Appealing to youth markets without coming across like Blue Peter is a challenge constantly faced by advertisers. Men may be from Mars and women from Venus, but teenagers come from a planet we’re too sad even to have heard of, where everyone wears the right footwear.
Target Media is now hoping to boldly go where no advertising research has gone before with a programme called ‘Sub-Urban’, aimed at exploring the habits, lifestyles and attitudes of what they call the “UK’s coolest opinion formers”.
Dan Duncombe, who is heading the research along with Julian Ireland, said, “Even the most qualitative elements of current youth research are generally out of date by the time they are published. Sub-Urban is designed to offer our clients a much fresher view of the most cutting edge consumer attitudes – today rather than yesterday.”
‘Sub-Urban’ will consist of ongoing monthly workshops with the aim of “getting under the skin of the urban elite”. The urban elite, in the form of young style leaders and trendsetters, will be recruited through attitudinal surveys. At the workshops they will be asked to reveal their current interests, habits and behaviour patterns across a range of cultural issues including music, fashion, film and communications.
“Ultimately Sub-Urban will provide our clients with the continuous monitor across a broad range of cultural issues necessary to allow intelligent trend prediction.” says Duncombe.
Research carried out in this market before has included ROaR (see ROaR Research Results). Among other things, this survey found that young people were keen on having a good career and doing a lot of travelling. Data in the latest Advertising Association Lifestyle Pocket Book shows that children receive an average of £2.40 per week in pocket money, of which 26 per cent is saved. Yet more research has shown that the younger you are the more likely you are to be online, giving a potentially rich source of pester power pounds which dotcom advertisers are quickly reacting to (see Website Creators Looking For Teenage Clicks).
The research for Target Media is being carried out in association with William Higham Marketing and RMC Associates.
Target Media: 020 7287 2827
