By Demian Falestchi | CEO & Founder of Kidscorp
Today, 1 in every 3 internet users worldwide is under the age of 18. Yet much of the advertising industry still operates with tools, formats, and structures designed for adults. The result is a costly paradox: over 70% of advertising spend targeting minors is wasted when campaigns are activated using platforms built for an entirely different audience.
For decades, childhood was perceived as a pre-consumption stage, almost a decorative one. But that’s no longer the case. In Latin America, 95% of kids and teens influence household purchasing decisions, and more than 40% of teenagers manage their own money. They’re not just spectators anymore: they’re decision-makers, trendsetters, and protagonists of a digital culture that is uniquely theirs.
The problem is, we’re still trying to reach them using models built for someone else. Platforms like DV360 or Meta Ads—designed to optimize based on behavioral tracking and user profiling—were never intended to operate within the regulatory and contextual framework of childhood. Forcing them into that space creates a triple threat: poor performance, legal risk, and cultural disconnection.
What’s needed now more than ever is infrastructure built from the ground up—designed to understand how these users browse, what they value, and how they engage. Today’s technology enables campaigns to be segmented by age, gender, interests, time of day, and family context, all without collecting personal data. Purpose-built platforms like Kidscorp’s DSP—which also enable coherent messaging to parents—are setting the new standard for contextual, ethical, and strategic marketing.
This new paradigm demands more than legal compliance. It demands cultural sensitivity. U18 audiences don’t consume like adults. They watch differently, choose differently, and connect differently. YouTube remains the centerpiece of digital content consumption among kids, with usage rates exceeding 80% from early childhood through adolescence. Video games are the second most frequent activity among children and preteens: 6 out of 10 engage regularly, blending entertainment with social interaction. And Roblox, in particular, stands out as the most popular metaverse among tweens, leading preferences for immersive, social experiences.
In this context, visibility and reach are not enough. What brands need to build are real, memorable, and lasting connections. Digital advertising for minors is not forbidden, but it does require a different approach. One that respects their world, their codes, and their rights. A model that balances performance with protection, data with ethics, and personalization with limits.
Global regulations—COPPA, GDPR, LGPD—aren’t roadblocks; they’re a compass. And the brands that understand this will be the ones invited into the symbolic universe of the next generation.
Because the future isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about aligning what we say, what we do, and what we stand for. And that future has already begun.
