PressEthic

Rather than simply report on the usual mad-dash for holiday bargains, the LA Times published a story on the impressive growth in the designer goods market for tweens.

"There's a huge uptick in teens shopping for traditional luxury brands," said Jim Taylor, vice chairman of the Harrison Group, a strategic marketing firm that recently conducted a survey of teenagers' preferences. "Having a Gucci scarf is part of being a kid today."

It's a great, if frightening quote. Who knew you couldn't be a kid without a Gucci scarf.

The article credits the changing identity of preteens—moving away from their parents' tastes—as part of the reason for their new shopping-lust. It goes on to say:

Kids also learn of the brands from reality TV, celebrity reports and magazines such as Teen Vogue, said Samantha Skey, a senior vice president at Alloy Media and Marketing, a New York-based youth research and marketing firm.

Smart advertisers looking to create brand loyalty with a younger market. Not that advertising directly to kids is anything new. But we usually think of toys and junk food, not Manolo Blahnik.

However, the article says that parents play a role too, buying designer clothes for babies:

Part of this interest comes from baby boomers who have grown up in affluence, said Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at the NPD Group. In part, parents "want to show their status through their kids," he said.

As far as news goes, this is an interesting angle on a story that can get a little repetitive.