The article is written by Ted Mininni, President of Design Force Inc, USA

Marketers know how to trigger children’s emotions; how to trip the “have to have it” switch on. One of the best, often-sought ways to endear brands to children is the use of licensed characters on kids’ products. Yet this isn’t always a success. If anything, it can be a hit or miss proposition.

M&M’s will open its first shop outside the States in London’s Leicester Square tomorrow. The US chocolate brand that is worth around £1.7 billion and belongs to Mars, Inc follows the trend of so called ‘retailtainment’ where global brands use their flagship stores as tourist attractions as well as shops. For instance, Disney recently re-designed its Oxford Street store to include famous Disney characters, a cinema and its own ‘closing ceremony’ at the end of each day.