VOLUME
19
Heard
on the Playground
What's
New This Month
Tech
Trends
Kids
Tweens
Teens
Trend
Watch
Upcoming
Events in Youth Marketing
Heard
on the Playground
Eccentric
Shopping Behavior?
Back-to-School
shopping has evolved over the years from a one-day bonanza of buying
blue denim to an ongoing pursuit of emulating favorite celebrities
and trend-setting classmates. We
recently met with several groups of tweens to find out what items
they enjoy shopping for during the beginning of school.
While clothes were mentioned several times, there were just
as many references to folders and pens, as well as backpacks and
locker décor.
The particular
items that these tweens talked about illustrated that they have
already started to develop some of their personal interests like
fashion and art. Additionally,
key traits like organization and individuality were also evident.
The purchase patterns they described also exhibited several
centrics. WonderGroup
partners Tim Coffey, Dave Siegel and Greg Livingston define centrics
as “the core drivers that motivate the behavior of tweens” in
their book, The Great Tween Buying Machine.
The four main
centrics are fun, freedom, power and belonging.
We’ve heard hundreds of kids and moms talk about the
importance of fitting in and feeling a sense of belonging at school.
Everything from what clothes and shoes they wear to what they
pack in their lunch bag is seen by kids as being an important
reflection of who they are. Driven
by having fun and belonging, nine-year-old Hannah said her favorite
thing to buy is clothes because she “likes to have different and
new things to show to her friends on the first day.”
Many of the groups
liked purchasing particular items because they felt a sense power
and freedom when their parents let them choose exactly what they
wanted. “I really
like to pick out new ones (pencils and folders) because I get to
choose them myself,” said Camille.
For eleven-year-old Andrew, shopping is all about fun.
“It’s always cool to get a new backpack.”
Of
course, the level of enthusiasm expressed for going on these
excursions differed within the groups.
For instance, nine-year-old Jack expressed that his favorite
thing to get was new pencils, “because they’re the easiest thing
to buy.” This
statement helps explain the Einstein-esque nature of centrics.
According to the great thinker, for every action, there must
be an opposite reaction. In
simpler terms, if shopping for something does not appeal to a
tween’s area of interest or centrics, there is an extremely low
level of enjoyment. Isn’t
that right, Jack?
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Top
What's
New This Month
Down
on the Corner…
The name 7-Eleven was
derived from the original hours of the largest convenience store
chain in the country. Now,
it appears to define the new age segment they are hoping to attract
more frequently. Participating
stores of the chain’s approximately 5,800 locations in the U.S.
and Canada have created a special beverage section just for kids.
Dubbed the “Cooler Fun
Zone,” the new section is at a lower eye-level and features nine
to twelve beverages for kids and tweens with names like
Tummy-Tickler, Baby Buddies, Cool Topz and Fun Water.
They are able to target all these sub-segments within the
youth age range by providing several sizes and age-appropriate
licensed characters that serve as the lids.
Elmo and Clifford the Big Red Dog appear on smaller juices
and waters for the younger ones, while older shoppers can choose
from SpongeBob Squarepants, Jimmy Neutron and the Simpsons.
The decision to create
this special section came after their initial success last year with
IN ZONE Brands’ Belly-Washers, a 100 percent Vitamin-C-fortified
beverage. The Powerpuff
Girls, Scooby-Doo and Jurassic Park served as the first licensed
character lids. Now,
beverages from various companies boast lids with characters from
Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, Marvel
Comics and others.
Citing that consumers aged
13 to 24 are among the chain’s most frequent shoppers, 7-Eleven
has worked to make other products at their stores more appealing to
tweens with the hopes of developing even more loyalty among the teen
and young adult age segment. For
the months of September and October, they are offering a new Slurpee®
flavor, Laffy Taffy® Blue Vanilla, that comes complete with what
all tweens love—free candy.
The
Blue Vanilla Laffy Taffy Rope candy was made exclusively for
7-Eleven and the new flavor. While
the store shouldn’t expect these youngsters to take advantage of
the extended store hours that have changed from the original ones,
there will definitely be younger and younger customers getting brain
freeze.
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to Top
Tech
Trends
Hanging
on the Web
Today’s youth
continue to surf the Internet as companies and programs work to
incorporate new waves into their marketing mix.
According to Nielsen//NetRatings, twenty million users aged
2-17 accessed the Web in July 2002, spending more than nine hours
each online during the month. The
ever-popular practice of Instant Messaging drew 11.5 million kids
and teens to the web, making up nearly 25% on the total at-home
Instant Messaging population.
Their interest in
Instant Messaging helped a majority of the top 15 sites that were
most heavily trafficked by kids and teens, with 9 of the 15
featuring instant messaging tools and services like downloadable IM
icons and profiles. The
top five for the month were ColorYourProfyle.com, ActiveBuddy.com,
IMTools.com, gURL.com and FireHotQuotes.com, with all but gURL.com
being an Instant Messaging-related site.
While having
Instant Messaging is obviously a plus, websites based on events
popular with teens, like Fox Network’s “American Idol” and the
MTV Video Music Awards did well.
With the online voting aspect of “American Idol”, the
site’s traffic went up 193 percent the day before the final
episode, from 82,000 visitors to 241,000 visitors.
Along with the ability to vote, the site offered clips of
performances and photos of the contestants.
When all was said and done, there was even an opportunity to
chat with the winner Kelly Clarkson.
MTV.com also
benefited from keeping a fan-friendly website going during a major
teen TV event. The
site’s traffic went up 151 percent for the week ending September
1, a time which included an opportunity to vote for the Viewer’s
Choice Award leading up to the August 29th show.
More than 51 percent of the visitors logged on to view
special video highlights, exclusive photos and a recap of the show.
The total number of unique visitors was a staggering 976,000.
Overall,
kids, tweens and teens continue to incorporate the Internet into
their everyday lives, and habits like Instant Messaging and keeping
up to speed on pop culture are very prevalent.
The amount of interest garnered by websites based on or
showcasing teen-friendly events demonstrates how the Internet can be
a very influential way to heighten fan interest.
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to Top
Kids
Filling
Up the Tube with Tubbies
What is that over
in the corner, behind the tree, in your rear-view mirror and cutting
in front of you to buy a Chalupa?
It’s just Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, or as some
simply know them, the Teletubbies.
Ragdoll, creator of the original series, announced recently
that their new series, TELETUBBIES EVERYWHERE, will make its
US debut on January 20, 2003 as part of the PBS KIDS preschool
programming block.
TELETUBBIES
EVERYWHERE is a 10-minute episode that will open each daily
program of Teletubbies with a focus on early learning
concepts. It combines
the same humor and comedy of the original show with a non-linear
series of simple games, counting exercises, musical patterns and
rhythms specially designed to help develop children’s cognitive
skills. The combination
of the new version and the original should give the children a sense
of exploring someplace new before they return to the familiar home
of Teletubbyland.
The 52-episode,
10-minute-long programs will also feature a live action segment that
showcases children from around the world, including Russia, South
Korea and India. The
hope is that the inclusion of several countries will show that
learning is universal. The
latest version premiered in the UK in 2002 on the BBC’s digital
preschool channel, CBeebies.
Along
with the show, Toys“R”Us has recently unveiled an exclusive new
line of plush toys based on the most successful children’s program
in history and PBS has a broadcasting agreement to air the show
through 2008. Hopefully
they won’t be cutting in line that whole time.
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Top
Tweens
Something
New for Their Spokes
Kids have always
been able to turn a simple bicycle into a revving motorcycle with
the help of trading cards and some imagination.
Today many adults surely think back in dismay to all of the
Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron cards they destroyed.
Wizards of the Coast hopes the added bonuses they have
included in Pokémon-e TCG cards, an interactive trading card will
keep their following of more than 30 million fans and players
worldwide from making a similar mistake.
The first Pokémon-e
set, Pokémon-e: Expedition™,
is hitting shelves this month.
It can be used within the popular trading card game format
and offers new art and trainer cards, as well as favorite Pokémon
characters. Collectors
will be able to find one of the coveted foil cards in every booster
pack and a random foil card in each theme deck.
While all of these
extra features should create an “active” interest, there is
another feature that will make them truly “interactive.”
The Pokémon-e TCG cards are encoded with Dot Code stripes
like credit cards so they can be swiped into the new e-Reader™
attachment for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance.
Once this is done, collectors will be able to access game
tips and strategies, sound effects, graphics and mini videogames
which are all revealed on the Game Boy Advance screen.
The
e-Reader by Nintendo, which was highlighted in a previous issue of
Youth University, hit shelves last week and retails for a suggested
$39.95. It will have
card packs of its own that will enhance game play or unlock features
in existing Game Boy Advance games.
Pokémon-e collectors who purchase the e-Reader will receive
a sample set of three cards. They
can also obtain a special, limited-edition Celebi promotional card
when they attend the opening of Pokémon Movie 4, “Pokémon
4Ever,” on October 11, 2002.
With all of these tie-ins, it should prove to be quite an
interactive experience for kids.
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to Top
Teens
Something
New in the Air
Every
changing season brings new smells and looks to the forefront.
Fall is no exception, and that’s just in the hallways of
high schools as another year progresses through its first month.
Football pep rallies around the country are being graced by
the scent of J Lo, the look of Dawson’s Creek and Road
Rules and have the feel of an “international coffee moment.”
Truthfully,
the halls might not smell exactly like the pop star herself, but
more like her new perfume Glow, designed by J Lo in a move less than
a year removed from the release of her own clothing line, which is
aptly titled The J. Lo Girls Collection.
Glow uses a blend of three scents, bright citrus, musky
vanilla and floral scents, to deliver on the “Fresh, Sexy,
Clean” scent that the fragrance promises to deliver.
The thin, frosted bottle which, not surprisingly, has a big
curve about half way down, comes with a girly pendant designed by
Miss Lo herself. There’s
also body lotion and shower gel.
American
Eagle Outfitters, a teen- and young-adult-targeted retailer that
dresses the cast of Dawson’s Creek and Road Rules,
has also created a new line of cosmetics to go with its Alive
Revitalize and Alive Relax bath and body products.
The new makeup kits, called AEcolorkits, include eye shadow,
lip-gloss and nail polish and have teen-friendly features like melon
scents and glitter. They
also have launched a new signature fragrance called Aura.
Another
collection of sophisticated scents this fall is the new Coffee Café
collection from Bonne Bell, a cosmetics company that continues to be
a favorite of tween and teen girls.
The company already provides flavors like Red Licorice
Launch, Pink Zing and Bubble Gum Blow Out, along with various lip
care lines including Lip Lites, Lip Shake and Lip Shox.
Coffee
Café products are available for a limited time only and include
names like Java Jolt, Double Mocha Freeze, Mocha Nilla Café and
Coffee Buzz. The
combination of trendy, sweet flavors and fun-sounding names should
have many teens smelling like a cup o’ Joe.
With teenage girls spending approximately $8-9 billion a year
on health care and beauty products, cosmetic companies will continue
to find new ways to appeal to this target market.
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Trend Watch
The
Last Train to Collectorsville
The only thing
that may be cuter than a little boy dressed up like a train
conductor is that little boy’s grandfather wearing the same garb.
The possibility that gramps could actually be a conductor
gives him the tiebreaker. According
to a recent article in Playthings magazine, there may be less and
less little boys wearing those famous pinstriped coveralls.
The article explored the latest trends in hobby stores and
collectibles, covering what’s hot and what’s not.
Model trains, for
one, are not drawing in younger audiences, and other classics like
model kits are also struggling.
The trend has gone from collectors wanting things that they
could put together themselves to looking for items that are
pre-built. The audience
for the “old school” models is, well, old.
Of course there
are some exceptions. Warhammer
from Games Workshop offers miniature figures that require less
assembly but still needed to be painted, providing some
personalization and sense of accomplishment.
The kits are also part of combat games that make them more
than just models, and thus, helped them expand from hobby stores to
some mass retailers. These
stores in fact may help the traditional hobby stores though by
helping to generate more overall interest in the hobby world.
However, die-cast
miniatures that still boast an audience of all ages are not feeling
the overall decline like plastic models and trains.
Mattel, one of the major players in this category, is
celebrating its 50th anniversary with its Matchbox brand
with Hot Wheels also remaining steady.
According to TRSTS data, the basic cars are the number one
toy three years running, in both dollars and units.
Die-cast
cars are getting some modern updates as well, with specialty
companies working to offer more updated looks.
Los Angeles company Jada Toys is putting an urban spin on
traditional cars, including a line of cars that have 20-inch rims
and monster stereo speakers. With
movies like The Fast and the Furious bringing
“underground” automobiles to the forefront, specialty cars will
reach a wider audience. With
hobby stores also working to stay ahead of the curve with trends in
collectibles, the overall industry should also remain strong.
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Top
Upcoming Events
in Youth Marketing
Tween
Power
2002
November
6-8, 2002 – Hyatt
Regency, Phoenix
Tween
Power 2002 is right around the corner! The Kid Power Xchange
will proudly serve as your host for a live gathering of the best and
brightest youth marketers. Thousands of marketers worldwide have
attended Kid Power Xchange events, and have reaped the benefits of
hearing from renowned tween marketing gurus. Tween
Power 2002 will focus on the fastest growing segment in the Kid
marketplace -- Kids aged 8-12! To
register, please call 800-882-8684, email info@kidpowerx.com,
or visit www.kidpowerx.com.
Kid
Power
Food & Beverage Marketing 2003
January
23-24, 2003 – Hyatt
Regency, New
Orleans
Kid
Power Food & Beverage Marketing 2003 is coming! The Kid
Power Xchange will proudly serve as your host for a live gathering
to learn about the latest in food trends for kids. Thousands of
marketers worldwide have attended Kid Power Xchange events, and
anyone involved in marketing strategies for food, beverage,
restaurant and confectionary industries will benefit from meeting
with renowned kid food and beverage marketing experts. Kid
Power Food & Beverage Marketing 2003 will have an all-new agenda
including research executives, new product gurus and exciting case
studies. To
register, please call 800-882-8684, email info@kidpowerx.com,
or visit www.kidpowerx.com.
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Top
Youth
University is brought to you free each month by WonderGroup.
We
hope you find Youth University valuable and helpful. WonderGroup,
a 360º youth marketing agency provides services including:
Advertising, New Product Development, Research and Promotions.
You can learn more about WonderGroup at
www.wondergroup.com or
by calling Greg Livingston, theshadow@wondergroup.com,
at (513) 357-2950.
See
you next month!
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