Marketing to Teens

Often controversial, marketing to the teenage market for aesthetic enhancement purposes just made headlines again.

An August 13, 2001 article in the New York Times reports many of the major teen magazines including Elle Girl, Teen Magazine, Cosmo Girl and YM have refused to run ads for Bloussant, an herbal breast enhancement tablet. Citing responsibility for cultivating positive body image and self esteem, the editors of the various publications feel the Bloussant ads send an unhealthy message of "you are clearly not perfect the way you are."

Aside from the psychological impact on impressionable teenagers, there appears to be little scientific evidence that the tablets actually work. Scientists are also concerned that the herbal ingredients may produce side effects when taken with antihistamines or birth control pills. Because the tablets are herbal they are essentially unregulated by the FDA. While the $229 cost for an eight-week supply may seem prohibitive to wide-spread use, remember that this demographic target group has disposable income and very few financial obligations.

To read the entire New York Times article, go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/13/business/13TEEN.html?todaysheadlines

You must be a registered user to read the article, but registration is free.

This article raises an important topic for consideration for plastic surgery practices:

• Do you market to teenagers, and if so, how do you do so in a responsible and psychologically healthy manner?

• Do you have age limits for procedures and what circumstances might be reason to waive those limits?

KZA would love to hear how you handle this ethically tricky area. Email us.

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