Research Shows Online Advertisers Out Of Touch With Youth
Advertisers are failing to connect with young people online and are simply too cautious to target them effectively, according to research carried out by online marketing agency Panlogic.
The study shows that many advertisers are too conservative in hooking young people and keeping them interested. It also claims that ‘schizophrenic’ internet behaviour makes young people very difficult to predict and harder to accurately target online.
The study successfully categorised young internet users into three sections determined predominantly by their online behaviour and personality type. Panlogic claims that web users aged between 17 and 22 can be described as either Funseekers, Enthusiasts or Focussed users.
Funseekers are defined as those who go online to find games, interact with friends, switch between sites easily and love interactivity. However, Enthusiasts are more likely to use the internet to find information on their offline hobbies, create or join communities and are collectors of information. Meanwhile, Focussed users are those who have a very specific idea of what they are going online to do, are less easily distracted and for whom functionality is the main driver behind internet use.
The study brought good news for advertisers experimenting with more risqué advertising techniques such as viral marketing. Panlogic claims it is very difficult to damage a brand’s reputation online and given that consumers are far more open to innovative and unusual marketing when using the internet. It found that an overwhelming majority believe brands do not go far enough in engaging them with new ideas.
William Makower, chief executive of Panlogic, said: “Online marketing has long been touted as one of the most effective ways to create very personal relationships with consumers. However our research shows that brands are still applying broad-brush targeting that is failing to engage many of its consumers.
He added: “There is a need for far more sophisticated understanding of how people behave online and we hope that this research will help point the way to creating more effective relationships between brands and consumers.”
The research follows the decision by MTV to allow clients, agencies and select media contacts access to its Collections of Cool, in an attempt to enable them to more easily identify and exploit trends in youth culture. The broadcaster also appointed a special ‘Trends Advisor’, whose brief is to research new and emerging trends, fashions and social phenomena before they become mainstream (see MTV Helps Teen Advertisers Keep Their Cool).
MTV: 020 7478 6000 www.mtv.co.uk
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