Advertising can affect children from as young as the age of 3, and this is where PESTER POWER is at it's best. This is when children will start to nag parents to spend on toys and particular brands, children can influence some of the most spending from the results of advertising products. This is why marketers and companies will spend £30 billion on this every year, as it can generate most of a companies earnings. The concept of pester power is 'children's unprecedented power as consumers and their ability to deploy a variety of tactics to exert influence over purchasing by others'. (International Journal of Advertising, Vol.25, NO. 4, 2006.)
Children
are very easily influenced by ways of advertising, as having a certain Barbie Doll or the new games on XBOX means that they can create an identity with that product and even a sense of identity as it can allow them to fit in with certain peer groups. In a recent documentary 'Kids grow older younger' they show how changes in society are pushing children to have certain products and making them act in certain ways and more often than not this means they are growing up before their years. With girls, it may be starting to wear make-up at a younger age and boys playing computer games with an older age limit. 
This is where parents become involved with this use of advertising, there are two different ways in which parents particularly mothers will act towards their children. These days it has shown that they tend to encourage them to grow up quicker than they might normally, giving them more independence and allowing them to do what they want this is called progressive. Whereas when i was younger, it tended to be the other way round and although things where changing in society that made kids tend to want to grow up more mothers were trying to keep them young, this is regressive. Mainstream today it is making this more and more difficult to do because of the increased advertising for children and the creation of new more advanced technology within toys and childrens products.
are very easily influenced by ways of advertising, as having a certain Barbie Doll or the new games on XBOX means that they can create an identity with that product and even a sense of identity as it can allow them to fit in with certain peer groups. In a recent documentary 'Kids grow older younger' they show how changes in society are pushing children to have certain products and making them act in certain ways and more often than not this means they are growing up before their years. With girls, it may be starting to wear make-up at a younger age and boys playing computer games with an older age limit. 
This is where parents become involved with this use of advertising, there are two different ways in which parents particularly mothers will act towards their children. These days it has shown that they tend to encourage them to grow up quicker than they might normally, giving them more independence and allowing them to do what they want this is called progressive. Whereas when i was younger, it tended to be the other way round and although things where changing in society that made kids tend to want to grow up more mothers were trying to keep them young, this is regressive. Mainstream today it is making this more and more difficult to do because of the increased advertising for children and the creation of new more advanced technology within toys and childrens products.Piaget's Theory
Piaget goes through the different stages of cognitive development and developmental stages these start from children are born all the way through teens and to adult hood.
Piaget’s Theory
Developmental Stages
Reflective=0-2months
Primary Circular Reactions=2-4 months
Secondary Circular Reactions=4-8 months
Invention of new means through mental combination
Imitation/Problem Solving=18-24months
Think about something without being there=2-4years
Perceptions Dominate Judgement=4-7years
Label Objects and groups=7-11years
Thinking becomes less than reality=11-15years
At the stages around 4-7 years this is when advertising can really start to take take affect in children where they will start to recognise the popularity of products and where they will start to want something because of the way it has been put across in advertising and their perception of needing the toy rather than really wanting it. Then PESTER POWER comes in to play and they will start to nag their parents for these products.
Piaget goes through the different stages of cognitive development and developmental stages these start from children are born all the way through teens and to adult hood.
Piaget’s Theory
Developmental Stages
Reflective=0-2months
Primary Circular Reactions=2-4 months
Secondary Circular Reactions=4-8 months
Invention of new means through mental combination
Imitation/Problem Solving=18-24months
Think about something without being there=2-4years
Perceptions Dominate Judgement=4-7years
Label Objects and groups=7-11years
Thinking becomes less than reality=11-15years
At the stages around 4-7 years this is when advertising can really start to take take affect in children where they will start to recognise the popularity of products and where they will start to want something because of the way it has been put across in advertising and their perception of needing the toy rather than really wanting it. Then PESTER POWER comes in to play and they will start to nag their parents for these products.
