Sites sponsored by alcohol companies are the chief offenders. Some tobacco and gambling sites also use kid-friendly tactics to win the loyalty of the next generation of consumers. For example, McGraw Hill s online Teaching Resources Section includes math lessons around Crayola and Hershey Web sites and products. Spokescharacters representing the brand are used to help build strong brand awareness and attachment. This works especially well when kids recognize the same spokescharacters on television, in toy stores and on the Internet.
Virtual communities are a major trend in marketing on the Internet today.
They bring visitors back again and again. Marketers can lace chat room discussion with subtle promotional messages, or plant personalities in the chat room that enliven talk or encourage visitors to disclose personal information. On the 'Net, as in the real world, freebies also serve as an easy way to obtain potential customers' personal information. Copyright 1996-2000 by Media Awareness Network . All Rights Reserved.