Are Parents Ready To Give Phones to Kids ?
Parents say that between the age of 10 and 12 is the most appropriate time for a child to get his or her first mobile phone, according to a new study from Compete. The company assessed interest in the new category of kid-friendly phones as well as the drivers and inhibitors of purchase. Compete findings suggest makers and marketers of kid-friendly handsets need to convince parents that the benefit of a reliable line of parent-to-child communication outweighs any discomfort in giving mobile phones to young children.
In December, LG's Migo joined the Firefly in the fast growing category of kid-friendly handsets, targeting one of the last under-penetrated segments for mobile phone use. To capture this segment, manufacturers have produced small, durable, brightly colored phones featuring simplified interfaces that only dial from a limited list of pre-programmed numbers.
Kid phones are generating growing demand in the overall market, driven mostly by curiosity. In the nine weeks ending January 7, the Migo and Firefly saw a sharp jump in demand after their introduction. Migo demand has continued to grow, supported by television advertising. During the first week of 2006 the Migo achieved a 2.9% share of Verizon demand, making it the 12th most shopped for Verizon device. The number one device, the RAZR, captured 18% of interest followed by The V (LG's X9800) at 7%.
Compete analysis of consumer behavior shows Verizon Wireless shoppers are most likely to consider the Migo along with the RAZR and The V. These shoppers appear to be browsers, evaluating the most popular devices rather than shopping for something specific. If most shoppers were serious about purchasing a phone for their child, we would expect them to compare kid-friendly phones with other limited feature ones.
In order to understand why people shop for and purchase kid-friendly phones, Compete surveyed consumers who had evaluated a kid phone online or visited parent-oriented web sites and were familiar with the category.
Kids getting these phones are younger than the average age at which parents overall think children should get their first mobile phone, implying that kid phones are appealing to the younger end of the pre-teen segment.
Past purchasers differed from potential purchasers in their reasons for considering kid-friendly phones. Purchasers said they chose a kid-phone after deciding that their child needed a phone but wasn't ready for a full-featured phone.
Potential purchasers, on the other hand, were more interested in the ability to control whom their child could call. Specifically, these parents indicated they were interested in the phone for emergency use and/or exclusively for parent-to-child communication. Given the differing motivations, we expect that after the initial burst of market interest, selling these handsets will require a targeted approach emphasizing low cost and safety.
Compete received responses from 768 members of its panel of two million online consumers who were observed shopping for kid-friendly phones or visiting an education, kid-oriented hobby site or toy shopping site. Potential purchasers, over 90% parents, were those who indicated familiarity with kid-friendly handsets."
Posted to the site on 3rd February 2006