Teaching kids about branding: one mama's attempt
Categories: Preschoolers, Money & Work, Eating & Nutrition, Development, Media, That's Entertainment
We had two bags of what Everett likes to call "Cheeto snacks." It's something I don't
feel excellent about, but as Frito Lay reformulated the product to remove the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,
I've given in a bit. We happened to have two bags: one generic equivalent, that had already been opened, and a
"real" bag of Cheetos, with the skinny orange tiger who shills for the brand.
I told Everett he had to eat a banana first, and then reached for the already opened bag of "cheese snacks."
"I don't want those!" said Everett. "I want the ones with the Cheeto guy on them!"
Oh dear. For whatever reason, I decided, now was the time to have that branding talk. I picked Truman up - he'd just pulled a very large can of tomatoes off a shelf, very nearly bonking himself, and comforted him - and sat Everett down.
"There are people who work for a company," I explained, "that puts that guy on the bag so you will think it's better, so you will want to buy it and eat it more. But it isn't any better. It's just the same as this other bag. Those people want you to think that this one with the Cheetos guy tastes better. But it doesn't."
He seemed ok with this, and said, "but I can take this bag and put it right over here?" indicating the Cheetos brand bag. He brought both bags to the table and gazed longingly at the big Cheetos guy, eating exactly one generic cheese puff.
It's been a
few hours, and he's been carrying the unopened Cheetos bag around with him everywhere, telling me how much he loves the
big Cheetos guy. Evidently the understanding in his eyes wasn't total. But I'll keep beating the message into him,
maybe eventually it will sink in... just like the branding has obviously, already sunk in, but how.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kristie 2-08-2006 @ 5:01PM
I personally do not think that Cheetos and generic type cheetos taste the same. My husband disagrees - I think some people just have more discerning palettes than others. One suggestion I have for you is that you could teach him about the financial side of it. (I'm sure you are already teaching him about money - you sound like a very responsible parent). Let him decide if it's worth it to him to pay TWICE as much for a slightly different (maybe not even "better") taste.
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meg 2-08-2006 @ 8:07PM
Oh I feel your pain. I loathe branding. I have only bought 1 item of clothing for my child that had a logo on it. I absolutely hate it.
As fas as food brands go, it might be wise, though a pain, to store food in your own containers.
If you find the answer to get kids to ignore brands and logos, PLEASE let me know ;)
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Ann Adams 2-08-2006 @ 11:36PM
Meg said it and that's what I do, mainly so I can dole out the cheeto wannabes in a small bowl instead of having a trail throughout the house. Maybe not actually seeing the bag will help.
Now that they're older, I can show them the price difference on the shelves. They understand having leftover money, especially if they have a goal. Lunch out, a new dvd?
Let's see how much we can save between Tony the Tiger and the store brand.
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Alice 2-09-2006 @ 5:54AM
Completely agree with all said here.
I know I don't have kids, so have not yet had the "BUT MOOOOMY I WANT THHIIISSS ONE IT'S BETTTERRR!" argument. However, I know of at least two people, that act used to up until recently act that way, and one that still does (my boyfriend's best friend still HAS to have the most expensive brands that exist). And we're not talking children here, we're talking 21 upwards.
Think it's bad in a kid? Try having an adult do it.
It would drive my mother to distraction that my brother whilst giving her little or no money, doing almost nothing to help around the house, and having HER buy HIS food for him would complain and moan about her buying Tesco's own apple and blackcurrent squash instead of Robinsons (50p for a big bottle compared with £1.99 for a titchy bottle, both which I have tried and can say taste IDENTICAL) and so on.
Funnily enough, after she wised up and he was forced to fend for himself for a while and actually, you know, buy his OWN food, he now for the most part buys store brand items, and occasionally treats himself, as I do, to the expensive stuff - whereas it always used to make him *ill* having to eat/drink value items such as, say, Tesco's own valie 15p bread instead of the 'better' 90p Hovis...
Funny, that.
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Alice 2-09-2006 @ 6:04AM
Ugh. There are too many errors in my last comment to bother correcting, so I'll just apologise for all of them.
Sorry. Not yet awake this morning...
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