Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-182) and index.

Looking Back: 20th Century Parents and Kids -- The Way We Were -- The Age of Change: The 20th Century -- The Boomers' New Outlook -- The Boomers Have Kids--or Not! -- Boomers with Babies -- The New Status of Children -- In Search of Eternal Youth -- Today's Families: Variations on a Theme -- Dual-Income Families -- Single-Parent Families -- Blended Families -- Multi-generational Living -- The Impact of Change -- Modern-Day Experiences of Kids -- An Explosion of Technology and Information -- KAGOY (Kids Are Getting Older Younger) -- Sports and Structure -- Hitting Puberty Earlier -- The Influences of Multiculturalism -- Have Kids, Will Travel -- The Wired World: Its Impact on Kids -- TV Times -- Always on, Always Available -- The Influence of TV ADvertising -- Computer Culture -- Influence in Action -- Kids' Pop Culture -- Prosperity -- The Acceleration of "More" -- Why Kids Mean Business -- If Not Trees, Where Does the Money Come From? -- What Does 100-plus Billion Buy? -- Older Kids Have More Cash -- Kids Buying Kid Stuff -- Kids Love Fashion -- Toys and Collectibles -- The Movies -- Kidfluence Creates New Businesses -- Kids' Home Fashion -- Making Kids a Business -- Reaching Kids in School -- Kids Influencing Family Purchases -- The Nag--Giving In Means Big Business -- "Nag Factor" -- Two Types of Nagging -- Pushovers or Meanies? -- Upping the Influence: From Penny Candy to Cars -- Influence has Changed the Travel Business -- "Kidtailing" to Generation Y -- Kids as Future Purchasers -- Creating Cross-Generation Appeal -- The Branding Age -- Tweens and Brands -- Stay Young Forever -- The Adults of Tomorrow -- Living On-Line -- Future Work: What Will It Be to Generation Y? -- Blending Work and Life -- Global Inclusiveness -- More Still -- The Instant World -- Generation Y Families -- Coming Full Circle -- Tomorrow's World -- What's Enough?.

Americans born since 1980, often dubbed Generation Y, number nearly 100 million strong, and they influence their parents' purchase habits to an extent that has never before been experienced. More than any generation to date, these "power kids" know what they like, what they want, and how to get it. Companies that don't learn how to reach and communicate with this lucrative market run the risk of losing the battle before they fire a single shot. Kidfluence provides marketers and advertisers with research-based strategies for effectively reaching members of Generation Y without turning them off completely. Combining the latest demographic, ethnographic, and sociocultural findings with case studies of successful marketers, this guidebook reveals: How today's kids think about -- and react to -- the world around them, Why technology creates an insatiable hunger for "more", How marketers are developing separate kid-directed lines, brands, and even stores, How to assess whether kids are direct, indirect, or secondary influencers of a purchase, Proven methods for building brand equity in the "tween" years and maximizing returns through cradle-to-grave marketing

Kidfluence also looks into the future to examine best practices for creating lifetime value that extends into the group's adult years. It details strategies for building brand loyalty today, while avoiding the negative connotations often associated with "marketing to children." From production to distribution to communication, companies today must be able to change course at lightning speed. Kids who expect such adaptability will reward marketers who can understand and meet their evolving needs. Kidfluence examines this dramatically new world and provides market-proven guidelines for attracting the attention and loyalty of the incredibly lucrative Gen Y marketplace -- today, tomorrow, and into their adult years.