Apr 12 2023
As parents, we always want the best for our children, apparel and footwear included. And buying clothing for your little ones is an investment that comes with many factors going into the purchase decision. You want outfits that are cute and fashionable, and you also want the new items to last (whether that’s for as long as they fit or for future hand-me-downs). With the added complexity of a child’s clothing preferences (think colors, patterns, or feel of the material) and rapidly growing bodies, brands have their work cut out for them when designing products that both kids and their parents will love. To turn these challenges into opportunities, kids’ clothing and footwear brands are hard at work engaging kids in their product design and development through kids product testing. And to get that critical feedback, they’re connecting constantly parents.
For the parents involved – like the thousands of Parent Product Testers on MESH01 – they enjoy knowing they’ve played a direct role in ensuring the relevance and quality of kids’ clothing and footwear for kids and parents everywhere.
For the brands, they count on the pre-market feedback that helps them minimize returns due to product quality and fit, increase sales with on-trend designs and create loyal parent shoppers through positive kids’ product experiences.
What Are Parents Really Looking For in Kids Clothing and Footwear?
There are a lot of different factors when it comes to creating children’s clothing and apparel beyond what’s trendy and looks good. These key factors include:
- Fit
- Comfort
- Quality
- Performance
- And whether or not kids like them!
That may already seem like a lot to consider. Then, layer on the trends mentioned earlier and it’s clear why it can be so difficult for brands to know what checks all the right boxes without getting direct feedback from their target audience. In this case, it’s feedback from the kids.
Through pre-market product testing including concept testing, brands are able to make sure their new styles are the right direction while confirming fit, comfort, performance during key activities and more.
In many cases, this tactic of engaging the target parent shopper within the product development process is proving more relevant and reliable than both past sales data and even trend shopping. As opposed to how previous styles did, or what competitors are doing, engaging parents for kids product testing is helping brands understand what parents really want and to ensure their products deliver on those expectations.
How Kids Product Testing Helps Create Great Products
While little Timmy may not be able to submit clear, concise, timely and actionable feedback on how his shirt feels while playing on the playground, his parents certainly can. MESH01 Parent Product Testers for example are making it easy for kids’ clothing and footwear brands to test their products across a wide range of performance attributes like those mentioned above – all before they hit the shelves.
Some of the most common and useful feedback from kids product testing through parents includes:
- Feedback logs that show how a product is experienced over time (and washes) through the chosen activities
- Alerting brands of any critical product issues identified during the test
- Noting discomfort, durability or quality issues experienced during the duration of the test
- Providing brands with a better understanding and real-life comparison of fit amongst different age groups
- Providing your honest feedback on whether certain factors such as design, style, and color are a hit or a miss
With all of this information and more, now brands have the insight they need to create comfortable, on-trend clothing kids that they – and their parents – will love.
What Do Parent Product Testers Do?
Brands are finally able to get feedback directly from their target audience… well, kind of. While children under 18 don’t participate directly in product tests on MESH01, parents are invited to participate in testing opportunities for their children. This approach is both respectful and responsible for kids product testing, and also ensure the timeliness and quality of feedback for brands.
As a parent product tester, you’ll typically go beyond your product tester account setup, making key tester recruitment information about your child or children available including age, sizing, clothing preferences, activities and more.
From their, parent product testers are on the look-out for invitations to tests that match their child’s key information. And when selected, they’ll follow the comprehensive, multi-channel feedback process through the length of the product test which is typically around 30 days.
How You Can Become a Parent Product Tester for Kids Product Testing
For over a decade, the world’s most recognizable brands and retailers have trusted MESH01 with their product testing experience. It’s an exciting opportunity when you’re selected to participate in a product test – let alone a kids product test. You now have the opportunity to participate in product testing opportunities that meet not only your interests but your child’s, and see product experiences even more through their eyes.
Many parents join this community through the MESH01 Parent Product Tester Registration page.
When selected to participate in a product test, you will be joining countless other parents and children receiving new products designed to meet kids’ and parents’ expectations – all while sharing your favorite activities, interests, and expertise! Through surveys, activity logs, performance zones, and image/video uploads and more, parents can give the first-hand feedback that helps brands create exceptional products.
The Future of Children’s Products Relies on You!
Being a parent tester means much more than making sure products are just ‘good’. Being a parent product tester means you are ensuring that countless other families, parents, and children have access to quality products that meet or exceeds their expectations. As testers on MESH01, you work to shape the future of products. Dive in!
