PBKids= Perfectly Branded to Moms (and Kids)

Just got the new Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail. All I have to say is... wow, good job. The photography, art direction and copy is excellent. I wanted to buy everything. Why? The colors are vibrant and fun, the designs embody just the right mix of classic-meets-kid-friendly, the quality appears to be high, and, perhaps most importantly--as a parent, the brand appeals to me on a emotional, subconcious level. After a long day, I found it soothing to sit down, relax and peruse the catalog in a dreamlike state, much as I would a travel magazine. What if my child's room looked like this? Or what about this? Oh, wait, how cute, look at this. Seeing pictures of perfectly groomed children doing homework on perfectly painted desks--color coordinated with their room decor-- only served to enhance my fantasy. If only I had some Pottery Barn Kids furniture, my life would be more perfect, my kids would certainly be more perfect and of course my home would be clutter free!

This is the power of a strong brand - the ability to tap into emotional issues (or in my case, neurotic tendencies to be a "perfect parent") and connect on a deeper level. And I'm not the only one who found the catalog appealing by the way. My daughter came up to me while I was on the couch and said "Hey, what is that? I want some things out of that catalog!" She went to the kitchen, grabbed a felt-tipped marker and proceeded to flip through the pages, circling everything she wanted. I asked her what it was about the brand that she liked so much and she just shrugged. "I don't know mommy, I just do."

Back to School Retail Report

Youth Trends just released their 2008 Back to School Retail & Shopping Report. No real big surprises here... gas prices are up and the economy is down and therefore retailers such as WalMart and Target can expect to do well, while higher-end retailers won't. But wait - the summary goes on to explain how "the new iPhone 3G is without a doubt the most coveted mobile phone followed by LG's enV, the BlackBerry Curve and the BlackBerry Pearl. Based on the current growth rate, we expect that 32% to 35% of all teens and college students will own a smartphone or multimedia phone by year's end." Wow. At least teens and college students can still afford nice phones. And apparently, fashion as well: "The preppie retailer du jour is J. Crew, which over the past year and half has made a strong comeback with the college audience in particular and we now expect them to do well with teen consumers as well. If Mom and Dad are throwing down the plastic, female shoppers would snap up as many pairs of Tory Burch flats as they can."

Since when did J. Crew and Tory Burch start targeting teens? Never mind. My 15 year-old babysitter currently has 3 Coach bags, wears a lot of Juicy Couture accessories and sends me texts from her Razr. I'm just the one paying to fill up the tank so I can drive her to the mall.

Getting started

It's taken awhile, but I've finally decided to start a blogging. My hesitancy hasn't been so much about what to say, but how to focus. I'm not interested in blogging about my kids, although they do fuel my business on many levels and are a constant source of entertainment. I'm not going to be a news service on what's going on in the kids industry at any given second; I have better things to do with my time. I won't write product reviews or book reviews although I may mention them as part of a larger trend I see in the industry. I'll blast the companies and ad agencies that are harming kids with obnoxious campaigns and inappropriate messages but I'll be kinder to those who miss the mark in targeting kids but whose underlying mission is well-intentioned. So here's what I will do: I'll compile, I'll focus on what's creative and cool, and I'll be critical every step of the way.