Children and consumer culture

Children are recognized as important targets for commercial products and services. The development of the children’s consumer market sometimes is criticized as commercialization of childhood. Using the toy market as an example, we identify that the children’s consumer culture is moving toward brand and technology focus, homogeneity, and in multimedia formats. There is emphasis on market segmentation, meaning children of similar age, same sex, and similar psychographics are assumed to be attracted by a uniform product and benefit appeal. Review of children and consumer culture lead us to a question about how children of different cultures interact with brands with different consumer values. Further analysis can focus on the ways children in different cultures respond to marketing communications of leading global brands of interest to them.