Determining where children look for information and where and how they are influenced poses a constant challenge for media planners. Do celebrities still rate? Do parents really know what their kids access on the net? What messages do kids respond to?
MindShare’s recent Snapshots of Youth research indicates a few surprises for both parents and marketers. We canvassed 840 parents and 360 of their children (aged between nine and 14) on a range of topics concerning the purchase decision—how kids got what they wanted, where they got their information, who and what influenced them to ask for things, and how much influence they had on what their parents bought. The results were fascinating.
While traditional media still exercise the most influence—television is the primary source of information for 84%, while over 70% of young girls cite magazine advertising as influential—other, sometimes unexpected, channels are right on kids’ radar.
The internet’s an increasingly powerful tool in providing kids with information—46% of boys and 36% of girls say it is a useful in influencing their decisions. And with all the handwringing about access to inappropriate material, there some sobering statistics: 63% of parents stated that they knew what their kids were browsing on the web at all times, while only 46% of kids thought their parents knew what they were looking at.
With a home computer in over a third of kids’ bedrooms, it is hardly surprising that parental control over what their children do on the net is a concern.
But one of the most surprising aspects of the study has been the pulling power of the humble supermarket display or ‘dump’ bin.
Kids are sponges of brand information when they shop with their parents. Only 6% of parents thought supermarket floor advertising was a big influence on the child, yet 25% of children considered it so. Over half of all kids thought that in-store shelf displays were a major factor and almost 40% considered gondola ends a big influence—but only 11% of parents thought their kids took notice of these communication devices.
Celebrity culture has rocketed in this country in recent years. Fabulous riches have been made on the back of countless reality TV shows, gossip magazine launches and celebrity websites, but has this in any way devalued the persuasive currency of The Celebrity?
Our research indicates celebrities’ influence on children is not as great as we’ve been led to believe. Only 12% of children reckon sports stars have any influence on them. And while 21% of girls claim pop stars to be a big role model, only 9% of lads feel the same. Movie and soap stars hardly rate.
The biggest single influence on the decisions a child makes remains what it always was—their peers. 90% of them claim friends are a big factor in what they decide to buy. And, with only 37% citing their parents as an influence, it’s nice to know that some things will always stay the same—that almost every time, kids will listen to their mates before they pay you a blind bit of notice!
Which brings us to the influence of kids themselves on purchasing patterns.
Children’s influence in the family decision-making unit extends across a number of unexpected categories. Different types of children have a different level of influence on the purchase decision—and this varies by product category.
In grocery, there is a growing basket of everyday items—biscuits, yoghurts, muesli, lollies, chips, soft drinks, ice cream and fruit juices—whose purchase is based on democratic decisions. Kids have a very big say in the style of food they are going to eat. If they want Mexican or Italian, they are likely to get it.
Girls have disproportionate influence on the purchase of body sprays, boys on deodorant. Where’s the pitch to them? Technology? 66% of boys feel they have a major or dominating influence on the new family computer. And 62% of parents agree that their sons do. Parents are increasingly looking for advice from their children on such technologically-advanced matters. Neither Dell, IBM, Compaq, nor Toshiba spend any of their marketing budget on communicating to kids.
We are moving towards a democratic society, where decisions are being made at a family level and kids have increasing power. Marketers need to understand this new template—they need to identify what level of influence each party has on the decision to buy their brand and ensure that they are giving the right information to the right people, kids included.
TWEENS: WHO ARE THEY?
Flawed Princesses are the most independent of all Australian children. These girls are born leaders who crave their independence and are highly influential in the purchase decision.
Contented Aussie Joes --the most singularly Aussie. They are the definitive Australian kid--happy-go-lucky, laid-back and from blue-collar stock.
Digi-Sk8rs are scruffy brand-conscious, skate and surf-types who love their gadgets. They live for the weekends and regard school as restrictive. They are the most likely to look to their friends for influence and ignore what their parents think.
Show-me-the-Ways look for direction from any angle--friends, family or even a brand. They are happy to follow but when they want to influence the purchase decision, are likely to take note. They are pretty sensible and can reason well.
The Perfect Child is a parent's dream--good at school, conscientious and well behaved. They value their parents' opinions--they are great negotiators.
The Headline Grabber embodies teen angst. They are secretive and withdrawn. They are most likely to be surfing the net without their parents knowing what they are doing.
