In The Know?

Marketers turn to kids for the answers.

Microsoft corp. is doing it. So are Levi Strauss & Co., General Mills Inc., Nickelodeon and MTV. No, these corporations aren't jumping on the latest Internet fad. Rather, they're capitalizing on a somewhat quieter trend: using children as marketing consultants.

Considering the ample children's market--and the growing number of businesses vying for a piece of it--cutting-edge companies, particularly those in the early stages of development, see real value in turning to youngsters for their thoughts on children's products and services. "In general, kids tend to think out of the box, and for marketers that can be really advantageous," says Lynn Kaladjian, director of marketing and sales with Doyle Research Associates Inc., a Chicago-based qualitative research firm specializing in children's and teen research.

The process isn't child's play, however. In most cases, kids are screened for factors like high creativity, receive regular "homework" assignments, and participate in carefully crafted brainstorming sessions. Doyle Research Associates, for example, uses a specialized recruiting process, moderated activity sessions and follow-up sessions in which clients further brainstorm based on the children's ideas.

Critics of the process say many of the ideas young thinkers generate simply aren't viable. Kaladjian, however, believes that, ultimately, it's a company's ability to read between the lines and see the true meaning behind an idea that determines its success. Says Kaladjian, "It won't work unless a company is
forward-thinking, innovative and completely open to the process."

This article was originally published in the February 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: In The Know?.