PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION

The kids' market is attractive because money is there and if young consumers buy the brand now and become loyal it sets a course for predictable sales growth in the future. Companies can't just satisfy kids' needs now, but need to develop them as users of the product so they'll buy as adults also. While the teenage market has been declining for more than 10 years, total spending for this group has been rising. Between 1978 and 1988 spending rose from about $32.2 billion to $55 billion for teens. The typical adolescent spent $2,331 in 1988--more than twice as much as ten years earlier. The total impact of teenagers on the U.S. economy is $248.7 billion. Parents gave kids $33.5 billion for family grocery shopping in 1988. Youngsters influence almost $150 billion in family purchases. It is estimated that 4-12 year-olds used $6.2 billion of their own money in 1987, up from $4.2 in 1984, to buy items like snacks, candy, and toys.

YOUTH MARKET PRESENCE AND OPPORTUNITIES:

There hasn't been enough done in the kid's market, so now it is a niche everyone is after. But, children are tough consumers for adults to understand. Commercials should have children who are about 2 years older than the ones being targeted. A "cool" image needs to be created for the children. You can't disappoint kids; you must deliver what is promised. Advertising shouldn't overlook mom altogether. Parents and kids must always be given equal consideration because parents are the ones who make most of the final decisions in most households.

"The absence of food advertisements on MTV is a clear sign of the industry's misperceptions about young people as food purchasers. Only a handful of companies, including Campbell's Soup, Kraft, and General Foods, are attempting to reach young people through MTV and other youth-oriented media." (Graham and Hamdan, 1987)

More marketers are targeting younger children with point-of- purchase (P-0-P) displays and packaging innovations. Cereal makers have used P-0-P techniques for years. If a cereal box contains a prize kids want, they have to have it. Grocery stores place sugary cereals on lower shelves so children can control the purchase decisions.

Here are some examples of advertisements focused toward children:

Since the youth market has been ignored so much, there is a great variety of products that could be developed to target to this group.

One product that I think would do quite well if marketed correctly would be an extension of a drink already on the market; it is a sparkling water and fruit juice drink with no added sugar or artificial sweetener and is targeted to the adult market. if this company changed the labeling and advertised in teen magazines and on MTV, making this drink seem "cool", younger people would want to buy it. The labels would need to be bright and colorful, and depending on the age group in which you wanted to target you could have a cartoon character selling the product or a popular rock star promote the product. By testing the products using focus groups, you could find out what age group liked the drink best, what type of labeling this age group liked, and what type of advertising was most effective.

By making a nutritious drink targeted specifically to kids, that parents will see the benefits of, and making this drink seem like a status symbol or something fun or "cool", kids will want to buy this drink. They may also become brand loyal and continue buying this brand as adults, not just because of the brand but also because they love the taste and see it as a healthy drink.

This type of marketing, by basically just changing the labels and advertising of a product that already exists, could be used to sell many products presently on the market. Considering the amount of youth who are obese, targeting low fat, healthy food to this market would also be a good idea.