PROJECT 2: Family Structures May Affect The Future

Project 2: Family Structures May Affect the Future

Family Structures May Affect the Future

Introduction

In the world of advertising and marketing, children are the targets. For many reasons, children are exerting a greater and greater influence on family buying decisions. Advertisers know that the money is in the hands of the children. As their economic muscle grows, so does a marketer's focus. Understanding how and why a child influences purchasing decisions is important to marketing and business today. If marketers want to be successful they need to look to the children. Kids have a world of power in their small hands. The objective of this paper to demonstrate the cause and effect children have to family decisions, consumer behavior, business, and marketing.

The Research Shows... The numbers grow

Within the past ten years, there has been a substantial change in family role structure and family purchasing decisions. Businesses have taken notice and the changes are reflected in today's marketplace. Product development, services and marketing practices have educated themselves and evolved to respond to new family dynamics. The children's market is growing consistently both demographically and in purchasing power. Marketing to children is not just for breakfast cereal anymore. Purchasing decisions are results of many influences including buying habits, peers, and family structure. Children are important family members and have considerable influence in determining what their family purchases. It is imperative that marketers remain aware of the impact of these changes, the great effect they have on consumer purchasing patterns, and to perfect their marketing strategies accordingly.

Including children in advertisements is only one dimension. More and more manufacturers are reaching beyond television and radio. Nissan sponsors the American Youth Soccer Organization, Chrysler distributes colorful pop up books through direct mail, and Burger King and McDonalds have their "kid's meals". Pizza Hut gives free personal pan pizzas to children who participate in DEAR- " Drop Everything And Read" program. Parents praise the company's interest in education and Pizza Hut enjoys an increase in profit. Magazines like Sports Illustrated, Time and People have come out with child or teen additions that burst with ads that range from child to adult related products. Marketers want their consumers from the cradle to the grave.

Children represent three different markets: the primary market which is the direct money they spend, the influence market when parents spend their money on the children's requests, and finally future market when the child becomes the adult consumer (O' Mara, July/Aug 2001). By advertising to children, marketers are not only trying to increase profits, but they are also creating lifetime consumers. If they are nurtured and educated now, they will provide a steady market stream in the future.

In the 1960's children influenced about $5 billion of their parent's purchases. By 1984 it increased to 50 billion. In a study done by Brandweek magazine (1997), research found that the average yearly income of a child between the ages of 7 and 12 was $493, their average savings was 21% and spending ...