The Evolution of a Consumer
Age 3
LICENSED CHARACTERS
Almost anywhere these kids go, from the toy store to the supermarket to the local hamburger joint, they'll find liknesses of all the characters they know from their hours of daily TV viewing. Limiting the channel to public TV doesn't make a difference. Elmo and Barney are as ubiquitous as Batman and Bugs Bunny.
Age 7
COLLECTIBLES
Already avid consumers, these kids are way past merely wanting everything they see. Now they have cravings, created in part by the ads they see and the toys their friends amass. Shopping has become a competitive sport; from Beanie Babies to Barbies, they want more of them.
Age 13
BRAND NAMES
By now, the label has become so important that, more than ever, it's worn on the outside. Teenagers don't buy a pair of jeans and a T-shirt; they buy Guess? or Gap or Tommy Hilfiger. And with more cash to spare than the generations that preceded them, they can afford to do so often.
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