Experiential marketing is an effective strategy that can be used to reach many different types of audiences, including children. However, planning an experiential marketing event aimed at children is very different than planning an event for adults. Follow these tips for kid-friendly experiential marketing events:

Make it Informative and Entertaining

Parents are the ones who will decide whether or not their kids attend a branded event. Ideally, parents would like to bring their kids to events that are not only entertaining, but also educational or beneficial to their child’s growth in some way. Brands should make an effort to emphasize the educational opportunities that kids will have at their event so parents know exactly how their kids will benefit from attending.

If your event is not educational, it’s important to emphasize other ways in which kids will benefit from the activities. For example, painting and sculpting may not be seen as educational opportunities, but these two activities can help kids tap into their creative sides and explore their talents. So, even though kids won’t necessarily be learning anything from painting and playing with clay, parents should still be able to see how attending this event could be beneficial to their children.

Entertain Mom and Dad

Marketers who are planning an event for kids often forget that kids will not be the only ones in attendance. Parents or guardians usually attend events with their children, so marketers will need to figure out a way to keep them engaged throughout the event.

Many brands set up separate areas within the event so parents and kids can each partake in different activities. However, some experts believe that this is not the right approach to take when planning an event for kids. These experts cite research that states many parents have a “Velcro mentality,” which means they want to stick by their kids’ sides and experience things together. Marketers can make parents with this mentality happy by planning events that allow parents and kids to engage in different activities together. Don’t expect parents to stand on the sidelines and watch their kids have all of the fun—parents want to be involved, too.

Choose the Right Brand Ambassadors

Brand ambassadors can make or break your event—especially if it’s a kid-friendly activation. The ambassadors that you choose must be able to relate to both parents and children so they can engage with every guest at the event. Some children can be shy, especially when talking to adults, so the brand ambassadors must have a knack for drawing kids out of their shell. A lot of kids are also incredibly intuitive when it comes to reading people. These children will be able to tell right away if something is not being authentic, which is why it’s so important to choose the right ambassadors.

Brand ambassadors should also be trained to encourage parents and kids to try activities together. Parents may be hesitant to participate in certain activities, so they may need a bit of encouragement from friendly brand representatives.

Technology is Not Necessary

Technology is almost always incorporated into events that are targeting adult consumers. However, experts say that technology is not always a must-have for kid-friendly events. The younger the targeted audience is for the event, the less necessary technology may become.

If technology seamlessly fits into the plans for the event, then it’s perfectly fine for marketers to incorporate it into scheduled activities. But if it doesn’t, then there’s no reason to try to make it work. In fact, experts suggest that parents may prefer a technology-free event because it forces everyone to put their phones away and focus on spending time with one another.

If you want to encourage guests to share photos and videos on social media, set up a photo booth with branded props. Parents will love the idea of taking family photos, especially if there are props that kids can have fun with, so they will be eager to share these images on their social media pages. This is a simple way to incorporate technology into kid-friendly events without going overboard.

Design With Durability in Mind

There’s a reason playground equipment is made out of heavy plastics instead of glass—plastic is a durable and safe material that kids can play on without getting hurt. Keep this in mind when designing the details of your event. Kids are not careful—especially when they are having fun and running around with friends and family—so make sure everything is designed with their safety in mind. Avoid sharp edges and slippery surfaces, and be sure to keep the aisles wide so parents pushing strollers can easily make it through. If there are potential hazards at your event, be sure to post adequate warnings and hire people to watch over the guests. For example, if your event’s venue has a swimming pool, hire lifeguards to stand by to ensure that everyone is safe and abiding by the rules.

Encourage Friendly Competition

Kids love a little friendly competition, so find a way to incorporate this into your event. Give kids the opportunity to challenge their friends, siblings, and parents to compete against them in various activities. For instance, let’s say you are planning an event with a fun obstacle course for kids. Instead of simply letting kids complete the obstacle course on their own, turn it into a competition where kids can challenge each other to see who makes it through the course the fastest. Kids love to compete, so adding a competitive element to the activities at your event can keep guests engaged.

If you’re interested in planning a kid-friendly experiential marketing event, contact the experts at Factory 360 today. Let our team of marketing professionals handle every aspect of the planning and execution of your experiential marketing event!