Marketing to today's teenagers - same, same but different

Some companies don't believe that the 25 million people under the age of 22 in South Africa are their target market - huh? The majority of them will actually become adults - all of them consumers, all of them will have brand preferences entrenched while they were teenagers.

With a unique combination of knowledge as well as optimism, teens exhibit completely different buying behaviours than most of us have seen before. Only 10 years ago teenagers still relied mainly on the telephone for conversation, and television was their primary form of entertainment. Today's teenagers don't only use multiple technology channels for communication but are major content creators as well. So not only do we need to reach this group effectively, but we must also provide them with exciting and interactive content. The need for teens to identify with a brand before using it is deemed as a crucial motivator in buying a certain product. But for every cultural and technological phenomenon that makes them different, teenagers are, of course, still teenagers. Just like the teenage generation before them, and the teenage generation before that, today's teens abhor advice from adults. The last group of people who can influence them are adults, let alone adult marketers. In terms of influence, teenagers in this group listen to their peers, not their parents.

So what do you do if your product or service could or should appeal to teenagers, how do you make sure they interact and then use it?

You have to reach them at their level - they are open to trying new things and experimenting with brands.

LSurge - Branding the Teen Spirit is an event and exhibition where teens (13 to 18yrs) will be able to interact with brands and try out products while being entertained.

No adults unless accompanied by a teenager!

The events will take place at Pretoria Showgrounds in Tshwane from 01 to 04 October 2008, Maynardville in Cape Town from 10 to 13 December 2008 (both during school holidays) and other main cities in SA from 2009

The entertainment programme over the four days will be vast including bands, DJ's, comedy, an extreme park with MotoX, skateboarding, BMX's etc, competitions, gaming, sports, movies, fashion shows, make-overs, goody bags, chill areas, art, sculpture exhibitions, graffiti wall plus much more.

The exhibition and activity programme has been designed to show off all products and services that appeal to this target market providing unlimited access to brands with great variety and freedom of choice. Brands have the opportunity to sponsor one of the entertainment areas - these include the extreme park, the main band arena, the danger zone, chill areas, the fashion shows, food and beverage areas, the art centre or the parent pit; alternatively you may choose to produce your own branded activity within the event; or you may want to do product promotion at the show.

Research groups will be hosted at all the events so that insights into the teen market can be ascertained. Groups of teens will be asked questions relating to various categories that are relevant to exhibitors e.g. insights into areas such as their hygiene habits, technology and telecommunications usage, financial behaviour, media and advertising, food and beverage preferences, lifestyle relating to social activities, fashion, brand interaction etc. The information gathered will then be correlated and supplied back to sponsors and exhibitors for their use.

Just as teens will always be teens, marketing to these guys is about the same things we've always understood. Get the right messenger, use an effective delivery channel, and make the content compelling. Marketing to today's teens requires the same old principles, but a whole new bag of tricks.

To discuss what is available in the Surge bag of tricks please contact Glenn or Maxine on 021 424 1801.