Marketing with Kids in Mind

Are your main customers kids or parents? Marketing to kids and marketing to parents with kids’ products in mind is an interesting task. It’s not the same as marketing to adults and it takes a little finesse. At rushIMPRINT we have a lot of items that can be used as promotional materials or promo giveaways for kids, which means we’ve learned a few tricks from our savvy customers and we’re going to share them with you.

If your business caters to kids or to parents with an eye toward children, these tips might help you sculpt your next marketing campaign.

Keep It Fun (or Direct)

It might feel intuitive to have a sense of fun when you’re marketing to kids, but it’s easy to lose sight of that as you’re doing your planning. Keep the fun at the forefront of everything.

There are times when a serious approach is necessary, especially when it involves child safety. This can be tricky but it’s best to steer away from dire consequences or fear tactics and try to simply be direct. A good way to think of it is – if it can’t be fun, be direct.

Make Sure Your Logo Is Kid-Friendly

You’ll want to do some market testing with kids to ensure that your logo is easy for them to recognize and that they approve of it. Bold colors and simple designs work well. Go beyond just the logo and use child-driven tests for your other marketing efforts as well. That kid stamp of approval is important.

Think Like a Parent

While you want children to love who your brand is and what you have to offer, it’s still the parents who you have to sway in the long run. The best way to do this is to think like a parent and keep your eye on their biggest concerns. If you can be seen as a trusted partner for them, even better.

Be Authentic

Any sign of a hidden agenda or marketing that just doesn’t line up in a parent’s mind is going to nix your brand forever. Authenticity and open communication are key when marketing to children and to parents. It’s all about trust and authenticity wins trust.

Encourage Brand Ambassadors

This is a digital and social world. One great way to take advantage of that is to encourage your kid customers to show off their support for your company. Coloring contests, essay submissions, creative uses for your products are all great ways to make the most of their loyalty and give them a sense of pride that’s connected to your product.

Support Parental Interaction

Encourage parents to get involved with your brand and in social ways. Community support groups, discussion forums, sharing tips and tricks, and blogging go a long way toward cementing relationships and supporting parents in everything they do. A great kids’ brand is also a great brand for parents.

Gamification

This is huge for just about everybody these days – especially child-driven markets. Tying some sort of game to your product or digital presence can win over both kids and parents. If you can come up with a way for them to play together – then you’ve hit a sweet spot that can be fantastic for your brand and customer loyalty.

Don’t Talk Down to Kids

Children are smart and they like to be treated that way. Encourage them to explore the world through your products or your marketing. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is a big push for parents and today’s children enjoy learning as much as they can and appreciate brands that give them those opportunities. When marketing to kids, use every opportunity possible to encourage education and exploration.

Understand COPPA

The Federal Trade Commission has established the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) to help protect children under 13 (and their parents) during their online experiences. All of your online marketing tactics need to be mindful of COPPA and it’s a good guideline for reaching older children as well because it opens your eyes to what’s acceptable and what’s not.

If you’re looking for promotional products for kids to connect with them and their parents through a giveaway, we’ve got you covered. Our rushIMPRINT team is here to help you select items that kids love and parents approve of. We can walk you through the steps to add your logo and fulfill all kinds of order sizes. Reach out to me or another member of our customer service team by visiting our website or give us a call at (866) 277-RUSH (7874).