Marketing a Kids class

[bobdonny]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for suggestions on marketing a kids class.

The adults class is going well with google pay per click but I dont think this is working for our kids for obvious reasons.

We've tried putting posters up at school and had mixed results.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for kids only marketing idea's.

Thanks
Rob

[ben]

I'm on the lookout for ideas myself...

Perhaps though the time is pretty late, 7.00 - 7.40pm on a Friday night. Kids will be zonked at the end of the school week, probably wanting to just veg out in front of telly, it's f'n'c night, etc, etc. Getting parents and kids to get up after dinner to leave the house is a big ask.

I'd suggest a time change. Ideally, depending on the instructor's availability (and your practice space availability), after school but before dinner could be good, especially for the littler ones. And earlier in the week too.

Also, 40 minutes is obviously not a dogi or bogu wearing class. It takes that long to get a decent sized class into and out of their gear. If you will want to have them wearing bogu in the future I'd suggest you schedule an hour, e.g. 4.30 - 5.30pm.

b

[Kenzan]

I suggest a rather large net-trap tied to a tree, baited with..hmm
Oh, what the devil do children these days like?....Spam?
Yes..
Spam.

Trust me, the parents will thank you.

[ReKru]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for suggestions on marketing a kids class.

The adults class is going well with google pay per click but I dont think this is working for our kids for obvious reasons.

We've tried putting posters up at school and had mixed results.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for kids only marketing idea's.

Thanks
Rob

Could you define 'marketing' a bit more?
Do you want to make Kendo known to kids?
Do you want to inform the parents about the option?
Do you want to provide a kids specific training?

If it's all of that, that's a marketing plan worthy of an international megacorporation. (and could start with a new "The very Last Samurai" Blockbuster )

[Jung_Yul]

I suggest a rather large net-trap tied to a tree, baited with..hmm
Oh, what the devil do children these days like?....Spam?
Yes..
Spam.

Trust me, the parents will thank you.

But NO SPRINKLES! Do you hear me? For every sprinkle I find, I shall KILL YOU!

[MikeW]

Marketing a young (under 14) kids class really means marketing to the kids AND their parents. To do this you need to make the class inexpensive as possible and at a convenient time for both parents and kids. For kids that are in high school age you need only to market it to the kids themselves as long as it is in a location and time that is amenable to after school activity.

As for the actual advertising, make sure you have a good web page, place adverts in locations your target audience will be (posters, flyers etc), give demonstrations at schools to introduce kids to kendo and that sort of thing.

[dwez]

Pokemon, or some kind of trading card scenario kids love that stuff! Seriously, cartoon kendo characters in your promo stuff. I should be putting my money where my mouth is with this... too many maps addles the brain.

[hugo]

All I can say about starting a children's program is BE WARNED. I don't know if it's the same on the other side of the pond, but American parents tend to interpret any sort of afterschool activity as babysitting.

[ReKru]

Seriously, cartoon kendo characters in your promo stuff.

Carefull with that copyright thing, though.
Don't use well known character - if you have some manga fan with existing drawing abilities, let him/her create your own artwork.

[Jung_Yul]

All I can say about starting a children's program is BE WARNED. I don't know if it's the same on the other side of the pond, but American parents tend to interpret any sort of afterschool activity as babysitting.

That's nothing. The store I worked in part-time when I was getting my degree had a play table in the back so that little hands would be occupied with that, rather than all the easily breakable items, while their parents shopped. One Sunday a woman tried to drop off her small children while she shopped... the REST of the mall. I explained to her that unless she was willing to pay me $30 an hour (standard rate + idiot tax) for watching her kids while I was supposed to be doing my real job, I'd call Mall Security to come collect her children. Funny part was, she actually got mad at me over this, as she apparently didn't understand how she was wrong.

Off topic, yes, but Hugo is right... many (not necessarily ALL) American parents seem to have kids for the novelty of it rather than taking on the responsibility.

[tango]

All I can say about starting a children's program is BE WARNED. I don't know if it's the same on the other side of the pond, but American parents tend to interpret any sort of afterschool activity as babysitting.

This can be true.

Fortunately for us, we tried to control that idea by setting a minimum age at which we would accept students. Our community center later (and I'm assuming for insurance reasons most likely) forced a higher minimum age. I think 10 yrs old is the youngest we're allowed to accept at this point, and that's not really bad at all... If the parents want a babysitter and the kid doesn't like kendo, the kid isn't going to be coming back after 2 or 3 weeks. The ones that want to stay have a mentality that's more "I don't need a babysitter"... So that works out fine for us.

As well, the community center set a rule that any child under the age of 16 (I think) had to have a parent in attendance throughout the entire class.

If you (or anybody else) is having issues with kendo being a glorified babysitting service, I think that's a VERY good rule to have.

I love the kids we have in our class... from 10 through those teen years. Their parents really support their kids with kendo and I've formed some good relationships with the parents, who have often been really helpful with club and non-club stuff.

[Paburo]

i agree with Ben, by experience i can tell you..... kids class in our dojo are fridays 7-8pm, and it's a shame to see how as kids grow up most of them quit kendo because well, its friday! they wanna go out with their school friends and hang out. kendo might be cool to them, but hanging out with friends def outweights it, specially at the 12 to 15+ age range. i guess some parents just want to relax and take it easy on a friday afternoon as well? i'm not a dad yet so i wouldnt know tho...

for clear information. on the parents side they want to know and make sure its something: 1.safe, 2.fun, 3.educational, 4.social. so i would emphasise these aspects among all others in kendo in the ad, site, or wherever.

kids are easier: as long as it's fun, they'll love it. specially if it's something they naturally grow to like, and not a class ''i have to attend because my parents make me to".

imho i think a nice(even cartoonish), easy readable (even for kids) site, along with a youtube clip (or the like) of what a class is like would be very appropiate!

[tango]

Rob ---

Do you ever have an opportunity to do a kendo demo at an elementary school, junior high school or high school (sorry, I don't know the Irish equivalents of these)...??

Just recently, I got an email from an elementary school (6 yr olds through 11 yr olds) asking if we could do a kendo demo for their entire assembly (about 250 kids total) because the administration wanted the kids to have an exposure to Japanese culture beneath the surface of "they do karate, eat rice and raw fish, and live on an island".....

[ArcticBlizzard]

Put some flyers on the counter at your local bakery or grocery store.

[Neil Gendzwill]

We have some success because we're in a YMCA, which is a facility that already has lots of kids programs. So if they are members, they can try kendo for free. Also if they are members they will know about it because it's in the pamphlets. We run our classes on Sunday afternoons which seems to be a good time.