VOLUME
15
Heard
on the Playground
What's
New This Month
Tech
Trends
Kids
Tweens
Teens
Trend
Watch
Upcoming
Events in Youth Marketing
Heard
on the Playground
Swimming Upstream against the Mainstream
The
trials and tribulations of being a teenager have always been well
chronicled, from John Hughes’ films in the 80s all the way to the
Dawson’s Creek gang of the last five years.
One of the underlying themes has always been struggling to
fit in, even if fitting in meant to not fit in with everyone else.
Teen
clothing retailer Hot Topic has steadily built a very successful
chain of 346 stores catering to teens that equivocate “fitting in”
with “standing out.” The
national mall-based store, whose motto is “Everything About the
Music,” offers music-licensed and music-influenced apparel, accessories
and gift items. These
stores include about 10,000 SKUs in 20 different categories.
Hot
Topic saw sales increase by 31%, from $257 million in 2000 to $336
million in 2001. In
addition to these stores, Hot Topic’s latest concept, Torrid Stores—for
plus sized women aged 15-30, will expand from 6 to 20 stores in
the near future.
A
visit to a Hot Topic store proves that there are many looks available
to match the tastes of any true individual, with T-shirts bearing
symbols ranging from the classic Rolling Stones tongue icon to ones
with Hello Kitty and Gary Coleman from his “Whatchou Talkin’ ‘Bout
Willis?” days. The store has captured the idea of providing individual looks
for every individual. There
are many different levels of attitude that can be obtained, from
simply being fun and irreverent to being a true free thinker unaffected
by others’ opinions.
So
how does Hot Topic stay one step ahead of the crowd? They listen to their consumers via weekly report cards and
a “talkback” feature on their website.
Quick to identify popular new bands and artists, a 30-to-60-day
lead-time with domestic vendors ensures that the product that is available
is always hot. Using
this strategy, Hot Topic surely hopes the old adage “the customer
is always right” proves once again to be true.
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What's
New This Month
Different Strokes for Different Folks
The traditional
sound of pop in tween and teen bedrooms is being replaced by some
new sounds. Some of
this is the musical evolution several pop acts have undergone to
extend their shelf life. The
rest is spawning from the resurgence of simple rock bands like The
Strokes. Don’t worry
if you haven’t heard of them yet, you soon will.
The band’s debut
album Is This It, released October 9, has received rave reviews
from several sources. It even garnered the title of Best Album of 2001 from New York
Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, CMJ and NME.
The band itself is composed of five friends from New York,
singer Julian Casablancas, bassist Nikolai Fraiture, drummer Fabrizio
Moretti, and guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr.
All in their early 20s, the band met at a private prep school
in New York’s Upper West Side, a place that seems more likely to
be the spawning ground for another boy band, not a punk act.
The quintet emerged
from obscurity after the EP they originally used as a demo to simply
book gigs started turning the heads of major-label executives, including
their current label RCA. Their
retro-punk sound and attitude also gained the attention of fans.
They have a foundation in ‘70s American punk and are often
compared to and draw inspiration from artists like Iggy Pop, Velvet
Underground, Television, John Lennon, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly.
The sales of their
album doubled after their appearance on Saturday Night Live,
helping the band recently earn a Gold Record (500,000 copies sold).
The band is currently touring in Japan and Europe, but their
presence is still being felt in the US.
The last time Pop music supposedly “died” was when bands
like Nirvana and Pearl Jam brought a reinvented rock sound to the
masses.
With
their early success and popularity with progressive music fans, The
Strokes seemingly have two paths.
They may be the start of the latest rock revival to drive a
stake in the heart of Pop music, or they may just continue to be another
option for music fans looking for a lifeline in a sea of boy bands
and teenaged divas.
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Tech
Trends
A
Step Ahead
While Middle America
often looks to the big city to learn about “what’s hot and new,”
the big city looks to Europe to learn about upcoming wireless capabilities
that will be available. According
to a new survey in the UK by Logica Mobile Networks, multimedia
messaging is set to be a big success with Generation Y.
Multimedia messaging is what enables video and animated messages
to be sent between mobile phones.
It’s really no surprise
that the group surveyed, 16-24-year-olds, are interested in gaining
increased features with their mobile phones.
In fact, 69% of mobile phone users in this group said they
would like to send and receive animations, videos, pictures and
music to friends and colleagues.
Their acceptance and the probable success of this advancement
in technology translate to similar features being introduced in
the U.S.
Multimedia messaging
services (MMS) were also found to be favorable with business users
in the 25-34-year-old age group, marking another sign of impending
success. When this
new technology becomes mainstream, lots of Generation Y will be
in the professional world.
These
added features will help take communication to the next level.
Hopefully the younger segments that will surely adopt and master
them the fastest won’t mind showing the rest of us how to use it,
as well as our voice mail, while they’re at it.
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Kids
Getting
in on the Act
Thanks to “Dora’s
3-D Backpack Adventure”, a 3-D online game, preschoolers and their
parents can get into playing video games just like their older brothers
and sisters. The game
is based on Nick Jr.’s “Dora the Explorer”, the number-one preschool
show on commercial TV, and features bilingual/Spanish skills learning
for preschoolers.
As part of the multi-level
game, the youngsters play the role of Dora in an exclusive adventure,
learning to count in both English and Spanish as they go.
Set up as a learning experience for preschoolers with the
help of their parents, NickJr.com provides instructions and tips
to help parents walk their children through the game.
Aside from being
the first 3-D online game for preschoolers, Dora the Explorer holds
the distinction of being the first Nick Jr. character to appear
online before an on-air debut.
For those not familiar with Dora, she is a 7-year-old Latina
heroine who resides inside a computer and has adventures in a tropical
world with jungles, beaches and rainforests.
The
show itself is set up to engage the audience in an interactive quest
to solve problems and puzzles.
Dora is able to overcome problems and reach her goals by communicating
with friends, a lesson that all parents strive to teach their children
anyway. Having bilingual
toddlers is just icing on the cake.
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Tweens
This
Ad's for You
When WonderGroup
recently met with tween boys and girls, we asked them to tell us
about their favorite ads. Their responses were only slightly surprising since the Super
Bowl ads were still fresh in their minds.
After they mentioned the networks and shows that they liked
to watch, their inclusion of several beer ads made sense.
Parents shouldn’t
be too concerned that their kids are already developing a preference
for a particular light beer.
They enjoyed the spots because of the silly slapstick comedy
and the physical humor. The
commercials could have been for weed killer for all they cared.
Of course, alcohol
is one of the only products that can have a 30 second ad that tells
little about their product and yet can still be deemed successful.
Creative departments shouldn’t take this has a sign that
all they need to do to target tweens with their commercials is have
someone slide across silk sheets and out a window.
Some of the recently
produced reality shows have also had secondary success with younger
viewers, programs like Survivor and Fear Factor.
As we discussed in a previous YU, tweens enjoy these shows
for the gross-out factor, like eating cow brains or being lowered
into a tank of bugs.
NBC’s Fear Factor
is looking to take advantage of their popularity with this demographic
by developing a number of bug-centric product concepts.
Some product categories these multi-legged creatures may
pop up in include candy, baseball caps, T-shirts, mugs, key chains,
backpacks, wallets, skateboards, snowboards, tote bags and back-to-school
stationery sets.
Networks
should not be surprised to gain a tween audience for other programs
that follow similar formulas of gross situations or slapstick humor.
They may miss some of the more mature themes of the shows,
but as they start to enter their teen years, this balance of maturity
and typical “kid stuff” is a perfect mix for them.
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Teens
A
Continuing Sense of Uneasiness
The
tragic events at Columbine High School made safety in schools a
high priority. While
adjustments have been made, there is a certain amount of uneasiness
that will forever exist, especially after the events of September
11. It is still vital
for schools to monitor issues to insure this feeling is kept at
a minimum.
The
National Crime Prevention Council recently released the findings
of their Are We Safe? 2001―Focus on Teens report, an
important measuring stick to gauge what works and what needs to
be fixed. The study
of 513 teenagers, aged 12 to 17, that took place in October of 2001
found that teens are exposed directly to more violence than parent
or school officials would think.
According
to the study, 42 percent of teens witness bullying or taunting among
other students at least once a day, with over half of this group
seeing such incidents several times a day.
Boys (44 percent) are more likely than girls (32 percent)
to see these incidents. More
pressing is that nearly half of the students surveyed (46 percent)
could identify one or more students at school whom they knew personally
and felt could cause harm to another student.
While
these figures paint a scary picture, there were a number of positives
to come out of the study.
One third of the students said they could directly act to
stop or avoid violence by not fighting, by stopping others from
becoming violent, or by speaking out against violence.
Another third cited demonstrating respect for others as a
means of stopping violence.
These
students realized that actions speak louder than words, with four
out of ten engaged in volunteering and community services. Seventy percent see themselves as making a positive contribution
to their community, and one out of five say they make a positive
difference by helping others.
Aside
from making a difference themselves, teens still point to their parents
as having the greatest impact on their feeling of safety.
Teens said they felt safest at home with the family and that
their parents were the greatest source of influence on deciding between
right and wrong. As much
as they would like to pretend they don’t need them, deep down teenagers
still rely on Mom and Dad when they need them most.
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Trend Watch
Boob Tubes for the Tube Tops
Specialty retailer
The Wet Seal, a popular destination of teen and young female shoppers,
recently announced the launch of SEAL TV, an in-house fashion and
entertainment network. It
will be launched in 210 of the locations that are already equipped
with television monitors that currently air music videos.
All stores will be wired in to air SEAL TV by the end of
2002.
While browsing, shoppers
will be able to watch original programming, exclusive video footage,
music videos and interviews of music, film, and television stars.
Shoppers will have direct access to the fashions of their
favorite stars that they strive to emulate.
The first celebrity
to appear on the network will be Maverick recording artist Michelle
Branch. There will
be exclusive behind-the-scenes concert footage, one-on-one interviews
with Branch, and more. The
launch will also be supported by a print ad campaign in YM magazine
and a major sweepstakes. The winner of the sweepstakes will attend a private concert
of Michelle Branch at a Wet Seal store with 50 friends, along with
a shopping spree, autographed guitar and a private guitar lesson.
Direct
mail will support the endeavor, truly making it a multi-dimensional
marketing tool. It will
be interesting to see how many more retailers with teen and young
adult clientele follow the formula that Wet Seal has developed.
Since this segment is used to being surrounded by several forms
of media at once, there’s a good chance there will be more specialized
programming in stores in the future.
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Upcoming Events
in Youth Marketing
CONSUMER
KIDS WORLD…April 7-12, 2002 Scottsdale, AZ
2
Conferences One Location
April 7-12, 2002
Renaissance
Scottsdale Resorts, Scottsdale, AZ
LICENSING
TO KIDS April 7-9, 2002
IIR’s Consumer
Kids and LIMA present Licensing to Kids... A who’s who of the licensing
to kids business, the speaker faculty boasts more than 35 executives,
including representatives from: Tower Records, Spencer Gift, Toys R Us, Dan River, Infogrames,
Jive Records, Nickelodeon, Vivendi Interactive, Cartoon Network,
Sony Pictures, Disguise, Marvel, Gullane Entertainment, Play Along
Toys, Shopko, Mead, Fun 4 All…and more!
For
more information, visit: WWW.CONSUMERKIDS.NET,
or call Wendy Fullem at 212-661-3500 x 3018.
14th
ANNUAL CONSUMER KIDS April 10-12, 2002
IIR’S
Consumer Kids has pulled out all the stops this year to ensure that
your time with us at the 14th Annual Consumer Kids conference
is more rewarding than ever before. This year’s event offers you
the unprecedented opportunity to meet with, and learn from 16 of
the industry's leading
corporate practitioners 16 practitioners who will give you the tools you need to extend
your market share.
16
Corporates. That’s 50% more case studies, real life examples and
illustrated examples than any other “kids” event this season. You’ll
find: Toys R Us, Hasbro, The Kellogg Company, General Mills, ConAgra,
Chiquita, Vivendi Universal, Pearle Vision, Spencer Gifts, Tower
Records, The WWF and many more.
For more information, visit:
WWW.CONSUMERKIDS.NET,
or call Wendy Fullem at 212-661-3500 x 3018.
Kid
Power 2002
May 5-8, 2002 The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Orlando
The
9th annual Mega Event, Kid Power 2002, is back! Kid Power 2002
is taking over Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa from May
5-8, 2002. The Kid Power Xchange will proudly serve as your
host for a live gathering of the best and brightest youth marketers.
Thousands of marketers worldwide have attended Kid Power Xchange events,
and have reaped the benefits of hearing from renowned teen marketing
gurus. Last
year over 150 youth marketers and advertising professionals benefited
from the knowledge and networking opportunities at Kid Power 2001,
and Kid Power 2002 promises to offer even more.
As
a valued colleague of Youth University, you will receive your choice
of a FREE
workshop (a $400 value!)
when you register for KID
POWER 2002. To register, please call 800-882-8684, email
info@kidpowerx.com,
or visit www.kidpowerx.com. Be
sure to mention key code C*99WGEM
when registering to receive your choice of a FREE
workshop!
12th
ANNUAL CAPTURE THE GROWING COLLEGE MARKET
May
20-22, 2002 Boston
Your challenge is to reach the over 15 million college
students spread over some 3600 campuses, plus all of the students
who live off campus, and stand out from the crowd as you do it!
Designed to increase your knowledge of college
students, and how to reach them with your messages, on and off campus,
IIR’s Consumer Kids is proud to present the 12th Annual Capture the
Growing College Market conference.
Take a look at just some the companies represented on your
speaker faculty: Student
Monitor, Tower Records, ESPN (X Games), Follett Higher Education Group,
Monster, Rock the Vote, The Princeton Review, United States Army,
Student Advantage, Harris Interactive, Alloy, Youth Intelligence,
North Castle Partners, and more!
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a 360º youth marketing agency provides services including:
Advertising, New Product Development, Research and Promotions.
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