Kids Exercise Their Right to Vote

When today's kids talk about voting, it isn't in context with something they will get to do when they turn 18. Sure, schools still talk up the right to vote for governmental representation, and that this right kicks in when they come of age, but today's kids really understand the impact of voting - and it's because they are actually doing it now.

Talk about empowerment! How cool is it to actually vote for the newest American Idol® - Taylor Hicks or Katharine (Kat) McPhee. Kids had become fans of the Soul Patrol or had caught McPheever. Then the centrics of Power and Freedom were tapped Ð they were given the opportunity to help choose the winner. 13 year-olds were jumping on the bandwagon and calling in their vote on their parents' line - or even on their own cell phones (another story). That day, 63 million votes were cast, 43 million viewers tuned in to the last hour of the finale. Many were kids, tweens and teens, along with their parents. What a celebration of the power of voting!

And not long before Taylor Hicks was voted the newest American Idol, kids voted on a whole cast of their favorite stars. The 19th annual Kids' Choice Awards® proved to be the highest-rated Kids' Choice Awards show ever, with 9.5 million viewers. Over 26 million votes were cast by kids, tweens and teens on-line and via telephone. The show was hosted by Jack Black and featured a bevy of the most popular stars, musicians and athletes (see the list of Kids' Choice Awards winners at right). But voting is something that Nickelodeon doesn't reserve for just this event. Their popular show, U-Pick Live, hosted by crazy couple Brent and Candace and the picking superhero (or super zero ) Pick Boy, features hosted, live, on-line vote casting to determine what Nick show to air next.

From the next color of M&M's® to America's newest star, kids are participating and engaged in making their vote heard.

WonderGroup's Perspective

Today's kids are not shy about making choices. In fact, they expect to be heard and expect that their opinion can make a difference. This is supported by the new parenting style of today's parents (check out The New Super Consumer: Mom & Kid, available at www.paramountbooks.com), as well as kids media and kids marketers. Savvy marketers are providing opportunities for relationship-building moments, and offering kids a say or vote, and carrying through on that decision can be very powerful. From promotions to actual product innovations, kids are being given a vote and they feel empowered by the brands that allow them to participate. The internet, cell phones and many youth media all provide channels that allow for participation in the form of voting. And as we have discussed, voting is not only important for selecting the next President of the United States, but to kids, voting may be even more important in selecting the next flavor of Pop Tarts®.

Lessons Abroad

Editor’s Note: This article is written by Dave Siegel, President of WonderGroup, based on his recent trip to address the Youth Marketing Forum in Singapore.

I had the privilege of addressing the Youth Marketing Forum in Singapore and, while there, I had the opportunity to observe first hand what was going on in Asian youth marketing.

As you might expect, technological communication in Asia is far ahead of what we are seeing here. And, not surprisingly, Youth marketers there are taking advantage of this by using traditional and new media more synergistically than they are here in the U. S.

As a result of better access to mobile phones and Internet, Asian consumers are moving from being passive to active media consumers even more quickly than their U.S. counterparts. In response to this, some smart marketers are evolving from a focus on brand “positioning” to, instead, a focus on brand “spirit”. The belief there is that a brand’s spirit is critically important if one wishes to actively attract consumers to a brand and its site.

Brands with strong spirits are now forming their very own media “networks” online. And, in doing so, these brands are looking to reap the rewards of having others actually pay them for advertising on their sites - talk about a great ROI!

Marketers are realizing that it is the content—not the brand—that attracts consumers to a network. As a result, one is likely to find online networks such as “The Runners Network,” “The Exercise Network,” etc. The surprise is that these networks are actually owned, operated and, of course, sponsored by a particular brand. And, of course, the site carries appropriate ads for the brand. It’s a brand’s site in disguise!

One of the most interesting cases using traditional and new media synergistically was from Virgin Mobile®. To introduce 5-cent SMS from Virgin to Virgin phones, they used a nerdy, loser-type of guy in a very inexpensive TV spot. In the spot, the guy asked things like, “Have a love question? Text me.” “Want a date? Text me.” He wound up receiving almost a million texts. And then Virgin started (and sponsored) a Web site around him - getting 1 million additional hits in first month!

In summary, looking at what is happening in Asia teaches us that today’s “big ideas” must be more than just “big TV ideas.” And we will certainly be looking at this for our clients.

These Grills Aren't Made for Cooking

As the hip-hop era blazes on, more and more tweens and teens are putting their money (or their parents’ money) where their mouth is. One of the hottest items with urban boys today is a set of removable ornamental teeth - called a grill. In the billboard hit “Grillz,” rapper Nelly even devotes a whole song to them. To make a set, the seller makes an impression of the buyer’s teeth, using a mold kit and then ships the mold out for casting. Designs range from solid to etches to cutouts that show the enamel of the natural tooth. Mouth bling can come in several different materials, including gold, platinum and diamonds. Some kids are opting for multi-colored chompers, and others are even having their names etched in. As the popularity of grills soar, girls and younger kids are starting to get in on the dental decorations. Competition has driven down prices for basic grills to about $200 for a row of six, but if you want your smile to sparkle with the power of diamonds, you could be talking $5,000 to $10,000 for a grill that’s fully iced out.

WonderGroup’s Perspective

Hip-hop culture has driven the popularity of everything from cars to drinks, and it has always especially influenced fashion. That’s where grills come in - they are simply a fashion accessory, like jewelry. Helping fuel the market growth is the fact that grills meet some basic key drivers for teens and tweens. Of course, they allow wearers to imitatate their hip-hop heroes. For the “in” crowd that has them, they give a sense of belonging and popularity. And the way teens and tweens are able to customize their grills, gives them a sense of freedom to express their individuality. So it’s no surprise that grills are becoming as coveted as iPods in many circles. The difference between the two is that grills are not yet as universally desirable as i-Pods among all teen and tween demographics. That could change, though, as other hip-hop elements such as clothing and the music itself, have made the leap into mainstream. Plus, an unlikely ally is even pushing to spread grills to the masses. Grills are traditionally sold in jewelry stores, but now many dentists are looking into them as a way to generate additional revenue. Grills, like so many fashion trends of the past (tight-rolled jeans, slap bracelets, Hypercolor® shirts, etc.), do have a good chance of being nothing more than a quick, flash-in-the-pan fad. However, with a sizable sticker price, buyers are likely to want to get plenty of use out of their grills and fight against them moving from fashion to fad.

Defeating DVRs

It’s a story that’s been replayed over and over again in the news. The proliferation of Digital Video Recorder’s, like TiVo®, has advertisers worried because viewers can record their favorite shows and fast-forward through commercials at the touch of a button. As with any problem, this calls for creative solutions and promises a decent amount of money to anyone who comes up with them. Enter Digital Brand Integration, or DBI. DBI is a form of electronic product placement and has been part of U.S. network sports broadcasts for nearly a decade. Now networks such as CBS® and Fox® are giving advertisers the opportunity to electronically plug brand names and products into television shows. Brands such as Kellogg’s® Club Crackers®, Chevrolet® and StarKist Tuna® have already taken advantage of DBI. The technology attempts to put computer-generated brand integration on the same footing as traditional ads by giving networks control over an “inventory” of placement opportunities they can sell on a routine basis. It also makes it easy to insert brand and product images in post-production. Brand images can be altered or replaced when the show goes into reruns and off-network syndication.

WonderGroup’s Perspective

DBI definitely beats the DVR issue, but it’s doubtful that seeing a box of something in the background is even going to be noticed by consumers, much less cause them to build brand preference or loyalty. On the other hand, as soon as something looks like overt product placement, consumers get turned off. The one place where product placement (although, here it’s not digital) seems to work is on reality TV shows like The Apprentice®, Survivor® and Big Brother®. On these shows, little to no effort is made to cover up the fact that product placement is going on and there is greater effectiveness because the shows’ main characters usually interact in depth with the product. In the near future, look for product placement to continue, but we also believe there is the need for new solutions that get consumers to stop skipping commercials and instead want to watch them and even talk about them. Remember the old Taster’s Choice&153; mini-series that had you waiting and wanting to see the next one? And more recently, KFC® released a new ad that allows viewers to crack a hidden message on how to redeem a free sandwich offer if they play the spot back slowly on a DVR or VCR. Creative solutions like this work because they turn consumers from passive to active media consumers and make them want to engage with the media instead of skip it.

Latest Book News

WonderGroup’s recently published book Marketing to the New Super Consumer - Mom&Kid™ continues to be very well received. Talk of the “Four-Eyed, Four-Legged Consumer™” was wide-spread at this year’s KidPower Conference®, and the book was referenced by several key speakers in their respective presentations. It is now the best-selling Kid Marketing book on Amazon.com® and has received ringing endorsements by several top marketers, including a call to make it “required reading” within at least one major youth marketer’s company. Presentations of SuperConsumer have been requested and/or made by several companies, and at conferences such as Marketing to Moms™, Youth Marketing Forum Singapore™, Kid Power Australia™, Promo™, National Credit Union Assn™, AMA™ and others.

If you'd like to look into purchasing the book from Amazon.com, click here.

Kids Music Rocks

If your previous (painful) experience with kids’ music is limited to a nasally purple dinosaur singing “I love you, you love me...” over and over again in a hypnotic trance of adult brain cell destruction, you might be pleasantly surprised at some of the new offerings in the category. Current and former rock bands like Devo and They Might Be Giants are diving into making music for kids. And, with offerings that please both parents and kids, they are kicking former staples such as Barney and Raffi from the top of the kids’ charts. Some online retailers like Baby Rock Apparel®, Baby Wit® and Metal Babies® are even taking advantage of the new trend by selling classic rock T-shirts and onesies to clothe the next generation of hipsters.

WonderGroup’s Perspective

Marketers and musicians are realizing more than ever that kids’ music is a shared experience. There is a parent in the driver’s seat whenever the kids are listening. This new generation of parents doesn’t equate having kids with getting old. They still feel young and want music that not only is appropriate and enjoyable for their kids, but is also something they can enjoy (not just tolerate) themselves. And, for musicians, the fact that little kids have no preconceived notion of how music is supposed to be can be attractively liberating. Even if much of the music still covers kid themes, the fact that it has a more energetic beat and comes from bands they loved and grew up with, can make the whole experience a bit more palatable for today’s parents.