Commercial Scheme Evaluations
“Corporations are well informed of the schools’ need for revenue, yet school administrators are ill informed or do not fully comprehend the value of exclusive access to the children”.
(Curren C.M., Journal of Consumer Marketing, 1999)
A core activity of the Campaign for Commercial-Free Education is to study and critically evaluate commercial schemes which are aimed at Irish schools. This is done to provide up-to-date information to schools and the public, to further the debate on commercialism and to assist schools in deciding whether or not to partake. Please contact us if you know of a commercial scheme in schools which you feel should be reviewed on this web site.
All commercial schemes are subject to independent review by members of the Campaign for Commercial-Free Education using a common template and based on current research both domestic and international. The views expressed are those of the Campaign for Commercial-Free Education alone, based on the information available at the time of writing. Scheme evaluations may be revised or altered in response to changes in individual schemes or new information coming to light. We welcome comments or criticism of our evaluations.
The list is sorted by the most recently reviewed first.
“The promoters are posing as benefactors of schools when in fact they are exploiting them as closed markets…. Children will be pressurizing their parents to make extra purchases and doing the work of the company promoter.” (Roberts, ‘Business Sponsorship in Schools: A Changing Climate’, 1994, p. 81)
“Schools represent a growing marketing channel for food advertisers. Strategies include sponsoring events, linking food product purchasing to the provision of educational or sporting equipment- often involving token collection schemes.” National Heart Alliance Position Paper on ‘Marketing Unhealthy Foods to Children’ 2005.
