What the Devil Says to See

In our age, everyone is a salesperson/marketer. Even I, who am writing these lines... 

No matter how much we trust our products, we strive with all our might to make them visible. 

As the production cost of products and the expected return from their sales increase, the importance of marketing grows. It is essential for you that your products are seen directly by those in need, and that the consumer realizes their own need and takes action. If you are a food producer, this means you are ready to pay high shelf fees, packaging costs, advertising costs, and inventory costs. 

The Target of Sales: Individuals with Impaired/Weak Will

So, who is your interlocutor? Let's say you produce confectionery. Is your interlocutor the person who will pay for this candy, or the person who will consume it? If your target is a child, and you are relying on the child's pressure power over their parents, it means the child is at the center of the advertising, visibility, and desire. 

Parents are vulnerable to a child's wants and desires for both biological and social reasons. Children, on the other hand, do not possess a strong will, conscious consumption habits, or healthy decision-making skills due to biological/hormonal reasons. Therefore, we are facing individuals whose will is being pressured, both as consumers and as customers. 

The Power of Behavioral Economics and Neuroscience

As our knowledge of people's decision-making processes and their biological and cognitive orientations has improved, this information has become usable by marketers. There are now studies/research supported by large supply chains or conducted directly by them. Given this, it is a fact that the masses who are vulnerable to these studies are now easier prey. 

It is impossible not to follow the advice that has entered textbooks: 'Retailers place products such as confectionery, chocolate, beverages, and gum in the lower shelves and next to the checkout counters so that children can see and buy them. It can be said that customers waiting in line at the checkout, and especially children, are more willing to buy the products here.' (Product Management in Retailing, AÖF Publications, Publication No. 1722, p. 119)

Are children not vulnerable to these tricks? The Ministry of Trade can emphasize "conscious consumer" as much as it wants, but is it reasonable to expect these children to become conscious? Of course not. By failing to fulfill its duty of inspection, the state leaves families and children vulnerable to harmful food products. Moreover, there is even a price for this vulnerability: The Shelf Rental Fee. The rental fee for shelves where products sold in chain stores are placed varies according to the shelf's potential to deliver the product to the target audience. This means there is a commercial advantage here. 

The State Should Not Evade Responsibility

While the addictive effect of sugar and confectionery products is evident, and they target children whose will has not fully developed, and while the will of families is clearly being pressured, pretending that these things are not happening and leaving citizens to the mercy of the market economy is contrary to law, equity, and the principle of the social state. 

For a Solution

What needs to be done is clear. These products should be treated like tobacco products. The attractiveness of their packaging should be eliminated, and their direct display to children should be prevented. For this reason, these products should be offered for sale in special boxes, with their contents clearly stated, and without being advertised anywhere. While the direct and indirect harms of these products are obvious, acting as if these harms do not exist means disregarding public health and safety.