For her money, Dennis thinks preteen girls in particular make
for a better market niche than preteen boys--and the consensus
seems to be that she's right. "The only thing freakier to
marketers than young girls is young boys," Bokram wryly points
out. "As tough as girls are, girls also represent predictable
economic stuff--clothes, makeup, shoes, accessories. Guys just
generally aren't as conscious of fashion--they prefer something
simple like khakis."
Just like their teen counterparts, as a matter of fact. That
said, however, entrepreneurs are cautioned against linking tweens
too closely to teens. Popular perceptions to the contrary, tweens
aren't merely teenagers in miniaturized form. Funny as it may
sound, there's a big difference between being 10 years old and
being 14.
"There's this school of thought by less sophisticated
marketers that maintains if you're reaching 15-year-olds, then
you'll get the 12-year-olds, too," says Bokram.
"That's simply not true."
Content Continues Below
It's a vital lesson for kid-targeting companies to
learn--and stick with. "I don't want the teens,"
Dennis says. "I think when you go into business, you have to
be very focused on who you're going after. I don't want to
be all things to all people."
And this condition of sharp focus extends to resisting the urge
to market to tweens' parents rather than to tweens themselves.
Admittedly, parents are most likely to provide kids with the
financial wherewithal to make purchases, but kids are still the
ultimate decision-makers. Again, it's a tricky balance to
strike.