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THE DEVELOPMENT PHASES OF KIDS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO MARKETERS Dan Pankraz

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Dan Pankraz Youth Planning Specialist [email_address] Danpankraz.wordpress.com

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<ul><li>1. KEY DEVELOPMENT PHASES INFLUENCING KIDS/TWEEN/TEENS IDENTITY FORMATION </li></ul>

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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)

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3-7 YRS OF AGE. A TIME OF CONSTANT PLAY, CURIOSITY, FANTASY AND CREATIVITY. <ul><li>PLAY PHASE </li></ul>

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<ul><li>Constantly curious and experimental </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Theme parks, new toys and foods </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to excite kids and let them DISCOVER </li></ul>CURIOSITY

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<ul><li>Create fantasy worlds around their toys (make believe) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>WebKinz, Dressing-up, Barbie or action figures (Action Man, Star Wars) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to make kids feel IMAGINATIVE </li></ul>FANTASY

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<ul><li>Trying out new things </li></ul><ul><li>Copy, adapt, make, invent, construct </li></ul><ul><ul><li>EG: Lego, arts & crafts, cooking classes, homepages on Internet </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to make kids feel CLEVER </li></ul>CREATIVITY

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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. <ul><li>BELONGING </li></ul><ul><li>PHASE </li></ul>

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<ul><li>It’s all about shared passion/interest that bring their friends together </li></ul><ul><ul><li>EG: Video games, Hanna Montana fan club, </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>saving rainforests </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to help kids feel UNDERSTOOD and part of the group </li></ul>AFFINITY

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<ul><li>Forming their own opinions on life, school, boys/girls </li></ul><ul><li>Sharing feelings, ideas, experiences with others, making friends </li></ul><ul><ul><li>EG: Bebo, ringtones, Group discussion, IM </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to help kids feel CONNECTED </li></ul>SHARING

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<ul><li>‘ I can do it myself’ mindset </li></ul><ul><li>Having a role when the family goes shopping, feeling a sense of responsibility to your group </li></ul><ul><ul><li>EG: Family & class (chores), community (paperboy), carwashing in Summer holidays </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to make kids feel VALUED </li></ul>PURPOSE

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

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A TWEENS WORLD IN 2010

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<ul><li>Kudos in the classroom comes from ‘smarts’ </li></ul><ul><li>Being the first to know new things </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Sources include magazines, Internet, older siblings </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Farmville, Harry Potter </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers need to inspire tweens to be A STEP AHEAD </li></ul>SMARTS

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<ul><li>Anything is possible attitude </li></ul><ul><li>Developing and mastering skills, particularly physical ones </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Wii, PS3, RPG games, Skateboard moves, football tricks </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers should help tweens feel SELF CONFIDENT </li></ul>MASTERY

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<ul><li>Being acknowledged for efforts and achievements </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Trophies, certificates, local newspaper, blogs </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers should help tweens feel PRIDE </li></ul>RECOGNITION

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<ul><li>Starting to explore their physical and metal limitations </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Skating big hills, trying new sports, weekend trips away with parents </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Marketers should EXCITE tweens with a sense of adventure </li></ul>ADVENTURE

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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 <ul><li>SELF </li></ul><ul><li>EXPRESSION </li></ul>

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<ul><li>Being free of adult restrictions and expectations, free from peer expectations </li></ul><ul><ul><li>EG: Skateparks, going to the mall, movies or Gloria Jeans/Starbucks/ Boost Juice, amusement parks, driving, choosing own unique style </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Help teens embrace their INDEPENDENCE and EXPERIMENT with passions (sports etc) </li></ul>FREEDOM

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<ul><li>Making their own decisions, feeling a sense of responsibility </li></ul><ul><ul><li>EG: Staying out late, bedroom as my ‘lair’, saving up for an Xbox 360, taking care of pets, watching younger siblings, student council </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Help teens feel IN CHARGE of something </li></ul>OWNERSHIP

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<ul><li>Expressing opinions, seeing that opinion counts </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Facebook, Votes (home, classroom, sports teams), chat rooms, polls, letters to editor, essays </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Help teens feel INFLUENTIAL </li></ul>VOICE

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<ul><li>2. THE SOCIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 10-14 </li></ul>

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COMPETITION VS CO-OPERATION <ul><li>Boys are hardwired for competitive behaviour, be it sports or gaming...it’s a way for them to find their place in the pack </li></ul>Girls are co-operating and sharing ideas, thoughts about their lives and engaged in inclusive open conversations and mutual advancement.

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‘ SIDE BY SIDE’ VS ‘FACE TO FACE’ <ul><li>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 </li></ul>‘ 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.

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QUICK CHAT VS CONVERSATION <ul><li>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 </li></ul>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.

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<ul><li>Help them feel part of the tribe, it’s all about inclusion and connection </li></ul><ul><li>‘ On= Off’ , ensure ideas must seamlessly fuse real and digital worlds </li></ul><ul><li>Ensure you encourage ‘brand play’ – make everything a fun and interesting experience </li></ul><ul><li>Foster kids creativity and imaginations, don’t be afraid to ‘challenge’ them with complex brand narratives, they love decoding </li></ul><ul><li>Help them break free from the ‘cotton wool’ culture </li></ul><ul><li>Allow for them to share/ engage in friendly competition </li></ul><ul><li>Allow for them to feel they’ve mastered a skill </li></ul><ul><li>Encourage individual self expression and give them something to change </li></ul><ul><li>Boys and girls socialise completely differently, understand these same sex interactions </li></ul><ul><li>Kids haven’t changed, technology has, so understand the tensions between what always stays the same and what you can change as a brand </li></ul>10 KEY LEARNINGS FOR KIDS/TWEEN MARKETING

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<ul><li>All images in this presentation were sourced from Getty Images or were pictures taken by the author of the presentation. </li></ul>APPENDIX