MediaPost | Engage:Kids 6-11

False Connections

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:29:00 -0400

As we continue to learn throughout history, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all panacea -- and technological "connecting" is not likely to do everything. The opportunity for all of us is to find the best times to use virtual and technology, and the best times to deliver real "real." Technology, for all its power and benefit, is creating a gap -- and particularly with kids, it is important to find those gaps, and deliver the needed solutions.

The Kids Are Alright: They Have Cell Phones

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:47:51 -0500

Marketing kid-friendly cell phones to parents still largely rests on a simple emotional premise: guaranteed communication when needed.

Unlocking Today's Family Dynamic

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:02:53 -0400

Just as brands like Wii found success by boldly attempting to create a video game that didn't ignore parents' concerns, brands that challenge the notion that family decisions mean one winner and one loser are setting themselves up for success.

Stop Thinking For Tween Girls

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:28 -0400

We must give up our preconceived ideas of what she wants and simply ask her. Once you find a tween girl, you'll discover she has a voice and is only too eager to tell you what she is thinking, doing, saying and dreaming because, frankly, she wants adults to stop thinking for her. Let's clear up a few common misperceptions.

Everybody's Doing It: Capitalizing On The Power Of Peers

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:45:36 -0400

Implementing a few key elements into your Web site and marketing plan can help to attract the tween audience. You can drive both new and repeat visits by harnessing the power of peer influence. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Family Is The Ultimate Social Circle

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:45:46 -0500

Brands that help my kids learn to share, play and socialize are important to me. Marketers who couple offline and traditional experiences into social settings on the Web will become the big winners of tomorrow, both with kids and their parents.

When Your Audience Outgrows You

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:32 -0500

To engage with tweens, marketers must first capture their attention, then their imagination, then their loyalty; all this without alienating parents who want "more" for their kids but are wary of anything that smacks of shortening the distance between childhood and the teen years. Here are some ideas.

Foundations Can Teach Safety By Partnering With Marketers

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:30:27 -0500

Marketers of ATVs and motorbikes reach families and sell their vehicles through advertising and promotions. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the ATV Safety Institute partner with these marketers to help get consumers started. Funded by all the major motorcycle makers, the MSF DirtBike School helps kids learn to ride off road.

Five Things You Should Know About Kids And The Internet

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:01:02 -0500

For American kids ages 6-11, the Internet is much more of an entertainment platform than it is a venue for communicating, with most of the entertainment occurring within the home. Based on the results of our in-home survey, five characteristics emerge.

The Way To A Kid's Stomach Is Through The Mom

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:00:22 -0500

Two-thirds of moms want provide something for lunch that their kids will eat without supervision. As many want there to be a taste their kids will love. While we traditionally think of the after-school snack as a kid-owned occasion, six out of ten of moms look for snack items that can appeal to the whole family. So, for marketers, it's important to message to their ideal, and ensure that you're considering their reality in the packaging and product form that you provide.

Growing Up Social

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:00:42 -0500

Today's kids are growing up with online social environments. Parents and marketers alike need to understand and embrace this reality. We all have online identities, and we need to start early with our children so they understand how to navigate and safely communicate on the social Web as they mature. Building their identities is an important aspect of development and a social persona is now a reality for many of us and will only continue to grow.

At The Forefront Of The Era Of User Choice And Control

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:45:33 -0500

Today's 6-to-11 year olds have grown up with the expectation that they can interact with their favorite brand whenever they want, and on whatever device they happen to have in their hands. This ease of movement between formats and technologies reflects a fundamental difference between the way we (digital immigrants) and kids (digital natives) experience media.

5 Things You Should Know About Kids And Video Gaming

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:51 -0500

As the options for playing non-arcade video games have expanded from computer-based to hand-held to Internet and finally cell phone, so has the enthusiasm for such electronic entertainment among U.S. kids ages 6-11. Based on the results of the in-home survey of approximately 5,000 youths -- along with an accompanying survey of primary adult caregivers -- five characteristics emerge with regard to kids and video gaming.

Keeping It Simple: Marketing To Tweens On A Shoestring

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:30 -0500

Let's start with some basics ... America's tweens spend billions of their own dollars each year on purchases for themselves, and also have considerable influence over major family purchase decisions. They are Internet-savvy, highly social consumers. Not surprisingly, thousands of marketers are trying to attract their attention when they go online. Building truly engaging content is the single most effective way to reach these potential customers.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:30:52 -0500

The beauty of online product development is that your audience is right there to tell you what they want and, even more important, what they don't. I've led development for many adult products over the past two decades, but nothing is quite as humbling -- or revealing -- as the feedback you get from kids.

Marketers Can Help Kids Help Save Planet Earth

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:45:05 -0500

A new generation has stepped up to meet the challenge of preserving our environment. These young activists come from all socio-economic backgrounds and from all parts of this country. Unlike prior generations, one thing these mini eco-warriors do have in common is a unified concern about their environment and a profound belief that they can make a difference.

News Flash: Kids Are Still Kids

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:15:22 -0500

For the past several years, youth marketers have been clamoring about kids growing up faster. We've presented on "Age Compression" and the KGOY (Kids Growing Older Younger) effect at conferences, we've written books about it, and we've created news stories about the "acceleration" through childhood. We've pointed to how kids "age out" of traditional toys earlier, their growing influence in the home, and their expanding consumption of more mature content.

7 Elements Of Media Design: Engaging Kids In Multimedia Platforms

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:45:48 -0500

Before the digital revolution, advertising creatives and designers had to master narrowly focused knowledge and skill sets to optimize the consumer's engagement with a brand messages. Today, it is essential to understand consumer engagement with each discrete medium and how the interaction among those media influences brand message delivery.

Born to Blog? Meet The New Social Networking Sites For Kids

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:30:21 -0400

Social networks now have a whole new target audience: kids. While studies show record global growth for current world leader Facebook (up 153%), significant spurts for Hi5, and even Friendster, that growth is bound to slow as grown-ups run out of fellow grown-ups to friend request. The solution? The diaper set.

Seven 'Rules of the Road' to Success For Better-For-You Kid Food Products

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:40:00 -0400

"Better for You" or healthier kid food products are the hottest battleground for food marketers nationwide. Yet, as in most battlegrounds, the field is overwhelmed with "dead soldiers," or "BFY" products that seemed great in the lab, on the PowerPoint, or in research exercises.