Review Of Kids Ad Rules Getting Messy

REVIEW OF KIDS AD RULES GETTING MESSY
[SOURCE: BrandWeek, AUTHOR: Jim Edwards]
The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) is having difficulty drafting new guidelines for marketers who target kids. The major sticking point: grocery brands and certain fast-food companies have adopted positions that are irreconcilable. Grocery brands (such as Kraft, PepsiCo and Mars) are prepared to accept much more stringent restrictions on kids' marketing than fast-feeders (like McDonald's and Burger King). A failure by CARU to get its members to agree on new voluntary rules could invite intervention from the federal government, or companies could abandon CARU altogether. The main industry regulator for children's marketers, CARU began a "complete review" of ad rules in February. At the time, CARU -- a unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus -- said it believed the process would take 90-120 days. It has so far taken twice that long.
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