Recently, we’ve launched a brand new blog series, Kid Comprehension. In this, we explore the trends, unique traits and methods to better reach, connect with and understand the future generation of makers, builders and consumers.
The first installment of the series can be found here, in which we discuss how to maintain a child’s attention in the time of shortening attention spans.
This week, we’re taking a look at the youngest consumers and their perceptions about brands, including how brands influence their lives.
As our children grow older and enter the market as independent purchasers, brand loyalty becomes noticeably more difficult to establish than with prior generations. While older generations still remember the days when only paper ads existed, today’s youngest have witnessed brands’ attempts to reach them and solidify loyalty since day one. They’re skeptical, less susceptible to traditional advertising and have already experienced an influx of touch points with brands through just about any technological platform out there.
However, it certainly isn’t impossible to establish some level of loyalty with them.
More and more, our children seek brands that uphold the beliefs, values and causes they support. Kids are drawn to toys, clothing and gadgets that they believe genuinely represent them and support their personal values.
To a future engineer, this could mean something as simple as interest in a brand that supports STEM education for kids. To a young artist, this could mean brands that allow children to celebrate and exercise their own creative expression through multiple media (digital or physical).
Now more than ever, children are looking to express themselves in an authentic, meaningful way. So, kids are naturally attracted to brands that not only recognize them for their own unique traits but also allows the expression of those traits.
Generation researcher Ryan Jenkins notes that today’s youngest prioritize seeking “uniqueness in the brands they do business with, future employers, and their leaders.” Born in the age of social, where everyone seems to have done everything, today’s children are looking for a way of distinguishing themselves from the run of the mill. Often, this opportunity is found through the brands they play with, wear and enjoy.
Kids want to determine whether “the brand is authentic and is worthy of their time, money and values,” says generation researcher Nancy Nessel. Through the things they play with, wear and purchase, kids want to express “who they really are.”
Overall, this generation is comprised of expressive, authentic kiddos searching for genuine relationships that represent who they are. Kidpreneurs, mini makers and future thought leaders alike search for brands that match their values and interests. For consumers and companies alike, value and brand alignment is an important aspect to keep in mind as the holiday season draws near. Will kids find value in your brand?