What Kids Think Gen-Y Expects In-School Advertising But Too Much Marketing is Rebuffed

Selling to Kids, Oct 14, 1998

Who hasn't heard kids complain about school? But it's unlikely they will complain about advertising or promotions in schools, which is good news for those who realize it is the final frontier of kid- related marketing. And most generally like school despite their griping.

As media-savvy members of Generation Y, kids accept advertising as part of the school scenery and appreciate entertaining ads that speak to them. Yet they also believe in limiting the number of ads allowed in schools, according to a recent survey of 300 "Roving Reporters," ages 8-15, by Saatchi & Saatchi's Kid Connection.

Arielle, 13, says "We are a Pepsi [PEP] school, so all of our calendars, sports handouts, concession stands and drink machines have Pepsi logos on them." She adds, "Advertising in school is okay to an extent, but too much of it can be distracting."

Patsy, 13, has another form of charity in mind: "They could put coupons in the ads so kids could save money."

And in what must be music to the fast food industry's ears, kids say they would like to see something in the cafeteria besides the basic school lunch.

Some suggested that schools serve lunch from outlets such as McDonald's [MCD], Taco Bell and Papa John's [PZZA]. But despite their complaints, nearly half of the Roving Reporters buy lunch daily. Favorites include "pizza" (Brendan, 12), "fried chicken" (Shayna, 9), "french fries" (Dave, 13), "chicken patties and chicken nuggets" (Dana, 10) and "mini corn dogs, foot-long hot dogs and tacos" (Ashley, 10).

Learning to Socialize

The vast majority of Roving Reporters enjoy going to school because they want to socialize with peers. "I get to see my friends every day," says Heather, 13. Valerie, 10, puts it differently: "It gets boring when you sit apart from your friends."

Younger kids, like 8-year-old Lorna, are still establishing relationships. "I like school because I can make friends," she says. Recess is a big social occasion for this age group.

Another reason kids like school: they love to learn. It is empowering. They feel smarter and more independent with new knowledge. Brittany, 9, exclaims, "I like to learn about amphibians!"

The few who say they don't like school share the same gripes. They dislike the structured environment, workload and early start time. Drew, 11, complains, "I don't like being told what to do."

"I have to spend tons of time stressing and studying for quizzes, tests, midterms and final exams," bemoans Courtney, 15.

Kids' favorite subjects or classes are those that are fun, social and not too challenging. Kids don't like subjects and classes that are difficult and uninteresting. Those that are devoid of opportunities to talk with friends fall into the least favorite category.

Laughing With Teachers

Teachers seem to have the strongest influence over how kids feel about classes. Those who are kind, funny and apply personal touches to their lessons are the most adored. Tiffany's (8) favorite is "nice and she doesn't yell a lot." Natalie, 13 says hers "makes us laugh about 30 times per class."

Kids' favorite projects are creative and require hard work. "We made a volcano out of clay and a paper cup - it was very hard to make and it erupted very well," says Jack, 11. Jessica, 9, exclaims, "I feel proud about a book I made on my nana and me!"

Clothes = Individuality

Nearly every Roving Reporter - regardless of whether they wear uniforms or not - says "NO WAY!" to donning the attire. Teens reason that uniforms prevent kids from being themselves.

Tom, 15, explains, "Clothes are one way that kids have to express themselves, and that right shouldn't be denied." Younger kids have other reasons for disliking uniforms: "You might get tired of wearing the same thing every day" (Jeremy, 10), "It's itchy" (Lizzie, 8), "They're too fancy" (Doug, 9) and "It makes you look like a geek" (Bryan, 10).

Computer Time

Kids are much more enthusiastic about their schools' computer facilities than they are about uniforms. Some have state-of-the-art equipment. "My school just got a batch of Pentium IIs with MMX technology," boasts Olivia, 14. A proud Paul, 10, says, "We just got new Power Macs."

But Patrick, 10, isn't as enthusiastic about his school's equipment. "Some of the computers are good, some are OK, and some are just bad." Michaela, 11, says her school's computers "freeze up a lot. Sometimes I get stuck on those bad computers and that makes me mad."

Most kids report schools have enough computers for everyone and that they spend an average of 1-2 hours a week in front of the screen. Kids "write letters to pen pals" (Abby, 13), "play games (Jeff, 11) and "practice typing" (Kayli, 13). Michelle, 15, makes use of more advanced applications: "We learn how to use Adobe [ADBE] stuff for journalism and yearbook layouts." (Johan Wachs, Holly Gross, Saatchi & Saatchi, 212/463-2000)

The Ideal Lunch Box

Younger kids want licensed properties on their lunchboxes, while teens and tweens would be more interested in funky colors, shapes and symbols, according to a recent survey of 300 kids ages 8-15 by Saatchi & Saatchi's Kid Connection.