Unit 3: Marketing Trends: Catching the Consumer

Transcription

1 Unit 3 Marketing Trends: Catching the Consumer Many companies and organizations are targeting the youth market today. But to win young people over, marketers need to consider how to communicate with them as well as appeal to their passions and values. 41 GO2_03.indd 41

2 Reading One BEFORE YOU BEGIN One of the main ways companies market their products and goods is through advertisements. They are all around us. Make a list of where you see advertisements. AS YOU READ Quickly read through Marketing to Youth one time to get an idea of what it is about. Marketing to Youth 1 2 Whether we realize it or not, advertising is everywhere and exerts an enormous influence on our attitudes, beliefs, and consumer habits. This is especially true for teenagers and twentysomethings who, compared to previous generations, are developing greater independence and decision-making power. So it follows that advertisements are being targeted at teens and young adults, who represent an important demographic to marketers. In fact, young people are besieged by advertising. Studies report that in North America, young people are exposed to an average 1,500 advertisements each day about one every minute. This reading will discuss why the youth market is so attractive to advertisers. One of the top reasons is that teenagers have their fingers on technology. In the U.S. for example, approximately 74 percent of teens have cell phones and 30 percent GO2_03.indd 42

3 have their own computer with Internet access in their bedrooms. Aware of these facts, marketers use the mass media to direct their advertising at adolescents. From ads on billboards, television, and music video commercials, to colorful magazine ads and pop-ups on cell phones and the Internet, today s youth are bombarded with short, snappy slogans geared to attract their minds and wallets. And even if teens are resistant and unlikely to believe the message an individual advertisement conveys, sheer volume may persuade them to buy Marketers also target teens because teens are trendsetters, not only for one another but also for the population at large. Around the world, both young and old alike look to teens for the latest clothing fashions and products. If marketers can sell their products to teenagers, they are making sales to an entire population. Marketers who study trends say youth define what s in and what s GO2_03.indd 43

4 4 not. And by recognizing their trendsetting, marketers can identify what products or brands will become the next popular item on the market. Marketers also try to connect to the coolest youth in order to appeal to the larger teen population. As a way of advertising, marketers invite the most hip teens to wear their clothing, carry their products, and use chat rooms, blogs, and other social networking platforms to attract teen consumers. But marketing does not target teens solely for their trendsetting. Young people are attracted to a product because the advertisement appeals to them how they would like to look or the kind of lifestyle they would like to have. Bill Carter, one of the founding members of Fuse Youth Marketing Agency, explains that marketing strategies aim to bring attention to the things that are lacking in a teen s life and offer products to fill that void. Marketing is meant to sell anxiety. In the fashion industry, for example, much of the marketing uses images of thin, beautiful, and famous young people, aimed at making teens feel insecure about their body image. The underlying marketing message is that if you buy the clothing advertised, you can gain confidence and look cool or glamorous, just like the models in hip informed about the latest trends void an empty space 44 GO2_03.indd 44

5 the advertisements. With the help of well-paid researchers, marketers can gain in-depth knowledge about what teens are looking for and offer them the consumer goods that meet their needs Not only are teens the driving force behind today s trends but they also have the financial means to consume. By the age of 18, and often before, many young people have part-time jobs. Much of the money they earn is disposable income to spend on products they want. No matter how little they make, there is always something in their price range for sale. And in addition to their own money, they are still at a stage in life when their parents are willing to provide for them. So even though marketers focus on youth, their campaigns affect both teens and their parents. Parents feel pressure to provide their teenagers with the latest products as a way to keep their status in society. Marketers know this and therefore recognize that teenagers are the most important to reach because they have a huge impact on their parents. Marketers also work hard at building brand loyalty, which means being faithful to a particular brand through driving force the power to act, excite others to action 45 GO2_03.indd 45

6 repeated purchases. Building brand loyalty in the teen years, or even before, is crucial for companies to ensure future success. They want young people to use their products and continue using them for the rest of their lives. For example, young women may choose a makeup brand and buy it even into adulthood. Young men may become loyal to a particular sporting brand. While most teens go for the least expensive merchandise, research has found that as they begin to earn more, they look for a brand to trust. So it is important for marketers to plant the seeds of brand recognition early through advertisements with colorful logos, mascots, music, and catchy slogans. A persuasive message, along with a creative and cool brand image, has the potential to build brand loyalty lasting long after the teenage years GETTING THE MAIN IDEAS Review the paragraphs from Reading One indicated in brackets. Then write if the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Compare your answers with your classmates answers. 1. Marketers use the mass media to advertise because they believe it is the best way to reach young people. [paragraph 2] 2. Everyone looks to young people when they want to know the latest trends. [paragraph 3] 3. Teenagers look for products and fashion that they believe will build their confidence. [paragraph 4] 4. Marketers target advertisements at parents because young people cannot pay for the goods they want. [paragraph 5] 5. Marketers believe they can build brand loyalty through creative advertising. [paragraph 6] 46 GO2_03.indd 46

7 VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT The following sentences contain vocabulary from Marketing to Youth. Read each sentence and circle the best definition for the highlighted word or phrase. Look at the paragraphs indicated in brackets to find the same word and clues to help you guess the meaning. Do not use your dictionary. 1. Every day the company is besieged with questions and complaints concerning their new product. [paragraph 1] a. surrounded with soldiers b. asked politely c. overwhelmed with too many demands 2. People are often resistant to change. [paragraph 2] a. damaged by something b. opposed to something c. supported by someone 3. She was solely* focused on finding a job because she needed to earn money to pay her bills. [paragraph 4] a. truly or honestly b. only or just c. individually 4. She is living at home and earning a high salary. Therefore, she has a large disposable income* to use as she likes. [paragraph 5] a. the amount of money left after basic expenses have been paid b. the money that must be saved each month c. the amount of money lost at the time of exchanging it for another currency 5. It is crucial* to test the water before drinking it to ensure it is not polluted. [paragraph 6] a. almost certain b. not important c. very important 6. She has the potential* to become the next president of the company because she has a lot of knowledge and experience. [paragraph 6] a. possibility b. purpose c. pressure 47 GO2_03.indd 47

8 READING SKILL Scanning for Details Students are often asked to find specific details and important information in a reading passage. Good readers scan they move their eyes quickly down the page in search of the information they are looking for. Before you scan, think about what you should scan for. To find... scan for... names statistics specific words word definitions lists capital letters numbers words in quotation marks, capital letters, italics, or in bold words or terms followed by a comma or dash and their meanings; also look for the phrase can be defined as words or sets of words separated by commas READING SKILL PRACTICE Scanning for Details Scan Reading One quickly to find answers to the following questions. Then, in your own words, write complete sentences to answer each one. 1. Approximately how many advertisements do young people in North America see in a day? 2. What kinds of mass media are used for advertising to young people? 3. What is the meaning of trendsetters? 4. What is the name of the youth marketing agency mentioned in this reading? 5. What is the definition of brand loyalty, according to this reading? 48 GO2_03.indd 48