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One Kid Speaks For All – Apparently (Web Habits of Teens Revealed)

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

In today’s odd – but maybe, possibly important – news, one kid in London has apparently been elected to speak on behalf of teenagers everywhere.

According to the BBC, a 15 year old kid named Matthew Robson was interning at Morgan Stanley and was asked to describe his friends’ media habits. Well, his little report is now being quoted around the world as the end-all-be-all of teen behaviors.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the kid had some interesting things to say and to prove it, I’ve posted them below. But, I do find it truly bizarre that web pundits are losing their minds over this one kid’s opinion (especially when most of what he says has pretty much already been said before). Are we really so hard up to understand teen and tween behaviors that we will hold one 15 year old up as some all knowing sage?

So, take a look at what he has to say and certainly consider it as you build your teen/tween outreach. But, let’s also get a little perspective and a whole lot of grains of salt here, people.

What kids think and do – according to one kid.

ENVIRONMENT

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of teens are not particularly worried about the environment. There is a small minority of youngsters who are active in attempting to help the environment, but with homework, school, friendships and often a job, teens often do not have time to help the environment. Teens may also see that the gradually-worsening environment can have benefits (global warming brings warmer weather) at this current time, but often do not consider the future risks of not attempting to save it.

NEWSPAPERS

Teenagers have never been avid newspaper buyers. Today’s young teens think the act of parting with up to £1 for the very same words that can been read absolutely free on a newspaper website, borders on the perverse. Why pay for something that’s free? And the “old media” is not as interesting to teens as it used to be, as it is often late with coverage of important events. For example, the death of Michael Jackson was on the web within minutes, whereas it was only in the newspapers the next morning. This does not mean there is a lack of teen intellect, it instead means that the majority of teenagers are utilising the new forms of media. Teens will often read free papers such as the Metro, which also include celebrity gossip and shocking stories and are more interesting than stories about the economy or swine flu.

VIDEO NEWS

A large percentage of teens prefer to get their news from popular YouTube stars, such as Philip DeFranco (general, odd news) and Michael Buckley (entertainment news), as it is presented in a more human, conversational format. YouTube is incredibly interactive; comments can be left and the presenter can be messaged; teens do not like a one-way conduit of information. It also takes out the inconvenience of having to trawl through news sources to try and find interesting stories, as news sources are often “polluted” with uninteresting news, for example, about the credit crunch or the expenses scandal. Human interest stories which either humiliate the subject or are particularly unusual are mostly preferred.

COMPUTER GAMES

While adults may think that computer games turn teens into gangsters, murderers and thugs (in a werewolf-like transformation), they do not. Teens play games to take on the role of the character that they are playing, and to try out the situations virtually. While games may provide the player to carry out acts which would be considered to be crimes, most games still provide the player with consequences to their actions, such as being arrested, and having weapons confiscated (in game, of course). The gamer will often begin to think morally about the situations when they take on the mantle of a particular character. Furthermore, many games present teens with a positive influence, such as Guitar Hero, which I don’t doubt has encouraged many teenagers to take up the guitar.

LAZINESS

The wide belief that teenagers are “lazy” and like to sleep in is not true. A large number of teens play sport, which regularly requires very early mornings. As well as this, most teenagers have to wake up earlier than the average adult worker to get to school on time. Also, a large amount of homework is set by multiple subject teachers, meaning that teens will have to stay up extra late to accommodate the extra tasks. Over the week (and at weekends if sport is involved) a large lack of sleep will make most people want to have a long liFe.

P.S. Special thanks to reader Evan Hart for his detective work in getting me the link to the full report from Morgan Stanley. :)

Filed Under: Consumer Habits, Digital Media, Green Marketing, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Social TV, Youth Marketing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Clever Cause Campaign: Dawn Saves Wildlife

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Proctor and Gamble is the king of corporate philanthropy. Truly. These guys really understand that when done properly – a good cause campaign can not only enhance a brand’s image but can also grow revenues.

P&G has embarked on a campaign that I believe will do just that. It’s called Dawn Saves Wildlife. The crux is that every bottle of Dawn dish liquid you buy equals one dollar toward saving wildlife hurt by oil spills and other pollutants.

They even created this adorable ad to promote the cause. (I defy even the coldest of hearts not to smile watching these little creatures get clean.)

What makes this so clever is that the good deeds are tied directly to product purchases. (Dawn has announced a goal of $500,00 and on their web site, they have a counter indicating they are at $4,986 to-date.)

Speaking personally and professionally – I can tell you when the charitable action is driven by consumer dollars spent, it really works. I was putting together a shopping list earlier today and saw that I need dish detergent. I guarantee you, I will select Dawn over other brands because with this program, I feel like I’m getting something out of it (apart from clean dishes – which let’s face it, every product gives me that!)

That is the power of a really good cause campaign. In 2007, I talked about a campaign from the makers of Always (also a P&G brand) helping girls in sub-saharan Africa gain an education that had the same kind of impact. That – along with other cause campaigns – have been so successful for P&G, they wrote up a white paper a couple of months ago on the power of corporate giving that everyone should read before launching their own cause campaign.

But I digress … back to Dawn. The other thing that makes this such a right-on campaign is that the message ties directly to the brand. As they said on their site: “Animal rescue organizations choose Dawn because it removes the greasy oil—while being gentle on delicate feathers and skin.”

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

I can’t tell you how often in my career I’ve had clients want to embark on some kind of cause campaign but, while the charities they suggest are certainly worthwhile, they in no way reflect the brand’s message. Here – as with Always Africa – P&G really nailed it by choosing a campaign that speaks to their product, drives purchases and is non-political enough to attract nearly every consumer. (Plus, the cute factor of these animals will play very well with moms who do most of the dish detergent purchasing).

Finally, the web site P&G / Dawn created is very well done with information about cleaning efforts and endangered wildlife, photos of the animals, facts about the campaign and easy ways for consumers to make additional donations. I only wish they’d added some social media tools in the site so consumers can more easily discuss the campaign and share the site with others. But, overall, this is a terrific cause and an even better campaign!

Filed Under: Green Marketing, Marketing, Public Relations Tagged With: , , , ,

It’s Not Easy Being Green: Greenwashing Loses Ground

August 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment


A few months ago, I pondered  the reality versus hype of Green marketing. While acknowledging that Greenwashing is in overdrive, I referenced statistics showing that consumers want Green products and are happy to pay more for them.

Well, MORI Research has offered up some new studies raising the question: with the economy draining our bank accounts, is Green becoming less important? Last year 15% of UK consumers polled put the environment in their top three concerns. Today, that figure has dropped by a third to 10%. With the current market conditions, MORI says crime, the economy and rising prices are now top-of-mind

Here in the states, one only need observe the shift in talking points from McCain and Obama to see this trend as both candidates are spending a lot more time talking about the economy, gas and food prices than the environment these days.

And, a new Harris poll shows approximately 60% of Americans believe that economic growth and development is most important. A year ago, protecting the environment took the top spot.

Of course, that pendulum is always swinging isn’t it? And, on the flip side almost 200 million Americans buy green products (according to Mintel Research), a number that has consistently and substantially grown over the past five years. Similarly, over one-third of adults (36%) claim to “regularly buy green products,” triple the number just 16 months ago.

So, as usual, the truth lies in whichever study you want to quote and how you use those numbers. And, most importantly, it’s about marrying the right products with the right target audience. I know a lot of new moms who are all about recycling and protecting parks and who bring their cotton bags to the grocery store. But, I guarantee you none of them will give up their throw-a-way Pampers for cloth diapers that must be washed.

So, maybe the economy is merely shaking off some of the hype. Perhaps we’ll still see smart Green campaigns drive sales for relevant brands and everyone else will take a step back to ask themselves if that cereal with brightly colored candied puffs can really, truly be “naturally organic.”

Filed Under: Green Marketing, Public Relations Tagged With: , , ,

New Tricks for Green Marketers to Go Viral

July 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment


It’s no secret that the Green consumer loves to tell everyone how Green his life is. According to a 2007 Newsweek article, Honda customers left the company in droves, opting instead for the Toyota Prius because the Hondas just “didn’t look Hybrid enough.” (Honda plans to release a new hybrid in 09 — as well as a 62 MPG diesel in 2010 — that “will not be wrapped in the sheet metal of Honda’s everyday cars. Instead, it will have the larva styling the Prius pioneered — which now embodies the green-car look.”)

Now, I love that it’s trendy to boast about small carbon footprints. Given the state of our planet, it’s a great thing for the environment. But, let’s not forget, it’s a great thing for Green marketers too. The more consumers talk about new ways to stay Green, the more likely they’ll be talking about our clients.

Recognizing this trend, a few eco-friendly brands, including Origins, North Face and Honest Foods have launched online platforms that reward consumers for engaging in various Green initiatives. These online communities allow people to submit their own content demonstrating their Greenness. Consumers can share their latest uploads through IM and email as well as by reviewing and rating each other’s activities. Behaviors are rewarded with prizes for “most popular” or “most viral” entries.

Green marketers should consider employing a platform like this. Not only is it a great way to engage consumers, but the nature of these platforms is to drive viral reach. The company behind this technology is Brickfish, a social media platform that “taps into the power of consumer driven marketing … providing brands and agencies with a single source solution to leverage the power of social media sites and user-generated content for truly effective online marketing efforts that drive awareness, analytics and action.”

What gives Brickfish a leg up on other social media platforms (for the moment) is the reporting. The company provides a visualization of each viral campaign enabling marketers to understand how content is shared between users. And, they claim their “approach has proven to be 5 to 10 times more effective than traditional online marketing methods such as display ads or search optimization.”

Now, as is true with anything Internet – early adopters like Origins, North Face and Honest Foods will have a greater chance of capturing market share. As more and more brands develop their own viral/user-gen-content platforms, the idea will lose impact and, let’s face it, there are only so many same-sites people want to visit. Either way, Green products lend themselves perfectly to viral marketing and kudos to Origins, North Face and Honest Foods for embarking on a solid approach.

Filed Under: Green Marketing, Public Relations, Viral Marketing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Clorox & Sierra Club: The Good, The Bad, The Green

June 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment

We’ve talked a bit here about Greenwashing and the importance of honesty and accountability in Green marketing campaigns. I came across an interesting case study that has some celebrating success and others crying foul.

As was reported in January, Clorox was granted permission to use The Sierra Club’s name and logo to sell its “Green Works” line of cleaning products, in exchange for Clorox paying an undisclosed percentage of sales to the environmental group.

The campaign brought with it both controversy and cash for Clorox.

AdAge reported yesterday that “Green Works sales are estimated at $20 million and the product with the Sierra Club tie-in has gotten exposure on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ and ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ resulting in Clorox raising its volume forecast five times.”

Meanwhile, the Sierra Club has been slammed by members and non-members alike. Four Sierra Club chapters actively and publicly opposed the deal, which, according to some accounts, resulted in 27 leaders’ expulsion from the group.

In fact, a quick search turns up many blogs by angry Sierra Club members decrying the partnership. In the political blog Counterpunch, former member Karyn Strickler insists the Sierra Club sold out to Clorox. And, Tim Hermach, also a former member, writes in his Green Change Blog that The Sierra Club has become “just another corporate front.” He goes on to say, “They are whoring the environment for financial gain, they’ve lost their mission and lost their way.”

Betsy Roberts, a former chapter chairwoman, and Karen Orr, a former chapter political-committee chairwoman, blasted the suspensions in blogs and online environmental publications, arguing it happened as the national group pursued “its unsavory new focus on lucrative revenues from corporate donations.”

Green Works’ brand manager, Mark Kohler dismisses the criticism as “misinformation” and says the negative press has been “frustrating” for Clorox.

Amid protests and Sierra Club suspensions, Clorox sought to reassure customers that its environmental claims were genuine, and not just hype or Greenwashing with PR messages in various blogs, in “guest essays”, and interviews, as well as publicity stunts like representatives from Clorox and The Sierra Club jointly ringing the bell to open trading.

Still some environmental experts questioned the Sierra Club’s decision to back Green Works without a standardized review process that applies to other products, too.

“It sounds risky both to Clorox and the Sierra Club,” said Scot Case of the group EcoLogo, which sets environmental standards for products. “I would want to know exactly how the Sierra Club made its determination. Unless they are going to publish the standard that products have to meet, it sounds like a form of greenwashing.”

As Green marketing continues to grow and more brands hop on the bandwagon, this Clorox case study should be a lesson to us all. An argument could easily be made that sales are up, so who cares if there is criticism. But, it will be interesting to see what kind of backlash continues and how/if that impacts the overall brand.

Similarly, with the Sierra Club bearing the brunt of the backlash (the notion being that of course Clorox did this, they’re corporate; but a trusted environmental group should have known better), it’s highly doubtful this group and others of its kind will be quick to offer product endorsements in the near future.

Filed Under: Green Marketing, Marketing, Public Relations Tagged With: , , ,
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