A new report from Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows how much influence branding can have on preschoolers.

The Experiment

Sixty-three preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) tasted 5 pairs of identical foods and beverages in packaging from McDonald’s and matched but unbranded packaging and were asked to indicate if they tasted the same or if one tasted better.

The Results

• 60% preferred food in the McDonald’s wrapper
• 22% of the kids chose food in the plain wrappers
• 18% said the food tasted the same or were unable to complete the experiment

A preschooler’s preference for McDonald’s significantly increased if his or her home had 2 or more televisions. The report also adds that a previous experiment proved that “a single exposure to a television advertisement affected preschool children’s brand preferences.”

If you are a children’s minister, it is important to realize that you, school teachers, and a preschooler’s parents are not the only ones shaping the way that a preschooler thinks. Now corporations also have considerable influence over how children think and behave. Pay close attention to the primary media messages reaching the children in your children’s ministry. These messages will likely shape kid culture and, ultimately, what you must do to effectively reach kids.

[via Yahoo! News and CCV Communications Team]