Trainings                 

   YMS offers a variety of trainings via Workshops and

   One-on-One Mentoring. In addition, YMS conducts

   Ideation sessions to assist companies in the creation

   and development of innovative and  successful new

   Products and Programs.

   Workshops include:

         ● Age Segmentation Workshop

         ● Packaging for Success

         ● Advertising & Promotion Workshop

         ● New Product & Program Innovation

         ● Character Creation & Maximization

      A most popular workshop is the YMS Age

       Segmentation Workshop:

 Kids Aren't Just Kids; Success Means Knowing

Their Ages and Stages of Development

In this in‑depth and revealing workshop,  the authors of WHAT KIDS BUY AND WHY ‑ The Psychology

of Marketing to Kids,  Drs. Dan Acuff and Robert Reiher focus on each of the following age segments:  Birth thru 2, 3 to 7, 8 to 12, 13 to 15 and 16 to 19.  For each segment they will detail what is going on

with children of that age and stage of development ‑ what is occurring neurologically, cognitively, perceptually, socially, and with regard to their needs and humor preferences.

A host of examples taken from packaging and advertising along with examples of characters that

work with kids will be utilized to underscore key points.  In addition, Drs. Acuff and Reiher present

and discuss certain "Payoff Principles" that can be used to great advantage in the product

development and marketing process.  These include:  1) Reality vs. Fantasy, 2) Transformation,

3) Overcuing, 4) Centration, 5) The Billboard Effect, and 6) Masked emotion.

Participants can expect:

      ● Increased understanding of the different age segments

      ● An understanding of differences between boys and girls as they progress through the age

         segments

      ● Awareness of key "Payoff Principles"

      ● Understanding of what kinds of characters appeal to kids and why

      ● The ability to apply this knowledge to product design, packaging, and marketing

Sample Agenda:

 SAMPLE  AGE SEGMENTATION TRAINING SESSION AGENDA ‑ 3‑ 4  HOURS

1:30 ‑ 1:35            Introductions and Brief Background on YMS

                                    1. System based on child development principles

                                    2. Track Record:  IE: Mattel, Hallmark, ABC TV , Warner

                                         Bros., Nestle, United Media's Garfield, Microsoft,

                                         Disney, Quaker Oats, Broderbund, Nike, Sega,

                                         Kraft, General Mills, USDA, Microsoft, Etc.

1:35 ‑ 1:40            Overview of the workshop:

                                    1.  YMS Leverage/Product Matrix  (Create hyperlink)

                                    2.  Age segmentation model

                                    3.  Pertinent Products and Characters as examples

                                    4.  Creative Exercise (Optional)

                                    5.  Interaction, questions throughout

                        Intended Outcomes:

                                    1. Ability to Apply YMS Leverage/Product Matrix

                                    2. Understanding of youth target consumer age breaks

                                    3. Knowledge of key "Payoff Principles" **

                                    4. Understanding of  principles related to character

                                        development and utilization, game play, etc.

                                    5. Ability to apply these to your development and

                                        marketing needs.

**Examples of Payoff Principles:

            1. The Magic of Transformation ‑ Why transformation is so attractive

                and engaging, and to which age segments is what kind of

                transformation most appealing.

            2. Centration and Overcuing:  How children ‑ especially below the

                age of 7 ‑ tend to "centrate" or visually fixate on predominant visual

                stimuli to the exclusion of other detail.  Also, how product and

                program developers can take advantage of this phenomenon

                through "overcuing", that is through visually, or in some other way, 

                overemphasizing particular elements of a product or program.

            3. "Masked Emotion":  How certain stimuli such as characters can

                be attractive because there are unconscious emotions such as fear

                that intrigue.

            4. The "Billboard Effect":  How social pressure works to determine

                certain child/youth behaviors in public and private.

1:40 ‑ 2:00       Presentation of the YMS Leverage Matrix Dimensions:

                        PRODUCT, PERSON, P.O.V., CONCEPT, CONTENT,

                        CHARACTER, CONTEXT, IMAGE, PROCESS.  Also the

                        "Image" ingredients of being ATTRACTIVE,  CREDIBLE and

                        POWERFUL.

2:00 ‑ 4:00      Presentation of Age Segmentation Model along with

                        "Payoff  Principles",  Character Utilization, Packaging

                        Applications, Naming, Positioning Implications, etc. ‑  Plus

                        lots of interaction and questions related to participants'

                        needs/projects

4:00 ‑ 4:30      Creative Exercise/ or Issues Exercise:  (Note:  This is

                        optional.  YMS often extends the above Age Segmentation

                        presentation rather than get into the Creative Exercise.)

                        Participants work in pairs and create ‑ using primarily the Age

                        Segmentation information and "Payoff Principles" ‑ either a new

                        product concept, a marketing or advertising concept or strategy,

                        or if it is an "Issues" exercise, participants apply what they have

                        learned directly to their project issues.

4:30 ‑ 4:45      Presentation of concepts. (Optional)  Interaction, Clarification

4:45 ‑ 5:00      Open Forum for questions and answers related to YMS

                        Leverage Matrix, Age Segmentation, Payoff Principles,

                        Character Utilization, etc. as related to participants'  projects

                        and challenges

More Services:

●  For Consulting Analysis Tools, CLICK HERE

●  Link to the Character Lab and Character Maximization Tools  CLICK HERE