Blood is not only thicker than water, it also appears to be stronger than coupons, celebrity endorsements and other product marketing devices. A study by marketing faculty Elizabeth S. Moore and William L. Wilkie along with a colleague at the University of Florida found that mothers pass down powerful preferences to their daughters for certain brand-name products. The researchers separately surveyed about 100 mothers and their college-age daughters to see which brands of household products they most preferred to purchase. The matches were then adjusted to see which items were popular beyond what their market share would predict. The following are the products that appeared to benefit most from what the researchers term “intergenerational influences”:
Campbell’s soup
Heinz ketchup
Kleenex, Puffs facial tissue
Mueller, Ronzoni boxed pasta
Newman’s Own, Ragu, Prego spaghetti sauce
Crest, Colgate toothpaste
Bumble Bee, Starkist tuna
Tide laundry detergent
Lipton tea
Dawn, Sunlight, Ivory dish liquid
Tylenol, Advil pain reliever
Dial, Lever 2000 bar soap
Kraft salad dressing
Bounty paper towels
Minute Maid frozen juice
Lubriderm lotion
Folgers, Maxwell House coffee
Snickers candy bars
Fantastik household cleaner
The marketing experts reported their findings in the article “Passing the Torch: Intergenerational Influences as a Source of Brand Equity” in the April 2002 Journal of Marketing.