Teen People Photoshoot excerpt

Again, WTF?

Designer Clothing A Growing Trend Among Kids

Anny Hong
Reporting



(CBS13) SACRAMENTO For some there's a new trend this holiday season – kids and couture. It's generation x-pensive, and parents are paying the price.

Prada, Louis Vuitton and Juicy Couture are often seen on the rich and famous, and now on 10-year-old Annie Cotter.

Showing off her Uggs, Annie tells us what's on her Christmas wish list - an outfit that costs $200 for a jogging suit.

“It's something that has to be earned, not something we do on a daily basis. Not take it for granted,” says Annie’s mother Mary.

More luxury stores like Madame Butterfly in Sacramento realize the under thirteen clientele is growing. Many of their young shoppers get their cues from stars like Mischa Barton and famous twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson.

Market research shows girls eight to fourteen account for 48 billion dollars in annual consumer spending. They also visit the mall forty percent more than other shoppers.

Some parents say these kids are going down a dangerous road, one that could lead to over-spending and debt as adults.

But for now, Annie's mother says she keeps an eye on how much designer clothing her daughter ultimately ends up with.

She's What, 14?

Could she really need alteration? Apparently so. Check out the interactive version of the photos at http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/



and

???

MKA on Saturday Night Live

Spring 2004 - Instead of attending their prom the Twins hosted SNL.

Poll Results: Begin Marketing at Age 7

Youth Marketers Feel It Is Appropriate to Begin Marketing to Kids at Age Seven

Results from Harris Interactive/Kid Power Poll of Youth Marketers shows three-fourths think the positive impact their organization has on youth far outweighs any negatives

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – April 20, 2004 – A new ground-breaking survey of professionals who work in youth-related fields shows that they feel it is appropriate to begin marketing to children at age seven, on average. This is more than two years before they feel most young people can view advertising critically (age 9.1), or when they feel most young people can effectively separate fantasy from reality in media and advertising (age 9.3). Youth marketers feel it is appropriate to target marketing to children almost five years before they feel that most young people can make intelligent choices as consumers (age 11.7).

These are some of the findings of the Harris Interactive/Kid Power Poll of Youth Marketers conducted online by Harris Interactive in February 2004 among 878 individuals working in youth-related fields. Survey participants were professionals working in a range of youth-related fields, including: youth marketing, market research, advertising/public relations, media, education and non-profit organizations. The poll covered a number of topics regarding commercialism and youth, marketing in schools, youth obesity, and sexual and violent content in media.

"The poll results show that youth marketers have a great deal of respect for the power and influence of children," said Candi Schwartz, Managing Director of the Kid Power Exchange. "In fact, we found that youth marketers tend to define today’s young generation as a consumer group."

Study findings indicate that:

91% of respondents feel that today’s youth are more powerful consumers than young people were 10 to15 years ago
91% agree that young people are marketed to in ways that they don’t even notice
61% agree that advertising to children begins at too young an age
"This poll shows that youth marketers are pressured by a sense of urgency to reach kids early so that brands will be familiar to them when they do reach an age where they make or influence purchase decisions," said John Geraci, Vice President of Youth Research at Harris Interactive. "Data also show that those working in youth fields are comfortable and supportive of their organization’s practices. They welcome the challenge and responsibility that comes with serving the needs of young consumers and their parents."

Additional findings from the study include:

91% feel that their organization treats young people with respect
90% feel their organization treats parents with respect
78% feel that their organization plays a positive role in the lives of children
74% feel that the positive impact their organization has on children far outweighs any negatives
"Youth industry professionals tell us that many of their most ethical practices occur out of the view of the public," added Geraci. "They see ideas discarded because they may not be suitable for young consumers even though these ideas may have strong commercial value. They invest considerable resources on market research to ensure products have an educational value for youth and are acceptable to parents."

What Are They Fighting: Limited Inidividuality or Ugly Clothes

WAR OF THE WARDROBES

Book Description:
Asheley can't believe it. White Oak Academy is going to require the students to wear uniforms--and its all her fault! Ahsley wrote an article about dress codes for the school newspaper, and everyone is talking about it. her sister, Mary-Kate, doesn't think uniforms are such a bad idea. In fact, they'd make life a whole lot simpler. But she knows Ashley dreads a fashionless future. Now, Mary-Kate and Ashley have to devise a brilliant plan to ban the uniforms--and fast!

Reader Review:
War of the wardrobe, Jan 31 2003
Reviewer: A customer
Ever been pushed to wear something you don't even like one bit? Mary- Kate and Ashley did by having to wear uniforms. But they are going to stop it. Mary-Kate and Ashley and their friends held up signs and made deals. One of them was that Ashley had to make a new design for the uniforms. What will happen?
I liked this book because they didn't just stand there and let something they didn't like happen. They didn't want uniforms! Even if they got in trouble they still didn't want uniforms.
I would suggest this book to people who are into fashion and wardrobes and chapter books. If you want to find out what happens read War of the Wardrobe. Have fun!_

New Tween Info Coming

Just ordered two box sets of MKA movies and the So Little Time series.

Also, on the way are:

The Great Tween Buying Machine: Capturing Your Share of the Multi-Billion-Dollar Tween Market (Paperback)
by David Siegel, Timothy Coffey, Gregory Livingston

Seven Going On Seventeen: Tween Studies In The Culture Of Girlhood (Counterpoints (New York, N.Y) (Paperback)
by Claudia Mitchell (Editor), Jacqueline Reid-Walsh (Editor)

Girls Make Media (Paperback)
by Mary Celeste Kearney

Been working my way through interviews on the olsentwins.net and am pretty sure the short found footage piece is going to focus on the Rolling Stone shoot. Its creepy at best and will definately break down with repetition.

Then, its weeks of reading and watching for research. Wish us luck. I'll keep you posted on any interesting insights as things move forward.