Brazil currently has a series of rules under the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) that directly affect advertising aimed at children and teenagers.
This often discourages companies from exploring opportunities with this segment of consumers. Yet, it is a sector with unique characteristics that demands caution when creating campaigns, since children and teens can shape cultural trends, consumption habits, and content creation.
According to Demian Falestchi, CEO of Kidscorp, it is possible to reach children and young audiences through advertising by following a framework that allows brands and agencies to connect effectively while complying with regulations.
This means, among other things, not collecting any type of data without parental consent, and aligning with marketing principles specifically designed for minors, such as those established by the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar).
“These rules bring the need to rethink how you can segment an audience when it’s composed of minors. That’s what we’ve been doing for the past 10 years. We’ve invested millions of dollars in developing technology that enables brands and agencies to connect efficiently and in full compliance with regulations,” says Falestchi.
The executive also highlights the importance of this type of control, since children are in a stage of development. “You cannot approach and talk to them as if they were adults—this is also a factor we must consider when building any strategy for this segment,” he adds.
Promoting safe content
Another hot topic when it comes to content production for children and teens is how to ensure their safety in a world where technology provides access to all kinds of information.
According to the CEO, there is still a gap in understanding the impact of early exposure to websites and networks not designed for children and teenagers. He believes parents and society as a whole must play a stronger role in protection, considering that young people are already digital natives.
“I often draw parallels with real-life examples. For instance, when a child is learning to cross the street: as a parent, I take her hand and walk with her,” he says.
This directly impacts how advertising is regulated, even though advertising can also serve as a tool for protection. “The rules around how and what you can communicate, and when you can advertise to children, are essential requirements. The solution for advertising is to keep risky advertising away from kids, and I think that’s what’s happening now. The main problem arises when children consume platforms that are not designed for their age, and their parents either allow it or are unaware,” explains Falestchi.
Challenges and trends
The advertising and media landscape is highly dynamic, especially with the rapid development of new technologies and formats. These new features inevitably change how content is consumed.
A clear example is short-form videos, which gained massive traction through platforms like TikTok and Kwai, eventually dominating spaces traditionally focused on longer formats, such as YouTube.
This content has become more professional and expanded into new genres. “What we’re seeing now, one of the key trends, is genres like drama appearing on Instagram and TikTok, and becoming increasingly professional in terms of content development. This is driven by artificial intelligence and the current technological moment we’re living in, which is fueling expectations for high-quality content across all platforms,” says Demian Falestchi.
In addition, these formats are gaining traction on Connected TVs, pushing platforms to produce vertical content for a traditionally horizontal space.
“In the U.S., for example, they’ve already surpassed broadcast TV consumption. Google is heavily investing in short formats, obviously to compete with TikTok, but also to drive consumption on CTV. The challenge is: how do you produce for a small vertical screen and then adapt it for a larger, wider one?” he concludes.
