Branding : Target the Youth Market

As a Brand Manager myself, I always try to find ways to reach a certain segment of the target market, here I have come up with one of those bulk of the consumer market which is the youth, what makes them embrace a brand, recognize and gives preference over other brands.  The Youth market is a big chunk of the market pie and for brands and companies not to understand them is a complete abandonment of one brands goal of staying ahead.

So fundamentally, how can a brand be cool for the youth market? How can it successfully emulate and embrace the youth’s cultural codes of cool?  Here are what I have learned by doing a thorough research on the youth market.  Coolness is key to reach this broad spectrum of the youth culture.  Hope this will serve companies and brand managers to catapult their own brands into this cool, hip market.

1. Act, don’t tell

Brands’ actions will earn respect far more than their words. Channel V’s approach to improving women’s safety through an interactive app instills the brand with coolness, inherently communicating the safety message without being preachy. Cool acts like these are a shorthand that convey a brand’s principles to users.

2. Evolve: It’s the only constant

For the easily bored youth who gets the point in 140 characters or less, brands need to be fast and ever changing to stay interesting. Companies and brands has to do this remarkably well through its consistently evolving brand narrative that stays in sync with what’s top-of-mind for younger generations.

3. Stay true to your roots

While evolution is critical to survival, staying in character is just as crucial. Brands that step too far out of their zones to capitalize on a clever youth story will often face ridicule. Diet Coke tried to be hip with its You’re on Coke brand campaign but ended up with more trouble than it bargained for. Straying from a brand’s DNA is totally uncool.

4. Create tribes

The ideology of the brand combines doing good with looking good, inducing younger generations to sport the brand logo and demonstrate their belief in the brand. This creates a sense of belongingness to the youth culture that they can call their own and identifies to their generation.

5. Give customers control

Brands that act as a platform for youth to express themselves in unique, personal ways often have a distinct advantage when it comes to being considered cool

6. Don’t sell, integrate

Brands that become a seamless part of youths’ lives foster the strongest bonds. Condom brand Skore accomplishes this by connecting to the very progressive and experimental youth generation through its mobile app, providing tips and tricks to spice up one’s sex life.

7. Be humorous and have fun

Bring some fun into the daily lives of the young through adventure, surprise, and entertainment. Gamifying otherwise boring and repetitive activities is one easy way to do this. Brands can also use color and graphics to connect to the youth culture. We accomplish this through brand’s quirky, eye-catching, and bold look and feel.

8. Take a stand

If brands dare to say what others will not or take a stand on a topic that is uncouth, they often grab the attention of the younger generations.

Conclusion

Following the cool toolkit is not about prescribing to a firm set of rules. Rather, each mantra in the toolkit is meant to help brands guide their actions while also enabling them to remain relevant. By considering the mantras in tandem with a brand’s promise, products, target audience, and societal context, brand managers can help increase their brand’s cool quotient and gain new admiration from the youth market.

A word of caution: If you’re trying too hard, it probably isn’t cool.