Reaching Tomorrow's Audiences: Child Total Mobile Ownership is Growing

Young audiences are one of the fastest growing demographics in the age of mobile.

In the seven years since Apple launched the iPad, child tablet ownership has risen from nothing to between 55% and 74% in 2016 (depending on age range, with 12-15 year-olds occupying the largest market share).   

The implications for advertisers are huge. On one hand access to the kids’ markets are opening up rapidly. On the other, more advertising real estate will need to be compliant with regulations designed to provide children with digital safety.

The Advertising Standards Authority and Committees of Advertising Practice Advertising Codes discourage direct exhortation and the advertising of adult content to children. They have also set out the needs for and situations requiring parental permission.

Even with these regulations the mobile web space remains problematic for both advertisers and child audiences, not least because mobile device ownership does not guarantee that the device is being used to access the internet.

Furthermore, March 2017 saw YouTube face criticism for a series of disturbing videos found in their kids-safe mode, in which content including arson and gun crime were disguised as cartoons such as Peppa Pig.

By contrast, in-app mobile experiences offer greater control for parents and the far greater likelihood of a child-safe digital experience. Gaming apps are subject to PEGI ratings, which determine audience appropriateness based on age.

In additions to more regulated platforms, advertisers are protected through solutions such as KIDOZ’s Play Mode and Kid Friendly Monetization Solution. The former implements a child-friendly user interface, which blocks features including in-app purchases. The later allows developers to monetise within the bounds of child protection regulations.

At Venatus we are fortunate to have long-term relationships with premium publishers, which has allowed us the time to gain significant contextual insights into the audiences we work with. As the restrictions on first party data are only set to get tighter, consumption patterns will become increasingly relevant in engaging young audiences safely and effectively.

See the full Children's media literacy reports by Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/childrens