Description of Youth Target to Advertisers

Description of Youth target for advertisers.

Youth is a complex size.

They are the Millennium Generation. And from an outside perspective in most parts of their life they seem to follow the same overall set of unwritten rules. They look the same, they talk the same, and they all put on their iPod before they put on their shoes.

But to lump them all together would be a big mistake, because they see themselves as a world of ones, and they want to be treated that way.

The most important characteristic of youth is the quest for individuality; to stand out of the crowd, to be noticed and to be acknowledged.

Their self-orchestration is impressive. They all have a MySpace profile AND a Facebook profile. They put up their private pictures on Flickr and they upload pictures of themselves and their outfits at Shareyourstyle.com.

All boys think they are immortal. All girls think they are the next superstar. Fame is a great вЂ" and accepted - way to success.

Let’s characterize them

Though they might want to stand out as individuals, there are still some overall characteristics that tie them together вЂ" and form them as a group. After all…

пÑ" They love to be the firsts to know вЂ" to be in the know and share that knowledge. They are open-minded, optimistic and well-educated.

пÑ" In their world everything is immediate. From instant messaging to on-the-go meals, instant gratification is their mantra.

пÑ" They are ambitious. “Will work for an iPod”. They want to take over the world.

пÑ" They are a generation ruled by the pain of election. In everything they do, they have to make a choice; a decision.

пÑ" They are hyper-connected to others and to media. They are born directly into the digital age (more or less). They are used to changes. They just take it all in, almost no questions asked. They are the first generation of true multi-taskers. They are surrounded by screens all during the day, and loving it. 78% of mobile owners would be happy to receive adverts to their mobile phones if they were relevant to their interests.

пÑ" They know everything. At least they have access to everything they want to know. And they want to know everything

пÑ" They have a bunch of online friends they’ve never met.

пÑ" They are perfect consuming machines. Latest research shows that kids would prefer McDonalds branded carrots over ordinary carrots!

пÑ" And they have a sampled lifestyle, putting all the bits and pieces together, jumping in and out of situations with the greatest ease adjusting to each situation in a split second. They are much more defined by situations, as persons and as consumers, which is why their purchases often also become situation-based and on-the-go. That is why they are also called Rolodex Teens, because they change their identity with just a click of their MySpace page.

So to connect with them you need to be at the right time, in the right place with the right message. You need to know who they are.

Keep in mind that they have grown up surrounded by brands. To them brands are like wallpaper, and they are just walking by.

The power has shifted

Power has switched to consumers and youth is gladly taking over. They get it and they get it at lighting speed.

So to connect you need to ROCK THEIR WORLD. Because they are not going to be directed and they’re not going to be dictated вЂ" in fact they are sick to death of information.

How do we connect with Youth?

We talk with them not at them.

We cannot interrupt people anymore. We cannot grab and insist on their attention. They’re too cool to listen. They are too fast.

To connect with them you must live in their world, and understand them. Most of the consumer research we see today is all about what consumers say, not about what they do.

The future is emotional - People are about 80% emotion, 20% reason - and that’s just the adults, whereas youth in some situations are even more emotional in their brand choices because it’s an essential part of their identity building.

And especially when we are looking at low-involvement categories within FMCGs, it’s in and out in a second, and the brand choice sits right at their fingertips. So to get them at that second of brand choice in the store you need to have a good connection with them before they even enter. Or they don’t see you…

We have to excite them, stimulate them, entertain them and grow with them. It’s a massive challenge for brands because brands are all about control. Brands are terrified of actually letting go, but the winners will be those who do let their brands go.

Everything starts with attitude.

Quiksilver case (www.saatchi.dk)

Summing it up, the rules for connecting with Youth are:

1. Pass the Controls

Hand over the message, the experience, the brand вЂ" it never was yours to begin with anyway! The brands belong to the people who use the brands.

2. Connect with their passion points

The passion points are a phenomenal way of connecting with Youth. They go across borders, cultures, sub-segments, hoddies and neu ravers, and they also go across age, meaning sex, love and dating are equally important to the 15 years old as to the 25 years old, though they might have different issues.

3. Get Return on Involvement

Youth is honest and they are the toughest audience. They will see right through a fake and they listen to their friends. To connect, you need to share the heart of the brand.

4. Insight & Foresight

Where you win is with insight and foresight. Insight is all about connecting, spending time, watching, observing and thinking. And foresight is about empathy, genius, intuition