Animated cartoon merchandise : why do children want to buy it?

Abstract

For years children have enjoyed watching cartoons and always wanted to be closer to them, one way of doing this was to purchase cartoon merchandise. From 1929 when Mickey Mouse first appeared on a pencil box, cartoon merchandise has been an escalating Industry. Nowadays a lot of children own cartoon merchandise and it is part of their everyday life. The question that this dissertation asks is, why it is that children want to purchase cartoon merchandise. What are the factors that are influencing their wants? This study uses the methods and theory of planned behaviour, to measure and understand the motivations which encourage children to purchase cartoon merchandise. Multiple regression is used to validate aspects of the theory. The main influences on why children purchase cartoon merchandise is because cartoons are selling themselves through promotional intersentials and reference to their own merchandise, cartoons websites which are overflowing with promotional material and the strong attachment that children have with cartoons.