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MARKETING TO

TEENS TWEENS
By Karen Raugust and the Editors of EPM
Produced by Publisher of

Y A

YOUTH MARKETS ALERT

EPM Communications, Inc. 160 Mercer Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10012 Phone: 212-941-0099 Fax: 212-941-1622 E-mail: info@epmcom.com Online: www.epmcom.com Ira Mayer, President & Publisher Riva Bennett, Chief Operating Officer Martin Brochstein, Editorial Director Michele Jensen, VP Marketing Design: Naomi Berger, PickTwo Design, Brooklyn, NY Copyright 2007 EPM Communications, Inc. ISBN: 1-885747-80-2 All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced or reprinted by any means without prior consent of the publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................ix

Teens and tweens are not alike ..................................................................................................ix Technology is an integral part of life...........................................................................................x Theyve never known a time when TV was their primary entertainment device .........................x Theyre media multitaskers.........................................................................................................x Social networking and self-created content are on the rise ........................................................xi They have money of their own to spend, and they influence purchases by family and friends.................................................................................................................xi Their parents are allies, not enemies..........................................................................................xi Tweens and tweens are multicultural.........................................................................................xi Music and entertainment are a critical component of everyday life ...........................................xi Teens demand that their entertainment be available wherever and whenever they want it ..............................................................................................................xii Teens and tweens social lives revolve around the mall ............................................................xii Interactive gaming, while still a major activity, may have peaked .............................................xii Despite the importance of technology, teens and tweens still are attracted to traditional media ...................................................................................................xii Theyre active users of financial services..................................................................................xiii Religion is important ...............................................................................................................xiii Teens and tweens lean toward socially conservative issues ......................................................xiii Cybercrime is on the rise.........................................................................................................xiii Obesity is a growing health challenge......................................................................................xiii Smoking and drug use are declining, but there are some disturbing trends.............................xiv
Chapter 1: Youth Marketing ..........................................................................................................1

Sidebar: A Virtual Magic Kingdom........................................................................................2 Sidebar: Toyota and Tech-savvy Tweens and Teens ...............................................................2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Figure 1.1: Types Of Online Advertising Teens Do Not Like.................................................3 Sidebar: Wal-Mart Uses Technology To Improve Image Among Teens ..................................3 Multimedia and Multitasking .....................................................................................................3 Sidebar: Wal-Mart and ElleGirl Team For Web-Promoted Shoe Line ....................................4 Sidebar: Macys Thisit Site Targets Teens ...............................................................................4 Sidebar: Promotional Marriage of Print and Music................................................................5 Personalization, Customization and Self-Expression...................................................................5 Sidebar: Top Tips For Reaching Kids & Teens, & Tapping The User Generated Craze .........7 Social Networking and P2P Marketing .......................................................................................8 Sidebar: DoveFocusing On The Positive .............................................................................9 Sidebar: Social Networking Sites As Marketing Tools..........................................................10 Sidebar: Mall-Based Messages For Teens .............................................................................12 Figure 1.2: Environments In Which Teens Would Be Most Receptive To Experiential Marketing ........................................................................................................13 Targeting and Authenticity .......................................................................................................13 Sidebar: Involving Teens and Tweens In The Marketing Process .........................................14 Role of Parents .........................................................................................................................14 Tweens and Teens: Similarities and Differences ...................................................................15
Chapter 2: Buying Power and Demographic Characteristics.....................................................17

Buying Power and Influence.....................................................................................................18 Figure 2.1: Top Sources Of Teen and Tween Income...........................................................18 Figure 2.2: Top Products On Which Teens and Tweens Spend Their Money ......................18 Figure 2.3: Selected Family Purhcases On Which Teens and Tweens Have Influence .........19 Teen Spending Power and Influence ........................................................................................20 Sidebar: Extreme-Value Retailing ........................................................................................20 Figure 2.4: Spending Levels of Teens On Non-Essential Items .........................................21 Figure 2.5: Sources of Teen Spending Money, By Gender ...................................................21 Tween Spending Power and Influence ......................................................................................22 Population and Prosperity ........................................................................................................22 Figure 2.6: Teen and Tween Population, by Age Cohort .....................................................23 Racial and Ethnic Diversity ......................................................................................................23 Figure 2.7: Population Age By Race ....................................................................................24 Figure 2.8: Population Age by Hispanic Origin...................................................................25 Education.................................................................................................................................26 Figure 2.9: Population Not Enrolled In School, By Age Cohort ..........................................26 Financial Education..................................................................................................................27 Figure: 2.10: Teens Financial Knowledge ...........................................................................28 Figure 2.11: Importance Of Money For Youth ....................................................................30
Chapter 3: Buying Habits and Product Usage ............................................................................31

Where Teens and Tweens Shop ................................................................................................32 Sidebar: A Mall Destination for Teens .................................................................................32 Figure 3.1: Selected Tween/Teen Retailers ...........................................................................33 Figure 3.2: Teen Convenience Store Shoppers, By Category ...............................................33 Sidebar: Target Loves Dottie................................................................................................34

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TABLE OF CONTENTS How Teens and Tweens Shop ...................................................................................................35 Figure 3.3: Teen Tribes.....................................................................................................35 What Teens and Tweens Consume ...........................................................................................36 Apparel, Accessories and Footwear ..........................................................................................37 Sidebar: RepairedJeans For Teens......................................................................................37 Sidebar: Sweet Shoes For Tweens........................................................................................38 Cars..........................................................................................................................................39 Computers, Electronics and Communications..........................................................................39 Cell phones ..............................................................................................................................39 Figure 3.4: Cellphone Ownership, By Age ..........................................................................40 Figure 3.5: Selected Abuses of Mobile Phone Privileges By Teens .......................................40 Sidebar: FireflyTween-Targeted Telephone.........................................................................41 Other Electronics .....................................................................................................................42 Sidebar: Music Downloading For Teens ..............................................................................42 Foods and Beverages ................................................................................................................43 Figure 3.6: Top Snack Foods For Tweens............................................................................43 Sidebar: Tempting Teens and Tweens With School Cafeterias .............................................44 Licensed Products ....................................................................................................................45 Sidebar: Left Field Is The Best FieldNapoleon Dynamite...................................................45 Sidebar: Using Tech To Push Personal Care ........................................................................46 Personal Care ...........................................................................................................................46 School Supplies........................................................................................................................46 Sidebar: P&Gs Tremor Teens ..............................................................................................47 Toys..........................................................................................................................................47 Figure 3.7: Annual Spending On Back-To-School Supplies, By Income Level.....................48 Figure 3.8: Destinations Shopped For Back-To-School Supplies, 2005 ...............................48 Figure 3.9: Store Choice For Middle, Junior and High School Back-To-School Supplies ....48 Figure 3.10: Arts and Crafts Activity of Girls 6-11..............................................................49 Figure 3.11: New Arts and Crafts Tweens Girls (6 to 11) Want To Try ...............................50 Travel and Recreation ...............................................................................................................50 Home Furnishings....................................................................................................................51 Sidebar: Rise Of Debit Cards...............................................................................................51 Financial Services .....................................................................................................................51 Figure 3.12: Future Financial Services Needs, As Cited By Teens .......................................52
Chapter 4: Entertainment and Media Usage ..............................................................................53

Multimedia Generation ............................................................................................................54 Figure 4.1: Time Teens and Tweens (8-18) Spent With Media and Other Activities Per Day, 2005 ............................................................................................54 Figure 4.2: New Media Activities Teens and Tweens (8-18) Have Tried ..............................55 Figure 4.3: Which Devices Do You Personally Own Or Use On A Regular Basis? ...............55 Figure 4.4: Percent by Age Group Who Exhibit No On-Demand Behaviors .......................56 Figure 4.5: Teens 12-17 As Percentage Of U.S. Users Of Selected On-Demand Technologies...................................................................................................56 Media and Entertainment Usage by Sector ...............................................................................57

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Books, Comics, Magazines and Newspapers.............................................................................57 Sidebar: Online Marketing Drives Princess Diaries..............................................................57 Sidebar: Magazine For Latina Girls .....................................................................................58 Sidebar: Teen Pubs Go High Tech .......................................................................................58 Figure 4.6: Number Of Magazine Launches In Categories With Teen and Tween Interest, 2000-2005 ..................................................................................59 Figure 4.7: Advertising Revenue and Pages, Selected Teens and Kids Magazines, March 2006 Versus March 2005...............................................................59 Sidebar: News For Teens and Tweens..................................................................................60 Figure 4.8: Teen Newspaper Readership, By Section...........................................................60 Music and Radio ......................................................................................................................61 Sidebar: Graze From Sam Goody ........................................................................................61 Figure 4.9: Tweens and Teens Share Of U.S. Dollar Value Of Music Sales, 1996-2005 ......62 Figure 4.10: Portable MP3 Player Ownership, By Age ........................................................62 Sidebar: Disney Drives Downloads .....................................................................................63 Movies, Television and DVDs ...................................................................................................64 Sidebar: Tying In With The Traveling Pants ........................................................................64 Figure 4.11: What Propels Teens Age 14-18 To See A Moviegoers......................................65 Sidebar: Broadband-Delivered Reality TV ...........................................................................65 Sidebar: FansubbersAn Avid Anime Audience...................................................................66 Interactive Games.....................................................................................................................66 Figure 4.12: Computer and Videogame Unit Sales By Rating, 2005....................................67 Figure 4.13: Top Four Reasons Parents Play Videogames With Their Children...................68 The Internet and Social Networking.........................................................................................68 Figure 4.14: Teens and Tweens Media Selection, If Forced To Choose...............................69 Figure 4.15: Where 10-Year-Olds Go Online ......................................................................70 Figure 4.16: Internet Activities Of Wired Teens 12-17........................................................70 Figure 4.17: Internet Activities of Girls 15-17 ....................................................................70 Figure 4.18: Top 10 Social Networking Sites For April 2006, U.S. .....................................71 Figure 4.19: Top Sites Among Teens 12-17 (U.S., Home and Work), September 2006.......72 Figure 4.20: Top 15 Online Shopping Sites Most Visited In September 2005 By Teens, 12-17 ..................................................................................................................72 Figure 4.21: Common IM Rules For Teens .........................................................................73 Figure 4.22: Minutes Spent Online By Teens Age 12-17, By Category, February 2006 VS. February 2005......................................................................................74 Figure 4.23: Online Usage and Activities, Kids 6-11...........................................................74 Mobile Entertainment .............................................................................................................75 Figure 4.24: Functions U.S. Teens and Young Adults (13-24) Use On Their Cell Phones .........................................................................................................................75 Figure 4.25: Frequency Of Play For U.S. Mobile Gamers ...................................................76 Sports.......................................................................................................................................77 Sidebar: Indie Sports Magazines For Teen Boys ..................................................................77 Figure 4.26: Most Popular Sports For Teens and Tweens (6-17) .........................................77 Sidebar: Dew Action Sports Tour ........................................................................................78

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Chapter 5: Youth In Society .........................................................................................................79

Employment.............................................................................................................................80 Figure 5.1: Teens Ideal Future Job .....................................................................................80 Figure 5.2: Careers That Appeal To Male Versus Female Teens ...........................................80 Sidebar: Encouraging Teen Entrepreneurs...........................................................................81 Parents and Family...................................................................................................................81 Figure 5.3: Topics That Teens Discuss, And Would Like To Discuss, At The Family Dinner Table ................................................................................................82 Spirituality ...............................................................................................................................83 Sidebar: Biblezines For Teens and Tweens...........................................................................83 Figure 5.4: Teens 13-18 Who Have Participated In Selected Supernatural Activities ..........84 Figure 5.5: Teens Experimentation With The Supernatural, By Religious Background .......84 Sidebar: Retail Religion .......................................................................................................85 Social Life.................................................................................................................................85 Figure 5.6: Factors That Influence Teen Holiday Wish Lists ...............................................86 Obesity.....................................................................................................................................86 Figure 5.7: 10- To 17-Year-Olds Who Are Overweight or Obese ........................................87 Figure 5.8: 10- To 17-Year-Olds Who Are Overweight or Obese, By Race/Ethnicity..........88 Figure 5.9: Tween and Teen Girls Health Attitudes and Behaviors .....................................88 Sidebar: TeensGot Milk?.........................................................................................................89 Figure 5.10: States Physical Education Mandates ...............................................................90 Sidebar: Combatting Tween Obesity Virally ........................................................................92 Substance Abuse ......................................................................................................................93 Smoking...................................................................................................................................93 Figure 5.11: Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco Use, Last 30 Days, 2005.............................94 Figure 5.12: Middle and High School Students Attending Drug-Infected Schools, 2002 and 2005 ...................................................................................................................95 Figure 5.13: Teens Who Know A Friend Or Classmate Abusing Drugs ..............................95 Figure 5.14: Effect Of Legal Restrictions On Teens Decisions To Use Various Substances .......................................................................................................96 Figure 5.15: Teens Who Have Ever Tried Illicit Drugs Or Abused Prescription/OTC Drugs/Household Products .....................................................................97 Figure 5.16: Relationship Between Teens Prescription Drug Abuse and Other Substance Abuse .......................................................................................................97 Figure 5.17: Self Reported Drug Use Among 12 to 17-Year Olds, 2003 .............................98 Figure 5.18: Perfect of 12- To 17-Year-Olds Reporting Drug Use, 2003..............................99 Alcohol Figure 5.19: Youth Exposure To Alcohol Advertising In Magazines, Compared to Adults..........................................................................................................100 Figure 5.20: Factors That Influence Teens Decision Not To Drink ...................................100 Other Health Issues and Risky Behaviors ...............................................................................101 Figure 5.21: Sleep Deprivation Among Adolescents 11-17 ...............................................102 Sex .........................................................................................................................................102 Figure 5.22: Adolescent Birth Rates By Racial and Ethnic Group......................................103 Internet Safety and Other Safety Issues ..................................................................................104 Figure 5.23: Middle Schoolers Attitudes Toward Online Safety........................................105

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Figure 5.24: Risky Online Behavior By Middle School Students .......................................106 Figure 5.25: Unsafe Online Behaviors By Teens ................................................................106 Selected Online Chat Abbreviations Used By Teens and Tweens ............................................107 Figure 5.26: Online Habits Of Youths Age 8-18 ...............................................................108 Figure 5.27: Internet Safety Among Teens And Tweens.....................................................108 Figure 5.28: Tween Cyberbullying Statistics......................................................................109 Figure 5.29: Cyberbullying Among Tweens.......................................................................109 Figure 5.30: Licensing Of 16-Year-Old Drivers And Fatal Crash Rates Involving 16-Year-Olds .....................................................................................................110 Figure 5.31: Estimated Crash Reducations In Selected Jurisdictions With Graduated Licensing .........................................................................................................111 Self-Esteem.............................................................................................................................111 Figure 5.32: Favorite Body Features of Girls Age 13-18 / What Teen Girls Consider Their Worst Physical Flaws.........................................................................................................112 Ethics, Charity, and Activism..................................................................................................112 Figure 5.33: Teens and Tweens Views On Intellectual Property .......................................113 Figure 5.34: What Do you Think If The Biggest Problem Our Planet Faces Today?..........114 Figure 5.35: Teen Volunteering Status By Age...................................................................115 Figure 5.36: Teen Volunteering By Race............................................................................116 Viewpoints .............................................................................................................................116 Figure 5.37: Teen Views On Whether The U.S. Is On The Wrong Track Or The Right Track On The Following Issues.........................................................................117 Figure 5.38: Teens Opinions On Whether Celebrities Actions Influence Teens ...............119 Figure 5.39: Teens Opinions About Whether Movies, Music and TV Shows Should Be Censored..........................................................................................................119
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................121

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................125

Resources .....................................................................................................................................131

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
M
arketing to teens and tweens means targeting lucrative, elusive and fickle customers. Reaching them means recognizing that teens and tweens differ, and that even within those groupings, age matters. It means understanding a variety of lifestyles that morph into and out of each other, changing in an instant, though not necessarily in a manner that is perceptible to anyone outside the immediate circle of friends. It means learning a host of new languages from instant messaging to Spanglish. It means embracing technologies wholeheartedly, no matter how short-lived they might be. The bottom line in marketing to teens and tweens: Marketerslike parents will forever be getting to yesterday just as the Next Big Thing takes off. Staying ahead of this ever-careening curve requires reviewing the data, assessing brand promotions, studying media usage and linking these threads to social and technological trends. Marketing to Teens and Tweens has primarily a U.S. focus. Definitions of teens and tweens vary depending on the study cited. Unless otherwise indicated this report defines teens as age 13-17 and tweens as age 8-12. Thats the focus of this report, which leads us to the following mission critical advice to all marketers targeting teens and tweens:
Teens and tweens are not alike: While many characteristics and trends extend across all age segments within the teen and tween markets, by most measures the two groups are distinct. Teens are more independent in their behavior and

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less reliant on their parents than tweens are for day-to-day decisions. Teens are beginning to develop the characteristics and behaviors of adulthood, while tweens still share many traits with their younger siblings. Families are more important to tweens in terms of their social lives as well. Safety is a greater concern in many ways for tweens, who are not ready to face some of the issues teens must deal with. Both teens and tweens like to be perceived as individuals, while at the same time fitting in with their peers, but in general teens skew more toward the individual and tweens more toward the group. Teens earn the money they spend, making them more price-sensitive than tweens, who have money to spend but normally receive most of it through an allowance or a gift. Teens and tweens both like music, but their tastes differ significantly, despite the fact that tweens like to emulate their older siblings. Tweens tend to be more brand-loyal and teens more brand-apathetic.
Technology is an integral part of life: To tweens and teens, technological innovation and obsolescence are the norm. Technology infuses all aspects of their lives, from accessing entertainment and news to researching potential purchases to schoolwork and maintaining friendship. They program their parents speed dial numbers while customizing their own cell phones with downloadable ringtones, images and more. Music is as much about the player and download service they use as the beat. They welcome ad messages over all types of devices. Indeed, not only do they accept the concept of being reached anywhere, anytime, they expect it and are often delighted by it. Remember how excited you got when you got something in the mail? The mail may be delivered differently, but theres still the potential for that same sense of surprise. Theyve never known a time when TV was their primary entertainment device: Among teens and young adults, 84% surf the web during their leisure

time, and this is their top leisure activity. TV? Ranks fourth! TV becomes less important with age, with just 60% of teens saying they love TV, compared to 80% of tweens. And, if teens were forced to choose whether to give up cable TV, the Internet or their cell phone, 48% would live without cable TV. Similarly, if tweens and teens were forced to choose only one medium, 69% would select the Internet, far more than any other option.
Theyre media multitaskers: Teens and tweens find it normal to use several

entertainment and media devices at once, sometimes while doing other things simultaneously as well. In fact, their media exposure increased more than an hour per day from 2000 to 2005 (to eight and a half hours per day), even though their actual time spent with media per day (approximately six and a half hours) remained about the same over the same period. Of the six and a half hours, 26% was spent media multitasking, up from 16% five years earlier. Teens especially appear to be living a 26 or more hour day, thanks to media multitasking alone!

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Social networking and self-created content are on the rise: Teens and tweens

use the Internet and other technologies to create their own original forms of expression. Of teens who use the Internet, more than half have created some sort of content, including blogs, web pages, original artwork uploads, or remixes (mash-ups) of online content. Meanwhile, more than 70 million people dominated by teens and young adultsuse social networking sites.
They have money of their own to spend, and they influence purchases by family and friends: Teens and tweens go to the mall to socialize, but they also

go there to buy things. The average teen or tween earns close to $30.00 per week from all sources, and 30% of teens and tweens are involved in family purchase decisions on items such as cable providers and cell phone service. All told, teens spend about $160 billion annually, while tweens have buying power at about one quarter that level. Young people like to spend, with teens devoting 43% of their total budget to fashion. Theyre also generous gift-givers; teens spend about 10% of their disposable income on gifts, and they love to both give and receive gifts cards.
Their parents are allies, not enemies: Tweens and especially teens have a repu-

tation for maintaining antagonistic relationships with their parents, but this is not the case. In fact, parents and their children are more of a team. They often have similar tastes in products and services, ranging from apparel to music, and they consult each other for advice on many topics, including potential purchases. A significant majority of teens think highly of their mothers and fathers, and more than three-quarters like spending time with each of their parents. Marketers who view teens and tweens parents as allies, and whose marketing messages reflect that, will increase their chances of success.
Teens and tweens are multicultural: Teens and tweens as a group are increas-

ingly multicultural. The youngest age cohort is the most diverse, and that signals even greater diversity in coming years. Over a third (40%) of youths 5-9years-old are non-White or Hispanic, versus 38% of those 15-17. Of the younger group, 18% are Hispanic, versus 15% of 15-17-year-olds. Teens and tweens therefore demand multicultural representation in marketing messages, and they are receptive to products and services influenced by various cultures, races and ethnicities. Teens and tweens are diverse in other ways, as well. For example, there is a big difference between teens and tweens living in rural areas versus cities, and that means products and services tied to urban culture wont resonate as well among rural youths as among those who live in cities.
Music and entertainment are a critical component of everyday life: As has

been true throughout history, teens and tweens love music. More than 80% of teens listen regularly to music during their free time. That fact influences consumer marketers of all types; many have created extensive product lines for
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teens and tweens tied to musicians such as Ashanti, Aly & AJ and Hilary Duff, encompassing apparel, accessories, fragrances, electronics and other items. Other forms of entertainment and celebrities appeal as well, but despite the falloff in sales of CDs, music rules.
Teens demand that their entertainment be available wherever and whenever they want it: Teens are avid users of on-demand entertainment, with fewer

than one in 10 exhibiting no on-demand behaviors at all. Over half of teens and young adults download music in a given month, and 10% download music videos. Teens also are the most avid users of entertainment functions on cell phones: About 60% play games on their cell phones, versus a quarter of adults, and teens are almost three times as likely as consumers overall to express interest in MP3-capable phones. Furthermore, teens are the most interested in future services such as mobile-delivered TV services. Technology gives teens and tweens a sense of immediacy, whether in entertainment, newsgathering, research or communication; in fact, 75% of online teens opt for instant messaging rather than e-mail due to the greater immediacy associated with IM.
Teens and tweens social lives revolve around the mall: Even with the high

profile of technology, teens and tweens continue to value personal, face-to-face relationships. More than two-thirds of teens visit a mall weekly, not just to shop but to socialize. Malls and retailers are capitalizing on this fact by creating destinations for young people where they can relax, buy products created specifically for them, listen to music and, perhaps most importantly, get together with other teens. Brand marketers also realize the importance of the mall, often creating teen- and tween-targeted experiential marketing initiatives for that environment, typically coupled with music, videogaming or other entertainment activities.
Interactive gaming, while still a major activity, may have peaked: While

almost eight in 10 households with teens have at least one videogame system and six in 10 play at least monthly, 75% of teens say their interest is declining. This is admittedly somewhat cyclical, based on the launch of new systems and games. Overall, the sweet spot for youth-oriented videogames has moved to younger consumers, though it is worth noting that women in their 20s and 30s are a dominant and growing proportion of online gamers! Still, more than half of teen and young adult males prefer videogames to watching TV.
Despite the importance of technology, teens and tweens still are attracted to traditional media: Contrary to popular belief, many young people like to sit

down with a good old-fashioned book or a favorite magazine, watch TV or see a movie in a theater. While the average tween/teen reader spends 43 minutes per day reading, this hasnt stopped some publications for this age group, such as ELLEGirl and YM, from shutting down their print publications in favor of a

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web-only presence. Also, almost all older teen girls and boys have seen a movie within the last six months, although viewing levels are declining, especially for boys.
Theyre active users of financial services: More than half of teen credit card

users have a card in their own name and one fifth have two. Over a tenth (12%) of teens have bonds, 10% checking accounts, 9% certificates of deposit and 9% stocks, according to Harris Interactive. Despite their use of credit cards and other financial services (roughly 10% own stocks or bonds, or have checking accounts), they are significantly lacking in financial knowledge. They tend not to understand the ins and outs of banking, particularly when it comes to the ramifications of debt.
Religion is important: Two thirds of teens pray at least once a week and 40%

pray daily. Religious imagery in apparel and accessories has become popular among teens, as have religion-focused retailers such as Christian bookstores (whose merchandise is only about 40% books) that exclusively target this age group. Teens spiritual exploration doesnt stop at organized religion, however. Almost three-quarters have engaged in some sort of psychic or witchcraft-related activity beyond reading a horoscope.
Teens and tweens lean toward socially conservative issues: Teens and tweens

religious views color their political outlook; 43% of teens feel religion has too little influence in America and 38% feel it is extremely important for the U.S. President to have strong religious beliefs. They value religion, marriage and parenthood, and trying to live by high moral standards. Their political views have moved somewhat to the more liberal side (along with the rest of the country) over the last few years with a majority feeling the nation is headed in the wrong direction.
Cybercrime is on the rise: The Internet has had a positive effect on many teen

and tween lives, but with the good comes the bad. Of tweens and teens who have used the Internet regularly (at least once a month for six months), almost one in five have received a sexual solicitation in the past year. And a third of teens and tweens know at least one person who has been a victim of cyberbullying. Despite this high incidence of cybercrime and teens awareness of such, they do not necessarily protect themselves from it; Some 80% of teens agree with their parents that teens are giving out too much information about themselves or being otherwise uncautious online.
Obesity is a growing health challenge: Obesity rates among tweens and teens

have quadrupled since the 1960s and nearly tripled since the early 1970s, with about 15% of todays teens and tweens seriously overweight. Meanwhile, diseases related to obesity, such as diabetes and poor cardiovascular health, are on
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the rise as well. The epidemic has ramifications for marketers. For example, 31% of tween boys and 38% of tween girls are wearing mens, womens and junior sizes of apparel, which arent made for them and dont fit properly. On the other hand, while there is a need for appropriate clothing for obese tweens, it is a marketing challenge to get them to buy it, as neither parents nor kids readily admit to weight problems, and both are embarrassed to shop for plus sizes. Children know how to eat well, and by some measurements they do; tweens eat fresh fruit, for example, more than any other snack, including potato chips, ice cream and chocolate!
Smoking and drug use are declining, but there are some disturbing trends:

While drugs and smoking have been in long-term decline among tweens and teensalthough it is still easy for them to access these drugs if they want to, even at schoolthere are areas of concern. For example, teens are increasingly abusing legal over-the-counter and prescription drugs ranging from Valium to Ritalin, as well as other household substances. One in six teens has illegally used prescription pain medications, 10% have abused prescription stimulants or tranquilizers and 20% have inhaled household products such as nail polish remover or spray paint. This abuse of legal substances has become a social activity for some teens, who participate in pharming parties where legal drugs and products are swapped and the purpose is for all the participants to get high. Marketers targeting teens and tweens needs must incorporate these charactersitics into their advertising and promotions, and into their products and services. Among the critical components of success are: N the opportunity to personalize, customize and self-create (read the latter user-generated content); N a means for teens and tweens to network, communicate and organically generate word-of-mouth; N a reflection of teens and tweens need to multitask and receive content through multiple media; N a concession to their 24/7, on-the-go lifestyle through portability, ondemand access and convenience; N a personal touch through experiential marketing support; N the integration of music and entertainment into all facets of a campaign; and N an acknowledgement of teens and tweens parents as allies rather than as adversaries. No matter what the specific strategies and techniques used in a campaign, teens and tweens like companies whose message is tailored directly to them and who authentically speak their languagethey know what marketing is, and resent any effort to disguise it.

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Marketers who effectively tailor product attributes and branded campaigns to the needs and desires of this target market will succeed with tweens and teens. While many marketers have alienated themmost often by pandering or talking down to themthey will embrace products, brands and marketing messages that are a good fit with their lifestyles. There have been many more studies on teens and their attitudes and behaviors than on tweens; in fact, tweens are often lumped in with younger children, in broad age cohorts such as 6-11 or 5-12. While there have been some detailed reports on tweens by researchers specializing in this group, researchers on various topics (e.g., smoking, political attitudes, health, etc.) typically study teens and children but dont study tweens as a separate group. This report focuses on information that relates specifically to tweens where possible, but may include some references to studies that integrate tweens with younger children, in cases where that is the only data available. The purpose of this report is to offer marketers as complete as possible a portrait of the typical youth consumer aged 8-18, including buying habits, attitudes, life situations and financial wherewithal and influence.

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YOUTH MARKETING
Virtually every facet of teens and tweens lives these days is affected by electronics of some sort. They are social networkers par excellence, instant messagers, iPod devotees, TV-watchers and more and often all at the same time! They want to personalize and customize each medium, though. They demand authenticity and honesty, which means you dont want to try to fool them when youre marketing to them.

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Its virtually impossible to even consider marketing to teens and tweens without using some combination of digital media and entertainment. The digital devices and media integral to teen and tween lives are influencing everything from their attitudes and lifestyles, to their socializing and A VIRTUAL MAGIC KINGDOM shopping behaviors. As part of Disneylands 50th anniversary campaign, Disney created an online game called Virtual Magic Kingdom. Its mission was to use technology to attract tweens (7 to 12) and their families to the real Magic Kingdom for the 18month-long celebration. The multiplayer game, which incorporated park attractions such as the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, was promoted through dedicated advertising, as well as in tags attached to general anniversaryrelated spots.

Teens, and especially younger tweens, dont even remember a time when there wasnt an Internet, when cell phones werent ubiquitous, when music could only be owned on a disc or a tape. MP3 players are far from a novelty to these consumers; they are the primary, and sometimes the only way, they listen to music. Entertainment is intertwined with much of the digital media and technology used by teens and tweens. They love entertainment in all its forms: on television, in film, on DVD, online and on mobile devices. They especially love music, and listen to it in their free time, while multitasking with other media (such as reading or networking on MySpace), and while doing homework. They have music on in the background while shopping, driving and socializing. They want it to be playing wherever they are, at the mall, at an event, at home. And their iPods are at the ready when theyre moving from one place to another. Digital media are not merely effective channels to target these groups this audience cant imagine a marketing campaign or entertainment property that doesnt include a digital technology component. Among the techniques commonly employed in advertising or promotional initiatives aimed at teens and tweens are: N Text messaging; N An online ordering or response mechanism; N A premium offer involving an electronic item; N A branded podcast.

TOYOTA AND TECH-SAVVY TWEENS AND TEENS Whyville.net is an online community for 8 - 15 year-olds. Knowing the role tweens play in influencing family car purchases, and their love of technology, Toyota forged a product placement deal with Whyville.net in spring 2006 to promote its Scion brand. In the first 10 days, Whyville.net users typed the word Scion in online chats 78,000 times, purchased hundreds of virtual Scions (which they could drive around the site and use to pick up their virtual friends) with the sites virtual currency, and visited Club Scion in Whyville over 33,000 times, according to The New York Times. DaimlerChrysler and Cadillac are other car companies using videogame and online game product placement to raise awareness of tweens and teens in the hopes that they will not only influence family automotive purchases but

Most successful campaigns combine traditional advertising and promotional techniques, including event or experiential tactics, with online or mobile efforts. Although ubiquitous, the use of digital technology shouldnt be gratuitous. It has to make sense to the larger promotion to spur viral word-of-mouth, enable the submission of self-created content, make interactivity possible, or ensure portability or 24/7 availability, for example. Its also important to note that teens and tweens are not receptive to every digital technology-related marketing vehicle. For example, even though they are generally amenable to receiving marketing messages while theyre online, teens are particularly irritated by pop-up windows or banner ads. (See Figure 1.1.)

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TYPES OF ONLINE ADVERTISING TEENS DO NOT LIKE

Figure 1.1

54% Banner ads 46%

53% E-mail ads 47%

51% Pop-up/window ads 49%

57% Web page links 43%

Ages 15-17

Ages 18-24

SOURCE: Packaged Facts

One indication of the growing importance of digital media is that several magazines for teen girls saw their print versions shut down in 2006, opting to have an online-only presence. Elle Girl, for example, became website-only in early 2006, enhanced by mobile and other content. This despite the fact that the magazine in its print form had been successful financially, both in advertising and subscription revenue.

WAL-MART USES TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE IMAGE AMONG TEENS Wal-Mart, seeking to improve its fashion-forward image among teens and young adults, distributed 4 million free interactive CDs in youth-targeted magazines, including Seventeen, Teen People and Sports Illustrated on Campus, which is given out at colleges. WalMart also offered the CDs at 80 of its stores. The premium highlighted various youth-targeted fashion and electronics items carried at the chain, as well as offering music tracks and videos, videogame and movie trailers, behindthe-scenes footage and a computer game demo. The CD was promoted through e-mail blasts and viral marketing through Teen Peoples website, according to Brandweek.

MULTIMEDIA AND MULTITASKING eens and tweens embrace all forms of media and entertainment. While they use the Internet, mobile phones, MP3 players, online and offline videogaming and other new media more than members of older demographic groups, they also enjoy traditional media such as television and film. No one medium dominates, and each has its place in the lives of teens and tweens. In fact, each medium can be seen as emblematic of a particular activity: some are for being on the go, some for relaxing at home, and some to facilitate socializing with friends.

Likewise, teens and tweens interact with the same property in different ways through different media. They may passively watch a show on television, read a

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tie-in book that extends the world of that show through original stories based on the same characters, download a ringtone of the shows theme song or cuts from the shows soundtrack to take with them when theyre out WAL-MART AND ELLEGIRL TEAM FOR and about, and go online to take a quiz, play a game, or particiWEB-PROMOTED SHOE LINE pate in a chat about the show.
Wal-Mart established an exclusive, teen-targeted footwear line called Dare2B, in partnership with ELLEGirl magazine. A central focus of the promotional activity supporting the line was a dedicated website called daretobeu.com, created in collaboration with ELLEGirl, which promoted the shoes as well as offering fashion tips and trends provided by the magazine, according to DSN Retailing Today. The site linked to walmart.com. MACYS THISIT SITE TARGETS TEENS The Internet has become a key means for teens to research products before they buy; the buying itself is often done in-store, in part because of the entertainment and social aspects of shopping. (This is especially true for teen girls.) In order to help move teens toward a purchase decisionand, more importantly, to encourage them to make that purchase in its department storesMacys began testing a website called ThisIt in 2005. It features trend advice, music and video downloads, and fashion photo layouts featuring Macys merchandise. Like many marketers, Macys teamed with a teen-oriented publication for the online content, in this case Teen Vogue. The site provides information about Macys products within a broader lifestyle context; it is not going for a hard sell. The purpose is to draw teen girls to the technology, then direct them to Macys bricks and mortar stores and, more generally, to position the chain as a destination for teens.

Disney Channel is among the many entertainment marketers finding success with this type of multi-screen melange for its teen and tween franchises, such as the made-for-TV original movies The Cheetah Girls, High School Musical, and Hannah Montana. Promotions for High School Musical and its 2007 sequel include downloadable song lyrics and dance guides that encourage fans to perform along with the airings. The soundtrack was available for sale before the first film aired, and played a key part in the life of the film. The films stars appeared live in a concert tour. Mobile phone ringtones are available. Schools and other performing arts groups can license the musical to produce their own live versions. The film is also sold on DVD. Kids are even uploading their own performance videos to user generated content sites such as YouTube. Marketers are also tapping into the propensity of teens and tweens to use multiple media simultaneously. For example, they like to use their mobile phones to interact with reality shows such as American Idol or even magazine ads, or go online to more fully experience a show theyre watching on television, or listen to music while playing videogames. And teens and tweens are receptive to marketing messages in all of these media. They expect to receive promotional messages on their mobile phones, for example, just as they do on the Internet and television, according to Mobilitec.

Yet they still rely on traditional media for marketing messages in certain categories of products and services. For example, teen boys prefer magazines, word-of-mouth and television advertising to give them information about cars, while girls turn to TV and magazine advertising more than any other media to find out about clothing, automobiles and electronics, according to research from Media Head. While two teen-targeted magazines went digital-only in 2006, other trends point to continued strength for books and magazines. For example, there have been many book series in recent years, such as Harry Potter and Lemony

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Snicket, that have been popular with tweens, and have gone on to spawn hit movie franchises. Cross promoting print and digital media has become commonplace. Initiatives include websites that support a book franchisedone almost as a rule these daysand creating tie-ins between books and digital media, such as offering digital music downloads from a compatible artist to promote a new book title. Teens and tweens are busy, heavily scheduled with school, after-school activities, family events (especially for tweens), jobs (mostly for teens) and socializing. Therefore, they want to consume their news, entertainment, information and marketing messages in bite-sized pieces that they can access anywhere, anytime, between their scheduled appointments. Young consumers also want to be connected to and communicating with friends at all times, whether by phone (landline or mobile), computer (e-mail or instant messaging), or in person. Teens have more access to electronics, fewer rules about communicating online or by phone, and are restricted less when it comes to visiting friends than their younger siblings, but tweens like to stay connected just as much as teens do. This is why short bursts in multiple venues tend to be more effective than longer messages in a single medium. Teens and tweens also like receiving their messages on demand, where they can choose to process information that appeals to them. A short message in a traditional medium, such as a magazine or television, that alerts teens and tweens about a product and gives them the option to find out more in another medium (e.g., online or via mobile text message) can be effective.
PROMOTIONAL MARRIAGE OF PRINT AND MUSIC Music label Island Records and book publisher St. Martins Press joined together to cross-promote two of their respective products in May 2006. In an unusual twist, the two were unrelated, aside from the fact that they both targeted teen audiences. St. Martins novel Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn, by Sarah Miller, and Sunday Love, an Island Records album by Fefe Dobson, were used to help sell each other at the time of their releases, according to Billboard. Planned initiatives included retail book/music events, viral marketing on social networking sites, gym boards in 4,000 high schools and print ads in teen publications.

PERSONALIZATION, CUSTOMIZATION AND SELF-EXPRESSION ne of the most notable side effects of digital media and technology is the way it is facilitating personalization, customization and self-expression on a scale never before possible. Marketers are embracing premiums and product lines that encourage consumers to create their own products, or customize existing lines, while user generated content is leaping from garages and basements to instant worldwide exposure via the Internet.

Teens and tweens are independent thinkers. Thats not to say theyre not obsessively aware of, and highly keyed into, trends among their peers. But at the same time, they want to take ownership of those trends in their own individual ways.

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Common premiums allow teens or tweens to customize something they own, such as a free wallpaper or ringtone download for their cellphones. AOL and DaimlerChrysler created an online game around the teen horror film Cry Wolf that offered the chance to win ringtones and wallpaper, among other prizes. MySpace, Cingular and Infospace (Cingulars mobile content provider) host the Mobile Music Studio, a service that allows unsigned musicians to turn their music into ringtones. Artists go to the Mobile Music Studio, located on MySpace, to upload a track, and after its deemed original and appropriate, the audio file is converted into a 30-second ringtone. Offering a product that can be customized before purchase, such as a t-shirt or bracelet the purchaser helps design, is also a tactic for some marketers. For example, both Converse and Timberland allow consumers to personalize their shoes with letters and, in Converses case, colors. An arts and crafts element is sometimes integrated into a product or promotion, especially for girls. The cruise industry is one to embrace this: Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Disney dedicate entire facilities such as playrooms and discos to kids, and develop agendas based around arts and crafts and other activities. A small but growing number of marketers are giving consumers a way to incorporate their own personalities into a promotion by creating an avatar to represent themselves in an online game. Companies typically spend around $200,000 to set up a proper virtual storefront in a massively multiplayer online game, such as Teen Second Life, There, and Virtual Laguna Beach. This includes having the storefront designed, buying or leasing the land and staffing it by hiring avatars. Interacting with consumers-as-avatars can pay off: American Apparel sold more than 4,000 pieces of virtual apparel in its Second Life storefront, which achieved a small profit of real money (though the retailer doesnt disclose how much). This is a growing area; 14% of teens spend one hour or more per week in these worlds. Marketers are also embracing user generated contentwhich can be as simple as mixing and matching pre-loaded video, photos, graphics, and/or music, or as complex as inviting kids to submit their own creations. Dreaming Tree Films created the Girls In The Directors Chair overlay for Stayfree as part of its broader, ongoing Fresh Films campaign, which was already being successfully employed by Samsung. Once Stayfrees Girls In The Directors Chair was added to Fresh Films, participation by girls in the overall

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TOP TIPS FOR REACHING KIDS & TEENS, & TAPPING THE USER GENERATED CRAZE Speakers at the EPM Marketing Conference had plenty of advice for marketers looking to reach todays multi-screen consumers. Here are some highlights: John Friend, SVP, Cartoon Network Enterprises: N Create, dont adapt. Create thinking about the [specific] screen [for which youre creating]. Dont just say, hey, Ive got an episode of a television show, Im putting it on a mobile phone, [and now] I have a mobile strategy. Thats a mistake. N Be aggressive, but think. Dont take a shotgun approach to brand-building and storytelling [by] just getting a bunch of stuff out there. That can be ineffective, particularly if you dont know your audience. N Have a business plan. Have some sense of how this is going to impact your business going forward. That element of focus can help you get more consistent execution. Atoosa Rubenstein, consultant/former Editor-In-Chief of Seventeen magazine: N Keep it real. For Seventeen, that means about 80% of the models on its pages are now real Seventeen readers, as opposed to professional models. N Keep it simple. [Teens] are just like us, youre so busy[Adults] are in demand by everybody. So is this girl. Just make it simple for her. And always visually communicate. She does not read. N Keep it human. Compare and contrast my MySpace page (Myspace.com/atoosaspage), and Seventeens MySpace page, (Myspace.com/Seventeen_magazine). My page is a lot more active. Im a person. Im someone they can connect with, relate to, and interact with. As opposed to going to a brands MySpace page and saying whatI love you? To whom? N Make it useful. How can we be of service to them? For example, a Seventeen cover feature on recording artist Teddy Geiger offers girls who show up at his concertswith the magazine in handan exclusive meet-and-greet and a private concert. Imagine the social currency that gives our consumer. She goes to school on Monday [and says] Oh my God, I met Teddy Geiger! It helps us because she and her friends are buying multiple copies so they can all meet Teddy Geiger. Kelli Feigley, Partner, Dreaming Tree Productions, creators of Samsung Fresh Films and StayFree Girls In The Directors Chair: N Create a real life opportunity. Look at what is going to fuel someones life and passions. Its the shared experience...thats going to create a dialogue. N Set parameters. You can create a box within which content has to be created. Its really good for both sides. The quality of product in the end is great for both. N Youth will expect realism. Be transparent. Dont try to be hip and cool. Tell them what youre trying to do. N Yell from the rooftops. Dont just do it in a closed circuit. Make sure the PR is lined up. Make your advertising talk about it. The more people are talking about it, the more its going to resonate for your brand.

program increased 35%. So far, more than 6,000 teens have entered for a chance to be on one of nine film crews. The shorts that were generated garnered 1.5 million votes from both online and text voting, and more than 20 of the films have been or will be screened at major film festivals.

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Cartoon Network tapped the user generated content craze for its Adult Swim programming block in a co-branded campaign with the PlayStation 3 videogame system. The campaign integrated on-air, on-demand, and broadband efforts. Viewers were directed to a PlayStation 3-branded microsite on Adultswim.com, where they could submit a comedic home video of themselves showing what they would do to win a role on the Adult Swim series Robot Chicken. The winner had the shows creators write them into the third season of Robot Chicken, and also won a PlayStation 3 console. The PlayStation 3-branded microsite carried streaming video, new product features, and branded links. Reality TV shows unleashed a previously untapped desire of young viewers to participate in a show, either by having a say in an outcome, such as by voting on the results of a reality TV show, or playing along with a game. Music video network Fuse incorporates text-messaging into several dating-oriented shows. Perfect Pair allows viewers to text their names and the name of their romantic interest into the show to gauge their compatibility. Teens and tweens play even when the show isnt on the air. Fuse doesnt reveal the total number of viewers using text messaging, but notes that the average viewer textmessaged the network three to four times in the first month. A partnership between Cingular and the WBs One Tree Hill was the first to utilize text messaging within a scripted drama, allowing viewers to decide how upcoming storylines would play out. Viewers decided such things as which two characters kissed, and which of three songs two characters would have as their first wedding dance. Cingular advertised the promotion via MySpace, TV commercials and on its own website one month prior to the airdate. The MySpace page had 17,000 friends almost as soon as it went up. These are just some of the many ways marketers of all stripes are striving to expand the depth of engagement and length of time teens and tweens spend with their brands, which in turn creates positive feelings for a brand or product. Marketers who focus on tweens and teens sense of individuality and self-worth often succeed with these groups.

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND P2P MARKETING ocial networking has had a high profile of late, driven by the popularity of websites such as MySpace, which is a top 10 destination among all Internet users, and one of the most-frequented sites among teens. These sites allow teens and, to a lesser extent, tweens, to make new friends, distribute self-created content (such as blogs, videos or music) and share information.

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Social networking sitesparticularly MySpaceare significant opportunities for marketers. Since MySpace was acquired by News Corp. in 2005, advertisements on the site command $500,000 - $700,000. But marketers are using social networking sites as much more than another advertising channel. Authors, musicians, films and even corporate brands are quickly creating their own MySpace pages in an effort to reach this audience. When the Milk Processor Education Program launched its new Body By Milk campaign, ads in teen-oriented print publications were augmented with online banners on Alloy.com, Bolt.com, Facebook.com and Gamezone.com. In addition, Body By Milk got its own MySpace page.
DOVE: FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE Some marketers are trying to boost teens and tweens self-esteem as a key component in their marketing campaigns. Dove, for example, extended its Campaign for Real Beauty promotion, which features models with a variety of body types, to target teen and preteen girls as well as women. The initiative is expected to continue through 2008.

Other examples of social networking initiatives include: N The NBA, which created MySpace pages for the 2006 playoffs and finals, and will do so again in 2007. N HarperCollins, which turned to online communities In addition, the company partnered with the FanLib, MySpace, ELLEgirl and Fox Television Studios to Girl Scouts for a separate but related initiative invite 13-21-year-olds to enter its online HarperTeen called uniquely ME!, also intended to foster FanLit: Your Words. Everybodys Story contest. The eightself-esteem in tween and teen girls (8 to 17). week contest invited teens to submit a book chapter based Components of the promotion include live chats on campaignforrealbeauty.com, workon a pre-determined story thread. At the end of each week, shops on college campuses and a Self-Esteem the highest rated chapter voted online by fans was added to Week in 1,500 Wal-Mart stores. the developing book. Each winning chapters author received books and a $100 shopping spree at Alloy.com and Sephora.com. The winners were also featured online at HarperTeens MySpace page. ELLEgirl posted the winning chapters on its website. One randomly selected chapter winner had her submission turned into a 5 minute webisode produced by Fox Television Studios, along with a $100 Alloy.com shopping spree. One randomly drawn chapter winner received a $5,000 college scholarship and a $100 Alloy.com shopping spree. The winner with the most fan votes got an all-expense paid trip to New York City and a $500 Alloy.com shopping spree. N Religious institutions and organizations, which are setting up their own MySpace accounts. Even Jesus Christ has his own MySpace page, boasting more than 1,000 friends. Churches Advertising Network an independent Christian advertising group used its Christmas 2006 Where Will You Find Him radio ads and posters to direct people to a MySpace page set up for Jesus, which lists him as a 33-year-old male who enjoys extreme waterskiing and the song kumbaya. Viral or peer-to-peer (P2P) online marketing runs hand-in-hand with the social networking phenomenon. Of course, theres nothing new about word-of-mouth,

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which, in its most basic form, plays a very key role in teen and tween purchasing decisions. But once again, digital technologies are giving word-of-mouth a scalability never before realized. Many of the most successful viral campaigns rely on humor, a captivating game or other type of SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AS MARKETING TOOLS entertainment that encourages passalong. The idea is that if teens and tweens find the messaging sufficiently compelling or amusing, With the increased popularity of social networking websitesincluding MySpace, theyll forward it to friends who will forward to even more friends, Facebook and many othersamong young expanding the exposure exponentially.
people, marketers are starting to use these sites as vehicles to reach teen or tween audiences. This technique works especially well for independent marketers such as musicians or authors, for whom social networking online makes natural sensealthough many corporations are creating a presence on these sites, too. Quietdrive, a pop-punk act with Sonys Epic Records, used MySpace to make 37,000 new friends and keep them posted on what it was up to. This effort resulted in full club dates for the act even before its first record was released. Visitors to the site have listened to the bands songs a half million times, according to The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. It has become nearly universal for musicians, especially new acts, to promote themselves on MySpace in a similar manner. Meanwhile, authors of books for teens, such as Sarah Mlynowksi (Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses) and John Green (Looking for Alaska) have used MySpace to keep in touch with their readers and form online book clubs. Mlynowski started a teen lit group that quickly signed 500 members, including 45 authors. MySpace helps these authors promote themselves, as well as network with each other.

A viral campaign can be ignited via e-mail, instant messaging or mobile text messaging, or with one-click send-a-friend buttons on websites. Oftentimes, these efforts lack an overt marketing message, instead revolving around a branded game or clever joke or cool piece of content. One of the more publicized examples in recent years is the Burger King Subservient Chicken campaign, aimed primarily at teen- and college-age boys. The campaign played on the QSRs Have It Your Way slogan by allowing visitors to go online and boss around a guy dressed as a chicken. The site received 355 million hits from 12 million unique users in about nine months. Fox used a viral online campaign la Subservient Chicken to promote the direct-to-DVD release of a feature-length film based on its TV property The Family Guy. Maniacal baby Stewie is featured responding to various commands, including a hilarious tipof-the-hat to his chicken-suited predecessor. The site drew 4.2 million hits in its first two weeks. The social lives of teens and tweens and their propensity to spread information through word-of-mouth are not focused exclusively on the Internet or their mobile phones, of course. They have active real-world social lives, often gathering at malls or coffeehouses, among other venues.

Event marketing at these venues is nothing new, but productions are growing in complexity. Some marketers are even creating mall-based destinations such as lounges where tweens and teens can hang out, while others are incorporating teen- and tween-friendly activities, such as iPod listening stations, in their mallbased stores. These initiatives serve to jumpstart word-of-mouth among teens and tweens, and keep them engaged with a brand or retail location longer. Even as teen and tween media use grows ever more fragmented, marketers are
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realizing that their relationship with these customers is evolving. Its no longer enough for these groups to be aware of your product or property. Engagement is the flavor of the day, and the onus is on marketers to keep them involved. Nothing engages a consumer quite like a live experience. This is why many marketers are stepping up their use of tried-and-true techniques such as sponsorship of concerts and other events, promotional tours in malls and other retail venues, stunts, street teams and sampling. Indeed, teens and tweens like to experience a brand or product directly, particularly in an atmosphere of entertainment and socializing. They favor a fun leisure activity combined with a chance to sample and shop (the latter a prized leisure activity itself). Teens and tweens are open to branded events that include entertainment, group activities and opportunities to learn about a product. Such events are good ways for marketers to generate all-important word-of-mouth about their products. For its relaunch of Tweety Bird, Warner Bros. Consumer Products turned to Grand Central Marketing to target tween/teen girls. The goal was to make Tweety cool and cute in the target demo and to build awareness of a new line of Tweety merchandise. Street teams hit beaches, malls and other locations to recruit 13-17-year-old girls into the Tweety Squada corps of trendsettersto help spread word-ofmouth about the products. The street teams carried hand-held PDAs enabling them to register the girls onsite. Girls were given premiums such as Tweety mirror compacts to sign up. Membership gave the girls exclusive access to Tweetysquad.com, where they got free products, games, news and other features. Signing up automatically entered them into a drawing for a $2,500 American Express gift card. The teams signed up 2,000 girls, 1,300 of whom were deemed squad material. An ongoing e-mail campaign was aimed at getting the 1,200 recruits to activate their memberships. Once enrolled, incentives encouraged the girls to give feedback about all things Tweety, generating suggestions for themed V-neck T-shirts, shoelaces, earrings and gift cards. The Tweety Squad girls were encouraged to drum up attendance at retail openings, host their own Tweety-themed house parties, and engage in other off-line activities. Premiums and special offers were used as incentives. Tiger Electronics, owned by Hasbro, is among those finding it difficult to reach tween consumers, who cant be found browsing as often as they used to in the toy aisles. The marketer uses its Totally Tech Tour (T3) to serve as an educational and viral event for both media and consumers. T3 puts all of Tigers tech toys

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under one roof, where tweens can see and play with the products. T3 is a twoday event (one for media, the other for consumers) and so far is staged in only three citiesNew York, Chicago and Los Angelesthat best represent the media, celebrities and typical tweens the company is targeting. Simon Brand Ventures, the business-to-consumer arm of mall developer Simon Properties Group, presents the annual Simon DTour Live mall tour. Sponsors including Acuvue, Fanta, and So? Fragrance With Attitude build in sampling opportunities and host select activities. Artists appearing at the free live concert series have included Cherish, Mya, Cheyenne, Matt White, and The Summer Obsession. Select venues also held auditions for teens and tweens to compete for a chance to perform on BETs Scream Tour V plus a management agreement with Mauldin Brand Agency and a national recording contract with a major record company.

MALL-BASED MESSAGES FOR TEENS Teens spend a lot of time in malls, and corporations want them to receive marketing messages while theyre there. In one initiative, Varsity Media Group and OOH! TV partnered to distribute digital signage targeted at teens. Varsitys programming, created for high school students, is featured in malls across the U.S. on OOH! TVs video magazines, available in 65 malls. This is just one of many mall-based initiatives marketers have at their disposal to reach teens at the place where they spend a lot of their timeand money.

Fledgling broadcast network The CW went live to promote its offerings by sponsoring the Mall Domination Tour at Westfield malls. The tour featured appearances by network stars, previews of the CW shows, and an interactive CW Lounge. Each lounge is outfitted with laptops and plasma TVs. Visitors created customized T-shirts with the networks slogan Free To Be and had their photos taken by professional photographers with the chance to appear in promo spots that will air on the network. The network also sponsored a series of free concerts at The Grove Mall in Los Angeles. As long as the message is appropriate for the target audience, these activities can be very effective, particularly when combined with other promotions and advertising across a range of channels. In fact, over two-thirds (70%) of teens and young adults (age 13 to 23) say experiential marketing is extremely or very influential on their forming an opinion about a product or brand, according to Jack Morton Worldwide. (See Figure 1.2.) But drawing large groups of teens can have its downside. Some mall operators are placing restrictions on young consumers if their presence particularly in cases where they are habitually rowdy is making other mall patrons uncomfortable. As a result, some mall operators implement escort policies, where parents have to accompany their teens after 5 p.m. They feel this will help their businesses by keeping customers of all demographic groups in the building. Other mall operators question the strategy, however, noting that teens are their best customers.

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ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH TEENS WOULD BE MOST RECEPTIVE TO EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

Family/friends

83% 73% 82% 78% 79% 80% 54% 57% 49% 45% 41% 45% 39% 55% 39% 34% 37% 30% 37% 70% 35% 36% 30% 29%
Girls

Music

Entertainment

Hobbies

Education

Health/fitness

Sports

Spirituality

Arts/culture

Gaming

Travel

Citizenship

Work

26% 28%

Boys

SOURCE: Jack Morton Worldwide

Figure 1.2

TARGETING AND AUTHENTICITY any marketers recognize tweens and teens as potentially lucrative consumer groups. They want to go after them, with products and services specifically for them and, in some cases, products and services for their family members, on whom they have a significant influence. But targeting teens and tweens must be done carefully. They are quick to reject a brand that doesnt speak to them the right way, and will convince their friends to stay away as well.

Both teens and tweens demand respect. They do not accept marketers that talk down to them. They appreciate when marketers converse with them in their own language, but only if the message is authentic and not some lame attempt to be hip. They can sense a fake immediately and it turns them off from the brand in question. It should be remembered that teens and tweens language, like many of their likes and dislikes, can change quickly and often.

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Its also important to realize thatwhile we often lump them together in discussions and researchteens and tweens are far from a single, homogenous group. Each group comprises people with a multitude of characteristics. INVOLVING TEENS AND TWEENS IN THE Young tweens are different from older tweens (who share traits MARKETING PROCESS with young teens), and young teens are different from older teens. To ensure they target teens and tweens with There are ethnic, gender, geographic and socio-economic factors messages that are relevant, appropriate and that come into play in both groups, enabling marketers to further authentic, several marketers have taken steps break them down into, say, rural or urban; male or female; or to enlist the help of these potential customers white, black or Hispanic to name just a few key subsets.
in creating their campaigns. Friendlys Ice Cream, a restaurant chain in the northeastern U.S., created a panel of 50 tweens (8 to 12) called the Friendlys Fab 50. The tweens provide input on the menu and new product development. To screen the panelists, the company asked for 50-word essays, submitted online, on why youre cool enough to have the coolest job in the world. In addition to a one-year panel membership, winners received a savings bond, Friendlys branded apparel, a gift card and a presence on the companys website. Virgin Mobiles marketing team met with a group of eight teen girls, put together by marketing firm 3iYing, and asked them what they liked to see in advertising targeted toward them. According to BusinessWeek Online, the company found out that ads for teen products generally dont fill the bill, and that Virgins pay-as-you-go plans were too expensive for teens on an allowance. It learned that parents need to be involved in cell phone purchase and payment, and its subsequent ads in teen magazines reflected that approach, asking teens to convince their parents that they needed a cell phone.

One means of ensuring authenticity and creating an effective marketing message is to enlist the target audiences help. They love to participate and marketers will learn a lot from their input. The mechanism could be a focus group, a survey, an online panel from whom the marketer can solicit advice on an ongoing basis, or a consultant that specializes in gathering input from teens and/or tweens. Many marketers have experienced success by creating a conversation with their target audience and using what theyve learned during that discussion to formulate their marketing campaigns.

ROLE OF PARENTS ontrary to popular belief, parents play an important part in the lives of teens and tweens. These kids enjoy spending time with their parents, especially at mealtimes, and they look to them for advice. In many cases, they wish they could talk to their parents more often about the difficult issues they face.

In the case of tweens, parents act as gatekeepers over their childrens social activities, entertainment choices and exposure to marketing messages. They watch over them for their own safety, whether at the mall or on MySpace. Teens have more independence from parents than tweens do, but they still admire and respect their mothers and fathers and often like doing things with them. In fact, many teens and tweens view their parents not as antagonists, but as members of the same team. They tend to like to do many of the same things as their parents, their music and entertainment tastes may overlap, and they use some of the same products. This is particularly true of tweens but can hold for teens as well. For marketers, this means that targeting tweens, and even teens, together with their parents can sometimes be effective, rather than assuming both groups always want to rebel against their elders.

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TWEENS AND TEENS: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES he greater level of independence enjoyed by teens isnt the only way they differ from their younger counterparts. N Families are a bigger part of tweens daily lives than teens, in terms of their social lives as well as their decision-making processes. Teens value their families, but are less reliant on them and spend less time with them. N Safety is a bigger issue for tweens in their everyday activities, whether online, in school or in other situations. While teens often face unsafe situations, they are better able to deal with everyday issues such as bullying or unsavory contacts over the Internet than their younger counterparts. Tweens younger age makes safety a concern. N Conversely, teens are more likely to have to deal with new, often more serious, issues and challenges they didnt experience as tweens, such as dating, drugs and alcohol, smoking, violence and employment choices. These color their attitudes toward life and toward marketing messages. N Teens and tweens alike want to be perceived as individuals, while at the same time fitting in with their peer groups. In general, however, teens skew more toward the individual, while tweens skew more toward the group. N The opinions tweens have about products tend to be in line with those of their parents and families, and their parents rely on them to contribute to family decision-making on all kinds of purchases. Teens are more apt to have their own opinions, with their choices on products, entertainment and services more likely to diverge from those of their families. N Teens have more of their own money to spend; tweens have plenty of money, but they get it through gifts and allowance rather than by earning it themselves. As a result, teens are more conscious of what they buy and how much theyre spending on it, they tend to be more price-sensitive and favorably inclined to a good deal. N Tweens and teens are steeped in music and entertainment, but their tastes vary, with teens tending toward edgier fare and tweens opting for more conservative and age-appropriate properties and performers. (Parental constraints can play a big part in this, but tweens also have a greater comfort level with age-appropriate entertainment.) N Tweens tend to emulate teens, latching on to the same products, entertainment and trendsalthough sometimes in a softer versiononce teens have established them as popular. At the same time, teens move away from anything that tweens like, which puts the latter group often a few steps behind on the trend continuum. N Both segments are aware of brands, but tweens tend to be brand-loyal and accepting of brand messages, while teens tend to be more apathetic,

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not necessarily anti-brand but just not as easily swayed as tweens are by advertising and promotions. Despite their many differences, teens and tweens do overlap in entertainment and musical tastes, favorite activities and daily concerns. Teens and tweens are fickle in their tastes, theyre avid consumers and they have fairly similar world views. As with any targeted marketing effort, developing a deep understanding of the differences and similarities of the core consumers is a key to success.

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BUYING POWER AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

Teens and tweens are increasingly important target markets for retailers, consumer products manufacturers, entertainment companies and others. This is due to not only their sheer numbers, but their significant and growing spending power. In addition, they have great influence on purchases their parents make.

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BUYING POWER AND INFLUENCE he average teen or tween (8 to 17) earned $29.20 per week in 2005, two dollars higher than their earning power in 2004, according to GfK NOPs 2005 Roper Youth Report. The top three sources for teens and tweens income were chores, parents and gifts (see Figure 2.1), while the top products on which they spent that money included candy, CDs/videogames, soda and fashion (see Figure 2.2).

T
Figure 2.1

TOP SOURCES OF TEEN AND TWEEN INCOME

Other (11%) Parents (29%)

Gifts (23%)

Chores (37%)
SOURCE: GfK NOP 2005 Roper Youth Report

Figure 2.2

TOP PRODUCTS ON WHICH TEENS AND TWEENS SPEND THEIR MONEY

Candy

33%

CDs/videogames

29%

Soda

28%

Clothes

25%

SOURCE: GfK NOP 2005 Roper Youth Report

In addition, teens and tweens influence many family purchases, according to the report, with 30% of 8- to 17-year-olds saying they are involved in deciding everything from the cable provider to cell phone service. The percentage of influencers among teens and tweens rose four points in 2005, up from 26% who said they influenced major purchases in 2004.

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Because of the impact teens and tweens can have on their parents shopping decisions, marketers have often tailored their messages to encourage this socalled pester power or nag factor, a term that had its origin with younger kids but has come to be associated with tweens and even teens as well. But recent research suggests that this may not be the best approach. Kids and parents want to makeand are makingmany purchase decisions together, rather than antagonistically, and they often agree on what to buy, where to go and what to do. In fact, 74% of parents agree with the statement: My child and I have a lot in common when it comes to things we like to do and buy, according to the 2005 Yankelovich YouthMONITOR study. In addition, 73% of parents talk with their children about important family decisions (up from 60% in 2003), 77% discuss as a family how the kids, tweens and teens should spend their money (up from 68%) and 52% discuss commercials they see on TV. Similarly, 59% of children say they talk to their parents about how to spend their money (up from 53%). Half or more help their parents pick out clothing, entertainment products, restaurants, stores and vacation spots. (See Figure 2.3.) Marketers who appeal to this team decision-making mentality rather than setting children and their parents against each other will be more in synch with the way both children and parents think than those who persist in appealing to the nag factor, Yankelovich says.
Figure 2.3
SELECTED FAMILY PURCHASES ON WHICH TEENS AND TWEENS HAVE INFLUENCE

Clothes

84%

Movies, DVDs and videos

77%

Sit-down restaurants

63%

Stores to shop in

58%

Family vacation spots

50%

SOURCE: Yankelovich 2005 Youth MONITOR

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TEEN SPENDING POWER AND INFLUENCE eens (12 to 19) spent $159 billion in 2005, according to Teenage Research Unlimited. That includes purchases made with money of their own, as well as with money they receive from other sources, such as parents. A 6% decline in spending, from $172 billion in 2004, is attributed to teens having less access to money from their parents in 2005 than they did the year before.

Other polls estimates are quite different from TRUs. Teens 13 to 17 spend more than $30 billion annually, according to the Harris Interactive YouthPulse Report, with median savings levels per teen at $478. A third of teens (33%) get spending money from chores or household work, 26% EXTREME-VALUE RETAILING from an allowance and 24% from a paid job, the report finds. As teens and tweens start to spend their own Harris also suggests that teen spending is often not parent-directmoney and gain financial awareness, marketers ed, with 29% of teens saying their parents know little or nothing begin to appeal to their desire for bargains. A about the items on which they spend their money. case in point: the rise of dollar stores, or
extreme-value retailers, targeted specifically to the teen and tween market. One example is Five Below, a dollar-store chain launched in 2003 to appeal to teens and tweens in all income brackets. As of early 2006, Five Below had 47 stores; it intended to have 100 locations along the East Coast by 2008. Price points are all below $5.00, and merchandise turns over quickly to stay on trend and give shoppers a reason to come back again and again. Merchandise includes games and toys, room dcor, fashion accessories, arts and crafts supplies, electronic accessories and stationery. In Texas, a similar concept is Between $1 and Five, a five-store chain that debuted in 2004. Its stores are all based in malls, with the average location being 3,500 square feet. The product mix is similar to that of Five Below, with 60% of the merchandise consisting of closeouts. Inventory changes quickly and gives kids a reason to return to the store and see whats new.

A majority of teens 14 to 18 (58%) spend $10 to $30 per week on non-essential items, according to Find/SVP data cited in Adweek (see Figure 2.4). The non-essentials teens say are among those they purchase most often include clothing (75%), CDs/DVDs (54%) and tickets to concerts, sports and other events (51%). As for sources of money, teens most often cite their mothers (70%), followed by their fathers (58%), grandmothers (19%) and grandfathers (14%). About a quarter (26%) say they earn money from jobs after school. Teenage girls tend to spend more than their male counterparts, according to ICRs TeenEXCEL study. It finds that teen girls (12 to 17) say they spend $47 per week, versus $45 for boys. Spending goes up with age as well. Older teens (boys and girls 15 to 17) report spending $59 per week, versus $46 for younger teens (12 to 14). Teen girls are more likely to get money from their parents (87%) than boys (77%), according to ICR, while boys are slightly more likely to get money from a part-time job, allowance and odd jobs (see Figure 2.5).

There are other gender differences in teens finances, For example, boys 14 to 18 have more discretionary income than girls, according to the Harrison Group, with $525 per month to spend, versus $430 for girls. As noted earlier, both teens and tweens have significant influence on what their families buy. Teens influence, in particular, has been researched by organizations such as JA Worldwide/Junior Achievement, which finds that 72% of teens 13 to 17 report playing a role in family purchases. (The organization also finds
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>$90 (7%) $60-$90 (10%) $10-$30 (58%)

Figure 2.4

$30-$60 (25%)

SOURCE: Find/SVP

SOURCES OF TEEN SPENDING MONEY, BY GENDER

77% Parents 87%

73% Odd jobs 65%

40% Allowance 36%

Boys Girls

25% Regular job 22%

SOURCE: ICR

that 23% of teens pay for less than 15% of their own expenses, versus 20% who pay for 76% or more.) Teens value cash over other forms of gifts. Close to four in 10 teens (38%) prefer receiving money as a gift for the holidays, more than cite cell phones/ portable electronics (15%), clothing (12%) or a car (9%), according to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Americas 2005 Money Matters Holiday Survey. More than a quarter (27%) of teens planned to spend up to $50 on holiday gifts that year, while 25% expected to spend $50 to $100 and 21% over $100. Other findings:
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32% earn their spending money at a part-time job, 38% plan to save leftover money not spent on gifts, and 35% begin saving for gifts one to three months prior to the holiday season.

TWEEN SPENDING POWER AND INFLUENCE weens (9 to 14) have an average of $9.15 per week in spending money, according to the June 2005 Nickelodeon/Youth Intelligence Tween Report. This is less than their teen counterparts but still significant.

Cumulatively, tweens 8 to 14 will have buying power valued at $43.5 billion by 2007, according to Packaged Facts. The oldest children in the group, age 12 to 14, have average annual spending power of $1,972 each, while the average 8- to 11-year-old receives $780 annually from gifts and allowances. Spending on tweens exceeds the amount they personally have to spend, since their parents take care of the majority of their expenses. For example, almost two-thirds of tweens (10 to 14) planned to invest in new wardrobes in spring 2005 (with their parents help), and expected to spend an average of $337.62 on clothing and accessories that season, according to the Macerich Companys Shopping in America survey. Boys planned to spend over $370, on average, versus $323 for female teens, on spring clothes. Like teens, tweens exert considerable influence over household purchases as well. Parents ask their tweens advice about high-ticket items, such as cars, in 58% of households where tweens are present, according to Millard Brown and its book BRANDchild. Many moms and dads take their tweens suggestions seriously, purchasing the brands their children prefer. Girls tend to influence family purchases of clothes, CDs and movies, while boys influence purchases of videogames and contribute to decisions on which television shows to view, according to Nickelodeon/Youth Intelligence. Both groups have significant influence when it comes to buying computers or other technology.

POPULATION AND PROSPERITY ot only do teens and tweens have significant amounts of money to spend, but there are significant numbers of teens and tweens to spend that money. The U.S. Census in 2000 counted nearly 73 million children under age 18, with 49 million (68% of the under-18s) between the ages of 6 and 17. (See Figure 2.6.) Nearly 17 million were between 6 and 9, 20.5 million were in the transition years between tween and teen (10 to 14) and 12 million were older teens (15 to 17).
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Figure 2.6
TEEN AND TWEEN POPULATION, BY AGE COHORT
AGE GROUP NUMBER PERCENT OF TOTAL UNDER 18

TOTAL UNDER 18 6 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 17 years

72,293,812 16,584,402 20,528,072 12,040,437

100.0% 22.9% 28.4% 16.7%

SOURCE: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Summary

Not all of these teens and tweens have equal spending power, of course. In fact, nearly 12 million of children under age 18 (11.7 million, or 16%) live in poverty, with 5.3 million or 7% living at just 50% of the poverty level. Over 4.1 million children living at or below the poverty line fall in the 6 to 11 age bracket, while 1.6 million are in the 12 to 17 group.

RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY eens and tweens are a diverse group, both racially (Figure 2.7) and ethnically (Figure 2.8), and they are becoming more so. The proportion of Whites among children who were between age 5 and 9 in 2000 is 68%, two percentage points lower than among teens age 15 to 17. Blacks, meanwhile, represent 16% of the younger age cohort, compared to 15% of older teens. Similarly, Hispanics represent the fastest-growing ethnic group in America and that is evident in the teen and tween market. Of the population age 5 to 9, 60% is non-Hispanic White, versus 64% of those age 15 to 17, while 18% of the younger cohort is Hispanic, compared to just 15% of older teens.

One notable characteristic of todays teen and tween population is the growing number that identify themselves as multi-ethnic. Their mixed heritage is a big part of their identity, but they sometimes struggle with integrating the characteristics of their different cultures into their lives. In addition, the sense of being part of multiple cultures but not completely fitting in with any of them gives some tweens and especially teens a sense of isolation. Teens and tweens from different ethnic and racial backgrounds respond differently to survey questions, and marketers targeting teens and tweens from particular races or ethnicities need to tailor their messages to appeal to the unique characteristics of each group. Data that describes the differences among teens and tweens of different racial and ethnic backgrounds has been included throughout this report, where available.

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Figure 2.7

POPULATION AGE 5 TO 9, BY RACE

Other (8%) Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (0%) Asian (3%) American Indian & Alaska Native (1%) White (68%) Two or More Races (4%)

Black (16%)

POPULATION AGE 10 TO 14, BY RACE

Other (7%) Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (0%) Asian (3%) American Indian & Alaska Native (1%) Two or More Races (3%)

Black (15%)

(71%) White (70%)

POPULATION AGE 15 TO 17, BY RACE

Two or More Races (3%)

Other (7%) Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (0%) Asian (4%) American Indian & Alaska Native (1%)

Black (15%)

White (70%)

SOURCE: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Summary

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POPULATION AGE 5 TO 9, BY HISPANIC ORIGIN

Figure 2.8

Hispanic (18%) Non-Hispanic Other Races (22%)

Non-Hispanic White (60%)

POPULATION AGE 10 TO 14, BY HISPANIC ORIGIN

Hispanic (15%) Non-Hispanic Other Races (22%)

Non-Hispanic White (63%)

POPULATION AGE 15 TO 17, BY HISPANIC ORIGIN

Hispanic (15%) Non-Hispanic Other Races (21%)

Non-Hispanic White (64%)

SOURCE: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Summary

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EDUCATION early 55.2 million children age 3 to 17 are enrolled in school, according to the U.S. Census, translating to a total of 90.8% of all children in that age group. Still, there are fairly high numbers not enrolled. (See Figure 2.9). In particular, 5.1% of older teens (15 to 17) are not enrolled in school, versus just 1.1% of those from 10 to 14. The percentage of unenrolled children among those 5 to 9 is 4.1%.

N
Figure 2.9

POPULATION NOT ENROLLED IN SCHOOL, BY AGE COHORT

TOTAL NUMBER NOT ENROLLED PERCENT NOT ENROLLED

Ages 5 to 9 Ages 10 to 14 Ages 15 to 17

20,608,282 20,618,199 11,869,522

849,965 231,145 611,202

4.1% 1.1% 5.1%

SOURCE: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Summary

Contributing factors to the relatively high number of unenrolled teens is the dropout rateand to a lesser extent, early graduation. The Census reports that, in 2003, .8% of all teens 16 to 19 (8 of every 1,000) are high school dropouts. This figure is down from 2000, when 11 of every 1,000 older teens was a dropout. Students performance in school, as measured by standard testing, leaves something to be desired. Only 30% of fourth grade students (around age 9) scored at or above proficient reading level in 2003 and only 31% scored at or above proficient math level, according to an analysis of Census data by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. And, in 8th grade (around age 13), the percentage of students who scored at or above proficient reading level remained at 30%, but the proportion scoring at or above proficient math level dropped to 27%. Still, teens and tweens want to receive a good education. Over 90% of teens 13 to 19 believe their education would improve if they were provided with more challenging courses, according to a 2005 report by the Horatio Alger Association. Meanwhile, 81% of teens support exit tests for graduation and 75% support required math and science courses throughout high school. Over ninetenths (92%) of teens planned to continue their education after high school. The desire to attend college is common across races and ethnicities, although the desire seems to be strongest among Black youth. A poll of teens and tweens (ages 8 to 18), conducted by JA Worldwide/Junior Achievement and Harris Interactive, finds that 89% of African-Americans plan to go to college, a significantly higher percentage than for other groups, including Whites (79%) and Hispanics (77%). However, more African-Americans (63%) also say that
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having enough money is their greatest barrier to meeting their goal, compared to 59% for Hispanics and 55% for Whites. Unfortunately, most U.S. adults with children whom they expect to send to college have not saved adequately for that event. Close to eight in 10 (79%) of U.S. adults who expect their oldest child to attend college think they will pay all or most of their college expenses, and have a reasonable expectation of costs. But 32% have not saved anything for this purpose, and another 26% have saved less than $5,000.

FINANCIAL EDUCATION espite the financial clout teens and tweens wield, their education about money matters is lacking.

Teens (14 to 18) across all races and ethnicities are serious about managing their money, according to FIND/SVP , with 88% trying to save some of the money they earn or receive as gifts. Their most trusted source for financial advice is mom (cited by 78% of respondents). Caucasians (73%) and Asians (67%) also trust their fathers for financial advice at a much greater rate than Black and Hispanic teens do, while 36% of African-Americans cite their grandmothers as a source of financial information, a much greater proportion than for other ethnicities. While high school and college students dream of being well off in the future, they dont currently have the financial know-how for that to happen, according to Ameriquests Smart Savings Survey, which measures students financial savvy. They have unrealistic ideas or misinformation about concepts such as the current minimum wage, average starting salary for young adults, home prices and retirement ages, for example. Family income correlates with financial awareness, the study finds: 46% of higher-income students answered two or more basic financial questions correctly, compared to 34% of lower-income students. Other research provides similar views of teens financial education. Only 17% of teens (13 to 18) say they are very or extremely knowledgeable about how to manage debt, for instance, according to Charles Schwab and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. (See Figure 2.10.) Relatively few teens have knowledge about various aspects of financial management, such as how to balance a checkbook or budget their money, according to another study, Teens & Money, also from the Charles Schwab Foundation. By its measure, 31% of teens already are in debt to a person or a company, owing an average of $230 ($351 for teens 16 to 18 and $84 for teens 13 to 15). Already, 14% of teens say they are $1,000 or more in debt; 22% of older teens (16 to 18) have debt of at least $1,000. Of those who owe money, 46% are concerned

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Figure 2.10

TEENS' FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE

TEENS WHO SAY THEY'RE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT:

How to write a check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61% How to use a debit card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54% How to balance a check book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41% How to shop for the best deal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66% How to budget their money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48%
TEENS WHO SAY THEY ARE EXTREMELY OR VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT:

How to manage debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17% How to create a budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28% How to open a savings account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36% What compounding is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
SOURCE: Charles Schwab

about paying it back. Even so, 34% have a debit or credit card (in their parents or their own name) and 18% say they would rather purchase items with a credit card than use cash. The JumpStart Coalition gives a written survey to 12th graders in 37 states to measure their knowledge of personal finance. The average score in 2005-2006 was 52.4%, up very slightly from 52.3% in 2003-2004 and 50.2% in 2002. But the 1997-1998 survey showed better results, with an average score of 57.3%. There were significant differences in scores among students of different ethnic and racial groups, according to JumpStart, with Whites scoring an average of 55%, Blacks 44.7% and Hispanics 46.8%. Income also dictates the scores, with students whose families are in the highest income brackets scoring higher than those in lower brackets and the margin between the two groups widening over the years. A somewhat disheartening result is that, among the 16.7% of students who had taken a course in personal finance, the average score was 51.6%, slightly below the average for students overall. Another unfortunate finding is that the 31.8% of students who own a credit card, either in their own name or their parents, score lower on the JumpStart survey than students without access to a credit card. Those who use a parents card scored 45.4% and those who use their own card scored 46.5%, while those who do not use a credit card at all scored 49.8%. Knowledge about finances differs between teen girls and boys (13 to 17), according to CapitalOnes 2005 back-to-school shopping survey. Girls are better at judging their parents expenditures on back-to-school items (33% versus 25% of boys), and more girls contributed to back-to-school expenses (53% versus 48%).

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Schwab also finds gender differences in financial knowledge, with teen girls: N more knowledgeable than boys on how to write a check (73% versus 49% of boys) N more knowledgeable than boys on how to use a credit card (54% versus 42%) N more likely to get money from a credit or debit card (43% versus 26%) N more likely to be in debt (40% versus 23%) N more likely to feel responsible for contributing to family expenses (32% versus 23%) N less likely to find learning about saving, spending and investing money interesting (66% versus 76%). Two-thirds (67%) of teens think their parents or guardians should take primary responsibility for teaching them about their finances, with 13% believing their teachers should play a role as well, according to CapitalOne. In fact, 80% of teens believe basic money management should be a required course in high school. (Currently, seven states have such a mandate.) Just one-third (33%) of teens nationally receive any money management instruction during high school. Parents are worred about their childrens financial habits. Nearly three-quarters (74%) worry about their childrens development of good financial and money management skills, more than worry about their teens following the wrong crowd (58%) or using drugs and alcohol (56%), according to Visa USA. In addition, 76% say their high school student does not have a budget, 63% require their working teens to save some of what they earn, and 70% say their child has not had any formal training in money management skills outside the home. Despite the overall bad news in teens financial education status, many teens have shown themselves fiscally responsible, according to FIND/SVP . Of teens 14 to 18, 36% are saving for their education. Asian teens are the most likely to be saving (44%), compared to Whites (38%), Hispanics (30%) and AfricanAmericans (29%). Over nine-tenths (93%) of teens prefer paying for purchases in cash, although they also use several forms of financial services (outside of credit cards), including savings accounts (81%), checking accounts (40%), debit cards (35%) and savings bonds (20%). As for tweens, they tend to be more materialistic than their older counterparts, according to Harris Interactive. They believe, more than teens and young adults, that money is important for many aspects of life, such as getting a good education. (See Figure 2.11.)

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Figure 2.11

IMPORTANCE OF MONEY FOR YOUTH

AGE 8-12 AGE 13-21

Good education Succeeding in life Feeling secure Being happy Looking good Making friends Finding a spouse
SOURCE: Harris Interactive

61% 42% 39% 24% 18% 12% 9%

53% 36% 41% 22% 23% 10% 13%

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BUYING HABITS AND PRODUCT USAGE

Teens and tweens have the financial wherewithal to purchase merchandise for themselves and others, and they love to shop. They have a great impact on many product categories and retail sectors.

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WHERE TEENS AND TWEENS SHOP alls are the epicenter of many tweens and especially teens lives, viewed as a place for entertainment and socializing with friends as much as a destination for shopping. And they visit frequently; 68% of teens go to a mall weekly, according to Teenage Research Unlimited.

Increasingly, however, other activities, such as the Internet or videogames, compete with shopping centers for teens time and money. Mall operators are aware of this and are working to keep teens coming back. For example, both Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola partnered with mall operators in A MALL DESTINATION FOR TEENS the mid-2000s to test teen-themed areas within malls. These have Pepsi Zones were launched in August 2005, featured videogames, music, snacks and comfy couches, and keep with three test locations, through a partnership the brand top-of-mind among teens, as well as driving traffic to between Pepsi-Cola and General Growth Properties, a mall operator. The lounges were the mall. Mall concerts, corporate-sponsored lifestyle events and intended to give teens a fun and safe place to entertainment tours themed around teens favorite television hang out with other teens, as well as drive trafshows are other means malls are using to attract young people.
fic to the malls where theyre located and reinforce the Pepsi brand.

Teens favorite stores tend to be those that are intended for them specifically, and many malls are making sure these chains have a The fact that over 4,000 teens attended the opening of the Los Angeles Pepsi Zone indipresence. Teens most popular stores in 2005, according to Piper cates their interest in the concept of a mallJaffrey & Co.s bi-annual Taking Stock with Teens survey, were based lounge created just for them. Pepsi Zones Hollister, an Abercrombie & Fitch concept, with 13% mindshare, featured plasma screens showing the teenfollowed by parent company A&F (10%). Pacific Sunwear, targeted channel Fuel TV, offered videogames American Eagle and d.e.m.o. (a PacSun concept) rounded out the and music that were regularly updated, and top five. Other chains that have been among the top 10 in recent contained plenty of seating to allow socializing. editions of the survey include Hot Topic, Quiksilver, Billabong, CD Shoes, Hurley, Roxy, Forever 21 and Element. (See Figure 3.1 for a summary of some leading teen/tween chains.) Despite the popularity of these specialty stores, mainstream retailers also can attract teens; Nordstrom came in at sixth place on the Piper Jaffrey survey in 2005 (up from 10th in the previous edition). Meanwhile, stores that are tailored to teens can see their fortunes rise and fall quickly due to their target markets fickle nature. Hot Topic and its subsidiary Torrid, as well as Aropostale and Pacific Sun, are among the chains that have had ups and downs during the 2000s. To stay on top over the long term, retailers need to be able to anticipate teen trendsusually through a significant investment in market research and focus groupsand be able to get trend-right merchandise in and out quickly. Convenience stores also are popular teen destinations. Although young people (16 to 20) spend 12% less than those over 30 during each visit, they shop at convenience stores 14% more frequently than older consumers, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and the Coca-Cola Leadership Council. Teens tend to shop at convenience stores where employees
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SELECTED TWEEN/TEEN RETAILERS

NAME TARGET GROUP NO. OUTLETS FOCUS

Hot Topic Torrid Aeropostale PacSun American Eagle Claire's Forever 21 Limited Too

Males and females 12-22 Females 15-29 Males and females 11-18 Active teens and young adults Males and females 15-25 Female tweens, teens, young adults Teen girls Tween girls 7-14

671 123 700 820 827 3,050 355 560

Music-themed and pop culture-identified accessories and apparel. Plus-size apparel and accessories. Owned by Hot Topic. Hi-quality, active-oriented fashion basics at value prices. Skate and surf apparel, accessories and footwear including emerging brands. Own brand of laid-back, current clothing of high quality at affordable prices. Value-priced, fashion forward costume jewelry, accessories and cosmetics. Value-priced clothing and accessories. Apparel, accessories, footwear, lifestyle, personal care for active, fashionaware tweens.

SOURCE: Corporate information.

make them feel welcome, such as by greeting them by name, although their primary reason for choosing a store is because it is nearby. The NACS/Coca-Cola survey divides teen convenience store users into four categories: N Timekeepers, who value efficiency and are regular shoppers in convenience stores. This is the category the most teens fall into, by a large margin, as shown in Figure 3.2. N Carefree teens, who want to shop without hassles but enjoy talking to the cashier. N Independents, who spend less time in the store, because they are rushed, but demand respect. N Materialists, who love to shop, want trend-right merchandise and have money to spend. This group is comprised mainly of females.

Figure 3.1

Figure 3.2
TEEN CONVENIENCE STORE SHOPPERS, BY CATEGORY

Materialists (21%)

Timekeepers (33%)

Independent (22%) Carefree (24%)

SOURCE: National Association of Convenience Stores

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Both teens and tweens also like to shop at discount stores, dollar stores and other channels where they can get a big bang for their buck. Several discount retailers have launched lines or websites to target tweens and/or teens, as Target has with its Dottie Loves line for tween girls 6 to 12. Teens have a high comfort level with the Internet, so it follows that many online retailers would target this age group, and that mainstream retailers would use their Internet presence to communicate with teens. Macys is among the retailers that has launched a website for female teens; TARGET LOVES DOTTIE its site, ThisIt, includes trend advice, music downloads, Teen Vogue Target is a favorite shopping destination for photo layouts and other lifestyle components. As is the case for tweens, and the discount chain has created a many websites operated by bricks-and-mortar retailers, the intent fashion brand, Dottie Loves, just for them. The line, which is aimed at girls 6 to 12, includes is more to drive shoppers to stores than to generate online purclothing, jewelry, cosmetics, handbags, room chases. Teens tend to like to shop online for entertainment and dcor and hair accessories. It is full of color, information, but they often like to see the products in person, emphasizing fashion-forward pinks, teals and especially when it comes to fashion, before they buy.
blacks in spring 2006. Prices are reasonable, mostly ranging from $.99 to $19.99.

The retailer created a new character that reflects the fun and fashion sense of the brand, which is promoted on a dedicated website, as well as on Target.com. The character appears on Target gift cards for tweens, among other exposure.

Yet they do make purchases through online channels. Close to half (49%) of teen boys have bought something online, according to Teenage Research Unlimited, as have 41% of teen girls. The percentage rises with age; 54% of 16- and 17-year-olds have shopped online.

Almost six in 10 teens and tweens (57% of those 10 to 19) use the Internet to research purchases and 69% are aware of shopping comparison sites such as Kelkoo and Price Grabber. In addition, 36% of boys and 26% of girls had made online purchases, according to TNSs CAPI Kids Study. A significant percentage of teens have credit cards, as noted elsewhere in this report, which boosts the incidence of online shopping, both directly and through financial services such as PayPal. Teens search for bargains extends to the online world. The most popular online shopping destination for teens is eBay, despite the fact that it has few of the bells and whistlessophisticated graphics, lifestyle and entertainment components toward which teens usually gravitate online. In February 2006, the average online teen (12-17) spent 61.2 minutes on eBay, up 12.1% from a year earlier, according to comScore MediaMetrix, making it a top-10 site for this age group in terms of time spent online.

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HOW TEENS AND TWEENS SHOP t is important not to lump teens and tweens into a single group when looking at their shopping behavior. Even within those two respective age cohorts, there are a number of subsets. For example, a British research firm, Dubit, divides teens into nine distinct groups, or tribes (see Figure 3.3) as reported in Brand Strategy: N Moshers, who are driven by their need to assert their freedom, and are highly influential among their peers, but not trendsetters. N Cool Geeks, who show strong individuality but like to play it safe more than make a statement. N Socialites, a fun-loving, optimistic and generous group. They place a high value on brands. N Sporties, defined by their love of sports and sports stars. N Techies, who are like Cool Geeks but with a higher interest in technology; they tend to be more negative about themselves than the Cool Geeks. N Urbos, the most balanced group, who are into music as well as playing sports. N Chavs, who fear anything different or alternative, and tend to aspire to fame and material possessions, and want to portray attitude. They look to role models who have these things. N Geeks, who have low self-esteem, tend to be anti-social and avoid risk. They stick to mainstream brands. N Goths, who believe themselves to be rejected by society and are disillusioned. They are not brand-loyal, but they do associate with a definite image.

Figure 3.3
TEEN "TRIBES"
Goths (7%) Geeks (8%) Chavs (9%) Moshers (18%)

Urbos (10%)

Cool Geeks (17%)

Techies (10%) Sporties (10%)

Socialites (11%)

SOURCE: Dubit/Brand Strategy

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Tweens, too, must be segmented when it comes to their shopping behavior. Like teens, their behavior varies depending on whether they are on the older or younger edge of the range. Younger tweens are very different from older tweens. Older tweens share more characteristics with young teens than they do with young tweens in many respects. One characteristic teens and tweens seem to have in common is that they like immediate gratification when they shop. They often know what they want before they go into a store and they want merchandise to be in stock. They also love gift cards. In fact, teens are one of the top recipient groups for gift cards. They give gift cards at about the same level as adults, but receive them much more often, with only 3% of teens never having received a gift card, versus about 25% of adults, according to Stored Value Systems, a gift card marketer. More than 93% of high school-age teens received one or more gift cards in the last year. Meanwhile, 67% of teenswho spend about 10% of their disposable income on gift-givinghave purchased a gift card and most see cards as a first choice, not a fall-back, for gifts, Stored Value says. Teens use cards they receive, and use them quickly; 59% spend the entire amount on the first visit, within a month of receiving a card. Among the other characteristics of tweens and teens when it comes to shopping behavior: They keep on top of trends and are fickle, turning away immediately from anything they deem pass, yet they are more brand-loyal than older consumers. They prefer a good price, particularly on trendy items they know wont last long. They like music and humor, both in marketing messages and in the retail environment. Yet equally important is a simple, honest marketing message. They enjoy splashy graphics and interactivity built into the shopping experience, whether online or in-store. They embrace any opportunity for self-expression, both in-store and through the products they buy. WHAT TEENS AND TWEENS CONSUME oth tweens and teens are active consumers, spending their own money and influencing family expenditures not only on products for themselves but for the family as a whole.

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Apparel, Accessories and Footwear Teens spent 41% of their total budget on fashion in fall 2006, according to Piper Jaffray. That compares to 43% in spring 2006 and 43% in fall 2005. The company estimates that fashion spending was down 14% year-over-year for boys in fall 2006 compared to fall 2006, and down 12% for girls. In 2005, total fashion spending among teens was up 8% compared to 2004; that entire growth rate was attributable to female shoppers, with teen girls seeing an increase of 16%, versus no growth for boys. The 2006 figures signal a leveling off of fashion spending, which had been rising slightly over the past few years, Piper Jaffray says. The portion of teens budget devoted to fashion typically remains at 41% to 43% in a given season, however. Teens desires change frequently when it comes to fashion, probably more than in any other product category. They are looking for a combination of fashion-forward styling and value, and they shop for clothes in a wide variety of retail outlets. For example, they shop department stores most often for jeans, according to Womens Wear Daily, but they also purchase them at discounters, specialty stores and other locations. Discounters including Target and WalMart cater to this market by carrying designer denim brands designed specifically for teens. While teens will buy fashion items anywhere, the specialty sector remains the quickest to identify and capitalize on teen (and tween) trends. These include chains such as Justice, Ruehl No. 925 (an Abercrombie & Fitch concept), Hot Topic, Claires and Wet Seal.

REPAIRED: JEANS FOR TEENS Premium denim company 575 Denim launched Repaired, a budget designer jean brand for teens, in spring 2006. The line includes denim shorts, gauchos, jeans, capris and miniskirts, all with the embellishments that characterize 575s core brand. The items retail for about a third the price of the companys main products. Several other high-end jeans makers have extended their brands into the budget-conscious teen/junior market, including Paige Premium Denim with its junior City of Angels brand and Blue Cult with Blue 2.

Accessories are popular with teens and tweens, in large part because they allow self-expression without a big investment. Accessories allow teen and tween customers to alter their look and keep up with the trends, no matter how often those trends change, and for relatively little money compared to clothing. Styles move in and out quickly in this category, with the mid-2000s seeing boho chic (oversized sunglasses, long necklaces, oversized bags) and personalized looks ranging from do-it-yourself jewelry to iPod and cell phone accessories. Even the Goth look, which used to be the ultimate in non-mainstream styles, has spread out to a wide swath of teens in the mid-2000s, examplified by morbid imagery such as skulls. Teen People cites Goth as one of the hottest looks for 2006. Rather than adopting an entire Goth look, many teens select one accessory or Goth image and combine it with other styles. Companies as mainstream as Vans and Ralph Laurens Rugby have added Goth collections to their mix. In general, teens do not value celebrity endorsements highly when it comes to making purchase decisions, but they do tend to emulate celebrities when it
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comes to choice of accessories, including jewelry. When teens see celebrities such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Jennifer Lopez or Jessica Simpson wearing certain pieces, demand for those items tends to spike at retail. Teens shopping behavior in certain clothing categories is emblematic of how they shop in general. For example, teen girls (13 to 19) purchase an average of 4.8 bras per year, and, as with many categories, they SWEET SHOES FOR TWEENS are increasingly brand-loyal, according to the NPD Group. In fact, Reebok is one company that has created a line 13% in 2005 said they will only consider buying one brand of bra, of fashion products solely for tweens (6 to 11). versus 6% saying so in 2004. Teens also are increasing the number Reeboks kids business in mid-2005 representof bras they purchase in the specialty channel, buying bras there ed 20% of company sales, driven in large part 3% more in 2005 than in 2004, and are spending more on bras by its Reebok Sweets line, which grew 50% ($76 in 2005 versus $62 in 2004). Nearly four in 10 teens report from 2004 to 2005, according to Footwear News. buying bras more often than in the past.
Reebok Sweets tagline is Eye Candy for Your Feet. Reebok launched the brand through a partnership with Limited Too, a retailer specializing in tweens, in spring 2003. The line started with an exclusive presence in 51 stores, but by back-to-school season later in the year, it had expanded to 209 stores. In fall 2004, the collection moved beyond Limited Too into department stores, specialty stores and some independents. As for marketing, it was supported by a websitewhich includes a virtual fashion show where tweens can try on outfits, as well as AOL icons with which they can customize their e-mail and IM correspondenceand, unusually for a kids footwear brand, commercials on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and ABC Family. In January 2005, the brand partnered with Bonne Bell, the tween cosmetics marketer, for a gift-with-purchase promotion. Reebok Sweets shoes continue to come with a Bonne Bell Lip Smacker as of the end of 2006.

The rise in childhood obesity has affected the clothing market. Among tweens (9 to 12), 31% of boys and 38% of girls are wearing mens, womens or junior-size apparel, their mothers tell the NPD Group. This translates to 74% of overweight boys and 84% of overweight girls. This up-sizing is not an ideal solution for the tweens because, while childrens apparel is too small, adult sizes are not proportional to a tweens body. Another issue is that neither children nor their parents want to go to a special-size rack (or department or store); many parents do not acknowledge that their children are overweight, and even those who do dont want to hurt their childrens self-esteem by having them seen shopping for special-size clothes.

Fashion is often considered more important among females than males, especially during the tween and teen years, but this is changing. Male tweens and teens are becoming fashion-conscious; they know whats in style, they know what they want and theyre willing to shop for it. Almost half of teen boys (45% of those 12 to 19) buy new clothes at the beginning of each season, according to Mediamark Research. Almost half (47%) identify their personal style as trendy, compared to just 26% who wait to buy fashions until they see what others at school are wearing. Many fashion retailers and manufacturers have targeted teens with dedicated stores and merchandise lines, and a growing number of companies, ranging from Target to Reebok, are targeting tweens with dedicated fashion products as well.

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Cars Teens and even tweens have significant sway over their parents choice of family car. Moms and dads will often agree to buy the model preferred by their teens or tweens. Among teens and young adults (16 to 22) who have their drivers licenses, 75% own their own car. Of those, 82% purchased used cars, 54% of which had a sticker price under $10,000, according to AutoExtra.com. In 51% of cases, parents purchased their childs first vehicle. Car dealerships were the most common place to buy the first car, AutoExtra.com reports, with 58% of parents saying they went to a car lot to purchase the vehicle; other top-ranking, but less popular, destinations included private sellers (36%) and online auctions (2%).

Computers, Electronics and Communications Electronics has become one of the most important product categories for both tweens and teens, with increasing and large numbers owning everything from computers to MP3 players to cell phones. These products are not just utilitarian, although they do enable communication or entertainment; they also make a statement about the owner and are personalized for a greater level of selfexpression.

Cell phones More than 16 million teens and tweens (44% of those 10 to 18) own cell phones in the U.S., according to GfK Technologys mKids Study. The ownership rate among younger teens (12 to 14) was 40%; that level rose significantly to 75% among older teens (15 to 17). Both tweens and teens are brand-loyal when it comes to cell phones, preferring to stay with the same company even though they know they can switch carriers and keep the same phone number. Over two-thirds (71%) of tweens and teens want to get a cell phone that converts into an MP3 player, and 70% want a phone with a digital camera, says GfK. Among tweens and teens (6 to 17), 61% use their cell phones everyday, according to KidzEyes, with the greatest daily usage (77%) occurring among girls age 15 to 17. Similar to GfKs results, KidzEyes finds cell phone ownership rises with age. (See Figure 3.4.) There are some parental concerns when it comes to buying electronics, especially cell phones, for younger tweens, but that doesnt mean tweens dont want

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Figure 3.4
CELL PHONE OWNERSHIP, BY AGE

Age 6-8

7%

Age 9-11

17%

Age 12-14

41%

Age 15-17

64%

SOURCE: KidzEyes, C&R Research

them. For example, 51% of tweens (9 to 11) desired a cell phone for their holiday gift at the end of 2005, according to KidzEyes and Funosophy. Yet nearly two-thirds of North American parents say they have concerns about giving a cell phone to their children under age 12, according to ACE*COMM and Itracks. The same survey also finds that many teenagers (13 to 18) are abusing their mobile phone privileges, usually without their parents knowledge (see Figure 3.5); 71% of teens say they have unrestricted use of their phones. On average, teens spend nearly as much time on their phone as they spend on physical activity.
Figure 3.5
SELECTED ABUSES OF MOBILE PHONE PRIVILEGES BY TEENS

Use phone to text-message friends during school

38%

Play videogames on phone while in school

30%

Use phone to talk to people their parents wouldn't approve of

26%

SOURCE: The NPD Group

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Many observers view the tween market as the next big growth sector for wireless. Currently, 27% of tweens (8 to 12) have cell phones, just about a third of the penetration of the market overall, according to The Yankee Group. That translates to 5.3 million users. M:Metrics puts the figure at about half that. Either way, most tween cell phone users are at the older end of the age range (10 to 12); among that age group, 75% have phones, The Yankee Group says. Parental concerns about costs and about whether their younger tweens really need a cell phone is likely to keep usage fairly low among those under age 10. Thats not stopping wireless carriers from targeting tweens, however. Most carriers and manufacturers have generated tween subscribers to date by simply adding them to family plans, but an increasing number, including LG and Firefly, are creating phones and plans specifically for this market. Disney, Mattel and Hasbro are among the companies outside of carriers and phone makers that are offering or planning to offer cell phone FIREFLY: TWEEN-TARGETED TELEPHONE service to tweens. These services have more parental security One of the most high-profile of the many options and the phones themselves are more child-friendly, with youth-targeted cell phones is Firefly Mobile, larger keypads for example. aimed at tweens 8 to 12. It has brightly colored Mattels version is typical. It is Barbie-branded, retails for $49.95 and is prepaid, coming with 30 minutes of airtime with additional minutes available for purchase in increments of $5.00. The Nokia phone lights up when it rings and has a full-color screen. It can be customized: It comes with three stick-on faceplates, nine exclusive wallpapers and three exclusive ringtones, and more of each of those can be purchased at the My Scene Mobile website, tied to Mattels tween-targeted Barbie brand, My Scene. The phone is also parent-friendly; parents can go to the website and specify certain chores that their kids can do to earn additional minutes.
faceplates and is sized for tweens, with a weight of just 2 ounces. Users can customize their phone with ringtones, animations and background screen colors. Significantly, the phone also appeals to parents by emphasizing security; the traditional keypad is replaced by five buttons, with which parents can program up to 22 numbers into the phone, using a PIN number. There are also speed-dial links to both parents phones, as well as to 911. Service is voice-only and the plan is prepaid.

As with the tween market, adoption among teens has been driven by family plans, according to the Yankee Group. However, demand going forward should be weighted toward personal plans for teens, particularly prepaid or hybrid prepaid/postpaid plans. The number of teens (13 to 17) on prepaid or hybrid plans went up 8 percentage points from 2004 to 2005, the Yankee Group says. According to the NPD Group, 62% of teens (13 to 17) are on a family plan, while 15% of teens use a prepaid phone. Boost Mobile, from Nextel, is one company that is pushing prepaid service for teens; others with similar plans for teens and/or tweens include Virgin Mobile (a joint venture with Sprint), and TMobile to Go. Cell phone usage among teens varies by gender, with 61% of teen girls carrying a cell phone in 2005, versus 46% of boys, according to MindShare Online
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Research. Cell phone ownership among teens (13 to 17) increased by 43% in 2005, the MindShare study finds. JupiterResearch, which estimates that 58% of teenagers had cell phones in early 2005, versus 70% of adults, counsels that carriers and phone makers should create separate marketing messages for teens and their parents, and should focus on separate plans for teens. Teens who have their own plan (29%), rather than being on a family plan, are more likely to pay for premium content, which is more profitable for the carrier. Teen marketing works best when focused on this content, as well as on the gadgets and what they can do, while parents are more interested in the value of the plan.

Other electronics Youth electronics outside of cell phones, such as tween-friendly MP3 players, handheld games and portable video players, have largely taken the place of toys for many children in their tweens. Toy retailers are realizing this and carving out dedicated departments for these products. Youth electronics sold in toy channels increased more than 37% from June 2004 to June 2005, according to NPD Funworld. Tweens want real, albeit kid-friendly, consumer electronics products, not toy versions of electronics. They must have the same functions and features and even the styling as their adult counterparts, but they also should be fun and colorful. Durability is also a factor, as is ease of use for younger fingers. Lower prices are important, since young tweens will outgrow the products quickly. Accessories for electronics is a hot category for both teens and tweens. These include items such as iPod skins and cases. These products allow tweens and teens to customize their iPods relatively inexpensively, adding some individuality to a product that they and many of their friends have.

MUSIC DOWNLOADING FOR TWEENS Possibly nowhere is the burst in tween-targeted electronics more evident than in youth-oriented MP3 players. These have the functions of an MP3 player, but feature child-friendly styling, durability and a lower price, as well as some downloading restrictions. Examples include: MGAs Bratz Lip-Tunes MP3 Player. Zizzles iZ, a music-making product designed to appeal to kids who want an iPod. Disney Electronics Disney Mix Sticks, a plugand-play MP3 player that comes with digital multimedia content cards called Mix Clips as add-on purchases.

The back-to-school season is a key time for electronics purchases; the National Retail Federation estimates that 44% of back-toschool shoppers in 2005 would purchase electronics, spending an average of $68.08 on these products. Retailers such as Office Depot are capitalizing on students need for laptops, PDAs (which can be used to keep track of homework assignments) and other utilitarian electronic products, especially for school use. Total back-to-school sales of electronics for K-12 in 2006 reached $3.82 billion, compared to $2.06 billion in 2005 and $3.09 billion in 2004, according to the NRF .

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Foods and Beverages Teens and tweens buy snacks and meals with their own money and influence family purchases of other types of foods and beverages. They also participate in family decisions on where to eat out. Teens eat an average of three snacks a day and 2.4 meals per day at home, according to Buzzback LLC. As with other categories, they tend to look for products that dont cost much but have good value. They also are aware of diets role in a persons health, and they want snacks that are fast, healthy and taste good. One-third of the Buzzback survey respondents, however, say they dont think food companies are meeting these needs. They are willing to try new things, with 69% saying they tasted a new snack in the last 12 months. Boys try new products based on packaging and advertising, while girls tend to sample new products they believe are sugar-free, low calorie or low-carb. (We believe that the kids, like adults in similar surveys, are telling the researchers what they think the researchers want to hear, or what they think they should be saying. Actual behavior differs markedly.) Tweens are interested in healthy options too. In fact, while boys and girls 8 to 12 enjoy traditional snacks such as potato chips, gum, ice cream and chocolate, according to the NPD Group, they eat fresh fruit more than any other snack. (See Figure 3.6.) Children under 18 snack more than adults, eating snack foods 530 times per year compared to 430 for adults, a difference of 23%. Similarly, teen boys and girls will choose bottled water, fruit juice, tap water or milk over soft drinks, according to Buzzbacks 2005 Teen Health & Nutrition Survey, as cited in Beverage Industry. Of teens who do drink soda, boys consume three cans per day and girls two, on average, totaling 15% of their daily calorie intake, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Overall, more than half of respondents to the Buzzback survey said they have altered their diets toward healthier foods in the last year. Teens tend to snack on the go. They are the group most apt to eat lunch in their cars, with teens (13 to 17) eating in vehicles 20% more than the average person,
TOP SNACK FOODS FOR TWEENS
BOYS 8 TO 12 GIRLS 8 TO 12

Figure 3.6

1. Fresh Fruit 2. Potato Chips 3. Gum 4. Ice Cream 5. Chocolate Candy

SOURCE: The NPD Group

1. Fresh Fruit 2. Gum 3. Potato Chips 4. Ice Cream 5. Chocolate Candy

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according to the NPD Group. About 15% of restaurant lunches are eaten in cars across all age groups.
TEMPTING TEENS AND TWEENS WITH SCHOOL CAFETERIAS Food service companies that operate school cafeterias in middle and high schools, such as Aramark School Food Services, Chartwells and Sodexho, have rethought their menus and dcor in an attempt to bring teens back into school lunchrooms rather than going to a nearby quick-service restaurant for lunch. Only 60% of high school lunches are eaten in cafeterias, according to Aramark. Changes include adding items with more flavor, designing new, hipper uniforms and redecorating with new furniture and accessories. The focus is on treating the teens like adults and creating more of a restaurant-quality experience, including adding more ethnic choices, healthy options and menu items-to-go. Adding healthier choices has led to 50% increases on salad orders in some locations and overall sales increases of 10% to 15% in others. Aramark has launched two new concepts, 12 Spot for tweens and U.B.U. Lounge for teens, which collectively were in 3,600 locations as of October 2005. Both offer bright dcor, hip music and a lounge-type environment to encourage hanging out; Aramark research found that 93% of high school students want to spend time with friends during lunch. Both also have increased the number of healthy food options available. Same-school cafeteria sales are up 15% to 22% in schools that have added the concepts, according to Aramark.

The childhood obesity epidemic, which has garnered significant interest in the media in the mid-2000s, has led to both legislation and voluntary industry action by marketers of food and beverages to children. In May 2006, soda marketers reached an agreement to phase out the sale of sugary sodas in school vending machines, with 75% of school districts nationwide expected to restrict sales of sugar-based drinks by 2008. The amount of sugary sodas children drink has doubled from 1978, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which also notes that teen girls drink half as much milk as they did two decades ago. As students eat out more, and have cars that enable them to do so during school hours, food service marketers are becoming proactive in trying to keep them in the cafeteria. High school and middle school students have between $65 and $80 per week to spend on retail food, according to school food service company Aramark, which translates to an astounding $9.29 to $11.43 per day. Aramark says kids are getting the money from both parents (including when parents are separated), as well as other sources such as grandparents, and spend it at places such as Chilis, Panera and P .F . Changs, especially on the weekends but also after school and during school hours. Food service companies are trying to lure tweens and teens back from quick-service restaurants by upgrading their cafeterias ambience, enhancing their menus with more restaurant-style choices and increasing portable and healthy options.

Teens and tweens also enjoy eating out with their families. Close to nine in 10 (87%) of teens and tweens (6 to 17) eat out with their families once a month or more, and 44% do so at least once a week, according to a study by KRC Research for Coca-Cola. Among respondents, 46% help choose the restaurant. Being with the family is the primary reason teens and tweens enjoy eating out, cited by 41%; another 18% like to try new foods. Over eight in 10 (84%) say they go out just for fun, rather than for an occasion such as a birthday or holiday, although both of those rank high as reasons for eating out as well.

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Licensed Products While tweens and teens traditionally have been a less important market for property owners and the manufacturers who create merchandise based on licensed characters and images than children under age 8, that has started to change during the 2000s. The right teen- or tween-specific property can be among the most successful of any given year. While not achieving the sales levels of a mainstream license, such as an animated family film, teen/tween properties can drive strong merchandise sales, and for a surprisingly long period of time given the fickle nature of teens and tweens consumer habits. Specialty stores such as Hot Topic and Claires have been leading the way in establishing properties among teens and tweens, particularly females. Properties ranging from Care Bears to Jim Bentons Its Happy Bunny have performed well as teen- and tween-targeted lines in these stores before extending toward a more mainstream, younger, mass-market audience later. Similarly, lifestyle properties targeted solely toward teens and tweens have done well, again especially for girls. One example: MGAs Bratz doll line, which has extended into entertainment and lifestyle products for tween girls. The Disney Channel has also given birth to several strong tween properties and celebrities, including Hilary Duffstar of Lizzie McGuire and namesake of the Stuff by Hilary Duff brandand, more recently, Miley Cyrus. Of course, tween brands are not new, with long-established examples including Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsens extensive tween merchandise linestill going strong in 2007 with a new Claires exclusive for cosmeticsbut the number of successful properties has multiplied.
LEFT FIELD IS THE BEST FIELD: NAPOLEON DYNAMITE Teens were largely responsible for a recent, unexpected licensing hit, Napoleon Dynamite. The theatrical release of the well-reviewed film came and went without much fanfare, and, with primarily art-house distribution, studio Fox did not see the film as having licensing potential. When the DVD came out, however, word-of-mouthlargely from teensmade the film increasingly popular and long-lasting. In addition, teens began to ask for Napoleon Dynamite merchandise. In 2004, teen-targeted specialty retailer Hot Topic approached Fox about implementing a merchandise program based on Napoleon Dynamite, for which there were still no licensed goods on the market. Hot Topic got a six-month exclusive on the property, and its Vote for Pedro t-shirt became the best-selling nonmusic shirt in the chains history. Overall, the property ended up becoming the chains topselling license ever, and it turned into one of Foxs top licenses as well, all because of grassroots demand from young consumers.

The importance of music in teens and tweens lives has extended into the world of licensing. Musicians from hip-hop to pop have targeted teens and tweens increasingly frequently with merchandise lines focused on fashion, accessories and personal electronics. Singer Ashanti has a line of software for Mattels personal video player, for example, while Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi, a Warner Bros./Cartoon Network series based on the lives of a Japanese singing duo, has a tween-targeted line of merchandise including dolls and apparel. Apparel is a critical product category for teen- and tween-targeted licensed goods. It is important to remember, however, that the items design must be fashion-forward, whether sold in high-end boutiques such as Fred Segal (as Disneys Tinkerbell merchandise has been) or Tracey Ross (Looney Tunes), in teen/tween specialty stores such as Hot Topic (Baby Sesame Street) or in discount chains including the Big 3 (Target, Wal-Mart and Kmart). This is especiale p m c o m . c o m Marketing to Te e n s &

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USING TECH TO PUSH PERSONAL CARE Personal care marketers targeting tweens and teens are increasingly using non-traditional electronic media to reach their customers. Both Natures Cure and Johnson & Johnson are reaching teens girls through podcasts. Acne medication Natures Cure sponsored 10 episodes of emogirltalk, a 1,000-subscriber music podcast created by a 15-year-old girl. Johnson & Johnsons Acuvue contact lens brand created its own podcast, Download with Heather and Jonelle, at a reported cost of $3,000. Content centers on boys, fashion and school plays, without a heavy marketing angle. Meanwhile, Ban, which repositioned its brand to appeal to younger consumers, launched an online contest called Ban It that called for 13and-older teen girls to upload their photo or an image selected from the site, along with a phrase stating what they would like to ban and why. Each entrant was e-mailed to remind them to vote for the winner online. The contest received 61,000 votes and sales increased 13% during the promotional period, according to Promo. Procter & Gamble created a lifestyle site for tween and teen girls (10 to 17) called beinggirl.com. It partnered with Sony BMG to offer downloads and links from the pages of Sony musicians. Those links, along with word-ofmouth, were the primary marketing tools used to drive traffic. Two artists are featured each month (one established and one emerging); P&G sponsors high school tours of selected Sony artists as part of the package. All of P&Gs brands are looking at the website to see if it makes sense within their marketing mix, but the tampon brands Always and Tampax are likely to be the central players.

ly true for apparel and accessories but extends to other categories, such as personal electronics or room dcor, as well. The licensing market for teens and tweens products also includes a nostalgia element, with properties young people (girls in particular) knew in their childhoodStrawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, My Little Pony, etc.coming back successfully as icons for teenand tween-targeted apparel, accessories and home decor.

Personal Care Retail sales of personal care products sold to tweens and young teens (8 to 14) is expected to surpass $9 billion by 2008, according to Packaged Facts, up from $7 billion in 2002. Items ranging from fragrances to grooming products are popular; for example, 24% of teens and tweens color their hair, according to Simmons. While personal care items ranging from tampons to cosmetics have long been heavily marketed to teen (and, increasingly, tween) girls, the fastest-rising target group in this category has become young males. Tween and teen boys are increasingly interested in grooming, skincare and even hair coloring. One area in particular that has taken off is the cologne, body spray and shaving lotion category, led by Unilevers Axe (the top brand for young men), Gillettes TAG and Old Spice Red Zone. Several designers and apparel brands are also getting into this business, which didnt exist as a category before 2004. The brands, which target mainly young men but have strong appeal among teens and, in the case of body spray, tweens, employ a marketing message that boils down to If you smell good, youll attract girls. Personal care companies have been aggressive about targeting tweens and especially teens by associating themselves with music, entertainment and fashion, both on the web and through other modes of distribution. They provide plenty of lifestyle content as they disseminate information and marketing messages. This is especially true for female-skewing brands.

School Supplies Families spend $54.50 per child, excluding clothing, on back-to-school expenses for their middle and junior high school students (around age 10 through 12) and $69.50 on their high schoolers (13 to 17), according to SHOPA. Children
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have a heavy influence on which supplies are purchased, with 76% of middle/junior high schoolers and 75% of high schoolers described as influential. For high school students, family income correlates with the amount spent on school supplies, particularly for those families who earn $75,000 or more, SHOPA figures suggest; the most upscale group spends significantly more on school supplies than families earning less. In middle and junior high school, on the other hand, family income does not seem to correlate with spending per child. (See Figure 3.7.) Discount stores are the top destination for purchasing school supplies, followed by office supply superstores and drug stores. But many distribution channels, from supermarkets to the Internet, also sell these products to teens and tweens and their families. (See Figure 3.8.) The choice of destination is based on a number of factors, with low prices the top reason for choosing a particular store, SHOPA says. One area where high schoolers and middle/junior high schoolers differ is in the importance of location, with high schoolers significantly more likely to choose a particular store because its nearby. (See Figure 3.9.)

P&GS TREMOR TEENS In 2000, Procter & Gamble founded Tremor, a word-of-mouth marketing agency focusing on teens (using the Tremor Panel) and moms with kids (the Vocalpoint Mom Panel). Tremors research allows it to identify what it calls connectors (consumers with extensive social networks who like to share news) and to rate marketing messages for what it calls their talkability. Tremor provides research, creates and implements customized campaigns and measures results. Tremors teen panel consists of 230,000 U.S. teen connectors. While typical teens have 25 friends on their Instant Message buddy list, connectors have 150, according to Tremor. The panel participants are age 13-19, with 70% 1619 and 65% female. They like to be the first in their group to find out about new trends and to tell others what they know. One of Tremors campaigns was for Herbal Essences Hair Color. The brand wanted to spur trial among Young Expressionists, females 15-24 who use hair color as a means of selfexpression. Research found that these consumers perceived a high social risk from using hair color, because they werent sure what the final color outcome would be. Tremor came up with a word-of-mouth campaign to spread the message that Herbal Essences provided its consumers with good inside information to ensure they get the color they want. The campaign was executed over three months, utilizing 160,000 females on the Tremor Teen Panel. Materials included an offline color guide mailer, a microsite that encouraged girls to have their friends help them choose a color, and a Try It On Studio website. During the three months, 82% of the connectors on the panel shared materials with five or more members of their network, and volume nationally was indexed at 113 versus 100 the prior year, according to Tremor.

Toys Teens are not a significant target for toy makers (outside of videogames, discussed in Chapter 3). But tweens are an important target customer. While their purchase of toys had fallen off in recent years due to age compression, or the kids are growing older younger factor, this trend has begun to reverse in the mid2000s due to the growth in tween-friendly electronics. About a quarter of the $20 billion in annual toy purchases are intended for tweens (8 to 12), according to NPD Funworld, as reported in Playthings.

These products are as likely to be sold in toy stores or near toy departments (often in a special tech section within the department) as they are in electronics stores. In fact, youth electronics as a segment of the toy industry grew 37% from June 2004 to June 2005versus a 3% decline for traditional toys overallreaching $680 million in sales, according to NPD Funworld. Yet these tween-targeted items are not toys; they have all the functionality, sophistication and styling of the real thing, but with price, durability, security,

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Figure 3.7

ANNUAL SPENDING ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES, BY INCOME LEVEL

SPENDING PER MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT SPENDING PER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

INCOME LEVEL

Under $30K $30K to $49K $50K to $75K $75-plus

SOURCE: SHOPA

$70 $47 $51 $63

$51 $66 $67 $93

Figure 3.8
DESTINATIONS SHOPPED FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES, 2005
Discount stores Office supply superstores Drug stores College bookstores Supermarkets Wholesale clubs Catalogs/mail order Internet Other 2% 4% 8% 11% 12% 10% 20% 32% 79%

SOURCE: SHOPA

Figure 3.9

STORE CHOICE FACTORS FOR MIDDLE, JUNIOR AND HIGH SCHOOL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES
STORE CHOICE FACTOR MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Low prices/items on sale Convenient Close to home/location Availability/huge selection Always shop there/prefer One-stop shopping Only available store Happened to already be there Work at the store
SOURCE: SHOPA

53% 22% 10% 15% 4% 7% 4% 3% 2%

53% 22% 16% 14% 5% 5% 3% 2% 1%

color and child-friendliness not found in products for adults and teens. Examples include Hasbros Chatnow, a two-way radio communicator with a dig48
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ital camera and text-messaging features; Vcam, a portable video camera; and VideoNow, a personal video player. Targeting tweens with traditional toys means staying on top of trends and establishing a cutting-edge image. The Bratz line of fashion dolls (now a lifestyle and entertainment brand) has grownexceeding $2.5 billion annually in global sales as of 2005thanks to its multi-ethnic, fashion-forward, tech-savvy, and music- and entertainment-themed vibe. Meanwhile, its established competitor, Barbie, has not been able to reinvent itself to appeal to todays tweens (formerly the brands main customer), even after creating older-skewing sub-brands such as My Scene. While still a $3 billion brand, Barbie has seen its core audience age down to 6 and under. The personalization trend is in effect in the toy industry as in other categories, with one example being the burgeoning arts and crafts sector. The popularity of scrapbooking in particular has extended down to the tween market, with tweentargeted kits and supplies sold through mass merchants, craft outlets, discounters and office supply chains. A Toy Tracker study released by Funosophy in 2006, reported in Playthings, asked young girls and tween girls (6 to 11) about a wide variety of arts and crafts projects, and over half said they had tried every activity on the list. Of those who have not tried certain crafts, there is a high level of interest in doing so. (See Figure 3.10 and Figure 3.11.) Collectibility is also important; the tween-targeted Groovy Girls doll line introduced collectible and tradeable mini versions in 2005 to appeal to tween girls desire for social interaction as well as collecting. Bandai Americas Tamagotchi Connection has done well with tweens for many of the same reasons: it works as a means for socializing, its collectible and it can be used as a fashion accessory. It should be noted that much of tweens abandonment of the toy industry, especially among boys, has been a public phenomenon. Privately, many tween boys
Figure 3.10
ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY OF GIRLS 6-11
ART/CRAFT HAVE DONE HAVE NOT DONE DON'T KNOW

Drawing Painting Beading/jewelry Making things for room Sculpting with clay Making lanyards Making things to wear Origami
SOURCE: Funosophy/KidzEyes/Playthings

98% 97% 86% 78% 74% 62% 56% 54%

1% 2% 11% 20% 23% 24% 39% 39%

1% 1% 2% 3% 3% 4% 5% 7%

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Figure 3.11
NEW ARTS AND CRAFTS TWEEN GIRLS (6 TO 11) WANT TO TRY
Drawing Painting Beading/jewelry Making things for room Sculpting with clay Making lanyards Making things to wear Origami 1% 2% 9% 18% 22% 30% 31% 32%

SOURCE: Funosophy/KidzEyes/Playthings

still play with action figures, although they dont admit it to their friends. More than eight in 10 (84%) of tween boys and girls say they play with toys every day, according to KidShop and KidzEyes, with 49% playing more than an hour a day. Of those who play every day, 54% are boys and 44% girls.

Travel and Recreation Many hotels and motels have set up programs for tweens and younger children as a way to attract families. Holiday Inn, for example, has long aimed its marketing messages at both children and their parents, and offered Nickeloden Family Suites to appeal to families with tweens and younger kids. More than three-quarters (79%) of tweens influence where their families stay on vacation, according to the Nickelodeon/Youth Intelligence Report. Recently, hotels have begun to target teens specifically as well, offering amenity kits containing tokens for game rooms, loaner items such as videogame consoles, concierges dedicated to teens needs, lists of neighborhood attractions that might be of interest to them, and gathering places or events to allow them to meet other teens at the hotel. One-third of teens say they dont like sharing a room with their families, according to research by Loews Hotels and Seventeen magazine; as a result, Loews began offering second rooms at a 50% discount in 2003, so teens can stay separately from the rest of the family. Conversely, amusement parks, which have long targeted teens as a key consumer group, are starting to put more focus on the family experience, emphasizing milder rides for example. They have found that families with children (including tweens) spend more money at the park than teens alone.
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Home Furnishings Room dcor is one way teens and tweens can express themselves. This selfexpression often is centered on lower-priced items such as posters or pillows, but can extend to furniture as well. Flexa, a juvenile furniture maker, introduced a grouping specifically designed for teens and tweens in mid-2005. The bed, which is where teens and tweens hang out, gather with friends and do homework, is the central focus of the collection. Annual household spending on teen home furnishings reached $438 as of spring 2006, according to Piper Jaffrey, up from $345 the year before and $297 six months before that. The survey finds that RISE OF DEBIT CARDS IKEA is the preferred destination for teen home and room furnishSeveral financial services marketers have initiings, generating mindshare of 22% (up from 16% in the last surated debit card programs for teens and tweens, vey). Pottery Barn and Target are in second and third place, albeit with mixed results. Parents must co-sign respectively.
for the cards if the child is under 18, and can add money to the account at their discretion.

Financial Services Financial services from credit cards to bank accounts are increasingly aimed at teens and even tweens. The industry views both groups as growth markets. Most researchers find that cash is teens preferred method of payment, with 93% saying so in a Find/SVP study released in late 2005. But credit card use is on the rise (with penetration somewhere around the 10% level, many researchers find). More than half (55%) of teen credit card users have a card in their own name, according to Find/SVP , and 22% have two cards. (Hispanic teens are most likely to have two cards, with 37% saying so, versus 17% of Caucasian teens.) Of the Find/SVP respondents, 81% of teens have a savings account, 40% a checking account, 35% a debit card and 20% a savings bond. Among bank services, teens most desire free checking (28%) and good customer service/helpful tellers (27%). When thinking about their future needs, teens are most likely to cite a retirement savings account (67%). (See Figure 3.12.)

The trend began in 2000 with the launch of Visa Buxx, used mainly by teens (13-17). The company reports sales growth of 4% per month as of 2006. The Allow Card, from Legend Credit, is for tweens and teens (10 to 19), and has more than 35 parental controls such as the ability to lock out certain categories (e.g. liquor) and decline purchases. Legend also issued a Hello Kitty card, which was not successful and was discontinued in 2005. Myplash is a Mastercard-branded offering from Plastic Cash International, featuring celebrity graphics including the musical artists Simple Plan and Clay Aiken. It gives discounts on teen merchandise such as clothing tied to Good Charlotte, another band with a large teen following. Meanwhile, Boost Mobile, a youth-targeted wireless company, offers co-branded Visa cards where users can earn bonus points good for ringtones and games. Ecco, a San Francisco bank, issued a debit card for high schoolers in fall 2006.

Another survey finds that 12% of teens (13 to 17) have bonds, 10% checking accounts, 9% certificates of deposit and 9% stocks. This according to the Harris Interactive YouthPulse Report, which also found many teens save in order to spend on something major, such as a car (39%) or college (35%).

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FUTURE FINANCIAL SERVICES NEEDS, AS CITED BY TEENS

Retirement savings account

67%

Life insurance

64%

Student loan

62%

Mortgage

43%

Financial advisor

31%

SOURCE: FIND/SVP

Figure 3.12

Credit card ownership tends to rise with age, according to Junior Achievement/JA Worldwide, which says 10.3% of teens own credit cards, with 5% of teens age 13 to 14 having one, versus 9.8% of those age 17. Once a teen turns 18, 19.6% own a credit card. (Other researchers, including Coinstar, a marketer of prepaid card vending machines, estimate teen credit card usage at lower levels, 7% in Coinstars case.) Not only do these numbers suggest a market for financial services, especially among teens, they also suggest an opportunity for marketers to assume responsibility for teaching teens about money management. Most teens are not well educated on financial matters, either by their parents or in school. HewlettPackard, Merrill Lynch, and Emerson Electric are among the marketers that have created financial education programs for teens. Several financial services companies have also created dedicated products for teens and tweens, particularly debit cards, although these have seen varying success. The total prepaid card market is expected to exceed $250 billion annually by 2009, according to ePaynews.com.

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CHAPTER 4

ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA USAGE

Teens and tweens have grown up in the Internet age, never knowing a time when television was the primary at-home entertainment delivery system. While television remains a key component in any marketing campaign targeted at teens and tweens, it is no longer the only or even the most important means of reaching them.

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MULTIMEDIA GENERATION weens and teens turn to a number of different platforms for their entertainment, and they often use several of these at the same time. While this multitasking spreads their attention thinly, it also means theyre able to squeeze more media usage into a day. In fact, teens and tweens media exposure increased by more than an hour a day from 2000 to 2005, according to Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds, a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The average teen or tween was exposed to media for eight hours and 33 minutes each day in 2005 (see Figure 4.1 for a breakdown of their time spent on media and other activities), versus seven hours and 29 minutes in 2000, according to Kaiser, with videogames and computers (excluding school work) accounting for much of the increase. Meanwhile, the actual time devoted to media per day remained steady at about six and a half hours (44 and a half hours per week). The reason media exposure increased, even as the time spent with media has stayed steady, is that teens and tweens are doing a growing amount of media multitasking. The time spent media multitasking rose from 16% of all media time to 26%. This means the amount of media exposure significantly exceeds the amount of actual time spent with media.
Figure 4.1
TIME TEENS AND TWEENS (8-18) SPENT WITH MEDIA AND OTHER ACTIVITIES PER DAY, 2005
ACTIVITY TIME SPENT

Watching TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 hours, 4 minutes Watching prerecorded TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 minutes Watching videos/DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 minutes Listening to music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 hour, 44 minutes Using computers online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 minutes Using computers offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 minutes Playing videogames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 minutes Watching movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 minutes Hanging out with parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 hours, 17 minutes Doing physical activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 hour, 25 minutes Pursuing hobbies or other activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 hour
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation

Media multitasking can take many forms. Of 8- to 18-year-olds, 28% say they often go online while watching TV to do something related to the show theyre watching, while another 18% sometimes do this, according to Kaiser. Meanwhile, 24% say they use another media most of the time while watching TV, 28% while reading, 33% while listening to music and 33% while using a computer.
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NEW MEDIA ACTIVITIES TEENS AND TWEENS (8-18) HAVE TRIED

Downloaded music from the Internet Streamed a radio station through the Internet Use instant messaging Have a cell phone Have a DVR in their homes Have created a personal web site or web page Have an MP3 player Have a handheld device that connects to the Internet 13% 18% 34% 32% 39% 48% 66% 64%

SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation

Figure 4.2
WHICH DEVICES DO YOU PERSONALLY OWN OR USE ON A REGULAR BASIS?

PC

86%

Mobile phone

72%

Videogame console

61%

MP3 player

28%

PDA with Internet

2%

SOURCE: Yahoo! and OMD

Figure 4.3

In general, teens and tweens have access to, and have tried, many different kinds of new media, Kaiser finds. (See Figure 4.2.) Similarly, Yahoo! and OMD find that U.S. teens own or use several devices on a regular basis, with computers, mobile phones and videogame consoles especially high on the list. (See Figure 4.3.) Their research also confirms teens propensity to multitask; in the U.S., teens and young adults (13 to 24) do an average of 3.7 things while surfing the Internet and three things while watching TV. Teens want to control their media usage and are interested in various forms of on-demand distribution, according to Arbitron/Edison Media Research. Only

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Figure 4.4
PERCENT BY AGE GROUP WHO EXHIBIT NO ON-DEMAND BEHAVIORS

Age 12-17 (8%) Age 18-24 (3%) Age 25-34 (7%) Age 65+ (44%) Age 35-44 (11%)

Age 45-54 (13%)

Age 55-64 (14%)

SOURCE: Arbitron/Edison Media Research

Figure 4.5

TEENS 12-17 AS PERCENTAGE OF U.S. USERS OF SELECTED ON-DEMAND TECHNOLOGIES

Prefer to record TV programs to watch at another time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10% Own a digital video recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10% Watched video on demand through cable/satellite in the past month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14% Own 20 or more DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8% Own a portable DVD player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13% Own an iPod or other brand of MP3 player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22% Own a handheld wireless e-mail and Internet device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6% First among family/friends to try new products/services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11% Try new products/services before most family/friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14% Spend 7+ hours on Internet per week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7% Listened to Internet radio in the past month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15% Watched Internet video in the past month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18% Have ever made a purchase over the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8% Subscribe to an online DVD rental service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13%
SOURCE: Arbitron/Edison Media Research

8% of teens (12 to 17) exhibit no on-demand behaviors, significantly less than the percentage for consumers 35 and older. Only young adults 18 to 34 have a greater chance to exhibit on-demand behaviors. (See Figure 4.4.) In fact, teens comprise a significant percentage of the users of many on-demand media, Arbitron and Edison find, especially when it comes to on-demand behaviors involving music. (See Figure 4.5.) While 98% of tweens and teens believe improvements in technology will be

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essential to their future (versus 87% of adults), they are less supportive of intellectual property protection for the content they demand. Just 67% of teens and tweens believe its extremely important to protect intellectual property from being stolen, compared to 77% of adults, according to the Business Software Alliance.

MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT USAGE BY SECTOR s noted, tweens and teens are active consumers of nearly all forms of media and entertainment.

Books, Comics, Magazines and Newspapers Although most attention seems to be directed at teens and tweens consumption of electronic media, many young people also like to read. Of tweens and teens (8-18), 73% read for pleasure in a typical day, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the average person in this age group spends 43 minutes per day on this activity. Those whose parents set and enforce rules ONLINE MARKETING DRIVES PRINCESS about TV read more16 minutes more per daythan those withDIARIES out rules. Those in households where the TV is often off also read For fiction targeted at teen girls (known as teen more18 minutes more per daythan those in households chick lit), websites and mobile promotions where the TV is left on most of the time, regardless of whether allow the publisherand, even more imporanyone is watching. Teens and tweens yen to read can be dwarfed by their desire to spend time using other media, however. For example, older teens (15-17) are far more likely to enjoy using the computer (59.2%) than reading books (37.7%), according to Packaged Facts.
tantly, the authorto communicate with fans. Among the techniques HarperCollins and author Meg Cabot use to support their Princess Diaries franchise are online chats with the author, promoted via mobile text-messaging, and an Author Tracker e-mail program that allows kids to keep up to date on news about the books. Cabot receives as many as 200 emails a day when a new book comes out, Publishers Weekly reports. Cabot also has an online book club with 8,500 members, which includes as selections both her own books and books by other authors.

One recent area of interest for teen girls in the book publishing world is whats known as teen chick lit; examples include the Gossip Girl and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants franchises. This genre helped boost unit sales of childrens fiction 20% in 2005, to 131 million units, according to Nielsen BookScan. (Adult fiction sales grew just 5% in the same period.) Marketing efforts for these books tend to center on author participation, such as through websitesespecially those featuring author blogs and e-mail feedback mechanismsand personal appearances, as well as reviews in teen magazines such as Teen Vogue.

For boys, the hottest area remains graphic novelscomic books in paperback book formparticularly Japanese manga translations but also titles by U.S. authors. Schools are even using graphic novels to spur middle and high school

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MAGAZINE FOR LATINA GIRLS A specialty magazine for Latina teens planning their 15th birthday celebration, or quinceaera, launched in March 2006. Quince Girl, which costs $5.99 and is distributed in markets with major Hispanic populations, is starting with one annual issue but plans to expand to twice yearly in 2007. Editorial, which is primarily written in English, includes real-life stories about quinceaeras, photos of fashion related to the event, planning timelines, and stories on the traditions of the celebration. A website has online chat rooms, party planning advice and retail finders listing places to find dresses. TEEN PUBS GO HIGH TECH Several magazines for teen girls are keeping their publications fresh and relevant through technology, from websites to mobile phones and beyond. Teen People Mobile offers polls, ringtones and celebrity news on a daily basis, reports MediaWeek. Seventeens mobile program, which costs $2.49 per month, offers original content and daily horoscopes, as well as the ability to text-message responses to polls in the magazine. Teen Vogue calls its mobile service It Girl Mobile; it allows advertisers to send textmessages to members of its 50,000-strong It Girl reader web panel. CosmoGirl has a mobile text-messaging service and introduced blogs on its website to encourage reader feedback. Elle Girl is among several publications testing promotions where readers can take a picture of an image in the magazine or online and digitally send it in to earn special deals from retail stores. Twist, a teen celebrity magazine, launched a MySpace page.

boys interest in reading. The New York City Comic Book Museum has developed a reading curriculum focused on graphic novels. Tween and teen girls also are fans of all types of graphic novels, and help propel sales in this genre. One area in particular that has appealed to older teen girls is yaoi, graphic novels that depict love between two boys but are written for females. Yaoi has become a popular genre with girls and young women (16 to 25), and Viz, TokyoPop, Digital Manga, Central Park Media and Broccoli Books are among the publishers involved in this specialized manga sector. The popularity of manga and graphic novels among both male and female teens and tweens has led several publishers to use this genreas well as related products such as collectible card gamesas springboards to get them to read traditional storybooks and novels. Mirrorstone is one publisher that targets tweens with original fiction, including a line based on Wizards of the Coasts collectible charm game, Star Sisterz. Similarly, TokyoPop in 2006 launched a prose line for teens called Pop Fiction, hoping to bring some of the readers of its graphic novels into young-adult fiction, both original novels and licensed novels based on existing entertainment brands. It previously had published some fiction titles tied to its graphic novels. Magazines are another medium in which tweens and teens have an interest. In fact, a substantial number of publications for these age groups have launched throughout the 2000s, according to Samir Husni and the Magazine Publishers of America. (See Figure 4.6.) Many magazines targeted at tweens and teens also have seen their advertising grow in the mid-2000s, both in terms of pages and dollar revenues, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. (See Figure 4.7.)

Teen girls have a special affinity for magazines, both those that are targeted to them specifically and those for a broader audience, particularly celebrity publications. Older and younger teens interests are similar, with the same six magazines ranking among their respective favorites. The only difference is in the number one and two rankings, with Teen People appealing most to younger teens, and Seventeen primarily among older teen girls. While many magazines for girls are well-established (including Seventeen, among others), it is the newer publications that have been particularly strong in

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NUMBER OF MAGAZINE LAUNCHES IN CATEGORIES WITH TEEN AND TWEEN INTEREST, 2000-2005
CATEGORY 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Figure 4.6

Children's (includes Tween) Comics Teen TOTAL

10 20 19 49

20 8 14 42

17 10 7 34

16 17 8 41

8 9 7 24

4 2 7 13

SOURCE: Samir Husni's Guide to New Consumer Magazines, 2005/Magazine Publishers Association

ADVERTISING REVENUE AND PAGES, SELECTED TEENS' AND KIDS' MAGAZINES, MARCH 2006 VERSUS MARCH 2005
PUBLICATION 2006 DOLLARS 2005 DOLLARS % CHANGE 2006 PAGES 2005 PAGES % CHANGE

Boys' Life CosmoGirl Disney Adventures Elle Girl* Jane National Geographic Kids Nickelodeon Seventeen SI for Kids Teen People* Teen Vogue

$739,573 $8,189,194 $1,223,070 $4,938,013 $2,557,413 $1,047,547 $3,301,308 $9,750,308 $2,071,135 $5,786,260 $11,247,096

$411,899 $7,134,697 $1,269,969 $3,568,937 $5,183,679 $935,183 $1,976,028 $9,116,791 $1,231,255 $5,282,063 $9,761,156

79.6% 14.8% -3.7% 38.4% -50.7% 12.0% 67.1% 6.9% 68.2% 7.5% 15.2%

18.11 82.08 16.73 100.14 39.04 11.47 47.96 90.20 27.15 67.47 138.10

8.97 76.08 18.40 91.53 84.98 11.20 29.65 89.36 16.03 66.74 127.65

101.9% 7.9% -9.1% 9.4% -54.1% 2.4% 61.8% 90.0% 69.4% 1.1% 8.2%

* Note: Both Elle Girl and Teen People shut down their print editions in 2006 and are currently online-only.
SOURCE: Publishers Information Bureau/Magazine Publishers Association

the 2000s. These include CosmoGirl, Teen Vogue, ELLEgirl and Teen People. One thing theyve been doing to stay relevant to teens is to link their brands with technology. Branded content is available through websites, PDAs and especially cell phones, which helps keep the publication fresh and up-to-date between print editions, as well as reinforcing the brand and its positioning as a multifaceted lifestyle destination. Technology initiatives also provide advertisers with additional sponsorship opportunities, benefiting both them and the publication. One magazine for teen girls, ELLEgirl, has gone so far as to become web- and tech-only, despite the fact that it had enjoyed one of the most robust growth rates in advertising pages of any teen publication. In April 2006, it announced that it would shut down its print edition and partner with tween/teen marketing company Alloy to create a new ELLEgirl website as well as other electronic content, such as ringtones, mobile blogging and mobile wallpaper. YM is another publication for teen girls that shut down in print but lives on online, although

Figure 4.7

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NEWS FOR TEENS AND TWEENS Newspapers are always trying to cultivate a teen audience, hoping to convert them into lifelong newspaper readers. Some papers have created special sections just for teens, often written by teens as well. The Boston Globe launched Boston Teens in Print (T.i.P.), a quarterly publication, in association with The Boston Globe Foundation and a high school writing program called WriteBoston, according to Editor & Publisher. The Atlanta Journal Constitution is aiming even younger with its News for Kids, which targets tweens 7-14. Content is full of kid-submitted content such as jokes, as well as contests with prizes such as baseball tickets. The newspaper encourages kids to interact by sending in letters; the paper receives hundreds of such letters a week.

its purpose is mainly to attract teens to a sister print publication, Teen Vogue. Teen and tween boys do not have the variety of publications targeting them that girls do, but there are some. Sports Illustrated Teen is a supplement bound with SI for Kids once a year, while MAD magazine has long been a favorite with teen boys. Although magazines have long been a significant part of teens and tweens lives, newspaper companies have long bemoaned the lack of interest in newspapers among young people. And, with lots of competition from alternative news sources, particularly on the web and via mobile phone, the situation is more top-of-mind than ever.

Still, teens read newspapers more than some might think, according to the Newspaper Association of America. Three-quarters (76%) of older teens (15 to 17) and 62% of younger teens (12 to 15) have read a newspaper in the past week. More than seven in 10 (71%) of teen boys and 67% of teen girls say they read the daily edition, while 76% of teen girls and 72% of teen boys read the Sunday paper. Teens read many sections of the paperincluding, importantly for marketers, the ads although there are differences in readership depending on the age and gender of the teen, according to Teenage Research Unlimited and the NAA. (See Figure 4.8.)

Figure 4.8
NEWSPAPER SECTION READ LAST 7 DAYS

TEEN NEWSPAPER READERSHIP, BY SECTION

TEENS 12-17

MALES

FEMALES

AGE 12-14

AGE 15-17

Advertising (display) Classified Comics Entertainment Grocery ads Horoscopes Local and community news National news Sports TV and radio listings

34% 25% 49% 41% 10% 31% 32% 22% 42% 20%

22% 25% 50% 38% 6% 20% 29% 22% 54% 19%

46% 26% 48% 44% 15% 42% 36% 22% 30% 21%

31% 15% 52% 39% 10% 26% 25% 17% 39% 22%

36% 36% 46% 43% 11% 35% 39% 27% 45% 18%

SOURCE: Teenage Research Unlimited/Newspaper Association of America

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Not only do newspapers compete with many other platformsmobile newsfeeds, websites, televisionas sources for teens and tweens newsgathering, they also are starting to compete with the teens and tweens themselves, as more young people create their own media for others to read. This phenomenon began with the introduction of zines (web-based indie publications) in the 1980s, and continues today with the blogs and social networking sites that increasingly compete with newspapers. Sites such as Bolt.com and many others include self-created video as well as text options, and all are user-friendly to allow teens to upload news, information and other content.

Music and Radio The share of dollar sales in the music industry attributed to teens (15 to 19) fell from 17.2% in 1996 to 11.9% in 2005, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, tweens (10 to 14) have seen their share rise from 7.9% to 8.6% of industry-wide dollar sales GRAZE FROM SAM GOODY over the same period. (See Figure 4.9; some of the year-to-year In fall 2005, Sam Goodyprior to its subseshifts shown are attributable to who had the biggest hits in a given quent downsizing as its bankrupt parent was year, and the ages to which those hits appealed.) But music, in all purchased by Trans World Entertainment its forms, remains extremely important in both teens and tweens launched Graze, a new retail concept for teens lives. Teens, along with young adults, were one of the first groups to embrace digital downloads. Over a third (35%) of teens and young adults owned an MP3 player in late 2005, according to youth marketing agency Face, although just 9% bought music downloads on a monthly basis. (Unfortunately for music labels and artists, 32% visited illegal P2P downloading sites weekly for music, Face says.) Other researchers estimate music downloading as a frequent activity among teens. For example, according to Yahoo! and OMD, 54% of teens and youths (13 to 24) have downloaded music in the past month, and 10% have downloaded music videos. Listening to music is one of youths top leisure-time activities, with 82% listening to music regularly during their free time, more than the number who spend it with friends (81%), go to movies (79%) or spend time with family (61%). Another study, by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, finds that 27% of 12- to 17-year-olds own an MP3 player, significantly more than in any other demographic group. (See Figure 4.10.) And Piper Jaffray estimates that 74% of teens, as of fall 2005, had some

that combined two of their primary interests, hanging out at malls and downloading digital music. The 6,000-square-foot mall-based storesthere were two larger prototypes included a lounge with more than 400,000 songs available for CD burning. Outside the lounge, teens could download images for customized t-shirts or posters; download ringtones, wallpapers and games for their mobile phones; customize their phone by getting it painted; and purchase electronic devices, according to Retail Merchandiser.

The lounge itself was meant to promote socializing; the idea was to get teens to stay in the stores as long as possible. Sam Goody had been considering hosting parties or special promotions in the stores as well. The Graze concept was open for less than six months when bankrupt Sam Goody parent Musicland was purchased by its rival Trans World, which closed several Sam Goody stores and repositioned most of the remainder under Trans Worlds F.Y.E. banner.

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Figure 4.9
TWEENS' AND TEENS' SHARE OF U.S. DOLLAR VALUE OF MUSIC SALES, 1996-2005
1996 7.9% 17.2% 8.9% 16.8% 9.1% 15.8% 8.5% 12.6% 8.9% 12.9% 8.5% 13.0% 8.9% 13.3% 8.6% 11.4% 9.4% 11.9% 8.6% 11.9%

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Age 10-14

Age 15-19

SOURCE: Recording Industry Association of America

Figure 4.10
PORTABLE MP3 PLAYER OWNERSHIP, BY AGE
Age 12-17 27%

Age 18-24

18%

Age 25-34

20%

Age 35-44

16%

Age 45-54

10%

Age 55-64

6%

Age 65+

2%

SOURCE: Arbitron/Edison Media Research

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form of MP3 player, up from 56% six months earlier, with 64% downloading content from iTunes, up from 60% the previous spring. Some retailers, including specialty chains, mall-based teen lounges and others, are trying to appeal to teens by making digital downloading available at their retail locations. Teens can sample and buy music, as well as purchase related items such as t-shirts. A number of so-called boy bands are being formed in the mid2000s to appeal to teens and tweens, with one example being The Click Five. They are unlike the groups of the 1980s and 1990s (think Backstreet Boys and N*Sync), because they write their own songs and play their own instruments. But they are similarly teenappropriate. In another 21st-century twist, they dont get much radio play but still are able to gain popularity through Internet marketing, including on social networking sites such as MySpace.com. Radio play, if any, comes once they are have established a following through alternative methods. While tweensbecause of their younger age and larger number of parental rules, and the fact that they spend less time on computers than teenswerent the first on the digital downloading front, they are starting to follow suit. During the 2005 holiday season, many tweens received iPods and iTunes gift cards, and they began buying digital music shortly afterward, propelling tween-targeted music, such as the soundtrack to the Disney Channels TV movie High School Musical, to the top of the digital sales charts. Tweens are also a strong growth segment for other music formats outside of digital downloads as of 2006, with sales of childrens music (much of it driven by tweens) up 58% in March 2006 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to Nielsen Soundscan and Billboard. As with digital downloads, High School Musical was responsible for many of the top hits on the charts in late winter/early spring 2006.
DISNEY DRIVES DOWNLOADS The Disney Channels tween-targeted original movie, High School Musical, drove sales of music in all its forms, from CD to digital download. In fact, it was one of the first properties where tweens desire to digitally download music became evident. The company originally put out fewer than 30,000 CDs, and when demand far exceeded supply, tweens turned to downloading. In one week in February 2006, High School Musical was responsible for nine tracks on The Billboard Hot 100 list, with 45% of the 24,000 units sold coming from digital retailers that week. None of the High School Musical songs on the Hot 100 benefited from radio airplay; the chart positions for various singles were attributable primarily to cumulative digital sales of 341,000 tracks. All told, lyrics had been downloaded 500,000 times over the course of the movies 12 airings through November 2006, drawing a combined 36.5 million viewers. The DVD launched in May 2006 with a merchandising push at Limited Too that included t-shirts, buttons, posters, notebooks, pens, pillows and duffle bags. High School Musical became the fastest-selling made-for-TV movie of all time, driving 1.2 million DVD units in its first six days.

Radio traditionally has been the main way teens discover new The success of the High School Musical soundtrack sales, both in digital and traditional music, but that is changing. The Internet, in particular, is taking forms, continued throughout the year. over much of the role of radio, with online concerts, digital downUltimately, more than 3 million copies of the loading and MySpace among the many ways teens learn about soundtrack were sold. new artists and songs. Still, teens (12 to 17) have stayed steady as a percentage of the radio listening audience, commanding about a 3% share from 1998 to 2005, according to Arbitron. Actual audience numbers have increased over that period, from 13.4 million teens listening in fall 1998 to 14.5 million in fall 2005.
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Movies, Television and DVDs Teens and tweens love for music hasnt dimmed their affection for video entertainment, including movies, television and DVDs. Almost all (97.6%) of 15- to 17-year-old girls have gone to the movies within TYING IN WITH THE TRAVELING PANTS the last six months, according to Packaged Facts, as have 94.1% of Teens and tweens are seeing fewer movies in boys 15 to 17.
theaters than they used to. But the right film is still an effective platform for marketers trying to reach teens. Warner Bros. 2005 release, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, for example, attracted tie-in partners including Levi-Strauss, Procter & Gamble, Random House, PBteen and Neutrogena, according to ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING LETTER and YOUTH MARKETS ALERT.

Still, with a growing number of entertainment options, some traditional visual media are facing challenges. For example, the teen and young adult male movie-going audience (13 to 24) has fallen off significantly, with the number of films seen by this group dropping 24% from summer 2003 to summer 2005, according to OTX, a research and consulting firm. The reasons included a lack of appealing content, with 25% of teen and young adult males saying there was an excellent selection of films to choose from in 2005, versus 60% saying so in 2003; the rise of DVD consumption, with this group watching 47 films on DVD/VHS in 2005, versus 30 in 2003; and competition from videogames and the Internet, with 62% of young men and teen boys regularly surfing the web in 2005, 53% instant messaging their friends and 53% playing console videogames. Even with all the new marketing channels available, most teens still learn about movies from TV commercials (34%) and magazines (22%), according to scenarioDNA and Mobile Transit Authority. In addition, 14% learn about movies from friends and 1% from family. Perhaps surprisingly, the top reason teens (14 to 18) say they see a movie is the director. (See Figure 4.11.) Marketers continue to use movies to reach teens and tweens through sponsorships and promotional deals, particularly films that are targeted narrowly to this market. Even as movie attendance is declining among young people, several researchers have found bad news for television companies and marketers as well. As of spring 2006, only 25% of teens and young adults (12 to 34) could name all four major broadcast networks, according to Bolt Media. Web surfing has become the most popular activity with this population, with 84% surfing during their leisure time. TV viewing is the fourth most popular leisuretime activity, with 69% citing it, ranking behind hanging out with friends and watching movies.

Levis supplied the pair of blue jeans that are at the center of the story, and its logo appeared on the movie poster. It offered a Sisterhood jeans-decorating kit as a gift-with-purchase promotion at retail. The jeans in the story are modified by the stars of the film as the plot moves forward. Advertising included the Sears circular, in-store signage and print ads in Teen People and mainstream entertainment/ celebrity magazines. Random House was the publisher of the book on which the film is based. It held a national sweepstakes to support the third book in its Pants series, which came out a few months prior to the movie, and promoted the sweeps with stickers on 600,000 books. It also boosted awareness of the movie release in a wide variety of retailers that sell books and videos, including book and video specialty chains, mass merchants and price clubs. PBteen is Pottery Barns chain for teens. It raised exposure for the film in its summer catalogs by creating theme rooms for each of the films main characters, and mentioned the film in its ads in Teen People. It offered a variety of movie-themed content on its website. Procter & Gamble tagged its print ads in a range of teen magazines, as well as newspaper inserts, with a mention of the film. The campaign encompassed several P&G brands, including Herbal Essences, Pantene, Beinggirl.com, Always and Tampax.

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Figure 4.11
WHAT PROPELS TEENS AGE 14-18 TO SEE A MOVIE
Director 29%

Friend recommendations

25%

Trailer

25%

Cast

8%

Genre

6%

Professional reviews

4%

Other

3%

SOURCE: ScenarioDNA

TV becomes less popular as kids grow older. While 80% of tweens (8 to 14) love watching TV, only 60% of teenagers say the same, according to Simmons Market Research Bureau. Tween boys watch slightly more than girls, according to the Macerich company, which finds that tweens (10 to 14) watch 10.3 hours of television, on average, per week, and that 75% have their own television sets. More bad news on the TV front: When teens are asked whether, if forced to choose, they would give up cable TV, the Internet or their cell phone, 48% chose TV, according to the Horatio Alger Association. All told, cable TV reaches 57% of teens 12 to 17, according to Arbitron and Edison Media Research, and teens comprise 10% of the total cable audience. Still, TV watching remains a prime activity, especially for tweens. Eight in 10 (80%) of mothers/stepmothers, who are the primary gatekeepers when it comes to family TV (as well as Internet and videogame) usage, say they watch television with their children after dinner on a typical school day, 67% after school and before dinner, and 31% before school, according to Mediamark Research. Half say they limit the time their kids spend watching TV or videos.

BROADBAND-DELIVERED REALITY TV Reality shows on television have been popular with teens and tweens. But as young people turn their attention more toward the Internet as a destination for entertainment, purveyors of online programming are targeting them with TV-style shows. One example: Project Freshman, a reality program produced by 2C Media and distributed on AOLs RED service for teens. The show follows several students from different backgrounds during their first year in college. Each episode is available on demand to the services 5 million teenage members. The site also includes other content devoted to the college experience, including music and information.

Some networks have done well with creating teen- and tween-specific programming, including Viacoms The N, which specializes in dramas such as Degrassi: The Next Generation for teens and comedies such as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for tweens. The N reaches 43 million homes and boasts the highest concentration of 9- to 17-year-olds of any net-

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work on broadcast or basic cable television, reports Advertising Age. The WB (which was consolidated with UPN into a new network, the CW, in fall 2006) has also been strong with teens, most recently with shows such as FANSUBBERS: AN AVID ANIME AUDIENCE The O.C. and Summerland.
Anime, which counts many tweens and teens among its followers, is known for its avid fan base. In fact, companies involved in this industry sector are so aware of the power of their hard-core fans that theyre even tolerant of the culture of so-called fansubbers, who are essentially pirates. Anime companies recognize their value in promoting anime brands and are careful not to alienate them. The process of fansubbing, as described in Fortune magazine, is a collaborative one involving a TV watcher in Japan recording an anime show, without permission, and immediately uploading it to the Internet. Japanesespeaking fans around the globe then download it and start translating the episode into their local or native language. They post the results online, or e-mail them to other fans, as text documents. Other translators make refinements and fix mistakes. Still other fans serve as editors and review the text, before another group of fans, acting as typesetters, adds subtitles to the video footage. The completed episode is encoded by yet another group of fans, and the final result is posted on a filesharing site such as BitTorrent. Fansubbers usually organize themselves into teams to complete the process. All of this is done for free and without the permission of the copyright owners. But these pirated versions drive interest in anime properties, especially among hard-core fans. The more fansubbers involved with a given property, the more chance it has of succeeding once it becomes available in authorized versions around the world. Therefore the activity is not only condoned but closely monitored by copyright owners and anime distributors.

In response to audience trends away from traditional television but a continued and voracious appetite for episodic entertainmentsome programmers and producers are starting to create TV-like series for distribution on the Internet. AOL s RED service, which reaches 5 million teens, has created an online-only reality show for young people. On the video front, anime is one hot genre in the tween and teentargeted DVD market, just as its sibling manga is successful in the tween/teen sector of the book and comic industries. Together, the anime/manga industry was worth more than $625 million in 2004, according to Fortune.

Interactive Games Videogames, long popular with teens and tweens (especially teen boys) have felt the impact of increased competition from other entertainment channels of late. In fact, total dollar sales of computer and videogames fell from $7.4 billion in 2004 to $7 billion in 2005, and unit sales from 250 million to 228.5 million over the same period, according to the Entertainment Software Association. This after more than a decade of steady growth. (The next-generation videogame platforms being released by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo in 2006 and 2007 may reverse the downward trend, at least temporarily.) Almost eight in 10 households with teens (79%) have at least one videogame platform, with 58% of teens playing at least monthly, according to Piper Jaffrays fall 2005 Taking Stock with Teens survey. But 75% of teens say their interest is declining, and 78% say they spent less time playing videogames in 2005 than in 2004.

Interactive games also have aged down, with the prime time for gaming popularity now the early teens. Of 12- to 14-year-old boys, 84.2% really enjoy playing videogames, according to Packaged Facts; that percentage drops to 71.4% for 15- to 17year-olds. But gaming still has a place in teens lives; almost 25% of boys 15 to 17 play videogames every day, Packaged Facts says. And 55% of teen and young

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adult males (12 to 21) prefer videogames over watching TV, according to Forrester Research. One indication of the growing tween audience for videogames is the addition in 2005 of a new rating category, E10+, which indicates a game is slightly more mature than the E (for Everyone) rating, but not quite as sophisticated as a game rated T (for Teen). These are the games that fit right into the sweet spot for older tweens. Of total videogame units sold in 2005, 4% fit into the E10+ rating, while 32% were rated T. (See Figure 4.12.) The audience for videogames has broadened in all directions over the years, with more older and female consumers partaking. Just 31% of gamers today are under 18, according to the Entertainment Software Association. In addition, women 18 and older represent 30% of game players, while boys 17 and under account for just 23%. Among tweens and teens, gaming remains primarily a male activity. Of tweens (10 to 14), boys play almost twice as much as girls (9 hours a week for boys versus 4 for girls), according to the Macerich Company. Tweens overall average six hours a week playing videogames. Tween girls and boys also look for different things in games, with boys preferring action and good versus evil, and girls looking for social components. Parents often play games with their childrenoften at their kids request; see Figure 4.13and participate in buying decisions. Parents are present 89% of the time when their children purchase or rent a game, and they give permission 87% of the time before their children purchase or rent, according to the ESA.
COMPUTER AND VIDEOGAME UNIT SALES BY RATING, 2005
Mature (M) (15%)

Figure 4.12

Everyone (E) (49%)

Teen (T) (32%)

Everyone 10+ (E10+) (4%)

SOURCE: The NPD Group/Point-of-Sale Information

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ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA USAGE TOP FOUR REASONS PARENTS PLAY VIDEOGAMES WITH THEIR CHILDREN

Because they're asked to

79%

It's fun for the entire family

75%

It's a good opportunity to socialize with the child

71%

It's a good opportunity to monitor game content

62%

SOURCE: Entertainment Software Association

Figure 4.13

The Internet and Social Networking The Internet takes up a lot of teens and tweens time, often at the expense of traditional media. In fact, it has become one of the preeminent forms of distribution for entertainment to these age groups. Children 17 and under make up 19% of all U.S. Internet users, according to eMarketer, and 18.8 million teens (13 to 17), or 73% of the teen population, are online regularly. A lower percentage, 39%, of all children (3 to 11), or 14.1 million kids, are regular online users. If tweens and teens were forced to choose only one form of media, 69% would select the Internet, far more than any other option, according to the NeoPets Youth Study 2005, as cited in Youth Markets Alert. (See Figure 4.14.) Both tweens and teens also spend more time with the Internet than they do with TV or any other leisure activity, according to NeoPets and several other studies. (Some studies still peg TV as the number-one leisure activity.) Computers have become almost ubiquitous in teens and tweens lives; 86% of teens and tweens (8 to 18) have a computer at home39% have two and 74% have Internet access, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. More than one in five (22%) go online for more than an hour on an average day. While males traditionally have been the dominant gender in terms of Internet use, that has changed among teens, with girls now online almost as much as boys on a monthly basis, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Tweens and especially teens are using the Internet not only as a device to access news and entertainment, but as a means to create content, through text and

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TEENS AND TWEENS MEDIA SELECTION, IF FORCED TO CHOOSE

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY ONE OF THESE MEDIA, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Figure 4.14

Magazines (3%)

Newspapers (1%) Radio (7%)

TV (20%)

Internet (69%)
SOURCE: NeoPets Youth Study 2005

video blogs or via social networking sites such as MySpace, where teens post information about themselves as well as communicate with others. (This raises safety issues, which are discussed in Chapter 5.) AOL s RED service, which is dedicated to teens, launched a blogging service in 2005 to make it easier for teens to create an online journal. They can share their writing with friends, but anyone who wants to read a journal of a blogger under 15 has to have the bloggers parents permission. (MSN, Yahoo! and AOL all have any-age blogging mechanisms.) Almost one-third of teens say theyve either read or created a blog, according to AOL. Like other researchers, AOL finds that teens and tweens enjoy using the Internet more than other leisure-time options, and that they use the Internet in many different locations (see Figure 4.15) and for many different activities. Teens use the Internet for many activities, from shopping to entertainment to news-gathering, the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds. (See Figure 4.16.) And older female teens (girls 15 to 17) are the most avid users of the Internet, among teens, going online frequently for multiple purposes. (See Figure 4.17.) More than half (57%) of teens who use the Internet have created some sort of content, including blogs and web pages; posting original artwork, photography, stories or videos; or remixing online content such as videos or music into their own mash-ups, according to Pew, which estimates that 51% of online teens have broadband connections at home and that 21 million teens use the Internet, with half going online every day. One sign of the appeal of social networking, especially among teens, is the growth in these sites audiences, which cumulatively increased 47% from April
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Figure 4.15
WHERE 10-YEAR-OLDS GO ONLINE

School

80%

Home

70%

Friends' house

73%

Local library

16%

Note: 75% reported "Googling" as their favorite online activity.

SOURCE: AOL/Online Reporter

Figure 4.16
INTERNET ACTIVITIES OF WIRED TEENS 12-17

Play games online

81%

Get news online

76%

Have made purchases online Use the Internet to find health information Download music

43%

31%

51%

Download video

31%

SOURCE: Pew Internet & American Life Project

Figure 4.17
INTERNET ACTIVITIES OF GIRLS 15-17
Used instant messaging

97%

Sent a text message

57%

Bought something online

51%

Gone online to search for information about a school

79%

SOURCE: Pew Internet & American Life Project

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2005 to April 2006, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, with the total number of users growing to 68.8 million from 46.8 million over that period. MySpace, the leading social networking site, grew 367% year-over-year, boasting 38.4 million users users in April 2006. (See Figure 4.18.) MySpace, which has a low turnover rate, retaining 67.04% of its users as memberswho spend an average of 2 hours, 6 minutes per month on the sitebecame one of the top 10 websites overall in April 2006. Other social networking sites with a following among teens including Facebook, Sconex, Tagged and Classface.
TOP 10 SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES FOR APRIL 2006, U.S.
UNIQUE VISITORS, APRIL 2006 UNIQUE VISITORS, APRIL 2005 PERCENT CHANGE, 2005-2006

Figure 4.18

SITE

MySpace Blogger Classmates Online YouTube MSN Groups AOL Hometown Yahoo! Groups MSN Spaces Six Apart TypePad Xanga.com
SOURCE: Nielsen//NetRatings

38,359,000 18,508,000 12,865,000 12,505,000 10,570,000 9,590,000 9,165,000 7,165,000 6,711,000 6,631,000

8,210,000 10,301,000 11,672,000 N/A 12,352,000 11,236,000 8,262,000 1,857,000 5,065,000 5,202,000

367% 80% 10% N/A -14% -15% 11% 286% 32% 27%

The top teen-specific websites in September 2006 (as measured by the percentage of teens making up the sites total traffic) were not well-known to a mainstream audience. (See Figure 4.19.) Part of their appeal is that all incorporate some opportunity for self-created content, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Most of the top sites provide assistance with social networking profiles (such as offering song lyrics, pictures, quotes and layout designs). Nine of the top 10 either offered content or tools for social networking site profiles or were social networking sites themselves. As for shopping, most teens use the same sites as consumers overallmany with a focus on music- and electronics-related purchaseswith eBay and Amazon being the most popular, according to Womens Wear Daily and Nielsen//NetRatings. (See Figure 4.20.) Instant messaging has taken over from e-mail as teens primary communication tool. Three-quarters (75%) of online teens use instant messaging, and they prefer it over e-mail for everyday conversation, whether serious or casual, according to Pew. Teens perceive of e-mail as a means to communicate with adults and institutions (such as teachers and schools) or for lengthy letters to large groups.

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Figure 4.19
TOP SITES AMONG TEENS 12-17 (U.S., HOME AND WORK), SEPTEMBER 2006 (AS MEASURED BY PERCENTAGE OF TEENS AMONG TOTAL UNIQUE AUDIENCE)
PLyrics.com Snapvine WhateverLife.com QuickKwiz PureVolume myYearbook SparkNotes.com One True Media DiscoverClips Poqbum.com 60.6% 58.8% 58.2% 57.0% 55.4% 55.3% 55.3% 55.2% 68.4% 76.6%

SOURCE: Nielsen//NetRatings

TOP 15 ONLINE SHOPPING SITES MOST VISITED IN SEPTEMBER 2005 BY TEENS, 12-17
eBay Amazon Target Wal-Mart Shopping.com Network Ticketmaster Shopzilla.com Network Dell Best Buy Yahoo! Shopping Overstock.com Apple Store Cheap Tickets Barnes & Noble 929,000 860,000 761,000 738,000 722,000 601,000 593,000 588,000 534,000 414,000 413,000 345,000 2,491,000 4,439,000

SOURCE: Nielsen//NetRatings, Women's Wear Daily

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Teens also like to customize their IM correspondence with profiles, away messages and icons. AOL finds similar results, saying that 66% of teens and young adults (13 to 21) sent more IMs than e-mails, as of late 2005; that figure was up 49% from 2004. (Overall, 90% of Internet-using teens and young adults send IMs.) Of teens (13 to 17), 53% say their parents have rules about instant messaging, with 55% of boys and 50% of girls saying so. (See Figure 4.21.) Almost two-thirds (65%) of those who have rules say they follow them, according to AOL. More than half (52%) of teens are likely to give out their IM address to new people they meet, almost as many as give out their cell phone number (56%). In terms of the amount of time spent online, instant messaging also takes the top spot, accounting for 489 minutes spent online in February 2006, according to comScore Media Metrix. Time spent on most online activities increased compared to February 2005, with the exception of websites devoted to online gaming, kids entertainment and teen-targeted community. (See Figure 4.22) All told, teens (12 to 17) spent 1,233 minutes online in February 2006, 19% more than February 2005. Aside from communication and social networking, teens also are among the first to use the Internet for other purposes, such as Internet video broadcasts. Over a quarter (28%) of teens and young adults (12 to 24) are monthly Internet broadcast consumers, compared to 22% of the U.S. population. Only 19% do not watch or listen to Internet broadcasts regularly, compared to 59% for the population as a whole, according to Arbitron and Edison Media Research. While teens use the Internet particularly intensively, tweens are online frequently as well, and for many purposes. More than half (59%) of kids 6 to 11 went
Figure 4.21

COMMON IM RULES FOR TEENS

Can send IMs only when their homework is done

43%

Can go online for a set amount of time or can only send IMs to people known to parents

24%

Can only IM at certain times of day

23%

SOURCE: AOL

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Figure 4.22

MINUTES SPENT ONLINE BY TEENS AGE 12-17,BY CATEGORY, FEBRUARY 2005 VS.FEBRUARY 2006
FEB 05 FEB O6 % CHANGE

Instant Messaging E-mail 132 Discussion/Chat rooms Shopping sites Online gaming Auctions Entertainment-Kids Gaming information Community-Teens Sports
SOURCE: comScore Media Metrix

347 176 109 79 149 61 89 50 72 22

489 33% 159 89 87 67 64 51 47 39

41% 46% 12% -42% 11% -29% 2% -35% 73%

Figure 4.23
ONLINE USAGE

ONLINE USAGE AND ACTIVITIES, KIDS 6-11

% ALL KIDS % BOYS % GIRLS

Gone online in last 30 days Goes online everyday

ONLINE ACTIVITIES

59.0% 8.1%

56.3% 7.6%

61.8% 8.7%

Played online games Did stuff for school/homework Used e-mail Used instant messaging Went to chat rooms

42.6% 23.1% 10.5% 6.5% 2.6%

40.0% 20.8% 7.6% 5.6% 2.7%

45.4% 25.5% 13.6% 7.4% 2.5%

SOURCE: Mediamark Research, Inc. 2005 American Kids Study

online in the last 30 days, and 8.1% everyday, according to Mediamark Researchs American Kids Study, released in late 2005. The largest percentage (42.6%) played games online, and 23.1% did schoolwork or homework. Almost double the percentage of girls than boys used e-mail (13.6% versus 7.6%). (See Figure 4.23.) The Internet as a primary destination and activity for teens and tweens has come to the detriment of many traditional media and products, not just television and films but everyday items as well. One example: only 28% of teens would look for a business in a print edition of the Yellow Pages, versus 85% of adults 55 to 64. Teens first choice would be an online search engine, with 47% saying so, according to the Kelsey Group. Other products likely to be out with future teens include calculators, CDs, printed dictionaries and watches.

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Mobile Entertainment Teens (and, to some extent, tweens) are not only avid users of cell phones for communication, but they view them as entertainment devices as well. About half (49%) of U.S. teens and young adults download games, for example, the same percentage as use text messaging, according to Yahoo! and OMD. (See Figure 4.24.) Teens can relate to mobile gaming, because it incorporates not only the gaming experience, but social interaction, according to Sorrent, a wireless gaming and entertainment company.
FUNCTIONS U.S. TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS (13-24) USE ON THEIR CELL PHONES
Text messaging 49%

Figure 4.24

Games

49%

Ringtones

38%

Photos

29%

SOURCE: Yahoo! and OMD

Teens (13 to 17) are the most avid users of entertainment functions on cell phones, perhaps in part because just 18% pay for their own cell service, according to the NPD Group. (Much entertainment-related content falls under a premium service plan.) Meanwhile, teens (13 to 17) use their phones for information as well, being three times as likely as cell users overall to access shopping guides and content from womens and mens magazines, according to M: Metrics. They are also two times as likely to access restaurant and movie information. Teens are one of the most interested groups when it comes to cell phone-delivered live TV services, too, with 17% saying they are somewhat or very likely to subscribe. Almost four in 10 (38%) of teenagers have strong interest in receiving music videos over their cell phones, according to Parks Associates. And 40% of teens and young adults (13 to 24) say theyd be interested in commercially supported video clips, according to The Management Network Group. Teens represent the demographic with the most avid mobile gamers in terms of frequency of play. Six in 10 (60%) of teens (13 to 17) say they play games on their cell phones, versus 23% of adults, according to the NPD Group. And teens
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are more likely than adults to play mobile games on a weekly or daily basis. (See Figure 4.25.)
Figure 4.25
FREQUENCY OF PLAY FOR U.S. MOBILE GAMERS
5% 7%
Adults

Few times a day

Teens

Once a day

6% 7%

Few times a week

17% 22%

Few times per month 9%

12%

Less than once a month 18%

30%

SOURCE: NPD Group

Similarly, teens are more interested than many other groups in downloading music via cell phone, with 56% interested in an MP3-capable phone, versus 20% of consumers overall, according to the NPD Group. Of teens, 75% can download ringtones, versus 58% of adults. Avid cell phone use among teens doesnt necessarily mean theyre turning away from other media, however. Teens (13 to 17) who have cell phones are more likely to watch TV, read newspapers and magazines, listen to the radio, play videogames and use the Internet than those who dont have cell phones, according to Mindshare Online Research and MediaWeek. Teens also seem to be receptive to mobile marketing. Of teen mobile subscribers (13 to 17), 13.8% have participated in a TV or radio poll via text message, according to M: Metrics and the Mobile Marketing Association. This percentage is lower than for other age cohorts between 18 and 44, but higher than for consumers 45 and older. The cost of service is likely to become an issue as more teens demand entertainment but arent willing to pay a premium that would swell their phone bill. Even with text messaging, almost a third of teens and young adults believe their current plan is restrictive, with 40% saying it leads to a higher bill, according to MetroPCS. The average number of text messages sent per day by respondents to a MetroPCS poll was between six and seven, but the majority would send more
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messages if they had a less restrictive plan. This concern was evident even though the majority of respondents say their parents foot the bill for their cell phone.

INDIE SPORTS MAGAZINES FOR TEEN BOYS While teen girls have a wide variety of magazines competing for their readership, there are few magazines that specifically target teen boys. Two independent titles focusing on high school sports are aiming at this unfilled niche. SchoolSports had 25 editions in major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and L.A., as of January 2006, and guaranteed a circulation of 910,000 to advertisers, according to MediaWeek. Eight editions each year are sent free to 6,500 high schools, and are distributed to students on racks or through the schools athletic department. School sports are the focus, but fashion, music, gaming and other lifestyle content is included as well. Advertisers have included Puma, Reebok, Under Armour, Boost Mobile and Sony Playstation. Stack is sent to 3,400 high schools (with another 375 schools waitlisted) nine times a year, and claims a circulation of 315,000. It includes tips from coaches and trainers on fitness, health and nutrition. Its online community allows athletes to upload their profiles and instant message each other in a social networking-style environment. Stack has carried advertising from Reebok, Nike, Natures Cure, Konami and Dell.

Sports Tweens and teens are active participants in sports and outdoor activities. While much of the attention is centered on action sports (formerly known as extreme sports), there is a wide variety of sports of all types in which tweens and teens (6 to 17) participate. Not all are highly active; the list, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, is topped by bowling, and camping and fishing are among the top 5. (See Figure 4.26.) Young people are also active participants in school sports, although many programs are being cut due to budget restrictions. Although teens and tweens have many interests as far as sports participation and fandom, marketers trying to target them often focus on action sports. Both teens and tweens participate in and watch various types of action sports, such as skateboarding and snowboarding, drawn in part by the focus on individuality among the athletes. Many brands, including Mountain Dew and Vans, have successfully linked their names to action sports properties. The line between action sports and entertainment is blurred, with teen-targeted films and some of the top videogame titles tied to action sports. Tony Hawk videogames (inspired by the famous skateboarder) have outsold the ever-strong John Madden football interactive game franchise since 2001.
MOST POPULAR SPORTS FOR TEENS AND TWEENS (6-17)
RANK SPORT

Figure 4.26
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Bowling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,035,000 Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,944,000 Tent Camping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,434,000 Freshwater Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,331,000 Running/Jogging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,026,000 In-line Skating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,408,000 Outdoor Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,274,000 Scooter Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,967,000 Day Hiking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,826,000 Skateboarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,752,000

SOURCE: Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA)

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DEW ACTION SPORTS TOUR Mountain Dew was one of the early sponsors of action sports as a founding partner of ESPNs X-Games in 1994. In 2005, it launched its own branded action sports event, the Dew Action Sports Tour, a five-event series co-owned by Clear Channel Entertainment and NBC Sports. Its main target audience was tweens and teens. Branded lifestyle exhibits included a Napster lounge and a PlayStation2 videogame room, as well as a temporary tattoo parlor. Wal-Mart helped support the tour by carrying exclusive Mountain Dew cans that promote athletes on the tour. Other sponsors included Panasonic, Right Guard, Toyota, Vans and PlayStation Pro, all of which are title sponsors for respective cities on the tour. Several other brands were on board as associate or promotional sponsors, including Oxy Acne Solution, Pacific Cycle and MAD Magazine. Sponsored athletes hang out at the respective sponsors exhibits and personally meet the fans. There are many sampling opportunities for sponsors products.

Overall, action sports have become an $8 to $10 billion business, according to Youth Markets Alert, with teens and tweens among the top consumers and fans. Three-quarters (75%) of teens (12 to 17) say they are action sports fans, according to ESPN/TNS, with more boys (79.5%) than girls (70.3%) describing themselves that way. However, girls are a strong enough fan base that female-skewing marketers such as Elle Girl are sponsoring action sports projects. Its important to remember that teens and tweens can distinguish between marketers who are involved in a sport in an authentic way, versus those that are just hangers-on, using the properties to reach young people without having a real understanding of the sport and its essence. Teens and tweens dont mind if a marketer or action sports event targets a more mainstream audience than just the core market, but if theyre not authentic in their messaging and techniques, they will alienate the core fans. In addition to action sports, tweens and teens like mainstream leagues and events as well. For example, 75% of tweens (7 to 11) consider themselves fans of the National Basketball Association, a greater percentage than for any other sport, according to the NBA.

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YOUTH IN SOCIETY
Teens and tweens face a number of social and health issues in their lives, ranging from obesity to self-esteem to drug use. They are also dealing with a variety of other challenges, such as getting along with their families, coming to terms with spiritual issues and finding a job.

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or teens, the ideal future employment option is a career in business, according to Junior Achievement/JA Worldwide. (See Figure 5.1.) More than twothirds of students (68.4%) would prefer to own their own business, with black teens showing the highest propensity for entrepreneurship (79.1%) and Whites the lowest (63.5%). Professional services (accountant, lawyer or insurance agent) are cited as the favorite entrepreneurial alternative by 27.2% of teenaged future entrepreneurs, with retail businesses being the second choice (25.8%). Males are more likely (74.1%) to say they would like to own their own business than females (62.9%), JA says. In fact, gender differences are evident when it comes to all types of career choices. (See Figure 5.2.)
Figure 5.1
TEENS' IDEAL FUTURE JOB

Business

9.7%

Doctor

6.2%

Teacher

6.2%

Entertainer

5.7%

SOURCE: Junior Achievement/JA Worldwide

Figure 5.2

CAREERS THAT APPEAL TO MALE VERSUS FEMALE TEENS

74.0% Entrepreneurs 62.9%

1.9% Doctor 9.4%

4.1% Teacher 7.2%

Male

3.1% Lawyer 5.3%

Female

SOURCE: Junior Achievement/JA Worldwide

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While teens have high career aspirations, they are not necessarily dedicated to their current jobs. Restaurant owners, who employ many teens, say their work ethic is weaker than was true for previous generations of teens, according to Restaurant Business. Teen workers look for respect from and have high expectations for their managers, and many wont do the work if the job doesnt meet their demands. They tend to take jobs in order to earn money for immediate needs, rather than looking at them as the first step in a career. Some restaurant managers have found success giving teens a series of several small tasks, playing to their short attention span, Restaurant Business says. Business owners have also run into a challenge in that many teens do not like to do any kind of manual labor at the job site.

ENCOURAGING TEEN ENTREPRENEURS The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a non-profit group in New York that teaches teens in economically depressed neighborhoods to run a business. It forges partnerships with schools and community groups, and reaches 20,000 teens a year in 56 states and 16 countries, according to Business Week Online. The group teaches basic concepts of business, such as how to write a business plan, how to market and price a product or service, and how to negotiate. Students who have participated in the program have gone on to start businesses ranging from fashion jewelry, baked goods and honey concerns to pro-social nonprofit groups.

PARENTS AND FAMILY oth teens and tweens enjoy their parents company more than their parents might suspect. Teens (14-17) think highly of their mothers (84%) and of their fathers (81%), according to a Child Trends longitudinal study released at the end of 2004. More than half (57%) of teens want to be like their mothers and 61% like their fathers. More than three-quarters of teens say they really enjoy spending time with their mothers and 76% like to be with their fathers.

In fact, if teens were granted one wish, the greatest proportion (46%) would spend more time with their families, according to the Horatio Alger Association, versus 27% who would wish for more money and 14% for a bigger house. Nine in 10 have at least one family member they can confide in, 51% eat at least one meal per day with their family, and 47% name a family member as their role model. Spending time together as a family is an important factor in tweens and teens well-being. How often a family eats dinner together, for example, is a predictor of how likely a teen is to smoke, drink, use drugs or do poorly academically, according to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, in a study sponsored by TV Land and Nick at Nites Family Table. In 2005, 58% of teens said they have dinner with their families at least five times a week, an increase from 47% in 1998. Teens who participate in two or fewer family dinners a week are three times likelier to try marijuana than those who enjoy five or more, CASA says. They are also 2.5 times likelier to smoke cigarettes and 1.5 times likelier to drink.

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Teens who eat fewer meals with their families are also more apt to have friends who use drugs. On the other hand, teens who have dinner with their families seven times a week are nearly 40% likelier to say they receive As and Bs in school than those who eat two meals a week with their families, according to CASA. Over twothirds (70%) of teens who eat with their families five to seven times a week say their parents are very proud of them (versus 48% of those who eat two or fewer meals), and only 7% say there is a lot of tension or stress at home (versus almost 20% for those who eat two or fewer meals with their families). Teens talk about many subjects at the dinner table, but many wish they could talk more about serious issues. (See Figure 5.3.)
Figure 5.3

TOPICS THAT TEENS DISCUSS, AND WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, AT THE FAMILY DINNER TABLE
TOPICS TEENS DISCUSS

School and sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86% Friends and social activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76% Current events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63% Family issues or problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58%
TOPICS TEENS WISH THEY COULD DISCUSS

Religious matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51% Curfews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51% Peer pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44% Dating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42% Substance abuse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38%
SOURCE: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University

While family togetherness is certainly important in teens and tweens lives, there is such a thing as too much parental monitoring. Giving teens too little freedom can put them at risk, according to a University of Michigan study. The developmental-psychology researchers found that the warmer and stronger teens relationships with their parents in 7th grade, the less likely the teen would be to become involved with risky friends or be unduly influenced by peers later during their teenage years. But 7th graders who felt their parents were highly intrusive, supervised their activities too closely or limited their freedom too much were more likely to pick friends who engaged in risky behaviors. They also were more apt to have higher levels of unsupervised socializing in 8th grade, despite their parents close monitoring.

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SPIRITUALITY eligion is important in teens lives, with 40% of teens (13-18) praying at least once a day and two-thirds praying at least once a week. In addition, 30% attend religious services weekly, and 54% monthly, according to Harris Interactive. Most teens (68%) say their religious views BIBLEZINES FOR TEENS AND TWEENS are similar to those of their parents; 14% say theyre more religious Christian publisher Thomas Nelson introduced a than their parents and 38% say theyre less so. Over two-thirds format innovation to the book market when it (68%) discussed religion with their families in 2005 (down from launched its Biblezinesmagazines containing the New Testament, as well as sidebars and 74% in 2002).

Over two-thirds (70%) of teens believe in God, Harris says, while only 5% do not. Meanwhile, 79% believe in angels and 67% in the devil; 78% believe in heaven and 68% in hell. Churches are increasingly appealing directly to tweens and teens in their own language, for example developing teen-specific websites to reach them. Of Protestant churches, 46% maintain a church website, and 42% of these have special pages for youth and teens, according to Ellison Research and Facts and Trends magazine. Evangelical churches are more likely than the average Protestant church to have youth content online, with 48% of evangelical churches saying they do, versus 34% of mainline churches. Teens religious beliefs color their political views, which lean toward conservativism, according to Harris Interactive. Over four in 10 teens (43%) feel religion has too little influence in America, while 38% feel it is extremely important that the U.S. President has strong religious beliefs, versus 35% who feel thats not important. They approve of the phrase one nation, under God in the Pledge of Allegiance, with 68% saying so, versus 10% who do not approve.

articles, targeted to niche consumer markets in 2004. It currently publishes Biblezines for a wide variety of groups, including women and urban youth, but two of its first and most successful are Refuel, for teen boys, and Revolve, for teen girls. Total sales of Nelsons Biblezines exceeded 1 million units in about two years. The glossy magazines, which are revised annually, contain the full text of the New Testament, include articles relevant to the teen audience, such as about relationships, advice, prayer, music reviews and beauty tips, as well as photos, graphics, quizzes and premiums. They retail for about $17. A tween version, Magnify, targets kids 7-11. Most of the Biblezines are based on the easy-to-read New Century Version of the Bible. The zines have been controversial, accused of dumbing-down the Bible or including inappropriate content. But Nelson believes they are an effective way of bringing young people to the Bible by making it relevant to their lives.

Teens religious beliefs extend to their consumer behavior as well. T-shirts and jewelry that allow teens to express their faithsometimes earnestly and sometimes in a tongue-in-cheek mannerhave been popular throughout the early and mid-2000s. In some cases these are worn simply as cool fashion items, but in many cases they are a way for teens to show off their beliefs. Christian book stores have increasingly targeted teens with a wide variety of religious merchandise, including music, books, videos and other products created for this market, as have mainstream stores such as Wal-Mart. Teen-only Christian stores have sprung up in many cities across the country as well. While many teens have strong religious views, they are also willing to consider

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TEENS 13-18 WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN SELECTED SUPERNATURAL ACTIVITIES

Read their horoscope Used a Ouija board Read a book about witchcraft or Wicca Had their palm read Had their fortune told Played a witchcraft or sorcery-related game Was physically present when someone else used psychic powers Participated in a sance Visited a medium or spiritual guide Consulted a physic Tried to cast a spell or mix a magic potion 10% 9% 8% 8% 14% 33% 33% 30% 27% 25% 80%

SOURCE: Barna Group

Figure 5.4
TEENS' EXPERIMENTATION WITH THE SUPERNATURAL, BY RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND
Mainline Protestants Catholics Non-evangelical born-again teens Youth group attenders Non-mainline Protestants Baptists Teens who read the Bible at least once a week Evangelicals 26% 54% 69% 66% 62% 60% 81% 77%

SOURCE: Barna Group

Figure 5.5

non-traditional spiritual and supernatural phenomena, according to Barna Research. In many cases, they are influenced in their views by the presence of supernatural themes in the media, particularly television and films, where supernatural themes are frequent in entertainment targeted primarily toward teen and young adult viewers. Almost three-quarters (73%) of teens have engaged in some type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity, beyond horoscope usage, according to Barna. (See Figure 5.4.)
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Evangelical Christian teens are three times less likely than the average teenager to have engaged in witchcraft or psychic activities, with 26% having done so. The next least-likely group, teens who read the Bible at least weekly, had an engagement rate of 54% in pychic activities and witchcraft. (See Figure 5.5.) Just over a quarter (28%) of teenagers who attend church recall receiving any teaching there that helped shape their views about the supernatural world, Barna says.

RETAIL RELIGION Religion is important in the lives of many teens, and retailers such as The Node Bookstore & Caf in Norwalk, California, are looking to capitalize on that by combining Christianity with other teen interestshanging out with friends, listening to music, using electronics and shopping. The Node has the types of products found in any Christian store, including books, music, gifts and apparel, but all are targeted toward a teen demographic, according to the Los Angeles Times. It also has a caf, iMac computers, iPod listening stations loaded with Christian songs, and live concerts through the stores relationship with a local Christian radio station. The store attracts many non-Christian teens in addition to its core demographic, which was one of its objectives.

SOCIAL LIFE riends are a key part of life for both tweens and teens. For teens in particular, friends factor into many of their most timeconsuming activities, from social networking to talking on their cell phone to hanging out at the mall.

Tweens typically have more parental restrictions than teens when it comes to what they can do and with whom. That said, a significant percentage are participating in online social networking sites such as MySpace and are making friends this way, including with people outside of the traditional school and neighborhood circles.

Hanging out with friends is the second-most frequent activity after school for tweens (8-12), after being home alone. A relatively small percentage participate in after-school programs aside from sports, according to JA Worldwide/Junior Achievement. As for teens, a big social event in many of their livesperhaps the biggestis the prom. Prom season has become a big selling season for retailers of formal dresses and footwear, with some stores and manufacturers (including footwear maker Nina) holding events such as prom-themed fashion shows to boost business during this important season. There are also several websites devoted to selling merchandise specifically for proms. Most pricing is kept at reasonable levels since the purchasers are teens, who can be cautious about spending or unable to spend, and also because the purchases are typically used only once. The emphasis on friendship as a major part of life for both teens and tweens means that peer-to-peer marketing is an important way to reach both groups. Techniques include electronic viral marketing, where companies target influential teens and tweens electronically with messages that they may then forward to their friends, generating word of mouth. In fact, a products popularity among teens peers is the top reason they put it on their holiday wish lists, according to Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Word

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of mouth from peers is more important than magazine articles and advertisements in driving them to want an item. (See Figure 5.6.)
Figure 5.6
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TEEN HOLIDAY WISH LISTS

Magazine articles (27%)

Popularity with peers (38%)

Advertisements (35%)

SOURCE: Boys and Girls clubs of America

OBESITY ne of the highest-profile social concerns of late relating to young people, including teens and tweens, has been the obesity epidemic. In 2003-2004, 17.1% of children and adolescents (2 to 19) were overweight, translating to over 12.5 million kids, according to an April 2006 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Adolescents are more likely to be overweight than younger children.

Between 1999 and 2004, the proportion of overweight girls rose from 13.8% to 16%, according to JAMA, while the proportion of overweight boys rose from 14% to 18.2%. In 2004, more Mexican-American and non-Hispanic Black girls were overweight than White girls, and significantly more Mexican-American boys were overweight than either non-Hispanic White or Black boys. The rise in obesity rates in tweens (6 to 11) and teens (12 to 17) has been tracked for decades by the Centers for Disease Control in its National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The rates have more than quadrupled since the 1960s and almost tripled since the early 1970s. Of teens and tweens (6 to 19), about 15% are seriously overweight, according to the CDC. Tweens (10 to 13) who are obese have a 70% likelihood of being obese as adults.

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The rates of obesity among teens and tweens correlate with geographic location, according to the Annie E. Casey Kids Count analysis of the 2003 National Survey of Childrens Health. Kids Count estimates that 31% of U.S. tweens and teens (10 to 17) are obese. States with high rates of childhood poverty and low scores on measures of childhood well-being tend to have a higher proportion of overweight youth. (See Figure 5.7.)
10- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE
U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31% FIVE FITTEST STATES

Figure 5.7

Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21% Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22% Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23% Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24% Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25%
FIVE LEAST FIT STATES/DISTRICT

South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36% West Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36% Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37% Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38% D.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40%
SOURCE: Kids Count analysis of 2003 National Survey of Childrens Health

More male teens and tweens are overweight than females (35% versus 26%), according to the analysiswhich correlates with JAMAs findingswhile nonHispanic African-Americans see the highest rates among the major ethnic and racial groups. (See Figure 5.8.) Obesity affects overall fitness, of course. For example, it has a negative impact on heart health. About one-third (33.6%) of teens (12 to 19) in the U.S. have poor cardiorespiratory fitness, according to JAMA. The rates are similar for boys (32.9%) and girls (34.4%). Diabetes is another concern. Obese teens and tweens are 12.6 times more likely to have key risk factors for type 2 diabetes (which used to be considered an adult disease) than those who are not significantly overweight, according to the American Obesity Association. A University of Washington Study finds that nearly 2.8 million teens in the U.S. are on the verge of developing type 2 diabetes, with 39,000 already having the disease. The National Institutes of Health found similar results to both the University of Washington and American Obesity Association.
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Figure 5.8

10- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, BY RACE/ETHNICITY

White, non-Hispanic

27%

African-American, non-Hispanic

41%

Hispanic

38%

SOURCE: Kids Count analysis of 2003 National Survey of Children's Health

TWEEN AND TEEN GIRLS' HEALTH ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

Believe that feeling good about yourself is more important than how you look

88%

Don't play sports because they do not feel skilled or competent

40%

Do not play sports because they do not think their bodies look good

23%

Skip breakfast at least once a week

60%

Skip breakfast every day

20%

Eat in front of the TV at least three times per week

40%

SOURCE: Girl Scout Research Institute

Figure 5.9

Many teens realize the health dangers of obesity; teenagers identify it as one of the two most serious health problems facing the country, according to The Gallup Poll. Almost one in five (18%) of U.S. teens (13 to 17) describe themselves as overweight. Over nine in 10 teens (92%) say they know which foods are healthy to eat, and 81% of 12- to 15-year-olds say their parents encourage them to eat healthily, according to Teenage Research Unlimited. Two-thirds (67%) say they try to eat healthy foods, and 57% say they watch their weight. But 57% say they eat too much junk food. As a rule, most teens are comfortable with their bodies; many
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who actually are overweight by standard measures consider themselves healthy and well-proportioned. Teen and tween girls (8 to 17) have a broad definition of health, valuing emotional well-being and self-esteem as highly as they do exercise and diet, according to the Girl Scout Research Institute. Girls think any lifestyle choice is healthy if it doesnt hurt their appearance or relationTEENS: GOT MILK? ships, and 65% say their lifestyle is healthy enough for my age. Teens are targeted heavily with advertising for Only 16% believe they have a very healthy lifestyle. Still, tween non-nutritious foods and beverages, at a time and teen girls healthy attitudes dont necessarily match their when their parents exert less and less influence behavior, as they spend more time on sedentary than active pasover their choices. The Milk Processor Education times and have many unhealthy eating habits. (See Figure 5.9.) Program (MilkPEP)the milk mustache peoEchoing TRUs results, the Girl Scout Research Insitute finds that girls sometimes have a false impression of their own health or weight, with 45% of overweight girls and 61% of girls who are at risk of becoming overweight seeing themselves as of normal weight. Meanwhile, 14% of normal-weight girls think theyre overweight, GSRI says. African-American and Latina teens and tweens tend to be more satisfied with their bodies than Asian or White girls, even though the first two groups have a higher incidence of girls who are actually overweight. Teens and tweens mothers also often have a wrong idea about their childrens weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 30% of children in the U.S. are overweight, but, according to the NPD Group, only 13% of moms think their kids are overweight. Girls seem to be more in tune with body issues than boys are, says Teenage Research Unlimited, with 72% of teen girls saying they try to eat healthy foods, versus 63% of boys, and 66% watching their weight, versus 49% of boys. Many more girls than boys also claim they eat too much junk food, even though TRUs consumption data shows they really eat fewer salty and sugary snacks than teen boys do.
plehired Procter & Gambles word-of-mouth marketing agency, Tremor, to create a program to increase milk consumption among teens. The calcium in milk is important to build strong bones and encourage growth during the teenage years. Tremors research found that teens find it important to build muscle and stay toned. It started a word-of-mouth campaign, using its panel of 250,000 connected teens, to alert teens that drinking three 8-ounce glasses of milk a day would help them achieve the toned look they want. Called the 3X Challenge, the campaign included a mailer outlining the health benefits associated with drinking milk three times a day, as well as four bracelets (like the ubiquitous yellow Lance Armstrong Livestrong bracelets) to share with friends. Online, more nutritional information was available, as well as an invitation to sign up for the 3X Challenge and a downloadable diary to track progress (and reinforce the habit of drinking milk). Teens who signed up online received a cup with an 8 ounce marker, and an additional bracelet. According to Tremor, the campaign achieved

More than half of teen girls are on diets, or think they should be, results: 1.5 million teens talking about milk and according to Anorexia Nervosa and Eating Disorders Inc. Females consumption up 5% nationally. naturally gain 40 pounds between age 8 and 15, but many teens try to lose this weight and about 3% become anorexic or bulimic. About 20% of people with serious eating disorders die if they dont get treatment.

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Four in 10 (40%) of new cases of anorexia are discovered in teen girls (15 to 19), according to the National Eating Disorder Association. Even when teens and tweens understand the importance of a fit body, they sometimes use unhealthy means to achieve one. Close to 10% of children (8% of girls and 12% of boys) use supplements in their quest for a better body, according to the journal Pediatrics. Teen dieting, especially when it involves unhealthy behaviors, is not only ineffective but correlates with weight gain, according to a study by University of Minnesota. Unhealthy behaviors include skipping meals (done by 58% of girls and 31% of boys), as well as using laxatives. Teens who used unhealthy methods of weight control in 1999 were three times as likely to be overweight by 2004 as those who used no weight control behaviors, according to the study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. In addition to not eating properly, lack of exercise also contributes to obesity in tweens and teens. Over a third of teens (grades 9 through 12) do not get enough regular, vigorous physical exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Kids Count estimates that about half of all tweens and teens (6 to 17) are not exercising enough. Schools partially contribute to this situation, since most states have weak physical education programs, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Heart Association. (See Figure 5.10.) And many schools provide loopholes that allow kids to bypass even these minimal standards. The No Child Left Behind Act is cited as one reason for the lack of attention on exercise, since physical education is not tested and becomes a low priority. Some studies are relatively optimistic about the amount of exercise young people are getting. The Kaiser Family Foundation finds that young people spend
Figure 5.10
STATES' PHYSICAL EDUCATION MANDATES
Do not mandate physical education for elementary and middle school students

30%

Allow physical education credits to be earned through online courses

24%

Require physical education grades to be included in a student's grade point average

43%

SOURCE: National Association for Sport and Physical Education/American Heart Association

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about an hour and a half a day on physical activity of some sort. This figure remains relatively steady no matter how much time the children spend with various media such as TV and videogames; light media users partake in 1 hour and 25 minutes of exercise, medium users in 1 hour and 21 minutes and heavy users in 1 hour and 34 minutes, according to KFF . Income correlates with sports participation, with lower-income tweens (9-13) less likely than kids with more money to participate in organized sports activities, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Children whose families earn $25,000 a year are less likely to participate in organized physical activities than those in families earning more than $50,000 per year (24% versus 49%). African-American and Hispanic kids are less likely to participate than White kids (24% and 26%, respectively, versus 47%). And children of parents with more than a high school education are more likely than those with less educated parents (47% versus 19%) to participate. The main reasons lower-income kids tend not to participate in organized sports are, logically, cost (70%) and transportation (45%). Parents dont always help matters when it comes to encouraging healthy behaviors in their children. For example, half of the soda pop and sports drinks consumed by tweens (6 to 10) at school are brought from home or purchased off school grounds, according to TNS. A third (35%) of teens and tweens consume more soda at dinner than any other time of day. Among 6- to 14-year-olds, the most heavily consumed beverage is soda. Older tweens and teens (11 to 14) drink almost twice as much soda as water, TNS says. And teens (15 to 19) drink the equivalent of at least two 12 ounce servings of soda and sports drinks per day, equal to 1.5 pounds of sugar in a week. At the same time, fewer families eat meals together than in the past, and the increase in eating on the go contributes to the increase in obesity. Three-quarters of adults (77%) say this trend is their fault, not their childrens, according to Mintel, which also finds that 42% of adults had someone overweight in their household. Time crunches and busy schedules are the reason for the lack of regulated family eating schedules. Parental support is very important in tweens and teens effort to lose weight, according to a study at Loma Linda University. The research, consisting of interviews with 118 overweight children in a 12-week weight-reduction program, found that good self-image, enhanced by parents, correlated with future weight loss. Parental encouragement needs to include positive reinforcement and a plan for weight loss, however, not negative messages such as pointing out how overweight a child is.
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There are many options for bad eating available at school. Nearly 9 of 10 schools sold foods to students from vending machines or other venues outside of the school lunchroom in the 2003-2004 school year. These were often located in or near the cafeteria, including during lunch, COMBATTING TWEEN OBESITY VIRALLY according to the U.S. General Accounting Office. The types of The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and its foods available included soda and candy. These options were espemarketing agency Frankel uses viral marketcially prevalent in middle and high schools, where the incidence ingboth electronic and physicalto encourhas grown faster in the last five years than in elementary schools. age tweens to exercise. Its VERB campaign, which entered its third year in 2006, centers on Middle and high schools generate substantial revenues from these a website, www.verbnow.com, which allows sales. The nearly 30% of high schools earning the highest amount kids to create virtual characters online and give of revenue from sales of these alternative foods generated more them energy by recording their own hours of than $125,000 each. In 2005, a consortium of soda and snack play. It also includes a Game Generator, which food makers agreed to voluntary guidelines to restrict sales of helps tweens create new, customized ways to unhealthy foods in grade schools; this move not only generates play (and exercise) by combining elements from positive PR but it gives them a new marketing message. many different sports, and a search function
where they can find active things to do near their own zip code. In 2006, a new initiative, VERB Yellowball, was added, consisting of a microsite and various other elements to spur word-of-mouth and bring the message to the streets. Frankel distributed 120,000 balls to 6,000 middle schools around the country, touching 3 million kids. Program materials were sent to teachers with ideas about how to use the balls in class, and teachers were encouraged to send 10 of the 15 to 20 balls they received to neighboring schools. The goal was to keep the balls moving at all times. Street teams are distributing another 50,000 balls at summer camps and festivals in 2006. Each ball is imprinted with instructions that encourage kids to move as well as allowing them, and Frankel and the CDC, to track the balls progress. The three steps include playing with the ball; going to verbnow.com, entering a code and writing what they did with the ball; and, finally, passing it to another tween. Promotion included projecting images of yellow balls on the floor of malls and theaters, which tweens could kick, hit or pass in a virtual game; the projector reacted to body heat and moved the balls as the tweens moved.

While parents and schools are contributing to the teen and tween obesity problem, marketers are as well. Food and beverage marketing aimed at tweens and younger kids (12 and under), leads them to ask for and consume poor-nutrition and high-calorie food and beverages, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. The findings are based on an analysis of 120 studies. Four of the top 10 items that parents allow their children to purchase themselves are foods and beverages, and marketers spent $10 billion annually to promote these products to young people. A number of corporations have created initiatives to address the problem of obesity in children. Some of the programs target teens and especially tweens: N Kraft, Mars, Campbells Soup, Dannon and Pepsi have agreed to voluntary guidelines limited fat, sugar, sodium and colories in snack foods sold in school vending machines, school stores and school snack bars. Foods cannot derive more than 35% of their calories from fat, 10% from saturated fat and 35% from sugar. N Bottled water manufacturers are using new bottle shapes, national promotional tours and licensed characters to increase consumption among teens and tweens. Nestle, for example, targeted tweens with its Aquapod rocket-shaped bottle, promoted at places such as youth soccer camps and Major League Baseball games, as well as on Nickelodeon, the WB! (now the CW) and DC Comics. It also partnered with We Can!, a national health education program for kids 6-12.
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SUBSTANCE ABUSE weens and, especially, teens are apt to engage in risky behaviors such as substance abuse. The rational part of humans brains does not fully mature until they are adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. During the tween years (9 to 10), neurons are still developing and by the early teen years (13 to 14), and beyond, some neurons disappear and others are strengthened. Therefore, teens arent able to fully think through the consequences of their behaviors.

Not only do teens abuse substances, but they combine this practice with other risky behaviors, such as driving. More than 750,000 teens (16 to 17) have driven after smoking marijuana (15%), according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and 16% have driven after drinking. Almost one in five car crash victims under 18 (19%) have tested positive for marijuana. Girls are more likely than boys to use marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes, according to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Marijuana is the most commonly abused substance by girls who abuse; they use marijuana more often than all other illicit drugs combined. This usage is linked to depression, and more than twice as many girls as boys reported at least one major bout of depression in 2004. Teens realize substance abuse is a problem. In fact, they believe that consumption of drugs, cigarettes and alcohol is the most important problem facing them these days, according to the Gallup Youth Survey. Younger teens are especially in tune with this, citing drugs and alcohol, peer pressure and violence as their top problems; older teens, on the other handwho are more apt to abuse substancesmention education and youth apathy as their most critical problems. One thing that can reduce substance abuse among teens is a higher level of physical activity, particularly when the exercise is done with their parents, according to studies by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Teens who spend a lot of time playing videogames or watching TV tend to be at higher risk for substance abuse, as are teens with low self-esteem.

SMOKING here is some good news on the smoking front, with overall smoking rates among teens in decline. Teen smoking levels reached their peak in the mid1990s and have been steadily declining since then, according to the University of Michigans Monitoring the Future Study. Since then, teens have increasingly viewed smoking as dangerous, the study finds. At the same time, teens attitudes against smoking became stronger, they

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increasingly disapproved of their peers smoking and they reported fewer cigarettes available to them. During this period, current (30-day) smoking rates declined by one-third to one-half for secondary school students, depending on grade. In 2005, about half of 10th and 12th graders said they strongly dislike being near people who smoke, and 75% to 80% prefer to date nonsmokers. The declines in teen smoking were attributed to a number of factors, including federal and state actions against cigarette companies for purposely targeting children with their marketing efforts, the end of certain kid-friendly marketing campaigns such as the Joe Camel ad series, anti-smoking campaigns on the state and federal levels, and a rise in the cost of a pack of cigarettes. The positive smoking trends may be on the verge of reversal, however. The rate of decline has been slowing in the last several years, the University of Michigan study says. Even more importantly, the decline halted in 2005 among the youngest group studied, eighth graders, whose behavior is a predictor of future trends. Currently, 9.3% of eighth graders have smoked in the last 30 days, compared to 23.2% of 12th graders. (See Figure 5.11.) While smoking is not a significant problem among tweens except at the highest end of the age bracket (eighth grade), they are affected negatively by secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke among preteens and children, even at very low levels, causes behavioral problems at home and at school, as
Figure 5.11
SMOKING AND SMOKELESS TOBACCO USE, LAST 30 DAYS, 2005

9.3%

8th grade
3.3%

Smoking Smokeless tobacco

14.9% 10th grade 4.9%

23.2%
12th grade

7.6%

SOURCE: University of Michigan

well as increased anxiety and depression, according to a study by the Childrens Environmental Health Center at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. The greater the exposure, the greater the problems.

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DRUGS tudents in middle and high schools are increasingly able to purchase illicit drugs. The number of students who attend schools where drugs are used, kept or sold has risen 41% for high school students and 47% for middle schoolers in the past several years, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. (See Figure 5.12.)

CASAs National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse X: Teens and Parents also finds that more teens knew peers who abused various categories of drugs in 2005 than 2004. (See Figure 5.13.) In addition, the survey says that legal restrictions have less effect on teens behavior when it comes to purchasing and using drugs than their perception of immorality, parental disapproval or health concerns. (See Figure 5.14.) Aside from illegal drugs, teens are more often abusing legal drugs and other household substances. This has become a key problem area. As many in one and six teens has illegally used prescription pain medication and 10% have abused prescription stimulants or tranquilizers, according to the Partnership for
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTENDING DRUG-INFECTED SCHOOLS, 2002 AND 2005

Figure 5.12

62% High school students 44%

2005

28% Middle school students 19%

2002

SOURCE: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University

TEENS WHO KNOW A FRIEND OR CLASSMATE ABUSING DRUGS

26% 14%
2005

Figure 5.13

Prescription drugs

23% Ecstasy 18%

2004

Acid, cocaine or heroin

42% 35%

SOURCE: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University

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Figure 5.14

EFFECT OF LEGAL RESTRICTIONS ON TEENS' DECISIONS TO USE VARIOUS SUBSTANCES (THOSE WHO SAY LEGAL RESTRICTIONS HAVE NO EFFECT ON THEIR DECISION TO USE THIS SUBSTANCE)

Cigarettes

58%

Alcohol

54%

Marijuana

48%

LSD, cocaine and heroin

46%

SOURCE: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University

a Drug Free America. Teens view these drugs as safer than street drugs, when in fact they can be just as dangerous if abused. Another rising category of abuse is comprised of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder drugs, which include Ritalin and Adderall. One in 10 (10%) of teenage boys visits to the doctor results in prescriptions to such drugs, according to a Brandeis University study conducted in 2001 and published in 2006, which notes that prescriptions increased 250% from 1994 to 2001. Some teens then use these drugs to get high, or share them with their friends. Teen abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs occurs at higher levels or on par with their abuse of many illicit drugs, according to The Partnership for a Drug Free America. (See Figure 5.15.) Many teens also report having close friends who abuse prescription painkillers (37%) or prescription stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall (29%). The number of teens (12 to 17) who abused controlled prescription drugs rose 212% from 1992 to 2003, according to CASA. The rate of new abuse of prescription opioids (e.g. painkillers such as OxyContin or Vicodin) among teens rose 542% from 1992 to 2002. Of the 2.3 million teens (10%) who abused at least one controlled prescription drug, 83% abused opioids. And teens who abuse controlled prescription drugs also are more likely to abuse other substances compared to teens who dont abuse prescription drugs. (See Figure 5.16.) Girls are likelier than boys to abuse controlled prescription drugs (10.1% versus 8.6%). The abuse of prescription drugs has become a social activity, with pharming

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TEENS WHO HAVE EVER TRIED ILLICIT DRUGS OR ABUSED PRESCRIPTION/OTC DRUGS/HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
ILLICIT DRUGS

Figure 5.15

Marijuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37% Crack/Cocaine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9% Ecstasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9% Meth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8% LSD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6% Ketamine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5% Heroin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4% GHB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4%
PRESCRIPTION/OTC/HOUSEHOLD

Inhalants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19% Vicodin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18% OxyContin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10% Ritalin/Adderall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10% Cough Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9%
SOURCE: Partnership for a Drug-Free America

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEEN PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE AND OTHER SUBSTANCE ABUSE
SUBSTANCE INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSERS ABUSING THIS SUBSTANCE, VERSUS NON-PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSERS

Figure 5.16

Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2x likelier Marijuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5x likelier Heroin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12x likelier Ecstasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15x likelier Cocaine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21x likelier
SOURCE: Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University

parties on the rise. These are unsupervised parties where teens swap legal drugs and get high on them. The teens mix and match drugs, often combining them with alcohol. In addition to prescription drugs, teens are also getting high on household products such as glue, spray paint, nail polish remover and gasoline. About 20% of U.S. teens say theyve inhaled household products (called sniffing or huffing), according to The Partnerhip for a Drug-Free America. In addition, fewer understand the dangers of this practice than five years ago, with 64% of teens strongly agreeing that huffing can be fatal, down 19% from 2001, and 77% agreeing that huffing can cause brain damage, down 9%. Parents tend to be unaware of much of this activity; 5% of parents in the survey thought their
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children had ever abused an inhalant, compared to the 20% of teens who admitted they had. While the abuse of prescription drugs and household products is on the rise, use of illicit drugs continued to decline in 2005 among 10th and 12th grade students, paralleling the downward trends in smoking. But, also similar to smoking, the declines among 8th graders, ongoing since 1996, halted in 2005, according to the University of Michigan. And, while use of illicit drugs is declining, the levels are still quite high. (See Figure 5.17.)
Figure 5.17
SELF-REPORTED DRUG USE AMONG 12 TO 17-YEAR-OLDS, 2003

21%

Lifetime

Grade 8
16%
Last 12 months

38% Grade 10 30%

50%
Grade 12

38%

SOURCE: University of Michigan/Monitoring the Future

Almost a third (30.5%) of teens (12 to 17) have used some illicit drug in their lifetime and 11.2% in the past month, according to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (See Figure 5.18.) The Partnership for a Drug-Free America estimates use of cocaine/crack among teens at 9%, Ecstasy at 9%, methamphetamine at 8%, LSD at 6%, ketamine at 5%, heroin at 4% and GHB at 4%. Marijuana has the highest level of teen usage in terms of illicit drugs, at 37%. Still, there is good news. The Partnership finds that, overall, fewer teens are using meth and marijuana, as well as tobacco and alcohol, than in the past, echoing the findings of other studies. There have been anti-drug campaigns targeting teens over the last few years, but it is not clear whether they are effective. Results of a campaign by the Montana Meth Project showed teens actually thought meth use was slightly less risky, and more approved of meth use, after the campaign than before. The changes in perception were small, but most were statistically significant.
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PERCENT OF 12- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS REPORTING DRUG USE, 2003

DRUG TYPE LIFETIME PAST YEAR PAST MONTH

Figure 5.18

Any illicit drug Marijuana/hashish Cocaine Crack cocaine Heroin Hallucinogens LSD PCP Ectasy Inhalants Nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic Methamphetamine

30.5% 19.6% 2.6% 0.6% 0.3% 5.0% 1.6% 0.8% 2.4% 10.7% 13.4% 1.3%

21.8% 15.0% 1.8% 0.4% 0.1% 3.1% 0.6% 0.4% 1.3% 4.5% 9.2% 0.7%

11.2% 7.9% 0.6% 0.1% 0.1% 1.0% 0.2% 0.1% 0.4% 1.3% 4.0% 0.3%

SOURCE: National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Office of National Drug Control Policy

ALCOHOL nderage drinkers consumed alcohol equating to 17.5% of the dollar value spent on alcohol, according to CASA, which suggests that corporate advertising and product development that target teens (either directly or indirectly) is effective. One product category targeted at young adults, but particularly appealing to teens, is comprised of flavored malt beverages, or alco-pops.

Hispanic teens (12 to 20) are exposed to more alcohol advertising per capita than other ethnicities in the same age group, according to The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University. They saw 20% more alcohol advertising per capita in English-language magazines in 2004 than people in this age group in general. This seems to correlate with their behavior, since Hispanic young people are more likely to drink and abuse alcohol at an earlier age than non-Hispanic white young people. The amount of exposure to alcohol ads among youth is down 31% from 2001 to 2004, according to the same group. But youth still are exposed to more ads than adults are. (See Figure 5.19.) And certain brands are the culprits; 10% of brands advertised in magazines in 2004 were responsible for 50% of the exposure among youth. Only 3% of alcohol ads seen by youths were in magazines that exceed the alcohol industrys voluntary limit of 30% youth readership. But 42% were in magazines where the youth audience is greater than 15%. The fact that the industrys voluntary guidelines are less than effective has led to a movement on the part of some state governments to limit alcohol advertising seen by underage drinkers.
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Figure 5.19

YOUTH EXPOSURE TO ALCOHOL ADVERTISING IN MAGAZINES, COMPARED TO ADULTS

PERCENTAGE MORE ADVERTISING SEEN BY UNDERAGE DRINKERS COMPARED TO ADULTS 21 AND OVER CATEGORY OF ADVERTISING 2004 2001

Beer Distilled spirits Alco-pops

SOURCE: Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth

15% 10% 33%

52% 33% 63%

Attorneys-general of 20 states approached the Federal Trade Commission to demand more stringent limits in which alcohol ads would appear only in media where 15% of the audience is aged 21 or under. Licensed apparel is another effective means of promoting alcohol brands to teens and even tweens. Tween students (10 to 14) who own clothes featuring alchohol brand logos are nearly twice as likely as students who dont wear such clothing to start drinking earlier than their peers, according to a study by Dartmouth Medical School. About a quarter (26%) of tweens with alcoholbranded apparel start drinking earlier than their peers, compared to 13% of kids who dont own any alcohol-logoed apparel. Teens overall support the current teen drinking age of 21, according to ICR, although support is lower than in 2001. Almost two-thirds (64%) support the current age, compared to 68% in 2001. Overall, 15% favor raising the legal age limit, compared to 20% who would prefer to see the age limit lowered. Younger teens are more apt to want to raise the legal drinking age, and are more likely to consider using a fake ID as a serious offense (90% for those 12 to 14, versus
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TEENS' DECISION NOT TO DRINK
Risk of losing driver's license

Figure 5.20

30%

Friends

25%

Parents

19%

Alcohol awareness programs at school

13%

Penalties such as community service

12%

SOURCE: ICR

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81% for those 15 to 17). The leading factor influencing teens not to drink is the threat of losing their drivers license. (See Figure 5.20.) Binge drinking is growing faster among girls than boys, according to Underage Drinking in the United States: 2005, from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. Boys binge drinking is growing more slowly (depending on age), compared to girls. Female binge drinkers also dont limit their binges to beer; 12th grade females are more likely than males to drink distilled spirits. More than 7 million underage youth report drinking five or more drinks on one occasion at least once in the past 30 days.

OTHER HEALTH ISSUES AND RISKY BEHAVIORS eens and even tweens are drinking more coffee than in the past. So far, there hasnt been much of an uproar against caffeine drinking by youths, and the health risks of caffeine on young people havent been fully studied. In fact, teens are a big customer segment for coffee in certain channels, such as convenience stores. But that could change if risks are discovered. Gambling is another growing trend among teens. A study by the state of Washington finds that 83% of teenagers there gamble. Marion County, Oregon, also studied teen gambling and found that the average age youths started was 12, and that 70% of teens in 2005 admitted that they had gambled at least once. The study doesnt specify the type of gambling. While most casinos enforce limits on entrance by those under 18, there are many other opportunities for teens to gamble, ranging from home poker games to online gambling and betting, where safeguards against those under 18 are easy to get around. Teen gambling has the potential to lead to alcohol and drug abuse, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania. Nearly 50% of eighth graders who said they drank alcohol in the last 30 days also gambled; 65% of 11th graders who admitted to drinking in the last 30 days also gambled. The study found teens frequently get hooked on gambling through online sites that dont screen out younger players. The popularity of celebrity poker on television may also play a role in the growing incidence of gambling among teens. Sleep-deprivation is an issue for tweens and especially teens. The recommended amount of sleep for teens (11 to 17) is nine hours, but only 20% of teens get that amount, and 45% get less than eight hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Sixth graders say they sleep an average of 8.4 hours per night, while 12th graders say they get just 6.9 hours of sleep. Most students are aware theyre not getting enough sleep, but 90% of their parents think their sleep amounts are adequate.

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One problem is the fact that teens often watch TV (76%), surf the Internet (44%) or talk on the phone (40%) before going to bed, rather than spending an hour free of distractions as recommended, according to the NSF . Almost all teens (97%) have at least one electronic device in their bedrooms. And their lack of sleep causes numerous problems in their everyday lives. (See Figure 5.21.)
Figure 5.21
SLEEP DEPRIVATION AMONG ADOLESCENTS 11-17

Get the recommended nine hours of sleep per night Sleep less than eight hours on school nights

20%

45%

Fall asleep in school

28%

Fall asleep doing homework

22%

Arrive late or miss school because they oversleep

14%

Are too tired to exercise

28%

SOURCE: National Sleep Foundation

Another health risk for teenagers is skin cancer, particularly teen girls who use tanning beds; more than a third of teen girls, according to a University of Colorado study, have done so. High school newspapers often contain ads to attract students to tanning salons. (The Indoor Tanning Association says indoor tanning is not harmful, and can even have health benefits.) Several organizations, including the American Medical Association, are pushing for federal restrictions against teens, tweens and children using tanning beds; 25 states have legislation restricting youth access. In addition to risky behaviors undertaken by tweens and teens, a significant percentage have some sort of physical disability affecting their lives. In fact, 11% of tweens (6 to 14), or 4 million, have a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

SEX he birth rate for teenagers continues to decline, reaching a level of 22 births for every 1,000 teen girls (15 to 17) in the early 2000s, down more than

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40% from 39 per 1,000 a decade earlier, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. Teen mothers are less likely to finish high school or graduate college than other girls of the same age group. Rates of teen births varied by ethnic group. (See Figure 5.22.) The teen birth rate for Black, non-Hispanic girls was the highest, 39 births per 1,000 girls, but was down more than 50% from 86 per 1,000 in 1991.
ADOLESCENT BIRTH RATES BY RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUP
BIRTH RATE PER 1,000

Black, non-Hispanic

39

Asian/Pacific Islander

White, non-Hispanic

12

American Indian/Alaskan native

30

Hispanic

50

SOURCE: National Institute of Child Health & Human Development

Figure 5.22

The age of first sexual activity also varies by racial or ethnic group. But there are other factors involved than just simple ethnicity or racial background. For example, Hispanic teenagers (seventh to 12th grade) who are less acculturated into American society and use Spanish as their primary language are significantly less likely to have had their first sexual experience than English-speaking, more highly acculturated Hispanic peers, according to an article in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Hispanic teens in general had a higher risk of having had sex than Whites; however, less acculturated Hispanics were 40% less likely to have had sex than Whites, 65% less likely than English-speaking Hispanics and 55% less likely than bilingual Hispanics, according to the study. On the other hand, highly acculturated Hispanic teens who spoke English were 170% more likely to have had sex than Whites. Almost one-half of new sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. occur among young people (15 to 24), according to Child Trends. Unfortunately, many teens (15 to 17) do not talk to their parents about any topic having to do with sex, with 25% of females and 28% of males saying they havent talked to a parent or
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guardian about sex topics, including saying no to sex, birth control or STDs. Over 50% of teens (grades 9 to 12) say they abstain from sex, Child Trends finds. But just two-thirds of sexually active teens say they used a condom the last time they engaged in sex. Few teens use condoms consistently in any sexual situation; 53% of males and 73% of females who have had sex in the past 12 months sometimes or never use condoms. Over half of all males (55%) and females (54%) aged 15 to 19 (and 83% of females and 88% of males in this age group who are sexually active) say they engage in oral sex, according to Child Trends, which makes them at risk for STDs just as vaginal sex does. Over one-fifth of teens who have not had sexual intercourse (24% of non-sexually active males and 22% of females) have had oral sex. Just 9% of teens use a condom during oral sex. Almost four in 10 males (39%) and 43% of females have had sex before 17, and 54% of males and 70% of females before 18, Child Trends says. Almost half (48%) of males and 21% of females say they had first sex with someone they just met or have gone out with just occasionally. There seems to be a link between media/entertainment and sexual activity, with young White teens who use media containing a large amount of sexual content more than twice as likely as other teens to have sex early. This according to a study in Pediatrics. The study found the correlation did not hold true for Blacks, however, even through they tend to watch more media with sexual content. They seem to be more influenced by their parents expectations and their peers behavior. Whites are also heavily influenced by those two factors. One high-profile trend in the 2000s has been so-called virginity pledges. But these are not effective, some studies have found, with many teens who sign them ending up having premarital sex. Many teens have had sex before signing the pledge, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, and signers tend to be inconsistent in describing both their sexual history and whether they had ever signed a pledge, according to studies taken over several years.

INTERNET SAFETY AND OTHER SAFETY ISSUES nternet safety has become a big issue with both teens and tweens. Over half (54%) of Internet-connected family households used some sort of filter or Internet monitoring software in 2005, up from 41% in 2000, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Still, 81% of parents feel their teens are giving out too much information about themselves or being otherwise uncautious online. Nearly eight in 10 teens (79%) agree. Two-thirds of parents (65%) and a similar number of teens (64%) say teens do things online that their par-

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ents would disapprove of and that they keep secret from their parents. Other safety measures, according to Pew, aside from filters, include keeping the household computer in a public part of the house (done in 73% of teens households) and having rules about online usage set by their parents (64%). Over one in 10 teens (12 to 17), or about 3 million (13%), do not use the Internet at all; about a tenth of these say they stay offline because of bad experiences, because they dont feel safe or because they face parental restrictions. One-quarter of students in grades 4 through 8 (25%) do not feel safe when online, according to i-SAFE, and 73% think theres a need for children and teens to learn about online safety. (See Figure 5.23.) A significant percentage of students in grades 4 though 8 have engaged in various types of risky behavior online, including surfing the web while unsupervised, giving out personal information, chatting with strangers and having secret cyberfriendships. (See Figure 5.24.) Even if parents are monitoring their children, they may not recognize the special abbreviated and coded language teens use online. Only 5% of parents know any of the basic acronyms teens employ nearly universally (such as LOL for laugh out loud), according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Half of teens (47%) use code words (such as P911, or parent alert) to tell someone online about the presence of their parents, according to the Polly Klaas Foundation, which finds that 28% use such code words on a daily basis. Teens also frequently communicate online with strangers (see Figure 5.25). Teens (13 to 18) and tweens (8 to 12) participate to different degrees in unsafe behaviors,
Figure 5.23
MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ATTITUDES TOWARD ONLINE SAFETY

Do not feel safe when using the Internet Think there is a need for kids and teens to learn about Internet safety Have received e-mail, attachments or pop-ups that bothered them or made them feel badly Have been upset by what was said by a stranger they met on the Internet Don't worry about their computer getting a virus when opening an e-mail or attachment Feel freer to do what they want on the Internet than in the physical world Say it is easier for them to talk with people on the Internet than in the physical world 14%

25%

73%

36%

56%

35%

31%

SOURCE: i-SAFE

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RISKY ONLINE BEHAVIOR BY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Like being alone when surfing the Internet Have unsupervised access to the Internet at school Chat, e-mail or instant message while at school Have given out personal information online Have chatted or used IM with a stranger Have met a new person from the Internet face to face Are willing to meet face to face with someone from the Internet Someone on the Internet has asked them to keep their friendship secret Have seen something on the Internet that shouldn't be on the Internet Know of or have heard about other students who have done something on the Internet that shouldn't be done 8%

53% 12% 10% 39% 31% 12% 13%

53% 64%

SOURCE: i-SAFE

Figure 5.24
UNSAFE ONLINE BEHAVIORS BY TEENS

Use code words to alert others to a parent's presence

47%

Communicate with a stranger through instant messaging

54%

Communicate with a stranger through e-mail

50%

Communicate with a stranger in a chat room

45%

Post information about themselves on the Internet

42%

Figure 5.25

SOURCE: Polly Klaas Foundation

with tweens in general being more cautious than teens, the Foundation says. (See Figure 5.26.) A study of teen bloggers (13 to 17) says they often give out their actual name, age and location, according to Northwestern University, which puts them at risk for cyberstalking or cyberbullying. Seven in 10 (70%) provided at least their
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SELECTED ONLINE CHAT ABBREVIATIONS USED BY TEENS AND TWEENS 143 I love you KOL L8R LDR LMIRL LSV LTR LY LYL M/F Kiss on lips Later Long distance relationship Lets meet in real life Language, sex, violence Long term relationship Love you Love you lots Male or female? PM POS QT RU Private message Parent over shoulder Cutie Are you?

A/S/L? Age, sex, location? BCNU BRT BWO CU CUOL CYO DIKU DYFM EMA F2F FOAF H&K HA HB IB IDKY ILU IPN Ill be seeing you Be right there Black, white, other? See you See you online See you online Do I know you? Dude, you fascinate me What is your e-mail address? Face to face Friend of a friend Hug and kiss Hello again Hurry back Im back I dont know you I love you Im posting naked

SMAIM Send me an instant message SMEM SO STR8 SWAK TAW TIAIL TIC TM TNT TOY TTYL UV UW WTGP WUF WWY Send me an e-mail Significant other Straight Sealed with a kiss Teachers are watching I think I am in love Tongue in cheek Trust me Til next time Thinking of you Talk to you later Unpleasant visual Youre welcome Want to go private? Where are you from? Where were you?

MOOS Member of the opposite sex MOSS Member of the same sex

MUSM Miss you so much NAZ NP OL OLL OM P911 PA PAL PANB PAW PIR Name, address, zip Nosy parents Old lady Online love Old man My parents are coming Parent alert Parents are listening Parents are nearby Parents are watching Parent in room

IWALU I will always love you K KIT Okay Keep in touch

WYCM Will you call me? WYRN Whats your real name?

SOURCE: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

first name, 67% their contact information (e-mail, instant messenger handle or link to a home page), and 59% the city or state where they live. Half of all teen bloggers link to other bloggers and include a friends list, while 67% provide a feedback section for readers. Almost one-fifth (19%) of tweens and teens (10 to 17) who used the Internet regularly (at least once a month for six months) have received a sexual solicitation in the past year, according to the Youth Internet Safety Survey by the University of New Hampshires Crimes against Children Research Center. Onee p m c o m . c o m Marketing to Te e n s & Tw e e n s

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Figure 5.26

ONLINE HABITS OF YOUTHS AGE 8-18

Parents discuss Internet safety 58%

82%

Online without parents around

20% 68%

Have passwords and accounts parents don't know about

5% 48%
Tweens age 8-12

Online chats with strangers are okay since it is not real

6% 17%

Teens age 13-18

Concerned about being approached online by strangers

59% 40%

SOURCE: Polly Klaas Foundation

INTERNET SAFETY AMONG TEENS AND TWEENS

Received an unwanted sexual solicitation in the past year 19%

Received a distressing sexual soliciation

5%

Received an aggressive solicitation involving offline contact or requests for such

3%

Received unwanted exposures to sexual material

25%

Received threats, rumors or other harrassment behavior in the past year

6%

Reported unsafe online incidents to authorities or adults

18%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice Youth Internet Safety Survey

Figure 5.27

third were male and two-thirds female; three-quarters were 14 to 17 and onequarter 10 to 13. Those who had received a solicitation did not tell anyone 49% of the time; 24% told their parents. (See Figure 5.27.) While there has been a lot of publicity about sexual predators online, another, lesser-known problem is cyberbullying, or making threatening statements via IM or e-mail. A third of teens and tweens (8 to 18) know at least one person who has been a victim within the last year, according to the National Crime Prevention Council, with 44% of teens and 13% of tweens knowing at least one
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TWEEN CYBERBULLYING STATISTICS

Have been bullied while online 42%

Have been threatened online

35%

Have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages Admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online Admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online Have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online

21%

58%

53%

58%

SOURCE: i-SAFE

victim. Teen girls tend to be the target of most such bullying. (Bullying is also a problem offline, with 57% of teens and tweens seeing bullying at least once per week, 30% witnessing it once per day and 59% knowing someone at school they believe could hurt someone. Approximately 800,000 students do not go to school each week because of fear of bullying, the Council says.) Over four in 10 kids in grades 4 through 8 (42%) have experienced cyberbullying, according to i-SAFE. (See Figure 5.28.) In general, the amount of cyberbullying rises with ageboth in terms of being a victim and instigating italthough there is a spike in grade 4, the lowest grade studied. (See Figure 5.29.)
CYBERBULLYING AMONG TWEENS
18% 16% I have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages 20% 21% 24%

Figure 5.28

Figure 5.29

Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

54% 35% I have said hurtful or angry things to another person 45% 58% 69%

SOURCE: i-SAFE

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Tweens and especially teens face a number of safety issues aside from those relating to Internet usage. For example, both male and female teen drivers tend to tailgate and speed if theres a teenage male in the front passenger seat, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/National Institutes of Health. On the other hand, males are less likely to engage in these risky behaviors if a female passenger is next to them. Female teens are slightly more apt to tailgate with a female front seat passenger. One trend of late has been graduated licensing laws, where driving privileges are added gradually over a few years rather than all at once at age 16. For example, 16-year-olds may be limited when it comes to driving at night or with passengers. When the percentage of 16-year-olds licensed to drive is less, the rate of fatal crashes among that age group declines as well, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, although the rate of fatal crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers stays about the same. (In other words, the total number of fatal crashes involving teens declines, but that is because more teens face restrictions on their driving, not because they are driving more safely.) (See Figures 5.30 and 5.31.) In general, teens have the highest risk of crashing of any age group, with driver error and speeding being key reasons. Another safety concern, especially for teens, is date violence. Teen girls face relationship violence three times more often than adult women, according to Teenage Research Unlimited. One in five teens say theyve been hit, slapped or punched by a boy- or girlfriend and a third say they worry about their safety. Yet many believe such behavior is normal. In particular, they accept situations where their boy- or girlfriend controls their actions through constant instant messaging, text messaging or cell phoning throughout the day.
Figure 5.30
LICENSING OF 16-YEAR-OLD DRIVERS AND FATAL CRASH RATES INVOLVING 16-YEAR-OLDS
PERCENTAGE OF 16-YEAR-OLDS LICENSED FATAL CRASHES PER 100,000 POPULATION

YEAR

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
SOURCE: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

42% 42% 43% 41% 43% 43% 37% 37% 34% 32% 31%

31% 32% 35% 33% 31% 29% 29% 26% 24% 27% 23%

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ESTIMATED CRASH REDUCATIONS IN SELECTED JURISDICTIONS WITH GRADUATED LICENSING

British Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16% California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0%-28% Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9% Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29% North Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23% Nova Scotia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23%-27% Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23% Note: California range is based on three studies
SOURCE: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Figure 5.31

SELF-ESTEEM elf-esteem among teen and tween girls has a lot to do with body image. A majority of tween girls (59%) say theyre dissatisfied with their bodies, and 66% feel they should lose weight, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A third of girls think frequently about being thinner, compared to just 8% of boys.

Self-esteem and body image varies by ethnic and racial group. While 55% of teen girls (13 to 18) usually and 17% always like how they look, 28% hardly ever feel good about their looks, according to Teen People. Factors that contribute to poor body image are comparisons to models in print and on TV (58%), parents comments (28%), friends opinions (15%), coaches (8%) and boyfriends (7%). White girls are more likely to be involved in sports and tend to weigh less than Black and Hispanic girls, but they are least likely to be happy with their current weight. Black girls tend to have the most confidence about their bodies. Girls tend to consider their chest and butt as their best body parts, and their stomach as their worst, Teen People says. (See Figure 5.32.) Both children and teens are, for the most part, happy. But 18% fall into the lowest tier on the scale of contentedness, meaning they are more often sad, have few friends and tend to get into trouble more frequently than other young people, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. These kids tend to spend more time using media compared to the most contented tweens and teens (9 hours and 44 minutes per week, versus eight hours and seven minutes). All in all, tweens and teens are confident enough with themselves that they are not afraid to be different or perceived as uncool, according to GfK NOP . Over

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FAVORITE BODY FEATURES OF GIRLS AGE 13-18

Other (19%) Chest (24%)

WHAT TEEN GIRLS CONSIDER THEIR WORST PHYSICAL FLAWS

Other (11%) Arms (5%)

Hips (4%)

Hips (7%)

Stomach (40%)

Thighs (5%)

Chest (11%)
Arms (10%) Butt (24%)

Butt (12%)
Stomach (14%)

Thighs (15%)

SOURCE: Teen People

Figure 5.32

half (55%) say individuality is important to them. And that percentage is growing, up 8% in 2005 from 2004.

ETHICS, CHARITY AND ACTIVISM eens seem to be becoming more ethical, according to JA Worldwide/Junior Achievement and Deloitte & Touche USA. Although about one in five teens (22%) said in 2005 they would act unethically to get ahead if there was no chance of getting caught, this is down from 33% in 2003.

Certain pressures can make teens rethink their ethical views, JA finds. For example, 40% of teens might act unethically if their boss told them to and more than 33% might lie to their boss to cover up their own mistakes. Yet almost seven in 10 teens (69%) believe that people who practice good business ethics are more successful than those who dont (up from 56% in 2003). The ethics of teens and tweens (grades 5 through 12) are fairly loose when it comes to illegal downloading of audio and video files and plagiarism, especially involving the Internet, according to i-SAFE. (See Figure 5.33.) More than a quarter (28%) of tweens and teens consider themselves environmentalists, according to Weekly Reader Research, and 91% say they feel they can make at least some difference in improving the environment. Girls are more concerned about the environment than boys, and they are more likely to think they can make a difference. The percentage who say they can make a difference when it comes to the envi-

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TEENS' AND TWEENS' VIEWS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Have been told what is legal and illegal to download on the Internet 68%

Copy or have copied music from the Internet

38%

Believe nobody is harmed or loses money if they download music without paying for it Believe they should not be charged to download music or movies from the Internet Use the Internet when they need information to help with schoolwork Use the library when they need information to help with schoolwork Have copied information directly from the Internet for use in schoolwork Did not give credit for copied work in school papers to the author or owner

46%

65%

75%

16%

43%

44%

SOURCE: i-SAFE

ronment declines as children age, Weekly Reader says. Of tweens (5 to 12), 23.6% say they can make a big difference, compared to 18.4% of teens. Tweens and teens also get their information from different sources; 43% of tweens say teachers and parents are their main sources of information about environmental issues, while 41.6% of teens say television and the Internet are their main sources. The focus of tweens and teens environmental concerns is also different, with tweens concerned most about pollution, while teens tend to be concerned about more, and more complicated, issues, such as global warming and overpopulation. (See Figure 5.34.) Teens are active volunteers in all sorts of projects. In fact, teens are among the most active volunteers of any age group in the U.S., with a participation rate of 30.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Schools play an active role among teen students attitudes and behavior when it comes to volunteering, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Almost four in 10 (38%) of teens (12 to 18) have ever participated in a community service activity through their school; 64% of those who participated did so as part of one class, 22% in two classes and 14% in three or more classes. High school students (grades 9 through 12) are 30% more likely than middle schoolers (grades 6 through 8) to have participated in current or past school-based service. All told, 55% of teens participate in volunteer activities, according to the Corporation, almost twice the rate of adults (29%). The typical teen volunteer is
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Figure 5.33

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WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OUR PLANET FACES TODAY?
AGE 10-13 TOTAL BOYS GIRLS TOTAL AGE 14-16 BOYS GIRLS TOTAL AGE 17-19 BOYS GIRLS

Pollution Global warming Loss of natural habitat Overpopulation Other

SOURCE: Weekly Reader Research

35.3% 26.0% 18.9% 11.5% 8.3%

35.8% 28.4% 17.1% 12.7% 6.0%

34.8% 23.4% 20.8% 10.2% 10.7%

27.5% 29.5% 15.8% 20.0% 7.2%

26.0% 29.8% 13.6% 22.9% 7.8%

29.0% 29.3% 18.1% 17.0% 6.6%

22.0% 27.1% 15.7% 27.9% 7.4%

20.9% 25.9% 14.6% 30.1% 8.5%

23.2% 28.3% 16.8% 25.5% 6.1%

Figure 5.34

active less often, however, contributing 29 hours per year versus 52 hours for the average adult volunteer. Nearly one in four (39%) of teen volunteers are defined as regular, volunteering at least 12 weeks per year, versus 55% of adult volunteers who fall into this category. Other organizations in addition to schools also have an effect on volunteering levels among teens. In fact, many teens are first exposed to volunteering through some sort of institution, whether a school, another voluntary organization or service club, or religious organization, according to Indendent Sector. It finds that teens first get involved with volunteering at either school (50%) and/or at a religious institution (53%). This correlates with the fact that teens are nearly four times more likely to volunteer if they are asked than if they are not. Of the teens who reported being asked to volunteer, 93% did, while of the teens not asked to volunteer, 24% did. Both tweens and teens are aware of global disasters, such as hurricanes or tsunamis, and follow the news about them. For example, 68% of tweens and teens (8 to 18) followed news of the late 2004 Asian tsunami very (15%) or somewhat (52%) closely, versus 32% who didnt follow it closely or at all, according to Harris Interactive. One-third (33%) donated money and 14% collected money from others for the relief effort, while 38% only thought about donating and 29% didnt even consider it. Two-thirds (64%) of teens who volunteer do so mainly through a religious, school or youth leadership organization, Harris saysconfirming findings from other sourcesand 74% do so through such organizations at least some of the time. Meanwhile, teens who come from a family where at least one parent volunteers are nearly twice as likely to volunteer as teens in non-volunteering families. The incidence of volunteering rises with age (see Figure 5.35) and varies by racial group (see Figure 5.36).

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TEEN VOLUNTEERING STATUS BY AGE

53% 12 16% 15% 16% 46% 13 18% 19% 18% 51% 14 12% 20% 17% 46% 15 17% 20% 16% 41% 16 15% 17% 27% 39% 17 12% 22% 27% 41% 18 11% 19% 29%

Nonvolunteers

Episodic volunteers

Occasional volunteers

Regular volunteers

SOURCE: Corporation for National & Community Service

Many marketers have linked their brands to causes important to teens/tweens, both as a means of helping improve the lives of teens and tweens in general, as well as to promote their brands among these groups. For example: N BET has educated young African-Americans about HIV/AIDS prevention through themed programming and public service announcements on the network. It also partnered with the Kaiser Family Foundation and Scenario DNA for a film/scriptwriting contest centering on this theme. N Boost Mobile formed the 2006 Boost Mobile RockCorps, which provided free concert tickets in exchange for four hours of volunteer labor. Promoted with posters, online and via Boost cellphones, the project took place at 125 sites in eight cities. N MTV ran a global awareness campaign in 2006 called Break the Addiction, which focuses on environmental issues. Public service announcements and long-form programming ran on-air, and the net-

Figure 5.35

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TEEN VOLUNTEERING STATUS BY RACE

44% White 16% 19% 22% 53% Black 11% 19% 17% 69% American Indian or Alaska Native 8% 15% 8% 47% Asian 12% 13% 28% 33% Pacific Islander 9% 30% 27% 58% Latino 10% 15% 17% 44% Non-Latino 15% 19% 22%

Nonvolunteers

Episodic volunteers

Occasional volunteers

Regular volunteers

Note: Latino/non-Latino includes all races.

SOURCE: Corporation for National & Community Service

Figure 5.36

work provided daily tips online and via cellphone. Viewers were encouraged to send in photos and comments about the environment, and some aired on MTV in the fall. VIEWPOINTS n 2005, more than half of teens (53% of those 12 to 18) felt the nation was headed in the wrong direction, according to Teenage Research Unlimiteds Omnibuzz survey, while 18% felt the country was headed in the right direction. The same negative feelings extended to many specific issues. (See Figure 5.37.) Yet teens remain optimistic in many ways; 60% said they think 2006 would be a better year than 2005. Only 11% thought 2006 would be worse, and 29% said they didnt know.

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TEEN VIEWS ON WHETHER THE U.S. IS ON THE WRONG TRACK OR THE RIGHT TRACK ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES
53% 18% 57% 17% 51% 18% 47% 22% 50% 28% 56% 19%

Figure 5.37

Nation as a whole

Environment

Education

Economy

Social Issues

Political leaders

Wrong Track

Right Track

SOURCE: Teenage Research Unlimited

Paralleling the views of U.S. teens, just 14% of global teens feel the world is becoming a better place, according to Energy BBDOs GenWorld study of teens (13 to 18) worldwide. That is a very pessimistic view compared to the 1990s, when teens were upbeat about the future. But teens around the world today would fight for a cause they believe in, especially if they feel it impacts their own future. American teens are among the most conservative in the world, the study finds, valuing religion, marriage and parenthood and trying to live by high moral standards. The researchers also find bad news for marketers: 62% of teens worldwide are apathetic about marketing and advertising. They are not exactly anti-brand, they just dont care about logos or advertising. In addition, they think there is too much advertising. Of course, what they say in a survey and how they behave can diverge, especially in areas like this. Susceptibility to advertising is linked to materialism among tweens (9 to 14), according to a study in The Journal of Consumer Psychology. More materialistic kids logically tend to shop more, save less and have more influence on their parents in terms of product choices such as soft drinks, milk, shampoo and popcorn. More materialistic tweens tend to earn more money as well. The amount of materialism stays consistent throughout the age range, with 9-yearolds being just as materialistic as 14-year-olds.
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Teens are pessimistic about their own futures in terms of their financial success. For example, 57% say they believe it will be more difficult for them to find work as adults than it was for their parents, according to TRU. About a third (30%) think it will be equally difficult and 12% easier. On the other hand, 77% think theyll make more money than their parents do, and only 4% think theyll make less. When asked what celebrities they admire, many teens focus on business leaders (or business-oriented entertainment or sports celebrities), with 48% saying theyd like to be Bill Gates, according to TRU. Both boys and girls pick mainly males as people they admire; the only female on girls most-admired list is Oprah. In terms of who teens envy and would like to be, 35% say theyd like to be Michael Jordan, 33% Donald Trump, 31% Tony Hawk and 29% Oprah Winfrey. Girls are more likely to choose Hollywood celebrities as people they envy, with Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton among girls top-five most envied; the only Hollywood celebrity on guys top five is Ashton Kutcher. Boys lists of most-admired and most-envied tend to mirror each other, while there is a schism between the people girls admire and those they would like to be. These lists also vary dramatially based on current hits in the movies, on TV, in music and so on. Teens love celebrities, but do not want to emulate them in most cases. Celebrities tend to influence teens more on issues having to do with appearance (e.g., losing weight) than on major life decisions (e.g., whether to take drugs or have a baby), according to Teen People and USA Weekend. (See Figure 5.38.) Celebrities dont have much influence when it comes to teens support of or contributions to causes, either, the study says. Teens say celebrities support of a particular cause doesnt encourage them to send money to that cause (with 63% saying so), or make them think more about the cause (87%) or think more highly of the celebrity (70%). In fact, more than half (52%) say celebrities participation in causes such as Live 8 or Hurricane Katrina relief makes them suspect the celebrities are just promoting themselves. Again, though, such responses are to a degree self-serving in that respondents want to boost how the interview might perceive them, or how they feel about themselves. The level of engagement by teens in an event such as Live 8, for example, belies the responses. While teens tend to be fairly conservative in their views, they are splitmuch like the public at largeon some of the controversial issues of today. For example, about half approve of gay marriage and slightly over half support same-sex civil unions. Nearly 60% believe being gay is due to environmental factors rather than heredity, however.
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TEENS' OPINIONS ON WHETHER CELEBRITIES' ACTIONS INFLUENCE TEENS

WHEN CELEBRITIES MAKE THE FOLLOWING CHOICES, DO A LOT OF TEENS WANT TO DO THE SAME?

Lose weight 23% 62% 38% 58% 42% 48% 52% 47% 53% 39% 61% 25%
Agree

77%

Pierce a body part

Get a tattoo

Drink alcohol

Smoke cigarettes

Disagree

Take drugs

Have a baby

75%

SOURCE: USA Weekend

Figure 5.38
TEENS' OPINIONS ABOUT WHETHER MOVIES, MUSIC AND TV SHOWS SHOULD BE CENSORED
Strongly disagree 19%

Disagree

19%

No opinion

26%

Agree

20%

Strongly agree

17%

SOURCE: Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Figure 5.39

Teens (13 to 18) also are split on the concept of censorship of entertainment content, with with 37% agreeing or strongly agreeing its a good idea, and 38% disagreeing, according to Boys and Girls Clubs Youth Report to America. (See Figure 4.40.) The report also finds that teens top fears include going to war (27%), not graduating from high school (26%), losing a good friend (19%) and not getting a job (16%). Half of respondents believe its acceptable to use violence when defending ones self.
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M
any of the devices and technology-related habits that have become integral parts of teens and tweens lives today, such as social networking (on websites including Myspace or Facebook), were barely on the radar when the last edition of this report was published three years ago. Virtually every facet of teens and tweens lives these days is affected by electronics of some sort: They stay connected by cell phone, using both voice and text messagingwith daily usage growing even among the youngest teens/tweens. They use the Internet to build social networks and to communicate with friends via instant messaging. They rely on the web as their primary source for news and as a means to research products before they shop for them (either online or in bricksand-mortar stores). They turn to the Internet to access entertainment, from music to interactive games, and they use their next-generation Xboxes as DVD players as well as for gaming. Given teens and tweens reliance on technology, it follows that some of the social challenges they face, such as bullying and sexual predators, have moved online as well. Because of the critical role electronic media play in their daily lives, teens and tweens not only accept marketing messages that come to them through these channels, but they expect them.

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In fact, technology has become a factor in marketers decision-making process when it comes to reaching teens and tweens, whether theyre considering how to distribute products to them, advertise to them, create premiums for them or generate other forms of interaction. Technology enables marketers to reach teens and tweens in ways that are more relevant to them than messages through traditional media. The Internet, the gaming device and the mobile phone allow: N customization, personalization and targeting; N opt-in mechanisms and pull rather than push strategies; N social networking and word-of-mouth marketing; N portability; and N messaging through multiple channels. Of course, while interactive technologies are symbiotically intertwined with teens and tweens daily activities, young people are not exclusively linked to these new media. They also spend significant time with traditional media and entertainment vehicles, being avid TV watchers, heavy and loyal users of magazines, movie goers and even, contrary to popular belief, readers of books. They like shows, publications and books that are created just for them. Their embrace of narrowly targeted media and entertainment benefits marketers, of course, since advertising messages disseminated through these channels hit exactly who they are meant to hit, without spillover into other demographic groups. As has been true throughout history, especially since the 1950s, teens and tweens love entertainment of all types, and above all, music. This is true whether the entertainment is delivered via new technologies, via traditional media or live and in person. Young people also are interested inand often admirethe celebrities associated with their favorite entertainment. As a result, marketers can pique teens and tweens interest by including a music and entertainment component, especially a celebrity-driven one, in their efforts. Many tactics can be effective, from offering music downloads, to giving consumers a chance to meet a celebrity, to enlisting a celebrity as spokesperson. Teens and tweens also have interests outside of media, entertainment and technology. Young people like live, person-to-person interaction with their peers. Attending live music or other events, going to the mall, visiting with friends, participating in school and extracurricular activities, being with their families all are at least as important to the average teen or tween as the time spent in front of the computer or TV. Many of these in-person activities present opportunities for marketers to put together campaigns involving sponsorships, events, discounts, sampling, street teams or other experiential elements. Advertising, whether through traditional
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or alternative channels, is still important, but it is no longer, on its own, the most effective means of targeting teens and tweens. Most companies that create products or services for these groups understand that they need to enhance their advertising schedules with promotional tools that build and maintain a personal relationship with their customers. Although some factors have evolved significantly since this report was last publishednotably technology and certain health issues (e.g., the increased concern over obesity and increased use of legal drugs not prescribed for the user) other characteristics of the teen/tween market have remained constant. Todays teens and tweens have money, whether from parents (in the case of tweens) or earned (in the case of teens), and they like to shop. They spend on themselves, they spend on gifts and they influence their families spending as well. They also have clout with their friends; word-of-mouth among peers is a primary factor in teens and tweens buying decisions, and marketers are doing everything they can to spur such recommendations. Teens and tweens are socially aware and tend to be more conservative than their elders although, as for the U.S. population at large, their conservatism has been reduced to some extent in the mid-2000s. While they know and care about many of the worlds challenges, they also tend to be optimistic about their own lives. Teens have a reputation for being cynical, but many of them are, in fact, activists determined to make changes in the world. Many teens and tweens also respect corporate cause-marketing initiatives, as long as they believe the tie-ins are genuine and appropriate. Teens and tweens are a multicultural population and becoming more so every year, with Hispanic youths an especially fast-growing group. Marketers efforts to reach young people must take this fact into consideration at every turn, whether targeting one slice of the target market or the whole, multifaceted group. Many of the entertainers featured in promotions, especially if musicrelated, are influenced by Black or Hispanic culture, attributes of which are embraced not only by tweens and teens of those ethnicities, but by the whole population. Many of todays teens and tweens have experienced broken homes and other difficult situations in their personal lives. Overall, however, they respect their parents and view them as allies. In fact, for all the talk about how teens and tweens are at odds with their parentsand often they arethe reality more often is that the young people and their parents are a team. While tweens and especially teens want to assert their independence, research shows they also like many of the same things as their parents do and agree with them on many issues. They respect their parents as role models and, while they turn to their
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friends for advice on everyday issues such as fashion or entertainment, they continue to look to their parents for counsel on important issues such as sex, drugs, money and personal values. Teens and tweens are not a homogeous group. Teens are more independent, both in their opinions and in the practicalities of life. Tweens are more grounded in their families for their safety, points of view and social lives. And, within both the teen and tween segments, there are many subsegmentsdrawn along racial, ethnic, rural/urban lines, and lifestyle, to name just a few. Even individual teens and tweens are not easy to peg; they show many contradictory characteristics and not all fall in line with their peers. Marketers agree that success in reaching teens and tweens requires finding that elusive combination of the right message, the right vehicle and the right tactics, as well as a genuine message that speaks to the customer in a realistic and uncondescending fashion. It also, increasingly, requires a personalized or customizable message and the ability for tweens and teens to make their own decisions about whether to participate in a promotion or even to receive a marketing message in the first place. Marketers need to take a multifaceted, integrated approach when attempting to reach teens and tweens, utilizing many techniques, vehicles and and partners. They need to reach young people where they live, where they work, where they socialize and in all places in between. The ultimate challenge is finding ever new ways to appeal to this fickle audience, all while presenting a consistent brand image and message.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Breakfast Helps Adolescent Girls Maintain Healthy Weight, Fitness Business Pro, September 20, 2005. Building Teen Loyalty, Convenience Store News, January 16, 2006. Bulik, Beth Snyder, NPD Study: More And More Children Using Consumer Electronics, Advertising Age, June 1, 2006. Bulik, Beth Snyder, Xbox Makes A Pre-emptive Strike Against PlayStation In Console Battle, Advertising Age, May 9, 2005. Bulik, Beth Snyder, and Abbey Klaassen, New Generation Of Pod People, Advertising Age, February 6, 2006. Carofano, Jennifer, To Market, To Market, Footwear News, June 13, 2005. Carofano, Jennifer, Tween Savvy, Footwear News, June 13, 2005. Carr, Kristen, Tricked-Out Teens, Womens Wear Daily, August 2005. Casabona, Liza, Youthful Energy, Supermarket News, March 7, 2005. Casey, Bernadette, At MAGIC, What Once Was Old Is New Again, DSN Retailing Today, September 12, 2005. Celebrities Set Jewelry Trends, Youth Markets Alert, September 1, 2005. Cell Phone Carriers Attempt To Tap Growing Preteen Market, Telecommunications Industry News, April 2, 2006. Cha, Kai-Ming, Yaoi Manga: What Girls Like?, Publishers Weekly, March 7, 2005. Cellphones Become Ubiquitous For Youth, Youth Markets Alert, April 15, 2006. Chantrey, David, Brand Strategy Briefing: Tweens Are Seen And Heard, Brand Strategy, February 7, 2005. Chaplin, Lan Nguyen, and Deborah Roedder John, The Development Of Self-Brand Connections In Children And Adolescents, Journal of Consumer Research, June 2005. Character Tees Retain Momentum At Mass, DSN Retailing Today, February 7, 2005. Choi, Amy S., Teens Granted Luxury Wish List, Womens Wear Daily, July 28, 2006. Chura, Hillary, Tech-Wise Girls Open Marketer Eyes, Advertising Age, February 21, 2005. Collins, Clayton, Pitches To Tweens Target Parents, Too, The Christian Science Monitor, April 28, 2006. Community Service, Friends Keep Teens From Drinking, Youth Markets Alert, April 15, 2006. Consoli, John, Teen Cell Subs Heavy TV Users, MediaWeek, May 3, 2005. Consumer Beat: Teens Spend Less, Restaurants & Institutions, February 15, 2005. Corcoran, Cate T., Online, Teens Flirt, Dish and Shop, Womens Wear Daily, November 17, 2005. Crockett, Roger O., and Olga Kharif, Calling Preteens With A Barbie Phone, Business Week Online, February 18, 2005. Crossover Point From Tween To Teen Is A Moving Target, And Marketers Hone Their Tactics To Address Both, Youth Markets Alert, December 1, 2005. Cuneo, Alice Z., Wireless Services Get Wakeup Call From Youth, Advertising Age, June 6, 2005. Cyber-Bullying A Problem For Teens, Youth Markets Alert, October 15, 2005. Davis, Charles, Childs Play, Bank Marketing International, February 2005.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Deahl, Rachel, YA Authors Talk Shop On MySpace, Publishers Weekly, May 15, 2006. Dearth Of Financial Education For Kids Leaves Opportunities For Banks, Marketers, Youth Markets Alert, March 1, 2006. Deeken, Aimee, Teen Cell Users Hooked On Media, Tech, MediaWeek, May 9, 2005. Deutsch, Claudia H., Trying To Make Teenage Hygiene Hip, The New York Times, May 9, 2006. Dobrow, Larry, A Walk On The Mild Side, Advertising Age, January 2, 2006. Dobrow, Larry, Teen Angel? Kinda, Advertising Age, January 2, 2006. Dolliver, Mark, Getting (Thanks, Mom!), Spending, And Other Aspects Of Teen Finance, Adweek, October 3, 2005. Doup, Liz, Teens Swapping Legal Drugs At Pharming Parties, South Florida Sun Sentinel, May 2, 2006. Duff, Mike, Five Below Is Retail Mecca For Shoppers 15 And Below, DSN Retailing Today, January 9, 2006. E-Mail Is For Older People, Youth Markets Alert, August 15, 2005. Elan, Elissa, School Feeders Mimic Chains To Keep Kids On Campus, Nations Restaurant News, October 3, 2005. Enis, Matthew, Robert Vosburgh and Amy Sung, Trends: Popping Pills, Supermarket News, February 27, 2006. Exclusive: Teens Take On Brands, Advertising Age, February 21, 2005. Facenda, Vanessa L., Tween & Tyke Techies, Retail Merchandiser, March 2006. Field, Katherine, Now Playing: Teen Drama, Chain Store Age, September 2005. Fine, Jon, Its So Hard To Relate, Business Week, February 27, 2006. Flexa Launches Teen Collection, Home Textiles Today, April 25, 2005. Friendlys Ice Cream Needs Tweens For Panel, Youth Markets Alert, February 15, 2006. Garbato, Debby, Texas Tweening, Retail Merchandiser, July 2005. Garbato, Debby, Turning The Tables, Retail Merchandiser, January 2006. Garrity, Brian, Musical Sales High: Disney TV Movies Soundtrack, Songs Storm The Charts, Billboard, February 11, 2006. Going To The Extreme: How Marketers Are Using Action Sports As An Avenue To Reach Kids, Youth Markets Alert, August 15, 2005. Goth-Lite Goes Mainstream: Teens Embrace The Dark Side, Youth Markets Alert, December 1, 2005. Griffin, Cara, All Grown Up: Kids Apparel Gets More Sophisticated, Sporting Goods Business, April 2005. Griffin, Cara, The Main Event, Sporting Goods Business, September 2005. Grillo, Thomas, Reaching Teens: Back To The Future, NEA Today, February 2005. Hands-On Experience And Crowd Influence Increase Effectiveness Of Experiential Marketing Promotions, Youth Markets Alert, June 15, 2005. Harvard Plagiarists Hot Genre, Teen Lit, Explores Sex, Angst, Bloomberg.com, May 4, 2006. Hein, Kenneth, Tapping Into Teens, Brandweek, June 28, 2005.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Heller, Laura, Back-To-School: Pencils, HomeworkCell Phones?, DSN Retailing Today, April 25, 2005. Herzig, Heidi, Internet Abuse Wont Leave You Laughing, Daily Democrat, April 21, 2006. Hilary Duff Launching Mujlti-Tiered Home And Fashion Program, The Licensing Letter, July 17, 2006. Hip-Hop Teens More Trendy, Youth Markets Alert, April 1, 2006. Hispanic Teens Exposed To More Alcohol Ads, Youth Markets Alert, November 15, 2005. Hobbs, Erika, Sodas Get Scarce At Schools, Orlando Sentinel, May 4, 2006. How Teen Girls Feel About Their Bodies Varies By Race/Ethnicity, Youth Markets Alert, July 15, 2006. How Teenagers Spend Free Time, Youth Markets Alert, August 15, 2005. Huggins, Charnicia, Unhealthy Dieting May Fuel Weight Gain In Teens, Reuters, April 27, 2006. iPod Accessories: A Growing Niche, Playthings, February 2006. Ives, Nat, Elle Girls Shuts Print Edition, Moves To Web Only, AdAge.com, April 4, 2006. Johnson, Bradley, Understanding The Generation Wireless Demographic, AdAge.com, March 21, 2006. Kid-Friendly Hotels: Adding Branded Extras To Appeal To Both Children And Parents, Youth Markets Alert, September 1, 2005. Kids Wear Moves Back TowardKids!, DSN Retailing Today, March 14, 2005. King, Warren, Millions Of U.S. Teens On Verge Of Developing Diabetes, Study Finds, Seattle Times, May 2, 2006. Kinsella, Bridget, TokyoPop Launches Teen Prose Line, Publishers Weekly, May 1, 2006. Kipnis, Jill, Kids Stuff, Billboard, March 11, 2006. Klaassen, Abbey, Study: Only One In Four Teens Can Name Broadcast Networks, Advertising Age, May 15, 2006. Kruger, Jennifer Barr, Marketing To The Future, Photo Marketing, September 2005. Krummert, Bob, Why Families Favor Full Survice, Restaurant Hospitality, October 2003. Kurnit, Paul, The Elusive Tween: Here Today, Here Tomorrow?, Playthings, November 2005. La Ferla, Ruth, Wearing Their Beliefs On Their Chests, The New York Times, March 29, 2005. Lang, Joan, Aramark School Support Services: Using Research And Creativity, 12 Spot And U.B.U. Lounge Rose To The Challenge Of Getting Teens, Tweens Excited About Lunch, Nations Restaurant News, May 9, 2005. Learmonth, Michael, Disney Wishes On New Tween Star, Variety, February 20-26, 2006. Lehman, Paula, Taking The Ypulse Of The MySpace Generation, Business Week Online, December 2, 2005. Licensing Authority: Look To Gaming Promos To Target Youth Market, Promotions & Incentives, November 21, 2005. Lower-Income Kids Less Likely To Participate In Sport Leagues, Youth Markets Alert, November 1, 2005. Lowry, Brian, Shielding Kids From Smut, Variety, December 5-11, 2005. Macias, Chris, Times Up For Gizmo On Your Wrist, Sacramentao Bee, May 4, 2006.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Magazine Builds Off Tween Twin Boy Brand, Youth Markets Alert, July 15, 2006. Magazine Targets Quinceanera, Youth Markets Alert, December 15, 2005. Majewski, Lori, Teens & Celebrities, USA Weekend, May 19-21, 2006. Malls Try To Court Teenage Spending Power With Lounges, Events And Targeted Layouts, Youth Markets Alert, November 1, 2005. Many Churches Host Online Teen Pages, Youth Markets Alert, February 1, 2006. Marketers Shift Youth-Targeted Advertisements Towards Responsibility, Self-Esteem, Education, Youth Markets Alert, February 1, 2006. Martin, Denise, TV Vet Makes Tween Scene, Daily Variety, June 20, 2005. Mastroberte, Tammy, Smells Like Teen Dollars, Convenience Store News, March 7, 2005. Messer, Lesley, Too Many Papers Are Not Kidding, Editor & Publisher, August 1, 2005. Millions Of Youth Believe In Witches, Supernatural, Youth Markets Alert, February 15, 2006. Moms Exercise Strong Influence Over Teens Weight Worries, Youth Markets Alert, January 1, 2006. More Teens Blogging, Sharing Content, Youth Markets Alert, December 15, 2005. More Than Half Of Teens Say U.S. Is Headed In Wrong Direction, Youth Markets Alert, March 15, 2006. Mouskourie, Diane, Dont Talk To Strangers, The (Jacksonville, N.C.) Daily News, May 1, 2006. Nagging Gets Teens What They Want, Youth Markets Alert, June 15, 2005. NBA Expands Product Offering To Young People With NBA Kids, Sporting Goods Business, November 2005. Newman, Melinda, Dont Call Them Boy Bands, Billboard, September 10, 2005. Nickelodeon, Holiday Inn Use Multimedia Approach To Appeal To Tweens, Teens And Parents, Youth Markets Alert, June 1, 2005. No Boys Allowed: Kid Collectibles Target Tween Girls With Appeals To Social Interaction, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, June 2005. Nolan, Kelly, Fashion Week: Wal-Mart Struts The Catwalk Alongside Top Designers, DSN Retailing Today, September 26, 2005. OLoughlin, Sandra, Wal-Mart CD Targets Teens: Retailer Will Reach Consumers Via Seventeen, Teen People, SI, Brandweek, April 4, 2005. Odell, Patricia, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Promo, January 1, 2006. Online Youth Talking With Strangers, Receiving Sex Links, Youth Markets Alert, January 15, 2006. OOH! TV, Varsity Media Group Offer Teen-Oriented Digital Signage Content, Broadcast Engineering, March 10, 2006. Orloff, Brian, Boston Teens Gain Write Experience, Editor & Publisher, March 1, 2005. Oser, Kris, MTV Networks Pet Project Likely To Pay Off, Advertising Age, June 27, 2005. Other Publishers Say They Dont Plan To Follow ELLEgirl In Fleeing From Print, Youth Markets Alert, April 15, 2006. Paoletta, Michael, Dobston Targets Mainstream Via Teen-Book Synergy, Billboard, December 24, 2005.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Parents Buy Majority Of Teens First Car, Youth Markets Alert, February 15, 2006. Parents Hold The Key To Childs Healthy Weight, Forbes, May 4, 2006. Parents Worry About Childrens Financial Habits, Youth Markets Alert, September 1, 2005. Parry, Tim, Pencils, PensAnd PDAs?, Promo, August 1, 2005. Parry, Tim, Winning Gen-Xtreme, Promo, July 1, 2005. Popp, Jamie, Class Action, Restaurants & Institutions, October 15, 2005. Profiting On Tweens Cell Chats, Business Week Online, March 28, 2006. Religion Plays An Important Role For Teens, Youth Markets Alert, November 1, 2005. Rice, Reyne, Youth Electronics: Powered Up At Retail, Playthings, November 2005. Richards, Martyn, Marketing to Youth: The Brains Growing Pain, Brand Strategy, June 9, 2005. Riemenschneider, Chris, MySpace Rocks, Say Musicians, The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune, April 13, 2006. Rosen, Judith, As If! Marketing To Older Teens, Publishers Weekly, July 18, 2005. Roth, Daniel, ItsProfitmon!, Fortune, December 12, 2005. Roundup Tweens Relevance Continues To Grow, PR Week, March 27, 2006. Saba, Jennifer, Teenage Wasteland, Restaurant Business, February 1, 2006. Sargent, Lydia, Prom Queen, Footwear News, March 21, 2005. Say Hi To Teens To Get Them To Shop At Convenience Stores, Youth Markets Alert, May 1, 2006. Schlossberg, Caroline Kennedy, Bessie Nestoras, and Meredith Schwartz, Tween Times: Todays Kids Have Cash, Influence And Shopping SavvyAnd Theyre Interested In Almost Every Category, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, January 2005. Schneider, Michael, Youth Will Be Served, Daily Variety, January 21, 2005. Schneider-Levy, Barbara, Boys Club, Footwear News, February 7, 2005. Seckler, Valerie, U.S. Brand Take A Tumble With Teens, Womens Wear Daily, January 25, 2006. Secondhand Smoke Linked To Acting Out, United Press International, May 1, 2006. Sex Appeal?, Beauty Biz, June 1, 2005. Sexual Habits Of Teens, Youth Markets Alert, October 1, 2005. Smells Like Teen Marketing, Business Week Online, November 11, 2005. Smith, Stephanie D., Going Mobile, MediaWeek, May 2, 2005. Smith, Stephanie D., Varsity Letters, MediaWeek, February 13, 2006. Snyder, Gabriel, Plexes Vexed By Falling Teen Spirit, Variety, October 31, 2005. Social-Networking Sites Offer Variety Of AvenuesExplicit And OtherwiseTo Teens And Collegians, Youth Markets Alert, October 1, 2005. Soe, Katie, The Great Cultural Divide: Multiethnic Teens Struggle With Self-Identity, Others Perceptions, Contra Costa Times, May 2, 2006. Solman, Gregory, Publicis Teen Gang Mugs For T-Mobile, ADWEEK Western Edition, March 31, 2005.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Stanley, T.L., Barbie Hits The Skids, Advertising Age, October 31, 2005. Stanley, T.L., Disney Hopes Virtual Park Delivers Real-World Results, Advertising Age, January 3, 2005. Stores Crack Down On Underage Sales Of M-Rated Videogames, Youth Markets Alert, April 15, 2006. Study: Goth Teens More Likely To Hurt Themselves, Orlando Sentinel, April 20, 2006. Study: Tweens Get Spring Shopping Fever, Youth Markets Alert, May 1, 2005. Suitable For Tweens, Billboard, March 19, 2005. Symonds, William C., Hasbro Plays Nice With Tweens, Business Week Online, December 12, 2005. Szalai, Georg, News Item: High-End, High-Def Rental, The Hollywood Reporter, March 1, 2006. Take My TV, Not My Cell Phone, Youth Markets Alert, September 15, 2005. Target Will Introduce Dotty Loves, Chain Store Age, April 2005. Technology Outranks Intellectual Property, Youth Markets Alert, January 15, 2005. Tedeschi, Bob, Online Retailers Pursue Teenagers, The New York Times, February 29, 2005. Teen Drug Abuse Linked To Schools, Youth Markets Alert, September 1, 2005. Teen Girls Use Magazines To Shop For Clothes, TV For Cards, Youth Markets Alert, March 15, 2006. Teen Retailers Stuggle With The Same Challenge: Staying Ahead Of A Fickle Customer, Youth Markets Alert, May 1, 2006. Teen Talk, NEA Today, April 2005. Teenage Girls Web Use Draws Level With Boys, Marketing Week, February 24, 2005. Teenage Tribes: Teen Spirit, Brand Strategy, March 8, 2006. Teenagers Spend Lots Of Cash But Keep Plenty For Themselves, Youth Markets Alert, June 15, 2005. Teens And Gift Cards Go Hand in Hand, Promo, June 7, 2005. Teens Are Biggest Dashboard Diners, Nations Restaurant News, July 25, 2005. Teens Are Fiscally Responsible, Youth Markets Alert, October 15, 2005. Teens Are Frequents Mobile Gamers, Youth Markets Alert, February 1, 2006. Teens Drive Under Influence, Youth Markets Alert, December 15, 2005. Teens Fall Asleep In Class, Drive Drowsy, Youth Markets Alert, April 15, 2006. Teens Fear Going To War, Want Jobs, Youth Markets Alert, April 15, 2006. Teens Have High Financial Aspirations, Youth Markets Alert, January 1, 2006. Teens Interest In Videogames Declines, While MP3 Involvement Increases, Youth Markets Alert, October 15, 2005. Teens Log-Off From Online Gaming Sites, Youth Markets Alert, April 1, 2006. Teens More Open To Ads Than Previous Generations, Youth Markets Alert, October 15, 2005. Teens Prefer Search Engines Rather Than Yellow Pages, Youth Markets Alert, April 1, 2006. Teens That Marketers Ignore, And Other Notes From The What Teens Want Conference,

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Youth Markets Alert, August 1, 2006. Teens Turn To Commercials, Magazines For Movie Choices, Youth Markets Alert, April 1, 2006. Teens Want Branded Cellphone Games, Youth Markets Alert, July 15, 2006. Teens Want Good Tasting Treats That Travel, Professional Candy Buyer, September-October 2005. Teens Want Mobile Content, Youth Markets Alert, July 1, 2005. Teens Want To Become Their Own Boss, Youth Markets Alert, October 1, 2005. Teens Watching More Mobile Video, The Online Reporter, November 12, 2005. Teens, Tweens Tired Of TV: Study, Promo, August 4, 2005. Teinowitz, Ira, State Attorneys General Demand Stricter Limits on Alcohol Ads, Advertising Age, May 16, 2006. Thacher, Jessica, Cultivating Biz Whizzes, Business Week Online, May 19, 2005. Theme Parks Turn From Teens In Favor Of Families, Youth Markets Alert, May 1, 2006. Theodore, Sarah, Surprising Suggestions From Teens, Beverage Industry, July 2005. Thompson, Stephanie, Avon Struggles To Make Mark On Young Buyers, Advertising Age, February 28, 2005. Top Magazines Read By Teen Girls, Youth Markets Alert, September 1, 2005. Traiman, Steve, Licensors Toy With Artists Images, Billboard, March 5, 2005. Tran, Khanh T.L., Teens Get Repaired, Womens Wear Daily, January 5, 2006. Traver, Sheldon, Study Shows Teen Gambling Increasing, Silverton Appeal Tribune, May 3, 2006. Trendy Items, Low Prices Lure Teens, Youth Markets Alert, November 1, 2006. Troy, Mike, Tween Scrapbooks, DSN Retailing Today, February 28, 2005. Tweens Flex Their Purchasing-Decision Muscle, Chain Store Age Executive Fax, August 12, 2005. Tweens, Teens Get Social While Gaming, Youth Markets Alert, June 1, 2005. Ugly Teens More Likely To Be Criminals, Youth Markets Alert, March 15, 2006. Unhealthy Behaviors Begin Early, Fitness Business Pro, January 12, 2006. Viacom Stations Add Teen News, Broadcasting & Cable, June 13, 2005. Wasserman, Todd, Levis, P&G Try On Warner Bros. Pants, Brandweek, April 11, 2005. Wasserman, Todd, Mattel Pushes Barbie Onto Tween Scene, Brandweek, August 8, 2005. When Hollywood Hypes A Movie, Video Games Often Win The Most, PR Week, December 19, 2005. White, Jason, Cards To Novels: Star Sisterz Hitting The Book Shelves, Playthings, April 2005. Whitney, Daisy, For Kids TV, Every Day Is Saturday, Advertising Age, February 21, 2005. Williams, Candy, Body Sprays Become Popular With Teen Boys, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 11, 2006. Williamson, Rusty, Teens And Jeans, Womens Wear Daily, June 20, 2005.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Woodson, Alex, How to Sell To Marketing-Averse Teens, The Hollywood Reporter, July 13, 2005. Young Adults Prefer Free To Paid-For Downloads, New Media Age, October 20, 2005. Younger Youth More Obsessed With Money, Youth Markets Alert, December 15, 2005. Youth Cash Cards: Teenage Plastic Kicks, Marketing Week, February 2, 2006. Youth Say They Are Fine With Being Different, Youth Markets Alert, October 1, 2005. Youth Spend 11-20 Hours A Week Online, Youth Markets Alert, January 1, 2006. Youth Watchers See New Communications Trends, Activism In Their 2006 Crystal Balls, Youth Markets Alert, January 15, 2006. Youths Still Read Newspapers, Youth Markets Alert, November 15, 2005. Zammit, Deanna, Miss O And Friends Eye Tween Market, ADWEEK Online, March 17, 2005. Zarin, Darya, Teens Dont Stick To Abstinence Pledges, Finds Study, Earthtimes.org, May 4, 2005. Zeller Jr., Tom, MySpace Is Unprofessional, But Thats The Point, The New York Times, Monday, April 17, 2006. Zequeira, Claudia, For The Young, Hip And Christian, These Stores Rock, Los Angeles Times, May 28, 2005. Zwiers, Nancy, Girls Gung Ho For Arts And Crafts, Playthings, January 2006.

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3iYing 30 E. 70th St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10021 phone: 212-452-1477 http://www.3iying.com ACE*COMM Communications 704 Quince Orchard Rd., #100 Gaithersburg, MD 20878 phone: 301-721-3000 fax: 301-721-3001 http://www.acecomm.com American Academy of Pediatrics 141 Northwest Point Blvd. Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 phone: 847-434-4000 http://www.aap.org American Council on Exercise 4851 Paramount Dr. San Diego, CA 02123 phone: 858-279-8227 fax: 858-279-8064 http://www.acefitness.org American Heart Association 7272 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX 75231 phone: 800-242-8721 http://www.americanheart.org American Obesity Association 1250 24th St. NW, #300 Washington, DC 20037 phone: 202-776-7711 fax: 202-776-7712 http://www.obesity.org Ameriquest 1100 W. Town & Country Rd. Orange, CA 92868 phone: 714-541-9960 http://www.ameriquest.com Annie E. Casey Foundation 701 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21202 phone: 410-547-6600 fax: 410-547-6624 http://www.aecf.org Aramark 1101 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19107 phone: 215-238-3000 http://www.aramark.com Arbitron 142 West 57th St. New York, NY 10019 phone: 212-887-1461 http://www.arbitron.com Auto Extra 295 Bendix Rd., 5th Fl. North Virginia Beach, VA 23452 phone: 757-656-1525 http://www.autoextra.com Barna Group 1957 Eastman Ave. #B Ventura, CA 93003 phone: 805-639-0000 http://www.barna.org

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RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS & SOURCES

Boys and Girls Clubs of America 1230 Peachtree St., NW Atlanta, GA 30309 phone: 404-487-5700 fax: 404-487-5787 http://www.bgca.org Brandeis University 415 South St. Waltham, MA 02454 phone: 781-736-2000 http://www.brandeis.edu Business Software Alliance 1150 18th St., NW, #700 Washington, DC 20036 phone: 202-872-5500 fax: 202-872-5501 http://www.bsa.org Buzzback LLC 6 E. 39th St., 8th Fl. New York, NY 10016 phone: 646-519-8010 fax: 646-519-8014 http://www.buzzback.com Center for Science in the Public Interest 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, #300 Washington, DC 20009 phone: 202-332-9110 fax: 202-265-4954 http://www.cspinet.org Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University 2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW, #525 Washington, DC 20007 phone: 202-687-0884 http://www.camy.org Centers for Disease Control 1600 Clifton Rd., MS K-95 Atlanta, GA 30333 phone: 909-272-1888 fax: 770-488-8170 http://www.cdc.gov Charles Schwab Foundation 1650 South Amphlett Blvd. #300 San Mateo, CA 94402 phone: 650-655-2410 fax: 650-655-2411 http://www.cspinet.org Child Trends 4301 Connecticut Ave. NW, #350 Washington, DC 20008 phone: 202-572-6000 fax: 202-362-8420 http://www.childtrends.org Childrens Environmental Health Center at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital 3333 Burnet Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45229 phone: 513-636-4200 http://cincinnatichildrens.org Coinstar 1800 114th Ave. SE Bellevue, WA 98004 phone: 800-928-CASH http://www.coinstar.com comScore MediaMetrix 500 W. Madison St., #2980 Chicago, IL 60661 phone: 312-775-6510 http://www.comscore.com Corporation for National and Community Service 1201 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20525 phone: 202-606-5000 http://www.nationalservice.gov Dartmouth Medical School One Medical Center Lebanon, NH 03756 phone: 603-653-9663 http://www.dhmc.org Edison Media Research 6 West Cliff St. Somerville, NJ 08876 phone: 908-707-4707 http://www.edisonresearch.com Ellison Research 14804 North Cave Creek Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85032 phone: 602-493-3500 fax: 602-404-5038 http://www.ellisonresearch.com eMarketer 75 Broad St., 32nd Fl. New York, NY 10004 phone: 212-763-6010 fax: 212-763-6020 http://www.emarketer.com Energy BBDO 410 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 phone: 312-595-2538 http://www.energybbdo.com

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Entertainment Marketing Letter 160 Mercer St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-941-0099 fax: 212-941-1622 http://www.epmcom.com/eml Entertainment Software Association 575 7th Ave. NW, #300 Washington, DC 20004 phone: 202-223-2400 http://wwwtheesa.com Federal Trade Comission 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20580 phone: 202-326-3130 http://www.ftc.gov Find/SVP 625 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10011 phone: 212-645-4500 http://www.findsvp.com Forrester Research 799 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94103 phone: 415-848-1319 http://www.forrester.com Gallup Organization 901 F St. NW Washington, DC 20004 phone: 202-715-3030 fax: 202-715-3041 http://poll.gallup.com GfK NOP 75 9th Ave., 5th Fl. New York, NY 10011 phone: 212-240-5300 fax: 212-240-5353 http:///www.nopworld.com Girl Scout Research Institute 420 5th Ave. New York, NY 10018 phone: 212-852-8000 http://www.girlscouts.org Harris Interactive 135 Corporate Woods Rochester, NY 14623 phone: 716-272-8400 http://www.harrisinteractive.com Harrison Group PO Box 743 Milltown, NJ 08850 phone: 732-249-6777 http://www.harrisongroup.com Harvard School of Public Health 677 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115 phone: 617-432-4388 http://www.hsph.harvard.edu Horatio Alger Association 99 Canal Center Plaza Alexandria, VA 22314 phone: 703-684-9444 fax: 703-548-3822 http://www.horatioalger.org ICR 53 W. Baltimore Pike Media, PA 19063 phone: 484-840-4300 http://www.icrsurvey.com Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 1005 N. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22201 phone: 703-247-1599 fax: 703-247-1588 http://www.iihs.org i-SAFE 5900 Pasteur Court #100 Carlsbad, CA 92008 phone: 760-603-7911 fax: 760-603-8382 http://www.isafe.org JA Worldwide/Junior Achievement One Education Way Colorado Springs, CO 80906 phone: 719-540-6203 http://www.ja.org Jack Morton Worldwide 498 7th Ave. New York, NY 10019 phone: 212-401-7212 http://www.jackmorton.com JumpStart Coalition 919 Eighteenth St. NW, #300 Washington, DC 20006 phone: 202-466-8610 http://www.jumpstart.org JupiterResearch 475 Park Ave. South, 4th Fl. New York, NY 10016 phone: 212-389-2000 fax: 212-725-4640 http://www.jupiterresearch.com Kaiser Family Foundation 2400 Sand Hill Rd. Menlo Park, CA 94025 phone: 650-854-9400 http://www.kff.org

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RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS & SOURCES

Kelsey Group 600 Executive Dr. Princeton, NJ 08540 phone: 609-921-7200 http://www.kelseygroup.com KidShop 15 Hitching Post Lane Chappaqua, NY 10514 phone: 914-666-4800 http://www.kidshopbiz.com KidzEyes 500 N. Michigan Ave., #1331 Chicago, IL 60611 phone: 312-828-9200 http://www.kidzeyes.com Licensing Letter, The 160 Mercer St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-941-0099 fax: 212-941-1622 http://www.epmcom.com/tll M: Metrics 316 Occidental Ave. S., #200 Seattle, WA 98104 phone: 206-447-1860 fax: 206-447-1855 http://www.mmetrics.com Macerich Company 401 Wilshire Blvd., #700 Santa Monica, CA 90401 phone: 310-394-6000 fax: 310-395-2791 http://www.macerich.com Magazine Publishers of America 810 7th Ave., 24th Fl. New York, NY 10019 phone: 212-872-3710 http://www.magazine.org Management Network Group 7300 College Blvd., #302 Overland Park, KS 66210 phone: 913-345-9315 fax: 913-451-1845 http://www.tmng.com Marketing To Emerging Majorities 160 Mercer St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-941-0099 fax: 212-941-1622 http://www.epmcom.com/majorities Marketing To Women 160 Mercer St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-941-0099 fax: 212-941-1622 http://www.epmcom.com/mtw Media Head 156 W. 56th St., 5th Fl. New York, NY 10019 phone: 917-344-5367 http://www.mediaheadusa.com Mediamark Research 75 Ninth Ave., 5th Fl. New York, NY 10011 phone: 212-884-9200 fax: 212-884-9339 http://www.mediamark.com MetroPCS PO Box 601119 Dallas, TX 75360 phone: 888-863-8768 http://www.metropcs.com Millward Brown 2425 Olympic Blvd., #240E Santa Monica, CA 90404 phone: 310-309-3400 fax: 310-309-3401 http://www.millwardbrown.com Mintel 351 W. Hubbard St., 6th Fl. Chicago, IL 60610 phone: 312-932-0400 fax: 312-932-0469 http://www.mintel.com Mobilitec 1650 South Amphlett Blvd., #213 San Mateo, CA 94402 phone: 650-655-4004 fax: 650-655-4014 http://www.mobilitec.com National Association of Convenience Stores 1600 Duke St. Alexandria, VA 22314 phone: 703-518-4246 http://www.nacsonline.com National Association for Sport and Physical Education 1900 Association Dr. Reston, VA 20191 phone: 703-476-3400 http://www.aahperd.org

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National Center for Health Statistics 6525 Bellcrest Rd., #1064 Hyattsville, MD 20782 phone: 301-436-8500 http://www.cedc.gov/nchs National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 699 Prince St. Alexandria, VA 22314 phone: 703-274-3900 fax: 703-274-2222 http:///www.missingkids.com National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University 633 3rd Ave. New York, NY 10017 phone: 212-841-5200 fax: 212-956-8020 http://www.casacolumbia.org National Crime Prevention Council 1000 Connecticut Ave., NW, 13th Fl. Washington, DC 20036 phone: 202-261-4138 fax: 202-296-1356 http://www.ncpc.org National Eating Disorder Association 603 Stewart St., #803 Seattle, WA 98101 phone: 206-382-3587 http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org National Retail Federation 325 7th St. NW, #1100 Washington, DC 20004 phone: 202-783-7971 fax: 202-737-2849 http://www.nrf.com National Sleep Foundation 1522 K St. #500 Washington, DC 20005 phone: 202-347-3471 http://www.sleepfoundation.org Newspaper Association of America 1921 Gallows Rd., #600 Vienna, VA 22182 phone: 713-902-1600 http://www.naa.org Nielsen//NetRatings 120 W. 45th St., 35th Fl. New York, NY 10036 phone: 212-703-5900 http://www.nielsen-netratings.com Northwestern University 633 Clark St. Evanston, IL 60208 phone: 847-491-3741 http://www.northwestern.edu NPD Group 900 West Shore Rd. Port Washington, NY 11050 phone: 516-625-2277 http://www.npd.com Office of National Drug Control Policy 2277 Research Blvd. Rockville, MD 20850 phone: 301-519-5500 http://www.theantidrug.com OMD 11 Madison Ave., 12th Fl. New York, NY 10010 phone: 212-590-7100 fax: 646-278-3000 http://www.omd.com OTX 10567 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City, CA 090232 phone: 310-736-3400 fax: 310-736-3334 http://www.otxresearch.com Packaged Facts 38 E. 29th St. New York, NY 10016 phone: 212-807-2629 fax: 212-807-2676 http://www.packagedfacts.com Parks Associates 5310 Harvest Hill Rd., #235, Lockbox 162 Dallas, TX 75230 phone: 972-490-1113 fax: 972-490-1133 http://www.parksassociates.com Partnership for a Drug-Free America 405 Lexington Ave., #1601 New York, NY 10174 phone: 212-922-1560 fax: 212-922-1570 http://www.drugfree.org Pew Internet & American Life Project 1100 Connecticut Ave. NW, #710 Washington, DC 20036 phone: 202-296-0019 http://www.pewinternet.org

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RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS & SOURCES

Piper Jaffrey & Co./US Bancorp Piper Jaffray 800 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55402 phone: 612-303-6000 http://www.piperjaffray.com Polly Klaas Foundation P.O. Box 800 Petaluma, CA 94953 phone: 800-587-4357 http://www.pollyklaas.org Recording Industry of America 1330 Connecticut Ave. NW, #300 Washington, DC 20036 phone: 202-775-0101 fax: 202-775-7252 http://www.riaa.com Research Alert 160 Mercer St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-941-0099 fax: 212-941-1622 http://www.epmcom.com/ra Samir Husni 231 Farley Hill University, MS 38677 phone: 662-915-1414 http://www.mrmagazine.com ScenarioDNA 41 E. 11th St., 11th Fl. New York, NY 10003 phone: 212-331-1254 http://www.scenariodna.com SHOPA 3131 Elbee Road Dayton, OH 45439 phone: 937-297-2250 fax: 937-297-1081 http://www.shopa.org Simmons Market Research Bureau 700 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Bldg. 4, #201 Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 phone: 954-427-4104, x148 http://www.smrb.com Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association 1150 17th St. NW, #850 Washington, DC 20036 phone: 202-775-1762 fax: 202-296-7462 http://www.sgma.com Teenage Research Unlimited 707 Skokie Blvd., 7th Fl. Northbrook, IL 60062 phone: 847-564-3440 fax: 847-564-0834 http://www.teenresearch.com TNS Westgate London W5 1UA United Kingdom phone: 44-20-8967-0007 fax: 44-20-8967-4060 http://www.tns-global.com U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, #4675 Washington, DC 20212 phone: 202-691-6378 http://www.bls.gov U.S. Census Bureau 4700 Silver Hill Rd. Washington, DC 20233 phone: 301-673-3030 http://www.census.gov U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20250 phone: 202-720-4623 http://www.usda.gov U.S. General Accounting Office 441 G St. NW Washington, DC 20548 phone: 202-512-4800 http://www.gao.gov University of Colorado PO Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217 http://aeaweb.org University of Michigan 412 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 phone: 734-647-9069 http://www.umich.edu University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 phone: 612-625-5000 http://www.umn.edu University of New Hampshires Crimes Against Children Research Center Durham, NH 03824 phone: 603-862-1888 fax: 603-862-1122 http://www.unh.edu/ccrc

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University of North CarolinaChapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599 phone: 919-962-2211 http://www.unc.edu University of Pennsylvania 3451 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 phone: 215-898-5000 http://www.upenn.edu Visa USA 900 Metro Center Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404 phone: 650-432-3200 http://www.visa.com Weekly Reader Research 200 1st Stamford Pl. Stamford, CT 06912 phone: 203-705-3500 http://www.weeklyreader.com Yahoo! 701 1st Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 phone: 408-731-3300 fax: 408-616-3650 http://www.yahoo.com Yankee Group 31 St. James Ave. Boston, MA 02116 phone: 617-956-5000 http://www.yankeegroup.com Yankelovich 400 Meadowmont Village Circle #431 Chapel Hill, NC 27517 phone: 919-932-8600 fax: 919-932-8829 http://www.yankelovich.com Youth Markets Alert 160 Mercer St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10012 phone: 212-941-0099 fax: 212-941-1622 http://www.epmcom.com/yma Youth Intelligence 9 W. 10th St. New York, NT 10011 phone: 212-277-9090 fax: 212-982-6937 http://www.youthintelligence.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

aren Raugust was the Executive Editor of The Licensing Letter, the authoritative newsletter on the licensing business published by EPM Communications, from 1990 to 1996. She has also written and edited other EPM publications, including The Licensing Business Handbook (5th edition, 2004), TLL s Licensed Property Benchmarking Study (2001), The EPM Fad Study (1998), International Licensing: A Status Report (1996, 1999, 2001) and The Market for Childrens Entertainment & Media (1997). She serves as a licensing consultant and is frequently quoted in the media. Currently, Ms. Raugust is a freelance writer specializing in licensing, entertainment, and business, contributing to more than 30 publications including Publishers Weekly, American Artist, Supermarket News and Animation

Magazine. Through her Minneapolis-based company, Raugust Communications, she provides consulting services that include creating marketing and business plans, compiling research reports, and writing and editing. She is the author of Merchandise Licensing for the Television Industry (Focal Press, 1995) and a contributor to The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising (Crain Communications, 2001), The Only Sales Promotion Techniques Youll Ever Need (Dartnell, 1996), Contemporary Fashion (Gale Publications, 2001), American Women Writers (St. James, 1999) and other titles. Prior to her work with EPM, Ms. Raugust held positions at Union Square Press and Editor & Publisher magazine. She holds a BA from Carleton College and an MBA from Columbia University.

ABOUT EPM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

PM Communications is a New York City-based publishing, research and consulting firm specializing in marketing-oriented information. The privately-held company publishes the newsletters Research Alert, Youth Markets Alert, Marketing to the Emerging Majorities, Marketing to Women, The Licensing Letter and Entertainment Marketing Letter. In addition to "Marketing To Teens & Tweens," EPM publishes "Profiles Of The U.S. Internet User," "Profiles Of The U.S. Entertainment Consumer," "Profiles Of The U.S. Food Shopper," "What Moms Think And Do," and "Brand And Package Likeability," among other studies of American consumer behavior. In the area of licensing and merchandising, EPM publishes "The Licensing Business Handbook," "The Licensing Letter Royalty Trends Report," "International Licensing: A Status

Report" and other proprietary research reports. EPM also produces two annual directories, "The EPM Entertainment Marketing Sourcebook" and "The Licensing Letter Sourcebook;" and two yearbooks, "All About Women Consumers" and the "Research Alert Yearbook." The company provides telephone-based short-term consulting services to its subscribers through "The 60minute Consultant" program, and develops on-site seminars for subscriber companies. Company co-founder Ira Mayer, as well as lead editors Martin Brochstein and Susan Nunziata, are also available for public speaking engagements on consumer trends across all demographic and lifestyle groups; licensing and merchandising; and entertainment marketing. EPM was founded in 1988 by Ira and his wife and partner Riva Bennett.

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