For campaigns looking to target young people online, received wisdom about youth culture and young people’s media habits are no substitute for genuine research into the audience. Drawing its conclusions from original studies, Microsoft Advertising’s new State of the Nation report on Youth delivers vital insight for your strategy to target young people online, exploring the media touchpoints that are most effective for driving engagement amongst this often misunderstood audience.
Today’s young people are often far from the carefree, freewheeling consumers of popular marketing imagination, and it is vital for marketers to dispel these preconceived myths. This generation’s fears and aspirations are arguably more prominent than those of their parents or grandparents. Any campaign looking to target young people online should be prepared to engage with these issues – and to do so in a tone of voice that reflects young people’s view of themselves as well-informed and discerning.
Advertisers should be encouraged that youth audiences recognise an intrinsic value in advertising – and see brands and products as a natural element of their communication. However, they must be aware of the transactional nature of this interest: young people, particularly the most influential individuals amongst them, expect something in return for clicking on a link or spending time watching a video. Interactivity is valued above all else in online advertising.
A key insight for those planning to target young people online is the audience’s increasing appetite for
Media Multi-tasking, with more and more young people using the internet whilst watching television. In the full State of the Nation report on Youth, we reveal some of the most creative integrated multimedia campaigns that have made use of this insight to target young people effectively.
Download our State of the Nation report on Youth
