*do not quote

There is no right or wrong answer to this.

This is the product, it's mini crackers with peanut butter in them:
A little background information on the product is that it was taken off the shelves when peanut butter was banned from schools (so within the last 10 years). It has re-emerged on the market, last month.

Choose the best target market
1. Elementary school kids 6+
2. Parents

What would be the best media to advertise this product, to reach the most amount of sales?
1. Commercials on children's channels
2. Demos (handing out samples in grocery stores)

(If choosing other, keep in mind the above information and the fact this is taking place in Canada).

Below is my opinion, and I'm not asking you to agree with me, I want to know your decision and reasons.
---------------------------------------------------------------
You don't need to read this. But this is where the debate stems from;

We were asked this question in class yesterday - except the target market and media were up for debate, we argued between the two listed. I wanted to market to parents and my group said kids. I chose demos and they chose commercials.

Their compelling   reasons were that kids watch a lot of tv and parents love convenience. They said they would put the commercials for them on during weekend mornings and after school.

My argument was to market to parents and do so through demos. My reasonings where based off the fact that you cannot eat these snacks anywhere unless you're at home or a park.... you can't grab them and go to activities or school - therefore I felt that convenience was less important. Also, if my child came to me (at the age they're marketing to) and told me they wanted those, I would tell them to put peanutbutter on crackers themselves... Also, not all children's tv channels have commercials. For example, treehouse and family do not have commercials like that, and early morning teletoon runs inappropriate infomercials. Another thing was, do you really think your kid could remember exactly what product it is... like they see it on tv and they repeat it to their parents it's going to sound like "I saw those crackers and there was peanut butter etc" there will be no mention of brand. And yet again if my kid told me that I would tell them to make it themselves. One last point is that with DVR and smurf, who's actualy watching commercials? Do your kids sit through every single one? DD gets up to get a snack or water, etc. On the topic of demos, I feel like parents are more likely to buy a product they see themselves, especially if they and their child can try it. It usually comes with a coupon which is more incentive because the box isn't "cheap" - you pay for convenience. As a parent a demo would be more effective than a commercial, especially since there are a lot of parents who do not allow their children a say in what comes in and out of the fridge (ie. my mom would give us 0.25 after shopping if we didn't ask for anything lol).

My entire side of the debate was not good enough because I have a 4 year old, and that's below the target market they chose. Ironically, I was the only parent in the group   Not to mention the teacher asked for more and my group said that's all they had....

I chose commercials because there would be a huge risk in handing out samples in a grocery store due to peanut allergies, so I don't see many grocery stores agreeing to that.

I'm inclined to agree with the other group.
When dd watches a channel with commercials, she memorizes those damn things word for word. Of course I don't buy her any of it (except some birthday/Christmas toys) but advertising to kids seems like a pretty effective way to make your product a household name.

Handing out demos doesn't seem as effective. Most adults are familiar with Ritz crackers and peanut butter. It's not some groundbreaking new concept that we need to try for ourselves. We hear "Ritz peanut butter sandwiches" and there's no mystery. It seems to me like demos are best when you want to introduce something new to the marketplace. You have to give people a chance to see it, touch it, and taste it so they know what they're getting. They don't hand out free samples of bread and butter, right?

Quoting Asher's mommy [Expecting :" I chose commercials because there would be a huge risk in handing out samples in a grocery store due to peanut allergies, so I don't see many grocery stores agreeing to that. "

I use to do demos and they just put up an allergy alert sign, as well as I tried this product at a demo lol

Quoting Rd.:" I use to do demos and they just put up an allergy alert sign, as well as I tried this product at a demo lol"

Wow! That's surprising with how crazy people get with peanut allergies!

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" I'm inclined to agree with the other group. When dd watches a channel with commercials, she memorizes ... [snip!] ... see it, touch it, and taste it so they know what they're getting. They don't hand out free samples of bread and butter, right?"

That is true... but what would make you decide to buy that product over putting peanut butter on a cracker yourself?

Honestly ad companies and marketers know what they're doing when it comes to commercials geared towards children. My 3yr old can remember the brand and what went on in the commercial. Also I would probably be more likely to buy it if it was something he wanted and asked for, if I just saw a demo or something I would be like well we really don't need it and not give it anymore thought.

Quoting Rd.:" That is true... but what would make you decide to buy that product over putting peanut butter on a cracker yourself?"

Constant badgering by my 4-year-old

Quoting Asher's mommy [Expecting :" Wow! That's surprising with how crazy people get with peanut allergies! "

I know eh, plus I wonder why they brought them back?

Personally I buy them because we have dairy allergies and can't eat the cheese ones, I was so pissed when they took them off the shelves.

Quoting Rd.:" That is true... but what would make you decide to buy that product over putting peanut butter on a cracker yourself?"

If I were to answer this question, the answer would be convenience. I have two packs of those "Jiff to go" things of peanut butter in my pantry right now. Logically, I know it's stupid. I could just get out the big jar of peanut butter and some tupperware. Done and done, right? But then I would have to clean the tupperware and make sure I brought it home from work, etc..... stupid I know, but it's convenient. Haha

Quoting ----&&:" Honestly ad companies and marketers know what they're doing when it comes to commercials geared towards ... [snip!] ... and asked for, if I just saw a demo or something I would be like well we really don't need it and not give it anymore thought."

What if he begs to try it in stores and loves it, will just seeing and wanting something on a commercial make them more of a necessity than trying them?

Personally I'd rather buy something I knew DD would eat.

Quoting Rd.:" That is true... but what would make you decide to buy that product over putting peanut butter on a cracker yourself?"

Plus they're mini, and I haven't tried them but I'm guessing the pb has extra stuff in it to make it harder than the consistency of pb in a jar. Just to make production and packaging easier. So if we were on the go, they'd be an easy snack with protein. Not as messy as putting peanut butter on a cracker.
Tbh I probably wouldn't buy them at all because we don't do a lot of processed stuff like that. But that's not the question.

Quoting Asher's mommy [Expecting :" If I were to answer this question, the answer would be convenience. I have two packs of those "Jiff ... [snip!] ... would have to clean the tupperware and make sure I brought it home from work, etc..... stupid I know, but it's convenient. Haha"

Lol, I totally agree on the convenience... I try not to buy prepared foods, and make everything myself but I know there are parents with less time and more kids out there.

Quoting ----&&:" Honestly ad companies and marketers know what they're doing when it comes to commercials geared towards ... [snip!] ... and asked for, if I just saw a demo or something I would be like well we really don't need it and not give it anymore thought."

That's crazy, my 4 year old doesn't even watch channels with commercials yet lol. I remember as a kid sitting in front of the tv with a pen and paper aha

Quoting Rd.:" What if he begs to try it in stores and loves it, will just seeing and wanting something on a commercial ... [snip!] ... on a commercial make them more of a necessity than trying them? Personally I'd rather buy something I knew DD would eat."

That begs another question- and I'm totally playing devil's advocate here, btw- but you made a great point that this particular product is really nothing more than crackers and peanut butter... nothing really to write home about. If you demo it, I guarantee my kid would eat it... realize this... and get over it. Now on the other hand, if he saw a commercial for it marketing it to him like it's the damned holy grail of all things "cool" and delicious, he would be far more interested in wanting me to buy it for him.


TO TAKE YOUR SIDE: I know that commercials glamorize stupid smurf and brainwash my kids into thinking it's amazing and awesome. It bothers the hell out of me. That's why we don't watch commercials in my house... I make sure it's Netflix or DVR'd. We don't even watch Nick Jr anymore because MTV took it over and added a bunch of damn commercials and some stupid ass show that, if God forbid my kid stays up past nine and it happens to be on in the background, he'll learn about all kinds of smurf he doesn't need to hear about. But that's an entirely different rabbit trail.... lol