Back to school is back to high-tech

Kids aren't content with a new spiral notebook, a few folders, new pencils and glue any longer. Back to school this year will be back to high-tech for many young consumers, which is a great ad opportunity for high-tech marketers.

by Kristina Knight

ShopLocal.com shopping expert Eva Yusa, who blogs as ‘Eva the Shopping Diva' said, “It used to be that a new pair of gym shoes and a new set of notebooks were enough to make any child feel cool. Now with the growing popularity of consumer electronics, children have different ideas about what is acceptable, and what are ‘must haves’ for the back-to-school season.”

So what are kids looking for this year?

It depends on the sex of the child.

ShopLocal surveyed 500 preteens and found that 73% want handheld gaming systems, 70% are asking for new computers and 69% want a new cellphone. If fact, their want of electronics supercedes the want of a new backpack, tennis shoes or notebooks. Though both boys and girls requested electronics, boys and girls did rank their wants differently.

Boys are much more interested in gaming systems for back to school (80%) while girls want clothing and accessories (88%) more than any electronic purchase.

Perhaps most interesting from this survey is not only what kids want but how specific kids will get. The survey revealed that kids aged 7 - 12 are increasingly brand loyal with 83% asking for the brand iPods by name and 64% asked for the Nintendo Wii by name.