Mktg - Disney's KidSense 3 study maps tweens’ psyche

Sangeeta Tanwar

Kid’s channel Disney has come out with the third edition of its annual research study, called KidSense 3. The study probes and explores the psyche of ‘tweens’ – children in the age group of 8-12 years.In an email interview, Antoine Villeneuve, senior vice-president and managing director, Walt Disney Television International India, says, “KidSense 3 helps in understanding the dreams, realities, environments and aspirations of Disney's audience. The findings guide us in creating content that is relevant, appealing, entertaining, safe and family inclusive.”Villeneuve adds, "There are certain universal truths that apply to kids and tweens across the world. Our global experience tells us that kids behave as kids everywhere in the world and hence have similar aspirations. However, their life environments, local idioms and individual truths govern the degree of fulfillment of these aspirations." The in-depth study attempts to sense the trends followed by the tweens across metros and smaller towns. The study tracks the emerging trends for both boys and girls with three codes or reference points governing their lives. These ‘3C’s or emerging codes are Culture, Clan and Core.
As far as culture and languages is concerned, the ‘Culture’ study indicates that tweens are increasingly falling for ‘tweenglish’ – a language with its own rules. This language forms the unique identity for this age group. Getting good marks is considered cool since it adds to the individual's CQ (cool quotient), in addition to the IQ (intelligence quotient). Interestingly, taking tuition classes is supposed to be the sure shot formula of ensuring success amongst all the respondents.The research study touches upon different attributes under the sub-heading Clan and talks about the group’s emotions, relationships with parents and their outlook towards issues related to prestige, image and hero worshiping. New parental styles are emerging, where the ‘tweens’ revel in greater openness and freedom with parents. However, at the same time, mass tweens are more conventional when it comes to interaction with their parents.Brand Bollywood rules with the trendy as well as the mass tweens. The silver screen influences them in the ways they act, interact, think and emote. Romance and friendship between boys and girls turns out to be an active aspiration and consuming conversation across all tweens, encompassing all SEC’s, genders and regions.The trends under the third category, Core, conclude that by and large, tweens love to sport image tags by being clued in to the latest trends and sporting a confident, ‘chilled’ look. Emotional yoyo is a common phenomenon. Under the cloak of confidence and coolness lies a vulnerable individual.The research study for Disney has been conducted by the Indian research agency, The Third Eye. Gitanjali Ghate, managing director, The Third Eye, says, “Disney’s KidSense 3 is a collaborative research exercise involving embedded observations and co-creation of data. The study involved tween researchers and tween respondents, along with mothers and other experts.” The research covered 300 respondents across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. The survey covered children aged 8-14 years belonging to SEC A+, A and B, and mothers belonging to SEC A and B households across five cities in India. The reports were collated after surveys based on four modules, including friendship gangs of boys and girls, trendy tweens (boys and girls), focus groups of mothers with kids and some experts.