Marketing to families requires a thoughtful and strategic approach, especially in the digital age where regulations are evolving, and consumer expectations are high. With the rise of Generation Z and millennials becoming parents, brands have a unique opportunity to engage with a new generation born in the 2010s. However, traditional methods of tracking and targeting audience demographics, such as third-party cookies, are diminishing in effectiveness. In this article, we will explore best practices for developing brand-safe and family-friendly marketing strategies that resonate with today’s diverse and tech-savvy families.
Digital marketers must prioritize the safety and appropriateness of their content when targeting families. While concerns about marketing to children have existed across various mediums, digital technologies have introduced new challenges. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) in the United States requires parental consent for collecting personal data from children online. However, with the phasing out of cookies and the introduction of state laws, brands must go beyond legal requirements and proactively set their own policies to protect children from inappropriate marketing.
“It is incumbent on each brand itself to institute policies that defend against inappropriate marketing toward children, rather than relying on meeting the bare minimum of local and federal laws.” – Kazuki Ohta, CEO and cofounder, Treasure Data
To execute family-friendly marketing campaigns, brands need to invest in the right technologies and protocols. Several capabilities are essential for consumer-facing brands targeting families, including age verification, consent management, content review, and audience targeting. Customer data and data management platforms provide the necessary infrastructure to ensure compliance with privacy and data protection laws while delivering personalized and relevant experiences to the target audience. By incorporating these critical functions into their marketing plans, brands can reach their target audience ethically and responsibly.
Key capabilities to consider:
- Audience segmentation: Avoid serving ads to children under the age of 13.
- Consent management: Collect parental consent for marketing to minors.
- Basic data privacy: Ensure compliance with state privacy and data protection laws.
In an increasingly complex and opaque programmatic media supply chain, it is crucial for brands to have reporting and analytics capabilities to monitor and measure the effectiveness of their family-friendly marketing efforts. These tools not only help identify any violations of family-friendly marketing principles but also provide insights into the performance of successful campaigns. Customer data and data management platforms, such as CDPs, enable digital marketers to analyze ad impressions, clicks, and conversions, providing valuable data to optimize marketing strategies and drive engagement.
“Metrics can be indicative of a successful campaign or, conversely, family-friendly content that for whatever reason is not hitting the mark.” – Kazuki Ohta, CEO and cofounder, Treasure Data
While marketing to children requires special considerations, it doesn’t mean brands should shy away from creating content that delights and inspires. Advances in personalized marketing offer opportunities to transform advertising for the better, keeping legal and regulatory compliance in mind. Marketers can leverage public events and cultural milestones to develop strategies that resonate with both children and adults, whether they belong to Generation Z, millennials, or older generations. By understanding the rules and striking the right balance, marketers can create engaging and family-friendly campaigns that leave a lasting impact.
Marketing to children and families comes with a responsibility to ensure age-appropriate and safe experiences. Brands must take into account the social and cultural implications of their marketing strategies, as children are a vulnerable audience easily influenced by the content they consume. While traditional mediums like TV, print, and radio have always faced scrutiny, digital technologies have introduced new complexities. The COPPA law in the United States mandates parental consent for collecting personal data from children online, but brands need to go beyond legal requirements and establish their own policies to protect children from inappropriate marketing.
In the digital age, brands face unique challenges when it comes to targeting families. With the phasing out of third-party cookies and the introduction of new state laws, brands find themselves interacting with new audiences without the historical context and data needed to provide relevancy, personalization, and privacy. To navigate these challenges, brands must invest in the right technologies and protocols. Age verification, consent management, content review, and audience targeting are crucial capabilities for executing effective family-friendly marketing campaigns. Customer data and data management platforms provide the infrastructure to deliver personalized and relevant experiences while ensuring compliance with privacy and data protection laws.
The programmatic media supply chain can be chaotic and opaque, making it challenging to identify specific inventory or assets that violate family-friendly marketing principles. Reporting and analytics capabilities are essential for tracking and monitoring content to ensure compliance. These tools not only help identify violations but also provide insights into the performance of family-friendly marketing efforts. Customer data and data management platforms with built-in reporting and analytics capabilities can analyze ad impressions, clicks, and conversions, helping digital marketers measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and optimize their strategies.
While safety and appropriateness are paramount when marketing to children, brands should not shy away from creating content that delights and inspires. Advances in personalized marketing present opportunities to transform advertising for the better. By understanding the rules and regulations and striking the right balance, marketers can develop creative and engaging campaigns that resonate with children and adults alike. Public events and cultural milestones can serve as catalysts for developing strategies that capture the imagination of different generations. By embracing creativity and innovation, marketers can create memorable and family-friendly experiences that leave a positive impact.
Developing effective family-friendly marketing strategies in the digital age requires a comprehensive approach that prioritizes safety, compliance, and creativity. By establishing rules for age-appropriate marketing, building robust marketing plans with the right technologies, and leveraging reporting and analytics capabilities, brands can navigate the complexities of targeting families. Balancing safety and creativity is essential to create engaging and inspiring content that resonates with children and adults. As marketing continues to evolve, brands must embrace innovation and adaptability while upholding legal and regulatory compliance to successfully connect with today’s diverse and tech-savvy families.
FAQs
Q: What is family-friendly marketing? Family-friendly marketing refers to the practice of developing marketing strategies and campaigns that are appropriate and appealing to families. It involves prioritizing the safety, age-appropriateness, and relevance of content when targeting children and their parents or caregivers.
Q: Why is family-friendly marketing important? Family-friendly marketing is important because children are a vulnerable audience that can be easily influenced. By ensuring that marketing content is age-appropriate, brands can protect children and create positive experiences for families. Additionally, family-friendly marketing can help brands build trust and loyalty among parents and caregivers.
Q: What are some key considerations for family-friendly marketing? Some key considerations for family-friendly marketing include obtaining parental consent for marketing to minors, implementing age verification processes, reviewing content for appropriateness, and complying with privacy and data protection laws. Brands should also focus on delivering personalized and relevant experiences while upholding ethical and responsible marketing practices.
Q: How can brands measure the effectiveness of family-friendly marketing campaigns? Brands can measure the effectiveness of family-friendly marketing campaigns by leveraging reporting and analytics capabilities. By analyzing ad impressions, clicks, conversions, and other relevant metrics, brands can gain insights into campaign performance and make data-driven decisions to optimize their strategies.
Q: Can brands be creative when marketing to children? Yes, brands can be creative when marketing to children. While safety and appropriateness are crucial, creativity plays a significant role in capturing the attention and imagination of children. By understanding the rules and regulations and striking the right balance, brands can develop engaging and inspiring content that resonates with young audiences.
First reported by Forbes.
