Kids act as brand consultant, says Kantar's report

In an attempt to delve deep into the Indian kids’ market and understand their interaction with their environment, Kantar IMRB has launched its annual property KidScan. This study shows that kids act as brand consultant for categories that target them as well as for big ticket brands operating in categories such as consumer electronics, automobiles, etc.

The study seeks to understand the product trends of different industries. Advertising plays a huge role in shaping kids’ preferences and influence them to buy brands. 36 per cent of the kids claimed they definitely go and buy the product because they felt that the ad was nice. The same goes for digital and television categories, where 62 per cent of the kids feel TV is not only for entertainment but also a source of information. For example, 63 per cent of the kids watch English channels to improve their English. The study found that in the digital category, 17 per cent of the kids who use Internet have accounts on Facebook. They mostly use Facebook for chatting (15 per cent). 55 per cent of users feel Internet is a close ‘buddy’.

To better understand kids’ views on the outlook for the retail industry, the study shared some insights, like 69 per cent of the kids think it is important to wear the latest fashion. Deciding what to wear evokes a feeling of confusion in 41 per cent of the kids.

According to the report, 77 per cent of the kids feel that it is important to save money for the future. One in two kids access internet without anyone's help. Four in 10 kids watch serials even when their mother is not watching. Kids spend 48 minutes on an average school day and 60 minutes on a holiday using a mobile phone/tablet. 63 per cent of the kids spend their pocket money on biscuits. 36 per cent of the kids claimed they definitely go and buy a product because they felt the ad was nice.

The study draws up a holistic report on how kids consume brands with special focus on food, beverages and related categories. A segment on how media is consumed, with a special focus on television and emerging media, also forms an integral part of the study. It also unearths the level of peer influence and its implications on the kids’ purchase and consumption, their ambitions, key drivers and barriers to choice, lifestyle, the amount of pester power they yield, parental pressure and much more. In a nutshell, KidScan serves the purpose of a handbook for marketers.

The quantitative study combines innovative approaches utilising both face-to-face and self-filling questionnaires. The findings are derived from a robust sample size of 2,500 kids in the age group of five years to 14 years and an equal number of parents, belonging to New SEC A, B and C households, spread across 14 cities in the country.

The study also highlights the real time record of kid’s regular activities and analyses the communication conundrum to get the brand message across. It also breaks the clutter in the market which helps brands to deliver the target message across.

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