How do brands reach today’s youth?

Advertisers and marketers alike know full well how the constant innovation and evolution of technology has complicated the planning process, especially when it comes to that elusive Generation Y. David Benady published a really interesting article about the trends involved with reaching the ‘Cyber Generation’ (Youth marketing: four trends in reaching the CyberGens). Below is a summary of four key points he makes:

1. Hyper-Fragmentation
While young people today may well be able to tailor their environments on their own terms, this has also resulted in a state of ‘hyper-fragmentation’ where they now crave a sense of belonging and are constantly on the lookout for communities in which to anchor themselves (social networks ring a bell?) With the usual strongholds of religion, politics and family dynamics eroding, brands can provide a sense of community and there are high returns if the reward is the right fit.

2. Open Source Society
The youth genuinely feel in control of their media, which means that there is no longer a passive acceptance. In fact, a demand for more open structures from organisations has developed in its place. The implication for brands is that they now need to be completely transparent and allow young people to feel ownership of the brand. Rather than adopting a know it all attitude, brands need to take a more passive stance and offer rewards for engaging.

3. Rewired: Generation Now
The web has created a culture of convenience where people now have access to information at their fingertips, which has its pros and cons. A quick search doesn’t require much hard work, so the youth are impressed by brands that do their ethical work for them. Also, the less commitment a brand demands the better. Initiating interaction is the key to engagement.

4. Celebrity Me
Social networks have created a ‘celebrity me’ syndrome where young people are obsessed with knowing what people are doing, where they’ve been and with whom. Brands need to tap into this resource and enhance this ‘celebrity’ status. We’ve all heard of the power of word of mouth – now imagine that combined with cyber space. When you think that young people on social networks often have over 200 friends and they can spread the word much faster than a brand, you get an idea of how valuable peer-to-peer communication really is.

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