David Knowles - Weblogs

David Knowles

Are young people aliens? To marketers of a certain age, they may as well be. The past few years have seen a steep learning curve, with the likes of social networking and web 2.0 leaving some wondering if technology has changed the youth market unrecognisably.

However, recent research by Marketing suggests that young Britons are not so removed from an old marketer's comfort zone. The study of consumers aged 14 to 24 showed that the UK's youngsters most enjoy TV, watching DVDs, and hanging out with friends.

To the average parent, this is not front page news. Substitute video for DVD, and that's exactly what youngsters have been doing for decades.

Interestingly, time spent online came ninth on the list. The average consumer in this age group claim to have 50 friends, of whom 16 are friends they've never met. Young people in the UK change their mobile phone handset more frequently than any other developed market, and most use their PC to listen to music.

The conclusion here is that technology itself is not the key factor for a youth market; they're more interested in the alternative methods it gives them to do the things they're already doing.

For marketers, this raises a key point: technology-led messages are a mistake and are one of the quickest ways to turn off young people. Opting for this route ignores what users of technology actually want.

Technology has a key benefit for young people: sociability. Specifically, the depth and range of friends and contacts they have. Instant messaging, social networks and email allow for continued conversation when separated, and for influence on many issues.

It is also proven in recent campaigns that young people aren't the individualistic, selfish tykes featured in sitcoms; they like communications or promotions that involve their friends, that way they talk about it among themselves.

Although use of technology is on the rise, face-to-face contact is still favoured; 53% of the young people surveyed preferred to stay in touch this way. Technology tends to peak in mid-teens when teenagers have restrictions on their movements; as they get older, spending time with friends in the evening is more appealing.

The research shows that although 58% of young people visit social networks on a weekly basis, it's mainly to chat with existing friends. And interest in instant messaging wanes with age. Although interest in the user-generated content of YouTube is very popular, only 20% upload video to the site; essentially the mass market wants to be entertained, not be entertainers.


Far from turning their backs on TV, 73% of young people have a TV in their bedroom and talk about it with friends. 51% say they use instant messenger to discuss films, music or TV, and 87% said the most memorable ad they'd seen was on TV.

The media enjoyed by young people is diverse, but just tools. To connect with youngsters, marketers need to help them get more from their conversation.

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