BRANDchild: Insights into the Minds of Today's Global Kids: Understanding Their Relationship with Brands

Design Management Journal, Fall 2003 by Goodwin, Bill

BRANDchild: Insights into the Minds of Today's Global Kids: Understanding Their Relationship with Brands By Martin Lindstrom and Patricia B. Seybold Today's kids have grown up faster, with more disposable income and influence over household purchases than any generation in history. Martin Lindstrom and a number of other experts believe that kids influence up to 80 percent of all household purchases. And as a market segment, they are impossible to ignore. In fact, ignoring them may mark the beginning of the end for your brand.

BRANDchild offers compelling insights to bolster this point. One might contend that the book would be better titled BRANDtween, as the focus of BRANDchild is on today's elusive "tweens." By Lindstrom's definition, tweens span the pre-adolescent years from the age of 8 to about 14. (In fact, tweens are widely recognized as children ages 9 through 12.)

Heralded by many for its insights, BRANDchild summarizes research from the world's largest study of kids and their relationships with brands. Lindstrom, a recognized branding expert, partnered with Millward Brown, the global research firm, in this extensive study, involving more than 600 researchers, physiologists, and consultants and spanning 70 cities in 15 countries worldwide.

The result is a must-read book, particularly for those marketers who have yet to address the reality of kids' increasing influence. As a reference tool, it offers such features as chapter summaries, action points, key-point appendices, a thorough index, and the promising DualBook online component. Through DualBook, Lindstrom will provide updated, Web-based content on the changing world of tweens and their evolving relationships with brands.

BRANDchild deserves a spot on every marketer's bookshelf. However, as a specialist in developing brand experiences for kids, I suggest that marketers not rely solely on this book. And while tweens are eminently appealing because of their numbers, direct-purchase power, and purchasing influence, bear in mind that relationships with brands begin at a very early age. In fact, babies begin recognizing brands at six months of age, and as they grow, so do their relationships with brands.

Today's kids certainly are smarter and more elusive. We all know that connecting with our customers requires a better understanding of their needs and expectations. Elevating our connection to that of a valued relationship is the brass ring. BRANDchild might just help you get there.