In today’s Social Media world growing your fan-base is a big deal, but what some brands forget, or rather what some brands have remembered, is that it’s always important to say “Thank you”. Some brands have now seen that minding your manners pays big dividends (I guess mom IS always right). Here are a few ways that brands have said thanks to their fans.
According to a new Forrester Report, only 6% of 12- 17 year olds want to be friends with a brand on Facebook. This presents a major challenge, and opportunity, for brands when trying to interact with one of the most prized demo segments. The report goes on to state that the segment doesn’t think brands should be on social media and, if they do have a presence, should serve a passive role by listening and responding to their requests as they come up.
As we are all aware of by now, peer recommendations are the strongest drivers of purchase intent among consumers. We’ve seen the numbers. It all makes sense. We trust the recommendations of our friends the most.
As the name may imply, here at Mr Youth many of us are not that far removed from college and often find ourselves immersed in the culture as part of the job. Via our RepNation influencer platform, we spend a lot of time on college campuses working with students and studying youth trends. Whenever I find myself on campus, I can’t help but reminisce about the good ol’ days and it always surprises me to see how much social media and technology has influenced college life in the short time since I left.
They are the holy grail of youth marketing; the 5-million-plus American high school students who will be leaving home for the first time this fall, building brand loyalties and buying habits that will last a lifetime.
Words, words, words. Adding value for consumers has always been an awesome thing. But an increasingly large flock of factors have nearly made it mandatory. Evolving a brand’s message and positioning is a sure sign of actively listening and relating to its customer base. And it starts by prioritizing substance over style. So let us weather the storm with a newly refreshed lexicon, shall we?
Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has already showcased the power of social media and other innovative means of communication; examples not only to other politicians, but best practices for marketers as well. Obama’s brand has been built on inclusiveness, openness and one of building true passionate communities. These are some of the very same pillars we repeatedly stress to our clients on how to speak to this new generation of consumers who have grown up in a world where communication lines have been thrown wide open.
A study just released today by Viacom Brand Solutions International reinforced what we at Mr. Youth have been saying for years, that:
“youth” is no longer applicable in today’s society, and marketers should target consumers based upon their engagement and participation in youth culture rather than by chronological age’
