Archive for the ‘Kids’ Category

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Imprinting

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Imprinting, to biologists, is a rapid development of a response to a particular stimulus at an early stage of development. This is most commonly referenced to birds and their observed behaviour when newly hatched. In our research work with kids, we have borrowed that term because it best communicates the regularly observed ‘imprinting’ phenomenon, particularly in their responses to certain advertising and communication.

Our understanding of this new idea of ‘imprinting’ developed and grew after numerous observations of kids watching advertisements and viewing other communication materials. The patterns of behaviour did relate to their level of involvement with the advertising, but these patterns also hinted at something much deeper than merely ‘awareness’ and/or ‘enjoyment’. The concept of ‘imprinting’ became even more defined following work we did reviewing trailers of films with kids.

In all ads or ad concepts tested in our projects, qualitative success was determined by awareness (and remembering the story of the ad), the enjoyment and, most importantly, the kids’ ‘take-away’ of the key strategic message(s) of the communication.

Success of any kids’ advertisement would generally be measured by:

. the impact on market and category; and/or
• desire of kids to ask for product or purchase it themselves; and/or
• the stories mothers tell about their kids’ involvement with ads; and/or
• the success of products (sales)

However, we noted that the successful ads (later measured by their in-market success) had one or more of the following common behaviours:

• acting out parts of the advertisement;
• dancing/moving to the music;
• singing the songs; and
• imitating or copying behaviour or sounds or slogans or phrases/statements by the character(s) in the advertisements.

These, in fact, are key triggers of communication success with children, but also can be useful for communication to adults.

This understanding has dramatically changed the way we observe kids viewing ads or other communication ideas. We now actively look for imprinted behaviour, and can recognise these as likely success markers.

Maybe we can now find a better way to talk to kids about vegetables!

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No bits please, I’m a kid

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

No matter where in the world we have worked with kids on various food and beverage projects, inevitably we are tasked to learn from young people about texture. Product developers and marketers, in their desire to add excitement to products and to differentiate, often try to play around with the texture. Inevitably this generates ideas that add texture – often in the form of ‘bits’ or particulates – to the product.

Though intellectually this seems a good idea, it rarely works. Why? Because no matter how hard we’ve tried, the vast majority of kids just don’t like bits (particulates) in their food. I have seen kids stare in horror at food products that look as if they MIGHT have bits (though amusing to see, it does not make product developers or marketers very happy at all!).

There MAY be one exception to this – but it involves providing a mechanism that allows the child to control the ‘bits’ and put them into the product him/herself. Examples of this are the yoghurt products that have a separate cup or tray with pieces that the child then blends into the product – but even in these products I have seen many children eat the yoghurt and the particulates separately.

This is a physiological phenomenon – young babies have been observed spitting out particulates in food. This is believed to be an innate behavior driven by safety – some think to protect against choking; others think it is because in our distant history, seeds and particulates may have been poisonous. But whatever the reason, the observed behavior remains the same: kids prefer smooth textures, with no potential of bits or even the perception of bits.

Recurring truths are incredibly interesting. And though I always want to give every product and every idea a fair chance, I suspect that it will be unlikely that kids will learn to love bits in the food – at least in my lifetime.

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It’s all about control

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

I am frequently asked, “what is the most important driver of behaviour of kids?”.

Because kids’ lives have become more complex, and the numerous things they like have become more fragmented. We all know that technology has driven the fragmentation, so I don’t need to talk more about that – we get it. Bur interestingly, fragmentation has highlighted a bigger, transcending truth.

Even in this modern, high-tech world, when children are young, they do not control much of their world – but they want to. In broad generalisations, they are told when to get up, when to go to school, what to eat, when to do homework, even when to play.

The number one, most important driver of kids is control.

It doesn’t matter the age – though of course, the age/stage of development dictates the manifestation of control. Babies show a desire for control by wanting to roll over, then stand up, then walk on their own. “Me do it! Me do it!” rings continuously. As they mature they then want to make choices on their own, go out with their friends on their own, and ultimately move out on their own – and then they have their own kids and start the process over again.

This striving for control easily translates into popular food and beverage products. Selecting the flavour of ice cream in a supermarket or ice-cream shop is one example. Selecting the topping to go on ice cream gives a bit more control. Having multiple choices of inclusions for ice cream provides even more control.

To use another example, even the simple act of pouring out a bowl of cereal and adding milk gives a child control. Food and beverage products that enhance the target aged child’s perception that he or she is ‘in control’ is more likely to have appeal than those products that do not.

It’s not just food, successful products in all categories are likely to be popular – at least in part – by the sense of control the child, tween or teen feels. Video games, internet sites, even iPods/MP3 players all deliver control quite brilliantly.

When asked the question about what is the most important driver of kids, I have no hesitation in responding. When developing and marketing products for kids, if you deliver control, I believe (and it has been proven again and again) that you’re more than half way to success.

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Separation

Friday, September 25th, 2009

I finally understand – in my feelings, rather than only intellectually – what mums have been teaching me for years.

We had puppies – or I should say – our dog had puppies.

When we originally chose our dog, we first did research to discover a breed that would behave well with children. Not for the usual reason (as I don’t have children), but because our work involves research with very young children, and we thought that a small dog would be good to utilize in the beginning of our sessions. He or she would divert their attention from fear of the new environment, and calm them down. We chose the perfect dog because she is excellent in this regard (with kids) – and also has the ability to soothe and calm clients, too!

From the time she joined our life, though, she has been much more than a ‘working dog’. Though I am surprised to say it, she is truly a member of our family and home. She is sweet-natured, playful, and even though an adult dog, she has endearing puppy-like qualities. She loves to run free and enjoy the outdoors, and equally loves to sit on our laps and just ‘chill out’ with us in early mornings or evenings. She has brought and continues to bring joy, lots of smiles (and licks and cuddles), and a great deal of love.

Our objective in choosing a mate for her was to make sure that we had a puppy from her to carry on her line – and we wanted to find a mate that had a similar charm and ability to connect with people. When she gave birth, it was to four ‘girls’ – each beautiful (of course!), and as the weeks went by, they grew into lovely, distinct personalities.

It is re-housing three of the puppies that helps me deeply understand – both emotionally and rationally – the big lesson of motherhood. From the moment of birth, each mum knows it is her job to prepare her children for leaving the nest. It is a bitter-sweet task – full of incredible reward and intense pain. And though bursting with pride for the child’s accomplishment of each milestone, she realizes as well that each step the child makes is away from her.

And though I only experienced this with the puppies, I did get a slight glimmer of the intensity of emotion wrapped up in the knowledge of ‘doing the right thing’ and ‘making the right choice’ and the sadness at missing the person, and no longer being missed.

And if I get those feelings at merely 7 weeks, with just puppies, how must mums feel after many years of raising her children?? This is the core of motherhood, from which all else stems – and as we strive to understand her and her motivations, it will serve us well to understand this rationally, and at a minimum, empathize with her emotions.

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Finding our inner child is not just about therapy

Monday, September 7th, 2009

So often in our research with kids we find truths that give us insight into adults too.

I guess this makes sense – many things that make us what we are, are based on nature, and that nature has been part of us since conception.

The finding of ‘nature’ in behaviour (as opposed to ‘nurture’) has been very evident as we have worked in other cultures and regions throughout the world. When we see the same behavior across diverse cultures, it enables us to see beyond cultural impact to uncover that part of ourselves that is somehow innate.

It is not just other cultures that have developed our skills at grasping the innate, so to has our work with children. We observe and explore behavior and attitudes throughout the various ages and stages from childhood – starting with one year olds – through ‘tween’ and teen years, into adulthood. It is those behaviours that continue through childhood and well into adult years that are especially interesting.

Observation and imitation are excellent examples of combined behaviours that are important from birth and remain throughout our whole life. In our first years of life we absorb the world by instinctive observation and then copying behavior. Tweens and teens observe attitudes and behaviours, and imitate them as they ‘try on’ new ideas and personas – and this is an important part of their growing up. Adults, too, observe and copy when they learn new skills and, importantly, when they explore new products and categories.

Neophobic reactions to new products are also observed across the various lifestage groups. Sometimes consumers, no matter the age, prefer something only because they are ‘used to’ it, because they are familiar with it.

Being aware of, and understanding these natural behaviors have generated a new way of thinking about the importance of ‘child’ in research – with both kids and adults. Of course, the exact way we do this depends on the product, brand and category, as well as the age/stage of child or lifestage of adult – but the principle is the same. Finding the inner child helps us better understand what we need to learn and provides the ever-important context to be able to make the right decisions for our projects.

For me, then, ‘finding the inner child’ is no longer a cliché or merely psycho-babble – but a truth that makes me better at my job.

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Striving for new heights

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

It was my first trip to Vietnam, and I was really looking forward to experiencing the culture and get a glimpse of the beauty which I have read and been told about. I have heard of the great food, though only experienced it in Vietnamese restaurants on the West Coast of the USA. I was also very intrigued about the historical context, about the perception of the two wars and how the culture has evolved from the perception in Hollywood films. Friends that have been there have indicated that Vietnam is stunning, boasting vast areas of unspoiled nature.

Most interesting to me, though, was being able to meet Vietnamese people, and begin to understand them and what is important to them. As a researcher this is key, but also a more general curiosity to see the world from a different point of view.

I had the opportunity to learn about Vietnamese mums, and their desires for their children. It is always interesting to be able to compare a specific group of consumers, and because we work a lot with mums around the world, I was particularly interested to learn of the similarities and differences. A common theme was that ‘being tall’ is what is important to Vietnamese mums; what they want for their children. Though at first I was caught off guard, I continued to research and found many confirmations of the truth in this desire.

I recall hearing a similar theme from other Asian mums – particularly in Thailand and in China – though it never struck me as being quite so important, because many other things mixed into their desires. I did look further and found stories of Asian girls having major, elective surgery to have lengths of bone implanted in their legs, and enduring months of pain and recuperation to fulfill their desire to be taller.

Perhaps I never really noticed it in previous trips to Asia because of my own context. I am not particularly tall, but I am also not short. In fact, my height has not meant much to me since adolescence. I do recall, though, when I was much younger being the shortest in my class – even shorter than the shortest girl – and the feeling of inferiority that this gave me. Perhaps this feeling is what mums are trying to avoid for their kids?

The front page of one of the National newspapers on my third day of the trip told it all. The photo showed a picture of a visitor from the European Union coming off an airplane. Three Vietnamese officials met the visitor, and were standing lined up – their heads cocked back and looking up at the visitor. This transported me to the feelings I had when being the last picked for the soccer team because of being the shortest. I then totally understood those mums’ desire for their children. It gave a whole new meaning (or perhaps a remembered meaning from the depths of time) of the desire to ‘strive for new heights’.

It also confirms again the importance of continually seeing the world from the point of view of our consumers.

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Learning from learners how to teach

Monday, August 24th, 2009

In the late nineties we worked on a ground-breaking study which lasted just over six months.

The key was to understand young people’s comprehension and perception of nutrition. To our knowledge, no such study had ever been done before.

We had designed a framework in which the participating kids were tasked to create nutrition education programmes for other students their age and younger. We wanted to follow their progress as they researched the topic of food and nutrition. As they found aspects of interest they developed a nutritional education programme and then ultimately tested it on other kids.

Interestingly, three months after the research project was completed, we went back and tested the knowledge and behavior of those participating students. We also tested similarly aged students that had not participated in the project. The students that were part of the project had 3 times the accurate nutritional information, and had changed their eating behaviours in some ways. Most importantly, they were more aware of their choices, and no longer saw food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and could more easily balance their diets with accurate knowledge.

In this approach we learned so much about their perceptions and mis-conceptions, and then we worked with them to learn about nutritional topics, so that they could include proper information in their own education programmes.

The learnings were shared with the sponsoring food and beverage companies, with the view that they would be able to implement new strategies as they developed more nutritional foods for kids. But more importantly, we learned that the process of involving kids to put together programmes to teach other kids complex ideas was an excellent teaching tool.

Those groups of young people accomplished an amazing feat – and as a result of their efforts, we met with representatives from the UK government, the US National Institutes of Health and other agencies to suggest a plan to better teach young people about this abstract, difficult topic. We were told that we influenced the re-design of the Food Pyramid.

A few years later we were invited to present a paper at an international academic conference on nutrition and physical activity. We have even been asked to teach doctors learning to be pediatricians about kids and their perceptions (and misperceptions) of nutrition.

As I reflect back on that project in the light of today’s desire to move towards more healthful eating, I see that those learnings are still sound and relevant. Our hope, in the end, is that this model becomes the way in which kids are taught this subject. Even though this was 10 years ago, I still have my fingers crossed – but even if nothing further happens I am exceedingly proud of the work the kids did and how much we learned from learners how best to teach.

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For my children’s children

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

India is a remarkable place, full of rich history, heritage and culture. Working with kids in Indian schools is truly an experience, and always very memorable.

On one project we were in a village outside of Delhi, and the temperature was a sweltering 46° C (115°Fahrenheit). We could hardly breathe because the school was not equipped with air conditioning, or any cooling strategy at all. The local client recognized our plight and kindly brought in fans – and though the circulation of the air was somewhat of a relief as it blew over our sweat-laden bodies and cooled us a bit, it could not make us comfortable.

The young people, though, were more used to the heat. They carried handkerchiefs and regularly daubed the sweat from the faces. They smiled through it all, and when we worked on our project with them, they were delighted to participate and found great interest in the subject.

All 60 students, closely packed onto benches in a room that schools in North America or Europe would find small for 20 students, attentively recited their lessons and participated in the assignments given by the teacher. They didn’t have books or many supplies. Each student carefully carried his/her small chalkboards, each fearful that they will smudge the homework assignment and have to deal with the wrath of the teacher.

They never complained. They worked hard – harder than many students I would regularly see in schools in Europe and North America.

When I asked one child why he liked a certain idea – he said that he thought it would be good, because then his children, or their children, would have a much better life. I asked him to repeat himself – I wanted to make sure that I hadn’t misunderstood. He said again, that the idea was good because it meant that future children would have a better life than he has.

It is incredibly moving to have a child, 9 or 10 years of age, talk about how if he works hard, then his children’s children will have a better life. Up until that point I had always thought of kids as being more ego-centric, and unable to see life beyond their own wants and needs. I learned the capacity children have to understand deep concepts, if we only let them.

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Angel in the detail

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

The phrase, “the devil is in the detail” can be misleading. It implies that there is something negative in the minutiae. Working with Thai kids on a dairy project let me see clearly, that to some people, the intricacies and detail are exactly what delight them. The detail is the thing that brings ideas to a whole new place; to a different, more motivating level.

On this project we were working in a Thai school, and the day started as typical for Thai kids, but it was new to me. After a rousing rendition of the Thai National Anthem and flag raising, there was a five or ten minute chanting session (as per Buddhist custom, I was told). The mayhem and energy from the demonstration of national pride quickly resided to a palpable peace. And when finished, the children calmly – and I have never seen such calm in a school setting before or since – went to their classes.

The depth of learning from the very first moments with the class of 9 year olds was incredible. We had group discussions about some themes, and went immediately to an ideation session in which the young people developed new ideas for the category that would appeal to them.

Now we frequently use ideation as a research tool with consumers to uncover important themes, and a by-product of the process is that often great ideas are born. In this session, in each of the ideas proffered by the kids, we saw particular engagement in the fine detail of design, but also the detail in how their specific product ideas would work. Never before had I really noticed such attention to the apparently small points.

This cast a whole new light on working with kids in other cultures, and in seeing the fine points as something important rather than merely childishness. I now hear kids’ stories in a new way, see the way they see the world differently, and have seen a change in the way I find new products for myself.

I have learned – and much to my enjoyment in work and in my life – that it isn’t at all the devil in the detail, but rather a positive angel. Should I still see the big picture? Most certainly. But seeing with two points of view – big and small – is far richer.

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It’s the simple things in life

Monday, August 10th, 2009

As with most sub-Saharan African experiences, Kenya is a mix of life and vitality, with high poverty. Importantly, though, a vibrancy and richness exists that belies its fiscally poor state.

So far this year has meant an inordinate amount of travel to many diverse cultures. I am in wealthy cultures one day, and in poverty stricken areas the next. It is truly a year of opposites in many ways, and from these contrasts I have found a new definition of richness and happiness: a richness from something other than material wealth; a happiness that is derived from enjoying life and all the experiences life has to offer rather than merely looking for ‘the next thing’.

Music and colour play an important role in the expression of life, and the young Kenyans with whom we worked found their joy in these simple things. Not only in commercial expressions of each, but rather in the free and readily available. They found the colour in nature exciting; and the music they sang together – seemingly spontaneously – brought great delight. They were intensely creative – a life skill required for survival, to some extent – and were smart, energetic, appreciative and hard working.

This draws a stark comparison with the young people in the supposedly developed world – and though it is not all greed and begging by any means, there is an expectation to get ‘stuff’. Frequently, when we work on projects with kids from very affluent backgrounds, we see this play out.

We have worked on hundreds of projects, in many cultures, and the only time we have ever had anything stolen from us was in an area of affluence well beyond the norm. Young teens in this school had expensive cars that they weren’t allowed yet to drive (but their chauffeurs drove them) and more technical gadgetry and expensive fashion items filled their designer rucksacks.

And though the theft of our video camera and product samples was annoying, more troubling was the behavior of these young people. They had short attention spans, and showed little interest or curiosity in anything. Sadly, most did not appreciate their good fortune nor did they see any value in working for anything. They saw no joy in life, and complained about everything.

Does it mean that affluence is wrong? Certainly not. But affluence to the exclusion of the appreciation of simple things is sad. Yes – poverty must be eliminated, and no one should go without enough food and appropriate shelter – but we must not lose the wealth that we can all find in the simple things that life has to offer.

If I had to choose to raise children like those I worked with in Kenya and those I worked with in the super-affluent community – I’d choose the Kenyan kids every time. They are truly among the wealthiest I have ever met.

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