CMNS 320Angela Pong
Children’s Recognition of Brand Logos & Television Viewing Habits 20003-3858
Introduction
Recently, many marketers and researchers have focuses their attention on how children can play an important role in the market. Indeed, several studies have shown that children have direct and indirect influences on their parents’ and family’s decision[1]. Children, in the era of the“information age”, often have access to information relevant to making purchase decisions. Parents, in turn, tend to ask their children’s advice about buying food to buying a new family car.[2] According to Brian Young, children’s information on products usually comes from what they remember about television advertisements.[3] Therefore, it is important to investigate the relationship between children’s recall of brand names and logos and parents’purchase decisions.
This research report examines television viewing’s impact on children’s memory and children’s recognition of brand logos as factors influencing their parent purchase decisions. Firstly, this report will provide a literature review of studies focusing on children and television advertising. Secondly, the report will state the research question and explain the research methodology. Thirdly, the section on results will explain the key findings of this research involving children aged 5 to 12, and compare data on children from aged 5 to 8 and on children aged 9 to 12. Finally, this report will summarize key findings of the research and will discuss the main issues and problems arising from this research, before suggesting possible worthwhile future approaches to the topic.
Literature Review
In Television Advertising and Children,Brian Young discusses early studies into children’s understanding of television advertising. Young describes different research projects and their approacheswhich used different methods to investigate children’s understanding of television commercials. These studies typically focus on children’s ability to distinguish between commercials and programs. In 1971, Blatt, Spencer and Ward set up a sample of 20 children aged from 5 to 12 years,asking these children questions about the nature and function of television advertising.[4] Responses from these children showed that children progress through different stages of perceiving and thinking about the world.[5] The evidence showed that childrengo though variousstages of understanding television advertisings as they grow older. Further research was conducted by Ward, Reale and Levinson in 1972, with a greater sample size; 67 children in a similar age range were interviewed.[6] Children were asked“What is the difference between a television commercial and television programs?” Responses were slotted into three levels according to children’s understanding of television advertising. About half the children interviewed thought that advertisements do not always tell the truth. However,children of different ages can have different criteria concerning“truth”[7]. Younger children feltadvertisements do not tell the truth because commercials contain unreal scenes. About 73 per cent children aged from 9 to 12 feltcommercials are not true because they knew that the goal of the commercials is to make more money.The results of this later research project also showed that children develop a greater understanding of television advertising as they grow older. Young also discusses other research into television advertising and children that involved different approaches. The research providesvaluable evidenceand data explaining children’s evoking understanding of commercials.
The Investigation into children’s ability to distinguish differences between commercials and television programs, was later extended to the concepts of consumption and purchase decisions. Young argues that “children are likely to access information on products when making purchase decision[s]”.[8] Such information could come from what children see and remember about television advertisements. In other words, children’s purchase decisions and product choices are influenced by their memories of television commercials.
Andy Fry’sarticle focuses on advertising and on children’s influence on their parents’ purchase decisions;he analyzes marketers’ and advertisers’ technique to engage children’s interest. Robin Walker, Heinz director, points out that children aged from 5 to 6 are heavily influenced by their parents in decision making. “Children are starting to become fashion conscious but only just beginning to understand the concept of brands,”Walker says.[9] On the other hand, Liz Taylor, Logistix Kids director,asserts thatonce children reach the ages of 7 to 9, they are able to demonstrate a complex approach to consumption.[10] Taylor also explains that children by this age have already established a repertoire of acceptable brands. A1997 study showed that US children effectively influence their parents in purchase decisions ranging from choices of foods to the family car.[11]
An article in U.S. News & Reports by Marianne Lavelle, also describes the significance of children’s influences on purchase decisions.According to James McNeal, a professor from TexasA&MUniversity, children aged 4 to 12 spent $29 billion of their own money shopping at malls in 2000.[12] Furthermore, McNeal argues that younger children also had a direct influence on approximately $290 billion in family spending in 2000. Children aged 2 to 12 had an indirect impact on another $320 billion of household purchases. These data reveal the significance of kids’ marker power, according to John Geraci, vice president of youth research at Harris Interactive.[13] Although children may not have much money for consumption, their influence on household purchases has a great impact on the society. Children with two working parents become partners with adults in decision making.
YTV estimates that 2.4 million Canadian children aged 9 to 14 spend about $1.4 billion a year of their own money, moneycoming from allowances, gifts and odd jobs.[14] That total works out toapproximately $ 11 per week for per child on average. Grade 7 Canadian children are receiving a lot of attention from advertisers. Researchers also note that children aged 9 to 14 have much influences on family purchase decisions. According to YTV,90 per cent of children aged 9 to 11 choose their own clothing; 80 per cent of them “get a say” in what games and toys, snack food and restaurant the family chooses; 30 percent have had an influence on buying a family car.[15] A 1999 survey found that 60 per cent of parents consult with their children before they shop for technology products.[16] Another study found that 65 per cent of children aged from 9 to 11 had specific likes or dislikes in hotel choices, while 56 per cent believed their family made holidaydecision according to their vacation wish list.[17] In addition, another study also found that 54 to 63 per cent of parents admitted their children had been actively involved in shopping for a vehicle, with the greatest input coming from children 6 to 8 years old.[18] “Evidence suggests that children are more literate about commercial messages and brands thantheir parents would like them to be,” said Andrew Marsden, marketing director of Britvic.[19]
The significant impact of children’s influence on consumption and purchase decisions seems to be related to the concept of “materialism”. According to Peter Nieman, a Calgarypediatrician, materialism is a concept that “teaches children to measure their self-worth by the things they and their family own, increases peer pressures and encourages conformity.”[20] The report shows that the average Canadian child watches 23 hours of television weekly and views more than 20,000 commercials a year. Nieman also argues that children under 8 years old have difficulty distinguishing between regular television programs and commercials.
Evidenceshows that children’s materialism and consumption are linked to advertising. Researchers at StanfordUniversity in California have indicated that reducing television viewing may reduce children’s asking for new toys.[21] Tom Robinson and his team sampled about 200 children from Grades 3 to 4 at two public elementary schools in San Jose, Calif. Children were classified into two different groups. One group was willing to reduce its amount of television viewing. The study found that at the beginning of the school year, both groups of the children were similar; about 30 per cent admitted they hadrecently requested a new toy based on what advertisements they saw on television. At the end of the year, “children in the TV reduction program were 70 per cent less likely than their peers to have recently asked for new toys.”[22] This finding suggests that reducing or limiting the amount of television viewing is an effective way to protect young children from advertising influences.
As one can see, many marketers and researchers have investigatedchildren’s understanding of television commercials. From the 1970s to the present, many researchers have explored children’s ability to distinguish between television advertising and programs. Studies show that older children have a greater understanding of the differences between commercials and programs and of the purposes of advertising than do younger children. It is also important to note that advertising not only influences children’s decision making, but also influences family purchase decisions directly and indirectly. Data show that children have a great impact on the consumption because they become advisor to and partnerswith adults in decision making. Advertising, in other words, encourages“materialism” which teaches children to endow with value what they and their family purchase. Researchers at StanfordUniversity show that there is connection between television viewing and children’s desires and demands. Reducing television viewing times, in fact, reduces children’s desire for new toys.
The studies mentioned above focus only on television advertising, ignoring other forms of commercials from different media. Other forms of advertisements include print advertisements, outdoor advertisements or Internet advertisements, which may also influence children’s perceptions of consumption and decision making. Furthermore, most of the sample groups are children from America, rather thanfrom Canada. Some data may not accurately reflect the reality ofchildren’s understanding of advertising in Canada. Although Young touches on the issue that children’s memory of what television advertisements they have seen may affect children’s purchase decisions and product choices, he does not shows how children’s memory of advertisementsis directly related to product choices and consumption. Children’s memory of commercials should be further explored to show how significant advertisements shape their decision making and product choices.
Research Question
Does television viewing influence children’s memory and recognition of brand logos; in turn affecting their parents’ purchase decisions?
Methodology
Subjects
The sample consisted of 12 children,7 boys and 5 girls,aged from 5 to 12. Children were randomly selected at Richmond Public Library on July 31st, 2003. The racial and ethnic composition of the sample was 50 % Asian, 25 % White, and 25 % Black.
Procedures
Children were individually asked nine questions with standardized answers. Presented with the brand logos,[*]children were asked to identify the name of the brand and to describe what products each brand sells. The reason for asking children to recognize these brands is to determine if they have alreadystored the products and the logos in their memory. Children were also asked about their influence on their parents’ making purchase decisions and their views on brands’credibility, in order to investigate the relationship between children’s memory and their influence on parent’s product choices. Other questions focused on children’s amount of television viewing, their understanding of advertising, ability to distinguish between TV commercials and programs, which may be other factors relevant to the results.[**]
Treatment of data
Data were analyzed with the children aged from 5 to 12 classified into two groups: those aged 5 to 8 and those aged 9 to12 for comparison purposes. Percentages regarding each answer are shown in appendix iii along with a sample calculation.
Results
Overall: children at aged 5 to 12
The results show that 50 % of the children aged 5 to 12 were able to name at least ten out of twelve given brand logos, and 75 % of themwere able to name at least ten out of twelve products related to the given brand logos. In all, 58.3 % reported spending 4 to 6 hours of television viewing per day. Besides television advertising, 83.3 % of the children saw brand logos among friends and family; 75 % of them saw these logoson outdoor advertisements and signs; 41.7 % saw these logoson print media, and 25 % of the children saw these logos on the Internet. While 41.7 % children believed that some of these brands offer better quality than other similar products, only 8.3 % did not believe these brands offered greater quality compared other similar products. Only 50 % of the children were able to tell that the main goal of advertising is to promote products. In contrast, 83.3 % of the children were able to distinguish the difference between television advertisement and programs.
Comparing the findings for children aged 5 to 8 and for children aged 9 to 12
Children aged from 5 to 8 recognized fewer brand logos compared to children aged 9 to 12. From ages 9 to 12, all the children in this sample were able to name and identifyat least ten out of twelve products and brand logos, while 71.4 % of the younger children were able to name four to eight of the given brand logos and 57 % of them could identify at least ten out of twelveof the given brand logos. The majority of children spend about 4 to 6 hours daily on television viewing - 57 % of the younger children and 100 % of older children. Besides seeing the logos on television advertisements, 85.7 % of the younger children saw these logos among friends and family; 75.4 % of them saw these logos on outdoor advertisements and signs. In contrast, 100 % of the older children saw these logos on outdoor advertisements and signs; 80% of them saw these logos among friends and family and in print media. Interestingly, younger children hadmore influence on their parents’ purchase decisions. Data show that 20% of the older children had never changed their parents’ purchase decisions; while 14.3 % younger children hadnever changed their parents’choices. Only 20 % of the older children and 14.3 % of the younger children did believe these brands offered greater quality comparedto other similar products. Younger children had less ability to tell what advertisements try to do; only 28.6 % of them were able to tell that the goal of advertisementsis to promote and sell products; 71.4 % were able to identify the differences between commercials and television programmes.Older children, on the other hand, had a greater understanding of advertisements. 80 % of older children were able to tell the main purpose of advertising, and 100 % of older children were able to distinguish the differences between commercials and television programmes.
Conclusion
This research shows that younger children recognize fewer brand logos compared to older children, but the former have a greater impact on their parents’ purchase decisions. Furthermore, children’s recognition of brand logos not only comes from television advertising, but also from other forms of media such as outdoor advertisements, print advertisements, Internet advertisementsand especially from friends and family. Although, as previously mentioned, reducing television viewing can be a way to reduce children’s desires and demands, one should not neglect other factors and other media that give children access to advertisements. The evidence and findings suggest that television viewing is one of factors that influences children’s memory and recognition of brand logos. Moreover, younger children usually view less television than older children; however, younger children have a greater impact on their parents’ purchasechoices and decisions. Therefore, television viewing serves as one of the key factors that influences children’s memory and recognition of brand logos, but the memory and recognition of these logos do not serve as a means children influencing their parents purchase decisions.
One problem associated with this research is that the design of the questions was standardizedto fit certain answers. Children’s answers may be have affected by the limited choices. In effect, this research project did not allow children to express their own views and feelings about television programs and advertising. Also, the brand logos which were selected were limited to 12 famous brand logos. Yet, this selection of logos was inevitably based and this bias may have affected the results of this research project. A better approach to this research topic might be to use open-ended questions and to collect answers and opinions from children in order to haveachieved a deeper understanding ofchildren’s understanding of advertisements.
Bibliography
References Cited:
Brabbs, Cordelia, “Will Kids Be Cut Off From Ads?”, Marketing Magazine,(2000),
Fry, Andy, “Just Who Are You Kidding? (Techniques for Marketing to Children),(1997)
Lavelle, Marianne, “Call It “Kid-fluence” (Advertising for Small Children), U.S. News & World Report, (2001)
Paddon, David, “Kids Come Into Their Own As Savvy Shoppers”, Canadian Press Newswire, (1998)