The familiar scene of children begging their parents for some product they just saw on television is fast being replaced by children begging their parents for a product they just saw online. New surveys indicate that more children and teens are purchasing more online merchandise than ever before. NFO also found out the one out of six of these children is allowed to purchase products online. Similar to the off-line market, kids and teens have a profound impact on online purchasing decisions. The numbers haven't been lost on marketers who now purchase ad space at Web sites geared toward children and teenagers.
Many companies tailor their online ads to appeal specifically to teenagers and kids.
The growth of marketing directly aimed at children and teenagers is leaving many parents concerned. Jupiter points out that parents are concerned about marketing aimed at children should serve as a red flag to such marketers. However, as kids and teen-agers continue to surge onto the Net, they become a potential buying force that is too attractive for marketers to ignore. In 1998, approximately 8.6 million kids and 8.4 million teens were online. By 2002, 21.9 million kids, a 155 percent increase, and 16.6 million teens, a 97 percent increase, will be online.