Economy Tourism

MARKETING FOR CHILDREN

Don’t forget the boys!

Kids’ clubs for visitors must develop a more masculine profile so as not to miss out on key visitor groups.

The 2022 Kids Study on the consumption and media habits of 10- to 14-year-old Austrians (TFactory and kids & fun consulting, June 2022) was the first to include the target group’s vacation activities. The findings confirmed many of the details already reported in other studies: Children like to surf the Internet, TikTok is their cool social media platform, and more than 65% of the target group participate in the family’s vacation decisions.

It is also well known that this generation generally likes to spend time with their families, and that they enjoy activities that bring the family together. Asked what they enjoy most on vacation, the children said they particularly like sports, outdoor adventures, cool experiments and paper chases.

However, if we go into greater depth in our analysis with regard to the question “Which activities do you enjoy on vacation?” and distinguish in particular between the answers given by boys and girls, we receive confirmation of something we suspected: Sports activities appeal to almost 60% of boys but to less than 30% of girls. On the other hand, around 45% of girls are interested in creative activities (handicrafts, painting, music, writing) compared with only about 12% of boys.

Boys are not keen on girls’ activities

Boys and girls are completely different in these age groups, and they do not really want to have that much to do with each other: Girls like to spend time on Instagram, while boys are more likely to be playing Fortnite and Minecraft on Twitch (a platform for gamers); on television, boys watch Spongebob and The Simpsons, girls Heidi Klum and Miraculous. Boys think the music of Capital Bra and Sido is great, while girls tend to go for Billie Eilish and Ed Sheeran. And this nowhere exhausts the list; boys and girls are simply different at this age. There are always exceptions, of course, but in general boys want more competitive activities and girls more social interaction. Opinions differ as to whether this has biological or societal causes, but many studies on children do point out these differences.

The 2022 Kids Study, too, makes a strong case for these gender differences. The typical activities offered in children’s clubs, such as handicrafts, painting or other creative activities, only appeal to about 12% of boys. In other words: boys are not into handicrafts.

Kids’ clubs for visitors are too feminine

Unfortunately, the activities that boys like best are underrepresented in kids’ clubs for visitors. For them, sports, outdoor adventures and board games (where you can win) are high on the list. Cool experiments and paper chases are also the kinds of things that really appeal to boys. They also want an element of competition, something where they can win! This can take the form of group activities, i.e. where they compete as members of a team including the family team.

Include enough activities for the boys – also in summer

Since sports and physical exercise are the main drivers of vacation activities, anything that has to do with winter sports is ideal. Here the boys are in their element and can do the kind of things they enjoy. But what about summer? What can you offer in an indoor kids’ club that has more appeal to boys as well?

Here are a few tips:

  • Include an element of competition in your activities. Which family can complete the challenge fastest? Could there even be a high score board (online)?
  • Many summer adventure trails on the mountain already have competitive aspects. Where they do not, they can be added in many cases. This can also be done online as families always have their cell phones with them these days, and they have no problems using them for various activities.
  • Organize competitions, perhaps with families playing against one another. The competitions can be a mix of creative activities and physical challenges.
  • For your marketing, use cool boys’ language. To get the feel of it, watch a few commercials for Fortnite or Minecraft. You can also learn from TikTok. Speak the language the kids speak, and they will understand you.
  • Be sure to do the right kind of marketing. Promote your activities on social media. TikTok in particular is a platform that is used by the target group of 10 to 17 year olds. Short cool videos can be used to highlight special activities for boys in winter and summer.

For more tips and tricks, go to office@kidsandfunconsulting.com

Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Shutterstock

Photo: Roman Gric

ISR REPORT In Camorino on the southern outskirts of Bellinzona, there is a little ropeway with a cantonal operating permit for passenger…

Read more
Photo: J. NEJEZ

ENERGY SUPPLY At the 2023 Conference of Austrian Ropeway Operators in Innsbruck, an excellent presentation was given on the efforts being made by the…

Read more

How XR, AR, VR and MR will change the travel experience of the future.

Read more
Photo: Pixabay

“Ropeways – Smart Transport Solutions” is the motto of OITAF’s 12th International Congress for Transportation by Rope, which will be held in…

Read more
Photo: Adobe Stock

Kelly Pawlak, President of the National Ski Area Association – NSAA, speaks about record capital investments in infrastructure, inspiring people to…

Read more
Photo: Skistar

NEVEPLAST/SKISTAR In September 2022 the Swedish Skistar Group opened a 9,000 m² artificial ski slope on Hammarbybacken in the center of Stockholm…

Read more
Photo: Fatzer

FATZER AG Whether in inaccessible terrain in the mountains or in densely populated urban centers, the space available for splicing ropes is often…

Read more
Photo: Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH

DOPPELMAYR/CARVATECH Effective October 10, 2022, the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group has acquired the Upper Austrian body-maker and ropeway carrier…

Read more
Foto: Neveplast

On Wednesday, September 7, 2022, a 500 m long artificial ski slope will open in the Hammarbybacken ski area in the middle of Stockholm. Regardless of…

Read more

Apprentice recruitment has long become part of the fight for resources. Many operators are racking their brains to find an answer to the question:…

Read more

ISR Newsletter

Latest news relating to ropeways and winter destinations on your screen!

The most important news and reports about themes like ropeways, ski resorts, piste preparation, snowmaking and a lot more.

Subscribe now and stay in the know! Our bilingual Newsletter comes in German and English or German and French!
 

Subscribe

Subscription & Media Data

SUBSCRIPTION

MEDIA DATA