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1 – 10 of 21Questions the validity of the KGOY dictum, ie that kids are getting older younger; this has been the driving force behind much dialogue about marketing to children over recent…
Abstract
Questions the validity of the KGOY dictum, ie that kids are getting older younger; this has been the driving force behind much dialogue about marketing to children over recent years. Explores the presumptions behind this trend: children are brand aware at earlier ages, they are more technologically aware and “graduate“ from dolls and action figures earlier, and puberty itself is earlier in girls; other issues like obesity, school violence, child abduction and terrorism demonstrate the involvement of children’s issues with the adult world. Reports a KGOY recalibration exercise by KidShop, however, which finds that children, while being aware of issues, are in fact quite satisfied with their status as children, rather than wanting to be older than they are.
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Julie Tinson and Clive Nancarrow
Practitioners in particular have noted that kids are growing older younger (KGOY) and academic research has in parallel shown that children are becoming more involved in the final…
Abstract
Purpose
Practitioners in particular have noted that kids are growing older younger (KGOY) and academic research has in parallel shown that children are becoming more involved in the final stages of purchase decisions, albeit in a limited number of product categories studied. This paper aims to investigate this market.
Design/methodology/approach
This quantitative and qualitative study examines the relatively under‐researched, but increasingly important, tweenager market across a number of product categories and the extent to which ten to 12 year olds are involved in the final stages of purchase decision making. Further to this, the paper considers whether a liberal versus traditional approach to decisions made within the family (gender role orientation (GRO)) affects the degree of involvement.
Findings
The findings suggest that GRO is indeed a factor in family decision making but that the relationship is far from a simple one. The authors posit why perceptions of involvement are sometimes inconsistent and why some kids may not be growing older younger in the way previously thought, but may simply believe they are more involved in purchase decision making as a consequence of parental strategies as well as the influences of media, school and peers.
Originality/value
The paper describes the implications for marketing practitioners and academic researchers.
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Recalls the hot toys phenomenon of several past Christmases in the USA, such as for Cabbage Patch dolls and Power Rangers. Argues that such toys created headlines in order to gain…
Abstract
Recalls the hot toys phenomenon of several past Christmases in the USA, such as for Cabbage Patch dolls and Power Rangers. Argues that such toys created headlines in order to gain publicity, but also that this trend appears to have died because of eBay: what made toys hot and a cultural event was their inaccessibility, but eBay makes them all accessible for those willing to pay the price. Continues with how toys have changed: the old barriers between adults’ real objects (like trains) and children’s toy objects (toy trains) no longer applies to computers and iPods, and instead of toy versions there are simpler versions of, for instance camcorders, which nevertheless work. Shows how companies now know how to design products which make children feel part of the adult world but are also appropriate to their ages: examples are the “Chat Now” closed‐system walkie talkie with cellphone features, and mobile phones with parental controls. Concludes with how adults too enjoy working toys like iPods: not only are there KGOY (Kids Getting Older Younger) but ANGU (Adults Not Growing Up).
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Nicola Morgan and Chantelle Begley
Kids are getting aider younger. We all know that But is it the same for both sexes? And is the process accelerating? And whose fault is it? And from a communication perspective…
Abstract
Kids are getting aider younger. We all know that But is it the same for both sexes? And is the process accelerating? And whose fault is it? And from a communication perspective, can the research cope? This article focuses on the effect of accelerated culture on the country's young girls and whether the media is totally to blame.
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Chee Yew Wong, Jan Stentoft Arlbjørn and John Johansen
Innovative products usually experience highly unpredictable and variable demand. This is especially valid for the volatile and seasonal toy industry, which produces high obsolete…
Abstract
Purpose
Innovative products usually experience highly unpredictable and variable demand. This is especially valid for the volatile and seasonal toy industry, which produces high obsolete inventory, lost sales and markdown. In such a volatile industry, what supply chain management (SCM) practices are applicable and effective? This study seeks to explore SCM practices, and identify practical and theoretical gaps in toy supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
This article includes a longitudinal and in‐depth case study during the past year in an international toy manufacturer, which includes qualitative semi‐structured interviews and questionnaire with 11 main European toy retailers.
Findings
The study concludes that there are three main SCM practices for toy retailers in terms of ordering behaviours (one‐off, JIT, and mixed model), and one dominated SCM practice for toy manufacturers (traditional mass‐production or push‐models). These low‐responsive practices in the toy supply chain are not caused only by slow knowledge diffusion. SCM know‐how is not yet capable of managing such levels of volatility and seasonality. Therefore, explanations of these theoretical gaps and what new theories are required for such extreme volatility and seasonality are proposed.
Originality/value
It reveals actual SCM practices in a volatile and seasonal supply chain, such that theoretical and practical gaps are identified. Also, it proposes a model to match manufacturing SCM‐practices with retailer SCM‐practices.
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Monica Chaudhary and Aayushi Gupta
The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the different influence tactics used by children and to examine whether there is a difference in perception of parent and child…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the different influence tactics used by children and to examine whether there is a difference in perception of parent and child with respect to the use of different influence tactics.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted based on an extensive literature review and detailed focus group discussions. Through structured questionnaires, a survey was conducted on children (aged 8‐12 years) and their respective parent (any one). In total, 400 responses were received, out of which only 350 (175 children and their parents) were found to be fully filled, the remaining 50 were discarded due to incomplete information.
Findings
Statistical analysis suggests that the most common influence strategy used by children in this age‐group is persuasion strategy, followed by emotional and bargaining strategies. As per the t‐tests conducted, there were not many significant differences found in the perception of parent and child regarding the use of the different influence tactics.
Practical implications
The identified strategies and tactics are expected to add clarity to the issue of children's role in family decision making. Marketers should take these observations into consideration while designing and implementing global sales promotion and advertising strategies.
Originality/value
The paper makes a much needed contribution to the extant literature on Indian children in the age‐group 8‐12 years as consumers. The findings would add value to marketing companies and practitioners to have a better understanding of Indian children's influence behaviour. The results from the current study are crucial, as not many studies have been conducted in India when compared to the West.
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Lars P. Andersen, Birgitte Tufte, Jeanette Rasmussen and Kara Chan
The purpose of this paper is to present a study that compares ownership and usage of new media among young “tween” consumers in Denmark and Hong Kong. Further, it shows the ways…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a study that compares ownership and usage of new media among young “tween” consumers in Denmark and Hong Kong. Further, it shows the ways of finding new interesting web sites.
Design/methodology/approach
In 2004‐2005 a survey was conducted in Denmark and Hong Kong of 434 fourth, fifth and sixth class students. Questionnaires were distributed in six elementary schools. Hypotheses about new media ownership and usage in the two societies are formulated based on the economic development and individualistic/collective cultural dimensions of the societies.
Findings
Household ownership of new media, ownership of mobile phone and heavy use of the internet were found to be more prevalent among Danish tweens than among Hong Kong tweens. Danish tweens were more likely to use mobile phones and the internet for interpersonal communication and for enjoyment than Hong Kong tweens. Hong Kong tweens used the internet more for educational purposes than Danish tweens. The results seem to support that adoption and consumption of new media are motivated differently in cultures of individualism and collectivism, and consequently that the tween consumer segment is not as globally homogeneous as it is claimed to be.
Research limitations/implications
The study was based on a convenience sample, thus it may be problematic to generalize from the findings.
Practical implications
The study can serve as a guideline for marketing communication targeting tweens. The emphasis on the hedonic use and social function of new media may be suitable for a highly developed, individualistic society. In collective societies, marketers may need to put emphasis on the instrumental values of new media, such as improving academic performance.
Originality/value
This paper offers insights into designing communication strategies for Danish and Hong Kong tweens, particularly when incorporating new media. Findings are compared with existing preconceptions of the tween segment in the marketing literature.
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