My son, Will, will be four next month.  He recognizes numbers and letters, but he isn’t one of these prodigy kids that reads Thoreau instead of nap time.  He did do something a few months ago that has stuck out to me; it made me realize how effective big corporate marketing is.  That fact might anger some (particularly depending on the product), but I find it intriguing.  I like effective marketing.  Particularly, when I can use that psychology to justify a frivolous purchase to my wife.

I will provide a bit more context before getting back to Will.  I drink a lot of Mountain Dew.  I know it is bad for me.  I set a very unhealthy example to my family by drinking so much.  It will probably rot my teeth and destroy my organs–BUT it tastes so good!!  I recognize and fully embrace the fact that PepsiCo marketers have snared me; I am likely (happily) addicted.  The point is that Mountain Dew has a presence in our home.

Will and I were driving down the road.  A large beverage delivery truck emblazoned with Pepsi, Pepsi–not Mountain Dew, logos pulled up next to us at a stop light.  I, of course, didn’t take notice.  Will, the four year old, immediately said, “look, Papa, it’s the Mountain Dew truck.”  How would Will know of Mountain Dew’s place in Pepsi’s portfolio?  How did he come to associate a Pepsi logo, to which he is not often exposed, with his father’s drink of choice?  It certainly isn’t a discussion we have ever had.

I think that the answer is fairly clear.  Pepsi casts a broad and effective and subtle net.  The best marketing probably goes unnoticed until the wallet is out and a transaction is about to occur.  Brand recognition is a valuable asset to capture. 

Here is a timely related post from Seth Godin’s blog.