"What brand do you eat?" The influence of food brands within children's peer groups

Valérie Hemar-Nicolas (), Mathilde Gollety (), Coralie Damay and Pascale Ezan ()
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Mathilde Gollety: LARGEPA - Laboratoire de recherche en sciences de gestion Panthéon-Assas - UP2 - Université Panthéon-Assas
Pascale Ezan: NIMEC - Normandie Innovation Marché Entreprise Consommation - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - ULH - Université Le Havre Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université, NEOMA - Neoma Business School

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Abstract: Purpose - This paper aims to explore the rote played by food brands within children 's peer groups when they have a meal together. Design/methodology/approach - Six/y-four elementary-aged children participated in one of ten organized snack times (five with unbranded products, five with branded products). Based on a qualitative methodology, data collection methods comprise observations and focus groups with the children. Findings - Children most/y select the products according to their taste preference regardless of the brand name. They make individual decisions and are hard/y influenced by their peers. Children use food brands as a common language to designate products, but they do not use them to convey their self-identity and enhance social integration. Research limitations/implications - This research contributes to a better understanding of the way children use food brands within peer group, and may be helpful when considering the future of children 's food marketing and tackling the issue of childhood obesity Originality/value - Whereas prior research has most/y studied the social value allocated by children to durable goods' brands, such as clothing and e/ectronic items, very few previous studies have focused on food brands.

Keywords: children and brands; children and food; Consumer socialization; peers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in Young Consumers, 2015, Vol. 16 (n° 3), pp. 316-331. ⟨10.1108/YC-11-2014-00490⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01196919

DOI: 10.1108/YC-11-2014-00490

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