MediaPost | Engage:Teens

Coming Of Age In A Culture Of Fear

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:47:02 -0400

The world is a scary place, even for teens. They're coming of age in a time when bad things happen to good people on a mass scale, a time in which a normal day can turn ugly in the blink of an eye. Their young lives have been marked by horrific events: 9/11, Virginia Tech, and, in the past year, shootings at a crowded Colorado movie theater and Sandy Hook Elementary School.

How Colleges Can Engage Prospective Students Socially

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:37:02 -0400

As the spring 2013 semester concludes, college admissions officers must shift their focus to a new group of prospective students. Admissions departments need to recognize that this group is constantly connected to the Internet and their social media accounts. Therefore, the antiquated recruitment practices of many institutions must shift to include multi-channel, digitally inclusive tactics. In order to reach these potential applicants, they need to actively engage them through these platforms. According to a survey conducted by Zinch, about two-thirds of high school students use social media to research colleges, and more than one-third of those students use social media to help decide where to enroll. It's a channel that provides colleges with an effective way to keep their audience of current students informed while targeting prospective teens who are embarking on one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

When Is Too Much Too Much?

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:21:02 -0400

I want to focus on a personal favorite topic, which seems appropriate here - clothes shopping. More specifically, how much are teenage consumers spending on clothing and what are their style preferences?

You Might Be A Redneck If ... You're A Teen Into The Latest Pop Culture Trend

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:44:02 -0400

After years of pop culture and reality TV focusing on the beautiful and privileged (think "America's Next Top Model" and "Keeping Up With The Kardashians"), the trend as lately shifted to a more rustic flavor (think "Buck Wild" and "Swamp People"). And today's teens can't get enough of the redneck trend, from fashion to music to TV.

Facebook Is Losing Its Luster

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:36:02 -0400

With a user base that has surpassed one billion, Facebook would be the third-largest country in the world, having a population greater than the United States and with only China and India in its sights. However, the once-burgeoning social network is starting to lose its fan base. Teenagers, the trendsetters of all things digital, appear to be leaving the social party in favor of other platforms, specifically ones that appeal to more niche categories and capitalize on specialization, exclusivity, and most importantly, privacy.

How Brands Are Passed Down (And Up) Between Generations

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:46:02 -0400

Teens might prefer to hit their favorite stores with friends, but they're not afraid to buy the same brands as their parents. In fact, teens think it's cool to share a passion for a brand with mom or dad. We reached out to roughly a dozen teens, and they told us how their families influence each other's shopping habits. Here's a look at how all those brand recommendations take place.

Get On Board With Girl Power

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:03:48 -0400

For the past several months, the "modern woman" has been the center of media focus, from the debate on having it all in the "New York Times" to "Time"'s exploration of the balance of power in the workplace to the PBS documentary about inspiring women. And, of course, there's all the talk about the depiction of young women in HBO's "Girls." During election season, social media was flooded with petitions and videos about women's rights and information about politicians' stances on women's health issues. Many women (and men) posted status updates and photos making statements for women's rights. Teen girls are certainly paying attention - they look up to and aspire to be like their older peers who are at the heart of the current girl power movement.

Don't Forget About Video When Allocating Your Social Media Spread

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:05:47 -0400

Most brands include the usual suspects in their social media arsenal - Facebook, Twitter and the ever-growing Instagram - thinking all bases are covered. However, video platforms like the immensely popular YouTube, as well as newcomer Vine, continue to be successful routes to the teen psyche for a number of major brands.

Winning Over Skeptics With Cause Marketing

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:21:23 -0500

There's a lot of noise in the marketing airwaves these days about doing good. Non-profits want to build strong connections with consumers. And more brands than ever seem to be aligning themselves with a cause or building good deeds right into their businesses. But what do teens think about all this cause marketing?

The Truth About Their College Aspirations

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:05:03 -0500

It's time to clear up a certain myth about teens that seems to be cropping up a lot lately. The myth is that all teens go on to be college students, and then college graduates. It's a common assumption among marketers and advertisers that teens aspire to attend college, and if you want to reach 18 and 19 year olds, you'll find them on college campuses. Even a recent article in The New York Times suggests that a college degree is the new high school diploma, noting "so many people are going to college now."

Trends To Come Out Of Super Bowl XLVII Commercials

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:20:00 -0500

Super Bowl commercials often set the stage for marketing trends in the upcoming year. Reaching a massive audience, these highly coveted spots are ideal for introducing a new product or service. While celebrity endorsements, crowdsourcing and social media interaction are nothing new in the marketing industry, the Super Bowl has demonstrated how commercials using these tactics can be used as a catalyst for targeting a teenage audience - and why the opportunity is tremendous for brands looking to appeal to a younger demographic.

Kids These Days -- Taking It Easy

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:23:13 -0500

Upon getting to author my first article for Engage:Teens, I asked my 14-year-old son, "What is something about teens you would like people to understand?" His response: "We're lazy, and that's okay."

Is Your Brand Crush-Worthy?

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:42:03 -0500

Crushes are a powerful thing. Teens might find themselves totally smitten with that cute guy or girl sitting two desks away in math class. Or maybe just the hot new band everyone was talking about at lunch. But as Valentine's Day approaches, we've been thinking about a very specific form of young love: brand crushes.

One Direction Has Many Lessons For Youth Marketers

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:52:10 -0500

One Direction, a little band you might have heard of, just released its latest video for the single "Kiss You," and it contains a few lessons for marketers trying to reach a teen audience, from how to dominate social media to feeding the need for nostalgia to building an emotional bond with fans. If you haven't seen the video yet, check it out here.

Discover The Trends, Remember The People

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:19:48 -0500

Nielsen recently released overall numbers for 2012. While some statistics were expected, others were surprising. Among the most baffling is the fact that only 6% of teenagers said that Twitter is their main social media source.

4 Ways Your Brand Can Make the Grade In 2013

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:08:48 -0500

Adults aren't the only ones who set goals and resolutions for the New Year. But when we asked teens to name three things they hope to do in 2013, we were surprised by the most popular response: Do well in school. In fact, 70% of teens we surveyed (roughly 30 in all) named academic achievement as a top goal without even a hint of irony.

Live Fast And Die Young. Or Not

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:00:03 -0500

Although it's unlikely to be officially added as a new word in the Oxford Online Dictionary (alongside recent additions "vajazzled" and "tweeps"), by the close of 2012, it's very likely that you will have come across an article or a tweet or a Facebook post that included the au courant colloquialism YOLO. What is YOLO, you might ask? For those of you without a Tumblr account or a teenaged child (with a Tumblr account, of course), YOLO is the cleverly crafted acronym for "you only live once." Think of it as "carpe diem!" for the text-messaging generation.

3D Printing From Their Perspective

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:12:00 -0500

Want to know the potential impact of 3D printing? Ask a teen. For the past year, 3D printing has been in the headlines, and many a marketer has wondered how it will fit into our daily lives. So when I heard about 3DEA, a 3D printing pop-up shop, I had to check it out. Talking with the teens I met at 3DEA, it was easy to see they were excited by the myriad possibilities at their fingertips and not remotely daunted by the foreign technology in front of them.

Reflecting For A New Resolution

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 05:04:19 -0500

As the year comes to an end, the prevalence of social media is more important than ever, allowing for a constant dialogue between brand and consumer. Marketers continue to be challenged with determining which communication channel is most effective in engaging their audience. A 2012 study revealed that 91% of teens use social media, with 86% indicating that they are most likely to get information about brands from Facebook.

How To Score A Spot On Their Holiday Wish Lists

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:27:56 -0500

The holiday season kicked off strong-both online and in-store-but there's still time to make it onto savvy teen wish lists. While younger children mark those ideas down in crayon, their older teen siblings never stop using smartphones to point out gift ideas and deals to their parents while doing a little self-gifting, too, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, "Holiday Shopping's Great Age Divide."

All Hail The Social Media Marketer-in-Chief

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 05:17:22 -0500

Rarely does a presidential campaign initiate so much response from the marketing world. President Barack Obama didn't just make a huge impression with his social media campaign targeted toward youth, he also taught marketers and brands a valuable lesson: teenagers are listening. Many assume that moody teenagers don't want to hear or participate with brands that interrupt their social circles. President Obama showed us how wrong that is.

The New F-Word: Feminism And What It Means For Marketers

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 06:54:38 -0500

Taylor Swift was recently asked by the Daily Beast if she's a feminist and responded that she "[doesn't] really think about things as guys versus girls" - sparking a bit of a freak-out among women about the future of feminism. There were rants about how Swift doesn't know what feminism is or do her part to empower women, concerns that there aren't any young feminists left to carry the torch, and the occasional essay from young journalists chiming in, supporting the pop star and admitting their own issues aligning with the feminist movement.

How To Make A Pop-Up Shop POP!

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 05:54:00 -0500

A successful trend in retailing is the pop-up shop, a short-term retail space where brands open small stores with the purpose of increasing sales and generating buzz. Pop-up shops serve as a gold mine when targeting teens, a demographic that is easily influenced by what the media deems trendy and popular. GameStop, for example, recently announced they will be launching pop-up stores around the country for the holidays, offering consumers previews of the top-selling and most popular electronics and video games.

You Buy With Your Eyes: How to Attract Teen Eyes -- And Dollars -- In-Store

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 06:58:09 -0400

Ah, the fickle teenager. This choosy consumer has been known to send sales soaring for one brand or retailer this year only to abandon ship for fresher choices the next. But while their allegiances may be fleeting, teens don't hesitate to buy when they fall for a product. So how do you woo erratic teens? Try making this your new mantra: Seeing is buying.

The New College Try

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 07:24:13 -0400

For many high school seniors across the country, fall marks the beginning of what is likely the most torturous few months of their lives, namely college application season.

For Teens Who Volunteer, Social Change Is A Bonus

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:15:30 -0400

Ask a teen why she volunteers, and she'll tell you things like "to make a difference in people's lives" or "to work on an issue I care about deeply." Ask that same teen about their volunteering habits (e.g., when, where, and with whom they volunteer), and a very different picture emerges. It turns out teens' primary motivation for volunteering isn't about creating social change. In fact, it's the same motivation that drives most of a teen's behavior: their friends are doing it.

They May Not Have A Vote, But They Have Political Power

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 06:28:00 -0400

There's a big presidential election just around the corner (in case you hadn't heard), but you might be surprised to learn that many teens are paying close attention to the race, as well as other elections going on in their cities and states. Even though most of them are too young to cast a vote, teens believe they can still have a say and make a difference in the outcomes of political races that will likely have a significant impact on their futures.

Visual Leads The Way

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 06:27:03 -0400

With over 100 million users in just under two years, it's clear that Instagram is a driving force in the current social media scene, and a large part of this success comes from the app's immense popularity amongst teen users. Much like a number of other sites in the past, teens have helped pave the way for Instagram to become one of the most downloaded apps on both iOS and Android.

The Entirely Surprising Thing Teens Demand From Brands

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:49:53 -0400

Design? Style? Trendiness? Not even close. As the mom of a teenager and two 20-somethings, I spend plenty of time around young people, but the answer to this question still surprised me. Teens value quality above almost anything else.

Today, Conforming Is The New Rebellion

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:28:53 -0400

For most adults, our teenage years were marked by various attempts to further distance ourselves from our parents' generation with piercings, tattoos, unfortunate hairstyles, and provocative clothing choices designed to make the stick-in-the-mud adults in our lives cringe.