Kyle Caires

Last week I was organizing my garage when I found an unlabeled taped up box. My curiosity got the best of me, so I cut open the box open; it’s always fun to find things that I have forgotten about. I pulled out a bunch of small items to reminisce about from my childhood. There was an old Sega Genesis and Nintendo, medals that I had received from martial arts tournaments, and a pack of Kings Candy cigarettes. This led me to thinking how all of these items have affected my ways in adulthood. I still think of video games as a fun past time just as I did when I played the Sega Genesis and Nintendo. I still have a passion for martial arts even though I do not practice it anymore, but how about the impression that those candy cigarettes made on me?

Interestingly enough, I can’t stand the smell of smoking cigarettes and smoking has an appalling look to me. Ahh, but I still sometimes smoke despite how I really feel about it. When I “smoked” those candy cigarettes as a child I viewed myself as an adult, just like how my father and his friends smoked when they got together. It’s the adult image that was imprinted into my mind. Every child’s imaginary games and play time is focused on what they are going to be and do as an adult.

After having all of these thoughts cross my mind, I then thought how mankind has come so far realizing the damage we do to our children by allowing them to play with things such as candy cigarettes. I laughed and told my girlfriend of this and her how good it is that our children will not have access to candy cigarettes, since they are not on the market anymore.

Oh boy was I wrong!

A new candy store opened in my neighborhood and I found those same candy cigarettes that are still made by those same companies from when I was a child. I felt disappointment in the companies that makes them and the owner of the candy store for selling them. I asked the store attendant about the candy cigarettes, while thinking to myself; these must be vintage candy cigarettes. Much to my surprise the attendant told me that those candy cigarettes are still manufactured and sold.

Clearly our society has not come as far as I had thought. As long as we keep purchasing the candy cigarettes then the candy companies will continue to manufacture them. This is derived from selfishness of both the manufacturer and the candy store that seek a profit. I suppose that neither one of them care about the image they are portraying to children, just as long as they make that dollar.

Chevrolet has toy companies create their line of cars to imprint the Chevrolet image into people’s heads from childhood; I see no damage done there. Some toy companies make small kitchens to help a child imagine themselves cooking dinner and breakfast as an adult; I can find no harm in a child wanting to one day cook food by themselves. Why would a candy manufacturer want a child to practice the art of smoking cigarettes? I know why, because it is making them money. Those candy manufacturers don’t care about what your child is learning from their candy experience.

This is just an example of what all of us as upcoming business people and entrepreneurs must keep in mind. We all have a moral obligation to those around us and our upcoming generations.

How do you want to be viewed from a business stand point from your local and global community? What will be your face in the marketing world?

Graphic Credit:
animationfactory.com