“The average monthly income of 15-19 year olds was £214 last year, according to a poll of 6,000 teens by Mintel, the market research company,” James Hall reports for The Telegraph.
“As well as being wealthier, Mintel’s research shows that teenagers across the board are also more responsible, more technologically literate and more unpredictable than ever before. And this is presenting a big challenge to companies trying to sell things to them,” Hall reports.
“On the plus side, businesses have an ever-expanding market to go for. Verdict Research estimates that UK teenagers spend an average of £3,300 a year on consumer goods. However, giving these shoppers what they want is the hard bit. Teenagers no longer shop in herds, and attempts to deliberately target this demographic tend to be cack-handed or patronising and often end in failure,” Hall reports.
“When the teenagers were asked about what brands they liked, most of the girls mentioned Ugg, which makes sheepskin boots, because of its subtle logo. And when asked what brand they most wanted, there was only one that they all agreed on: Apple iPods, Apple MacBooks and Apple iPhones. Even those whose iPods had broken said they wouldn’t defect to rival Sony, which also sells MP3 players. ‘It’s all about the iPod right now,’ came one answer,” Hall reports. “This point highlights a fundamental rule about selling to teenagers: they cannot be led. In fact, things that adults think that teens think are cool are generally not cool… And all the evidence points to the fact that where teenagers go, fat profits follow.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Tacitus” for the heads up.]