Creating Ever-Cool

by del Vecchio, Gene

• ISBN13: 9781565542563
• ISBN10: 1565542568
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-09-01
• Publisher: Pelican Pub Co Inc

Summary

By its very nature, "cool" is a nebulous distinction. What is cool one year, or even one month, may not be the next. Yet some products are able to remain consistently cool year-in and year-out. In their quest for a share of the $171 billion of purchases that kids influence every year, marketers strive to develop such cool products. These the author terms "Ever-Cools." The Barbie doll represents a perfect example of an "Ever-Cool" product. Barbie rides the trends and fads, assuming various guises to reflect current coolness. Mothers who had Malibu Barbie dolls now buy Baywatch Barbies for their daughters. This is an exploration of achieving the elusive Ever-Cool status.

Table of Contents

Preface	9	(2)
Acknowledgments	11	(6)
Part I: Introduction	17	(18)
Chapter 1 Kidquake: A Turbulence Measuring More Than $160 Billion	17	(8)
Chapter 2 Targeting a Kid's Heart and Attaining "Ever-Cool"	25	(10)
Part II: The Child's Psyche	35	(92)
Chapter 3 Touch the Boy's Psyche	35	(14)
Chapter 4 Touch the Girl's Psyche	49	(14)
Chapter 5 Understand Their Fears	63	(8)
Chapter 6 Help Them Gain Control	71	(10)
Chapter 7 Embrace Their Fantasies	81	(14)
Chapter 8 Gratify Their Senses	95	(10)
Chapter 9 Be Sensitive to Their "Age-tude"	105	(10)
Chapter 10 Understand Their Reference Groups' Connection to "Cool"	115	(12)
Part III: A Kid's World and Culture	127	(56)
Chapter 11 Investigate Their Newfound Awareness	127	(10)
Chapter 12 Understand Their Shifting Family Structure	137	(10)
Chapter 13 Find Opportunities in Their Educational Arena	147	(12)
Chapter 14 Analyze Their Play	159	(12)
Chapter 15 Live in Their Special World	171	(12)
Part IV: Marketing to a Child's Heart	183	(66)
Chapter 16 Develop Kid-Appealing Products	183	(20)
Chapter 17 Develop Kid-Appealing Advertising	203	(14)
Chapter 18 Develop a Research Program	217	(16)
Chapter 19 Attain Standards and Ethics	233	(12)
Chapter 20 Create a Lifelong Relationship	245	(4)
Appendix Recent Changes	249