Pioneering digital platform TotallyTween fills gap in market for 8 – 12 year olds

TotallyTween a new, fresh and innovative online platform that’s bang on trend when it comes to the influential and dynamic “Tween” market of 2.5 million Tween girls in the UK launches 27^th March 2015. TotallyTween will target children aged 8 to 12.

A Tween is a young person who is at that transition period between being a child and a teen, experiencing rapid physical and emotional change. TotallyTween comes as a response to their unique needs. The platform is the “go-to” source for information, discussion, opinion and sharing on fashion, style, beauty, entertainment, film, music, books, TV, social, cooking, health and fitness, trends and all manner of issues that are of interest to this exciting and eclectic young audience.

The site also boasts a unique feature, TT Design, which enables Tweens to either use existing images or create their own designs on a host of clothing and accessories from rucksacks to t-shirts and hoodies, which they can purchase online.

Founded by Berkshire-based businesswomen and parents, Clare Vincent and Gina Walter, the platform has been designed with the input of Tweens, hence its moniker “For Tweens by Tweens” as Clare Vincent explains:

“Our Tweens want to discover and create trends, not be spoon-fed them. The look, feel and style of the entire site and its content are current and imaginative, and it’s been designed with Tween input”.

TotallyTween comes to fruition following almost a year of meticulous research by the women. Clare Vincent is a business and marketing specialist who spent more than 20 years in the television business, latterly as a BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution board member. Most recently she has been commercial director of Windsor-based charity Everyday Arts, where she was responsible for creating an Ofsted registered independent school. Gina Walter is a former London Stock Exchange marketing executive specializing in corporate advertising, who went on to be a director of her own Windsor-based retail bridal business. Most recently Walter has been managing the office of a busy, expanding mainstream school in Berkshire.

“Our target market is too young for Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat” explains Gina Walter, “but our TT Trending forums will enable Tweens to discuss relevant topics in open and safe threads. One of our key areas of research has been safety, as it’s clearly paramount to demonstrate to parents that their Tweens are safe as well as fulfilling the social and creative needs of the Tweens”.

TotallyTween will follow best practice for safety online, and has recently appointed KidsOKOnline (KOKO) to provide MySafeTXT, a sophisticated integrated suite of moderation tools to help keep its online community safe. KOKO were appointed to help build child safety into the Harry Potter social reading site Pottermore and the Barnardo’s Children’s Community site to name but a few.

Commenting on KOKO’s involvement, founder and director Carole Hart Fletcher said, “KidsOKOnline (KOKO) are delighted to have been selected by TotallyTween to provide MySafeTXT(MST) - an easy to use moderation tool specifically created to moderate communities for young people. TotallyTween is an exciting new community providing a safe and creative online space for 8 to 12 year olds. In any online environment, it’s important to ensure protection and well-being of users. TotallyTween has taken all the important steps to do just this. MySafeTXT tools will be used to keep members safe and free from bullying, bad language and harassment. We know from years of research and experience that children need to feel safe before they can be creative”.

Creative and digital marketing agency, Headland has been appointed by TotallyTween to build the online platform. With over 16 years of digital expertise and an unrivaled track record in building strong, secure sites that protect customer data, clients include ITV, Santander, National Geographic, McCann Erickson, the Alton Towers Resort website and they are also behind the HMRC tax payment Gateway where £400million in payments are taken in a single day. Commenting on this exciting new collaboration with TotallyTween, founder and Managing Director Ken Heptonstall said: “We are delighted to be working with Clare and Gina on this innovative design and technical project for 8 to 12 year olds. There are very few places on the web where Tweens can go safely for discussion and the exchange of ideas.We are confident that it will quickly become a much talked about website for Tweens”.

TOTALLYTWEEN goes live nationwide on 27^th March 2015. The Tweens will produce much of their own content, with additional material coming from a combination of syndicated and original articles.

TWEEN FACTS
• 2.5 million Tween girls in the UK spend an average of 1.7 hours on the internet per day.[1][1]
• The average young person will spend over £6k between the ages of 7 and 15, which equates to spending of £10.27 per week for 7-10 year olds and an average of £15.25 per week for those aged between 11 and 15. In total, young people are worth £4.89billion to the British economy each year.[2][2]
• More than half of children aged 5 – 16 have a touchscreen tablet at home.[3][3]
• 96% have a home computer; 73% have a laptop/netbook; 47% have a desktop PC/Mac.[4][4]
[5][1] Census 2011; Childwise Monitor Report 2014