What do you call a consumer who wants to buy everything in sight, is not intimidated by price tags, and is less than five feet tall?

A marketer’s dream?

No.

You call them Tweens, according to an AdRelevance Intelligence Report, taken back in 2000.  In 2015, the Tween marketing continues to thrive. As a matter of fact, the buying power of tweens is over $200 billion, according to MarketingSherpa.

Unlike adult consumers, when it comes to tweens, you have two consumers to appeal to – the child and the parent. In this post, we are going to share a few practical tips on how to market to the tween culture. When marketing to tweens, consider the following tips:

Remember, the Parent Makes the FINAL Decision

There are a few products that surprisingly slipped through the cracks and ended up on store shelves. Many of these toys were not only offensive to kids and their parents, they were offensive to other groups. For example, in 2004, Lisy Corp launched a candy that depicted the Twin Towers being hit with a little plane.  A tiny image of a terrorist could be seen within one of the candy coated buildings.

Another example includes padded clothing to give a tween girl the appearance of being a woman.  Tweens aspire to be older, but some products have gone way too far. Although, tweens desire to be treated older, they are still kids. Obviously, when you’re marketing a product or service to children, you have to ask yourself:

Is it appropriate for kids?
Is it relevant to today’s child?
Is it offensive?
Will parents feel compelled to purchase the product?

With Tweens, it’s Either Hot or Cold, Pass or Fail …There is ‘No in Between’

Tweens desire to stand out from the crowd, but they also want to win the approval of their friends.  News travels fast with kids.  When a child falls head over heels with a product, you can count on them telling their friends.  However, if they don’t like a product, you will hear crickets. You might as well label and file the product under ‘marketing failure’.

Research and Discover What Tweens Really Want

One mistake that some marketers make is failing to research the Tween market before launching a new product or service. It’s important to know what children really want before you can sell to them. According to our research, we discovered that tweens (ages 8 – 12) love to spend time on their mobile phones texting their friends. The coolest music will always be on their playlist. They love clothing, shoes and accessories. They like video games, movies, dolls, collectibles and books. Today’s top websites for Tweens include: Disney.com, Nick.com, Webkinz.com, YouTube.com and Facebook – just to name a few, according to Marketing Sherpa. There is an array resources and marketing statistics that you can research to help you market to children in this age group.

Lastly, keep it simple – keep it cool. As long as a product is cool and easy-to-use, it wins the approval stamp for tweens.  Just make sure you stay current on the latest marketing trends because they are constantly shifting.