Amid growing concerns over the impact of advertising on children, industry leaders including global snacks company Mondelēz International took proactive steps to support and redefine ethical standards in children’s marketing during the educational session, “Responsible Marketing to Children” last July 5, 2024.

Hosted with adobo Magazine and joined by the National Nutrition Council, Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), the Ad Standards Council (ASC), Center for Peace Education, and KMC Solutions, the session seeks to spark discourse on ethical marketing to children and explore strategies for crafting age-appropriate and responsible marketing campaigns that resonate with families while safeguarding their best interests and wellbeing.

“We should all be advocates for our children, then we can be advocates for the products we are trying to sell,” said Center for Peace Education’s Dr. Gail Reyes Galang. She also suggested seeking insights from parents or child experts to ensure ethical marketing practices aimed at children.

Kristian Jebsen Bandong, Nutrition Officer II from the Nutrition Policy and Planning Division at the National Nutrition Council, shared the government’s initiatives on regulating advertising and marketing, including developing the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model which they plan to use for several purposes such as regulating treats and alcoholic beverage marketing and implementing front-of-pack nutrient-specific warning labels.

Meanwhile, Mondelēz International explored the ethical imperatives in today’s market, emphasizing the delicate balance between business objectives and safeguarding family and children’s well-being. Aleli Arcilla, Mondelēz International’s Managing Director in the Philippines also revealed the company’s industry-leading efforts and advocacy for well-being, Mindful Snacking.

“We believe it is the gatekeepers—the parents or the guardians—who should make the decision on what food their children should consume,” Arcilla emphasized. “To grow our business means growing it the right way by being responsible in our marketing and encouraging other companies to do the same,” she emphasized.

At the same time, Miko David, President of David & Golyat and Vice President of External Affairs at the Ad Standards Council, discussed how the organization regulates marketing to children through its regulatory guidelines.

The esteemed experts also opened up to the possibility of reviving and improving the Philippines Responsible Advertising to Children pledge, which was signed in 2014. This pledge aims to formalize the minimum standards for advertising to children, to protect their wellbeing. Mondelēz International is one of the companies that signed this pledge.

“Through this discussion, we are advancing significantly toward our goal. By fostering collaboration in designing marketing strategies for families, we envision a world where businesses thrive alongside the well-being of our consumers,” said Arcilla.