Is brand loyalty really present in the children's market? A comparative study from Indonesia, Portugal, and Brazil

The children's market is very challenging but has great potential. In the very dynamic and ever-changing face of the children's market, identifying and being able to optimize the factors that can preserve product dominance is the key to product longevity. This paper attempts to identify factors which are identified as the antecedents of brand loyalty in the children's market. We propose a model which tries to encapsulate the antecedents of a brand relationship and its influence toward brand loyalty. We did a semi structure interview in Indonesia, Portugal, and Brazil to validate our model. We also did a survey within these three countries to test our hypotheses. The findings of the preliminary study, semi-structured interviews, and past research suggest that brand personality, brand trust, and brand salience are important antecedents to create a brand relationship in the children's market. Meanwhile, brand loyalty was identified as the consequence of a brand relationship, autobiographical memory, and habituation. It is hoped that this study can contribute to the body of knowledge and understanding of the factors and their inter-relations that can contribute to the development of autobiographical memory and brand loyalty in the children's market. This paper has made a contribution to the extant literature on children as consumers from developed and developing countries. The findings are valuable in assisting companies, especially those in the food industry, to have a better understanding of children's buying behavior.