Advertising for children can be tricky as they are very perceptive and not the easiest to please. They notice things and have shorter attention spans than their adult counterparts.
Negative influences are not appreciated by viewers and parents alike. Luckily for you, children these days have grown accustomed to advertisements in all forms of media. Whether it be the newspaper, TV, radio, or the new age mediums like games apps, Youtube, Instagram, they understand what ads are and what their inherent purpose is.
For example, the more ads a kid sees for a toy, the more he would like to have that toy with him. This formula has worked wonders for companies like Hotwheels and Disney, who have established themselves as a part of every household with kids now.
Advertising affects different children in different ways. Most of it is dependent on age and their maturity and how they have been consuming media. The knowledge they have and how they have experienced life also come into play and affect how your ads are perceived. Video content is the go-to form of entertainment for most kids, and they are happy that it is an immersive experience.
Different ages and their advertising experience
0-2 years
In this age group, the children cannot distinguish whether it is an ad or a programmed video. They still are not developed enough to understand the complex information that is coming their way.
3-6 years
They usually can single out the advertisements in the mediums of their choice but can get confused under certain circumstances. They can distinguish but cannot tell the fact that the ad is trying to sell them something. Most of them think of them as an announcement or a part of the entertainment itself.
7-12 years
At this age, they can tell whether they are being advertised to or not. They can remember the tag lines used in the ads and whether they are trying to pursue them. Kids at this age do not question what they are being sold and usually do not see them as interference.
They might not always get what the products are but have enough experience to understand most of them. They have also developed critical reasoning to a certain level and will most probably ask you questions about the advertisements.
Questions like what was that and how will that be useful to someone will be asked frequently. They might not understand the full extent of the Video ad but are more than willing to learn more about it. Video content is available freely and kids are maturing at a faster rate today. Video advertising or video ads can be said to have a big hand in this.
Teenage years
This is the time when your kids start forming their own opinions on things and identify the purpose of the ads too. Video production makes a huge difference as to how they perceive a thing because now they are aware of more things in life.
They are not cognizant of most types of advertising but some fail to understand product placement in some situations. For example, brands place their products in movies and other short films, but the young teen fails to recognize that as branding.
Teens aged 14 and above can easily see through these kinds of placements and usually have no problem discerning. They might not be aware of the fact that apps like Instagram and Facebook actively compile data so that they can provide you with personalized ads.
Some ads like election campaigns and political campaigns are lost on them because they might not be familiar with politics.
Advertising to kids can be tricky but here are a few ways you can advertise to them that have been proven to get results. The results may vary depending on the demographic, but these methods will do fairly well in all contexts.
1. The Bribe - These are mostly the single toys sold separately that are a part of a larger collection. Most of the time they are bundled with food items or soft drinks.
2. Big Prize - Brazenly claiming that your product is the best has also worked for many companies. You can claim to be the best and the kids will definitely want to try it out once.
3. Game - Tell the kids that they need to buy your product to be the best, and they will respond positively mostly.
4. Appeal to their emotions - A video ad pull on people’s heartstrings has always been a hit no matter what the age is.
5. Get someone famous - Research has shown that people, especially children, are highly influenced by the celebrities they like. Get popular kids or teen idols on the ad and it will be very well-received.
6. Catchy music - catchy music perks up the whole ad easily and makes people like them more.
7. Joke - an advertisement that makes you laugh will be remembered for a long time.
If you are looking for a video agency in NYC, we at Melty Cone would be more than happy to help you. We have all your video production and video marketing needs under one roof. Melty Cone is the one-stop solution for all your video content needs.
We have worked with various brands and have a great knack for developing videos that will aid your marketing tremendously. Feel free to contact us to know more.
