About Us

● The YMS Mission

Our mission is to be the most up to date and insightful  “Hub”

of Information, Expertise and Advice for all those who seek to

responsibly market to today’s youth and their families. Simply

put, our goal is our client’s success—especially when it results

in the enrichment of the lives of the young people and their

families who become the consumers of our clients’ products

and programs.

In this section you will find:

  ● A list of Youth Market Systems' Clients

  ● A listing of a variety of sample projects

  ● Brief bios of YMS Directors

● CLIENT LIST / SAMPLE PROJECTS

YMS personnel have consulted in almost every arena of product and program development and marketing to youth: Food & Beverage, Packaged Goods, Toys, Games, Apparel, Sports Equipment, Computer Software, Advertising, TV and Feature Films. Here is a partial client list:

Toys & Games in ORANGE

Entertainment in RED

Food, Beverages & Snacks in BLUE

Miscellaneous in YELLOW

Johnson & Johnson	Marvel
Van de Kamps	Tyco
Hallmark Cards	Kraft USA
Western Publishing	Bandai
United Media	Scholastic
Lucasfilm	Amblin/Spielberg
Warner Brothers	Sega
MCA Universal	Quaker Oats
Dakin	General Mills
Kenner/Parker	Hershey
ABC Entertainment	I-Hop
CBS Television	Microsoft
Disney	Nestle
Mattel Toys	Nike
Hasbro	Pizza Hut
Frito Lay	Dannon
Kraft-Post Canada	Sargento
Nickelodeon	Broderbund
Ralston	Del Monte
Pepsico	Hunt Weston
Coca-Cola	Kellogg's
Hi-C	Kimberly-Clark
Sony	Hewlett-Packard
Porter-Novelli	Leo Burnett
Discovery Channel	United Biscuit (England)
Langnese-Iglo (Germany)	Televisa (Mexico)
Hit Entertainment - UK	International Quality & Productivity Center Seminars:  (Canada, France, Holland, Spain, India, Australia, Latin America)

● EXAMPLES OF RECENT PROJECTS

1. WARNER BROS.: Completed a major analysis of their entire cast of characters for their Licensing and Merchandising division. Based on our feedback and recommendations, WB revised the entire approach to their character style guides.

2. NICKELODEON: Assisted with Tween marketing of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Assisted with evaluation and launch of Rocket Power, Sponge Bob Square Pants, CatDog, The Wild Thornberries. Studied Rugrats as a landmark evaluation of its power.

3. DISNEY: Conducted a workshop on competitive character concepts to Mickey Mouse and friends with the goal of how to make Mickey & Friends more attractive to kids older than 6.

4. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: Werecontracted to improve and maximize their Food and Nutrition Services' Power Panther character to help kids "Eat Smart" and "Play Hard"

5. BAYLOR UNIVERSITY: DEPT. OF CHILD NUTRITION: Were contracted to create from scratch characters to help pre-schoolers eat more fruits and vegetables. The result: "Judy Fruity" and "Reggie Veggie". To see Judy and Reggie, click here.

6. DANNON: Maximized Sprinklin's and D'Animals packaging. Major study for Danone Europe.

7. KRAFT: Evaluated and provided feedback for maximization of more than 23 different kids snack ideas. Age Segmentation Training

8. NESTLE CHOCOLATE: Key contributors to development and maximization of the Nestle Magic project – currently Wonderball. Worked on Crunch Guy character. Age Segmentation Training. 

9. NESTLE BEVERAGE: Maximized Nestle Quik Bunny and Nestle Quik packaging.

10. HUNT WESSON: Evaluated opportunities for Orville popcorn and Gel products for kids.

9. CONAGRA: Redeveloped and maximized KID CUISINE character, packaging and product line. Result: 200+ % increase in sales.

10. QUAKER OATS: Variety of projects including evaluation of new product introductions in snacks, instant hot cereals, and cold cereals.  Evaluated character changes and made recommendations for Cap'n Crunch character.  Training

11. HI-C / MINUTE MAID: Provided input on current kid-targeted packaging.  Training

12. KELLOGG'S: Evaluation of new product ideas.  Conducted Ideation Session that produced nearly 100 new and line extension kids cereal and snack ideas. Training

13. FRITO-LAY: Provided Age Segmentation Training

14. SARGENTO CHEESE: Assisted them in the redevelopment of their cow character and their packaging for cheese snack re‑launch. Focus Groups.

15. DOMINOS: Participated in a series of focus groups to determine "hot buttons" for kids and pizza. Created report with marketing recommendations.

16. SHOWBIZ (CHUCKIE CHEESE): Evaluated new character show directions, made recommendations for revision.

17. GENERAL MILLS: Evaluated a series of fruit snack ideas, Squeezit beverage. Training

18. COCA COLA: Provided Age Segmentation Training, strategic planning, trends research.

19. M&M MARS: Evaluated a series of kids chocolate possibilities. Assisted in the successful development and launch of their M&M Minis candies. Also provided first sketches and fundamental input for the development of the M&M characters currently seen in TV ads. Training

20. HERSHEY’S: Evaluated a variety of kid-targeted projects.

21. JOHNSON & JOHNSON: Evaluation of a variety of kids' personal hygiene products.  Assisted directly in the development and launch of Endangered Species Kids' shampoo line.

22. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY: Evaluated kids marketing directions.

23. HIT ENTERTAINMENT of the UK: Led focus groups with Kids and Moms for their Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder product lines. Trained their moderators for other city research in

the U.S. and the U.K.

● MEET THE DIRECTORS

Daniel S. Acuff, Ph.D.

Founder and President of Youth Market Systems and the Character Lab, and Co-author of the landmark book, What Kids Buy and Why-The Psychology of Marketing to Kids, and of KIDNAPPED - How Irresponsible Marketers are Stealing the Minds of Your Children. (Of major concern in Kidnapped  are issues with violence in videogames and the media, childhood obesity, and the proliferation of excessive technology.) To order, click on the book images.

Dr. Acuff has served as a development, research, and marketing consultant to more than 50 major corporations in the arenas of product and program viability assessment, development, marketing and advertising. Of particular specialization has been age segmentation analysis and character creation and development. For example, Dr. Acuff and associates created the original M&M characters that have become extremely popular and carried M&M Mars over the billion dollar mark for the M&M division.

Along with his partner, Dr. Robert Reiher, Dr. Acuff created the proprietary and revolutionary YMS system for determining the viability of products and programs with an 80% plus accuracy rate. Recent clients include: Disney, Warner Brothers, Lucas-Spielberg, Microsoft, paws/Jim Davis, ABC TV, Nestle, M&M Mars, Hershey, Pepsi-Co, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, Hallmark Cards, Nickelodeon, Sega, Mattel, Hasbro, Discovery Kids and the United States department of Agriculture.

Dr. Reiher is a media psychologist and Founder and President of E Smart Choice. Robert combines a broad range of experience and training from a variety of fields, including the areas of media, experimental, educational and clinical psychology, business, education, entertainment, and personal development.  He has been actively involved as a teacher, professional musician, researcher, counselor, and media consultant for the past 25 years. 

Dr. Reiher is currently completing the first two books written on the topic of entertainment psychology. Innertainment - The Psychology of Entertainment and its Impact on the Human Spirit is a research and brain based study of entertainment’s influence on human development. The E-Smart Alternative, How Parents Can Enrich Their Children through Entertainment is a practical hands-on book to assist parents in making enriching entertainment choices for their children.

Robert received his Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology and combined this background with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Southern California, specializing in human development and social psychology. Dr. Reiher has conducted research in Attribution Theory and cognitive psychology and is published in several journals including the Journal of Psychology.