Reaching American Kids in the 21st Century: New Strategies Needed Gary Kiedaisch Derrick Crandall Robin Snyder

Two Key Steps to Success Provide a compelling product/service Communicate via todays medium to the right audience

If We Are Going to Try to Lure Todays Kids to the Outdoors and Then Limit Them to Yesterdays Activities … Then save your time and resources. They arent going to come.

Get Their Attention –Give Them What They Want! Excitement / competition Adrenalin activities/challenges Life Style experience Music Social interaction Memories

Learn About -- How to Manage -- New Activities … Mountain biking Terrain parks Boarding Geocaching Podcasted interpretation Destination wilderness sites

Once You Have the Product … Understand how your target audiences make leisure time choices. Look at the communications trends of 2007 …

Reaching 21 st Century Americans Average urban American now is exposed to 5,000 ads each day Major advertisers are decreasing ad spending – down.3% overall – and shifting to non-network channels (Internet, cable and more) iTunes sells over 5 million songs each day In the US, 166 million cell phone users send text messages At least 83.4% of US households are Internet- connected

For todays kids, the love of reading has been replaced by … … a drive for exploring and discovering and a passion for communicating.

Often in code …

Icon Meaning :) Standard smile :-) With nose :-E Buck-tooth >-) Evil grin :( Sad or frown smile :-( Sad with nose :-< Super sad :P Sticking tongue out (raspberry) (((H))) Hugs :-X Kiss on the lips `:-) One eyebrow raised :^) A broken nose :-& tongue tied E-:-) a Ham radio operator

AITR = Adult in the room

Generation C An emerging, ageless generation What they share is that they get their content from the internet and via social networking High percentage of Gen Yers – but also many Gen Xers, even Boomers

Generation C The thrill of exploring is nearly as exciting as … Being the Publisher and Broadcaster, showing off discoveries!

Think of Recent Innovations in Cell Phones Speed dialing Circle of friends Bye-bye land lines! Text messaging s Web surfing Special caller rings, images Caller ID Calendars, address books, photos, music and more GPS enabled maps Push to talk Games Clock and alarm Cameras, photo- sharing

Youth and Phones 3 out of 4 Americans between 12 and 21 use text messaging, and nearly half use picture messaging and download ring tones. Some information – including advertising – is accepted, on cell phones, but mobile is an intensely personal medium and poorly conceived mobile campaigns fail and create ill will.

March 2007, Best Practices Best Practices: US Mobile Marketing

Innovations in Communication Center for Biological Diversity wanted younger Americans to care about endangered species Solution: special ring tones of whales, wolves and owls – More than 100,000 people have downloaded these ring tones

"I just downloaded the orca ring tone!!! This is so awesome! My nine- year-old (on her way to becoming a marine biologist or veterinarian in a zoo) will think I am the coolest mom ever!!! Thanks and keep up the great work!!! By the way, this couldnt have been easier!!!!"

Are We Even Playing in the Game? To get the address and phone number of a Pizza Hut, or information on a concert, use SMS (short code) to message Google (46645) and get an instant, free response. Can we match that and give information about local parks and park programs?

And now … Lets turn to Derrick and the messages from the Recreation Forums

And now we have our ringer – our professional communicator – who makes communicating with kids look easy, Robin Snyder.

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