The fact that brand loyalty begins by the age of two, with children recognizing brand logos by the age of three is old news. In fact, the research was published in the early 90’s. It is a fact commonly exploited by early reading programs. I used it in my preschool classroom under the innocuous name of “environmental print.” We spent reading time cutting out logos and gluing them in little books so my young charges could learn the letter “M” from a McDonald’s sign, “W” from WalMart and “C” from Coca Cola.
I never really viewed these activities as preparing the children to become consumers in the market. In fact, I viewed it more as exploiting the fact that they already were consumers to a higher end.
My children do not watch very much television and virtually no advertisements. That does not make them less aware of the brands around them, and even my two year old recognizes her favorite haunts by the logos out front. But they do not seem to have the fierce loyalty I remember as a child. Last year, my daughter saved her money for some My Little Ponies. When she got to the store, she realized that there were other ponies there for a lot less money. She was thrilled to get two “off brand” ponies instead of one My Little Pony, and saw nothing different between them other than the price.
It was my son, however, who gave me more pause for reflection on brand loyalty. When he began toilet training, we purchased him Cars underwear. He loves cars anyway, and particularly anything dealing with that movie. He was happy with them, and didn’t see the need for wearing pants for awhile since they only covered the best part of his whole outfit.
When he was finished training, however, I purchased a package of normal white underwear. I was planning for accidents, not looking for extra motivation to get out of a diaper, and I could get twice as many for the same price. Guess which he prefers? The white ones.
He couldn’t care less about brand loyalty. He wants the ones he perceives to be “big boy” underwear. He isn’t identifying with the market, but with his father. That is a much better place for a child’s loyalties to lie.
It is amazing how much we are brainwashed by advertisements.-I don’t generally fall in to that trap.-I watch very little television myself but do spend too much time on the computer I think!
I think John Taylor Gatto had written some articles about consumerism in schools.. or maybe it was Sam Blumenfeld…
I’ll have to go look that up now..
Please share when you find it!
Thanks for stopping by, Larry. I think I’m guilty of the same. : )
I think the key was really is in the television watching–it really is powerful for children.
I have watched my children respond to it. My younger more so than my older with whom as a single parent I had much more control of such things.
Funny, a few months ago I received a package from Huggies about “potty training” my baby, along with this whole sticker program and of course some completely useless free disposible pull-ups.
It’s amazing how whole industries can convince us that we need to make such a huge deal out of something like potty training a child. It just so happens that the Bambina had already potty learned about six months earlier. And all I had done to bring about this success was to … remove the diaper and put some plain white underwear on her.
That’s funny, Caroline. My children all learned quickly. Without any sticker charts, or anything. For the most part, they just decided one day that they wanted to and did fairly successfully.
Shawna, I agree. I found it rather shocking that television viewing dropped from an average of four hours per day to two hours per day when kids entered school. Four hours a day! That is an incredible amount of television for young minds who learn by doing.
My daughter is not aware of any brands because we trashed our TV since she was born.
It is just of late that she recognizes some Disney characters. We have no trouble going to any toy store or baby shops as she does not demand a “Cinderella” bag just like most kids her age.
i’m not sure it has as much to do with the advertisements as the peer identity. i remember being much more brand aware as a child than my children were and i always assume it was because i was in school and wanted what my friends had.
That’s a good point. And a lot of the brands that teens are into are not the ones advertised, which I thought interesting. They have their own subculture.
I wonder, however, how much of a relationship there is between the two. For example, parents who strongly limit television are more likely to be communicating their values to their children, I think. In so doing, with or without the television, the children are perhaps more likely to identify with their parents more than their peer group? Or be more willing to break away from the peer group in some things?
I don’t know. It was just a thought I had while reading your comment!
Great post! It was posted to the Carnival of Natural Family Living:
http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2007/08/01/carnival-of-natural-family-living-1/
Thanks for sharing!
I have to admit on some days, especially when I was still pregnant with my second and sick all day, we end up watching far too much TV. I try to stick with either PBS or Animal PLanet, but there is still so much advertising. We don’t even eat McDonalds but my oldest has made the connection between the big M and the clown. Unfortunately he thinks the palce is where the clowns go to play so he’s sure I’m a mean mom for not taking him. LOL
Thanks, Tiffany! I’ll get a link up later.
Activist Mommy, that is so funny! My 2yo loves McDonald’s. But all she knows is playing on the playground while mommy drinks a coffee and writes.
We hardly watch any TV, either. I found that when my kids watched it, their “mommyIwantit’s” went up dramatically.