I'd recommend downloading this pdf (link via iWire) file to anyone interested in the youth market or any person involved with this segment, as parents, educators, policy-makers too.  Its a project by Sonia Livingstone looking at children's experiences of going online. There's a segmentation based on styles of media use, with characteristics and implications for each style, and possible hot buttons for each.  

A timely piece as i set off on a first draft for a Youth Program.  Some initial thoughts here (apologies for the sketchiness and possible incoherence here) -

YOUTH VOICES - an online space for youth to capture real-time online youth voices across a broad broad range of topics - in fact ideally the group there should lead the topic, with minimal moderation from us. The benefit would be for any marketer/advertiser of products and services for this segment, ad agencies, TV channels, Software developers, etc. 

This space would have some youth blogs, a threaded discussion forum, contests - basically a space to share lives and thoughts through words and images. I've been following online youth journals and blogs - especially ones on Blurty and Livejournal and i see tremendous value in hearing the stories as the youth themselves tell it.  Traditionally in qualitative research we run focus groups and they can be very artificial settings .. we also tend to filter their 'speak' down to marketing implications, losing the vibrancy and colour of the youth voice.  I recently read in one journal - 20 ways to sleep in a bus - it was hilarious - and i think the creative director at MTV for instance would jump at this little piece ... he could actually turn it into a program concept!

Combine this with a YOUTH SPOTTERS program - a web based Youth Intelligence and Research Network - The Youth Spotters team will develop a suite of ethnographic and observational research techniques -  all about immersion in real settings - ultimately where the brand is consumed, rather than the safety and comfort of the viewing studio. It enables us to access more subtle language and behaviour, to put brands in their real context and ultimately to deliver more complete insights into young values and lifestyles.

Brands, fads and fashions, even playground language are volatile and lose popularity with startling speed. Keeping track of these shifting trends is especially important in youth research.The Youth Spotters team will set up listening posts across India - researchers and specially recruited and trained trend spotters keep their ear to the ground for new styles or trends. This includes monitoring advertising activity, product launches, what's hot in the media - as well as word of mouth contact with opinion leaders.  The reporting will be digitized.

Any thoughts on this program or software i could use ? Please email them to me or leave a comment !

11:17:36 PM    comment []  trackback []