Market Research is an activity with multiple possibilities. Consumers have many characteristics and each segment has different needs and capabilities. Children and young people are a group of people who consume products and services that we are also interested in studying. There are many categories that only apply to this sector: toys, specific foods for this age group, didactic material for basic education, etc.
For many years, projects involving children have been carried out. Developing these studies implies taking into account precautions and considerations that we can ignore when working with adults. It is for this reason that we list four tips that we can follow when carrying out investigations with minors.
- Ensure the consent of infants and their parents. Legally, minors cannot be forced to follow contracts or agreements. That is why it is important to have the authorization of parents or guardians so that their children or protégés can participate in a study. In addition, participants must be clearly informed in which activities they will be involved and the topics on which they will delve deeper. It is important to assure parents that young people will not be exposed to sensitive situations.
- Have specialized personnel. Within our practice it is common for some market analysts to be specialized in certain sectors: education, medical, retail, etc. This specialization also applies to investigations involving minors. It is not the same to treat an adult than a child. The vocabulary, codes and times of youth are not the domain of any researcher. Furthermore, it is not an open secret that managing young profiles requires energy and willingness from the people who focus on this area.
- Have adequate spaces. Youngsters can be very curious and challenging. The facilities where we develop traditional market studies may not be the most appropriate when children participate. We know that the challenges involved in working with babies or children or adolescents are different. The younger a segmente es, the more requirements we must cover to ensure a satisfactory participation experience. If children are going to be recruited, we must be aware of their physical integrity and offer them elements that allow them to be entertained and safe.
- Adapt the techniques. We do not want to affirm at any time that young people are not capable of having the same quality of participation as adults. It’s okay. Below a certain age threshold this is true. However, the attention we can get from an infant is sometimes less than that of adults. We must watch that certain words and ideas are not presented to the little ones. It is for these reasons that any questionnaire or technique to be developed with the responding children must be in accordance with their profile.
Working with infants is not an easy task. The implications of market studies where children participate force us to be very cautious and attentive. However, the findings that the little ones can offer us can be the basis for them to have an offer that fully covers all their expectations and needs. These projects are only possible with the active participation of parents in all stages of the investigations.
At Acertiva we have almost twenty years of experience knowing the Latin American Market. Do you have a studio on the door? Write us right now so that you can tell us about your market knowledge requirements in our region and we will tell you how we can be your potential allies.
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