Kids Say the Darndest Things . . . Especially if you ask what they think of your product.
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Jim Scott and Richard Williams knew they had to go to the sourceif they wanted their Belly Washers line of children's drinkbottles to succeed. So what better way to get inside the minds oftheir target audience than to form an advisory board of kids?
"We've been surprised at the input of these kids,"says Scott, 41, co-founder of In Zone Brands Inc. in Austell, Georgia."They give us continual feedback." That's because thekids sample and review their products, such as fruit juices inbottles featuring characters like The Simpsons and the PowerpuffGirls. Some kids even offer input on product design or marketingmessages. Sure, the approach has helped business--but it's alsofun and educational. The first meeting was at Universal Studios inUniversal City, California; subsequent meetings have been heldonline and via telephone.
Such an approach can work for any company, says SharonLivingston, president of ExecutiveSolutions Inc., a market research firm in Syosset, New York.For instance, you can recruit retired people to attend a creativesession to generate ideas for your product and marketing."It's terrific for the community and the businesscommunity," she says. Incentives can be money, gifts or even atrip.
You can use your advisory group as a creative session or as afocus group. A creative session comes up with new ideas, while afocus group discusses ideas that already exist. To encourageparticipants to brainstorm, ask questions such as: "What haveyou always wanted in this kind of product?" and "Whatdon't you like about it?" Just remember: No idea is a badone in a brainstorming session.
