The Next Generation: Marketing to Teenagers

Online marketing to your target audience requires a knowledge gained from research and careful analysis of the trends exposed by that research. One of the toughest audiences to reach has been the teenage market. What follows below are the reasons why.

America's Youth. The Echo Boomers. Millennials. The Wired Generation. Generation Y. Your son. My daughter. Whatever you call them, this generation of 18.5 million teenagers is more media and technologically savvy than any other generation that has walked upon this earth. They reflect their know-how in their computer usage, their swiftness to conquer new electronic equipment, or even in their adoption of new software, and the way they use today's media sets the stage for future marketing campaigns.

Born roughly between 1980 and 2000, Gen Y-ers are the children of Baby Boomer parents. The eldest are graduating from college, while the youngest are busy honing their computer skills. And these kids have grown up wired. They have easy access to PCs, CDs, PDAs and DVDs.

They currently average $100 a week in disposable income, spend an astonishing $150 billion a year, and influence another $50 billion in family purchases. JupiterResearch, a division of Jupitermedia Corporation that provides information, images, research and events for information technology, identifies this critical target audience as the "teen influencers" who not only decide what's cool in style and entertainment, but who also exert a heavy influence on household purchases.

Harris Interactive, a market research and consulting firm known for The Harris Poll, stated that Millennials are spending their money on similar items: clothes, pre-recorded music, movie tickets, and books. Of course, this varies by gender; females are more likely to buy clothing, shoes, and camera film while males are more likely to buy computer software, stereo equipment, and video games/systems.

Generation Y also weighs in on family purchases: 75 percent of online 8 to 12 year olds influence which groceries the family buys. Almost half influence their parents clothing choices. Seven in 10 influence where the family vacations.

JupiterResearch reveales that 53 percent of these online "influencers" are girls who are active cross-media consumers and who spread the word to friends about trends and products by way of instant messaging, chat rooms, or in person.

This nascent consumer group has an incredible hegemony, and if you are trying to market to this unique generation, you should know that the Internet is the single most important media to this influential group. According to a Gallop Poll that sampled 1,200 respondents, aged 13 to 17, about 3 in 10 teens said they spent five or more hours per week online. Other studies indicate that Gen Y-ers anticipate spending even more time online in the future. However, of those who spent five or more hours a week online, 96 percent said they use the Internet for researching products before purchasing them.

That is not to say that other media is not important. The Internet has simply become the source of confirmation. For example, if an upcoming event is announced on the radio, Gen Y-ers will go online to learn more about it and then decide if it is something they want to do. If they see a news report on TV, they will go online to confirm if what was just shown is true. In other words, the Internet has also become the place to substantiate data received elsewhere.

Young people, 8 to 24, are a major U.S. consumer group across virtually all industries. They have great purchasing power (expected to exceed $172 billion in 2005), and the influence they exert on their families' purchase decisions is enormous. Astute marketers understand that paying attention to the behaviors and preferences of America's youth drives successful marketing strategies. Developing a relationship with Gen Y-ers now can translate into long-term success for consumer brands.

So, how do you reach the Generation Y market?

Use cross-media synergies to make sure your message gets through. Some marketers believe that they can reach their target audience in one or two media environments, but the reality suggests that advertisers need to change their approach if they wish to be a significant brand in the future.

Make your products cool for the kids as well as their parents. Since mom and dads are still footing the bill, products should have good prices but still appeal to Gen Y.

Make the most of contests and promotions. Think "Free." Gen Y likes to win free items such as concert tickets, cars, t-shirts - anything that's cool and has cachet.

Become "hip." Spend time at skateboard parks, at concerts, in malls. Learn more about Gen Y trends by being where they are. Don't make assumptions that they're all one homogeneous group. Acknowledge the differences.

Don't talk down to them. Since Gen Y is media savvy, their awareness level is very high. Being condescending will immediately lose their interest.

Be honest. Millennials know when you are over-promising or falsely advertising something.

Laura D.L. Bracken is the owner of Design Spike, Inc., a Web design and development company.