Babies don't have jobs, obviously.
That means babies have no money. So how do you sell things to babies?
Through their parents.
Marketing to children has always been tricky business. Because for the most part, manipulating those who do not possess critical judgement and are susceptible to the persuasive appeal of commercials is not exactly ethical.
The digital world we live in has radically changed the marketing sphere in the last decade. The places we consume most advertising have shifted from OOH and TV to online.
However, just because you can, that doesn't mean you should.
Blasting ads specifically targeted at children through social media is:
1. Ethically questionable (asf), and
2. Not compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Nonetheless, children represent a significant consumer segment. They influence family purchasing decisions and hold buying power of their own.
In fact, more than half of US parents say their kids are very or somewhat influential in purchase categories such as eating out, groceries, events/outings, vacation destinations, tech, electronics and entertainment.
Advertising to children attracted $1.6B USD in spending in 2022, with two thirds of that money invested in digital media.
This is an important question, particularly as Gen Alpha, or those aged 0-9, are becoming part of the marketing conversation.
The simple answer is you reach them through their parents. But, according to Ad Age, this group is among the most difficult to reach when it comes to marketing efforts.
I mean, heck, existing in this world is hard enough when it feels like our attention is being pulled in many different directions 24/7. Now, add children to that mix, and you can see why breaking through to this audience seems almost impossible.
You know, the ones parents and kids have IRL.
A recent study by a family insights firm showed that parents value experiences like going to the zoo, aquarium or museums 60% more than screen-based activities when it comes to spending quality time together. They valued them 50% more as being a positive family experience.
