Ben Bestford, Director at BAM Agency Ltd, shares why youth marketing is important, and how brands can appeal to younger consumers.
Broadly defined as “any marketing effort directed towards young people” (Marketing-Schools, 2017), the term ‘youth marketing’ is then typically broken down further, into smaller segmented groups primarily based on age.
With these groups including pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults, the overall age range for the combined segments covers the 13-30-year-old market and sees each segment being offered unique products, tailored ad campaigns and relevant influencer marketing efforts specifically targeted towards them.
In 2019, youth marketing is no longer limited to any one channel or marketing technique. TV, Social Media, Radio and Print are just 4 popular routes taken to reach this market. This is of course alongside the love it or hate it Influencer marketing, where businesses and brands sponsor the future Kim Kardashian’s of the teen world in an effort to immerse themselves in the youth culture of today.
Understanding why youth marketing is important to your brand is just as important as understanding what youth marketing is. Regardless of the product or service offering, the power of youth popularity can never be underestimated. “Young people make such valuable consumers because they influence the purchasing decisions of their friends and family” (Marketing-Schools, 2017).
In addition to being direct consumers themselves, pre-teens, teenagers and beyond now have the power to affect decisions like never before. Where will the next family holiday be? What will their first car be? Decisions previously made without the influence of youth or even consulting them at all. But this has now changed and as a result brands now strive to be seen as popular with youth, gaining them the status of being “cool” that is often required to help them rise to the top.
If you’re thinking the youth market is only important to the big-name brands and retailers, think again. Small businesses and general consumer goods sellers also have a lot to gain.
Local businesses that offer deals and discounts to the youth market will see youth consumers grow into loyal adult spenders. Even businesses that appear to have no relevant appeal to young consumers, will still target them in elements of their marketing, knowing one day that the 15-year olds who watched their washing machine tv ads will one day head into store looking for their first big appliance along with a premium warranty!
Cultural relevance is another key reason why the youth market is important to your brand. Across the world youth are seen as the future of today, pioneers in technology, language and fashion and associated with being free, happy and once again “cool”. All aspirational traits and qualities than any brand would like to be connected to! Even if a brand typically markets to older consumers, the language and imagery used to market their offering will often reflect the new, fresh and forward-thinking approach that goes hand in hand with youth culture.
So, regardless of your main target demographic, product or service, you should never neglect the youth market. Whether this is through the subtle use of language and visuals or through a more direct campaign approach.
If you would like to find out more about BAM and how they can help you, please contact Ben Bestford at ben@bamuk.com
