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In a world impacted by COVID-19, every strategy needs a rethink.
For brands creating content and products for kids and teens, getting a clear and up-to-date view of how they’re feeling, how they’re perceiving this mass change, and how their needs and expectations are changing is crucial.
Our new data set – delivered in a unique way to get answers straight from the youngest generation – can guide your strategic decisions to surefire success.
How kids are feeling right now
Insights are the first building brick of any great idea – you know this. To get to them, we ask questions that shine a light on topics children are rarely asked about.
Here’s a taster of what we’ve found so far.
Girls’ empowerment
- Girls aged 12-15 are more likely than boys of the same age to say they can do any job they want to by a large margin (57% vs 31%).
- Being vocal is also more important to them: 47% of girls aged 12-15 say sharing their views/opinions is more important, compared to 42% of boys the same age.
Mental health
- Boys aged 12-15 are less likely to say talking about their feelings is important to them (37% vs 45% for girls).
Gaming
- Gaming is a big part of kids’ daily lives. 89% of 8-11 year olds say they’ve played games before and 85% of 12-15 year olds say they’ve played video games in the last month.
- They’re also playing often. Just over 70% of gamers aged 8-15 play video games most days, or every day. That holds true regardless of age or gender, with 64% of girls saying that gaming is part and parcel of their routine.
COVID-19
- 38% of teens aged 12-15 are worried about the future, compared to 26% of those aged 8-11. This remains pretty consistent regardless of the impact COVID-19 has had on their household’s financial situation.
- Kids’ biggest worry around COVID-19 is their family getting ill at 61%. Worries about their loved one’s health comes way ahead of other worries like missing out, falling behind at school, or worrying about themselves falling ill.
What’s important to young teens
- 47% of young teens aged 12-15 describe themselves as open-minded.
- Out of a list of 14 options, 61% of teens say helping people is important to them, making it their top factor, and 55% also say that everyone being treated the same is important to them, highlighting the progressive values young people hold.
- Teens aged 12-15 say that what their family thinks of them is more important to them than what other people their age think of them (49% vs. 28%). Similarly, they’re far more likely to say that their role models are people in their life (41%), rather than famous people (15%). Family has a greater influence on young people than is often realized.
Why it’s important to listen to what kids are saying
You already know content needs to be created based on reliable insights into your target audience, and kids are no exception.
When you use data straight from the source, you know you’re onto a winner.
Good quality research on how today’s youths think and behave does exist. But finding a source that has the scale you need to be truly representative – one that paints an in-depth picture of their views and opinions – hasn’t been easy to find – until now.
GWI Kids is the new, fully opt-in data set that explores the attitudes and behaviors of kids aged 8-15 across 14 markets. This unique study is carried out by interviewing both kids and their parents/guardians with 100% transparency, giving you a reliable view of the world, through their eyes.
So what does it take to put it into practice?
1. Get your data harmonized.
When you have a veritable candy store of data at your fingertips, you need to make sure it adds up. GWI Kids data slots right into our core offering, giving you the ability to do your research across the board, in one place.
Picture this: You’ve got over 40,000 data points in our core data set telling you what parents are thinking and doing, but you can’t match that up with the views of kids and teens. Now you can.
2. Fill in the gaps.
Odds are this isn’t your first rodeo speaking to kids – but where are you lacking? With questions no one else has asked before, you can identify the places where you need to optimize your strategy and make a bigger splash.
Picture this: You’re developing a new product for kids aged 12-15 that speaks directly to the importance of sustainability, but you can’t validate it’s the right approach. Now you can.
3. Pinpoint the opportunities.
The whole point is knowing how and where to engage with youngsters, at the end of the day. Find those great opportunities to reach them – in the right way.
Picture this: you’re developing a new concept you think will land, but you need some inspiration directly from the source to make sure it’s kid-proof.
- What do they really want from brands?
- What do they want you to care about?
- How do they want you to speak to them?
Future-proof your plans
Like every audience, kids change – fast. The difference is, they change faster than most.
To get the full picture, you need to know how they see their future.
With thousands of demographic, behavioral and psychographic data points, you can finally get a clear idea of what kids expect from brands. Dive into the hopes, fears, dreams and opinions of the youngest generation and find out exactly what will move them.
