Spreading the word, cheerleader style. Word of mouth: the new cool in youth marketing
April 3, 2008 by Beth Kay
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We keep banging on about Word of mouth and its bountiful possibilities over here at Wolfstar and now it seems that the big brands are starting to catch on to this clever technique.
The LA Times featured an article yesterday about how brands in America, struggling to reach the youth market, have started targeting the influencers in the teen world to spread the word about their products. And who better to shout about the latest stash out then cheerleaders.
“Forces are making it very difficult for advertisers to connect with young people,” said Samantha Skey, executive vice president of strategic marketing at Alloy Media & Marketing, a youth marketing agency. “So advertisers are going into schools, forging new platforms for youth connection.”
Companies like Herbal Essences and CoverGirl have been giving out free samples at national cheerleading competitions and Gatorade sponsored ‘hydration breaks’ at cheerleading camps across the US. And it doesn’t stop there. Old Spice have been targeting high school football players and department store giant Macy’s Inc. sent templates of T-shirts to elementary schools encouraging students to design shirts and enter their designs in a contest.
The idea is that these teens are people that other students admire and look up to and are therefore ‘mavens’ in their own rights. And we all know that teenagers LOVE to talk. Nearly half of teens talk about personal care and beauty products, compared with just 29% of the general public, according to a study by research firm Keller Fay Group.
I personally hope that the trend catches on, most of all because I am a cheerleader myself. Anyone want to give me some stuff to talk about?…Anyone?… Prada?
“So advertisers are going into schools, forging new platforms for youth connection.”
Ick. Giving out sugary drinks and make up to teens? You really think this is a good idea? Should education not be sacred? Where do you draw the line? After Big Macs but before cigarettes?
Time to read No Logo and watch a Bill Hicks video I think.
I’m sorry but it’s ideas like this that make me embarrassed to work in a vaguely marketing related sphere.
Deleted as press release spam.
I think I agree with our friend ourman who makes some good points - there are areas where this can become an ehtical issue.
However, youth marketing is alive and kicking and will happen no matter what. Personally, I would never get involved in promoting tobacco to anyone - no matter what age.
Make-up is a different thing altogether though. I think as a marketing professional we have to look at each client on a case by case basis and if we think it’s unethical. I would be happy to refuse to work for that particular client but that’s just my personal view.
Being only two years out of my teens I know that I for one would have no problem with people giving me free stuff when I was at school.
I think it is up to the schools and competition organisers to regulate what products are distributed within their organisations and giving teens freebies doesn’t mean that they necessarily have to talk about them and tell their friends, its totally up to them.
“I for one would have no problem with people giving me free stuff when I was at school.”
I seem to recall that when I was 16 I had absolutely no problem with my local barman serving me beer. Didn’t make it right.
Why should competition organisers regulate? That’s like putting pushers in charge or regulating drugs. They’re the ones that should be regulated against.
Shouldn’t schools be for learning? Shouldn’t people be free to learn without commerical organisations creating a demand for products obviously aimed at tapping into potentially damaging peer pressure dynamics?
Ourman - I totally agree. This whole post makes me feel completely uneasy. Shouldn’t kids be protected from commercial pressures at least somewhere, for the briefest of moments?
[...] in It’s been bugging me Tags: marketing, school Full time PR, part time cheerleader, Beth Kay, writes on Wolfstar Consultancy website: Companies like Herbal Essences and CoverGirl have been giving out free samples at national [...]