Kid Power is an initiative from UNICEF that tackles two problems at once: child obesity and malnourished children in developing countries. Despite seeming like two problems on opposite sides on the scale, the Kid Power program launched across major US cities in March, involving over 10,000 kids who took part in learning about healthy living. Armed with their own wearable wristbands, each child's physical activity was tracked over the course of 30 days. UNICEF outlined that a full day of activity equals about 12,000 steps, and when a kid earned enough "Kid Power Points," a child in the developing world would receive a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food package on their behalf.
Although there are many wearables for kids that are solely focused on tracking location, Kid Power puts a lot more responsibility in the hands of kids. Judging by the popularity of fitness trackers for adults, this wearable band from UNICEF will be a great help in keeping kids active.
Charitable Fitness Bands
UNICEF's Kid Power Bands Empower Kids to Do Good for Others
Trend Themes
1. Charitable Wearables - The trend for wearable technology that donates or gives back to society through physical activity.
2. Gamified Fitness - The trend for technology that gamifies physical fitness to incentivize exercise and increase engagement.
3. Social Responsibility Marketing - The trend for corporations dedicating efforts to social responsibility initiatives that align with their brand values and strategies.
Industry Implications
1. Wearable Technology - Manufacturers and developers of wearable technology can provide opportunities that promote charity and social responsibility; this could lead to increased sales and higher public reputation.
2. Health and Wellness - Companies within the health and wellness industry can incorporate gamification and charitable efforts into their products to aid children, while also addressing issues such as child obesity.
3. Non-profit and Philanthropy - Non-profit organizations and philanthropic foundations can embrace wearable technology to create charity-driven fitness programs, resulting in increased awareness and engagement for their cause.