Baby, Baby? Yes, Mama.  Eating Candy? Yes Mama. Jelly Beans? Yes Mama…Hahaha.

What is yellow, cylindrical, tiny, lovable and mischievous? “Duh, a minion!” is probably what the most of you must be thinking. But no, only recently did I realize that the kids these days are no different, and I will tell you why by filling you in with what happened…

With my eyes glued to the theatre screen and the ear splitting noise from the speakers plummeting down my ear canal, I sat there pondering over how I ended up there. My little cousins had somehow convinced and dragged me to the mall, to watch with them this all-rage flick, Despicable Me. This, however, is not all that there was to the torment.

Does your Brand have the SWAG?

Before the movie started, ritualistically, the kids went up straight to the food depot and asked for exactly what they wanted.

“A pack of Lays!”, I heard someone scream. “Mind you, French Cheese!”, the kid then pointedly added to the mart owner.

“M&Ms!”, followed the youngest voice. “Nooo… I don’t want Swittles (read: Skittles)!”, she shrieked in disapproval.

“I want Toblerone. The golden one, please! I like golden!” requested the kid with the faintest voice. And then, there came another expressed desire, Coca Cola (no, not Pepsi)!

Just when I was starting to think that the torment might be over, I heard the oldest one- who was no older than 10, I must add– say, “I want Red Bull, it gives you WINGS!” It was then that I realized that I need to step in and talk some sense into the blinded kid.

Surprisingly, even the five, seven year old kids who were yet to learn how to pronounce and spell these labels correctly were so sure of what they wanted.

Later, the Potato-Banana song in the movie came up and every kid in the room already knew it by heart. Whoever knew the kids these days are into potatoes and bananas too? That was when I knew that kids and minions sprang out of the same closet of Narnia.

Sticky situations apart, what had intrigued me the most as a social media professional, however, was that how well these kids (a.k.a. the little minions) knew their brands. They wanted what they liked and refused to settle for anything less. And, THAT is what inspired me to put a pen to the paper (finger to the keyboard, in this case) and write this post.

A Brand’s Way to a Kid’s Brain: Through his Stomach?

Watching these kids mouth their favorite brands and speak about them with such fervor and dewy eyed satisfaction almost convinced me that branding is the most clear cut yet tricky way to lure the consumers to your sales pitch.

I have always wondered what would happen if you rob these flashy brands of their alluring and overdone logos design, beguile taglines and their professionally decorated outlets. Would they still stand their ground and remain just as appealing?

Kids are one of the most critical markets for these chocolate and candy makers. The brands these days have done little to pass up on the, the-way-to-a-kids-brain-through-his-stomach theory and this seems to have now become the Holy Grail of modern day marketing.

Is It Really The Product That Is Oh-So-Awesome?

What I do not understand, however, is that why do all the kids’ brands like Cadbury, Nestle, Jelly Belly and Mars compete so fiercely when kids probably cannot even distinguish between the different tastes of the same product? Is it just a matter of holding the bait out and luring in more consumers or is it really the product that is oh-so-awesome?

For instance, if I dish out three bars of chocolate, one of Mars, KitKat and Cadbury each, remove their labels and ask a five year old kid to pick one and taste. Would he enjoy his bar even if the one that he picks out is not the one that ran the cool advertisement on television (probably about a kid evolving into a cheetah after eating it)? Or, will he be skeptical about what he is eating and fish again to find out where his regular label was? Do children really remember the taste or it is just the brand appeal they fall for?

A War of the Brands? Bring on the Apocalypse!

Every now and then we come across a kid throwing tantrums in a mall making a public spectacle about how badly he wants to buy the new Xbox or the new Barbie set or the new Disney movie.

Why Barbie, I have always wondered. There are other, Caucasian dolls in the market too, then why Barbie? Or, I remember back when I was a kid, the majority did not even prefer to buy a black or brown colored doll and now, all of a sudden there is a sudden rage for Dora the Explorer ever since Nickelodeon made it popular.

And oh, speaking of Nickelodeon, it is amazing how little kids who cannot even properly pronounce it instantly think of the channel as soon as they see its “splash of orange” logo. I bet children have preferences too when it comes to the selection of best TV channel, be it Disney or Nickelodeon. My 5 year old cousin who is autistic and obviously cannot even read fluently recognizes her favorite channel from its logo and autism friendly design while surfing channels on the TV.

To explain further, I would quote the two other close competitors, Pepsi vs. Coca Cola…for example, Coca Cola is preferred over its archrival. All thanks to its clever advertisements and marketing campaigns.

All the above mentioned examples prove the significance of choosing the right logos and branding of your product in the most alluring and tempting manner. Undoubtedly, it helps a brand stand out and become known. Always remember, marketing and branding your product the right way is half the battle won.

Related: Why Is Branding So Important In This Decade?

There is an endless list of brands and entities that give their rivals a difficult time through their rigorous campaigns only to maintain their sovereignty in the market, in the heads of their customers and maybe also in hearts of the minions… Oh I mean, the kids!

However, I am always open to hear out the flip side of the argument too. So, if any of you thinks otherwise, then feel free to justify your verdict by adding comments below!