Capturing the Youth Market

Sept 2007

A teenage boy flops against the bus stop and briefly considers the model pictured on the side of a taxi speeding past. He pulls out his phone and plugs in the headphones. At the same time he starts texting, glancing at the sports headlines on the freesheet at his feet. Waving away a flyer thrust towards him, he tilts his phone and snaps an upcoming bands flyposter on a nearby pole to get their MySpace address.
Just 60 seconds in the life of a teenager in any urban center, surrounded by more content, advertising and stimuli than ever before. For advertisers, the youth market is a notoriously difficult one to capture. At the controls Recent Millward Brown studies into the lives and motivations of youth*, show they are fiercely in control of who, where and what they will allow into their world. They multitask more than adults, integrating media and other activities into their lifestyle in very specific and tailored ways. Content is selected and combined across platforms in order to meet particular needs for that situation or point in time. They know what they are looking for, what they can expect and exactly where and how to get it. Ethnographic insights into the lives of 17- to 22-year-olds in Chicago and Denver provided a perspective on their evolving media lifestyles**. Easily adaptable diversions provided by texting, gaming, magazines, podcasts or iTunes browsing, social networking or one stop portal sites fit the time available while waiting to go out or meet friends, helping to provide conversational triggers and keep energy up. They have a key shortlist of content used to check in with their world, interests and inspirations and gain some cultural capital. This is mainly fueled by online resources and is actively maintained with ingredients frequently added or replaced. Connected on the move The extra portability afforded by laptops and wireless connectivity embeds the online experience much more squarely in the leisure context. Data from the EIAA (European Interactive Advertising Association) study 2006 shows that 16- to 34 year-olds across Europe spend an average of 11 hours per week online. It is effectively another screen to escape into, often interchangeably with the TV. For the same age group in Japan, Internet access is on the go and effortlessly so. Full penetration of mobile and advanced penetration of 3G wireless means that only the extremely young or the very old are not constantly connected. And QR code technology takes things even further. Tokyo teens scan the barcodes of movie posters to get times and locations sent directly to their handset, they use

their phones as train tickets and credit cards. GPS means they will never fall victim to the complicated numbering system used on Japanese streets. Technology is not the end goal But a global MTV study, fueled by Millward Brown qualitative research, emphasizes that it is not about the technology itself. This is purely an invisible means to an end, enabling them to communicate, express themselves and be entertained. Technology adoption and activities reflect rather than drive the behavior of young people. And digital platforms such as IM, email, social networking sites, mobile and texting appear to be complementing rather than replacing the media stalwarts such as TV. TV viewing hours have, in fact, remained stable over time, so the time online is in fact largely incremental. Digital is not the death of traditional media, but rather a way to extend and enhance all experiences from the couch to the coffee shop. Indeed the role of all media is beginning to merge and overlap. A study with MSN in 2006 showed how TV is increasingly occupying the companionship role of radio, an audio visual backdrop to other activities. Reading any kind of magazine or paper front to back is a rare luxury but a quick skim will often signpost the way to Web sites for further depth when convenient. Email is less about communicating for our texting teens and more about content passed along to fuel conversation. The key is understanding not just what, but how and why they are selecting and combining content across platforms at different times so that communications can be aligned with these mindsets and goals. Qualitative approaches such as Millward Browns ChannelConnect are designed to provide this contextual guidance for communications. Deflecting them from their destination means that they will follow you down that route only once. Making a fair transaction Young people today are fully aware of their sought-after status. They know their time and attention are valuable and are willing to transact for the right currency. The key is to acknowledge their awareness of the advertising agenda and the need to control their interaction with brands. For instance, playing an ad while downloading a free trailer is a fair exchange of effort and reward, playing it before they can download is treading much closer to the cut off. By recognizing our tenuous foothold within the lives of these savvy and sophisticated youngsters, and respecting any attention they are willing to afford us, any brand can transform itself from a nuisance to a positive and even welcome presence in their daily landscape. Article by the Global Media Practice

*References: Circuits of Cool/Digital Playground Study 2006 - MTV, Nickelodeon and Microsoft. (Qualitative conducted across 16 countries by Sadek Wynberg Millward Brown) **Lifestyles of the Ad Averse: ChannelConnect study conducted for MSN by Greenfield Consulting Millward Brown, U.S. 2006. European Interactive Advertising Association: Europe Online 2006, June 2007