260 likes | 266 Views
Learn about the different online activities of kids and tweens compared to adults, popular kids gaming sites, and the importance of effective online community relations for kids and tweens. Discover legal and regulatory obligations, staff training, and communication strategies for a safe online environment. Understand the demographics and marketing considerations when targeting this audience.
E N D
Presenters • Rebecca Newton • Community Director • Richard Weil • Community Director
Community Relations for Kids and Tweens vs. Adults • What makes it different?
Legal and RegulatoryObligations • COPPA Compliance • Age Screening and verification procedures • Restrictions on B2C communications where minors are involved
Demographics Economic, Social and disposable time differences
Demographics • What kids / tweens are doing online vs. activities of older age groups • *Percent of US Population 13 and under • Schoolwork – 75% • Email – 63.8% • Play Games – 64.7% • Radio, Movies – 17.9% • Chat Rooms – 16% Kids like to be active and busy online. * Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2005
Demographics • What kids / tweens are doing online vs. activities of older age groups • *Percent of US Population 16 and older • Email – 89% • Search Engines – 55% • News – 47% • Browse for fun – 42% • Work Research, Hobbies, • Weather, etc. 32% • Adults prefer to read and research and browse * Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2005
Demographics Top 10 Kids Gaming Sites By Total Traffic Site Overall Rank CBBC (bbc.co.uk/cbbc 48 Miniclip.com 208 Runescape.com 267 Disney.com 275 Pogo.com 280 Gaia Online 303 Neopets.com 370 Cartoon Network 414 Webkinz 689 Stardoll 709 *Alexa.com, August 2008 –
Demographics Top 10 Most Popular Kids’ Gaming Sites Stats by Unique Visitor Site Rank ClubPenguin.com 1 CartoonNetwork.com 2 Nick.com 3 Barbie.com 4 Webkinz.com 5 Neopets.com 6 MyScene.com 7 PBSkids.org 8 Hotwheels.com 9 DisneyLatino.com10 *ComScore Jan-May 2008 (unique visitors)
Forging an Effective Online Community Relations (OCR) Effort for Kids and Tweens
Necessary Staff Training and Knowledge • Ethics • Compliance with relevant laws and regulations • Day-to-day challenges communicating with kid / tween audiences • How and where to draw the lines • Vetted staff (CBCs)
Necessary Staff Training and Knowledge • War Stories from the Field • Moderator sharing child porn w. users under 13 • Moderators meeting users offline • Staff members stealing and selling user’s virtual goods on eBay • Staff members asking minors to buy drug paraphernalia • Staff members giving virtual goods and currency to pet users • Favoritism • Sr. Staff Members leaking company documents to kid users • Sr. Exec. (and support staff) leaking game secrets to kid users
Communications • Working with Parent Information and Child Advocate organizations / websites • www.netsmartz.org • http://www.missingkids.com/ (NCMEC Cybertip line) • Safe Harbor for Kids’ Sites • www.CARU.org • http://www.truste.org/ • http://www.caru.org/program/safeHarborList.asp
Communications • Viral Marketing to Kids / Tweens: Know your CAN-SPAM rules • http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm CAN-SPAM Act Requirements • No false or misleading header information • No deceptive subject lines • Clear Opt-out method • Stop sending mail w/in 10 days • Illegal to sell or distribute email address • Clearly identified as Commercial Mail • Must provide sender’s valid postal address Marketing and Advertising on Kids’ Sites CARU regulations and guidelines : http://www.caru.org/guidelines/index.asp
Communications Viral Marketing to Kids / Tweens COPPA Regulations • ‘Tell-a-Friend’ schemes: • must be scrubbed, • no email addresses allowed in the FROM section • Limited character space for screen name only • No PII • Limited liability
Know Your Audience • School and Extracurricular time demands • Little or no direct access to money • Parental restrictions / oversight • Each of the above effects how your audience interacts with your product. Plan accordingly.
Landscape Analysis • Online products aimed at Kids / Tweens increasing exponentially • New emphasis on complex security measures • Variety of revenue models *TIA and NPD Research, July 2008 ** Mediamark Research “2007 American Kids Survey”
What’s Coming from the FTC and CARU? • Age verification via credit cards • Parental permission via fax or email • Landline voice verification • National ID card scheme (UK)
Why Does All This Matter? • Effective (not timid) OCR programs in a Kids / Tween product are competitive differentiators, just as in older-targeted products.
Why Does All This Matter? • 57 bil. $ industry by 2009(DFC Intelligence,06/08) • Revenue Models • MMOG Subscription Tiers • Runescape, Club Penguin, WoW • leading revenue driver (100s of millions $) in lifetime revenues • Advertising Models • Cartoon Network, Disney, CBBC • *75% 6-8yos access online content • *90% 8-16yos access online content • **80% 6-11yos play online games • *28% 2-14 buy offline products associated with websites *TIA and NPD Research, July 2008 ** Mediamark Research “2007 American Kids Survey”
Why Does All This Matter? • Revenue Models (continued) • Virtual Goods (micro payments) • Habbo, Second Life, Stardoll, Gaia, Facebook • Facebook’s /poke – most played casual social game on the net • Merchandise • Webkinz
Why Does All This Matter? • Revenue Models – Problematic ? • Virtual Goods (micro payment systems) • Habbo * ARPU can look good compared to subscriptions, but the numbers aren’t comparable. * Paymentguy.com “Habbo can never make money with micropayment system.” * < 10% support the other 90%