Dam* Marketers

Marketing really makes me wonder sometimes. Yes, I work in marketing. Yes, I’ve worked in marketing for over 17 years (did I admit that?). I work for a food manufacturer, Bush Brothers, and am generally immune to the talk about marketing to kids, as our products aren’t marketed to kids. Really, what is the harm in marketing beans to kids?

I’m the mother of two young boys. It is amazing to see the impact of marketing on them. All right, amazing probably isn’t the right word. Frightening? Scary? Terrifying? In the past two weeks both of the kids have proven how they really are sponges. Scary little sponges.

Our first example involves, K, who will be 6 in just over a week. We were having a stretch of cold weather, unseasonably cold. School was closed and he was rather cooped up/caged. Trying to find things to occupy and absolutely stir crazy sensory seeking 5 year old is to say the least challenging. Enter a new toy that Mommy had stashed in the sensory bin.

K walks into the room…’Mommy, you bought BENDAROOS!!!! Can I play with them? Are they for me? I’m so excited.’ I respond that yes he can open them and play with them. About 5 minutes later we are sitting at the kitchen table playing with the Bendaroos and he asks ‘Mommy, did you double your order?’ I about fell off my chair. He proceeded to spout out the copy from the infomercial for Bendaroos. I laughed and nearly cried. Here is a kid who claims he doesn’t know the sight words of 'he' and 'she' yet he can repeat, verbatim, about 6 sentences of copy. Marketing works.

Our second example involves T. Our Nanny, A, was shopping at Walmart with him. K was in school. Apparently they were going down the aisle and T freaked out. He wanted some Disney Take ‘n Toss sippy cups. He was pitching a fit so she got them for him.

Where is the marketing in this? He calls the cups hot dog. Why? They have the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters on them. For those without kids, or who choose to not watch tv, the theme song for MMC includes ‘hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog.’ Marketing works! On a side note, guess I know what I’ll bring T as a souvenir from Disney when we take K in April ;-)

Both tales led to the conclusion that TV watching needs to back off for the kids. They have plenty of toys, plenty to do. Dam* marketers.