PA REN T I N S I G H TS RES EA RCH

WHY DIGITAL IS VITAL WHEN ENGAGING KIDS Kids Insights explains how more accessible tech is changing children’s ecosystems and how marketers can build a strategy that works.

Inset: 70% of four year olds now own a tablet compared with 64% 18 months ago.

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he preschool children’s marketplace is rapidly evolving, and we’re seeing huge changes in the way children spend their time and use technology. Kids Insights started collecting data in mid-2017 and since then, we have witnessed the ecosystems of four year olds change in many ways. One trend we’ve noticed is the growth in the number of children who have tablets, with 70% of four year olds now owning one compared with 64% 18 months ago. Our data reveals that ownership of mobile phones at age four has more than doubled, with 19% of children saying they own a mobile phone, compared with 9% 18 months ago. With so many more children owning their own tablet or mobile phone, they naturally have more exposure to online content, such as streaming, apps, social platforms and games. In turn, the wide choice of digital content available also

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makes kids more likely to keep using and buying technology. Our data demonstrates that digital technology is growing faster than the more traditional medium of TV, with 19% now owning their own TV set compared with 17% 18 months ago. This is a relatively small increase in comparison with the rise of tablets and mobiles. Voice technology is also becoming popular with children and one in ten now have an Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa capabilities at home. Kids tell us that they enjoy using voiceactivation features on their devices, too.

At this time of day, 65% of kids are watching TV, while 62% are using their tablet. As with the ownership figures, this demonstrates just how quickly digital is taking over from TV, which has long been the traditional medium that brands and advertisers used to reach children. In reaction to this change, many advertisers are now focusing their spend on digital campaigns to reach this growing audience of kids. According to PwC, the market for digital advertising directed at children is estimated to reach $1.2bn by this year as children shift their attention to smartphones and tablets. That amount equates to 28% of all advertising spend that’s directed towards this demographic. If marketers want to reach children, they too need to start incorporating digital into their strategy, but with children’s ecosystems evolving and becoming more fragmented, it can be difficult to know exactly where to efficiently target such a strategy. Kids Insights surveys 400 different UK children every single week and we use the responses to constantly update our portal with 150,000 data points. Clients can view this information in real time and they are able to filter and interrogate data within the portal. For example, it is possible to cross-reference data by discovering Right: Ownership of mobile phones at age four has more than doubled, with 19% saying they own one.

CHILDREN INCREASINGLY FAVOUR DIGITAL More preschool kids are turning to tablets to unwind at the end of the day and our data reveals that almost as many children are using their tablet as the TV in the late afternoon and early evening.

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08/03/2019 12:27