The Power of Brands

I’m often amazed at how much my younger son is influenced by television advertising. A colleague shared an article with me that further opened my eyes to the power of branding, particularly among young children. (You can read it here.)

A pediatric researcher from Stanford University ran a series of tests with children ages 3-5 to determine their taste preferences for food. The trick was that researchers presented the same food—only in different wrappers. The results:

  • Seventy-seven percent of the kids said the same French fries from McDonald’s tasted better when they came from a McDonald’s bag instead of a plain one.
  • Sixty-one percent of the kids said milk tasted better in a McDonald’s cup.
  • Fifty-four percent said carrots tasted better in a McDonald’s bag.

I won’t go into all the results, but it’s worth reading, especially if you have children, or you want to see just how powerful a brand can be.

Thanks to Email Marketing Strategy from Silverpop CEO Bill Nussey for this great article.

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