INSIDE

SPECIAL REPORT
Focus on

MARKETING TO THE YOUTH

Brands and marketers are working towards offering the youth the opportunity to shape their identities, share experiences and ways to get involved. Engaging this market is important and requires getting it right the first time. An analysis. By Narayan Iyer

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Well-connected
Today's youth are making the most of the digital empowerment that allows them to multi-task with their gadgets, television and the Net that keeps them always connected.

TRENDS

Unravelling the Target

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Plugged in, Always

Todays youth find it easy to establish their identity amid new worlds of communication, friendship, play, and self-expression in the digital media.
THE CONNECT

Customised Outreach

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I Love my Brand
For the youth, a brand says a lot about who they are and where they stand in life.

BRANDS

Mindspace War

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MARKETING TO THE YOUTH

UNRAVELLING THE TARGET AUDIENCE

Today's youth are making the most of the digital empowerment that allows them to multitask with their gadgets, television and the Net that keeps them always connected
EEPIKA Gupta is a cute 19-year old who exudes the confidence that only a teenager can. Aware, outgoing, intelligent and cool, she is the kind of girl who spends two hours a day at the local Cafe Coffee Day outlet, not with her boyfriend, but in the company of her mobile and laptop. The free wifi at the coffee joint offers her the hep status that is so sought after for this generation. She spends an average of four hours a day engaging with the tools of her generation. Her mobile phone, laptop, television, her Nintendo game console and the occasional music that she listens to on her music system are never put off, even way past midnight when she dozes off more out of fatigue than lack of company. The iPod is pass, she has the iPad which is full of application that she assiduously downloads and marries into her life to make it that much more exciting. Deepika is a typical example of todays youth. Tech-savvy teenagers and youngsters who are the current focus of marketers and research because of their adaptability to technology. This is the generation that seamlessly integrates technology in their life that allows them to multitask for hours each day. If the generation gone by is wondering where this generation gets the time and energy for academics and social life; they amaze you with aplomb managing all of that and more. Today, the youth has the advantage of technology and available options to do much more than many cam imagine, says Aditya Swamy, Channel head MTV India. People a little older than Deepika have night outs, lounge in pubs, tapping their feet to the rocking music in discs, showing off the latest gizmos, branded clothes that are common lifestyle of the urban youth today. They feel if they do not have all these cool stuff , then it will affect their image in the campus or their common hang-outs. This is the generation that thrives on the gang culture with friends who live together and think together. They are our target and they make sure that we are in tune with their

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THINKING WISELY
Pocket money is not spent completely. Many put some in savings and investments. A lot hinges on trust for them. Any loss of trust and they will be a difficult audience to crack.

youngsters have great influencing power amongst themselves. Channel head MTV India They would rather work together and party together, says Young people are always Antti Ohrling, looking for fresh forms of Chairman, Blyk entertainment. We are constantly Media. His company in connected with this target group is a pioneer on communicating and get our daily insights on the the mobile phone. For instance, they get latest trends. their pocket money, but do not spend on aspirations as well as fantasy, adds Swamy. it completely; many get into saving and investing. A lot hinges on trust for them. Any loss of trust Finding their own groove and they will be the most difficult target audience Work hard, party harder is the mantra of the to crack for a marketer or brand. youth. Bold, brash, self absorbed, techdependent is what they seem to be all about. But Trend spotting scratch a little more and you would get to see that This target segment is well clued into the there is more to them than just the words me, latest happenings, be it in fashion, news or other my, mine. The youth do not restrict their forms of entertainment. We make use of fantasies and dream big, says Sandeep Singh volunteers from colleges who are part of the Arora, Executive Vice President, Pepsi. They are MTV iSpeak forum to tap into their peer group self dependent and believe they can manage on to get insights on what the youth desires, says their own. Yes, family dynamics are changing but Swamy. Such intelligence helps MTV work on its the generation gap that always seemed to be a programmes as well as help schedule some of the huge schism between parents and kids is slowly shows. They are also the first ones to tell us disappearing. when a show is not as exciting as their Parents today are more understanding, and aspirations, adds Swamy. they want to give the best to their kids. And while The youth wants to fly without ever looking everyone yearns for independence, the youth back at the ground. They want to achieve loves to be independently dependent. Likewise, discontinuous dreams, many of them material

ADITYA SWAMY

WHERE THEIR MONEY GOES

(The top five average spends on activities, in per cent)

IN WITH THE TIMES

(The top five fashion trends adopted by the young today, in per cent)

All Data Source: Youth Research - MTV Insight Studio

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FUN AND GAMES

(The top five entertainment options, in per cent)

EMERGING YOUTH ICONS

The youth follow those whom they can associate with. So, many often they look up to sports and film personalities

like owning multiple apartments, becoming a CEO by the age of 32 and so on. Most of them have entrepreneurial ambitions to start something of their own once they have accumulated just the right amount of experience in a regular job or their family businesses. The biggest difference that this generation displays is an ability to experiment without a fear of the consequences.

While tattoo and body piercing is the latest fad, time was when colouring hair was the only recourse for those who were greying fast. The young generation colours its hair blond and more and does not have apprehensions with the same. The youth have the quality to accept whatever comes their way and act accordingly, adds Ohrling. The trap with youth marketing is that we end up treating youth as a different animal. We imagine this guy with tattoos all over his body, multiple piercing and spiked hair. Youth today, is more mature and able to take and live with decisions taken that are making them more and more independent.

Youth icons In the choice of role models, youth are very different. Their role models are achievers from various walks of life. They follow those whom they can associate with. So, many often they look up to sports and film personalities. We have Lara Dutta as a youth icon of poise, success, fame and glamour, says Anup Jain, Marketing Director, Pizza Hut. ANTTI OHRLING Similarly to maintain the youth Chairman, Blyk Media image, MTV initiates activities around itself and its programming to bring in youth Communication with icons and be treated as the last the youth is cemented on word on music and entertainment. The iconic state trust. The way this is not restricted to brands, even generation is connected, product categories, such as digital camera, high-end they influence each other television and even clothes. immensely. Encouragingly for

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MARKETING TO THE YOUTH SANDEEP SINGH ARORA

Executive Vice President, Pepsi (sourcing)
products. In a country with a median age of 24 years and about 200 million people in the age band of 15 - 24 years, there are no mainstream youth brands. This gap is being acknowledged by media and p r o d u c t manufacturers, who are working out on their own way to reach out to the

The first thing that pops up with youthfulness is the can do attitude that this generation lives on. They live life their own way and need to constantly feel empowered.
marketers, young adults reveal an engaged and interested attitude to brands. Marketers launch products in association with youth icons and this has helped almost everyone who has taken the route to find the spike in sale. So, when a Levis use Priyanka Chopra to push its denims, Pepsi, uses a bevy of Bollywood stars to endorse their

SILVER-SPOON GENERATION
Not only have they been born to a time thats relatively more affluent and buoyant, they are also making the maximum of what they have in careers or in relationships.

youth. The youth in todays urban-centric India, are actually a silver spoon generation. Not only have they been born to a time thats relatively more affluent and buoyant, they are also making the maximum of what they have in careers or in relationships. This generation has no baggage of yesterday and has no gaping need gaps as of today. Such a state of its consumer is a nightmare for (Action films score over all the rest by a great margin. Figures in per cent) classical marketing which is designed over the years to identify large need gaps in its consumers and find ways of fulfilling them. Youth, as the popular belief goes, is the most memorable, carefree and fun-loving years in ones life. The youth is envied but it is also the most vulnerable and misunderstood group. Brands and marketers have to constantly be on their toes and work their minds to understand this group. After all, this is one slice they would not want to let go whatever be the cost.

BIG SCREEN OPTIONS

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CUSTOMISED OUTREACH
Todays youth find it easy to establish their identity amid new worlds of communication, friendship, play, and self-expression in the digital media

ELEVISION is popular, but it no longer commands higher attention than any other form of media. While just as many young consumers watch it, they watch for fewer hours each week and are just as happy to do other things while the TV set is on. Says Rathin Lahiri, Director, Online, Consumer and Online Business, Microsoft India; Digital media has created scope for marketers to directly engage with the consumer and also get instant feedback wherever necessary. Youth often watch TV or

video on other screens such as PC, mobile or hand-held gadgets that beam in television programmes. One of the key buzzwords defining youths media consumption is media multi-tasking. TVs decline as an untouchable medium is illustrated by the fact that only 1 in 3 young consumers actually gives TV their undivided attention - the rest watch it while doing something else. For the most part, this something else is using the Internet, but may also include reading books,

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newspapers or magazines, texting friends on mobiles and so on. The increasing use of activities when supposedly watching television is actually watching less television. It, in turn, means that advertising can no longer guarantee reaching audiences in its intended context or time slot.

MEN ARE FROM...

(Men chat more compared to women, who prefer mailing. Figures in per cent)

New media and medium Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPads and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. It is common to come across young consumers who have their antennae up and are hungry for the hottest information through any and all sources. The world is just too exciting, and the free flow of information from the internet, radio, and even mobile phones is too irresistible to ignore. All this makes it impossible for brands and marketers to ignore the medium that is most suited to reach the target audience in the most effective way. What exactly

THE NET GAINS

Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPads and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture.

constitutes social media varies by country, and through time, especially now that connectivity increasingly involves mobile devices rather than desktop and laptop computers. Social media, blogs, micro-blogs, mobile applications are all personalised form of communication which makes digital media powerful and effective, says Tushar Goculdas, Director Marketing and Sales, Adidas India. With technology allowing RATHIN LAHIRI a seamless Director, Online, Consumer and connectivity across devices, the youth Business, Microsoft India Pvt. Ltd can be found always plugged into some form of digital The online medium media. That they are reaches close to 40 million able to continue with consumers, of which 50 per cent their usual task while remaining connected are under 25. It is the most throws challenges at effective medium to reach marketers to get their engagement out to the youth. Though using the

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MARKETING TO THE YOUTH

important for one to understand the medium and explore it to the fullest. The digital medium has all the The youth is connected 360 necessary ingredients to emerge as a degree and it's integrated powerful global communication to them that digital marketing system designed to works best. But, mobile phone deliver personalised with applications is a powerful i n t e r a c t i v e touch point. commercial messages wherever we are. Advertisers and Internet is not an isolated activity for young marketers are collaborating to work towards a people, they also have the radio or TV on at the media and marketing ecosystem, which will same time. Even with these caveats theres no harness the interactive capabilities of social denying that the Internet is the key medium for networks, says Aditya Swamym channel head, this audience, and the one they rely on the most. MTV. This interactive model can be a great As were often told, this is the first generation to source for customer feedback and will go a long grow up with broadband Internet, and theyre way in product development and service used to turning to it for everything. The youth enhancement. makes great use of staying connected on the With new social platforms fast emerging, phone from our experience. This will only lead even the digital medium needs to catch up and to more engaging ways that needs to be explored compete with others. The micro-blogging and tapped, says Shalini Sethi, Head, Corporate platform Twitter shot to prominence in late 2008, Communications, Aircel. and by early 2010 it had more than 100 million registered users and was generating an average of Non-intrusive 55 million tweets a day. Whats particularly The digital media space is cost effective and significant about the Twitter statistics is that 37 the best way to reach your target audience. We percent of its users use their mobile phone to have a fairly strong fan following on the web, tweet. According to digital marketing intelligence says K Ramakrishnan, President Marketing, company comScore, social networking is by far Caf Coffee Day. In an era when every Indian has the fastest-growing mobile activity, with 20 access to at least one digital screen be it the percent of mobile users now accessing social mobile or a computer, the mediums non- networking sites via their phones. intrusive platform is a boon for both customers Now Twitter, too, is being eclipsed in the and marketers. With the digital media, especially headlines. Newer social media services based on social networks, all one needs is to get started, the geolocation allow users to register their physical rest will fall in place by itself, adds location digitally, in cyberspace, and connect up Ramakrishnan. Digital is the way forward and its physically. The numbers of people using such

SHALINI SETHI

Head, Corporate Communications, Aircel

SHORT AND SWEET

Significantly for Twitter, 37 per cent of its users use their mobile phones to tweet.

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services are still relatively small, but several fast-growing businesses are vying for the position of hottest geolocation service. The youth is always connected either through mobile phones or being online or on social media. It is crucial to have regular updates on any media campaign targeted at this set, adds Lahiri. The youth segment now-a-days is an ondemand market, with brands seeking their vivid attention. They want to know what a manufacturers product has in the first few words, or youve lost their attention. The fickle nature of this segment although erratic, their inclination defines heavy opportunity for advertisers. Unlike generations of the past, todays youth build relationships in communities that transcend cultural, temporal and geographical boundaries and membership in these communities provides for a civic engagement that is more connected than ever. As more young people simultaneously live their lives in both cyberspace and the 'real' world,

TUSHAR GOCULDAS
Director Marketing and Sales, Adidas India

REAL VS CYBERSPACE
As more young people simultaneously live their lives in both cyberspace and the 'real' world, marketers have responded well.

The advent of social media makes the engagement with the target group intense and one cannot ignore its influence. The feedback on this medium helps us improve on products as well.

marketers have responded. Several companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, MTV, Kellogg's, and Pepsi, for example, have either created or promoted products in a variety of virtual worlds. Increasingly, young people's profiles will be developed by merging the data from their online and virtual viewing. The new technology that has given birth to Facebook is a defining feature that is changing the way the youth votes. Through a combination of circumstance, timing and temperament, this generation is constructing a new type of politics, one that is responsive, inclusive and dialogic. Playing a role in this new political atmosphere is Facebook, which serves as a digital reflection of real-world social interactions. It has the potential to serve as a conduit through which a free flow of messages and (While 56.3 per cent answered yes to the question: have you accessed the net in information from one person to the past three months?, 36.1 per cent said no) . another is transforming the electoral process for both the voters and the candidates. Facebook has the power to mobilise, educate and reflect the interests and excitement of its users. Though it cannot be assumed that Facebook is responsible for driving the youth to the polls, its ability to spread messages from person to person has had an undeniable ability to spark an interest in politics among the previously disenfranchised. One cannot isolate yourself from the digital medium, without that, survival will be tough.

CONNECTED?

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MARKETING TO THE YOUTH

MINDSPACE WAR
A brand says a lot about who they are and where they stand in life. And the youngsters believe in this wholeheartedly.

remain relevant to this target segment. Most brand managers look for need gaps and fit brands in them. The truth is that the youth in todays India dont really have many big need gaps, says Antti Ohrling, Chairman, Blyk Media. However, the youth seek trust from brands that target them and impact their lives.

ENGAGING THE YOUTH

Brands have a high degree of association and influence amongst youth. That needs to be understood well by marketers.

Branding action The struggle of every brand is the urgent need to connect with targeted customers. In a noisy and crowded marketplace with competing images, promotions, and messages how do great OUTH love brands. Brands provide a brands break through and create powerful badge of identity. Brands are enablers and differentiation and real preference? Brands need are passports to global culture. Brands are to have a personality, character and positioning to tickets to success and they embody all the good espouse what it denotes. For this, brand values that life has to offer: fun, attractiveness, attributes need to be youth-centric. Take for and opportunity for a better life. The young instance the top 5 brands that are perceived by generation has been brought up to regard brands the youth as entertainment - MTV, Nokia, Airtel, as icons. Brand associations are so compelling Zoom and Pepsi are all targeted at the young. that every marketer worth his salt is looking at Some of these are young brands that have been in playing on the brand attributes that will hold and existence for just a few years. The world of engage the youth. As brands represent a Indian youth has witnessed fundamental changes fortifying assurance of stability that is both solid especially compared to the previous generations. and ongoing, the youth identify with the values What was sacrosanct till now has been made and image of a brand. fluid, feels Anup jain, Marketing Director, Pizza Hut. The need is for a brand framework K RAMAKRISHNAN which is designed to President Marketing, locate the brand into Caf Coffee Day the life of the youth than plug into it from outside. As a brand we play a significant Take for instance, Pepsi. It has managed role in the life of our consumers. to evolve its proBrand extensions in the form of motion and branding to suit each passing our merchandise offerings have generation of youth. been welcomed. Two years ago it introduced the Why are brand names so important to the concept of Youngistaan. And over the past two youth? Because in an age of information overload, years, Youngistaan has become a term that the youth want assurance that they are making the encapsulates todays youth and is used all across to right judgments that will enhance their identity. identify them. We work that extra mile to The road to building a brand which really maintain our youth brand attitude, says Sandeep, connects with the youth from the youth side up is Singh Arora, executive vice president, Pepsi. The the way forward. Says K Ramakrishnan, President most recent Youngistaan campaign has been - Marketing, Caf Coffee Day; We have moved youth-centric all the way, with younger brand from our erstwhile square logo to one that is a ambassadors. It also espouses celebrates the spirit dialogue box after taking into account the way of youth friendship and the way Youngistaanis our customers perceive us. stand up for their friends and bail out each other Brands have a high degree of association and through their smart and witty approach. influence amongst youth that needs to be well Our brand offers athletes the best sporting understood by marketers and brand managers to gear, to protect them against injury and to

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E FIGHTING FOR ATTENTION

(Despite high television viewing, there is distraction from the net, mobile and other hand-help devices. Figures in per cent)

kothambari vadi stuffed in bread with shredded salad, cheese and green chutney. This is a suggestion that CCD picked up from its customers, which is a favourite with many.

ON THEIR TOES
Today, brands are constantly tracking the popular trends among the youth, in order to access what products will work

Focus on the attribute In a world without boundaries all kinds of distinctions are blurring. The personal is merging with the professional. Entertainment is merging with play and family with friends. Most importantly, there is need for strong brands to catch the attention of the youth and maintain brand values that are related to the youth. The need for looking at improve products for the best performance in the youth marketing from a vantage point thats diffesporting field, says Tushar Goculdas, Director rent from the traditional or even western models Marketing and Sales, Adidas India. For a strong of youth marketing is the key, adds Goculdas. A brand such as Adidas, it sets new trends in place. young brand needs to be targeting the youth For instance, the fact that they have the lightest through both traditional and digital media. weighing shoes to play soccer makes several Rising affluence and better opportunities have consumers attracted to this product for the value made sure that the youth have the money, the it offers. Adidas has strong brand icons in Sachin relationships and the job options that the current Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag that helps them senior generation could only dream of. The role get the necessary brand strength. We are for brands in the life of the youth is not to find associated with several other sports such as tennis unmet needs but to find a way to legitimize at the junior level, we support the players with fulfilment, says Ramakrishnan. Branding can be equipment and sporting gear, adds Goculdas. both through offline and online activities that are targeted and focused. That a brand needs as many points of ANUP JAIN engagement with the target Marketing Director, Pizza Hut group is a foregone conclusion. Value and pricing are also keys for youth Our brand to stick with brands, especially at a time when brand loyalty is communication, products tough to get, says Amlan and advertising are Bhattacharya, CEO, Skullcandy India. designed around the youth Young consumers expect and their tastes, preferences very high level of product satisfaction from the brands and attitude. they use. Today, brands are This way the brand manages to occupy the constantly tracking the popular trends among the necessary space in the mind of the target group. youth, in order to access what products may or In the same way Cafe Coffee Day touches may not work in the market. the lives of its young consumers by extending the Most brand frameworks look for need gaps branding to merchandise that extends the brand and fit brands in them. The truth is that the proposition. We sell merchandise from our youth in todays India dont really have many big outlets. We also customise dishes in some of our need gaps, their love for brands over rides outlets, adds Ramakrishnan. For instance CCD everything else. Considering today's youth is in Mumbai has an item in the menu called the trendy and brand conscious, its time brand Kothambari Vadi Calzone which is basically a owners spend time understanding the needs of innovative version of Mumbais famous the youth.

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