Teens are people too
By Molly FlattAll the excitement over the report on teenage media habits written by a 15-year-old intern at Morgan Stanley this week is a little bewildering. Surely a subjective and anecdotal record of one lad’s experiences (and a lad who interns at Morgan Stanley, come to that) can’t be considered the definitive word on the pubescent street?
We tend to consider teens as an alien species whose herd-like behaviour means that one can stand for the many, and social media encourages this nonsense thinking more than usual. The ongoing (and entirely incorrect) perception of social media as a ‘yoof’ space means that many brands assume that a) social media and word of mouth marketing is most effective for teens and young adults and b) that most of them are anarchic, irreverent pop culture pups along the lines of Chris Crocker who will only respond to gross-out humour, violence, or bribes.
Thankfully Neilsen’s latest report about teens and the internet relies on some actual research to debunk myths and come to the pithy conclusion that ‘teens are normal’. They still watch more TV than ever, often the same programmes as their parents; they love the web but actually spend less time browsing than adults; they’re early adopters of mobile media, but they also flock to the same sites as older users; they don’t just gossip and upload media, but are 63% more likely than the average user to seek advice and recommendations from their friends online.
In general, focusing on an age group or demographic is a clumsy way to approach social media. Focusing on shared passions makes much more sense; it means that you engage with all ages and types of people and it can be powerful precisely because you are networking a diverse group. Sure, it’s possible to prioritise teens when shaping a WOM strategy, and with their tendency to seek peer to peer advice online they’re very important to brands. But you must keep an open mind when you do so. Your target 15 year old foodie might want to taste fine cheese alongside the 65 year old on her forum as much as she wants to take part in a food fight flashmob.
