Exploring the influence strategies used by children: an empirical study in India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the different influence tactics used by children and to examine whether there is a difference in perception of parent and child with respect to the use of different influence tactics. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted based on an extensive literature review and detailed focus group discussions. Through structured questionnaires, a survey was conducted on children (aged 8‐12 years) and their respective parent (any one). In total, 400 responses were received, out of which only 350 (175 children and their parents) were found to be fully filled, the remaining 50 were discarded due to incomplete information. Findings – Statistical analysis suggests that the most common influence strategy used by children in this age‐group is persuasion strategy, followed by emotional and bargaining strategies. As per the t‐tests conducted, there were not many significant differences found in the perception of parent and child regarding the use of the different influence tactics. Practical implications – The identified strategies and tactics are expected to add clarity to the issue of children's role in family decision making. Marketers should take these observations into consideration while designing and implementing global sales promotion and advertising strategies. Originality/value – The paper makes a much needed contribution to the extant literature on Indian children in the age‐group 8‐12 years as consumers. The findings would add value to marketing companies and practitioners to have a better understanding of Indian children's influence behaviour. The results from the current study are crucial, as not many studies have been conducted in India when compared to the West.