From Rugrats to Spice Girls: the role of characters and personalities in lateral marketing to child and youth markets

James Carrick

This paper traces the history of characters up to the mid-nineteenth century, and thereafter through five ages of character development.

From Rugrats to Spice Girls. The role of characters and personalities in lateral marketing to child and youth markets

Carrick James Carrick James Market Research, United Kingdom

INTRODUCTION

This paper is concerned with the role of characters and personalities in the lives of children.

It traces the history of characters and explores how characters in the 1990's are becoming more than just fictional characters but brands in their own right; products that are marketed in different guises. Brands also extend to real life personalities, such as musicians and sports people who are also becoming 'licensed properties' that form the...

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