Marketing to Children Consumers

Marketing Research:

Children 's Breakfast Cereal Consumer Report

Investigation to identify key influences that determine children 's consumer behaviour and knowledge of branded cereals

Investigation into the effects of key influences on children 's consumer behaviour and brand knowledge to determine a new marketing strategy.

Executive summary

This research aims to identify key influences that effect children 's consumer behaviour and brand knowledge in relation to the children 's cereal industry. As children are becoming increasingly powerful in today 's market with the demise of the nuclear family fostering the ‘guilt ' compensation culture children today have more autonomy and more influence in what they purchase. This has lead increase interest from marketers in the cereal industry pursuing new, alternative and inventive marketing strategies to captivate and ever youthful buyer.

1. Introduction 5
2. Cereal Sector Analysis 6
3. Aim 7
3.1 Objectives 7
4. What is Marketing? 8
5. Children as Consumers 9
6. Factors that influence children 's consumer behaviour and brand knowledge 11
6.1 Parents 11
6.2 Peer 11
6.3 Mass Media 12
6.4 Pester Power 13
6.5 Food Packaging 13
7. Methodology 14
7.1 Methodology Selection 14
7.2 Approach Justification 14
7.3 Gaining Access 15
7.4 Ethic in researching children 15
7.5 Procedure 15
7.6 Type of research chosen and method adopted 16
7.7 Sample Frame 16
7.8 Type of sample 17
7.9 Research Reliability 17
7.10 Research Validity 17
7.11 Limitations of the research 17
8. Results section 19
8.1 Family Role Results 19
8.2 TV Question Results 21
8.3 School and Peer Question Results 24
8.4 Children 's Question Results 25
8.5 Results Analysis 27
8.6 Summary 28
9. Conclusion 28
10. Reflection 29
11. References 30
12. Appendix 1 31
13. Appendix 2 32

1. Introduction

Children today represent an important demographic to marketers (PDF), having their own purchasing power whilst

References: Chandle. T, M. & Heinzerling. M, B. (1998), "Learning the Consumer Role: Children as Consumers", Reference Services Review. Gunter, B., (1998), Children as Consumers: A Psychological Analysis of the Young Peoples Market, Rouledge, London. Hasting, G., Stead, M., Dermott, L., Forsynthe, A., Mackintosh, A., Rayner, M., Godfrey, C., Caraher Martin., & Angus, K., (2003), , "Review of Research on to the effects of Food Promotion to children", Food Standards Agency Report. Lindstrom. M., (2003), Brand Child as Consumers: Remarkable Insights into the Minds of Today 's Global Kids, Kogan Page, London. Malhotra, N. & Burks, D. (2003), Marketing Research: An Applied Approach, Pearson Education Limited, London. McNeal, J., (1992), An introduction to Consumer Behaviour, John Wiley & Sons, USA. McNeal, J., (1999), The Kids Market: Myths and Realities, Market Publishings Inc, USA 12. Appendix 1