This column previously appeared on fonkonline.com
There is quite a reach problem from a media perspective towards kids aged 6-12, or elementary school age. With the removal of advertising opportunities at Z@pp (NPO), the discontinuation of the TV and online versions of Telekids (RTL8) and Boz (RTL7), a different reality becomes visible: how to proceed? Let's look at some brand and marketing communications insights to then link back to media.
"Pester Power" is a well-known term within Kids marketing. The term revolves around the power of nagging children. If they ask often and long enough, the parent buys. Very recognizable, but to build a complete media or communications strategy around that? Now that the range issue has been added, the market must adapt: "Nothing is constant but change." The observation is: kids are increasingly difficult to reach and target through traditional channels, besides they don't have money, and they're not about it. With parents, grandparents & grandparents, uncles & aunts, neighbors, schoolyard parents and even the good St. Nicholas, it's the exact opposite. Not to mention fire safety, ethics and device choice of the kids. The market understanding is also faltering: that it's mostly about the parents and the kids in the family. But a parent is more likely to buy gifts for another child through the year than their own? So the parent in particular has to figure out what is considered fun, popular, and responsible for birthday friends. No (direct) bullying power, just the tips and suggestions of other adults. So it is an innovative opportunity to make a switch to parents/caregivers as the primary target audience. We can then look at 3 relevant elements for adults:
1. Moment segmentation
2. Mental market share
3. Target the market
If you want loyalty buy a dog (~ Byron Sharp)
Person-segmentation: Children aged 6 - 12: there are approximately 1,116,000 of them and not one of them is the same. Not much to go on, because every child has its own interests, hobbies, sports, experiences, social development, etcetera. Therefore, it is better to ask yourself at what moments your product should be remembered. Boyfriend's birthday coming up soon? Always wanted something in the closet? Got a swimming certificate? Birthday? Christmas? It pays to gear your creative expressions precisely to those moments: show when you want to be relevant. Because people are lazy and do not buy on loyalty, but on the basis of habit, at certain moments. So if as an advertiser you think from moments, you recognize that behavior better and better. Moreover, a media agency can make a much more effective and innovative plan for this and thus stand out.
Mental market share
So it's important to rise in the consumer's brain at the right time. Set a hook based on emotion, intelligence and creativity. See the lego expression "Submarine": that makes you absolutely happy, doesn't it? 1 visual, 1 logo, 1 idea: impact. Lego could use this to load and communicate the brand where it does best, in this case: broad thematic media like print or outdoor with the target audience of all parents and other bystanders of the child. This emotional impact is processed and stored by long-term memory: mentally gaining and retaining market share, in other words.
Target the market
Back to the media. It is already becoming a bit clear: "The market" is everyone who ever buys a gift for a child. So besides father & mother, family, acquaintances also that student of 21 with a nephew of 8. And they do remember this kind of impactful Lego expressions. Dare to make and buy an intelligent, emotional expression aimed at adults on SBS 6 at 22.30 around a movie like Pulp Fiction. The growth is often in the non- and light users of your category. But then you have to reach them.
Mental market share is what you want to create with a broad target group, continuously, always on.
If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic (~ Bill Bernbach)
Final tip: Keep standing out to meet your marketing communications goals. Look at your moment segmentation and find creativity for the largest possible group per moment. This is not easy, this is searching for balance: in terms of creation, elaboration, message and media. Imagine......