FTC Forum Examines Advertising Literacy

 

The Federal Trade Commission announced on February 20 that its staff will host a forum on March 12, 2009 to gather input for its upcoming education program on advertising literacy for “tweens,” or kids who are 8 to 12 years old. At the forum, experts on advertising and marketing to kids will discuss a range of issues, including:

 

*                   what kids experience in the commercial world;

*                   what kids understand about their experience; and

*                   what consumer education efforts will help kids to navigate better in the commercial world.

*                    

The goal of the campaign is to educate kids to be better informed consumers of information. 

 

The agenda and other details are available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/aditup.

 

The event is free and open to the public. The forum will be held at the FTC’s satellite building conference center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC.

 

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them.

 

While the forum will present the views and ideas of experts on consumer advertising with a child focus, there was no indication of the specific use to which the information will be used.  The FTC press release information quoted above did indicate that the program was to be part of a larger consumer education effort but the details of a specific plan for the program are, presumably, to be released at a later date upon completion of the information obtained at the forum.

 

Tim Holland, Feb 20, 2009