Today's emarketer email blast leads off with a report
stating that while 95.9% of teens use Facebook there are signs that it is
vulnerable to a downturn. I guess at
almost 96% there is no place to go but down what with an increase of more
visual platforms, such as Snapchat, Vine and Instagram for the Selfie
Generation.
I have to ask, who gives a rat's ass?" Why is this important?
I'm puzzled by the laser-like focus marketers place on this
segment. They seem to have locked
themselves into believing the Pepsi Generation style of marketing to youth works,
and by getting teens today you'll have them for life. It didn't work then, it doesn't work now, and
it won't work tomorrow.
This myth is as persistent as an antibiotic-resistant dose
of clap. First, teens have no money
except what they get from parents, and it is usually spent on clothing or accessories. music, and food. What do they value? One survey
showed that 75% of teens would choose new shoes over 50 new mp3 downloads and 63%
would take new jeans over concert tickets.
Second, even if a marketer gets a teen to "like"
their brand, it is probably because "Brittney said it was cool." It
means nothing—except that Brittney is an influencer. And getting a teen to say they would use a
particular service is as valid as her saying she'll clean her room (I have
three daughters). Despite the promises
and best effort, I still needed a Bobcat and a coal shovel to clear a path from
the door to her closet.
I'm not slagging the demo, but too much time and resources are spent chasing a mirage. Everything the pundits, the gurus, and hucksters say about
teens and their media habits is either an assumption
or wishful thinking. Or they're selling
books. It is time to grow up and look at the demo that has the money to spend.
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