‘Pester power’? You must be kidding!

News that the Government plans to criminalise “pester power” (MW last week) will no doubt send shockwaves across the marketing community and will disappoint many of us in its failure to recognise the responsible approach already being taken by brand marketers.

While I agree with the sentiment behind the taboo of pester marketing, I disagree wholeheartedly with the draconian approach to seeking its prevention.

As a specialist family marketing agency, we have always regarded “pester power” as a measure of failure, not success, not least because it creates conflict rather than consensus. We have always advocated the need to embrace both parents and children in brand communication.  

The plain fact is that parents want children to be involved in family decision-making and always consider their needs and desires first and foremost in their own brand choice. Parents want brands to offer benefits and rewards to children while retaining and building trust with them as gatekeepers.

It is therefore unfortunate that politicians still appear to fail to see that such responsibility is already been taken, and we clearly still have a long way to go to improve the public image of the family marketing community.

Dave Lawrence  

Planning director

Logistix

Gerrards Cross

Bucks