The Ypulse 2008 [Y]ear In Review Part Two
Posted by anastasia on 12-23-2008Time for part two of what we saw as the biggest trends that shaped the youth media and marketing world in 2008…
Girl [spending] power
Call it the year of the "fangirl." Whether it was girls flocking to the "Twilight" premiere at midnight [or aging up to help make the "Sex and the City" movie a hit], elevating the Jonas Bros. the the status of boy band du jour, or driving the development of new video games, this year girls' and young women's pocketbook power helped shape pop culture. Girls also helped make "HSM3″ a huge hit in theaters, fueled the continued mainstream success of girl-y fashion brands like Juicy Couture and Victoria's Secret Pink and inspired the creation of tween-focused beauty salons. Not everyone (including this blogger) viewed marketing beauty products and treatments to younger girls as a positive development. Still we can't deny the economic impact of girls in 2008.
From the Ypulse archives:
'Twilight' @ Midnight: Lots And Lots Of Longing
Marketing Tween Self Esteem In A Bag
The Beacon Street Diet
Ypulse Interview: Nancy Gruver, Founder & CEO, New Moon
The 'Lolita' Look
Girls [And Women] Got Game
Ypulse Interview: Heidi Dangelmaier, Founder, 3iying
'I Kissed A Girl Just To Try It'
Why Teen Girls Love 'Sex And The City'
Miley's Memorable Debut in 'Vanity Fair'
Young, Privileged 'Pretty Babies'
Britney Remains A Pop Princess To This Generation Of Teen Girls
Sweet & Sassy: Do Tweens Need Their Own Salons?
Let's Rewrite the Rules for Kids' Media
The iPhone opens up the smartphone market to teens
While not all teens (or their parents) can afford or will splurge on an iPhone, and in fact, most teens are happy to just have a cell phone they can text from, Apple succeeded in making the iPhone an aspirational phone for teens and a must-have phone for the college/post college crowd. Even though their marketing doesn't overtly target youth, Gen Y fell in love with the iPod and hasn't really looked back. It's also a huge breakthrough in the phone really coming closer to being an all-in-one device for music, web, games/apps etc. (I'm very amused by people paying for apps like light sabers and koi ponds…) expanding the smartphone market from business users to younger users.
From the Ypulse archives:
Ypulse Best And Worst Of 2008: Tech & Gaming
Ypulse Research: Mobile Behavior's Next Great Thing Global Youth Survey
Ypulse Interview: Allison Mooney, Senior Director, Fleishman-Hillard
Ypulse Research: Will The iPhone Be Popular In China?
The new frugality…money matters.
The latter half of 2008 was a brutal wake-up call for all of us – the "R" word began to be used and suddenly we went from admitting recession to being in the worst economic crisis since the depression. The crisis is impacting all of us – including tweens, teens and early twentysomethings. We've seen the trend pieces on vintage clothing making a comeback, how students and parents are scrambling to figure out how to pay for college and how teens are becoming "thrifty." As parents' tighten their belts, teens and tweens will also be looking to get the biggest bang for their buck in clothing and entertainment. Chris Anderson couldn't have asked for better conditions for his book coming out this summer Free: The Past and Future of a Radical Price.
From the Ypulse archives:
Tips For Young And Aspiring Media Professionals In Uncertain Times
Frugal Youth Marketing: Using Music To Promote Your Cause
More Frugal Youth Marketing: Learn From Scion
Five Frugal Youth Marketing Ideas
The Power Of Positive Thinking: How Gen Y Will Get Through The Recession
Senior Pictures Remain Recession Proof
Time-shifting TV
This year we realized our hunch that younger people were watching less traditional television was more than a hunch. I've heard it repeatedly when moderating youth panels yet I kept seeing data arguing that youth are in fact watching more TV! The reality is that like the album, the concept of "the network" may also be dying – the notion that young people will have any brand loyalty to a specific network vs. picking and choosing shows they like and watching them when they want on whatever device they want is where it's going (see Alyx's comment on "Gossip Girl" reigning supreme on iTunes this year). This doesn't mean younger viewers aren't watching multiple shows on one network, but choice and convenience is everything with this generation. We also saw experimentation with social viewing from MTV's Backchannel and viewing parties in virtual worlds to ABC Family's popular chats during "Secret Life Of The American Teenager."
From the Ypulse archives:
Best And Worst Of 2008: Moments In Television
Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup East: Engaging Viewers Through Multiple Screens
CollegeHumor On MTV
1 In 10 Youths Watch TV Online
Will Main Street Teens Turn On 'Privileged' TV Teens?
Will Teens Tune In For The Debates?
The CW's Savvy Niche Marketing
Less Than Half Of Teens Plan To Watch The Olympic Games
Do Teens Want Realistic Portrayals Of Teen Life On TV?
The Brave New World Of Branded Entertainment
Gaming breaks out of its geek boy stereotype
The impact of the Nintendo Wii/DS and games like Rockband and Guitar Hero, along with casual gaming sites like Nick's Addicting Games and the integration of casual games into tween/teen virtual worlds have all exploded the notion that being a "gamer" means shooting up zombies on a PS3. Gaming is now intergenerational, social (and pro-social), virtual, mobile, a workout and even encourages civic participation. Rockband certainly helped MTV's bottom line this year and gaming appears to be recession proof as an inexpensive form of entertainment.
From the Ypulse archives:
FTC Uses Gaming To Teach Kids
Teen Gamers Aren't Pimply Faced Male Recluses
Geek Chic: Street Style Simulation For Gamers
Ypulse Guest Post: A Very Important Play-Date
SXSW: What Teens Want In Websites, Cell Phones & Video Games
Ypulse Guest Post: EA Teams Up With Spielberg For BOOM BLOX
There you have it….those were the biggest trends in youth media and marketing we observed in '08, feel free to add yours in the comments!
Categorized under: Youth Marketing
