Why is Unilever Quitting Marketing to Kids?

Companies that sell unhealthy foods to kids like walk a bit of a tightrope. They ideally want kids driving demand by asking their parents for various treats.

The problem with that, of course, is perception. It's not a good look, given the childhood obesity problem in the United States, so some companies have changed tactics.

Fast-food chains, for example, now offer healthier choices (that few kids likely pick on their own) and many have stopped putting toys in kids' meals. Now, Unilever (NYSE: UL), which owns the Breyers, Magnum, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream brands among others, has decided to commit "to new principles on marketing and advertising foods and beverages to children," according to a press release.

Source Fool.com