The Indian food market for children has witnessed a tremendous growth in recent years, and is expected to carry on the momentum in future. Fast food advertising has become a major concern in food product advertising. Advertising to children, in particular, has become a hot topic as it has been observed that there is a lack of advertisers’ responsibility. This study helps to understand the parental viewpoint towards the unethical practices carried on by the food product advertisers, so that corrective action can be taken by the regulatory bodies. The study also attempts to find out parents’ preferences of food items for their children. A quantitative survey, which sheds more light on this research was conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Jaipur, using a well structured questionnaire. The data collected was then analyzed by chi-square test and cluster analysis. The findings highlight the increasing risk associated with too many food advertisements that rely on tricks and gimmicks to attract children. Finally, the paper provides a set of recommendations for the Indian parents and government regulatory bodies.

Ethics in marketing deals with the principles and values that the marketing institutions ought to have. Discussions of marketing ethics are focused on two major concerns: one is the concern related to political philosophy, and the other is regarding the transaction-focused business practice. On the one side, it has been said that maximizing profit for the shareholder is the only ethic in marketing, while on the other, it is argued that market is responsible to the consumers and other proximate as well as remote stakeholders as much as, if not less, it is responsible to its shareholders. The question of ethics becomes more important when the market targets the most impressionable section of the society, children. The food product companies are now spending a great amount on advertising to reach/attract this segment.

Good nutritional diet during childhood and adolescence is essential for physical and mental growth. At the same time, eating behavior is also established which contributes to long-term health and chronic disease risk. But the Indian food consumption trend data shows a shift over the last one decade. Children and adolescents eat out more frequently (junk/fast food, soft drinks, and snacks). Very few studies have been conducted and documented in India regarding the dietary intake pattern of the Indian children and adolescents.

Marketing Management Journal, Guest Delight, Hotel Industry, Customer Delight, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Reliable Reservation System, Convenient Payment Method, Hotel Management, Disconfirmation Theory, Data Collection.