Kids And Families Are The Right Audience At The Right Time For Certain Brands

The events of 2020 have caused an upheaval of lives across the country. Many brands focused their efforts on helping kids and families navigate the challenges of homeschooling, quarantines and social unrest, with digital strategies that used social media channels, purpose-driven advertising and content marketing. By reaching audiences at the right time, brands were able to create engagement, build relevant relationships and increase brand awareness.

LEGO Puts Kids And Families At The Center Of Inspirational Campaigns

“Children are our role models,” said Julia Goldin EVP and global chief marketing officer for LEGO, at the 2020 ANA Masters of Marketing Conference: A Virtual Experience. “LEGO wants to inspire the builders of tomorrow who are all the children of the world. We feel we have a role to pay in giving them a developmentally healthy childhood.” During the last year, when so many families were stuck inside and needed something to do, LEGO stepped up and amplified its #letsbuildtogether strategy. The #letsbuildtogether initiative includes a landing page on the LEGO website that offers coloring pages, master builds, family friendly LEGO sets and other activities aimed to keep kids engaged and building. 

LEGO designers also created videos showing off their builds, encouraging families to do the same. The designer videos had more than four billion views on YouTube. “It only takes six LEGO bricks to make 915 million different LEGO combinations, and each combination sparks a child’s imagination and begins to give them the skills they need for the 21st century,” said Goldin. LEGO’s kid-first strategy during the pandemic, also dovetailed well with its existing Rebuild the World campaign, centering kids as trustworthy global citizens and future change agents.

P&G’s Purpose-Driven Advertising Campaigns Address Real Issues For Kids And Families Around The Country

Many brands stepped up and joined the growing racial justice movement this spring, meeting the moment and the expectations of consumers. P&G, which has long been a leader in purpose-driven advertising, re-released The Talk, an extended commercial from 2017 focused on the ways in which Black parents must speak to their children before sending them out in the world. By re-releasing the emotional spot, which is part of a much larger campaign by P&G focused on Black lives and racial justice, P&G was able to reach parents and children, extend empathy and start a dialogue. As with any targeted campaign, the messaging must match the mindset of the intended audience.

Hasbro Leverages Content Marketing To Help Kids And Parents Navigate Life At Home

In 2020, many brands not only created experiences for kids and families, but also offered guidance on how families can stay mentally healthy and happy during difficult times. To meet growing consumer demands for entertainment and well being, Hasbro launched BringHometheFun.com, a website that includes categories such as “Fun to Watch” (nerf battles, DIY videos), “Fun to Do” (game nights, activity sheets), parent support resources, charitable partnerships and shopping. Hasbro also recently debuted a radio channel on iHeartradio, which exclusively plays music from kids’ favorite shows and characters. “We’ve been incredibly inspired and heartened to see that so many of our brands, such as Play-Doh, Monopoly and Nerf, are providing relief and comfort to both parents and children adjusting to the new normal of extended time at home,” said Eric Nyman, chief consumer officer at Hasbro. The increased digital presence has been beneficial for Hasbro during 2020, leading to revenue growth of 50% in ecommerce across channels globally. 

Throughout the year, as events unfolded, brands have increasingly played a role, echoing the sentiments of people around the world, and offering solutions to newfound, and unexpected, challenges, like those facing families. Digital advertising strategies that are able to effectively understand and center the mindset of their consumers and audiences, and offer solutions, empathy and multi-touch engagement, are more likely to find lasting success and customer loyalty.

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