According to "USA Today," kids and adolescents influence $1.12 trillion in family spending each year. Because children impact such a large amount of spending, marketers must contend with cluttered advertising space in order to convey their messages. Businesses wishing to reach the youth market use a wide range of advertising techniques to influence youth spending.

Festivals

Many towns and cities host family-friendly festivals and block parties that appeal to both kids and their parents. These festivals offer marketers a unique opportunity to demonstrate their product for children and teenagers in a live setting. By renting space or sponsoring local events and festivals, companies can not only create demand for their youth-targeted products, but can also directly sell to families.

School Tie-Ins

Companies can effectively reach the youth market by partnering with individual schools or school districts to influence youth purchasing decisions. Many schools will not permit businesses to market directly to their students, but will allow companies to sponsor school athletics and sporting events. Marketers may also be able to partner with schools on charity projects that put their brand in front of students and their families.

Contests and Giveaways

Children and teenagers enjoy participating in contests and product giveaways. Companies marketing to kids can create and sponsor contests such as coloring competitions, video game challenges and races to generate excitement around their brands and market in local communities. Businesses can also hold product giveaways to build awareness and generate buzz in the youth market.

Swag

Businesses can market to kids by offering free items emblazoned with the brand's logo and marketing message. Such items include t-shirts, backpacks, stickers and other items that children wear and use. Companies seeking to use swag for marketing should research current trends to determine which items and color schemes will be most appealing to kids and families in their target areas.