Understanding Tweens
And the implications
for the food and drink industry ...
Helen King
Head of Consumer Insight & Innovation
Growing the success of Irish food & horticulture
The Study
The Tween lifestage
Influence and spending power
Food behaviours
Healthy eating
Media and technology
Takeaways
The Study
Qualitative pre-tasking
Qualitative family interviews
12 family interviews
UK & Ireland
- Tween and a friend
- One or both parents
On line Study with parents and tweens
803 UK
203 ROI
Being a Tween
The veterans of childhood…
Physically
Good motor control
Growth tends to be
uneven
The veterans of childhood…
Physically
Good motor control
Growth tends to be
uneven
Emotionally
Developing social
competence
Mutually respectful
relationships
The veterans of childhood…
Physically
Good motor control
Growth tends to be
uneven
Emotionally
Cognitively
Developing social
competence
Moved beyond egocentric
Mutually respectful
relationships
Developing problem
solving skills
Growing older younger?
Constant
Developmental
stages
Conceptual Ability
Internal
Desire to seem old
and the real level
of understanding
Change
Influences on
them
– fads, fashions
Technology skills
External
Why talk to Tweens?
•Able to discriminate more between choices
•Aware of brands
•Pick up on new products and marketing messages
•Strong influence on family spend
•Parents can indulge their requests
•Establish healthy eating habits
A foot in both camps
At the beginning of a period of significant change...
A foot in both camps
Gaining more responsibility
Starting secondary school –
the big event
Starting secondary school –
the big event
Vs.
Beginnings of social pressure
Hopes and fears
Settling into
secondary
school
Tweens and trends –
followers, not leaders
Public and Private faces
•Self – conscious
•Social pressures exciting
and draining
•Home is a safe haven
Family time
1. Days out with my family
2. Going out with my friends
3. Going to organised sports or activities
4.Family time together at home
5. Having time to myself at home or in my
room
6.Going out for food with my family
7. Going out on my own with one of my
parents
8.Going to school
Influence and spending power
The decline of pocket money…
2001
2007
2012
94% of 8-10s
72% of 8-10s
48% of 8-10s
84% of 11-13s
82% of 11-13s
61% of 11-13s
Spending pocket money
•Larger sums to save
or spend
•Large amount of
spending freedom
•Keep an eye but can
spend on what they
want
Spending pocket money
43%
24%
30%
24%
23%
Direct and indirect spending
power
•Influence on family
spending is very high
•ONLY 1 in 10 not
involved in some way
•Treats and
breakfast items
Food behaviours
Eating
Busy schedule/ established
habits
•Want to eat together
•Coming and going
•Stick to „safe foods‟
Frequently, quickly & grazing
Breakfast
1. Toast
2. Fruit juice
3. Cereal
4. Fruit
5. Yoghurt
6. Cereal Bars
7. Porridge
UK
51
39
28
28
24
25
20
Irl
47
27
28
18
22
13
29
The school lunchbox
Sandwiches
Fruit
Squash
Yoghurt
Fruit juice
Yoghurt drinks
Cheese
Cereal bars
Cheese snacks
Crackers
Wraps
Irl
72%
71%
32%
27%
22%
22%
18%
16%
11%
10%
9%
UK
64%
10%
9%
4%
The school lunchbox
Crisps
Irl
3%
UK
27%
Popcorn
7%
1%
Chocolate 6%
bars
13%
The afternoon
MONDAY
MONDAY
12:46
16:46
AUGUST 13
AUGUST 13
Biscuits
Sandwiches
Yoghurt
Crisps
Fruit
Squash
UK
31
16
22
25
24
16
Irl
21
41
31
21
24
31
Fruit
Crisps
Biscuits
Squash
Fruit Juice
Sandwiches
UK
36
31
30
26
20
16
Irl
41
12
18
18
29
35
Evening/tea time
UK
Pizza
29%
Squash
30%
Fruit
26%
Fruit juice 21%
Burgers
21%
Yoghurt
19%
Irl
35%
9%
13%
21%
18%
9%
Snacks & parental influence
Restrict!
Fizzy drinks
Bags of sweets
Chocolate bars
Crisps
Pastry snacks
Happy!
Fruit
Yoghurt
Porridge
Fromage Frais
Fruit juice
46%
37%
30%
27%
23%
78%
45%
43%
29%
28%
Favourite Foods
Favourite Foods
1. Chocolate bars
2. Crisps
3. Biscuits
4. Pizza
5. Fruit juice
6. Bags of sweets
7. Fruit
8. Toast
9. Yoghurt
10.Fizzy Drinks
11.Squash
12. Popcorn
13.Burgers
14.Cereal Bars
15.Cheese (Blocks, slices,
spreads)
16.Yoghurt Drinks
17.Crackers
18.Pastry Snacks
19.Fromage Frais
20.Spreads (jams, peanut butter)
21.Cheese Snacks (Cheesestrings,
Dairlylea)
Favourite Foods
1. Chocolate bars
2. Crisps
3. Biscuits
4. Pizza
5. Fruit juice
6. Bags of sweets
7. Fruit
8. Toast
9. Yoghurt
10. Fizzy Drinks
11. Squash
12. Popcorn
13. Burgers
14. Cereal Bars
15. Cheese (Blocks, slices,
spreads)
16. Yoghurt Drinks
17. Crackers
18. Pastry Snacks
19. Fromage Frais
20. Spreads (jams, peanut butter)
21. Cheese Snacks
(Cheesestrings, Dairlylea)
Favourite Foods
1. Chocolate bars
2. Crisps
3. Biscuits
4. Pizza
5. Fruit juice
6. Bags of sweets
7. Fruit
8. Toast
9. Yoghurt
10. Fizzy Drinks
11. Squash
12. Popcorn
13. Burgers
14. Cereal Bars
15. Cheese (Blocks, slices,
spreads)
16. Yoghurt Drinks
17. Crackers
18. Pastry Snacks
19. Fromage Frais
20. Spreads (jams, peanut butter)
21. Cheese Snacks
(Cheesestrings, Dairlylea)
Favourite Foods
1. Chocolate bars
2. Crisps
3. Biscuits
4. Pizza
5. Fruit juice
6. Bags of sweets
7. Fruit
8. Toast
9. Yoghurt
10. Fizzy Drinks
11. Squash
12. Popcorn
13. Burgers
14. Cereal Bars
15. Cheese (Blocks, slices,
spreads)
16. Yoghurt Drinks
17. Crackers
18. Pastry Snacks
19. Fromage Frais
20. Spreads (jams, peanut butter)
21. Cheese Snacks (Cheestrings,
Dairlylea)
Relaxing control at the
weekend...
• The aspiration of quality family
time can be realised
– Indulgent foods and treats often
central
• Healthy eating aspiration relaxed
– indulgent foods help make occasion
special
• Tween often given the opportunity
to choose
– DVD, dinner destination, treats etc.
Healthy eating
Happy with a balanced diet
“It’s not always possible to
dictate everything that my
“I am extremely aware and
concerned about my child’s
health…I am fairly
strict in terms of the
food and drinks
products I allow my
children to have”
28%
child eats. As long
as I
know overall that
they are getting a
good balanced diet, I
am happy for them to
choose some of the things
they eat”
67%
“Health isn’t
really
a major priority for
my child’s food. I would
rather they eat and drink
the things that they like…”
5%
Healthy eating attitudes
Tweens
Good
Vs.
Bad
Parents
Learning about health...
I am very knowledgeable
about health
Family
I read newspaper/magazine
articles
Watch on TV/listen to radio
My child/children tell me
about healthy eating
55%
36%
33%
28%
25%
My parents
86%
My school teachers
Television programmes
Visitors that come into
the school
Adverts on television
77%
40%
35%
35%
Simple messages can work best
“I can‟t control what he goes and
buys at the shop – but I know he
gets his veg at home”
Healthy and popular
Tween enjoys
Chocolate bars
Crisps Biscuits
Pizza
Fruit Juice
Sweets
Fizzy Popcorn
Squash Toast
Yoghurt
Drinks
Burgers Cereal BarsCheese
Yoghurt Drinks
Cheese Snacks
Crackers Fromage Frais
Pastry Spreads
snacks
Porridge
Parents happy for Tween to eat lots of
Fruit
Healthy top of mind brands
Yoghurts and cheese Cereal/cereal bars
Fruit drinks
Media and technology
Having a phone is the norm
Ownership of devices
Primary
Secondary
77%
77%
Games Console
62%
Mobile Phone
56%
TV
51%
Laptop
40%
44%
iPod
iPad
7%
10%
70%
69%
88%
Most desirable devices
1. Games / consoles (35%)
2. Mobile phones (22%)
iPhone, Blackberry Bold
3. Other technology (39%)
iPod, laptop, TV, iPad
4. Toys & Books (20%)
Bikes, scooters, dolls
5. Pets (13%)
Miss the most
Games / consoles 36%
TV
29%
Internet
18%
TV
Internet
Mobile phones
39%
22%
19%
What do tweens like?
Music
What do tweens like?
TV
What do tweens like?
Websites
Ads & videos – be funny
Crude
Off the wall
Animals
Babies
Anarchy
Cute
Silly
Mishaps
Catchy / irritating
Takeaways
Food is fuel
•
•
•
•
Eat to fit schedule
Limited and unadventurous
Snack and graze throughout the day
Afternoon least defined
Food is fuel
•
•
•
•
Eat to fit schedule
Limited and unadventurous
Snack and graze throughout the day
Afternoon least defined
Home is a safe haven
• Lots of social pressure to conform
• Parents try to optimise family time
together
• Weekend relaxation
Home is a safe haven
• Lots of social pressure to conform
• Parent s try to optimise family time
together
• Weekend relaxation
Big influence on spend
• Pocket money decreasing
• Food buying is collaborative
Big influence on spend
• Pocket money decreasing
• Food buying is collaborative
Healthy balance
• Can‟t eat healthy all the time
• Overall wellbeing
• Bombarded with messages
Healthy balance
• Can‟t eat healthy all the time
• Overall wellbeing
• Bombarded with messages
Reaching them
•
•
•
•
Technology increases
TV remains key medium
Followers not leaders
Humour!!
Reaching them
•
•
•
•
Technology increases
TV remains key medium
Followers
Humour!!
Understanding Tweens
Thank you
Helen King
Head of Consumer Insight & Innovation
Growing the success of Irish food & horticulture