Today's young people care about the brands they use, talk often with their friends about brands, and like watching real-time television. These myth-busters and other compelling insights were unveiled by Starcom MediaVest Group (SMV) and CNET Networks, Inc. as part of Advertising Week in NYC.
SMG and CNET Networks partnered on an extensive ethnographic youth study aimed at helping marketers understand how to reach today's elusive population of 13- to 34-year-olds, responsible for 600 billion each year in consumer spending.
The two companies talked to more than 10,000 young people through 30 ethnographies, followed by a series of online surveys and conversations. The goal was to determine how young people feel about brands, how they talk about them with friends, and how they take in, manipulate, and redistribute marketing messages. Some of the findings - like the fact that they value honesty and candor in marketing - were expected, while others contradicted today's commonly held beliefs. In addition, the study identifies "brand sirens," the super-influencers of the youth market, including who they are, what they do, and how marketers can better reach them-www.brandsirens.com
"We were able to confirm that some of today's commonly held perceptions about youth as consumers are wrong," said Renetta McCann, CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, a leading global brand communications group. "Historically, young people have demonstrated brand skepticism. It has also been generally accepted that they are losing interest in television, they don't pursue brand loyalty, they are impossible to reach, and that getting into their inner circle is almost impossible. By putting the youth market under the microscope, we ultimately learned that brands still matter to them, and we gained invaluable insights about how to engage them in a dialogue."
Highlights of the study include
2 in 3 youth care about the brands they use
7 in 10 say there are brands that they love
Two-thirds feel there are important differences between brands
They seek loyalty: more than 40% wish they could find brands to stick with and would switch if another brand comes out that seems better
More than half talk to friends often about brands
73% watched real-time television within the last day
7 in 10 will spend more to purchase a brand they know and trust
The "brand sirens" of the study (15 to 20%) are distinguished by their deep expertise in their passions and interests, their constant quest for information on those interests, and their desire to share what they learn with large groups of people who rely on them for advice. Whereas in the past, influential consumers helped their family and friends make decisions, today's brand sirens leverage technology to expand their networks of influence exponentially. Key features of brand sirens include:
82% talk about brands with their friends
87% love sharing info about brands
85% love brands that keep their promises
More than half wish they could find brands to stick with
70% send emails to friends about products and services
77% post reviews and product feedback online
