Marketing to Children in Today's Society

the final post.

2008-04-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Until receiving the assignment of “having to blog for 10 weeks straight on one topic related to media/marketing” I thought blogging was useless. Literally, my mind filed blogging in with “pathetic activites that are for people who want attention and have nothing better to do.” However, after 10 weeks and a blog full of information, I have to say- I WAS SOOO WRONG. Blogging is not only an extremely easy and fun way to join in on conversations pertaining to any industry of your choice, but it helps you actually UNDERSTAND current events and the news. Surely, reading an article is one thing, but reflecting on it and discussing it with others in the blogosphere is way better.

For the past 3 months I have scoured the internet a few times each week for things I found interesting that pertain to marketing to kids, or media and children in general. Here are some of the more interesting things I have learned.

1) Kids are MUCH different than they were years and years ago. With each generation of children comes more peer pressure, different values, and ultimately these kids grow up with a different mind-set. The one thing that we can blame this on is the fact that kids don’t grow up like we did. They don’t spend time exploring their backyards, playing kickball, etc. They watch movies, spend TONS of time in front of the TV, and even more time on the Internet. I was somewhat horrified when discovering just how much TV kids watch and how it changes their beliefs. For instance, doesn’t it make you cringe to hear that these days instead of wanting to be a doctor, lawyer, nurse, garbage man, whatever- a majority of kids want to be famous for a living. And when I say be famous, I’m not talking “musician”, “actor” etc, they just want to be famous for nothing (a la Paris Hilton, and her cronies). Maybe if it weren’t for the TV brainwashing and sucking up kid’s brains from shows like “the Hills”, this wouldn’t be a problem. So as a future marketer, or whatever I want to do it is IMPERATIVE to remember: when marketing to kids, research THEM, as each generation is vastly different, there are no room for assumptions.

2) Parents love to blame the media for anything and everything, without realizing their OWN impact on their children! Fancy that! This sort of goes along with watching too much TV, etc. It seems that not only can we blame the media for warping kids’ minds, but we can blame it for making kids fat! Yes, you heard me! Week after week articles nearly found ME, that pertained to parents/groups/organizations, sometimes even government, attacking brands and companies saying that their advertisements are the reasons for kids buying them and consuming too much of the product. Well, duh, that’s what advertising does, it tries to influence someone’s choice or frame of mind, so that hopefully they will either buy the product or talk about it. It’s not like ads for McDonald’s have a spinning spiral, with someone chanting “eat mass quantities of big macs, my little friends, DO IT, DO IT!”… I mean, think about it. Is it really logical to blame these advertisers and companies for “making kids obese”, when really it is the parents who have to take the kids to these restaurants, as most 6 year olds aren’t going to drive or skateboard to McDonald’s alone. Another things parents love to complain about is, “the internet being too unsafe for children”. Well, obviously, anyone can put anything on the internet, that isn’t the Internet’s problem, that’s a problem you have to face as a parent. Step it up, stop complaining, and watch your child while they use the Internet, or educate them on how to be safe on the web. Or better yet, there are new browsers that are popping up like crazy that make the web safe for kids, look into those before you complain about how unsafe myspace is.

3) The last major thing I found was that these days kids get hit with SO much advertisements and promotions since they spend so much time with all the mediumsl; this is why it is important to cut through the clutter. I know it is easier said than done, but these days marketers need to think of bigger and better ways to promote a product, and all fingers generally point to guerilla marketing and nontraditional marketing. For instance, Lego is making a virtual world, which is a ridiculously good idea considering a)the long amount of time kids spend on the internet and b)the popularity of existing social networks/game-works like myspace or webkinz.

First and foremost I would like to say what I learned most is how to use blogs and the internet as a research medium. I feel like the Internet gets a bad rep, since people like (my) 8th grade English teachers, train kids to think “the Internet is full of lies because ANYONE can post anything.” I wish however, I learned from an earlier age some of the great sites I found from doing this project, such as lexus nexis (and other databases), all and every major newspaper’s website, as well as blogs by industry leaders. Also, now that I am acquainted with the blogosphere, I know how to tell a good site or blog from a bad one, or better yet- a reliable one from a hoax-y one. Having to do the assignment of blogging, I truly found a plethora of sources, and now know that going to google and searching for a topic is not always the best way to go about researching. And if I do need immediate results, now I know that there are other google options, such as “google scholar”…who knew! (obviously, not me!) Another thing that blew my mind is how connected the blogosphere truly is. There were multiple times I would write about something and a day later I would have a comment from a representative of what I was talking about, whether it is a worker from the company, or the writer of my source. In addition to this, I was surprised how quick-paced the Internet as a medium is, due to the easiness of posting. For example, if something major happened in the news, it can immediately be put on the Internet as all you need to do is type it up and push acouple buttons. This is an advantage something like magazines and books can’t compete with!

When discussing how my research and newfound intelligence relates to the class Audience Research, the answers are endless. Firstly, though we have had presentations on all media channels and their pros and cons, it truly doesn’t sink in until you do your own research to see, currently, what is working and what is not working. Especially in relation to a certain demographic, as the presentations in class were not comprehensive enough to talk about that mediums popularity with each demographic. That is another thing I learned from blogging about kids and marketing- what works for kids, media choice wise, and what doesn’t. For instance, I now know TV is one of the better choices, as well as nontraditional marketing, as discussed earlier, due to the fact it cuts through clutter. This is all so useful also, since for my final project I am promotion/buying media for the Hasbro Butterscotch Pony. With all my knowledge I can adequately assess Hasbro’s current marketing approach and dissect it.

Blogging truly will help me in my future for a variety of reasons. First of all, I have already been to two internship interviews and in BOTH interviews I was asked about my writing skills and what kind of writing I do. Unfortunately these interviews took place before I took this course, thus I lamely said, “yes. I write quite well and frequently.” Then they proceded to ask, “well what do you write” and all I could muster up was “oh you know- mainly academic papers”…HOW LAME! No wonder I got neither of those positions- Now I can proudly say, “well I’ve kept a great blog for a long time using a conversational yet professional tone, focused on a specific topic in the marketing world.” Not only will that sound awesome, but then I can proceed to enter into a serious and thorough conversation about marketing, the media, and kids, and show off my new intelligence and expertise on the subject. Also, nowadays most companies keep a blog as a form of community outreach, marketing, or even to keep employees in the loop- and if my prospective company has a blog and is looking for an employee to maintain it, I surely could do it I feel.

Overall, I have learned a bunch and surely am addicted to blogging, in fact, this won’t be the last time you see my writing on the web. Not only do I plan to dabble with it professionally in the future, but I have started a tumblr (or tumble log), which is awesoe and so easy to use. Check it out here: http://youdontsay.tumblr.com/.

Thanks for reading.

Technologically yours,

Scott

(attn: kim--there are two ungraded posts below this, enjoy!)

My life may be complete!

2008-04-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

Surrge was premiered at SxSW this year, and holy cow, I am EXCITED! In my mind it is revolutionary marketing, and in essence this is what it is:

A music stores, similar to iTunes, however, unlike iTunes, you can get PAID for everytime you refer a friend onto a new band, song, artist, etc. As their website points out, "At Surrge's core is a referral model aimed at compensating all the participants that are critical to the music industry’s revival. This model takes into account everyone’s motivations and will server as the center of the universe for music discovery, promotion and distribution."

Also, why not support this cause, as what is on the mind of all music fans these days, "why should we support the bigwigs, such as the RIAA, after they keep penalizing artists and fans alike only for their OWN benefit..do these old farts even LIKE music?" The people behind Surrge have the same frame of mind, thinking, "instead of lining the pockets of music industry big-wigs, Surrge lines the pockets of the artists, fans, and online promoters that serve as the foundation for the new industry. By creating communities of support around each artist and incenting fans to spread their music to their friends with cold hard cash and recognition, you end up with a viral distribution model that dwarfs anything that exists today and new music that we all get to turn up and rock out!"

How awesome is that?! As of now Surrge is a bit on the Down Lown, and is being talked about as the iTunes for "populists". You are probably thinking, "well how much would I get, half a penny per song", and the reality is, probably it will be a very small percentage. You can however even take on the A&R role and be a scout! As any "scount" who signs up new artists to Surrge will get a 1% commission on any future sales from the artist on the site.. sweet deal, eh?

Fans referring bands listed on Surrge to other fans get a percentage of sales on any referrals, and “scouts” who sign up new artists to Surrge get 1% of all future sales from the artist on the site. Surrge also makes a point to say that you get paid in cash, it is not a gimmick where you get paid in "points" that you have to use on the site. Sure, I assume they want you to use the money you make to buy more products from them, however, you do not have to.

Again, if you are like me, and always have to have the skivvy on the best new bands and the most underground acts, this might be for you!!!

More information on Surrge can be found here.

I'm pissed..I never had a TV in my room..

2008-04-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health, recently have conducted a study on adolescents to figure out the affects of having a television in the child's bedroom. The results were pretty much what you would expect them to be, as Will Dunham reported to Reuters on Monday. Basically kids who have TVs in their bedrooms will turn into Jabba the Hut...well not exactly, but it was said that these kids tend to have poorer diets and exercise habits, even lower grades in school, compared to kids without TVs in their ~~caves~~ bedrooms.

So you may be thinking, well this seems pretty outrageous of a claim. I wonder what the study consisted of? And this is the answer: The study questioned 781 adolescents, ages 15-18, in the Minneapolis area in 2003 and 2004, and of them a whopping, 62 percent reported having a TV in their bedroom..However, what makes me weary is, so what this is just Minneapolis, who are these researchers to claim that this is a constant trend among America. Maybe Minneapolis is just lazy and likes TV?

Here's some quotes from Daheia Barr-Anderson, one of the researchers on the project: "It really clearly points out that there's some merit to not allowing your child to have a TV in the bedroom" and this one, which is my favorite: "When you upgrade your TV in the living room and you have this smaller TV that's out of date but still usable, parents should really resist putting it in one of your children's bedrooms -- and resist the pressure from the child to have a TV in their bedroom,"

Sure Daheia, that makes sense, but at the same time, what if parents simply just didn't connect these TVs to cable so their kids are left stranded with basic cable. That way, maybe the youth could watch the news and catch up on current events. That may be asking too much, but really, I think it's easier said than done to keep TVs out of adolescent's bedrooms in this day in age.

Here is my favorite statistic from the research:

"Boys with a bedroom TV reported having a lower grade point average than boys without one, as well as eating less fruit and having fewer family meals, the researchers said."

C'mon can you really correlate the two things and blame TV: AMOUNT OF FRUIT eaten...and TV? Really..that has so much more to it, I find it unfair to blame TV for that. What about Kids who don't like fruit, etc. etc.

Either way, I suppose it is interesting that a majority of kids do have Television's in their bedrooms; and if companies needed any more incentive to use TV to get their message out, here it is!!!

New Kids on the Block Return...Ooh not so new.

2008-04-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

Much like most of the gossip sites have stated as of late, yes, the New Kids on the Block, are following the Spice Girls lead and reuniting. After realizing that the Spice Girl could charge $140 and up per ticket, and sell out arenas world-wide, many old acts are polishing their dancing shoes and forgeting about the drama that made them break up in the first place--and hitting the road. This morning on the Today Show the boys were on to announce their reunion. THEN on May 16th the kids...errr, adults, will be back on the Today show to actually perform, in other words, today was SUCH a tease. Either way, what I found interesting is that the crowd was not as INSANE as the spice girls crowds that I saw last winter. See for yourself, here's the whole appearance:

So for all 20 of you NKOTB fans out there, here's what you need to know:
- They've been recording since last summer and are all ready for their May 16th performance
- They have a CD coming out this summer (my Lord, is this going to tank or what!)
- They will have a limited run tour this fall in select cities (a la the spice girls)

I really really think this will be full of fail, but am SO going to be tuning in on the 16th of May to see if the boys still have it. I mean, c'mon they were one of the first pop boy bands. What the inner marketer in me is saying however, is that the reason this is destined to fail is:
look at the current age of their typical fan back when they were popular..When was that, the late 80's, and who liked them, let's say 13 year olds? Okay, so NOW those people are about in their early 30s. And I'm sorry but I am not sure I know many if any 30 year olds that would be willing to spend loads of money to see this band, as that's asking someone to reach back almost 20 years and wake up their inner kid..20 years is a long time..With the spice girls however, their rein wasn't too long ago, so their fans haven't aged as much..get the picture?

But who knows, maybe they will take the approach of marketing the boys as a NEW band to today's youth which is so unrealistic and improbable, as a)kids these days do not particularly listen to boy-bands and pop like they used to and b) these guys are OLD and c) the only appeal in their reunion is for their original fans, which again..I'm going to say are too old to care, if anything this reunion is just water cooler talk, "oh yeah I used to like Donnie...yeeeeeeahhh...so when is that report due?"

But who knows, look at all the comments here: http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/04/new-kids-on-the.html

What do you think will happen with the reincarnation of the New Kids?

KidZui- the answer to Kids' Online Safety?

2008-04-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

In a story from US News & Report by David LaGesse, LaGesse discusses some new initiatives taken by corporations to keep kids safe online! I thought this was pretty in-line with the recent posts I've had. In David's article he talks about a new web browser called KidZui, which is a browser that basically can be explained as a large field of websites that are pre-approved and child friendly, and then KidZui acts as a fence, closing restriction from all sites that are potentially dangerous or hazardous to children. The browser is said to be for ages 13 and younger.

After checking out the KidZui website, I was a bit bummed to find out that it is not free, although they allow a free 30 day trial. I realize every company needs to make money, but c'mon, this is a great idea and is awesome for the good of the youth. The prices after your free 3o days are: $4.95 per month (or $49.95 per year), and it is available on Macs AND PCs. The thing is though, give it 6 months and I'm sure browsers and programs like this will be popping up all over for very low prices if not for free.

CEO of KidZui, Cliff Boro explained how the service of KidZui grows in real time as parents and teachers work daily to add new content, as well as computer formulas that search for potential content, THEN a real person reviews suggestions before it gets added. Also, it is great to point out that this browser let's parents set time limits for their children's web use, as Doctors have recently proven how unhealthy it can be for very small children to spend a lot of time infront of the screen.

I guess what this says to marketers is that, kid's safety on the internet is FINALLY turning into quite the "thing", which is great, it just means that they must keep in mind that soon a lot of parents will be using this software. Therefore, if you are marketing something to young kids and want them to see it, gone are the days that you can put that banner or button on a site that is borderline okay, like myspace, as I'm sure that's on the banned list. So I guess the question is..how long until Marketer's figure out what is on the list of okay sites and what isnt..what a great marketing tool that list would be!

Paris Hilton is a great role model...right?..RIGHT?

2008-03-29T18:27:00.001-07:00

So we all know about Paris Hilton's future TV show, "Paris Hilton is my New BFF" which will match up the Hotel Heiress with tons of people until she finds a new shadow. About the show, Hilton says, ""I obviously have a lot of friends already, but I just thought it would make great TV show," she said. "You know, most of my friends are from Hollywood. They are kind a jaded a little bit. We are going to be meeting people from all around the world."..Honestly, you would have to PAY me to hang out with Bimbo Hilton.

Anyways- let's recall some of the things Ms. Hilton has done or can be connected with:
-Jail time for what was it again, I believe, Driving under the influence, right?
-the Simple Life: that lame show where Paris and friend Nicole, would go from "blue collar job" to "blue collar job", which apparently was supposed to be funny. I'm not sure if we were supposed to like the irony of a rich girl working, or the funny stupid things Paris said
-A sex tape surfaced a few years ago to.

So with all these things in mind, you're probably thinking what I am thinking....Paris Hilton is TOTALLY a great role model for the youth!
Yeah Right! Or so Ms. Hilton recently thinks, as Reuters recently reported, "on Thursday she said she sees herself as a role model for young women as she prepared to judge a contest to crown Miss Turkey." I'm not sure who gave Paris the role, or even thinks she is adequate enough to be judging others on how they carry themselves, when she can't even keep her OWN reputation out of the gutter..

Paris says, "About 90% of the rumors our there are false...I don't pay attention to lies because I am a good person, I work very hard and I've built this empire on my own. I think this is an inspiration for a lot of girls out there."

WHAT?! are you kidding. Firstly, what empire? you mean the crap money you've made off of your awful movies that are degrading. See exhibit A: The Hottie and the Nottie..How is anything related to this movie positive for kids, girls in particular? Furthermore, you would be nothing without your daddy and his business Ms. Hilton, so I hope you know NO ONE buys your "I work hard..I deserve everything..I'm an inspiration" act. The only person who has to work really hard around you is your PR rep.

What bothers me most is that girls actually DO look up to Hilton. Studies have shown that kids these days don't have the general outlook on the future that they use to have in the good ol' days. Gone are the days that kids wanted to be teachers, lawyers, doctors, etc. Now, a majority of kids want fame, and believe it is SO acheiveable. Why? Celebs like Hilton, Lohan, Tara Reid, etc. who really don't have any talent in specific...in fact, HOW did these people become so huge? Why does society care about them?

Anyone want to shed some light?

Help Keep Kids Safe Online!

2008-03-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today I was checking out the usual sites I keep in tune with, and saw on Izzy Neis's blog this great video:

Common Sense in partnership Google created this video which is a step by step, easy to understand, and well made video to educate about internet safety. Common Sense is a nonprofit organization, which has the main purpose of providing parents with trustworthy information to help manage their kids media lives.

And for all the naysayers who are thinking, "oh you're off the topic, Buddy- what does this have to do with Marketing to Children"--Well Bubs, here's what I'm thinking:
I've been doing so much digging in the past 2 months now reading about companies, products, etc. that target children or are getting in trouble for campaigns that are negatively affecting children. With all this new knowledge and education I have not even once sat back an thought, "Gee, with the huge soar of popularity of the internet with children these days--do kids even know how to be safe online." So many companies use the internet, whether it is for promotions, campaigns, etc. I think there are many companies that could use a little social responsibility lesson.

Mickey D's! Healthy Kids Campaign

2008-03-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Another post about food and kids! This time focusing on a company that usually gets blamed for everything having to do with "un-healthiness": McDonalds. In a recent article by David Terrett for Crain's Chicago Business magazine (reg. needed), Terrett discusses McDonald's recent plan for making Happy Meals more healthy and creating a more health oriented image for children.

First Change: Ronald McDonald will now ONLY be able to appear in a Mickey D's ads featuring Healthy Foods....Does this mean we will be killing off the Hamburgler? I personally would love to see a duel between the two.

Second Change: The company will be "downplaying" kids' Happy Meals that feature a double cheeseburger. Instead theywill be changing their appreach to doing promotions (health related, I'm sure) in schools.

Things McDonald's have recently done to combat negative opinions on their happy meals and other kid oriented cuisine are offering low fat milk in happy meals as well as "Apple Dippers" (sliced apples with a caramel dipping sauce). Apparently these products have been fairly successful.

"As part of its new campaign, the chain plans to increase advertising for Happy Meals with apples, milk and four-piece chicken nuggets, which meet U.S. government health guidelines. It will continue to offer, but vows not to market, its Mighty Kids Happy Meal, which includes a double cheeseburger or six McNuggets" says Terrett.

The fast food chain is in a tight spot, as they can't keep marketing fatty delicious foods to children, as they will get attacked by parents and groups nationwide for "making kids obese"-- but at the same time, they simply cannot give up their share of kids and stop marketing to children alltogether! So it looks like this new campaign will try and make best of the situation.

Best of Luck to the Golden Arches on this new Healthy Campaign!!

Nickelodeon goes Green!

2008-03-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone who is a frequent reader here, knows I'm not the hugest fan of Nickelodeon. As a child, sure, it was amazing, but I feel the extreme creativity it used to exude is gone. However, as stated in their recent press release, Nickelodeon announced a new initiative which "is designed to empower kids to take action on the environment through gaming and grassroots activity." Looks like Nick is proving me wrong these days!!

The campaign is called, The Big Green Help, will help kids understand issues such as global warming, energy conservation, and other environmental-esque issues. As well as educating it will SHOW kids how they can make small changes in their lifestyle and behavior to become "more environmentally aware". The campaign will revolve around a game which will be the first global multiplayer online "green game" for kids. As the press release states, "[the game] will provide actionable, measurable steps and information to directly link them to ways that they can positively contribute to helping the environment, on individual and community levels.'' This sounds full of success to me.

For whatever it's worth, kids seem so in tune with politics and world issues these days. Just the other day I was getting coffee at a favorite cafe of mine and kids no older than 11 were at the table behind me talking politics, Obama vs. Clinton to be exact!

The best part of the campaign is definetly the game, which hopefully will catch kids and keep them entranced. Apparently the campaign is set to launch this fall, and finally here are some stats for you lovely readers that were found by Nickelodeon in collaboration with Pew Center on Global Climate Change. The study was called "Keeping It Cool: Kids, Parents and the Global Environment":

-- Half (50%) of kids 8-14 are not sure how to directly impact environmental issues,
 but approximately 80% believe they can stop global warming. 
-- Approximately one third of parents and kids say they know nothing about ways they can help protect the
environment, yet three quarters of parents and half of kids are concerned about the environment.  
-- While 33% of kids and 25% of parents believe they have a responsibility      
to the environment, still 62% of families drink bottled water on a daily basis and 45% of them do not recycle. 

Nickelodeon was genius to jump on the Green bandwagon- look at those numbers! Again,
Kudos to Nickelodeon, I can't wait to see what happens with this initiative!

For more information on the campaign check out this great article.

Disney startin' to take on Japan?

2008-03-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

We all know Disney is great at dominating the children's market. Look at their network, products, movies, and amusement parks! With shows like Hannah Montana, and movies like High School Musical, the company is really banking in as of late. But internationally, would shows and products such as Hannah or High School succeed? Who knows, but one thing Disney has caught on to, is targeting foreign markets specifically with adaptable animation, as Tokyo reporter, Chisaki Watanabe points out in her article "Disney will produce animated TV for Japan."

The show in question is Lilo and Stich. Disney will be adapting the show thematically as for the foreign market it will now be a d
"ifferent" show, featuring a Japanese girl named Hanako (replacing Lilo), and the imagery, setting, and stories will revolve around a Southern Japanese island, as opposed to Hawaii (where the show takes place originally).

Disney has not said if they will do the same for other countries, but apparently their eyes are open for other Eastern regions. Disney claims they have produced tv films and series abroad, however it is unclear if this is the first time they are tailoring a whole show and changing it to appeal to a local market. If anyone can clear that up for me, that would be fantastic.

I'm surprised this hasn't happened years ago? or has it, I guess that is where I am confused. There are kids all over the world, they all deserve the magic that is Disney, and they all deserve to feel as connected to it as kids in markets such as America. Kudos to Disney for this new show and endeavor!

Oh, the secret's out, Victoria is in for change!

2008-03-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

I know it's old news that kids these days are longing to be adults (and look and act like them), as many of my posts in the past have indicated...Well, I've recently stumbled upon an article in the Wall Street Journal by Amy Merrick, which talks about Victoria's Secret, and their current dilemma.

Right now, when you walk into a Victoria's Secret, you'll be in the company of mostly young women, even some young girls, ages 16-28, shall we say. The brand used to be soley marketed to women 25 and up, now, many women in their 40's and up have lost all interest in the store as these women "do feel they are sexy, just not the same kind of sexy as college girls". The stores used to carry bigger sizes even, but as their target demographic grew younger and younger they did away with these sizes, and let's admit it, not many grown woman are a size 0.

What went wrong? Well, Vicki reps themselves are blaming Victoria's Secret's line extension Pink. Which is an extension that wanted to target college aged girls and younger. It was launched in 2002, and since has grown tremendously,with 900 million in sales in 2007! But also with that, has enticed the youngin's in to V.S.'s as well..

Author Amy Merrick gives a great depiction of what the store is today, "Victoria's Secret stores are lacquered black, with neon-pink accents and oversize images of scantily clad models. Pounding music pumps through the loudspeakers. Malls endure protests from parents who are outraged by window displays that feature suggestively posed mannequins."

So again, is it that shocking that the original older generation have fled? Sales have been waning lately, and Victoria's Secret is currently analyzing the problems and trying to redefine sexy, to welcome back more diverse, older customers.

So I guess the point of this post, is to let girls know: Get your own store, our mom's will hopefully be taking back what is rightfully theirs!! With that, I guess it's safe to say we won't be forced to see campy V.S. ads or promotions in the future, you know, ads that will make preteen girls all across America stare in awe at their screen thinking, "man, I want to look like THAT!".......let the revolution begin!!

Boys don't think about sex as much as you think!

2008-02-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

In the media, and in most parent's minds adolescent boys are thought of as sex-craved monkeys who only have "impure thoughts". However, Tara Parker-Pope, a blogger for the New York Times, has recently written about how this is not necessarily true. Studies were done by psychology researchers at Oswego University, where they surveyed 105 tenth grade boys to see what exactly IS on their minds. They asked questions about why they ask girls out on dates and pursued relationships..

Guess what the results showed.

These young boys predominatly are motivated to pursue girls by love and a desire to form real relationship rather then to engage in sex. When asked about reasons of engaging in a relationship most boys didn't solely answer: "I was attracted to the girl", but rather, 80% of the participants answered that they really liked the girl.

So how does this relate to marketing? Well, let me ask you, now- knowing that boys are not as sexually driven as we thought are super sexual ads for things like drinks, cars, and even deodorant, really effective?
watch the axe commercial below. Obviously it's targeting men ages 16-25 (give or take). Now knowing this new information, is this just a tacky sexualized commercial.

If you're a boy let me know what you think. I personally think there should be a study to see how much time men think about sex, men meaning 21-35.

Lego Universe

2008-02-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

If there's one toy I was a devout fan of growing up, no doubt, it was anything Lego. The toys were addicting I would sit down and play all day attaching the piece together. This is something kids still do to this day as the Lego brand is just as powerful and popular as it was those 12+ years ago.

Question: What is lego doing these days to increase their market share?

Answer: Creating a virtual world!

Daniel Terdiman explained in his recent blog entry, "Lego Universe.." everything that's going down in Lego Land...

As you probably know, virtual worlds are HUGE right now, from Second life for adults, to WebKinz for little kids, theyre taking over the internet. Denver based web company, NetDevil is in the process of creating this "world" where users, primarily children, will be able to interact with one another, using lego versions of themselves. The primary basis of the world will revolve around building (duh), as users can create buildings with digital representations of lego blocks. What I think is awesome, is that they are in the trying to create a way for you to buy the things in which you make. For example if little Johnny builds a castle, he would then be able to order a customized lego set that would build this digital castle.

It seems as though users will be able to gain accessories and bricks as they progress through the "game" and another cool thing is that not only can you make things, but your friends or enemies in Lego Universe may even be able to invade your premises!!!

For parents freaking out about safety, here's a good quote from Terdiman, which can calm your nerves: "As the game development process moves on, Lego will work hard to get parents involved because it is very aware that to build a game aimed at kids but which will put kids in the same environment as adults, safety must be a major concern. "

Personally I think this is an awesome idea, 1) they're working with the popularity of these virtual worlds and using their product IN the world and 2) it's a new fun way to get the Lego brand talked about!!!

Check out more at the Lego Universe Official Website

Overweight Kids Rejoice!

2008-02-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

So it seems everyone is in a tizzy lately over the fact that obesity rates are rising significantly in the world, particuarly in American- furthermore more of the concern seems to be placed on the fact that it's the youth that is becoming most affected. Where am I going with this you may ask?

Well take a look at this blog post by Marc Saltzman for USA Today. It seems that Nintendo is coming out with a new Wii May 19th called "Wii Fit". This game system will feature games that enable users to have fun and play games while exercising. Finally a fun way to stay healthy, and lose weight (if that's the issue at hand).

The system's main "controller" will be a Wii Balance Board, which looks similar to a bathroom scale. Users will use it to exercise on, following their instructor that will be an avatar on the screen. The article uses the example, "you may be asked to step on and off the wireless board in time with music or keep one foot on the board while lifting another up towards your waist.
Fun mini-games will also be included, such as using your body to ski downhill, leaning left or right to head-butt soccer balls out of a net (but avoiding cleats and other objects) or rolling marbles around so that they fall into a hole in the floor –- without falling off the edge."

Sounds Fun! How much will this baby set you back? Who knows, the price has not been supplied yet. What makes this product even better is that it comes with access to a channel, "Wii Fit Channel" - an interactive online channel that lets users check their progress.

I think this is a great move for nintendo and will start a huge trend. This is the kind of toy that will not only look fun and appeal to kids, as it has the Nintendo brand name, as well as "wii", but it's the type of toy that parents won't mind buying for their children. Think about leap Frog and other revolutionary toys that capitalized off of the notion, "Hey Look it's a toy, BUT IT'S EDUCATIONAL!"--then think about all the parents that ran to Toys R Us to buy one for their kids for Christmas! The only problem is...will kids really enjoy this?

What do you think?

Check out this video about the product:

Hey Kids! Doing Drugs is cool!

2008-02-19T08:39:00.001-08:00

So lately, it's been all the craze in Hollywood to engage in endless nights of debauchery, whether you're getting too drunk to function, inhaling crack in a bathroom stall (Ms. Amy Winehouse!), or most popularly: Doing cocaine! (Kate Moss..etc)..Now, I'm not sure why any child would want to look up to these "public idols" but sadly, they do.

This is why a new product is about to hit shelves..it is an energy powder entitled, "I Love Blow", and is made to look like real cocaine. The UK's Daily Mail gives us the lowdown in their article, "Energy Powder Made to Look Like Cocaine.." Apparently, it even comes in a tiny box with a fake credit card (what else would you use to make your lines) AND a mirror! I know if I was a father I would instantly run out to buy my child some I love Blow! The manufacturers claim that this product is mainly for the adult market, for club-goers etc..But why in God's name would adults buy this? If anything the appeal is going to be from children who look up to their idols and try and emulate them.

This "Blow" comes in different sized packaging ranging from 2 to several dozens vials of powder. In the UK it costs £5 for a two pack and £18 for 12 vials, which come in a box shaped to look like a BLOCK of cocaine. To clarify, the powder is supposed to be mixed with liquid, and then it turns into an energy drink..

A representative of the company has said, "We absolutely discourage anyone from snorting Blow. Our package has a clear warning to customers not to snort. The news has brought attention to the brand and helped sales. in many stores, we sell a case of Blow every single day.
Unfortunately, it has provoked groups of people to pressure many retailers to quit selling Blow."

Sorry, but I'm not sure anyone would really agree that it is unfortunate that retailers are now under pressure to stop selling your God-awful product.

Mike Gimbel, an American substance abuse expert has stated,"It is the most unbelievable product I have ever seen. It is the worst I have ever seen in using drugs lingo and drug imagery to sell the product to teenagers and young adults."

Well said Mike, well said indeed. If you are a parent, how do you feel about this product, sure the company keeps trying to defend themselves saying, "BUT WE ARENT MARKETING THIS TO KIDS!" but we all know..if kids want something..kids WILL find a way.

Here's a news clip about the product

Go sailing with Dora, Spongebob, and company!

2008-02-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

In late January, Viacom released a press release announcing the channel and company, Nickelodeon, is taking to Sea! (release found here on CNN.com) Following the steps of company's such as Disney, Nickelodeon is launching its own family cruise this August. The cruise will feature Nickelodeon themed things for kids such as live game shows, wandering characters, minature golf, rock climbing, oh and don't forget the iceskating rink (who doesn't love to ice skate on cruise ships?) But like any other family cruise, Nickelodeon is making sure to keep the parentals happy too. Adults can look foward to the usual spas, bars, and resturaunts as well as the fact that the ship will stop in locations such as "Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and a special stop at Royal Caribbean's private beach destination, Labadee, which will be Nickelodeon-themed".

What a marvelous way this is for Nickelodeon to get their name back out there, in a very cliche and tacky way. I mean, what does this really have to do with fostering creativity and fun for the everyday child? (something Nickelodeon used to do amazingly!) Personally I think Nickelodeon is far far away (in a bad way) from the brilliance that it used to be. When I was a kid Nickelodeon was THE channel. Every show was somewhat different in a spunky way, it was king of programming. Now all the channel has is shows that target the tween age group in a very cliche way..by making tweens feel like theyre teenagers. Maybe it's just my aging mind's perspective, but really Nick should be using its power to help change the youth! (I know that's a huuuuge demand, but hey, Nick used to be able to do anything!)

President of Nick, Cyma Zarghami states, "taking to the seas with our first- ever family cruise with Royal Caribbean was the natural next step for us. Combined with the ground-breaking of our first Marriott Hotel and the opening of the biggest indoor theme park in the country at the Mall of America, Nickelodeon will be offering more family experiences this year than ever before."

That's great Cyma, but I'd take it step by step. Maybe the first step should be making the programming on Nick more diverse and creative. You know, like Geraldine Laybourne, did..

(Vacation packages for the "Nickelodeon Family Cruise" go on-sale to the public beginning Jan. 28.)

what do you think about current Nickelodeon as opposed to its past?

My kid knows more music than your kid!

2008-02-11T09:39:00.001-08:00

Fans of Indie Music who have kids can finally rejoice! Turn off your Wiggles CDs and save your sanity! Finally, indie music is hitting TV and targeting kids!

There are currently two shows to keep your eyes and ears open to, Firstly, Pancake Mountain: which is an independantly run show, which films in Washington, DC and only costs creator (and music lover), Scott Stuckly under $500 to make each episode. Pancake Mountain is shown on public access channels throughout the East coast, and has been a hit with kids (and grown ups alike). It has featured such indie and renowned artists such as: Bright Eyes, Tegan & Sara, Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley), the Flaming Lips. As well as more up and coming/smaller artists like Northern State, Metric, Tilly and the Wall, and the Fiery Furnaces.

my favorite pancake performance: the beautiful Jenny Lewis

As someone who is so passionate about music, I'll admit I watch this show regularly. There is no way to describe the happiness that these episodes exude. Watching little tykes dance around and sing along with the artists who often sing some of their own songs or create a song just for the show that is super kid friendly (Ted Leo even rocked out to his version of The Wheels on the Bus!) The main target of this show besides the kids? Hipster parents! A demographic all on their own. This audience is made up of young parents who are still in touch with their youth and are eager to stay "in with culture" whether it be popular indie music, or popular fashion and art. In other words, the coolest parents ever. Creator of the show, Struckly stated, "that the bands usually approach him wanting to play the show, mostly because they love it. It's just a really fun, different experience for them."

Don't fret if you don't get to watch "Pancake Mountain", because not only is it available on DVD, BUT Nickelodeon has created a similar show called "Yo Gaba Gaba!" where artists such as Devo's frontman Mark Mothersbaugh or the new dance rock band Shiny Toy Guns, play songs written for the show while being surrounded by huge puppets.

Doug Cohn, senior VP of music marketing and talent at Nickelodeon says, "tons of bands have contacted us wanting to be on the show, and we are really focused on including strong, great music." To prove success of this show, let's look at the numbers: "Yo Gabba Gabba!" averages 683,000 2- to 5-year-old viewers per week. It's also the #1 show for kids 2-5 in its time period, says Nielsen.

KEEP THE KIDS ROCKING!! Who knows, at the next M.I.A. concert maybe you'll be surounded by 5 year olds!!

Tegan and Sara with puppet Host, Rufus (LOOK they teach morals and lessons too!)

(source: Billboard article, "Doin' it for the Kids" by Courtney Harding, found through database LexisNexis)

Webkinz Kraze!!

2008-02-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

This entry is somewhat of a response to my entry on the BHF trying to ban junk food ads. How you might ask, well let's see...

I stumbled upon this article by Matt Bailey from MarketingNewz.com, entitled "Webkinz and Marketing to Children." The article talks about the virtual phenomenon of webkinz and how it is one of the most popular toys for children right now. For those of you who are unfamiliar, webkinz are plush toys that come with an access code that lets the owner access part of the webkinz website, where they can play games and win points (the points are a currency you can purchase things with for your character), and minimally talk to other kids. Essentially, it's a social network for kids. In a way I was freaked out when I first heard of webkinz, imagining kids all over the world "tagging" pictures of themselves and writing on their 7 year old friend's wall. However, thank God, it's nothing like that, in fact there is limited interaction actually as kids can only choose from a variety of phrases to say to other people.

This is where marketing comes in, and I guess I've never though of webkinz in this way: it's somewhat of a marketing masterpiece. Think about it this way: webkinz is two products, a toy and a social network. What exactly is webkinz trying to market? The network, thus by making a toy, they have something to actually advertise on TV and sell. What child in their right mind would beg mommy and daddy for "access to a social network online". That is simply illogical from a child's perspective, but when you buy a toy, you gain the access THEN get hooked. (also note: they sell webkinz trading cards, lip gloss, bags, etc). Think about networks such as facebook and myspace, theyre slowly catching on, on how they can market themselves, as myspace has branched out with its own "myspace records". But until webkinz, marketing social networks was a strange and slightly untapped land (especially for the child demographic)!!!

Back to the Junk Food Entry! So, what ties this together nicely, is how Mr. Bailey seems to agree with me, about parent's responsibility in raising their children (to an extent). He says, "It is ultimately the parents that need to take an active role in knowing what your child is doing online and how it can help or hurt them. Educating children about marketing and how to evaluate marketing messages will be critical as more and more marketers see children as a "gold mine" for marketing-entertainment." He goes on to say how while social networking sites like webkinz may be seen as entertaining, it's the parents duty to be aware "of the real motivations behind these sites".

Source

Know anyone that plays on webkinz? Do your kids? Let me know the appeal from their perspective, I'm curious to know!!

note to kim: while I realize Mr. Bailey's article is a month old now, I feel the information is still extremely relavent, and nonetheless, it's the opinions that matter :)

Are you guilty of pushing views on your kid?

2008-02-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

So the past two posts have been about advertising to children, in more of a traditional approach. This post however I'm going to talk about a pretty prevalent issue, seeing as how the primaries are around the corner!

So how many times have you seen adorable babies, toddlers, or even 5-8 year olds wearing a t-shirt to support a political figure?? This CNN article has gone on to give it the name as "party-training", which makes perfect sense if you think about it. Who are the ones who dress such a child/pick out their clothes day to day... their parents. Thus by dressing them in a shirt that displays your views, using them as a billboard, you are in turn starting them on your political views. Jackie Kaplan, a social justice worker who is a lesbian and talked about dressing her child in clothing that states thing such as "Let my parents get married!" stated, "... we all want our children to share our values, and these shirts are one of the ways we get to express that."However, is this really fair? Is it fair to push political beliefs on anyone? Just because someone is in your family gives you no right to force that person to believe one thing over another (especially when they cannot speak!). Also what sickens me more is that currently there are publishers publishing such children's books as Why Mommy is A Democrat (featuring squirrels as characters) and Why Daddy is a Democrat (a sequel with bears). I don't know about you, but does anyone else see this as having the word BRAINWASH written all over it.

Coming from a family where free-thinking was encouraged, I cannot even imagine if my father were to push his republican beliefs on me at a young age. No doubt I would VERY different from how I am today (a 20 year old democrat).

I'll end by a quote provided in the article by Joan Ingber a therapist who specializes in children's issues in Manhattan, "It seems cute and benign, however, the more I think about it, the more it fails to pass my cringe test. It seems that we're bombarded enough by constant advertising, so why should children become the canvas for any ad? ... Do we really want to see kids in this role?" She then went on to say, ""I see too many kids who mimic their parents' feelings and opinions," she says. "I, for one, would like to see children grow up to be critical thinkers. Can that happen if they're told how to think, feel?"

I couldn't agree more Joan!!!!!!!

Source: Cnn.com by Ron Dicker

but but but..commercials kept the parents sane..

2008-01-29T16:27:00.001-08:00

BabyTV is a new channel which broadcasts in 65 countries, it is currently on StarHub's channel 37 (StarHub is a Singapore based company); with a subscription of 4 dollars a month. The thing about this Isreali founded channel for tikes is that it is 24/7 children programming, WITHOUT commercials.

"Liran Talit, 38, managing director and co-founder of BabyTV, explains: 'BabyTV is subscription based. Since we are targeting infants and toddlers below the age of three, we want to keep it fun, clean and commercial free.'"

I feel as though this would never fly in America...TV without commercials? ~~And it looks like I'm right as BabyTV isn't currently offered in the US~~, ~~only Canada, and Mexico (among many other countries across the globe).~~ This is interesting however, I can't help but wonder if other stations and up and coming channels will catch on, will this be a new fad??..Guess we'll just have to wait and find out.

***I've been informed "there is a TV channel similar to this one in the US, its called BabyFirstTV and its available through DIRECTV Dish Network, and selected markets of Comcast and Charter, in fact its in additional 35 countries and available to 73 Million Homes.
BabyFirstTV Offers hundreds of hours of commercial free programming and is completely supported by experts in the fields of child psychology and development."
Please check it out at BabyFirstTV.com" thanks to Bob!*****

(Source, also found on LexisNexis and other various journal aggregators under "Baby You've Got TV")

A Ban on Junkfood ads? Whats the world coming to!?!?

2008-01-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

Oh those health nuts are at it again! Recently the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have made the statement: "All 'junk' food advertising that targets children should be banned to help tackle the rising tide of childhood obesity". This is said to be part of their "Food4Thought" program, and in their call against junk food they are seeking out the help of the government to help regulate advertising done on TV, the internet, gaming, as well as various out of home methods.

"The infestation of artery-clogging foods that make up our children's everyday diets is putting their hearts and long-term health at great risk," said Dr Mike Knapton, the Foundation's director of prevention and care.

Has anyone told Dr Mike Knapton, that these foods are delicious!?! Theyre my arteries, darnit! Let me clog them with sugary, salty deliciousness all I want!! How dare you have compassion for civilization!!

The overall strategy of the campaign is to encourage all children to be more aware of the food they eat by providing school information packs for teachers, as well as an interactive website that will nonchalantly uncode hidden messages in junk food advertising.

"How can our children be expected to make informed food choices when they are constantly bombarded by junk food propaganda?" said Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the British Heart Foundation.

How many times has this card been played? The thing about the matter is, as it always will be..sure there is some social responsibility that should be taken into account on the advertisers end. BUT, in the end, where do the parents and teachers and other opinion leader's in these children's lives come in?? A food company's prime objective should be to satisfy consumers and their customer's and to sell their product accordingly, is it really fair to ban their messages just because kids are abusing the product?? Should we also ban marketing for robotussin and other Vicks products? I hear kids love to use that stuff these days..Also, let's ban listerine too I hear if you drink enough you might get a little tipsy!

(Source)

Don't get me wrong, health care is a very serious matter, as is our youth, however, aren't there other ways to go about this?

What do you think?