This book is the result of collaboration between Millward Brown (one of the world's top 10 market research organizations) and Martin Lindstrom, a branding author, consultant, and speaker who has advised Fortune 500 brands such as Mars, Pepsi, LEGO, American Express, VISA, HSBC, and Microsoft. It provides a new understanding of the power of 'tweens' (children aged 9-14) in the marketplace.

It is rare to find a book that is supported by such comprehensive research. The findings are based on interviews with 1,920 urban tweens in the USA, Brazil, Germany, Spain, India, China, and Japan, and the book can legitimately claim to be the result of the most extensive study of tween attitudes and their relationships to brands.

The book paints a compelling picture of tween life, their spending power and their ability to influence family consumption. The message is very much 'If you think tweens aren't important to your brand, look again'. For example, it was found that two in three tweens (in the markets studied) influence big-ticket family purchases such as cars, the fashion brands their parents wear, and mobile phones.

It makes compelling reading for any marketer, with substantial research data, examples and anecdotes supporting each chapter.

Here's a full list of the chapter headings:

Tween dreams for sale Bonded to brands: the transition years Exit fairyland Creating imagination How do tweens feel Stardust The peer factor Cyberchild Personalized brands build strong businesses Santa's nightmare The essence of being a child Pump up the volume Superchannels Kidzbiz Tweens take to hats Calling kids Click on item to purchase at Amazon

The only disappointment is the dualbook.com concept, which is billed as an opportunity to 'remain in touch with my latest views on the topic' but which is little more than a platform for up-selling the reader into other products and services.

That gripe apart, it is very well worth reading, offering valuable insight into the new world of tweens:

This is a must-read book if you want to communicate with and market to young people
Philip Kotler,
Professor of International Marketing,
Kellogg School of Management

Martin Lindstrom's fascinating tour-de-force may have you staying awake for 60 hours in order to mine this kids-focused marketing wisdom
Stan Rapp,
Co-Founder,
Rapp Collins

When someone qualified challenges the conventional thinking, it will result in fresh perspective and give food for thought about the way children behave. Martin Lindstrom does this in his new book BRANDchild.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen,
President and CEO,
The LEGO Company