youth marketing - a guide to understanding youth development phases by dan pankraz
TRANSCRIPT
THE DEVELOPMENT PHASES OF KIDS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO
MARKETERS
Dan Pankraz
Dan Pankraz
Youth Planning Specialist
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.
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