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They may be small, but their impact is huge. According to a recent survey,
- 87% of parents surveyed say their children influence their purchase decisions.
- Just about half (48%) of parents report that their children influence purchases specifically for the child, while more than one-third (36%) say their children influence purchases for the entire household.
- Further, 80% of the parents surveyed saying they involve their children in purchases more than their parents did with them.
But conducting marketing research takes some patience and understanding. These just aren’t small adults. Kids have different ways of thinking about and processing information because they are, well, kids! These tips will help you successfully conduct CLTs and iHUTs with kids:
- Talk to Parents First. Parental consent is required before collecting a child’s personal information for all children 12 years old and younger in the United States; other jurisdictions have similar restrictions but parental consent might be required even for children over age 12. You may also screen the child, but screening the parent is needed to get that all-important consent. Design the screener accordingly.
- Leverage Relationships. Since the parent will be present anyway, you have the opportunity to interview the parent and the child – either separately or together. Depending on your project, this may be an efficient way to get both perspectives
- Simplicity Rules. Remember that young kids don’t have the same attention spans or information processing skills as adults, so basic and simple is the name of the game. Keep it short and simple in terms of data collection.
- What Time Is It? Remember, kids go to school, so you can’t start CLTs before school dismissal. And they also have earlier bedtimes, so you probably won’t get any participation that goes later than 7:30 PM local time. Of course, with iHUTS you have a little more flexibility.
- Smiley Faces. Along with keeping surveys short and basic, remember that reading skill levels vary as well. Instead of a text scale, use sliders (for older kids) or even smiley/frowny faces for younger respondents.
- Incentivizing the Parent. Remember that your incentive is for the parent to get the child to the research facility or administer the iHUT. Depending on your methodology and the age group you are researching, you may want to incent both the child and the parent.
- Choose Facilities Carefully. Be sure that you are working with a facility who has experience with conducting in-person research with children. They will have the expertise to ensure your respondents are not only qualified, but comfortable and productive.
Conducting in-person marketing research with children requires some additional procedures, but is easily accomplished with the right facility partner. And best of all, researching children can yield some surprising and fresh insights.
Contact Reckner today for CLTs and iHUTs with kids!