Marketing To Children

Pester power.

"Pester power" refers to children’s ability to nag their parents into purchasing items they may not otherwise buy.

"The emergence of a child-centered society in which parents prioritise the wants and needs of their children means that many parents are focused on pleasing their children". Mintel [online] 2008 

Piaget states that children are working through an intuitive phase. This is where the child will have an intuitive grasp on some logical concepts, but will still only be able to focus on one aspect of an objet whilst ignoring others.

A study conducted by the Center for a New American Dream in 2002 produced statistics that reinforced the marketers belief in pester power:

• American children aged 12 to 17 will ask their parents for products they have seen advertised an average of nine times until the parents finally give in.
• More than 10 percent of 12- to 13-year-olds admitted to asking their parents more than 50 times for products they have seen advertised.
• The nagging strategy is paying dividends for kids and marketers alike: 55% of kids surveyed said they are usually successful in getting their parents to give in.

In terms of marketing, this may mean that a child will pick up on the most desirable aspect of a product and not pay attention to any other detail, which a parent obviously would. The image above depicts Piaget's four stages of cognitive development. These demonstrate the intellectual abilities of a child and highlight that children are not little adults, in fact, until they reach the age of fifteen they are incapable of reasoning as an adult.

Take a look at this: Buy Me That!!