The Kids Market: Myths and Realities (1st edition)

Citation

Lloyd, S.M. (2000), "The Kids Market: Myths and Realities (1st edition)", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 7, pp. 627-637. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.2000.17.7.627.1

Let’s take a little quiz. True or false – “Kids don’t have the money that teens or adults have.” True or false – “Children are always nagging their parents to buy them things.” True or false – “Children change brands often and show little brand loyalty.” If you think the answers to these questions are simple, think again. And while you’re at it, consider picking up a copy of The Kids Market.

In an engaging and straightforward style, James McNeal addresses more than two dozen marketing myths associated with kids (such as those listed above), separating fact from fiction. And from whence do these myths arise? Do not look too far afield. According to McNeal, many of them stem from “marents,” that is, marketers who are also parents. “Marents can be recognized by their declarations such as, ‘The one thing I understand is kids. I have three of my own.’ Or, ‘Let me take it home to try on my kids. If they like it, it’ll sell”’ (p. 23). Does your company suffer from “marentitis” – that is, overreliance on the use of marents to research, develop, promote, and sell new products to children? The signs are fairly obvious: a high failure rate for kid‐oriented products, low revenues generated by this merchandise, and a business team whose members are “uniquely” qualified for the kid product assignment – simply because they have kids of their own.

If you’ve read this far, chances are that you work either for a company that is already involved in the children’s market or for one that is thinking about entering this sizable and increasingly important market segment. Regardless of whether your company is actively suffering from marentitis or not, if you’re targeting the children’s market, McNeal’s book should be considered required reading.

McNeal’s account is simultaneously comprehensive, thought‐provoking, and sensitive. In an era when we all suffer from information overload, this book provides a refreshing change of pace. The chapters are organized into 20 neat little stand‐alone packets, each of which addresses a single myth (or set of related myths) associated with the children’s market. Essentially, the chapters can be read in any order, making this an excellent quick reference source as well as an interesting read in its entirety. The specific topics covered are wide‐ranging and include children’s savings/spending patterns and their role in influencing household expenditures; packaging, retailing, pricing, advertising, promotion, and public relations issues; and finally, branding/brand loyalty and satisfaction. Essentially, no topic is left unexplored – there is even an intriguing section on the importance of floors!

With the exception of the first chapter, which provides an historical overview of the children’s market, McNeal pursues his discussion from a decidedly psychological perspective, providing insights into the minds of children and parents. Such a balanced approach, focused on the dynamics of the family as a social system, serves as a springboard for provocative insights. Let me provide two examples. In chapter 6, McNeal argues that parents teach their children the “gimmes” by teaching them how to be consumers: “… children are strongly motivated to learn the art of asking: this is how they get virtually everything they need or want. Both mothers and marketers know this, but Mom usually takes the credit and the marketers get the blame – credit for having taught the children how to properly ask for things, blame for children asking so often and for so many things” (p. 77). As a second example, in chapter 18 McNeal emphasizes the importance of satisfying both the child and the parent, with the recognition that their respective needs are not necessarily the same and can be in conflict. For example, consider this reality: “Children loved their free Mystic Magic Magnifier, but parents hated the burned holes in their curtains and tablecloths” (p. 213). Marketers are left to sort the tangle out, although there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: the satisfaction of both parties – child and parent – can yield brand loyalty. These insights (along with several others), which seem obvious once they are stated, provide a backbone for de‐bunking the myths of kid marketing.

In almost every chapter, McNeal provides a copious number of analytical/planning tools and tactical suggestions for marketers. One of my favorite planning tools was the adult‐to‐kid (A→K) continuum, on which products may be arrayed in terms of their intended target market. Tactical suggestions, while fairly general, are written in a manner that allows them to be easily modified to meet specific corporate needs. Consider the following: “Describing directions for use is an important package function – for the contents and for the package itself. Children need to know how to use a package – how to open and close it, how to use it in the product’s preparation or use – and need instructions for any secondary purpose. All this needs to be communicated in kids’ language – a combination of graphics and words is probably best” (p. 193).

The suggestions and tools are presented in a non‐emotional, matter‐of‐fact manner. Importantly, they are also offered in the spirit of social awareness. We live in a time when, increasingly, eyebrows are raised regarding the undue aggressiveness and deception some marketers use in pursuing kids. While we can not expect kids marketing to go away, we can insist that it be done gently and sensitively. For the most part, McNeal supports this view by exploring both sides of difficult issues that have no easy answers. For example, in chapter 12, he tackles the touchy topic of advertising. Are there too many ads targeted toward kids? And how much is it harming them? Later, in chapter 16, he broaches the subject of package design by posing a critical question: “How deceptive do a package’s graphics have to be to attract the attention of the regulator?” (p. 197).

McNeal’s style is clear and concise. His ideas are easy to understand and his writing is fluid – he establishes a dialogue with the reader through the written word. Much of the knowledge he imparts is taken from his own research conducted over the years with children in the USA and, more recently, with children in China. Of particular interest are the insights he develops by analyzing the pictures kids draw of products and of their shopping experiences. To a lesser extent, McNeal uses case studies and secondary data to support his arguments. While the reliance on qualitative and anecdotal evidence may be a bit off‐putting, if you’re a reader who insists on statistical “proof,” McNeal’s interpretations and conclusions will, at the very least, challenge you to re‐evaluate and re‐think your ideas about kids as consumers – and as purchasers.

The last chapter of the book focuses on international marketing; however, this is a bit of a misnomer. While McNeal does provide some rough calculations of worldwide market potential, the chapter focuses almost exclusively on a single, albeit large, nation – China. (Other references to China are used liberally throughout the book.)

Overall, The Kids Market has few weaknesses and many strengths. It is clearly targeted to a corporate audience and is, perhaps, best used as a framework for thinking through marketing programs and product development efforts targeted at kids rather than as a formulaic and precise “how‐to” manual.