| The $175 billion market that teens bring to businesses | | | | method.Tip #4 - Pop culture works. Teens relate to |
| is staggering. What's even more staggering is that | | | | iconic figures in popular movies, magazines, and music. |
| that number is lower than it should be. No one can | | | | Is there any question why the top designer |
| measure the amount of influence teens and young | | | | companies get Paris Hilton to wear their latest |
| adults have on their parents' back pockets. Often | | | | fashions for free? She wears an outfit on a Saturday |
| they rely on Mom and Dad to buy the latest and | | | | night and by Monday the items sell like crazy.Most ad |
| greatest piece of technology out there. But they | | | | budgets don't accommodate high caliber celebrities. |
| show financial independence as well; one in three high | | | | But music works just as well. Whereas young teens |
| school seniors has a credit card and 63% of their | | | | like to conform to their friends' interests, older teens |
| income is self-generated.They are the fastest | | | | develop their own tastes and like to be individuals. Do |
| growing market in this decade as their buying power | | | | research and find some music that would really hit |
| increases more and more every year. The problem is | | | | home with your target. Songs can literally make or |
| that many marketing firms are at a loss when it | | | | break ads. You know an advertisement is doing its |
| comes to advertising to this demographic. These | | | | job when you see people walking down the street |
| younger demographics are doing new things at | | | | singing the tune in it.Tip #5 - Brand, brand, brand. Just |
| incredible paces. They are demanding, connected, and | | | | as teens relate to celebrities and popular songs, they |
| very aware of sales attempts.So where does a | | | | also relate to the brands they buy. Keep your brand |
| marketing agency begin? Well, advertising to this | | | | in front of their face. For example, the fashion |
| demographic is guesswork for many. But here are a | | | | industry has created a cult following for clothing |
| few simple tips to help you get a basic grasp on the | | | | stores like American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, |
| most successful methods teen marketing agencies | | | | Hollister, Hot Topic, Old Navy, and Express. They |
| are using today.Tip #1 - Don't go traditional. Radio? | | | | plaster their individual brands all over the clothing they |
| No. Newspaper? No. Magazine and TV? Now you're | | | | sell. These kids are walking billboards and are proud |
| getting warmer. You don't see kids at the bus stop | | | | to be walking billboards.Produce this kind of brand |
| reading the daily news or popping on headphones to | | | | loyalty in teens (which is easier than producing it in |
| tune to their favorite FM station. They're listening to | | | | adults), and you'll have lifelong fans of your |
| satellite radio or watching reruns of their favorite TV | | | | business.Tip #6 - Utilize their network. Teens are |
| series on iPods.Utilize mediums that the younger | | | | constantly connected through email, instant |
| demographics are actually in touch with. Internet ads, | | | | messaging, cell phones, and other mobile devices. |
| cell phone marketing, even tried and true television | | | | Combine their networking abilities with their passion |
| advertising works. If you advertise in traditional | | | | for free things. Websites like use their agents to |
| mediums and expect that you're reaching young | | | | start wide scale word of mouth campaigns for |
| demographics "enough," you're not spending your | | | | companies. If you can set up this "agent-like" |
| dollars wisely. Spend where it counts.Tip #2 - Don't | | | | relationship with your teen customers, you can |
| sell. Kids are very smart and they learn quickly. Sales | | | | expect a great response.Be wary of the negative |
| attempts hardly work on them because they've | | | | effects word of mouth advertising can have. It's |
| grown up in an age of advertising. The average | | | | easier to bash a product than praise it. And a |
| American sees anywhere from 600 to 3,000 | | | | dissatisfied customer tells 3-4 times as many people |
| advertising messages a day. Teens most likely see | | | | about their experience than a satisfied one.Tip #7 - |
| the upper end of this statistic and have learned to | | | | Hire them. The best way to market to teens and the |
| sniff out a sales attempt before it even happens. If | | | | younger demographics is to get an insider's view of |
| you try to sell them, you'll lose them. Advertise your | | | | the market. Pay high school students and offer |
| products without using double-speak, buzz words, or | | | | internships to college students to assist your |
| crazy advertising lingo.Tip #3 - Parents are part of | | | | company in marketing to their demographics. They'll |
| the equation. In reality, kids don't really have that | | | | have a really good time because they won't feel as if |
| much money. If they're a younger teenager, they | | | | they're in over their head, and you'll be getting some |
| most likely have an allowance that they'll part with | | | | very useful information.If your budget is not that big, |
| very reluctantly. If they have a job, they'll know the | | | | create some focus groups of teenagers and have |
| value of money and they'll spend wisely.So what do | | | | them analyze advertisements on TV and in popular |
| you do? Do what Virgin Mobile did with their cell | | | | magazines. Learn from their responses and even |
| phone campaign. They did a "Parent Enlightenment" | | | | have them come up with their own ways to market |
| campaign where they encouraged teens to educate | | | | to their demographic. Who better to market to teens |
| their parents and also guilt them into buying them a | | | | than teens themselves, right?Heather Loftiss is |
| cell phone. Mommy and Daddy will always buy for | | | | President of Water Design Studio ( a Houston based |
| their kids. Target that age group where parent | | | | advertising agency. She also publishes The Customer |
| involvement is most excessive and use Virgin's | | | | Connection ( online newsletter. |