In the vibrant world of social media, where authenticity ranks above all else, a new type of digital star is emerging: the kid influencer.
These young, charismatic personalities are captivating hearts and screens with their authentic charm and candid perspective. Once relegated to the background of their parents' posts and family photos, kids are now stepping into the spotlight and making a big impact.
Their raw content and candid moments resonate deeply with audiences and set them apart from the polished, curated image of adult influencers. In this new marketing era, kid influencers aren't just riding the wave — they're shaping its course.
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It's no different in Asia, where Adrian Ang, co-founder and chief creative officer at HEPMIL Media Group, says kid influencers have been popping up all the time lately, with digital-native parents sharing all of their adorable tantrum moments. But finding a truly good kid influencer is “like finding the best bubble tea in Singapore – it's hard to find,” Adrian Ang says.
He's also a parent who manages a kid influencer account: His son, nicknamed “Proop Proop,” can often be seen hanging out with him at home, in restaurants, and at the park.
The family were recently spotted on holiday in Western Australia, where Ann shared a video of Proop Proop excitedly pointing at animals at Meelup Farmhouse.
Adrienne Ang called kid influencers the “secret weapon” in every parent's wallet, saying:
“Brands know that if a kid influencer says a toy is great and fun, they'll beg their parents to buy it until all their fans buy it.”
Of course, Adrian Ang's top priority is for Proop Proop to have fun when working with brands, adding that safety and privacy are two of the things he often considers when signing brand deals for children.
“We want to make sure the content is good and that it's not something that our kids will be embarrassed about when they grow up,” Adrienne Ang said. “When they're a little older, we want to make sure it's voluntary.”
The appeal of kid influencers
AnyMind Group's Singapore branch manager Yee Hui Toh said there was also growing demand in Southeast Asia for brands to collaborate with influencers and their children.
He explained that demand is coming from brands in categories such as home & living, fast-moving consumer goods, food & beverage, consumer technology, health & nutrition, and of course parenting.
The growing demand has led to the creation of packages specifically targeted at parents, Toh said, because audiences perceive content from child influencers as more authentic.
“As the earlier generation of Southeast Asian influencers start having families and raising children, many are seeing great response from featuring their children in their content to show a different side of their lives. Many of these children have also created social media accounts (on their behalf) and have built up sizable followings,” Toh said.
“Additionally, there are creators like Little Monsters who produce content aimed at parents and families, offering different ways for brands to target younger generations. In addition to the diverse perspective of the content, audiences may perceive content from kid influencers as more authentic,” he added.
According to To, brands choose to work with child influencers because the content they produce can bring a breath of fresh air to existing content.
“From toy unboxing and reaction videos to videos about enjoying their hobbies, kid influencers can also bring a new dimension of authenticity to your content.”
“Don't get me wrong, the majority of viewers, especially the parent generation, are still over 18. Even when children watch content, it is usually under the guidance of a parent or guardian,” Toh explained.
After all, working with an influencer means you have access to their audience, which Toh said should be one of the most important points when selecting an influencer.
Situations where brands might collaborate more with kid influencers include bringing new perspectives to content and campaigns, expanding parent-to-kid collaborations and even making long-term investments in building brand relationships with specific young influencers, he explained.
Ethics and Guidelines
If brands decide to work with child influencers, Toh suggests that they “enforce their own guidelines to ensure that it's ethical and consistent with the brand image they want to convey to the public.”
This includes disclosing paid content and complying with existing advertising laws, To said. Different markets in Asia have different regulations regarding working with influencers, in this case child influencers, but countries and the industry as a whole are working towards establishing fair regulations.
Meanwhile, Ang Peng Fa, chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore, said there are no advertising laws in Singapore that specifically address the use of influencers.
He explained that the responsibility for adhering to regulations and guidelines, including the use of truth claims and disclosure of sponsored content, lies with the adults who manage them.
“Parents managing their children's influencers should be aware of the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP) guidelines, which apply to sponsored social media content, which is treated as advertising in the eyes of the regulator,” said Ang Peng Fa.
“In particular, advertising targeted at or featuring children must comply with SCAP's Annex C (Children and Young People), which takes into account how children may perceive advertising messages and must not exploit or harm children,” he added.
Furthermore, Ang Penghua said parents should be mindful of their children's privacy and be aware that online content is difficult to remove and may have negative consequences for children in the future if they are exposed to public attention.
Therefore, Ang Peng Hua said, care must be taken when choosing the content to create.
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