Book Synopsis If youre in the business of marketing or developing products and programs for kids, What Kids Buy and Why belongs in your office. How can you create outstanding products and programs that will win in the marketplace and in the hearts of kids and parents? Dan S. Acuff and Robert H. Reiher have invented a development and marketing process called Youth Market Systems that puts the needs, abilities, and interests of kids first. This system makes sure you wont miss the mark whether youre trying to reach young children or teens, boys or girls, or whether youre selling toys, sports equipment, snacks, school supplies, or software. Based on the latest child development research, What Kids Buy and Why is full of provocative information about the cognitive, emotional, and social needs of each age group. This book tells you among other things--why 3-through-7-year-olds love things that transform, why 8-through-12-year-olds love to collect stuff, how the play patterns of boys and girls differ, and why kids of all ages love slapstick. What Kids Buy and Why is the result of Acuff and Reihers almost twenty years of consulting with high-profile clients including: Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Microsoft, Nestl, Tyco, Disney, Pepsi, Warner Brothers, LucasFilm, Amblin/Spielberg, Mattel, Hasbro, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Quaker Oats, General Mills, Broderbund, Bandai, Sega, ABC, CBS, I-HOP, Dominos, Hardees, and Kelloggs. Special features include: - an innovative matrix for speedy, accurate product analysis and program development - a clear, step-by-step process for making decisions that increase your products appeal to kids - tools and techniques for creating characters that kids love Review Quotes Candi Schwartz Kid Power Conference, Director, Marketing Advisory Council What Drs. Acuff and Reiher have accomplished is unprecedented. Theyve taken proven principles of child development and turned them into an innovative, breakthrough approach to the creation of winning products and programs for kids. What Kids Buy and Why is a foundational work for all kid-targeting industries. Joan Chiaramonte Vice President, Roper Starch Worldwide Finally there is a thought-provoking child-development-based approach to marketing to kids! In a systematic, step-by-step process with lots of examples, Drs. Acuff and Reiher lay out the fundamental understandings that todays kid-targeting professional needs to succeed. Joel Ehrlich Senior Vice President, DC Comics/Warner Brothers Promotions Acuff and Reiher know more about the inner workings of kids than anyone I know. Their approach to understanding how children behave will give marketers tremendous insight into how to target messages and products that really meet kids needs. Paul Krunit President, Griffin-Bacal With more and more marketers charging into the youth market, its more critical than ever that we have a thorough understanding of todays young consumers. The Youth Market Systems approach is unparalleled in providing todays marketers with that very important understanding. What Kids Buy and Why is a must read for anyone committed to playing in the youth marketplace and dedicated to being successful in it. Paul S. Michaels Vice President Franchise, M&M Mars Drs. Acuff and Reihers approach is a breakthrough strategy for anyone interested in the creation of successful products for kids. In the trenches on the battlefield of todays competitive marketplace, its bottom-line critical to know that gut instincts and educated guesses can be augmented by a science-based, intelligent approach to the design of products that win with kids -- the Youth Market Systems approach. About the Author Dan S. Acuff, PhD, is President of Youth Market System Consulting and, along with Dr. Robert H. Reiher, is among the worlds leading specialists on youth-related products and programs. He has served as a consultant to more than fifty major kid-targeting corporations. Dr. Acuff lives and works in Glendale, California.