Targeting the Tween

I find it remarkable, but not surprising that advertisers focus on tweens as a target audience.  This article is found in B & T Magazine which is a business publication that focuses on marketing, advertising and media. Throughout the article references are made to Generation Z, the first generation born into the world with the internet. Their world is dominated by Google, Facebook, My Space, Wikipedia, Hotmail, Gmail, iTunes etc.  It is the knowledge of this generation and their world that savvy advertisers target for tween products.

In Australia, six to thirteen year olds account for a full 10% of the country’s population. In a survey there of 1200 six to twelve year olds, it was revealed that 67% of them own an iPod, 64% own a mobile phone and 44% have a Facebook profile. (The Facebook statistic is interesting because my understanding is that you must be thirteen years old to have a Facebook account.) In the same survey, tweens responded to the question of activities they enjoy with: 70% reading magazines, 69% reading books (encouraging to this librarian), 67% listening to music and 61% watching TV.  Compare this to the finding in the same study that the respondents watched TV for 14 hours, spent 7 hours online and 2 hours reading magazines in a one week period.

The theory for advertisers is to shift focus from traditional media to these areas where tweens spend their time (and their parents money?)  The article points to Disney’s Club Penguin as a current successful model. It is a virtual world where children can play interactive games, connect with friends and has an emphasis on safety.  Social gaming is part of the tween world allowing them to be connected to a larger group, and advertisers will spend $220 million worldwide this year in this realm.  The advice for companies targeting the tween can be summarized with “the media owners evolving best are those no longer creating just magazine titles or shows, but brands, with associated extensions such as online games, toys, CDs. books, and events such as Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards, as well as sponsorships such as Total Girls.”

I did not react with disgust to this article (I have bristled at other tween targeted advertising.)  Advertising to this group is obvious, ever present and a reality of today’s tween world.  As parents, teachers,and librarians we would be best served to be knowledgeable of the process and help tweens to be informed as they make their choices.

Ryan-Segger, T. (2010). TARGETING THE TWEEN. B&T Magazine, 60(2725), 20-25.                    

       Retrieved from EBSCOhost.