Advertising & marketing to children in the U.S. - statistics and facts

From bright colors and unusual designs to characters known from popular kids shows and catchy tunes – advertising to children attracted 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in spending in the United States in 2022. Two thirds of the money was invested in digital media, which follows children’s preferences. In early 2023, YouTube, video-on-demand, and social media topped the ranking of channels with the highest reach both among youngsters under 12 and among teenagers. YouTube has gained such a popularity that the media have dubbed it a “digital babysitter” and market research shows that under-18s make roughly 10 percent of its U.S. audience. YouTube U.S. ad revenues were estimated at just under seven billion dollars, which would give children ad spend an arithmetic share of 700 million dollars.

Kidfluencers on the front lines

When you pair up children’s love for digital video with the phenomenon of peer pressure, you get a new, powerful advertising weapon – the ‘kidfluencers’ or children with large number of social media followers. Niana Guerrero – a teenager from the Philippines – amassed 60 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Brands happily use such reach to market their products. One of the most prominent U.S. kidfluencers – Ryan Kaji, from Texas – brought him and his family 27 million U.S. dollars in annual income in 2021 and was placed in the top 10 best paid YouTube creators. According to Ryan’s channel description, it is aimed at children aged two to six. It presents various types of videos, including arts and crafts, science experiments, or music, but also toy unboxing videos which act as product reviews. Ryan cooperated with such household names as Mattel and Nintendo. Such personalities speak not only to fellow children but also to their parents, who often turn to them for present ideas, children’s product reviews, or content suggestions.

Who gets it right?

Children are all about entertainment, and there are specific companies and brands – all with sizable marketing budgets – that have grasped how to bank on that. Among girls younger than 14, Disney reigns supreme. The love is fueled by Disney-branded items of every shape and size, from baby bottles, over clothing, to school supplies and video games. This affection does not fade away when they reach the drinking age. Even adults have their favorite Disney princesses. Unsurprisingly, Disney is the largest merchandise licensor worldwide. For tween and teenage boys, Marvel is the top name. In younger age groups, Lego takes the lead. However, Lego ranks in the top five entertainment brands also for girls across all ages, whereas Disney seems to appeal only to boys aged three to six.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Apr 25, 2024

Key insights

Ad spend on children's products & services in the U.S.
1.6bn USD
Medium with the highest reach among U.S. children
YouTube
Medium with highest reach among U.S. teenagers
YouTube
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