Dive Brief:
- Target’s back-to-school push includes six spots featuring social media stars and a new online app called the “School List Assist.”
- Influencers appearing in the spots include 12-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler and 10-year-old YouTube gaming reviewer EvanTubehd.
- Target is boosting its investment in digital and social media during its second-busiest season.
Dive Insight:
Target is entering its second-busiest shopping season of the year this weekend, speaking directly to kids with six new spots starring young social media influencers, plus a new website function for parents that curates back-to-school needs.
The company is the latest retailer to tap popular online personalities to reach a younger audience, hoping to leverage the young stars’ influence on other kids in a range of ads promoting apparel and licensed merchandise. Online influencers’ recognition and selling power has eclipsed that of “traditional” media stars among those aged 13-18, according to Variety.
Designed to establish Target as a one-stop shopping destination for back-to-school needs, the “School List Assist” function on Target’s website is geared more toward the parents of tweens and teens. Parents can select from the curated selection of products and buy online for in-store pickup or delivery.
