Researchers gave 63 preschoolers in Maryland two separate boxes of food. The first box was a McDonald’s box with a chicken nugget, a quarter of a hamburger, French fries, two baby carrots, and a small cup of milk. The second box was plain but contained the exact same food. Both boxes of food were from a local McDonald’s fast food restaurant.
The children said they tasted a difference between the boxes and overwhelmingly preferred the McDonald’s box of food. This experiment illustrated that branding is extremely important when dealing with kids.
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone dealing with kids on a regular basis. They are picky about their food. This could be a great thing, though. We have an ever-increasing amount of obesity and weight problems in young kids today.
Powerful branding could turn kids toward eating healthy and nutritious foods. However, branding unhealthy food could also continue to harm children and child obesity may continue to rise unless marketing geared towards kids is stopped.