Experiencing ADvertising: Baby Edition

Baby Laila

          On Janurary 30, 2011, I was blessed with the arrival of my niece, Lalia Rene'e Moore, at 19 1/2 inches and 6.2 lbs, she was truly the most adorable thing I'd ever seen and I was so proud. To bring you guys up to speed, Laila's the first baby in the family in over 14 years, and its truly baby bliss for most of the family. Everyone is so excited to have a new baby in the family.  

She's like a little celebrity. There's a new outfit and photo shoot every day, twice a day; and no one knows what to expect next. She doesn't even know her name, yet she's got more Facebook photos than I do. It seems like there's a new presents or gifts, and visitors everyday. Truly, everyone wants a piece of little Laila. Which got me thinking, do our desires of wanting the best for our children, give consumers the opportunity to take advantage of us? Are our desires to make sure our children have the best, giving consumerist the upper hand?

For instance, I'm sure you've been in the supermarket one day and there was that toddler in the middle of the store having a complete meltdown over a newly advertised toy, or even the new package of M&M's; and it makes you wonder. Just how is it possible that that particular mother/child duo came into that predicament? Are children really smart enough to understand what we, as adults, are saying to the world around us when we allow our children to exert this type of behavior? OR are marketers and consumerist banking on these types of instances to sell their products.

Pester Power

Today's kids have much more decision-making power than any previous generation, so it's only plausible that they're more vocal about what they want. "Pester power" refers to a child's ability to nag, in some cases scream, their parents into purchasing those things they wouldn't normally buy. Marketing to children is all about creating those instance, because advertisers know how powerful it can truly be. Parents fall prey to wanting to provide the best for their children, and wind up with a recurring problem, otherwise known as the "supermarket tantrum."

Branding for Babies

  Fast food, toy and clothing companies have been cultivating brand recognition in children for years. Marketers are using child psychologist and planting the seeds of brand recognition in children at very young ages. According to the Center for a New Dream, babies as young as six months of age can form metal image of corporate logos and mascots, and companies are implementing children into their equations, in the hopes to grow long-lasting relationships. Brand loyalties can be establishes as early as age two, and by the time children are off to school most of them can recognize hundreds of brand logos. 

Funny enough, marketers and consumerist are banking on our children's "supermarket tantrums".  Kids today represent a very important demographic to marketers. They have their own purchasing powers, and they're influencing their parents' buying decisions maybe more than even the parents themselves realize. They understand perfectly that we want the best for our children, even if it does take a little more out of our pockets, and they alter their advertising efforts accordingly.

Every parent, or grandparent, wants the best for their child. The problem only arises when we allow those thoughts to subliminally motivate us to give advertisers the advantage.

XOXO,

J. Kel

Hope you guys enjoyed it!