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

~ (Author), (Author) "When James Dean swaggered onto movie screens in the 1950s, his rebellious image encapsulated the daring and dreams of an entire generation..." (more)
Key Phrases: urban tweens, brand suicide, tween brands, United States, Jones Soda, Red Bull (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

An international marketing research firm spent one year studying the habits of children 8 to 14 years old (dubbed tweens) in 11 countries to determine their relationships with brand-name products and services. This book draws on that study to explore the buying habits of a highly impatient, technology-savvy generation used to exposure to local and international brands, some 8,000 brands a day. In a world of instant communication, brands offer familiarity and security, according to the marketers, who sort tweens into four categories: fringes, influencers, conformers, and passives. Among the findings: nearly half the world's urban tweens have access to the Internet, 20 percent own mobile phones, 10 percent have personal Web sites, and nearly half frequently download music. Marketers are making the adjustment, including planting false Web sites meant to look like amateur sites developed by tweens. Each chapter ends with a summary and action points for marketers. Although the book is aimed at marketers, parents and educators--and tweens themselves--will find much fascinating information here. Vanessa Bush
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Review

"'BRANDchild' will be a valuable addition to our industry's literature." -- Lester Wunderman, Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Wunderman Cato Johnson

"A real thought-provoker for marketing and business people. 'BRANDchild' is a wonderful tool..." -- Stan Davis, author of 'Blur' and 'It's Alive'

"This is a must read book if you want to communicate with and market to young people." -- Philip Kotler, SC Johnson & Sons Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management

"Unless there are issues, parents usually stop reading parenting books long before their children hit the middle-single digits. The desire wanes with confidence - or they're just too worn out. But "Brandchild" (Kogan Page Ltd., London, 316 pages, $39.95) isn't for parents. Martin Lindstrom's book, which he wrote with Patricia B. Seybold, is for companies targeting tweens. As I read it, I realized it held my interest because I'm a parent of a tween. The 8-to-14 generation, which the author says is the richest in history, gets to choose from "an endless variety of disposable goods and leisure products designed specifically for them." The book explains the motivation behind the $150 billion spent each year by U.S. tweens and the additional $150 billion a year they influence by picking restaurants, adding brands to the grocery list or suggesting what car their parents buy or where they go on vacation. That's not an overestimation. Tweens are driven by versions of things that we just didn't have. We might buy a game. They can't wait for the next version to come out. This is also the first generation to consider the Internet, e-mail and cellphones as routine and required. Mr. Lindstrom shows how "they think in an interactive dimension" and explains how that makes this generation so global. "Brandchild" will open your eyes to why Legos had no choice but to add computer integration to a line of products that we thought was perfectly fine, thank you. Here are some basic findings that marketers need to understand and parents could use, too, for communicating effectively with tweens: Being 110 percent direct and totally honest is the new trend. And deliver more than 110 percent - in short, surprise the kids. This is a generation that keeps upgrading. Mr. Lindstrom is a branding guru who has advised companies on top brands such as Mars, Pepsi, Lego, Cartoon Network, Visa, Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft. (He) uses the Internet to extend the pages of "Brandchild." He says one of the facts of life that authors face is that their books will eventually be out of date. So he included a six-digit code on the back cover of the book that allows readers to register for e-mail updates from Mr. Lindstrom at Dualbook.com." -- Dallas Morning News "Today's 9- to 13-year-olds have grown up faster with more disposable income than any previous generation.Interactive and demanding, these kids were born with a mouse in their hand and a computer screen as a window on the world.The book is based on a study of 2,000 tweens in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Spain and the USA, a cross-section of economies and Western and non-Western cultures. One conclusion: Tweens spend about $150 billion a year, and influence their parents to spend another $150 billion. "BRANDchild" presents a fascinating portrait of these kids, with insights for global marketers, as well as tweens, their families and teachers." -- USA Today "Although the book is aimed at marketers, parents and educators -- and tweens themselves -- will find much fascinating information here." -- Booklist "This is a must-read book if you want to communicate with and market to young people. Lindstrom provides fascinating data and stories taking you into the mental and emotional life of this new generation, who are distinctly different from us Baby Boomers." -- Philip Kotler, S C Jonhson & Sons Distinguished Professor of InternationalMarketing, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management 'BRANDchild will be a valuable addition to our industry's literature." -- Lester Wunderman, Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Wunderman Cato Johnson "Martin Lindstrom's fascinating tour-de-force may have you staying awake for 60 hours in order to mine this kids-focused marketing wisdom." -- Stan Rapp, Chairman, MRM Partners Worldwide, Co-Founder of Rapp Collins and Co-Author of 'The MaxiMarketing Trilogy' "A real thought-provoker for marketing and business people. 'BRANDchild' is a wonderful tool if you are marketing to kids and teens." -- Stan Davis, Author of 'Blur' and 'It's Alive' "When someone qualified challenges the conventional thinking, it will result in a fresh perspective and give food for thought about the way children behave. Martin Lindstrom does this in his new book BRANDchild.' -- Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, President and CEO, The LEGO Company

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kogan Page (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749438673
• ISBN-13: 978-0749438678
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #951,840 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, June 18, 2003

By	Allan Watson (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

Martin Lindstrom does a great job letting the reader know that the root of success when communicating with kids is understanding kids, their lives, dreams and hopes. He not only analyzes data from 7 countries, but includes his own experiences with working with kids and with kids related brands. He is able to get his point across without being boring, looking at the subject form different angles.
I also checked out the MartinLindstrom.com site. I think it is a great site, with tons of brand info related to kids and general brand trends. Well done!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!, August 28, 2004

By	Allan Mulinacci - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is inspired. And it's not just for 'ad-folk', but anyone who appreciates how much influence kids has on the future of branding. The message in BRANDchild is super-powerful. Just see how beautifully the examples in this book elucidate the idea, taking it beyond ideology to reality backed by tons of data and research. If you want a how-to manual on the future of kid's communication, you've found it. If you're anywhere near business, you'd better wake up and listen to Lindstrom's advice in BRANDchild.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with Knowledge!, May 18, 2004

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book about marketing to children. Based on extensive research into the attitudes, perceptions, emotions and preferences of children around the world, it tells you in no uncertain terms how to target one of the biggest and most influential consumer populations on earth. Children between the ages of 8 and 14, dubbed "tweens" ("tweenagers") by the authors, are a curious group. They are also a lonely, insecure group with an engaging mix of naiveté and sophistication. Devilishly hard to capture, they are a rich economic prize, controlling an enormous amount of money of their own, and strongly influencing their families' purchases, even of major appliances. This book shows you what matters to these kids and what false notes to avoid if you want to tap into their buying power. We acknowledge that some readers may be uncomfortable with such tactics as setting up a web site that pretends to belong to a friendly child in order to attract kids and start buzz about some brand, but the book's reporting is accurate, practical and forward looking, for good or ill.