Barney & The Importance of Marketing to Parents

Marketing to kids is no easy feat, primarily because kids don’t have wallets or the money that goes in them.

That’s why the real target for any child-focused brand is the parent. But how do you win over adults with a product meant for tiny humans?

There are a few tried-and-true strategies:

• Keep your message simple and fun enough for kids to repeat to their parents.
• Use catchy jingles that stick in parents’ heads as they overhear kids’ shows.
• Or, tap into the warm, fuzzy nostalgia of childhood itself.

That last tactic is exactly what the kid-friendly food brand Little Spoon did with its latest marketing move.

Little Spoon, which offers a subscription service for baby and toddler meals, had a challenge: how to connect with today’s millennial parents. The solution? A blast from their past. The brand teamed up with Mattel to bring back Barney the Dinosaur—the big purple icon of ’90s children’s television.

By leveraging Barney’s retro charm, Little Spoon isn’t just trying to attract kids. They’re appealing directly to parents who grew up with the dino and might feel a little thrill seeing him again. The goal? Spark enough nostalgia that parents not only feel a connection but want to pass Barney down to the next generation.

So, we’ll ask you: If you were raised in the ’90s, would you want your kids to meet Barney the Dinosaur?

Marketing Takeaway:
When marketing to kids, remember who holds the purse strings. By reaching parents through nostalgia and emotional connection, brands can turn childhood memories into powerful purchase motivators.