mobileYouth®

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Earned Media is about Creating Dialogue whereas Paid Media is the business of paying your way into the youth Universe to offset the inconvenience you cause. Whichever side of the fence you sit on when it comes to the effectiveness of Paid Media, there’s one thing we’re pretty sure about  – Advertisers and Customers disagree.

Be relevant not cool: Levi’s is a great example of a brand that should be directing its efforts into Earned not Paid media yet since the decline of the 501s (now resurfacing on the youth radar), they’ve been scratching their head over exactly how they need to re-engage youth.

Be curious: Earned media means being curious to know that your brand belongs somewhere and that doesn’t mean finding the right page on Facebook (most consumers are “peeved” by internet advertising anyway). There are numerous scenes out there that need the tools a brand can provide through its economic capabilities, credibility or contacts. Emo’s one example of a scene largely overlooked by brands. And, if you don’t have a scene, create it. Threadless led the way in building its own community not by going out and finding designers, but by giving designers a voice.

Infographic: Click to download full slide graphic from mobileYouthnet

Be distinct: Earned media works when you have distinct target niches. Sports is a good example because, through events, it manifests your customer base from behind the cash registers and keyboards to a possible face-to-face encounter. Check out how brands are extending that presence back online with young female sports enthusiasts.

Be authentic: There’s nothing worse than a bank manager in a pair of jeans talking to you about txting. Amusing as it sounds, there’s plenty of examples out there of brands trying to “be cool” when they patently aren’t. The challenge is not to “be cool” but to “be authentic“. Look at how authenticity plays a key role in shaping youth taste when it comes to heavily competed categories. If you’re not from the South California Surf & Skate scene, don’t force it – look for the story within your creation & people that resonates with youth. If energy drinks aren’t your scene then great – at least you know what you’re not – some brands thrive on that – see this example.

Be out there: It’s no good relying on focus groups or googling to generate earned media, you have to be out there where young people are. Sodas, for example, can teach handsets a few things in how they source consumer insights. Listen to Victor Nguyen Long from 72 and Sunny on Upstart Radio talking about his experience at Red Bull and how field presence was critical to the growth of both the brand and the people internally. Also check out this video on Red Bull events.  Jones Soda campaigns, for example, are all about being out there on the road – perhaps a lesson learned the hard way by media companies who spent their lives on the other side of the screen. Not anymore with brands like Twilight whose youth fan base has exploded in recent months perhaps in part to its extensive community presence – such as the Twilight Tour.

Be open: Openness generates trust and trust generates Earned Media. See how Best Buy and Nike are challenging the traditional received wisdom when it comes to the secrecy surrounding product development. As Seth said, go where your customers are or put another way – don’t fish where the fish are – become a fish.

Be a challenger: Pirates can become paid up citizens too and one thing we know for sure is that youth identify with the rebels. It’s the crazy ones that break the rules, but it’s the crazy ones that have the audacity to create the necessary change. Even global brands like Starbucks can reinvent themselves as challengers by focusing on niche markets to test bed their product ideas.

Be a part of the community not the product: Threadless sells community not T-Shirts – sounds academic but it’s a key distinction in the minds of the customer – it demonstrates you’re not caught up in your own product hype. If you are a record label, you’re probably kicking yourself for getting caught up in prioritizing the product over the community. But it’s not just the Majors who face an uncertain future – it’s pretty much every brand out there trying to engage young customers who think these customers wake up thinking about their brand. I’ve said it here before – Are you telling a story about your brand or the customer?

As Dan Pankraz said in his Upstart Radio interview – brands need to add value to the community not fuss over the product. See his original post “Create Culture or Go Home” Vans is a great example of a brand that’s lived in the community since the early days when Steve Van Doren picked up his board. It show, now less funky brands are clamouring to be part of the action. And it’s not just the fun and funky that can be part of the community – check out how Smak took on the challenge of marketing Cheese.

Be agnostic: Don’t get tied down to a certain way of doing things in your industry. Just because you’re an airline doesn’t mean it’s all about the cheapest ticket. JetBlue knows, for example, trust can go a long way in generating earned media.

Be a leader: As Seth said, either back off or lean in -but commit to one or the other. Scion declares a brand manifesto in the presence of competitors creeping into its youth auto market. Dew leads young people by creating a movement – albeit a light hearted one with true intentions – around the theme of crowdsourcing and democracy.

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