CorpComms Magazine

Children as young as seven are earning as much as £25 a week in vouchers and freebies promoting products through social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo. Brands such as Fanta, Nintendo, Barbie and Dr Pepper are among those who have recruited 'mini-marketeers' to name-drop during online chats with friends. It is thought that the recent bid to involve youngsters in marketing campaigns has emerged in the wake of a move to crack down on television advertising of unhealthy products.

Leeds-based marketing agency Dubit Insider offers its brand ambassadors high street store vouchers as well as free samples if they mention certain products online. It advises children not to start chats about a particular product, but rather to 'look for natural opportunities to drop it into the conversation', according to an article in the Sunday Times.

While Dubit's members are aged seven and upwards, it states that anyone under 16 must obtain parental permission, and that only over 16s can promote junk food. Its activities are supported by the Food Standards Agency, which says it will use its relationship with the site to promote the importance of a good diet to young people.

But Ed Mayo, co-author of Consumer Kids, a book about marketing to children, warned of the dangers of such sites. 'About 85 per cent of children's favourite websites collect some sort of personal information. Companies are not just stalking kids online, they are recruiting them to fight in the battle for brand domination and market share,' he told The Daily Mail.

Another agency, in4merz.com, encourages their network of 10,000 11-21 year-olds to post YouTube videos promoting pop artists such as Lady Gaga, the Sugababes and Pixie Lott. In return they receive points that can be redeemed against music-related gifts.

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