Companies have always known it. And parents have always experienced it. Kids play an important role in a household's purchasing decision. From toys to cars, kids have strong preferences. This helps in a situation where the parents are indifferent to the brand they want.

All this has been quantified in a crucial survey of children, undertaken by AC Nielsen and Cartoon Network in some Asian countries including India. The survey covered about 800 kids in the pre-teen to early teen age group to assess their likes and dislikes for variety of products. The attempt was also to understand the habits of the new generation of Nineties children.

The report has calculated the kids influence factor for different products. In the Rs 3,437-crore candy market in India, the kids influence factor is 60 per cent. This translates to Rs 2,062 crore -- kids are making a buying decide worth that amount.