Product Description

Did you know you're being brainwashed? Corporations spend billions of dollars annually to woo teen and pre-teen consumers, but today's efforts to control young minds and wattles take marketing strategies to a dangerous new level. Alissa Quart's incisive expose takes the reader to the dark side of teen marketing, revealing an aggressive and disturbing world in which adults build careers out in insinuating themselves into 'friendships' with young people in order to monitor what they wear, eat, listen to, and talk about with each other. From the 20-somethings who walk the streets looking for 'teen cool' to the marketing teams behind the scenes in the corporate effort to 'sponsor' schools, Quart introduces us to the most threatening of these initiatives. This compelling book discovers how teens succumb to content commercial battering designed to reduce their individuality and creativity, the effects on targeted messages on emerging teen identities and how they are subtly taught to market to each other. But we also witness the bravery of isolated young people who fight back, turning the tables on the cocksure mega-corporations striving to crack the codes of 'teen cool'. These kids prove it isn't necessary to give in to branding, but its a drop in the ocean when an entire generation is being raised to consume.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #366486 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Alissa Quart's Branded highlights the corporate marketing strategies aimed at teenagers and pre-teen (tween) consumers. It's no surprise to hear that most teenagers have mobile phones and a voracious appetite for designer labels or that, in the US, corporations spend billions of dollars to woo them.

Indeed, US schools have long since been sponsored by corporations but what Quart fears is that the current growth of corporate sponsorship in UK schools, if continued at the present rate, makes it increasingly likely that in a few years time there will be little difference between them. Despite the fact that, as recently as 1996, parents and politicians fiercely resisted the idea of advertising in schools, corporations have taken advantage of a recent initiative that saw businesses partnering-up with "under performing" schools. Since then, according to Quart, the doors have opened for branded school supplies and--given the ingenuity and determination of corporate strategists and the naïveté of the educational authorities--the corporate insinuation into our children's minds begins as soon as they leave mother's apron strings.

The heart of the book is very interesting indeed, describing as it does the actual tactics employed by the youth marketing industry and the required mindset necessary to be among the best employees. For instance, at the 2003 Kid Power event in London, conference organisers instructed attendees in how to harness "the power of word of mouth", how to ensure their products are "the talk of the playground", how to get past the "gatekeeper" (Mum and Dad), and to be aware of the influence of "pester power". The marketers wear the clothes of youth, befriend the kids as part of their job, milk them for information on what's hot and what's not and generally get the jump on their competitors by encouraging brand loyalty from as early an age as possible. The book is laced with the views of the teens and 'tweens' themselves as well as personal recollections of Quart's own tween years to add historical perspective.

On the whole Branded is earnest, well written and a little depressing--despite the final section focusing on examples of anti-corporate attitudes and activities among the kids. Readers of Naomi Klein's No Logo will find nothing surprising here, but it's a useful weapon (or rebuke) for parents afflicted with savvy, brand-afflicted teens. --Larry Brown

New York Times
'Deserves to command wide attention among millions of families...Quart makes a brilliant case...[and] her book is a necessary warning for parents.'

The Washington Post
Quart excels in capturing the chirpy, soulless avarice that tends to characterize today's hyper-predatory kiddie-peddlers.'

Customer Reviews

Good, but there's better out there
There seems to have been a rash of similar anti-corporate books hitting the shelves in the last few years, starting with the high profile 'No Logo' by Naomi Klein. 'Branded' takes a specific look at the way advertising and brand images are targetted at those most vulnerable to their lures, namely children and teenagers, and does this reasonably well. The book is intelligent, properly researched and interesting to read; unfortunately it says little that is not in other books of the same ilk. The story of the US high school student who was suspended for wearing a Pepsi t-shirt on a Coca Cola sponsored activity day seems to turn up in dozens of books, and nothing very new is said by its inclusion here. The book seems to lack a definite conclusion - like many, Quart closes by looking at the protestors against the wrongs she has outlined, but this is not really sufficient.

The chapters least related to the premise of the book, 'Cinema of the In-Crowd' and 'Almost Famous: the Teen Literary Sensations', ended up being the most original, providing a genuine insight into the wider issue of teenagers and culture, rather than capitalism. If this is a particular interest of yours, the book'd be worth buying for these chapters alone. 'Branded' is basically a decent read (on a finer scale I'd give it 3.5 stars) for anyone with a broad interest in anti-corporate issues, or who is looking for something immediate and quick to read in this area.

A subject that needs addressing...but maybe not like this.
"Branded - The Buying and Selling of Teenagers" sees Alissa Quart focusing on the increasing pervasion of corporate marketing to teens and pre-teens. She examines the harm that such efforts can cause to children, arguing that it forces youngsters to act in a more 'adult' way far too quickly, and isolates individuals who do not subscribe to opinions on the 'right' labels, stars, movies, etc.

There's no doubt that this is an important subject for study. Quart's book focuses its attention on the United States, though the foreword for this UK version pays lip service to the situation in this country. And much of what Quart argues strikes a chord - it's easy to believe some of the examples and arguments that she puts forward, because they reflect the fears of many adults.

Unfortunately, those arguments are put forward in a simplistic and judgmental way, and by failing to back up her comments with any evidence beyond the anecdotal, Quart loses credibility. The vast majority of her arguments are based on personal opinion, or are supported by nothing more than evidence of single events taken in isolation. There is no attempt to demonstrate credible support for her claims regarding trends in youth marketing, and the exploitation of teens. Quart claims that the standards of dress, image and personality set by corporate marketing are forcing more and more teens into financial difficulties, eating disorders, steroid abuse, and other problems caused by their desire to fit in. These accusations may very well be true - but there is no evidence in this book to support this, other than vague speculation and isolated examples.

Quart seems to have failed to research her subject, and is instead relying on her preconceptions of the issue. Her belief in her argument sees her using rather spurious examples to support her arguments. One particularly obvious example is her deconstruction of teen movies. This would have been much more credible if she had shown any evidence of having identified the satirical nature of many of the films and scenes that she mentions. For example she points out that in the film "10 Things I Hate About You" there is a conversation along the lines of 'I like my Skecher trainers, but I love my Prada handbag'. Quart suggests that this scene is encouraging teens to express their emotions in terms of labelled products - whereas in fact the whole scene is poking fun at label obsession. She uses the film "Clueless" as an example of this branded inanity, and fails to understand that the whole movie is a satirical observation (as Jane Austen's 'Emma', which the film is based on, was). I found it difficult to read parts of this book without thinking that Quart was forcing the 'evidence' of her examples to fit her argument (or simply failing to understand that evidence) as opposed to conducting deeper research.

Its a pity really. Quart obviously has strongly held beliefs on this matter, and she writes in a pleasantly accessible style. But without supporting evidence, much of her argument comes across as shallow. There is a very simple claim at the heart of this book - that children are too young to be targetted in the ways utilised by marketing companies. I tend to agree with Quart on this point - but attempts to change this situation should be more objectively argued and strongly backed by evidence, otherwise they lean towards sensationalism rather than genuine debate.

Good, but there's better out there
There seems to have been a rash of similar anti-corporate books hitting the shelves in the last few years, starting with the high profile 'No Logo' by Naomi Klein. 'Branded' takes a specific look at the way advertising and brand images are targetted at those most vulnerable to their lures, namely children and teenagers, and does this reasonably well. The book is intelligent, properly researched and interesting to read; unfortunately it says little that is not in other books of the same ilk. The story of the US high school student who was suspended for wearing a Pepsi t-shirt on a Coca Cola sponsored activity day seems to turn up in dozens of books, and nothing very new is said by its inclusion here. The book seems to lack a definite conclusion - like many, Quart closes by looking at the protestors against the wrongs she has outlined, but this is not really sufficient.

The chapters least related to the premise of the book, 'Cinema of the In-Crowd' and 'Almost Famous: the Teen Literary Sensations', ended up being the most original, providing a genuine insight into the wider issue of teenagers and culture, rather than capitalism. If this is a particular interest of yours, the book'd be worth buying for these chapters alone. 'Branded' is basically a decent read (on a finer scale I'd give it 3.5 stars) for anyone with a broad interest in anti-corporate issues, or who is looking for something immediate and quick to read in this area.