Análisis de las estrategias de marketing emocional en el comportamiento de compra de productos infantiles.

Abstract

This study analyzes the influence of emotional marketing on the snack-buying behavior of 5-year-old children in Guayaquil in 2026. During the preoperational stage of development, these children exhibit high cognitive vulnerability, preventing them from discerning the persuasive intent behind commercial advertisements. Through a mixed-methods approach—comprising 384 parental surveys, interviews with various professionals, and focus groups with children—the study revealed that brands employ multisensory packaging and animated characters to capture children's attention. These strategies forge deep emotional bonds that trigger "pester power" (emotional insistence and tantrums), leading 52.7% of parents to yield at the point of sale. Furthermore, the adult's rational decision-making is often undermined by "health-washing" tactics on labels, which justify the purchase of ultra-processed snacks through false health claims. Thus, emotional marketing exploits children's visual perception to promote the consumption of products that increase early metabolic risks, including obesity. There is a strong recommendation for the implementation of more aggressive state regulations, such as banning the use of child-oriented characters on junk food and mandating consistent front-of-package labeling.