How to market to kids (and their parents!) without being icky

Babies don’t have jobs, obviously.

That means babies have no money. So how do you sell things to babies?

Through their parents.

Marketing to children has always been tricky business. Because for the most part, manipulating those who do not possess critical judgement and are susceptible to the persuasive appeal of commercials is not exactly ethical.

The digital world we live in has radically changed the marketing sphere in the last decade. The places we consume most advertising have shifted from OOH and TV to online.

And social media allows marketers to reach children in a way they've never been able to do before.

However, just because you can, that doesn’t mean you should.

Blasting ads specifically targeted at children through social media is:

1. Ethically questionable (asf), and

2. Not compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Nonetheless, children represent a significant consumer segment. They influence family purchasing decisions and hold buying power of their own.

In fact, more than half of US parents say their kids are very or somewhat influential in purchase categories such as eating out, groceries, events/outings, vacation destinations, tech, electronics and entertainment.

Advertising to children attracted $1.6B USD in spending in 2022, with two thirds of that money invested in digital media.

So, how do we capture this cohort without being unethical?

This is an important question, particularly as Gen Alpha, or those aged 0-9, are becoming part of the marketing conversation.

The simple answer is you reach them through their parents. But, according to Ad Age, this group is among the most difficult to reach when it comes to marketing efforts.

I mean, heck, existing in this world is hard enough when it feels like our attention is being pulled in many different directions 24/7. Now, add children to that mix, and you can see why breaking through to this audience seems almost impossible.

According to Ad Age, your best bet is to insert your brand into family experiences.

You know, the ones parents and kids have IRL.

A recent study by a family insights firm showed that parents value experiences like going to the zoo, aquarium or museums 60% more than screen-based activities when it comes to spending quality time together. They valued them 50% more as being a positive family experience.

I mean, I don’t know about you, but I don’t need a survey to tell me that family outings are more wholesome than watching something together, every time hands down.

But I guess the challenge is, how the heck do brands integrate with these experiences and become a part of this shared family joy? Even more so, how do you do it at scale?

By embedding your brand into these real-life experiences. In doing so, you're creating positive brand association, because your brand will become part of those positive memories of time spent together.

Kids spend more time on their screens than ever before.

So if you can provide a memorable real-life experience that caters to multiple generations, you’re going to drive significant brand awareness and loyalty.

An example of this is Kinder Joy. The brand worked with Allionce Group to create an Easter-centric immersive family experience.

The experience included activities like an Easter egg hung, photo ops with the Easter Bunny, and a scavenger hunt. This positioned Kinder Joy as the facilitator of these happy times together.

Kinder Joy offered these experiences at 30 zoos and aquariums. By doing so, they leveraged these spaces to drive earned media and creating events that families simply couldn’t miss. The result? A 92.5% purchase intent among non-buyers of Kinder Joy.

Want to give something like this a try? Here are a few ideas to get the wheels turning...

Photo ops. Set up branded photo booths, which generate keepsakes tied to your brand and the experience.

Holiday-themed experiences. Similar to Kinder Joy’s Easter egg hunts, create branded, family-friendly events around holidays (Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving). Think pumpkin patches with branded scavenger hunts or themed light displays.

Zoos, aquariums, museums, and amusement parks. Just like Kinder Joy’s zoo events, team up with family-centric venues. You can organise interactive exhibits or family activity days that promote learning, fun, and bonding.

Pop-up play zones. Set up branded play areas at popular family-friendly outdoor spots like parks or beaches. Include obstacle courses, games, and snack stations that families can enjoy together.

Mobile brand experiences. This may be a travelling truck offering mini-games or family-friendly challenges. You could also offer interactive storytelling sessions to engage families across various locations.

Parents increasingly feel the pressure to reclaim quality time with their children lost to screens and social media.

If your brand can facilitate quality family time, you are adding value to your customers lives in a really special way. And you're deepening parents’ positive associations with your brand in the process.

-Sophie, Writer

Want to dive deeper?

Listen to the breakdown of this article on the YAP podcast: Is Kids' Marketing Playing on Parents' Guilt?.