Tips on Marketing to Kids
Many marketers are surprised to find that in marketing to kids, every dollar
spent can deliver three dollars of value. Kids spend their own money, influence
spending among others, and they are tomorrow’s adult consumers. Here are excerpts
of reflections by Julie Halpin, Rachel Geller, Chris McKee and Sonya Schroeder
of the Geppetto Group on marketing to kids found on www.reveries.com.
Which categories are most underdeveloped for the kids market?
Julie Halpin: One area for teens is automotive. Relatively few brands understand the older teen/young adult when it comes to their first car purchase. They have an emotional investment in a car that they likely never experience again. Health and beauty aids is another area.
Sonya Schroeder: Another opportunity is clothing for plus-sized girls. A recent study found that 25 to 30 percent of girls wear a size 14 or larger. In spite of this, most stores devoted to teen fashion offer nothing larger than a size 10 or 12.
What are the most critical misunderstandings that marketers have about marketing to kids?
Chris McKee: The practice of gratuitous marketing versus marketing with real integrity. Most people who do it wrong take something that’s typically black and make it purple, and suddenly it’s a kid product. Gogurt, by comparison, made itself portable by getting rid of the spoon, which was a fundamental problem tweens had with yogurt and it’s suddenly a huge category.
How can marketers sustain brand allegiance as kids mature to adults?
Julie Halpin: One strategy is a portfolio approach where there’s product that grows with the kids — like Gap with its Baby Gap, Gap Kids and Gap segmentations. Another way is the approach big brands like Coke, McDonalds or Disney are taking, which tailor their communications, advertising and promotions to different age segments, using different messages.
Moderator Comment: Answer one or more of the following:
- Which categories are most underdeveloped for the kids
market?
- What are the most critical misunderstandings that
marketers have about marketing to kids?
- How can marketers sustain brand allegiance as kids
mature to adults?