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 [email_address] Danpankraz.wordpress.com

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

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PHASES Development Kids 5-8 Tweens 9-12 Teens 13-18 Cognitive Characteristics Fantasy Right Brain Dominant Anything is possible Logical Emergence of left brain Concrete, literal thinkers Analytical Abstract thinking dominates Time of reason, challenging authority Social Focus Me Focus on self Tunnel vision (here & now) We Focus on family Environment expands and school life is central The World Chameleon behaviour Focus on Friends on/offline Life feels boundless (future)

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 AGE YOUTH ALWAYS NEED TO BELONG, BUT IN THEIR TWEENS THEY ARE STARTING TO REALLY FORM RELATIONSHIPS AND ASSOCIATE WITH CERTAIN TRIBES.
BELONGING
PHASE

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 10-13 EARLY 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
SELF
EXPRESSION

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.

Help them feel part of the tribe, it’s all about inclusion and connection
‘ On= Off’ , ensure ideas must seamlessly fuse real and digital worlds
Ensure you encourage ‘brand play’ – make everything a fun and interesting experience
Foster kids creativity and imaginations, don’t be afraid to ‘challenge’ them with complex brand narratives, they love decoding
Help them break free from the ‘cotton wool’ culture
Allow for them to share/ engage in friendly competition
Allow for them to feel they’ve mastered a skill
Encourage individual self expression and give them something to change
Boys and girls socialise completely differently, understand these same sex interactions
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

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

http://danpankraz.wordpress.com	256
http://www.parentsforethicalmarketing.org	205
http://www.debaird.net	98
http://collectiveidentity.posterous.com	79
http://davesmediablog.posterous.com	43
http://www.slideshare.net	24
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	7

Youth marketing - A guide to understanding youth development phases by Dan Pankraz

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Youth marketing - A guide to understanding youth development phases by Dan Pankraz — Presentation Transcript