mobileYouth®

Paid Music’s Slippery Slope

Teen paid music consumption continues its downward slope. NPD reports that 13-17 yr olds consumed 19% less paid music in 2008 than in 2007. Interest in music, however, fails to wane with more teens listening to online radio than ever (now at 52% compared to 38% one year earlier). (Source Marketing Charts)

And it’s not all Going Mobile

It would be convenient for all to assume that lost spending in recorded music is being vacuumed up by the mobile industry. Take a look at data from the US, however, and you’ll see that’s not the case. While digital continues to grow, mobile remains stagnant and an ever-diminishing fragment of the overall music industry. (Source FierceWireless)

Making Honest Men out of Pirates

Just how do you make an honest business out of piracy? Well, following the Pirate Bay debacle, one entrepreneur believes he can turn Pirates into consumers. Global Factory announces its plans to purchase The Bay for $7.8 million and turn the haven of peer-to-peer piracy into a paid content service. Will it work? Watch this space… (Source Wired)

Music – an open playing field

We looked at music in more detail earlier on this blog; it appears the market is now open for all players to try and squeeze some of the last remaining profits out of the industry – Nokia and Google both being examples of large, well-funded entrants into the music landscape.

Does Free Work?

The issue of “free” has always been square in the sights of youth marketers. But, does it work? Three marketing gurus weigh in on the debate – Chris Anderson, Seth Godin and Malcom Gladwell. While “free” may be a compelling idea as supported by Anderson & Godin, Gladwell argues that the infrastructure supporting these ideas cannot be free and ultimately there needs to be a payback. (Source Eyecube)

Are Youth Really Paying Attention?

Nielsen tells us that youth are still watching TV and that the “TV is dead” debate is merely hype. What Nielsen fails to consider is, however, that while “watching” and paying attention are considered one of the same under traditional media metrics, they are entirely different propositions. Teenagers keep the TV on but are often focusing their mind elsewhere (Notebook PC, mobile etc). When TV becomes a background accessory it challenges the assumptions that it can engage the audience. (Source Ypulse)

The Science of Youth Attention and Media

We covered this subject in the 2009 mobileYouth report and looked at the implications of industry assumptions about whether or not youth are actually paying attention to their message. You may have the dancing bear, but if you don’t have a dialogue in place, all your efforts concerning product launches, funky campaigns and PR will be lost.

Brandwidth

Does traditional media deliver brandwidth, where brandwidth = consumer trust + attention. Check out the slideshare presentation on Brandwidth here and see what some of the leading youth brands are doing to build it. The challenge is that youth increasingly distrust all forms of mass media – TV and mobile – so how do you go about building a dialogue when you’re lacking in the very basics?

Understanding Teen Media Use by Observing it in its Natural Habitat

New research from OTX reaffirms our earlier belief that while watching TV is still very much a popular youth pastime, they are simply not paying attention. OTX found that teen frequently conducted 5 other activities while watching TV. PC takes precedence too, with the majority citing the first thing they do when they get home is “switch on the PC” (note one generation earlier that would have been…TV). (Source Millenial Marketing)

Is TV Dead?

Henry Blodget thinks so despite TV industry hubris suggesting that their medium is still an important feature of the viewer’s life. Much of TV’s success until now has been ingrained habit based around a lack of choice. However, as internet content distribution grows, Blodget argues, TV’s vastly bloated cost structure will make itself uncompetitive. (Source Business Insider)

What do youth think about TV?

Here’s a video we shot some time ago featuring on the street interviews of youth discussing their media habits. See more mobileYouth videos here.

The Department of Hits

Traditional marketing needs traditional media and traditional business models. With the high overhead costs associated with TV advertising, traditional business models require big “hits” to guarantee a minimum return. That’s why you have large brands such as Pepsi and Coke built around an entire model of hits and exploiting TV as medium of choice. Find out more in our sample chapter from “Now I Can Drink Me”

Is TV the best way to engage youth?

If you ask youth, it isn’t. Fuse Marketing found sponsorship of live events pipped TV as the most effective (in the eyes of the audience) method of making a connection. TV, however, still performs well at number 2 – with text messages (interestingly) coming in last. (Source Emarketer)

Away from the TV

If it’s events, then it has to be Red Bull. Earlier we looked at Red Bull’s event heritage in this chapter from our upcoming book Now I Can Drink Me. Here’s a brand that, unlike competitors Coke and Pepsi, spends in comparison very little of TV advertising and invests heavily in creating its own events.

Youtube reports Mobile Video is up

Mobile originated submissions are up 1700% in the last 6 months alone reports Youtube. Are customers getting used to the format? Do new charging models finally remove the boundaries to wider media usage? Youtube states 3 reasons why numbers are up 1) video enabled phones 2) improvements in upload technology and 3) sharing from social networks. (Source Hypebot)

How do you get Youth Interested in Reading?

This is a question constantly facing publishers targeting the teen audience. Book publishers believe that some of the reflected cool surrounding mobile phones will rub off on their overlooked content (tread carefully). Penguin and Simon&Shuster both launch their own social networks to garner youth interest. (Source USAToday).

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