Children and Candy
... Another reason why children are so brand loyal could be because of a cartoon character. Most children love cartoons and may even have a favorite cartoon character. I loved the Rugrats show and I loved all the characters involved; therefore I always wanted something that had some kind of link to the Rugrats. I hardly ever watched any other cartoon but that one. No other show could compare to it. Nor any other characters. I always bought candy, food, clothes, and other miscellaneous things that had to deal with the Rugrats. Most of the time if there was something out there that had a character on it I had to have it. Color also entices to buy a particular product. If a piece of candy does not look right to a child they more than likely will not eat it. It also could be that a girl would want something pink or in a pink wrapper and a boy would want something blue or in a blue wrapper. Appearance means everything to a child. If it looks too girlie, a boy may not want it, or if it looks to boyish, a girl may not want it. Most candy wrappers are designed to appeal to both boys and girls. They are also bight enough for the child to notice. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, for example, has a nice bright wrapper that can be noticed from a distance. And since the wrapper is orange, it is a good color for girls and boys. Another example is the Kit Kat. The wrapper is a bright red color and can easily catch someone’s eye. Taste, flavor, and texture are other factors, which make children so brand loyal. I love drinks that contain citric acid. Citric acid adds a tangy and tart flavor to the drink. I never used to know that is what it was until I looked at the nutritional facts and saw what I was drinking. Some children may not like drinks or candies that are bitter. I know that the citric acid that is in the drinks that I like help to keep the drink from being bitter. Children like thing that are weird and strange. They want something that they know their parents would not approve of if it were in its normal state. A gummy worm is a good example of this. A parent would never let their child eat a real worm but they will let them eat candy worms. Gross things like this interest’s children and influences when deciding on what kind of candy to choose. A few years ago, there was a huge Pop Rocks outbreak that describes this. “Pop Rocks, for those who have never heard of them, are tiny fruit-flavored candies that come in the shape of finely ground grave. They’re like any other hard candy - a boiled blend of sugar, corn syrup, flavor and coloring – except for the secret ingredient: carbon dioxide gas compressed at six hundred...