When it comes to choosing an item based on brand name, parents aren’t the only ones who may reach for the most recognized brand. A recent study co-authored by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and University of Michigan reveals that children as young as three experience some of the same marketing pressures as young adults, and truly do understand the power of branding and advertising. In the two-part study, researchers assessed brand recognition in children ages 3-5 years old. In the first study, the children’s recognition rates were as high as 92 percent for some of the 50 brands. The most commonly recognized brand was McDonald’s.

Bettina Cornwell, U-M Kinesiology Sport Marketing Professor and co-author of the study said, “Before this study, research suggested that brand symbolism does not develop until age seven or eight. As we more fully understand how and when children develop brand knowledge, we will know when they should be shielded from advertising pressures.”