Think only high income adults are wired with the latest device? Think again! 44% of kids aged 6-12 want an iPad for Christmas according to a Nielsen survey. Children's next most desired Christmas gifts are iPod Touches (30% of kids want one) and iPhones (27% of kids want one). Computers, video game systems, and other electronics round out the list. These kids aren’t asking for bikes or teddy bears, or even Angry Birds or Music, they’re asking for immediate access to information.

This emerging market searches YouTube first and then Google for everything from music to most popular movie stars. They will surf the internet for hours, watch other children play video games and cute kittens sleep. If you are a parent of a 6-12 year old who doesn’t have a device of their own then you know that your iPad and iPhone has been hijacked-batteries depleted- every time your offspring is in arm’s length.

As a parent of one of these little angels, and as a data-driven marketer, I find myself mesmerized that a child can so quickly master a device, maneuver through multiple sites, gather information and then arrive at a conclusion-which typically results in “check this out-this is epic!” What amazes me more is that savvy marketers understand the buying power of this market segment. We eat at restaurants our kids like, shop at stores we can drag them into, watch TV shows they watch and spend our money on things we never dreamed we’d buy-because our kids want them.

Speed of information is no longer a when-that answer is immediate-it is simply a what device will it be retrieved on. The device is the new dictator of how the information is digested. Mobile marketing is a mainstream channel and yet few have truly embraced it as more than an afterthought.  Based on the wish lists of our children perhaps marketers should create a new marketing channel segment “iSquared” -iPad, iPod or iPhone targets.