The article is talking about virtual reality but how virtual does reality need to be?

Listen to kids talking about their Webkinz and you could be forgiven for thinking they’re discussing real animals and real people. Yes, I know that’s the way kids talk to the things they love, but this is scary.

“Companies like toy makers Mattel and cereal maker Millsberry have already taken advantage of direct marketing via games online and virtual worlds,” CNET says, going on, “Mattel.com, Hasbro.com and Millsberry.com are among the top 15 entertainment sites for kids, according to research firm ComScore.

Companies that have “experimented” with advertising in virtual worlds, “include Disney, Capitol Music Group, Kellogg’s, Pepsi, Toyota and Warner Bros,” the story says, and in one example, “pay-as-you-go mobile phone company Kajeet opened up a ‘chat factory’ in Whyville this spring that allowed tweens to personalize their chat bubbles by color and border”.

In 2005, MTV Networks bought Neopets, “a research joint venture partner of Jack Myers Media Business Report throughout the 2004 presidential election,” said Myers on his site, going on:

“In March 2004 we published a detailed commentary on Neopets, outlining for our subscribers the company’s business model and our enthusiasm for Neopets’ growth prospects. That column, the first industry report on Neopets, is even more relevant today and we are pleased to re-publish it for you,” he says.

And, “With a primary target of eight to 17 year olds, Neopets.com members can play a constantly expanding spectrum of 140 games, trade, participate in auctions, and send personal greetings and instant messages, and all at no cost.”

But there is a cost, and it’s not in money. It comes into play (pun intended) when, “addicted children beg for the extensive plush toy collection, playing cards, CD-Rom games, and other Neopets goodies,” says Myers.

Addicted children.

‘A small price to pay’

And the children really are addicted, in the classical sense of the term. However, “few parents complain,” says Myers.

Instead, “they consider the costs a small price to pay for their children’s enthusiasm and the educational benefits they receive”.

The enthusiasm is certainly there, but it’s the kind of enthusiasm an alcoholic shows for his bottle of booze.

Watch a kid go into withdrawal when he or she is deprived of his or her Webkinz. It’s manifested by anger, sulking, crying, inability to concentrate, constant talking about Webkinz, ‘Can I go on the computer now?” as soon as the child gets up in the morning.

Is there any similarity between this kind of behaviour and an alcoholic reaching for a bottle as soon as he gets up, do you think?

Too strong again?

And no matter what misguided parents may believe, and what marketeers may claim, there are absolute and no educational benefits.

In the CNET story, Jason Root, vice president of digital for Nick.com, admits marketing to kids in virtual worlds is a gray area and, “it’s only getting grayer”.

There’s also another aspect to consider.

“This kind of marketing is designed to operate at a subconscious level,” CNET quotes Kathryn Montgomery, a professor in the School of Communication at American University and author of Generation Digital: Politics, Commerce and Childhood in the Age of the Internet, as saying, going on, “kids don’t know how to think critically about how someone’s trying to get them to be loyal to a brand or buy their products.

And at the end of the article, “The big question,” she says, “is what kind of culture are we creating if it’s all about the products?”

Says a mom on epions.com:

Pros - Interactive fun, many activities to choose from

Cons - Addicting! You will want to buy more, time-sucking website, another stuffed toy?

The Bottom Line - Webkinz.. this mom is addicted!

Jon Newton- p2pnet

Slashdot it!

Also See:
easy mark for online predators - Curse of the Webkinz, July 13, 2007
CNET News - Are kids ready for ads in virtual worlds?, October 16, 2007
Neopets - Danger! school is back, September 18, 2004

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 at 6:15 am and is filed under Advertising. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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