youth marketing - a guide to understanding youth development phases by dan pankraz

THE DEVELOPMENT PHASES OF KIDS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO

MARKETERS

Dan Pankraz

Dan Pankraz

Youth Planning Specialist

danpankraz@gmail.comDanpankraz.wordpress.com

1. KEY DEVELOPMENT PHASES INFLUENCING KIDS/TWEEN/TEENS IDENTITY FORMATION

Development

Kids5-8

Tweens9-12

Teens13-18

Cognitive Characteristic

s

FantasyRight Brain DominantAnything is possible

LogicalEmergence of left

brainConcrete, literal

thinkers

AnalyticalAbstract thinking

dominatesTime of reason,

challenging authority

Social Focus

MeFocus on self

Tunnel vision (here & now)

We Focus on family

Environment expands and school life is

central

The WorldChameleon behaviour

Focus on Friends on/offline

Life feels boundless (future)

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PHASES

3-7 YRS OF AGE.A TIME OF CONSTANT PLAY, CURIOSITY, FANTASY AND CREATIVITY.

PLAY PHASE

• Constantly curious and experimental– Theme parks, new toys and foods

• Marketers need to excite kids and let them DISCOVER

CURIOSITY

• Create fantasy worlds around their toys (make believe)– WebKinz, Dressing-up, Barbie or

action figures (Action Man, Star Wars)

• Marketers need to make kids feel IMAGINATIVE

FANTASY

• Trying out new things• Copy, adapt, make, invent, construct

– EG: Lego, arts & crafts, cooking classes, homepages on Internet

• Marketers need to make kids feel CLEVER

CREATIVITY

6-10YRS OF AGEYOUTH ALWAYS NEED TO BELONG, BUT IN THEIR TWEENS THEY ARE STARTING TO REALLY FORM RELATIONSHIPS AND ASSOCIATE WITH CERTAIN TRIBES.

BELONGINGPHASE

• It’s all about shared passion/interest that bring their friends together – EG: Video games, Hanna Montana fan club, saving rainforests

• Marketers need to help kids feel UNDERSTOOD and part of the group

AFFINITY

• Forming their own opinions on life, school, boys/girls

• Sharing feelings, ideas, experiences with others, making friends– EG: Bebo, ringtones, Group discussion, IM

• Marketers need to help kids feel CONNECTED

SHARING

• ‘I can do it myself’ mindset• Having a role when the family goes shopping,

feeling a sense of responsibility to your group– EG: Family & class (chores), community

(paperboy), carwashing in Summer holidays• Marketers need to make kids feel VALUED

PURPOSE

AGE 10-13EARLY TWEENS/ TEENS ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO ‘PROVE’ THEMSELVES TO THEIR PEERS AND PARENTS, AS A FORM OF BELONGING AND ACCEPTANCE.

ACHIEVEMENT PHASE

A TWEENS WORLD IN 2010

• Kudos in the classroom comes from ‘smarts’• Being the first to know new things

– Sources include magazines, Internet, older siblings

– Farmville, Harry Potter• Marketers need to inspire tweens to be A

STEP AHEAD

SMARTS

• Anything is possible attitude• Developing and mastering

skills, particularly physical ones – Wii, PS3, RPG games,

Skateboard moves, football tricks

• Marketers should help tweens feel SELF CONFIDENT

MASTERY

• Being acknowledged for efforts and achievements– Trophies, certificates, local newspaper, blogs

• Marketers should help tweens feel PRIDE

RECOGNITION

• Starting to explore their physical and metal limitations– Skating big hills, trying new sports, weekend trips

away with parents• Marketers should EXCITE tweens with a sense of

adventure

ADVENTURE

13-17 YRS OF AGE IDENTITY FORMATION REALLY IS TURBO CHARGED DURING MID TEENAGE YEARS WHERE ‘FREEDOM’ AND HAVING A ‘VOICE’ ALLOWS THEM TO BE MORE EXPRESSIVE WITHIN THE TRIBE

SELFEXPRESSION

• Being free of adult restrictions and expectations, free from peer expectations – EG: Skateparks, going to the mall, movies or

Gloria Jeans/Starbucks/ Boost Juice, amusement parks, driving, choosing own unique style

• Help teens embrace their INDEPENDENCE and EXPERIMENT with passions (sports etc)

FREEDOM

• Making their own decisions, feeling a sense of responsibility– EG: Staying out late, bedroom as my ‘lair’, saving

up for an Xbox 360, taking care of pets, watching younger siblings, student council

• Help teens feel IN CHARGE of something

OWNERSHIP

• Expressing opinions, seeing that opinion counts – Facebook, Votes (home, classroom, sports teams),

chat rooms, polls, letters to editor, essays • Help teens feel INFLUENTIAL

VOICE

2. THE SOCIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 10-14

COMPETITION VS CO-OPERATION

Boys are hardwired for competitive behaviour,

be it sports or gaming...it’s a way for them to find their place

in the pack

Girls are co-operating and sharing ideas, thoughts

about their lives and engaged in inclusive

open conversations and mutual advancement.

‘SIDE BY SIDE’ VS ‘FACE TO FACE’

Boys stand ‘united’ and form mini tribes as an outward expression of belonging, a

primal need to show physical alignment. It’s ‘uncool’ to look at each

other while communicating

‘Face to face’ time helps girls develop lifelong bonds,

they seek physical affirmation from their

friends and closeness is an early expression of

validation within their tribe.

QUICK CHAT VS CONVERSATION

Boys socialising is short, sharp to the point. It’s all

about what they’ve achieved at a certain sport, game etc. The conversations last a

maximum of 3 minutes per topic. ’...Being ‘chatty’ at this age is being annoying

Girls are developing their conversational skills in

their tweens, enjoying long drawn out chats where they talk for up to 30

minutes about one issue or thing. The more

knowledge you have from pop culture, the more

popular.

1. Help them feel part of the tribe, it’s all about inclusion and connection2. ‘On= Off’ , ensure ideas must seamlessly fuse real and digital worlds

3. Ensure you encourage ‘brand play’ – make everything a fun and interesting experience

4. Foster kids creativity and imaginations, don’t be afraid to ‘challenge’ them with complex brand narratives, they love decoding

5. Help them break free from the ‘cotton wool’ culture6. Allow for them to share/ engage in friendly competition7. Allow for them to feel they’ve mastered a skill8. Encourage individual self expression and give them something to

change9. Boys and girls socialise completely differently, understand these same

sex interactions10. Kids haven’t changed, technology has, so understand the tensions

between what always stays the same and what you can change as a brand

10 KEY LEARNINGS FOR KIDS/TWEEN MARKETING

1. All images in this presentation were sourced from Getty Images or were pictures taken by the author of the presentation.

APPENDIX