Campaign Proposal So Far

Below is the campaign proposal I have created so far:


Campaign Proposal

Name: Seeing Things

Product/service:
Seeing Things is an online service which brings children’s imaginary companions to life. The concept was developed from knowledge that, although many parents delight in their child's imaginary companion as evidence of a lively imagination and creative mind, parents often find it difficult to know how to deal with the situation (Taylor, 2001).

Although not all children who have imaginary companions will disclose this information to adults, studies have shown that as many as 65% of young children have imaginary companions, with some children having more than one (Newman and Newman, 2008).

Primary research has revealed that 53% of respondents have or have had an imaginary friend. This is still a good proportion of people to market the service at. The survey was anonymous as it was felt that this would encourage respondents to be more truthful about their childhood friends.

One respondent had an imaginary friend from 7-10 years old: “it was a human who looked like my sister”.

Another respondent reported a troop of imaginary dinosaur friends:
“I had a selection of miniature dinosaurs that followed me around the house and would sit around me whenever I was still. They looked like the dinosaurs from the 90's children animation show, they wore check shirts. I had them from about 1993-1995 - so from three to five years old. They were green red and yellow.”

Another respondent had an imaginary friend named Gruff, who stayed with the child until he/she was eight years old. “He looked really scary; he was ghost-like, white with red eyes. He was really kind though and used to help me get to sleep at night”.
One respondent who still has an imaginary companion says that his/her parents are very accepting towards ‘Freddy’: “They love Freddy; we have a spare seat for him at the table and give him food. He is a fussy eater though and doesn’t like it much so we have to chuck it away sometimes”.

This acceptance was a rare reporting, as many of the respondents said that their parents “did not understand” the friendship they had with their imaginary friend.
It was these findings which led to the development of Seeing Things as a service which encourages parents to support their child’s imagination, and to improve their understanding about the interaction their children have with their imaginary playmate.

Newman and Newman (2008) note that an imaginary friend can come in a variety of forms ranging from animal, child and mythical - to a combination of all three. The service will provide a means for children to create an exact replica of their imaginary friend. This does not simply come down to physical appearance, but also personality too, as an imaginary friend has its own personality and lifelike characteristics which are consistent from day to day. It has its own likes and dislikes, which are not necessarily the same as those of its creator (Segal, 1999 and Newman and Newman, 2008).

The service would be utilised by children for a varied period of time ranging from a few months to several years – depending on the length of time the companion stays with the child. The service has longevity as the creation of an imaginary companion is often sustained for a long period of time (Benson and Haith, 2009).

Imaginary friends provide children with fun and companionship, a vehicle for dealing with anger or fear, and help in coping with problems (Benson and Haith, 2009). The online service would therefore include games supporting real life experiences, as an imaginary friend is often involved in a child’s efforts to differentiate right and wrong (Newman and Newman, 2008).

Target audienceThis service will be targeted predominantly at children aged 3-7 years old. However, the service will be appropriate for use by children up to about 10 years, as imaginary companions are as common in the early elementary years as they are in the preschool years (Benson and Haith, 2009). The website will be designed for young children to use alongside their parents, therefore it must be simple to navigate, yet also informative. Segal (1999) notes that by the beginning of the preschool period imaginary companions have become more than security objects; now they have personalities and lifelike characteristics. Therefore, the types of activities available on the website will acknowledge this, offering feeding time and sleeping time for the imaginary friend, for example, in order for it to feel revitalised and ready to play.

It is advised that parents act respectfully towards an imaginary friend. Langholt (2011) suggests that Parents should not tell a child that his friend is not real, that it is silly, or that he/she should not have or talk to his imaginary friend:
“Whereas not all parents are aware of their children’s foray into the world of imagination, a majority of parents are knowledgeable and respectful of their child’s interest and imagination. Some parents even facilitate their children’s relationship with the imaginary companion” (Benson and Haith, 2009:240).

It is these parents which this service would be targeted towards, encouraging them to understand/ appreciate their child’s relationship with his/her imaginary companion.

There is now clear evidence that imaginary friends are a common feature in childhood development (Majors, 2011), yet there is no online presence to support this. The Seeing Things website could be used as a form of escapism particularly for an only child, or children who are bullied at school, for example, who rely on their imaginary playmate for comfort. This is in accordance to Jeffree et al.’s (1985) belief that imagination can become a safety valve for stressful and difficult situations.

Price
The online service itself will be free, yet there will be an online shop, where children will be able to purchase a teddy version of their ‘imaginary’ friend. The purchase process will take the customer through a number of design options – similar to an online version of the ‘build-a-bear’ workshop, yet there will be numerous different body forms/sizes and styles to choose from. Singer and Singer (1992) assert that children are very descriptive about certain features of their imaginary playmate, and the online service must accommodate for this.

Kail and Cavanaugh (208:188) support this notion:
“Children can usually describe their imaginary playmates in some detail, mentioning sex and age as well as hair and eye colour.”

Having a service whereby children can bring their imaginary friends to life would help parents come to terms with the child’s imaginary friend, which would be less frustrating for the child. After the child has grown out of the phase of having an imaginary friend, the produced item can be a keepsake which will likely be treasured and passed down through generations, having a great sentimental value. It is understood that creating unique one-off body parts will be expensive for the company, with regards to production. Therefore I must consider ways to overcome this.
Place

This will be an online service, available from the Seeing Things official website. Langholt (2011) asserts that although the amount of interaction with imaginary friends varies from child to child - for some the imaginary friend is a constant companion, whereas for others the imaginary friend is only around during times of stress. Therefore the online nature of this service would be appropriate for all types of interaction, and can be revisited as little/as often as the child feels necessary (Langholt, 2011).