Marketing to Gen Alpha: 2025 Guide for Marketers

by Andrea Knezovic, May 16, 2025

Who Is Gen Alpha?
Digital Habits of Gen Alpha
How to Effectively Market to Gen Alpha
Best Channels for Marketing to Gen Alpha
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Examples of Brands Doing It Right
Final Thoughts on Marketing to Gen Alpha
Data Sources

Have you ever seen a 6-year-old pick out snacks in the grocery aisle – and watched Mom or Dad actually add them to the cart? Gen Alpha’s preferences influence almost half of household purchases (Numerator, 2024). They might not swipe a credit card on their own, but they already steer family budgets worth about $28 billion in spending power (Business Insider, 2025).

Marketing to Gen Alpha means knowing that today’s youngest consumers have tablets, voice assistants and on-demand videos at their fingertips from day one. They expect bright – and most of all simple – experiences that hold their attention. At the same time, parents are the gatekeepers, looking for safe, educational content.

In this article, we’ll explore who Gen Alpha are, where they spend time online, and how to bring families together with playful, purposeful campaigns. You’ll walk away with practical tips for marketing to Gen Alpha that feel more like fun collaborations than one-way pitches.

Want to learn about marketing to other generations too? Check out our articles on:

Who Is Gen Alpha?

Let’s dive into who you’re targeting when you’re marketing to Gen Alpha.

This generation covers kids born from 2013 through 2025 – so in 2025 they’ll be 0 to 12 years old. By next year, Gen Alpha is set to make up 11 percent of the world’s population (Gitnux, 2025). In raw numbers, that’s nearly 2 billion young Alphas worldwide (DemandSage, 2024.)

These kids have never known a world without touchscreens and voice assistants. Many start using tablets and smartphones before they can read. In fact, 85 percent of U.S. Gen Alpha already own or use a tablet or smartphone by age eight (Gitnux, 2025).

Key traits to keep in mind for marketing to Gen Alpha:

– Screen savvy – They tap, swipe and talk to devices from toddlerhood.

– Visual learners – Bright colors and animations grab their attention.

– Family-centric – Parents control most spending, but kids drive requests at home.

– Early brand awareness – They spot logos before they learn to read.

When you plan a marketing strategy for Gen Alpha, remember you’re really aiming at a duo – the kids who want the fun content and their parents who set the rules. Talk to both of them with simple, honest messages.

To learn about other generations too, check out our articles on:

Digital Habits of Gen Alpha

When marketing to Gen Alpha, you have to know how they live online. Here are three habits that shape everything from content to campaigns.

Early Tech Adoption

From the moment they could crawl, Gen Alpha has been tapping screens and talking to devices. Many use voice search on smart speakers to hear bedtime stories or answer simple questions.

Tablets and phones feel like extensions of their hands.

Content Preferences

Kids between eight and twelve spend almost five hours a day on screens, on average (Exploding Topics, 2025).

They split that time between interactive games, short animated videos and AR experiences that let them point the camera at toys or drawings and watch them come to life. Bright, moving images and playful sound effects hold their attention best.

Parental Gatekeepers

Parents are in charge of apps and passwords, but kids drive the wish list.

About 49 percent of Gen Alpha parents say they keep a shared shopping list where their children can add items (Numerator, 2024). Even more—69 percent—report that their child has asked for a specific product after seeing an ad (Numerator, 2024). Those moments of co-viewing ads on YouTube or family streaming sessions turn into direct requests.

Keep these habits in mind when you map out marketing to Gen Alpha. Your campaigns need to work on small screens, feel playful and grab both kids and parents in the same moment.

marketing to gen alpha characteristics

How to Effectively Market to Gen Alpha

When you focus your marketing to Gen Alpha, the goal is to delight kids and reassure parents. Let’s dive deeper into four strategies that work together to create winning campaigns.

Design for Tiny Hands and Eyes

Start with the basics – big tap targets, clear icons and bold colors. Young kids can’t double-tap or pinch to zoom. They need buttons that fill a finger’s surface and labels that use simple words or symbols.

Break interfaces into one task per screen.

For example, a drawing app might open directly into a blank canvas with just a paintbrush and color picker visible. If you add menus or ads in that view, you risk losing their attention.

During testing, aim for a three-second rule – if a child can’t find the next step in three seconds, you need to simplify further.

Never forget contrast and animation. Bright backgrounds with dark buttons help little eyes and unsteady hands. Subtle animations – like a bouncing icon – guide kids toward the next action without confusing them.

Blend Education and Fun

Kids respond when they learn through play – that’s why edutainment is so powerful.

Take ABCmouse’s YouTube channel, which racked up 600 million views in one month by combining nursery rhymes with easy spelling games . Their most popular video had an 8 percent engagement rate, showing that educational content can compete with cartoons for attention.

You can build similar experiences.

Imagine a short video series where a friendly character teaches number bonds, then invites kids to solve a quick puzzle in the comments. Or a mobile game that rewards progress with sticker packs kids can collect and share.

Always loop back to the learning objective. If the goal is letter recognition, weave it into every interaction – from menu labels to end-of-level badges. That repetition helps both kids and parents see real value in your product.

Partner with Parents and Educators

Even though Gen Alpha drives interest, parents sign the checks.

Give adults the tools they need to feel confident recommending and approving your product.

Create a parent dashboard that tracks progress – like how many minutes their child spent reading or which levels they’ve completed. Offer weekly email summaries that highlight milestones and suggest next steps. Those reports become talking points at the dinner table.

Reach educators by aligning your content with curriculum standards. A simple teacher’s guide or lesson plan PDF can make your app a classroom favourite. When schools adopt your product, parents often follow suit and talk about it in parent-teacher groups.

Add testimonials from other parents and teachers.

A short quote – “My daughter improved her reading fluency by two grades in three months” – backed by a real name and photo, boosts credibility and trust.

Use Familiar Characters and Stories

Kids bond with characters they know. Licensing popular characters can shortcut trust, but creating your own mascot can work just as well if you give it a clear personality and backstory.

Look at Nickelodeon’s voice skill on smart speakers.

They turned SpongeBob into a bedtime storyteller, and kids loved hearing his jokes at night. That campaign saw a 30 percent increase in repeat interactions within two weeks .

If you build your own mascot, introduce it in multiple formats – a short animated video, a printable coloring page on your website, and a series of social posts featuring the character in everyday situations. That consistency helps children feel like they’re meeting a friend rather than a brand.

Best Channels for Marketing to Gen Alpha

When reaching Gen Alpha, pick channels that fit how kids and families use tech today.

Kids’ Apps and Games

Gaming platforms like Roblox lead the way – in Q1 2025, Roblox reached 77.8 million daily active users, with 60 percent under 16 years old.

Branded levels or in-app sponsorships in popular titles can turn playtime into brand interactions. Keep experiences simple and rewarding, so kids stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed.

YouTube Kids and Short Videos

YouTube Kids gives families a safe space to explore videos together.

Short, 1–2 minute cartoons or sing-along clips work best. Parents appreciate educational value, and kids love catchy tunes and bright animations. Adding your own series that ties back to your brand can build familiarity and trust.

Voice Assistants and Smart Speakers

Hands-free content like bedtime stories or quick quizzes on Alexa and Google Home meet kids where they already are.

In 2024, kid-focused voice skills saw a 25 percent increase in repeat interactions when they featured familiar characters. Design simple voice prompts and keep each session under three minutes to hold attention.

Family-Focused Social Ads

Don’t forget parents’ feeds – ads on Facebook or Instagram that highlight co-viewing benefits can hit both audiences at once.

A short clip showing a parent and child enjoying your app together, with a clear call to action, can spark download requests right away. Use bright visuals and a friendly voice to appeal to kids, and a brief note on safety or educational value to reassure adults.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When marketing to Gen Alpha, watch out for these traps – avoiding them will keep your campaigns on point.

Overcomplicating Interfaces – If menus or buttons are confusing, kids will tap away. Keep screens focused on one clear action.
Ignoring Parent Needs – The child may drive interest, but parents sign off on downloads and purchases. Always highlight safety and value for adults.
Pushing Ads Too Hard – Overt sales messages turn both kids and parents off. Give value first, like a fun quiz or game demo, before asking for sign-ups.
Skipping Safety and Privacy – Failing to follow COPPA or local regulations can lead to fines and lost trust. Build privacy by design and make it clear to parents how you protect their children’s data.

Examples of Brands Doing It Right

Let’s look at three standout campaigns that nailed marketing to Gen Alpha, and see what you can borrow for your own work.

LEGO’s Nexo Knights AR Adventure

LEGO teamed up with PTC’s AR game engine to bring its Nexo Knights theme to life. The app hit 2.7 million downloads in its first 60 days, topping the kids’ charts in the US, UK, Denmark and Germany (PTC, 2025).

Kids could point their tablet cameras at their sets and watch virtual battles unfold around their own builds.

Parents loved that it kept kids engaged away from purely screen-based games, and children loved seeing their physical toys merge with digital action.

Takeaway: Merging physical play and digital worlds creates unforgettable experiences.

PBS Kids’ Games App

PBS Kids built a suite of educational games featuring beloved characters like Daniel Tiger and Wild Kratts.

Their Games App has racked up over 10 million downloads on Google Play, with an average session time of 15 minutes per day. Parents appreciate the safe, ad-free environment, and kids return for the engaging puzzles and videos.

By focusing on both kid appeal and parental trust, PBS Kids turned learning into a shared activity that families talk about around the dinner table.

Takeaway: Quality educational content with trusted characters earns both attention and loyalty.

Nickelodeon’s Voice Skills on Smart Speakers

Nickelodeon created interactive voice games starring characters like SpongeBob and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

When these voice skills launched on Alexa and Google Home in 2024, featuring familiar faces drove a 25 percent boost in repeat interactions compared to generic voice apps.

Kids could play trivia, hear bedtime stories, or get joke-of-the-day prompts—all without looking at a screen.

That hands-free engagement opened new touchpoints during mealtime or bedtime, giving Nickelodeon a fresh way to stay top of mind.

Takeaway: Hands-free, character-driven experiences unlock new moments for brand engagement.

Final Thoughts on Marketing to Gen Alpha

Marketing to Gen Alpha is about making every interaction feel like playtime for kids and peace of mind for parents. Keep your designs simple – big buttons and clear icons help tiny hands navigate with ease. Blend learning with fun to turn screen time into brain-building time.

Remember that parents call the shots on downloads and purchases.

Provide guides, progress reports or lesson plans so they know your product is safe and educational. And don’t underestimate the power of a friendly character or mascot – familiar faces spark excitement and trust.

Test one new idea this week – maybe an AR filter that brings your mascot into the living room or a voice skill where kids can ask questions and get story snippets. Track how both kids and parents respond, then tweak until it feels just right.

Start your next campaign with these tips and watch Gen Alpha become your biggest fans.