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Kids 12 and Under Think President Obama is as Lame as MySpace
Why don't kids love me anymore?
In a nationwide survey of 4,500 kids ages 6-12, President Obama ranked 229th out of 271 brands, according to an online poll conducted by Smarty Pants, LLC, a market research firm that conducts youth and parent research and guides marketers on brand positioning, new products and consumer trends.
A press release about the survey says, “Democrats have reason to be worried at the polls on Tuesday. Obama’s Kidfinity™ ranking dropped on the list of Kids’ Most Loved Brands by 65 positions in the past year.” In 2009, Obama ranked 164th on the list “that measures brands based on their awareness, love and popularity.” Note the pollsters, “The only brand with a greater loss among the 6-12 set is MySpace.”
I knew the Dems had slid in the polls, but I didn’t realize we were talking MySpace-level decline. Does that mean Christine O’Donnell is the new Mark Zuckerberg? Facebook ranked 55 positions higher in 2010 than 2009, going from 181 to 126. O’Donnell went from relative obscurity to front page fodder in even less time.
Of course, who cares what 12-year-old kids think, right? They don’t vote. But moms do, and Smarty Pants president, Wynne Tyree, reports, ”Obama also posted the largest decline of all brands among moms of kids 6-12 years old – from 121 to 224 on the Moms’ Most Loved Brands list.”
I should say, I’m not so sure the President of the United States should be measured against Burger King. After all, that’s like comparing apples and french fries, but nonetheless. Obama’s strength in his campaign was his ability to brand himself to young people, so for the sake of argument, let’s take a look at things kids dig more than their country’s leader.
| Top 10 Ranking Losses on Kids’ Most Loved Brands List | ||||||
| 2009 – 2010 | ||||||
| Brand | 2009-2010Change | 2009Ranking | 2010Ranking | |||
| MySpace | -80 | 184 | 264 | |||
| Obama | -65 | 164 | 229 | |||
| Gatorade | -60 | 56 | 116 | |||
| iDog | -60 | 160 | 220 | |||
| Fruit Gushers | -56 | 33 | 89 | |||
| Aquapod | -52 | 156 | 208 | |||
| etnies | -50 | 182 | 232 | |||
| Heely’s | -48 | 112 | 160 | |||
| Halo 3 | -43 | 202 | 245 | |||
| Burger King | -40 | 21 | 61 | |||
| Source: Young Love 2009-2010; kids 6-12 years old | Based on 271 brands | |||||
So many questions: what’s an iDog? An aquapod? What are etnies, and why aren’t they capitalized? Why do people actually think McDonald’s, which ranks as the second-most beloved children’s brand – just behind Nintendo’s Wii – actually tastes that much better than Burger King? Burger King is disgusting, too, but if I had to choose, it’s King over clown every time.
The third, fourth and fifth brands kids love most are M&M’S, Disney Channel and Oreo. Maybe the President would be more popular with tweens if he created a Wii game about the Presidential fitness test where the main objective is to complete an obstacle course made of hamburger trampolines and an Oreo cookie tire run. Meanwhile, if he wants to win back weary moms, he should stay on message and deliver some more of the change he promised.
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17 Comments
Gretchen Powers commented on Nov 02 10 at 1:18 pmIsn’t Obama actually an Oreo? Black on the outside, but white on the inside? Seriously, though, I don’t think the president should be mixed in with “brands” nor do I think it’s important for a president to be “popular” with children. If a mom is so silly that her 6-12 YO’s view of a candidate would affect her vote, she should probably stay home today.
jenny tries too hard commented on Nov 02 10 at 1:34 pm*sigh*…Oreo jokes about a person of mixed race, or about people who don’t act “black” have really never, ever been funny, especially because Obama’s being “white on the inside” refers to what, exactly? Ditto for “coconut”, and “banana” about people with brown or yellow skin who dare step out of the nice little racial box society has built for us. Creamsicle jokes about people who have turned their white skin orange are maybe a little funny…
Back to the topic. I took the rating as being about Obama t-shirts, notebook stickers and the like, not the man himself—why else would it be up there with actual brands? Those shirts and stickers aren’t as cool anymore, there’s no denying that. Sure, some of that’s because his approval ratings are lower, but mostly it’s just not a topic of conversation anymore because it’s not a presidential election year and even next year it won’t be the historic first-non-white President year. The Obama swag will never be as cool as it was in 08.
Gretchen Powers commented on Nov 02 10 at 1:39 pmSorry Obama is “whiter” than me…I really like him, support him still, but you know damn well what I mean. And Oreos are really, really yummy, too. LTFU.
bob commented on Nov 02 10 at 1:41 pmSomeone’s hungry.
jenny tries too hard commented on Nov 02 10 at 2:12 pmWhat do you mean by “white”? Seriously, answer what it means for Obama to be “white”? His inability to throw a decent opening pitch? Or his intact family? His lack of what Harry Reid called a “Negro dialect”? I think he can dance, so that can’t be it…
Seriously, we need to throw out the outdated notion that a person of any complexion can be white/black/whatever on the inside. A person who speaks English properly is not less black or less Hispanic or anything but less ignorant-sounding. A person who is successful academically is just that, not “white on the inside”. Stop acting like white people have a claim on the attributes you like and support.
Gretchen Powers commented on Nov 02 10 at 2:23 pmHe is of a more privileged and educated class than me. Also, notice the quotes I put around “whiter”…my point exactly. Yet so many Babblers would contend that certain groups in America are necessarily more disenfranchised or less privileged than others. I absolutely don’t think white people have a claim on anything. Now, Ima get me some oreos.
jenny tries too hard commented on Nov 02 10 at 2:30 pmEnjoy the Oreos, just please don’t think people can read your weird little mind. There are plenty of people who have actually been called an oreo/coconut/etc because of their way of speaking proper English or dressing decently or caring about school, so don’t act like everyone has the same bias you do. If we don’t make jokes about how different races are “supposed” to act or what privileges they are “supposed” to have, then this issue doesn’t come up.
Gretchen Powers commented on Nov 02 10 at 2:31 pmsorry, no harm intended (really ever in my posts) I just try to post things that have a kernel of truth in my thoughts but sometimes with a bolder brush than I would say IRL in order to provoke conversation because these topics and threads are pretty boring lots of times…I probably need to find a better use of my time
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Nov 02 10 at 2:32 pmCan everyone stop honoring this classless, tactless, talentless slag who can’t help but flatulate the most ignorant, backward, racist and stupid dreck with the courtesy of conversation?
Manjari commented on Nov 02 10 at 4:22 pmOreo jokes just aren’t funny. They’re racist, and so are you. You’ve also proven yourself to be classist and generally ignorant. You really come off as a horrible person online.
MnMama commented on Nov 02 10 at 6:19 pmOh dear. The oreo joke is taking things too far.
Miss Chris commented on Nov 02 10 at 7:46 pmBob, you are an inspiration in these trying times. Carry on sir, carry on!
Linda, the original one commented on Nov 02 10 at 10:48 pmWow. I just was going to post that I really don’t understand how Obama is considered a “brand” anyway. Where any other politicians mentioned? How did they rank? Then the first thing I have to read is another racist “joke” from our resident asshole. Nice. People or so f*cking stupid they don’t know that you don’t call someone an oreo? Really? REALLY?!?!?!?!?!
Linda, the original one commented on Nov 02 10 at 10:48 pm*are, not *or.
Rosana commented on Nov 03 10 at 10:15 amWow!!!!! I don’t think why is important the kids opinions since it is generally the mirrored thoughts of their parents.
Rosana commented on Nov 03 10 at 10:16 amshould have wrote “kids’ opinions”, sorry.
Meghan commented on Nov 03 10 at 2:59 pmI think it speaks volumes about our education system that the office of President is mixed in with brands of consumer products. Kids just don’t care about the office or government. And now schools have to worry if they teach children about the role of government that they’re “indoctrinating” them.
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