It seems the childhood tradition of gathering in front of the television for Saturday morning cartoons may soon be replaced by the habit of sitting in front of a computer monitor. A report from eMarketer sheds light on the fact that young consumers are increasingly connecting to the web, and online video viewing is a top activity among online adolescents.
The research firm predicts that nearly 12 million kids under the age of 12 will be regular online video viewers in 2011, up from 10.5 million young viewers last year. Online video viewership among this demographic is expected to rise in the coming years: 70 percent of online kids are expected to watch videos on the web by 2015.
For marketers, this means online video content may be the new Saturday morning commercial in terms of reaching young consumers. Moreover, brands that cater to children should take note that kids are spending more time online overall. A Harris Interactive study cited by eMarketer found that 82 percent of internet users between the ages of 10 and 12 spent at least an hour online the day before they were polled.
“Kids represent a new generation of consumers who are more connected and reachable,” said Jared Jenks, eMarketer analyst. “Breaking through the noise will mean speaking to them on their media and their terms.”
Brands targeting young consumers will want to invest in content development to create videos, blogs and other media that will effectively engage them – and this practice will be important to reaching kids of all ages in 2011. As Brafton has reported, 78 percent of marketers say quality content is key to the success of their organizations this year.
