Today’s kids are constantly recording new information and are already active in the media field at an earlier age. In addition, they have a strong opinion about brands and products. These are some of the conclusions from BrandDeli’s study among parents with children.

This generation is faster than ever. They pick up communication at lightning speed and even young children already know faster than their parents what developments are taking place in the field of new technologies. What do these developments mean for brands? And how strong is the impact of children on the purchasing process in 2019 and beyond?

RTL and BrandDeli researched in the Netherlands recently – questioning a representative sample of 1,115 parents with children from 3 to 12 years old – to gain insight into the behaviour of these young consumers. This shows that children are real influencers. They have a strong and friendly relationship with their parents and are not afraid to express their opinion. During a day of shopping, children regularly go with their parents, and they also watch their parents when they are shopping online.

And when they are present, they also decide on the purchases! Children are largely involved in deciding which toys and clothing to buy, but even in the electronics, smartphones and automotive categories, children are heard. The older children get, the greater this influence becomes.

Children also actively tell parents about brands and advertisements that they are not familiar with. A catchy slogan or jingle is well remembered and the right touch of humour and fun even ensures that kids discuss advertising together.

Six practical tips for advertisers

1. Kids are true influencers: don’t forget the value of their opinion in communication
2. Make sure you keep children in the top of your mind during the time of purchase
3. Also, involve children in the less obvious categories in communication
4. Take into account the way children consume content to reach this target group
5. The best editorial content for communication is fiction with young children, and realistic content with older children
6. Provide a catchy slogan and/or jingle, the right dose of humour and a clear message.

All Response Media viewpoint
This piece of research still clearly shows how important the so-called ‘pester factor’ is when it comes to children influencing their parents purchasing behaviour. And although kids use more devices than just television, this is still an important source of entertainment for them. Furthermore, more than a quarter of parents of 3-12 years old kids watch TV together so another good reason to program commercial messages addressed to both target groups on children’s television.

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