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I love it when reporters call — even if they don’t use my sound bite. After five years of blogging, I sometimes struggle with what I want to write about, and often it’s reporters’ questions that jog my brain. So thank you reporters. Today a reporter was inquiring about the Michael Phelps bru ha ha and the reality that Kellogg’s is catching a lot of flack about dropping the Olympian for his bong shot. The question was whether times had somehow changed or why the Frosted Flakes maker is getting grief over what at one time might have seemed like a no-brainer. The short answer is “Yes,” times have changed. And now my expanded thoughts:

The explosion of “social media” has empowered people to express their opinions in more visible ways. Duh, but if you think about it, in the past people maybe called to complain or, gasp, actually wrote a letter to a brand or company to express their unhappiness. Now they blog, Facebook, Twitter, post comments, etc. creating a challenge for these brands to listen and discern whether the outcry is something to respond to or just a squeaky wheel making lots of noise.

The younger generation can relate to what happened to Michael Phelps, Vanessa Hudgens and any other celebrity who ends up with a photo online they regret — because it’s happening ALL THE TIME to their friends (and maybe to them!).

Increased sharing of personal information makes everyone seem more human (increasing our tolerance for human mistakes). When executives are tweeting about feeling dispirited or your adult friends are telling you 25 things you didn’t know, we’re all learning more about each other, which can have a humanizing effect. Companies apologize on corporate blogs. We know more than we ever thought we would about celebrities via gossip sites/blogs — they’re just like us! And maybe because of all of this, we’re more forgiving.

Lots of adults, and especially lots of college students, smoke pot. I will be tarred and feathered by the anti-drug forces for this, but the reality is that marijuana laws have been slowly loosening up in several states and public figures who have smoked (but didn’t inhale) are not considered outside the mainstream. Most people, including young people, don’t see getting caught with a bong as an unforgivable offense. Compare Phelps being dropped vs. Wrigleys dropping Chris Brown for alleged assault/domestic violence.

Finally, when asked whether Kellogg’s overreacted, I half seriously said, maybe they should have asked online what people thought they should do — not so much with a poll that’s easy to hack but with qualitative responses that require people to enter their age and gender, and then factor that into their decision. I’m no “social media” consultant, but why not? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

For more coverage of youth marketing, check out the Ypulse Youth Marketing Channel sponsored by Youth Marketing Connection.

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Categorized under: Youth Marketing

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