Young US consumers surveyed spent more time on the Internet than with any other type of media in May 2008, according to a study conducted by DoubleClick Performics and ROI Research.
The companies surveyed 10-to-14-year-olds and found that 83% went online for an hour or more every day.
Many children were also shopping online.
Four out of 10 responding young consumers said they used search to learn about products or services after seeing ads. Many said they used search engines to find places to buy, check prices or start researching purchases from scratch.
The study is intriguing because the
US Department of
Commerce only counts consumers ages 14 and older in its
definitions of online shoppers and buyers.
DoubleClick said that search ads were appropriate for the group because respondents consumed both online and offline media.
"To capture the demand generated in complementary channels, marketers should incorporate search ads into other online and offline marketing
campaigns," said Stuart Larkins, senior vice president at DoubleClick Performics, in a July 2008 Chief Marketer
article.
Even when they do not buy things themselves, kids influence family purchases, according to Harris Interactive's
"2007 Youth Pulse" report.
Young adults—those ages 13 to 21—had far more influence than did 8-to-12-year-olds, especially on big-ticket items. Yet children still held sway in many household purchasing decisions.
