“We don't believe in online only
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2025 5:55 am
Little Red Riding Hood as a transmedia story, games as a successful marketing tool, apps for toddlers and a rattle with an iPhone holder. The 'trend' on the first day of the annual conference Trends in Kids and Youth Marketing was clear: if you want to reach children, go digital. But is digital also the best way to bind the target group to you? What does this trend mean for traditional media such as print and TV? Should it all be online or do marketers still believe in the power of tangible means? Draw your own conclusion.
Toddlers on iPhone
Primary school children grew up with a computer in the old-fashioned way, but the youngest generation initially leaves the Mac or PC behind and prefers to work with iPad and iPhone. “Much nicer with your fingers”, and: “You can go anywhere right away”, according to two toddlers during the AppNootMuis study by Mijn Kind Online and Kids & Family Insight.
Households today are small multimedia centres, you can break your neck over smartphone nigeria phone number list tablets, laptops, e-readers and game consoles, so to speak. And the vast majority of parents (90%) think it is okay for their toddler or preschooler to play with these digital media. Of course there are also fierce opponents, although it has not yet been scientifically proven that apps or computer games are harmful. Marketers and game designers often still have some difficulty translating offline children's games into the online version. Stefanie Jansen (Kids and Family Insight) invites the conference participants to show their own children's site. Very confronting because... a lot of text (they can't read yet), unclear games (Stefanie can't find the panda either) and points of attention that provide useful tips.
Making the transition from offline to online. That will be at the top of the agenda in many companies and marketing departments in the coming years. But does everything have to be online? Or will a new medium never be able to fully replace an old medium?
Eric Lücke, CEO of Rabobank Hoorn & Omstreken, is very adamant during his workshop 'School as a communication channel': "By only being present online, we do not reach children. Children do not visit our site, they are not interested. That is why we went into the classroom to talk to children live. What do they want to know about a bank? They stayed seated during the break because they had not finished asking questions." Lücke explains to children in simple language how banking works. To prove that he really dares to be transparent, he even published the annual financial report of his banks in 'children's language'. This printed, offline booklet turned out to be a world first. In no time at all it was picked up by numerous (children's) media, including Jeugdjournaal and Kidsweek.
Toddlers on iPhone
Primary school children grew up with a computer in the old-fashioned way, but the youngest generation initially leaves the Mac or PC behind and prefers to work with iPad and iPhone. “Much nicer with your fingers”, and: “You can go anywhere right away”, according to two toddlers during the AppNootMuis study by Mijn Kind Online and Kids & Family Insight.
Households today are small multimedia centres, you can break your neck over smartphone nigeria phone number list tablets, laptops, e-readers and game consoles, so to speak. And the vast majority of parents (90%) think it is okay for their toddler or preschooler to play with these digital media. Of course there are also fierce opponents, although it has not yet been scientifically proven that apps or computer games are harmful. Marketers and game designers often still have some difficulty translating offline children's games into the online version. Stefanie Jansen (Kids and Family Insight) invites the conference participants to show their own children's site. Very confronting because... a lot of text (they can't read yet), unclear games (Stefanie can't find the panda either) and points of attention that provide useful tips.
Making the transition from offline to online. That will be at the top of the agenda in many companies and marketing departments in the coming years. But does everything have to be online? Or will a new medium never be able to fully replace an old medium?
Eric Lücke, CEO of Rabobank Hoorn & Omstreken, is very adamant during his workshop 'School as a communication channel': "By only being present online, we do not reach children. Children do not visit our site, they are not interested. That is why we went into the classroom to talk to children live. What do they want to know about a bank? They stayed seated during the break because they had not finished asking questions." Lücke explains to children in simple language how banking works. To prove that he really dares to be transparent, he even published the annual financial report of his banks in 'children's language'. This printed, offline booklet turned out to be a world first. In no time at all it was picked up by numerous (children's) media, including Jeugdjournaal and Kidsweek.