One of the trickiest parts of creating content and products for kids isn’t only that we aren’t kids anymore; it is also the generational differences. The sociocultural environment, the technology, and the access to it are just some of the main differences separating marketers and content creators from their target audience. 

To Terence Burke, our guest today, kids are the caterpillar, an early stage of us, and, at the same time, an entirely different version of ourselves. 

Terence Burke is the V.P Director of Research and Editor-In-Chief of KidSay’s Trend Tracker. KidSay is a full-service youth trend forecasting, brand strategy, and generational market research firm. KidSay asks students about what they like to do on their weekends and their favorite toys, and in return, they give funds to schools they can use to do the things local school budget taxes don’t cover, like field trips, buying instruments, scholarships, or sports gear. 

In this episode, we had a wholesome conversation about some of the secrets of a market that its constant evolution and fluctuation makes it so hard to get: producing content and products for kids. We talked about the problems marketers and developers face to create these products, the new trends among kids that came to stay, and what kind of work KidSay does. 

We also delve into the discussion of reframing the understanding of gender within the new generations, the toxicity of social media, why some social platforms are more successful than others among kids, and much more. 

Resources: Visit KidSay website: https://www.kidsay.com/

You can also write an email to Terence at: tburke@kidsay.com

Or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terenceburkekidsay/

Full Episode Breakdown:

2:09 – Terence explains how Kidsay started as a project and what kind of service they offer. 

4:30 – Terence explains the difference between the work they do and regular surveys that ask the same kid countless questions.

8:25 – John and Terence discuss the different clients who choose Kidsay to work and their different approaches when working with content or products for kids. 

12:28 – The butterfly and the caterpillar. Terence talks about the difficulties marketers and content creators face working for kids. 

17:51 – About reframing our understanding of gender. Terence shares brilliant insight about our perception of gender and how toys and video games play a crucial role in helping kids identify theirs. 

22:51 – Terence shares some of the most impactful changes he saw technology producing on kids’ development.

28:59 – John and Terence discuss the pros and cons of kids being exposed and growing on societies intimately linked with social media platforms. 

34:24 – Terence shares his point of view on how most kids choose Snapchat and TikTok as safe places to spend time in. 

40:51 – John and Terence talk about the Metaverse, the next big trend everyone is talking about in the industry.

45:16 – Terence talks about the opportunities the Metaverse offers to kids from an entertainment standpoint and to provide them with the tools they need to create a world that is interesting to them. 

47:28 – The importance of staying humble. John and Terence talk about how humility can help CEOs grow and evolve their companies.

50:13 – John and Terence discuss wearables, their future, and the limitation of not being aware of our surroundings when using VR.