Platypus Research Blog

Following on from our earlier blog post What Makes Kids Laugh we look at how laughter themes change as children get older.  

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On June 2nd & 3rd this year the entire nation will be celebrating the 60 year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne. We take a look at some of the differences in family life between now and then.

Imagine a time when children not just listened to parents, but obeyed them as well. Women were still expected to act in a 'ladylike' fashion and husbands and fathers were the main wage earner.

Only 15% of UK families owned a fridge and a freezer was relatively unheard of! But when you consider that the average weekly wage was just £12 you can understand why. However, this was a time of high employment, and the start of an affluent era; a very sharp contrast to todays economic outlook.

Television was a relatively new phenomenon and it wasn't until the Queen's coronation was screened live that the true potential of the 'telly' as a news medium was realised. 

Many childhood memories are filled with black and white characterisation, but nothing to match the sophisticated expectations of todays children. 

But which would you prefer to live in; todays struggling society where 'dysfunctional' families are almost considered the norm or the stifling, limited life of the 1950's? We'd be really interested to hear your views, just leave a comment below.

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It feels like the rain is never going to end here at Platypus Towers. After a soggy April, we're hoping that May will bring some sunshine! What better way to cheer ourselves up than by focussing on laughter and specifically What Makes Kids Laugh?


Finding out what makes kids laugh was the key objective of a project worked on for a childrens television show a few years back to inform the development of a weekend morning TV Show TMi. Jo Cliff, our MD cites it as one of her favourite projects.

"It was one of my most interesting, engaging and memorable pieces of work.  I got to spend Saturdays with kids playing games, watching TV, going out to clubs, watch 
their home videos of what made them laugh and speak to them about their favourite TV shows." 

What better way to spend a Saturday!  

 

We're sure you'll agree that kids laughter is contagious, take a look at William over on the Platypus Facebook Page 
We defy you not to at least raise a little smile! Why not 'like' our page whilst you're there?

An important aspect of kids laughter is the fact that the same things are making kids laugh today that did 50 years ago (just in different guises). Scooby Doo, the chuckle Brothers, Mr Men characters, friends pulling funny faces; as popular and funny now as ever before.

As is to be expected with the advancement of technology, laughter sources are changing - You tube for example is a particularly popular method of communicating hilarious video clips (anyone seen the monkey on the back of a pig clip?).

Golden Rules of Humour!

Accidents – As long as we can identify they are not serious! Accidents tend to be unexpected, create a reaction (funny face, noise) and are not set up. 

“When Scooby Doo walked into the wall.”

Jokes ‘It’s the way ya tell em’– Dad’s jokes, cheesy jokes, the humour is often in the delivery rather than the joke itself.  Jokes, puns and riddles also allow imagination of an event that would be funny in real life and with the understanding of double meanings become a ‘play’ on words.

“Robert’s dad makes a joke out of everything.  They’re not funny but he makes him funny.”

Faces – Different/strange facial expressions especially from people known or have a connection with.

Noises – ‘Toilet humour’ and noises they can make themselves

“I sat on a whoopee cushion and it made a funny noise like a fart.”

Voices – Baby voices, impressions of people (TV characters, teachers, parents, friends), total changes of character and things unexpected e.g. giving animals voices.

Dressing up and Exaggerated Reality

One of the key reasons Little Britain ws so popular with kids (despite being well past the water shed!) was the fact that it had men dressed up as women but it was still obvious they were men.

Caricatures are also liked for being reality but with a twist and one reason why the Wallace and Gromit characters are so popular given their over-exaggerated facial features, voices and expressions.

Oblivious to being watched

Children find pets and babies particularly funny.  This seems to have something to do with their innocence and increased likelihood they will get themselves into a funny situation without realising they are being funny.

Also actions like, over hearing people singing in the bath, sleep walking/talking, people talking to themselves and being engrossed in something and making a silly noise or face or all equally hilarious and made even funnier by the fact the person creating the laughter is totally oblivious to the fact!

“My dog is not allowed to go on the sofa and we have these cushions with straps on and my dog got off the sofa and a cushion was hanging from his waste!”

Laughter research Robert Povine said: "Laughter is a mechanism everyone has; laughter is part of universal human vocabulary. There are thousands of languages, hundreds of thousands of dialects, but everyone speaks laughter in pretty much the same way. Babies have the ability to laugh before they speak. Children who are born blind and deaf still retain the ability to laugh."

Want to find out how Platypus can help you with all your child, youth and family research? 

Email: general@platypusresearch.com

Tel: 01924 474734

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Do you have little (and not so little) ones at home? Then we need you! Well, it’s them we need in actual fact but we’d like your help recruiting!

Platypus are a very reputable, established Yorkshire based market research agency that work within the child, youth and family market. We work with some of the biggest brands in the UK, and we’d like to connect with your kids. Our aim is to get into the hearts and minds of boys and girls aged from 8 year olds to 16 on a closed forum platform. Every week we’ll post questions or ask for opinions on things that relate to specific age groups, and we need children to join in. It’s not a hard task by any means, and they will be rewarded with vouchers to spend on music, clothes, cinema tickets etc.

We would also like them to share with us what the latest trend or craze is, what music they’re listening to, TV shows they’re watching etc. It will mean a commitment of just 1 hour per week (maximum) to jump onto the secure forum and take part.

If you think your son or daughter (or both) would be interested then please email your details to general@platypusresearch.com and we’ll be able to send you more information.

Many thanks, and keep checking our Facebook page for more information and offers.

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So University or another route?  It's a daunting dilemma many teens face when approaching the end of college.  While most are involved with UCAS applications and deciding what University course they want to do, some are left frantically trying to make sense of it all, and what their future holds.  

It is almost tradition for most students to go straight to University after college.  But what about those who question the value of University?  

Apprenticeships are commonly thought of as plumbers, electricians and engineers or generally anything that doesn't  necessarily require more than a few GCSE's.  We've found out, however, that this isn't the case.  There are a number of apprenticeships out there which lead to a specialised job. The lack of knowledge of what is available leads to teens questioning their options. 

We have some views from people who've been through this, and they wanted to share their thoughts on the matter:

Matt - I was left feeling unsure about what realistic alternatives were out there. I was under the impression that apprenticeships were all about plumbers and electricians. The careers advisors weren’t helpful at all. I was originally going to go to University, but began to speculate on better alternatives.  I found a number of good chances through my own research. I wanted to pursue Web Development and gain entry into a company to gain valued experience.

Now, Digital agencies and the area of Web Development is not something commonly thought of to be available as an apprenticeship. I think my case is a good example of what varieties of choice companies out there want to offer an apprentice. In my opinion, I value this higher than University, simply due to the fact that by the time a student has graduated, I’ll have 3 – 4 years of industry experience under my belt, recognised NVQ qualifications which can be used for University entry, and I’ll have kick started my career in my chosen industry instead of being left with a big debt, and a degree and not being able to get a job.

I think that degrees are becoming so common these days that they are beginning to lose their credibility, especially with some of the subjects that you can now attain a degree in.  I can learn all the skills I would learn while studying for a degree on my apprenticeship, while actually putting them into practice in the work place on client projects.  You can’t get that experience anywhere else.  46% of graduates are expected not to get jobs they want, and jobs that aren't in any way related to their degree.  That's quite a shocking statistic to me, so I think myself lucky to be where I am!

Sam - I left college and decided not to go to University.  I think that in the long run it wasn’t worth getting all the debt for a commonly obtained degree.  While both going to Uni or following an apprenticeship provide valuable life skills, these skills often differ massively.  Going to Uni, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to get out of it.  The inherent costs and time involved with it means that it's not a decision you should take lightly.  I personally don't feel that going to Uni is worth the time or effort if you don't have a definite idea of the profession you want to follow.

Apprenticeships were often seen as the route to take for those that haven't always achieved fantastic grades.  While it's potentially true, however recent ones that have come up prove that there’s such a broad spectrum of apprenticeships, so it seems like another valuable way to start your career.  The life skills and work experience you pick up within an apprenticeship scheme is invaluable.  Uni graduates often don't have anything to fall back on if their chosen path doesn't go as planned; this isn't too much of an issue for those taking an apprenticeship.

Most apprenticeships often pay and recognise your value, which is a nice bonus.

Platypus has a vast knowledge of this sector. Get in touch with your next brief to see how the experts would approach and deliver against your research objectives. You can either email us at general@platypusresearch.com or contact the team on 01924 474734

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March 1st saw Rachel Hoy join Platypus as a Research Director. Rachel makes the move from Optimisa and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. Rachel will help drive the research functions within Platypus. Rachel has been a researcher for 18 years. She is not only a highly experienced researcher but is extremely adept at working with clients and wider teams to ensure the research gives a clear actionable recommendations and strategic guidance for the way forward.

Rachel has a great deal of experience in the children and youth arena with examples as follows:

• Establishing a youth research panel as a joint venture with a major high street bank. The opportunity to join the panel was offered to customers who opened a young person's bank account.
   
• Managed a number of projects for a client who wanted to launch a new healthy snack that was an acceptable addition to a child's lunchbox. The key was that the client wanted the product to be truly healthy...whilst also appealing to children! These projects involved various stages of in-home interviews with parents and children to test the proposition, comms and positioning.
   
• Set up and ran a programme of research which established young people's attitudes to saving in general. It also involved an element of proposition testing to establish if a savers account, specifically aimed at the youth market, would be a welcomed addition to the product portfolio of a well-known financial institution. The programme involved talking with parents and youths alike.

For more information and expert guidance, talk to Platypus about your next research project. You can either email us at general@platypusresearch.com or contact the team on 01924 474734.

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Platypus has been privileged to not only be accepted on the prestigious Goldmans Sachs 10,000 Small Business  programme but to also have recently completed the programme.

10,000 Small Business is targeted at small business and social enterprises with clear ambitions to expand. The goal of the programme is to provide participants with tools and resources to help them lay the foundation for long-term sustainable growth and job creation in their communities.

The programme has proved a great success to Platypus and our increased focus and organisational awareness is helping us to rapidly expand our client base.

Platypus has recently posted 43% growth on turnover for the last financial year and is targeted to achieve 70% growth in 2012.

This is possible due to its niche, clear and expert offering that is attractive to not only existing clients (80% repeat business in 2011) but also to new clients who are seeing that Platypus can offer and deliver expert research over and above the rest of the market.

Give your organisations next research programme the benefit of our expertise and experience. You can either email us at general@platypusresearch.com or contact the team on 01925 474734.

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Christmas wish lists of 2011 (for adults and children alike) were dominated with Xbox 360, Kinect Live, PS3, iPads (1 &2) - it's fair to say that technology was by far the front runner. Whilst this is not necessarily unusual and in many households expected, it did get the team here thinking about how and if  we still communicate as families.

The following conversation happened in a friends house;

Mum (shouting):Daniel, your tea is ready.

Son: Be down in a minute.

15 minutes later

Mum: Daniel, your tea is getting cold.

Daniel: Alright, be there in a second.

True to teenage form he eventually  surfaced. The difference here was that the conversation took place over Facebook messenger. Mum had tried shouting and got nowhere so gave in and jumped onto the iPad & messaged her son - finally she got a response.

So does this mean we speak to each other less? We did a mini-survey on Linkedin and the results actually showed that whilst social networking sites are great for keeping in touch with distant family, it can also enhance relationships with your children as you're communicating with them on their level and platforms that they understand.

http://goo.gl/49GM4

We'd be interested to hear your views on this, please feel free to leave your comments below.

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But where did it all start? We did a little research to find out.

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Shocking news about energy drinks and their effects on children.

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We've pulled together a festive list of factoid treats to keep you entertained whilst eating your mince pies!

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Some surprising (and interesting) facts about shopping with teen and tween girls.

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 In many of the projects we work on we are often asked by our clients to bring their target market to life and this is one of our key strengths.  The best way of being able to communicate with an audience is by fully understanding them, and we believe this cannot be achieved through sitting in a 90 minute debrief.  “Seeing is believing” and visuals can say so much more than the words written on a powerpoint slide.

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We know when we were children that each Christmas we would receive Lego in some form or other. Whatever piece or package we were given would mean an addition to the Lego toy box which grew and grew over the years. So it's really no suprise to us that it remains at the top of childrens wish lists today.

Tesco have it riding high at No 6 in their Christmas Top Ten, whilst over on the John Lewis chart it makes 2 appearances, the Cool Cruiser in at No 8 and flying in at No 2 is the ever lasting Sort & Store head.

But what keeps it on the letter to Santa? With the rise of electronic games and handheld computers, you would be wrong in thinking that Lego has the perception of being 'old school' or no longer 'trendy'.

Surely part of it's continued popularity must be down to the successful licensing deals such as those series it runs for Star Wars, Bionicle, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter.  As a brand it clearly understands the need to stay relevant and on childrens' radars, their Facebook page is testamant to this.

The ongoing popularity of Lego gives further evidence to the theme we always see in our research, that children's core needs and interests today are essentially the same as they were in the 1940's when Lego was invented.

2007 was a bad year for Lego, with profits plummeting inline with the global recession, but Lego took this opportunity to reassess it's market share, streamline it's processes and restructure. It bounced back in 2008 / 2009, generating sales by strengthing it's classic brands and meeting increased consumer demand in English-speaking and European markets.

It would seem that Lego will forever remain a firm favourite with children and adults alike. Here are some random stats about Lego;

• Lego products are sold in more than 130 companies.
• On average every person on Earth owns 75 Lego bricks.
• More than 7 Lego sets are sold each second
•  During the Christmas season almost 28 sets are sold each second.

Do you have childhood memories of Lego with your family? We'd love to hear your stories and see any pictures that you may have. Just leave your messages below.

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This month we've covered social TV trends and truancy. Some of factoids we've tweeted are below. Do you know any weird or interesting facts relating to the child, youth and family market? Leave yours in the comments box below.

The Social TV Trends Report, which questioned 2,025 internet users aged 18 and over, suggested that 76% of viewers used the internet, a games console or listened to the radio while watching television - up from 58% in last year's survey.

And it suggested 43% of British adults commented on or discussed TV shows they were watching using Twitter, Facebook, other websites and mobile phones.

That figure rose to 68% for 18 to 24-year-olds while a quarter of over-55s were doing the same.

School absenteeism

• Almost half a million children missed the equivalent of a month of school days in a single year
• Today's statistics show that almost half a million children (450,330) missed 15 per cent of school in the autumn and spring terms.
• The truancy rate stood at 0.97 per cent for the autumn/spring terms of 2006/07, meaning it has increased by 6.2 per cent in five years.
• In primary schools alone, the truancy rate rose to 0.69 per cent from 0.68 per cent for the same period in 2009/10.
• And in secondary schools the truancy rate stood at 1.41 per cent, up from 1.4 per cent the year before.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050872/500k-children-skip-month-school-YEAR-truancy-rises.html#ixzz1bhRFn1CY

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Wearing heavy make-up and gold stilettos, Thylane Blondeau sprawls seductively on leopard print bed covers.

The provocative pose might seem like nothing unusual for a Vogue fashion shoot – except that Miss Blondeau is just ten years old.

Now the shocking images of the French child model have brought condemnation from parents’ groups and MPs.

Closer to home, a goverment-backed website that makes it easier for parents to lodge complaints about advertisements, programmes, products or services that sexualise children is likely to launch before the end of the year. The single platform was recommended by the chief executive of the Mothers Union Reg Bailey and was welcomed by prime minister David Cameron. 

Read more: http://bit.ly/trjjuA

 

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Gwenda Thomas said the Welsh government was committed to stopping the physical punishment of children. Assembly members voted in favour of a call to change the law to stop parents smacking their children. But she said she was "committed to retaining the option to legislate at a future date”. Wales' children's commissioner joined the call for legislation, saying the law should not condone smacking.

Labour's Julie Morgan, said she wanted the law to give children the same protection as adults.

"That is our priority, the goal isn't to criminalise parents," she said.

But her Conservative opponent Darren Millar said: "I firmly believe parents should have the right to chastise their children. "I think there should be less interference in family life, not more."

Children’s commissioner for Wales, Keith Towler, who is appointed as an advocate to speak up for young people on issues concerning them, said: "Children are the only people in the UK who can be hit without consequence.

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We've scoured the internet, looked high and low and used some of our own research to bring you a round of these amazing statistics and facts - teens are this months focus from our friends over at Parent 24.

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“Sorry son, not only can we no longer afford to give you pocket money we can no longer save for your future or help you through university,” said mum and dad to Tommy, “Oh, and by the way you’ll need to go and find yourself a weekend job so that you can pay your share of the bills.”

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Ethical marketing is about whether a business marketing decision is morally right or wrong. As more and more businesses adopt these practices both here in the UK and worldwide is it possible for a porfitable business to be ethical?

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