What Kids and Teens (and Parents) Want
It may not be as challenging as parenting, but branding to kids and teens is
still a difficult undertaking. Two distinct groups make up the target audience:
kids, whose wants and needs are changing by the minute, and parents, whose
opinions often clash with their children’s. The idea of pleasing both crowds
seems counterintuitive, but a powerful brand for kids can help keep the
complaints to a minimum (at least when it comes to shopping).
Kids vs. Parents
What kids want isn’t always simple; often, they want what other kids want. That
leaves the minds behind the brands with two basic options: create that next
great fad that kids crave, or tap into existing trends.
In both cases, a brand has to meet the needs of both kids and parents – without
sending a contradictory, unclear message. The most successful kids brands
achieve this by putting out a product or service that kids are excited about,
but that parents can also trust.
The Strategy
Kids, more than their adult counterparts, are strongly influenced by visuals.
If something simply looks cool, they want it. Kids are driven almost
exclusively by that instant “I gotta have it” feeling when they see a brand in
the store, on television or being used by other kids.
On the other hand, what drives parents’ decisions is usually irrelevant to their
kids. They ask questions like “Is this brand age-appropriate? How much does it
cost? Is it educational? Does it build values? Is a long-term investment
involved?”
Any brand’s aim at these two groups should be given about equal priority, but
the messages don’t have to be at odds with one another.
Good To Grow is a great example of combining kid-cool design with
functional brand value for parents. Designed by Brady Communications, the site
brings kids and parents together to learn about how to adopt a healthier
lifestyle.
Be”Tween” Me and You…
Children between the ages of 10 and 12 are a particularly prickly group. As
kids reach this age, their opinions are much stronger, and purchasing decisions
become more of a joint effort with their parents. That said, the most
successful tween brands are the ones parents know are age-appropriate, but to
the tween eye the brand looks a bit more mature and sophisticated.
Brady Communications put this theory into practice when designing the brand
identity for Factor X’s line of Advanced Skatepark Equipment (ASE). The Factor
X and ASE logos were updated to an edgier, more
hip look for tweens.
The Digital Age
Kids rely more heavily on the Internet, social networking sites and cell phones
for communication, entertainment and information. If you know – or have – any
tweens, you know that many of them have cell phones. And from an even younger
age, kids know their way around the Internet, using it to play games, chat with
friends, watch videos or listen to music.
One of the biggest trends that kids brands are employing is advergaming. This
“branded entertainment” keeps kids engaged with a brand for longer periods of
time than traditional advertisements, and because they’re having fun playing
games like Bagel Bites brand “Hot Shots” or Trix Cereal’s “Fruitalicious
Lanes,” the advertisement doesn’t feel forced.
More and more of teens’ time is spent online, and because of the age group’s
propensity to share, a well-executed Web site (with or without advergames) or
another form of viral communication can expose your brand to the masses. To
promote Tippmann Sports’
U.S. Army Paintball product line, Brady Communications created a U.S.
Army-branded Web site for young paintball enthusiasts. The site gave visitors a
virtual look at a combat environment; they can toggle between night vision and
daytime vision and choose different terrains to appear as the background.
The Takeaway
Whether a kids brand makes its home in the virtual realm or the tangible one,
there is a basic tenet to keep in mind: have all the fun you want, but make
sure you get mom and dad’s permission first.