September
7, 2016
Nickelodeon Reveals Kids’ Views on U.S. Presidential Race in
Exclusive Research Study
Research Findings
Kick off Nick’s Kids Pick the President Campaign,
Leading
to
Renowned
Bellwether Kids’ Vote This Fall
War/Terrorism, Equal
Rights and
Crime/Violence are Top Issues Among Kids 8-13
Net’s Overall Kids Pick the President Campaign Features
Dedicated Website with Real-Time Polling; TV Special Slated for
October; and Kids’ Online Vote Oct. 28-Nov. 5, with Results Announced
Live On Air
Nick’s Kids’ Vote Has
Correctly Predicted
Winner Six Out of the Last Seven U.S. Presidential Elections
*Click HERE for
detailed
research
findings,
including breakdowns across gender and
ethnicity.
NEW
YORK--(
BUSINESS WIRE)--As
it
has
every
U.S.
presidential election year since 1988, Nickelodeon
will amplify kids’ voices and opinions with its 2016
Kids Pick the President campaign,
launching
today
with
the
release of findings from the network’s
nationally representative research study of kids ages 8-13, fielded in
three waves this summer. Top findings include:
- A majority
67% of kids ages 8-13 report they are interested in this year’s U.S.
presidential election.
- Kids said the
top three sources from which they are getting information about the
2016 presidential election are TV (73%); their mom (61%); and their dad
(51%).
- 32% of kids
cite war/terrorism as the top issue the next president of the U.S.
should care about, followed by equal rights (29%) and crime/violence
(26%). From the study’s first wave (June) to the third (August), equal
rights grew seven percentage points, crime/violence grew six percentage
points, and war/terrorism held steady as the number-one issue.
- The top three
qualities kids say are “very important” for a good president to have
are: honesty (90%); being trustworthy (89%); and being respectful of
others (85%). The three least cited qualities are being tough (49%);
religious (23%); and rich (10%).
- “Believes in
equality for everyone” also ranked high, with (82%) of kids feeling it
is a “very important” attribute for a president. Among African-American
kids, 87% rate “believes in equality for everyone” as “very important.”
85% of Hispanic kids and 80% of Caucasian kids rank “believes in
equality for everyone” as a “very important” attribute.
- When asked
how interested they are in being the president of the United States
when they grow up, the majority of kids (56%) said they were
interested, though interest is lower among older kids. Among kids ages
12-13, only 50% say they are interested in being president, as opposed
to 58% of kids ages 8-11.
“Kids and their families today are more closely aligned than ever
before, with no generation gap, which makes this research a potential
crystal ball into the POV of the entire household’s voting and
non-voting members,” said Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President,
Public Affairs, Viacom Kids and Family Group. “With almost 7 out of
every 10 kids in the country citing high interest in this year’s
election, we want our
Kids
Pick
the
President campaign
to
keep them informed, so we can help sustain their interest in the
political system as they come of age and take their place as the
country’s next electorate.”
Nickelodeon’s
Kids
Pick the President cross-platform
campaign
is
informed
by
its research findings, and is designed to
answer kids’ questions, keep them informed about the issues they care
about and let their voices be heard. As an educational and fun resource
for kids, the campaign features a fully interactive website allowing
kids to weigh in on the election process and the race’s issues in real
time; on-air interstitials that guide kids through the electoral
process; and a prime-time TV special in October offering profiles of
each candidate.
Nick’s renowned bellwether Kids’ Vote will be held Oct. 28 through Nov.
5, when kids will cast their online ballot for their choice for the
next president of the United States. The Kids’ Vote results will be
announced live on Nickelodeon on Saturday, Nov. 5.
This year marks Nickelodeon’s eighth
Kids
Pick
the
President campaign
and
vote. Since 1988, kids have correctly chosen the next U.S.
president for six out of the last seven presidential elections (having
chosen Kerry over Bush in 2004).
Nickelodeon’s 2016 Kids
Pick
the
President Campaign
Elements:
Today, Nickelodeon has launched a dedicated website (
www.kidspickthepresident.com)
with
an
immersive
experience
that includes:
- Kids’ Vote–Oct. 28 marks the start of
the Kids’ Vote, where kids can cast their virtual ballot online, atwww.kidspickthepresident.com,
through
Saturday,
Nov.
5,
when their choice for the next U.S. president
will be announced live on Nickelodeon.
- Heat Map–Kids will have an opportunity
each week leading up to the Kids’ Vote to voice their opinions using the Kids Pick the President Heat Map, which will let
kids respond to questions posted about real-time news, issues and
information stemming from the campaign trail, with responses showing
what kids in each U.S. state think.
- Word Clouds–As kids respond to posted
questions about the campaign and share their opinions, the key ideas
and phrases will be aggregated into word clouds each week, allowing for
an easy review of what is top of mind with the nation’s kids this
election.
- The website
will also include additional, fun features like: If You Were President
for a Day, an interactive game allowing
kids to
take
a
personality
quiz
to determine what they would do if they were
president for the day, and receive a custom newspaper-style,
downloadable keepsake; and Ask the Candidates
cards, letting kids submit and share questions they would like answered.
Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President Research Methodology:
From June to August 2016, Nickelodeon fielded a nationally
representative study to track kids’ (ages 8-13) awareness of U.S.
presidential candidates, their interest in the overall election and the
issues they care about most during the race to November. Research was
conducted through online surveys, with approximately 2,400 participants
in total, to date. Participants represent an even split based on gender
and age, and were balanced by region, ethnicity and household income.
Nickelodeon, now in its 37th year, is the number-one entertainment
brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids
first in everything it does. The company includes television
programming and production in the United States and around the world,
plus consumer products, digital, recreation, books and feature films.
Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than
90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic
cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or
artwork, visit
www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon
and
all
related
titles, characters and logos are trademarks
of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA, VIAB).