Role reversal: Reach out to kids through their moms

Here’s a case of sure role reversal. Marketers have always tried to reach mothers through their kids. But the Disney channel is trying to reach out to kids through their mothers. In association with the soap brand, Pears, the channel has launched a new show, ‘Kya Kool Hai Mum’. The programme will see mother-kid duos competing with each other.

A Disney executive says, “Parental advocacy has always been Disney’s principal. Even parents grew up on Disney characters and they are familiar with the decency of our programming and this is what we will be banking upon in our contest now.”

To participate in the contest, kids have to send in a picture of their mom in a dancing pose and write two lines on why they think their mom is the coolest. The entries have to be accompanied by a wrapper of Pears Junior Soap.

Disney tied up with HLL from the marketing and advertising point of view. The executive says, “The Pears Junior advertisement captures the essence of a mother who is doing silly things such as dancing and posing, which her kids think is cool. The show is an extension of the same campaign. That is why the name, ‘Kya Kool Hai Mum’.”

The Disney executive adds, “Our main aim is to empower, engage and enrich kids in everything that we do. Our programming is also targeted at parents, but that doesn’t mean that we are family exclusive. Rather, we are family inclusive.”

In the past, Disney has launched similar programmes involving parents such as the Microsoft story telling competition and the Disney magic show

The contest opens on February 19 and will run till March 25. The top 100 entries of dancing kid-mom duos will be chosen and given due recognition on the Disney channel. The five finalists will then compete for the number one position. The duo that gets the maximum votes will get an all-expenses paid trip to Hong Kong.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!