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What's Driving Kids?
Today's youth are both fashion conscious and brand savvy. In order to steer them toward purchases, you first need to understand how this generation operates
By Lindsey Aspinall

Kids of all ages are drawn to brands. For youngsters, the Spider-Man frame, style 5404, from Optique Eyewear (shown above) will capture their interest. Keep in mind that the branding on the frame's case can also help make the sale

Within the last decade, the kids' market for everything, from fast food to gadgetry, to toys, has gone from barren to booming. Advertisers have recognized the shift and are spending record amounts of money trying to reach this demographic. According to the Media Awareness Network, industry spending on advertising has exploded from a mere $100 million in 1990 to more than $2 billion in 2000.

Kids demand the coolest clothes and best toys, and if they're told they have to wear glasses, they'll want the hottest styles on the market. Packing a mighty market impact, kids have, and spend, their own money. In 2002, U.S. children (ages four to 12) spent $30 billion, says PROMO Magazine. Kids 12 and older spent $170 billion. While it's unlikely kids will be purchasing their own eyewear, it is important to recognize their financial power.

Although it may sound like whining to some, young consumers use "Pester Power" (i.e., "Can I have that?") to control parental spending. In fact, according to PROMO, kids influenced approximately $310 billion of household spending in 2002. While some may think kid-powered spending is
getting out of control, it's not a bad idea to have kids pick their own frames.

"I often encourage parents to listen to their kids when it comes to picking out eyewear," says Rosiland Hursh, OD, of the Eye to Eye Clinic in Wilsonville, Ore. "If parents force a child into a pair of glasses, that piece of eyewear tends to never get worn or ends up lost. Kids know what they want to wear. Even the younger kids are very fashion conscious."

BRAND POWER   

Signature's Hummer Youth style HX9 (top) drives sales from boys; the bright colors in Aspex's EasyTwist line (middle:  style ET655) appeal to little ones, while durability pleases parents; Charmant's CFX "C-Lock" frame (bottom: style CX7427) locks on ears

It's not uncommon to see young girls at the mall carrying designer purses. While this may make some parents cringe, the fact is that kids care about fashion-forward brands. Parents are probably looking for safety, price, and fit, but kids are
listening to hear the names they know. "If they see the brand in clothes, they are going to want it in eyewear," says Hursh.

Even the youngest children are now showing signs of brand recognition. Consider this:

■ Children recognize logos by 18 months old, says Boston College economist Juliet Schor.

■ Brand loyalties can be established as early as age two, says the Center for a New American Dream.

■ Some parents reported that baby's first word was not "mama" or "dada" but "Coke," says Schor.

However, that awkward tween age of around nine to 12, when kids aren't quite teens, but also not little kids anymore, is when brand
importance really takes full force

Katheryn Dabbs Schramm, pediatric optician and CEO of A Child's View, Inc., with four Southern California locations, says: "When trying frames on, tween-age kids will ask by name to see a particular frame if you withheld it because you thought it wouldn't fit right. This has to do with social influences of that age—tweens are struggling to fit in and brands help them to do that."

"Tweens are really into brand recognition," affirms Dana Cohen optician and owner of Medford Optical in Medford, Mass. "I recently had a 13-year-old girl here and told her I was showing her a Nine West frame. Before she even tried it on, her eyes lit up, and she said, 'Mom, I want this.' It wouldn't have mattered what size or color it was."

CASE AND POINT

But it's not just the frames. Kids also want a cool case, says Andrea P. Thau, FAAO, FCOVD, of Dr. Thau & Associates in New York City, as well as the vice president of the New York Children's Vision Coalition.

While adults look for protective casing, kids look at the design. "We teach kids to keep their glasses safely in the case, and the case in the front zipper section of their backpack," says Thau. "It becomes something they're pulling out at school, and since other kids see it, the branding on the case is really important."

Parents may think that kids wearing high-end, brand-name eyewear is outrageous, but there are some positives to point out. In an age when kids are increasingly self-conscious and aware of what peers think, wearing glasses can cause anxiety. Branded eyewear may help improve kids' self-confidence.

Even the youngest kids are looking for fashionable and even funky styles. Style F3 from Ooh La-La de Paris' baba-loo collection (shown left) is a fun cat's eye shape for sophisticated tots. Italee's style Buz Jib B52/46 is a fanciful blend of colors, plus ultra lightweight for small faces

"Kids want to look good, so playing to their style can help them feel better about their first pair," says Mark Hall, optician at Family Eyecare Associates in Versailles, Ky.

"When children see a brand they recognize, it makes them more interested in the product and more secure about wearing it," says Thau. "I think it can actually help a child to get over the hump of having to wear
glasses." 

Revved Up Retail

Changing your store décor and layout may contribute to kid sales success. Your selection of children's eyewear can be easily overlooked if it's not apparent you carry children's frames. However, keep in mind there needs to be a fine balance—unless you're converting to a kids-only store, you do not want to alienate
your adult customers.

"There needs to be a separate area for kids," says Katheryn Dabbs Schramm of A Child's View, Inc., in Calif. "You don't want them playing near expensive adult frames or pestering other shoppers."

However, Schramm says, it's important not to stick the kids' area in a corner that nobody knows about. "If you want to grow the children's segment of your store, select a few unusual children's frames that will pique some interest and stick them near your adult frames. This lets parents know the section exists."

In addition, using decorative elements that appeal to children will also help draw them over. "I use light boxes built into the wall with large pictures of children wearing eyewear," says Dana Cohen of Medford Optical in Medford, Mass. "Plus, each child also has his or her own booth and mirror, and when they sit down, they're actually sitting on a box that's a treasure chest. At the end of the visit, they get to pick out a treat from the box."

Troubleshooting

Marchon's Power Rangers 2 frame (above) helps kids "power up" to the idea of wearing glasses; Menizzi style M1012 (middle) is a semi-rimless style for fashion-forward kids; Guess style GU1449 (bottom right) from Viva is a brand name that can put sales in gear with tween girl customers

Kids aren't always keen on their first pair of glasses. Rosiland Hursh, OD, of the Eye to Eye Clinic in Ore. offers these tips for tricky tykes: 

1. Ask the child if they have friends or siblings who wear glasses. Kids don't like feeling singled out.

2. Kids who see an older sibling wearing contact lenses may want to try them. Give them 20 minutes in the chair with a trial pair, says Hursh. They often gain an appreciation for CLs and realize glasses are a better choice for now.

3. Consider putting kids in polycarbonate lenses, which are lighter, thinner, and more durable. Also, package all of your lenses, making it easier on parents, too.