Brand Loyalty: Food Companies Use Mobile Games to Hook Kids Early

By emeadows
September 25, 2012

Many U.S. food companies are advertising to children in a new, interactive way — by creating product-infused games for smartphones and tablets.
“The mobile games demonstrate how new technology is changing U.S. commerce, drawing tighter bonds between marketers and young consumers,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
Games like “SuperPretzel Factory” and “Icee Maker” are selling successfully in the Apple App Store.
“Kids are our No. 1 consumer,” says Susan Woods, Icee’s marketing chief. “The fact that they may think about getting an Icee next time they see an Icee machine is a lot more likely if they’ve engaged themselves with something to do with Icee.”
“Makers of snacks, sweet drinks and candy have long been under government and public pressure to limit advertising to minors on TV and the Web,” notes the article. “They are now finding the unregulated medium of mobile devices an effective substitute to trigger demand and cinch brand loyalty.”
While the FCC regulates commercial time during weekend cartoons to 10.5 minutes per hour and prohibits product placement, there are no such rules in place on the Internet.

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