iWorld
KAM Summit ’21- Decoding the digital native kid: How kids influence the decision-making process
Mumbai: Children have become an important consideration for marketers when they plan promotions for products/services meant for family consumption. Marketers are weighing in on buying decisions on products and services beyond those meant for children.
At the session, ‘Decoding the digital native kid: How kids influence the decision-making process’ held on the first day of the KAM Summit 2021, Kantar senior executive director Puneet Avasthi decoded what today’s children are all about and how do the little ones connect with the world around them in the current times. He dived deep into what kind of idioms and personality type do they actually aspire for and how technology impacts their decision-making.
Decoding the digital native kid, Avasthi went on to explain how the Indian kid has evolved. He mentioned that the children are probably more tech-savvy than most of the other members of the house, hence a larger influence. “Kids are the key pillars of growth for a variety of digital sectors, including entertainment, edutech, gaming and influence that extends well beyond.”
He further added, “Kids highly influence food (buying as well as what they eat) followed by household items and kids’ products. Parents allow the kids to dictate their media consumption. More than a third of TV viewing kids buy the product seen in the ad, if they like the ad.”
At least 75 per cent of the time, the child’s sanction and permission is non-negotiable when shopping for them. Parents today dare not pick anything for their children without the approval of their kid. In circumstances where something was picked up without the child’s approval, they did not use the product at all in most cases. The emotional state of the kids is linked to their performance. Doing well in studies/sports makes them happy, confident, and proud; while doing bad in studies makes them sad.
Instead of the child seeking approval, parents are seeking approval when it comes to buying anything for the house, like furniture. So, the shopping decisions of the kids these days go beyond food, clothes, and stuff meant for them. Parents rely a lot on children and the choices of the young ones go beyond simply picking products based on their favourite colour or cartoon. They decide what they like on the basis of their exposure to technology and the advertisements they watch. Avasthi went on to say that if at all there is a negotiation, “the child is the winner clearly.”
At 33 per cent of the purchase decisions concerning buying cellphones are taken by kids, as Avasthi’s survey pointed out. Similarly, in 33 per cent of the cases, the little munchkins end up influencing their family’s decision to buy TV sets as well.
“Indian kids like affectionate and intelligent characters like Doraemon and Chota Bheem. So, if you want to aim at mass appeal for their age-group, do more sober, simple, and intelligent characters. Communicate with the kids. They are the buzz creators with lots of positivity and influence,” pointed out Avasthi.
Kids prefer ads that are reality-based. Although kids like ads with their favourite celebrities, they may not always like the product. But, an interesting ad generates word of mouth. Although fitting in with a group of friends is important for more than half the kids, the majority of them don’t want to copy or blindly follow their friends. They are individualistic.
“Kids are very impressionable. One in three kids end up buying what they see in advertisements online or on television. Children have a strong influence on purchase of high value items for the household, besides merchandise they need,” Avasthi concluded.
You can watch the session here from 50:02
e-commerce
Samsung Galaxy S26 series now available for instant delivery on Instamart
AI powered flagship phones start at Rs 87,999 with launch offers up to Rs 9,000.
MUMBAI: In the age of quick commerce, even flagship smartphones are learning to arrive at your doorstep at lightning speed. Instamart has partnered with Samsung to make the newly launched Galaxy S26 series available for instant purchase on the quick commerce platform, expanding the category beyond groceries and daily essentials into premium consumer electronics.
The Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26, is now available across several major Indian cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune, among others.
The flagship series introduces several new features, led by what Samsung describes as the world’s first built in Privacy Display on a smartphone, available exclusively on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The display is designed to enhance privacy while unlocking a new class of screen experiences.
The devices also integrate agentic artificial intelligence designed to quietly manage routine tasks in the background, allowing users to focus on more meaningful interactions with their device.
Positioned as a major step forward in AI powered smartphones, the Galaxy S26 Ultra also introduces enhancements in areas such as nightography photography and Photo Assist tools, aimed at improving low light imaging and AI driven creative editing.
Through the partnership, Instamart is extending its quick commerce proposition to high value electronics, allowing customers to order the Galaxy S26 series and receive it almost instantly once sales go live.
The Galaxy S26 series will be available starting at Rs 87,999. As part of the launch offers on Instamart, customers can avail an instant discount of up to Rs 9,000 using an HDFC Bank credit card. Buyers can also opt for No Cost EMI options for up to 9 months.
The move reflects the growing overlap between quick commerce and consumer electronics, as platforms race to deliver not just groceries but also premium technology products with the same promise of speed and convenience.
