Targeting Tots and Teens

Home Office Computing, Feb, 1999 by Mike Espindle

Looking to make an impact on the under-21 crowd? Keep your high-tech messages simple, straightforward, and efficient

If you've ever managed to sit through an entire episode of Teletubbies or South Park, you know that kids' tastes are incredibly difficult to gauge. And judging by the commercials airing during youth-oriented programming, you might think the only way to grab their attention is with cacophonous campaigns hawking the latest, greatest, coolest, and shiniest products on the market. Maybe that's the rule of thumb on TV, but the Web allows you to treat kids the way they want to be treated--like the savvy consumers they are. Here are some high-tech dos and don'ts for mining the under-21 market via e-mail and the Web.

FATHER KNOWS BEST-MOTHER TOO When you're going after pre-teen Web surfers, it's important to keep in mind that you're really going after two distinct markets--the child and the parent. That's the key point made by Ann A. Emanuele, owner of Ann Emanuele Internet Marketing and Management in Tallmadge, Ohio, and Stephanie Richards, president of Kids in Daily Situations in Cleveland. Their organizations specialize in reaching young audiences, and they work together to market children's videotape programs via the Web. Here are their suggestions for making sure June, Ward, and the Beaver all take notice of your electronic message.

Do communicate with the eyes of a child, even if you know a parent is also viewing. Parents buy things they think their kids are going to like, but they also buy items that demonstrate the values they want their kids to adopt. Incorporate colorful Web pages featuring images of happy children using your product or involved with your service. Also, focus on the aspects of your business that are important to kids--having fun, boosting self-esteem, learning--and you'll strike the right chord with the adults, too.

Don't make your site into a three-ring circus. There's a perception that you must catch a child's attention with over-the-top animation before you can communicate the value of your product. But adding multimedia in the digital arena can mean adding unwanted dead time. Young children have short attention spans, so don't make them wait for an overly fancy logo to load.

Do translate a working print promotion to the Web. If you've had success with a traditional marketing campaign for a kid's product or service, try a simple translation for the Internet. Don't feel obliged to reinvent the wheel just because you're reaching out to them via your site as opposed to a paper brochure.

Don't ignore foreign markets. One of the best things about the Web is that anyone, anywhere in the world, can plug in his or her credit card information and make a purchase. Foreign countries often lack the wide spectrum of kids' products that we have in the United States, so tap into these markets. The westernization of Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe means more and more parents are latching onto the Web, and they're looking to entertain and educate their children.

Do be leery of online creeps. One of the worst things about the Web is that anyone, anywhere in the world, can see your site. And the harsh reality of the Internet is that kid-related sites can attract unwanted adult visitors. The best defense against being perceived as an unsavory Web presence is to define the content and purpose of your site clearly when you list it on directories and link pages.

Don't send unsolicited e-mail. Even though a lot of children have their own e-mail boxes, bulk mailing to very young children just won't work, because you'll annoy and anger the folks holding the purse strings--their parents. Aside from being ineffective, it also seems a little sleazy. As for teens, they're smart enough to see through spam, so don't think you can use bulk mail as a marketing panacea.

Do invite kids to interact in a club atmosphere. It's perfectly acceptable to invite kids to join a club or organization that funnels fun or educational material their way. Just make sure they have parental consent before signing up. Receiving periodic e-mail just like a grown-up might even help make kids feel mature, special, and involved.

Don't forget about Grandma and Grandpa. In addition to reaching out to Mom and Dad, look for ways to appeal to grandparents, too. Though only a small fraction are on the Web, grandparents love to shower their grandchildren with gifts, and they represent a high percentage of kiddie-market purchases.

THOSE AWKWARD YEARS The standard misconception among adults is that high schoolers are slack-jawed, skateboard-riding ravers who will purchase anything positioned as "hip" or "alternative." A slick Web site or electronic promotion will easily lure them into the fold, right? Hardly. Today's teens are probably the most politically active and community service-minded generation this country has seen in 30 years, according to Derek White, general manager of MarketSource Interactive in Cranbury, N.J., which specializes in reaching the high school and college markets via online, in-school, and traditional promotion and research channels. White believes these teens are sick of being spoken--and marketed--down to. Reaching them requires something more than groovy animated Web site buttons and downloadable music clips. He makes the following suggestions: