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Cynical, fickle and easily bored, these are just some of the reasons why teenagers are difficult to market to. In the past, marketers have struggled to reach this younger segment, but, thanks to the amount of time they’re spending online, the opportunities for engaging with teenagers are growing.
Persuading them to listen to you is tricky though because teenagers have grown up with marketing; they’re savvy enough to ignore anything that’s inauthentic, has nothing to offer them or tries too hard to be cool.
So how can you deliver market that appeals to teenagers, rather than comes across as an embarrassing dad? These tips should help:
1. Teenagers get bored very quickly, so messages need to be short and simple
2. Be authentic because marketing savvy teens can quickly turn cynical ploys and shallow attempts at engagement into an online backlash
3. Despite how they’re often depicted in the media, teenagers are interested in serious social issues. So aligning your marketing with a campaign they care about can pull them in. Just make sure it’s a campaign you also believe in as well, otherwise you risk falling foul of tip 2
4. Teenagers change their clothes, hair styles and how they present themselves all the time. So you’re message needs to keep evolving along with them to avoid seeming dated and stale
5. Whatever you do, don’t try to be cool. Teenagers hate being patronised and will ridicule any clumsy attempts at teen speak. Trying to come across as cool is one of the main reasons why teen campaigns devised by 30+ year olds fail
6. So how should your campaign speak to teenagers? Well, one way is to consider who your audience’s role models are and then mirror their language and tone
7. Word of mouth is very important. Teenagers like to be seen as early adopters, but part of the crowd as well. So you need to get them talking about your product if it’s going to become a national craze
8. Consider marketing messages as pieces of entertainment and how you can create messages teenagers will want to share. Making them laugh, whilst tricky, can be a very effective way of making your product a topic of conversation during the school lunch break
9. When it comes to direct mail, your messages need to:
a) Be personalised to treat teenagers as individuals
b) Offer them something they can share or show off to their friends e.g. a badge or voucher
10. Social networking sites aren’t places for simply raining down your messages on teenage users. Instead you need to find a way of becoming a valued part of their online experience. This is why fan pages for products and brands are popping up all the time; the High School Musical and Hannah Montana Facebook pages are two great examples
11. Teens are content creators, whether it’s writing a blog, creating an avatar for a virtual world or uploading their mashups onto YouTube . You can harness this creativity, and build participation in your campaign, by asking them to contribute content
12. Teens have grown up with technology and can happily text, instant message and update Bebo all at the same time. They’re used to accessing content on demand, and will expect this from your campaign
13. As with all marketing, the best teen campaigns integrate TV, print and online. Aligning your campaign with a live event can also be a great way of building interest
14. If you’re not already using it, you should aim to include mobile in your teen marketing campaigns in the next year. Whilst teenagers are inseparable from their mobiles, the tone and style of content has to be pitched so it’s welcomed on such a personal device
15. Instant messenger is a popular tool amongst teenagers. But when communicating with the adult world they usually use email. So if you’re thinking of using IM in your campaign make sure you ask their permission first
16. Cyberbullying is rife, so brands have an ethical responsibility to protect members of their chat rooms and social networking groups. Monitor what’s being said and step in when necessary. Don’t leave teenagers to moderate themselves, unless you want your brand associated with an online version of Lord of the Flies
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BDA (Buckingham Design Associates) blog – real people giving real opinions, and a complete lack of agency waffle. BDA deliver an exciting blend of design and creative marketing for the Oxford, Milton Keynes, Northampton and London region.