Advertisers Targeting Kids Through Mobile Phones

Many parents who can vividly remember the poor reception and brick-like shape of mobile phones when they were first introduced during the 1980s, are no doubt impressed by the slim, modern handsets used by their kids.

Research shows that more than 67% of kids in the UK have mobile phones of their own - often brought by parents keen to help them stay in touch throughout the day. Contemporary handsets have been designed to let users download ring tones, send emails, take pictures and access the Internet anywhere. These elements, plus the fact that children use their phones away from the supervision of their parents, make mobiles a great tool for advertisers to reach children.

Advertising by Text

In the UK we send more than 800 million text messages a month - and an increasing proportion of that amount are coming from advertisers. For advertisers marketing to children, gaining a child's mobile number is a great way to set up a one-to-one relationship that can't be moderated by parents. Children interested in a certain product, from a cereal brand to a new band often go online for more information. From there advertisers can gain children's mobile numbers in return for alerts, messages and updates about that product. Marketers can even send promotional videos direct to their phones.

Downloading Games

Though more children own mobiles in Europe than America, the percentage of kids in the US that download games is far higher. Advertisers already know the power of games to influence children. Mobile games featuring well-known branded characters, or logos go a long way to create brand loyalty and create an all-important 'buzz' around a product.

Free Calls for Ads

Research shows that 75% of cash-strapped teens would be happy to receive regular adverts on their mobiles in return for free credit 'top-ups'. One company in the UK has already exploited this fact to create a new network which gives older children a set number of calls and text messages in exchange for receiving six different adverts on their phone every day. The adverts they receive are targeted carefully, according to the results of registration surveys users complete when they sign up.

Although this model sounds like a dream for advertisers, it may not yet work in practice. So far music download sites based around a similar model haven't performed particularly well.

The Future

Regulators and children's advocacy groups in Europe and the US have voiced concerns over the regulation of mobile phone advertising to children. Because of the one-on-one nature of the advertising (as well as the lack of parental controls) many are concerned that advertisers get too much access to their target market.

Finland - a country that led the global mobile phone industry in the 90s - is already sending out a strong signal. By law Finnish companies are not allowed to use direct marketing to target children under ten, while children under 15 need parental consent to sign up with advertising services.