4 Quick Tips: Marketing to Teens Online
Let’s talk about many a web marketer’s favorite dream: teenagers. What could be better than a huge, savvy group of buyers spending their parent’s money? Sadly, it’s not easy to reach people in the throes of anti-establishment, anti-adult, anti-corporate-brand rebellion. Yet a few innovative companies have succeeded in reaching out to this powerful demographic.
Provide a flexible, fun, and trustworthy environment, and teens will share the message, incorporate it into their conversations and games, and open up a trusted, lasting relationship.
Here's how.
Let them be brand ambassadors
According to a report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 33 percent of teens, or about 8 million individuals, actively create content online. Many of these teens identify themselves through corporate brands.
Flexible, malleable messaging allows the teen to mold the brand and spread the word. When the message is disseminated by the teen -- rather than the corporation -- it carries more creditability. Forums where teens can create and propagate content for a brand spread positive associations.
Carat Fusion developed an excellent example of participatory interaction for Adidas on MySpace.
Teens create advertisements and share their work within their peer group. Not only does this particular approach allow for brand interaction in a controlled environment, but it propagates the brand through social networks and provides user data for future targeted marketing campaigns.
Slip them some skins
Teens don’t only browse the web; they are constantly in touch with their friends via instant messenger (IM). In this demographic, IM is much more popular than email for online communication. Some applications, such as Yahoo Instant Messenger, allow users to change the skin, or look and feel, of their chat client.
Wal-Mart has created an innovative adaptation for the Yahoo client allowing users to dress up an avatar, and then enter a fashion show to win a gift card. Outfits can all be purchased at www.walmart.com, and the system captures user information for future marketing efforts.
Get them where they play
Many teens play video games, spending hours in front of a PC or gaming console interacting in very realistic online environments. Some companies produce advergames; games whose sole purpose is to provide amusing distractions in a highly branded environment.
The U.S. Army released “America’s Army,” a training module based on the popular Unreal game engine, to increase recruiting numbers. While some may call this controversial, it is effective nonetheless. Many other companies are integrating brands in virtual worlds like Second Life, or partnering with producers such as Atari and Eidos to run real time ad campaigns in game environments.
Build a trusted relationship
Today’s teens are growing up in an environment of sophisticated marketing techniques, and they can sniff out a poser from a mile away. When advertisers fake it, they often get caught, and pay dearly for it. Providing brand stewards who are genuinely in touch with the audience minimizes this risk while increasing the rewards.
Freestyle Interactive worked with Burton Snowboards to create a site that is engaging, unique and genuine.
Using technologies such as online video, message boards and blogging, Burton communicates an exciting, compelling, and intimate message to its teen audience. Burton employees and celebrities in the sport share their passion for the brand with the constituent audience. It’s no wonder Burton is the most popular snowboarding brand on the slopes.
Conclusion
Teen outreach is not easy. It requires creativity and a willingness to take risks, but the rewards are considerable. With this savvy audience, it is possible to push the envelope and let each visitor become a brand ambassador.
When marketing to teens, think outside the browser, allow teens to participate in the dialogue, and let them create content to express their individuality through the brand.
If the message is fun, flexible, and real, teens will respond positively.