Marketing products to kids can make some people a little apprehensive, but we've been doing it for longer than any of us really can know. Even so, you can find some businesses with a record of ignoring children when they draw up promotion plans. To them, it would seem that marketing to kids doesn't have clear benefits for anything other than specific businesses. This narrow view isn't as common as it used to be and the promotional items business has plenty of kid promos to choose from.
One of the most talented marketers, the fast food business has been a master of marketing to children for the past number of decades. They pushed the usual "kids menu" concept in a wholly new direction when they created meals with special name and special wrapping targeted directly at children. The food was not simply undersized portions with a clever name, but involved promotional packaging and promotional toys. It turned out so successful for one company that the foremost competitors couldn't ignore it any more and now they've got their own. Years of kids specifically asking for one themed set of promotional products, though it was probably the toys more than anything else. Talk about a success!
Every kind of business has a course to youth and kids promotions. Banks, for example, persuade kids to start saving early by giving out personalized piggy banks or having other promotional items that are kid friendly. Perhaps piecing together "Getting started" gear for children that will instruct them on the benefits of putting things away for a rainy day. The transportation segment has unique "fun packs" they recommend to families which are vehicle-themed boxes with more airplane/train/bus themed promotional items within. As an alternative, instead of obviously promoting to kids you can include them in shaping your promotional efforts... kids like a contest as much as any adults do!
You'll need to be careful, though. Marketing to children and youth can step over the line and turn into exploitation, though, which is a disagreeable situation to create. Kids aren't brainless, so try not to treat them that way. Blatant manipulation of children generally angers everyone else, too, and your advertising turns into an image management problem. Add an education touch to your promotional items, using some of the explicitly educational promotional items like unique safety coloring books or other products with educational messages. Just as you should when selling to adults, your promotional products should create a mutually beneficial relationship of sorts with the kids you target.
The difference between marketing and alienating prospective customers can always be kind of unclear, but is particularly perilous when it comes to kids. While McDonald's special mealtime idea turned out to be a huge success, they tripped themselves up when they went as far as marketing directly on a school's report cards. Almost every school district, looking for more revenue, has at least considered allowing restaurants to set up shop in a cafeteria and this is always controversial. So don't toe the line too closely, you don't know when you'll accidentally cross it.
There are pitfalls to youngster promos, just like any other promotion. Even so, including youth in promotion efforts remains a worthwhile idea. Don't be slimy about it and you'll be fine. You're creating long-term clientele if you do it the right way!
