Social Media and Customer Behavior Group Project 1 Tim Arnold Jamie Gregor Colin Householder Christopher Moore

Stephanie Sheppard Rodrique Thompson Group 5: Teenage Mutant Ninja Consumers Instructor: Ze Wang March 16, 2011

Age demographics are very important as we research marketing and consumer behaviors. As we get older, our personal interests change and develop along with the new ideas and innovations that inspire our daily lives. Product life cycles come and go like trends in the fashion industry; technology influences consumers starting from those who created the technology, to their children who are raised with it. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Consumers are a research group named for our love of nostalgia, and for how we seek to find connections amongst the generations. We have chosen to study three different age groups, beginning with the Tweens who are 8-14 years old, Generation Y consisting of college students or recent alumni, and lastly the Baby Boomers, who are starting to enter retirement and seniority in the workplace. From our perspective, this project not only demonstrates modern day marketing concepts, but also presents a challenge for us to research certain age groups. Our goal was to explore and define these three distinct age cohorts based upon their consumer behavior. The tween market was of particular interest to us because they were born in a generation of optimal technology that is growing at an exponential rate. Since we are all college students, and while at times it may be biased for us to analyze our own age cohort, we were interested to in analyzing our peers views. Lastly we chose to study the baby boomer generation; although baby boomers are the largest consumer age group, they are more difficult for us to reach out to via social media and this intrigued us to explore their impact on social media. The focus of this project is to better understand the consumer behaviors related to these different age groups. This is a significant research topic for all of us because it gives us the experience of market research based on age demographics and the similarities as well as differences between those consumers based upon how they buy, what they buy, and how they react

3 to elements of different stimulus. Beginning the consumer research project, we investigated the Tween age demographic, whom are in their early teenage years born in the late nineties or earlier part of the millennium. This particular age cohort is a group of young consumers that are easily impressionable, and are heavily influenced by their previous generational cohorts. Upon initial online research, we were tasked to use a social media site that specifically targeted this selected group of individuals. J-14 Magazine's website is a great research tool that keeps up with all the trends relevant and important to youth in this age group. With J-14 being labeled as a "teeny bopper" magazine, my group figured this site would be adequately appropriate with its polls, quizzes, fashion blogs, editorials, giveaway contests, celebrity profile pages, and even user generated fan fiction. Upon reading the results from all the various surveying outlets the website offers, we have discovered that today's teenagers are very up to date and fast paced. They keep up with all the latest celebrity happenings and are constantly using the Internet in an attempt to satisfy their insatiable fan appetites. They value technology, hip brands of clothing, fast food, identifying with their favorite celebrities, and living a fast paced lifestyle filled with text messages and multitasking. As mentioned earlier, Tweens are a dynamic age group, rightfully growing up in a world of advanced technology. When asked their favorite technology device, most replied a computer, followed by an iPod and cell phones. When asked what their favorite technology device is, most replied a computer, over other choices of their ipod or cell phone. Even upon reading the fan fiction section, which is a huge section of stories where teenagers fantasize about various scenarios involving the young musical sensation, Justin Bieber, one can see how technologically savvy this group really is. The Tweens are also more aware of health and lifestyle choices, as supported with a

4 survey conducted on J-14 which reveals that kids should stop smoking because its disgusting and causes so many deaths. In addition, when simply asked which of the following values are most important, the majority of the Tweens answered health, second only to family. Despite the focus on technology and celebrities among the Tweens, family and friends are ranked highly in terms of priority. Family appears to be a main concern and an important factor in Tweens lives. One poll revealed 41% of 29 participants rated family as the most important aspect of their lives. Furthermore, in a poll asking which of the following are your role models, my mom was selected by 22% of poll-takers, second to Justin Bieber. It is important to notice how Tweens look-up to celebrities as role models. A majority of the website's users particularly view the young pop singer, Justin Bieber, as their patron mascot. The level of infatuation the website's users have with this artist is quite remarkable to say the least. From the evidence of preferred role models, we can infer this generation has favorable attitudes toward both family and celebrities, which may influence them in marketing ad campaigns utilizing a celebrity endorsement or a family centered product. It may also be wise to consider the needs of this generation of tech savvy, vibrant Tweens. This age cohort has a high need for achievement and instant gratification. As technology becomes faster and more complex, yet constantly becomes more feasible the need to succeed is growing as well as the need for prompt service. The aspirations of this young generation will likewise be monumental. In a poll that questioned how the Tweens wanted to make a living, 50% answered a movie star; similarly, the second most popular answer, at 19%, was a doctor. Although each profession seems very different, the practice, dedication, and meticulous skills needed for each are identical. Despite the innocence of this age group, they are not to be overlooked in consumer markets or underestimated in their power of influence.

5 Based on this information, technology is the best way to reach Tweens, who consistently immerse themselves in it on a daily basis. As marketers, it is vital for brands to be hip and desirable. Word of mouth is our strongest form of promotion to this age group, since friends and family have the strongest influence on this age group. For example, Tweens are constantly gossiping and telling all their friends about the latest buzz. Tweens also want to be engaged in a way that is fun and entertaining; they love games on mobile phones and using the Internet. Youth oriented television shows are also a good avenue for them, however mobile Internet is better, since it is more likely that the Tween will notice it, as they are even on their cell phones when they are watching television. A presence on the web and particular sites that they tend to frequent, especially advertising on Facebook, are a marketers greatest asset when it comes to this young generation. Moving onward, in the crazy, topsy-turvy world of marketing, original plans often fall through because peoples views and lifestyles are constantly changing. The best place to use social media to reach college-students and recent grads is none other than Facebook. TMNC created a group and invited friends to a forum to discuss our research questions. We first asked our peers their top three most important values or ideals. The top ranked answers were love, faith, honesty, trust, intelligence and education. Most students listed virtues, although one student listed Living life on purpose as his ideal. Next, we questioned the type of technology used, and how often. With this question the answers were almost universal. Computer, phone and Internet were in almost every response, but others such as car, ipod, and xbox also showed up often. One intellectual respondent answered he uses technology Every day, all day. Bed, cups, clothes, doors,

6 et cetera. When we asked what three products you could not live without, once again computer, phone and car made up a large percentage of the answers, demonstrating reliance on the Internet and mobile technology. Other interesting things listed were coffee, contacts and glasses, wallet, keys, chap-stick, hair mousse and Twizzlers. One scary person listed rifle, rope, and knife as his most valued products. The second to last question was, What are your typical indulgences? More than half of the respondents said food or eating out. Other common answers were Facebook, friends, movies and video games. One interesting respondent said that buying stationary was one of their indulgences. The final question was about who or what inspires them. This question easily garnered the most differentiated responses. While God and family were the most common answers, many others such as people who challenge me or small acts of kindness also were reported. One person even said that they inspired themselves, and then proceeded to explain how that did not make him conceited. Although many answers were different among the respondents, trends can easily be picked up through our varied responses. Similar to Tweens, college students can be seen as people who live busy, yet technology based lives. They can be seen as focused and varied, but they still heavily value what little free time they can spare. Food, especially fast food, is seen as almost a staple of college life. Although the results may be somewhat tinted, it seems faith and religious values also play a large part in the decisions an average college student makes daily. Jumping ahead a few decades, Baby Boomers, the fastest growing and most affluent consumer segment that exists, possess the purchasing power of over 78 million U.S. citizens. Boomers spend almost $2 trillion dollars on goods and services each year and over 70% are willing to try new brands, according to BoomersInt.org, a 50s+ social group. This website offers links and features for its members in the areas of entertainment, nostalgia, culture, advice, the golden age,

7 and spirituality. In addition, they sponsor a Yahoo group, which we are monitoring and analyzing for this project. Yahoo group member, D.J., said, I researched this group and found it to be open, warm and very active. This group seems to give the refreshing opportunity to communicate with people around my age [and] that does not have the goal of improving someone's business, selling me something, or seeking gain financially. This group allows members to discuss common values and experiences, while sharing news thats important to them. First, Baby Boomers are at a stage in life where they are experiencing a lot of change. For example, according to boomersint.org, when Baby Boomers become empty nesters, since they no longer have the economic burden, they expend more disposable income in order to live in comfort and explore new and foreign aspects of live. For example, Johns posts on the Yahoo group, I feel like a 61 year old in a 5 year old [body]... the garden keeps me busy. Marketers can take advantage of opinions and values like this by offering services and goods that create feelings of youth and self-fulfillment. In addition, our research found that contrary to popular belief, this generation is interested in technology and its benefits. For example, when June posted asking about members opinions on Kindle, several responses were positive. One of these, posted by Dan, stated, I was amazed one day when a friend of mine and I were discussing a book in a park and he downloaded the book right there in a couple of minutes. Ah technology. According to boomersint.org, Boomers find excitement exploring with technology and the one-touch multi-media interaction it provides. A perfect example of Baby Boomers technology preference is exemplified by the Apple iPad. Bloomberg Businessweek wrote on this in August of 2010, in an article titled The iPad Leads Apple to the Elderly. According to SoldonSeniors.com, 74% use the Internet to find health information and 78% make online purchases. Obviously, a vast majority of Boomers are no longer

8 laggards in the world of technology. Also, SoldonSeniors.com notes that Boomers account for over 40% of total consumer demand. On the Yahoo group, we found posts on the best places to retire, retirement plans, and even toothpaste. One member, Bruce, posted an ode to toothpaste that included, The toothpaste we generally most like is that minty white kind associable with a mild kind of abrasiveness and with a definite albeit very temporary freshening of breath. In addition, several posters commented on interactions with their grandkids and asked for fun ideas for things to do with them. In fact, SoldonSeniors.com says Boomers spend $29 billion yearly on grandchildrens gifts. Clearly, this is not a group just shopping for themselves. In the end, we found that Boomers have a huge amount of purchasing power and a wide variety of values, interests, and desires. They seek activities and products to spend new disposable income on, especially those that enhance self-fulfillment and feelings of youth. Similarly to the Tweens and Generation Y, Boomers also are interested in technology and use it regularly. Finally, they have formed opinions over a lifetime on products like toothpaste, but unlike Tweens and Generation Y, are also seeking out new products like retirement plans, gifts for grandchildren, and new places to explore. As marketers, where the world of business and marketing has advanced exponentially in such a short period of time, the concept of new places to explore is not uncommon. For the elderly age groups, we would recommend marketers show how their brand, product or organization can enhance Boomers lives through enjoyment, feelings of youth, and self-fulfillment. It also might help to build on the "good old days" as this group is going through a lot of change and it helps to have a product that is comfortable and makes one feel secure during change. Finally, they could focus on family, especially spending time with grandkids.

9 Overall, in order to properly leverage social media channels for consumer research, the goal is to begin a conversation. Researching J-14 magazine, we were able to create an account to monitor our personally created polls in which many other J-14 site users would vote on their best answer. This research tool was very beneficial to monitor and track how the Tween generation reacts to certain inquiries. On the other hand, it was quite a challenge to use this site as well because users are limited to creating polls as opposed to discussions. When creating polls, we were prompted to generate options. Although polltakers have the option to comment, limited users took advantage of it. As a result, we were forced to infer the reasons behind common answers. Some cons with using this website, is that it is a little too exclusive since females make up most of the populace on J-14's website. There isn't much of a male perspective on this website. For male oriented Tween perspectives, we had to use alternate websites like hip hop magazine's The Source website, GamePro's website, and Sports Illustrated for Kids, where the forums on those website shows a lot of young men's values in those specific niche Tween magazine markets. Also, we are only targeting users of those magazines who post online in those websites, and to those who answer our polls and forum postings. Despite the limitations, these websites had a great variety of features used to study Tweens, including polls, quizzes, blogs, fan fiction, celebrity posts, video blogs and editor posts. When we first tried to reach the college students age group, things did not exactly go as planned. Our goal was to use groups on Facebook that centered mostly on college life and ask our questions there. However, many groups and organizations were not too happy about our posting inquiries on their pages, and deleted them quickly. Worse off, of the posts that were not deleted, received little attention. The lack of response and places to actually reach college students on the Internet was starting us off on the wrong foot. However, an ingenious idea to use our college

10 student friends on Facebook as the group, and then creating an event in which we listed our questions allowed for a wide variety of responses. With over 500 million users, Facebook is a relative social media tool that millions of college student utilize on a daily basis. There is an abundance of groups, fan pages, and special interest groups. Furthermore, users can create their own public or private groups, events, and pages. Although Facebook has changed the marketing world, there are some limitations. First, not all of the groups and fan pages are updated or active on a regular basis. Administrators either lose interest, or forget to delete them. Facebook is seen as a personal leisure activity to most users, and as a result not everyone responded to the questions since there is not an obligation. In any survey or questionnaire, responses may not be the truth, but what the respondent thinks the marketer wants to hear. Another social tool used to study Generation Y was Yahoo Groups. TMNC found college groups are prevalent on Yahoo, however not in the U.S., which was our primary target. Furthermore, these groups do not speak English fluently and may perceive the question differently way to culture differences. U.S. Groups sought after on Yahoo Groups were not active or were irrelevant to our study of the college age demographic. From a perspective of a product, brand, or organization related to Generation Y, TMNC recommends finding a unique way to reach the college age group because they do not respond to typical marketing strategies. Creating a specific marketing plan linked to special interests such as technology, music, and particular interest groups that college students feel strongly about to reach the college age group would work best. Thinking outside the box and using creativity to produce something unique that college students can relate to is vital for capturing the attention of Generation Y. Initially, we researched the Boomer age group using a Yahoo Group and one other website

11 that supports it. If it weren't for the website, we would have had a really hard time getting enough substantial information out of the Yahoo group. Yahoo groups lack relevance and currency. However, one benefit of using this group was that it was guaranteed that each member was a baby boomer and, also, it was a well-organized group with a decent amount of members. One more advantage is that the group has a lot of stored history, so abundant information was readily available. Limitations of our methodology included the fact that a very small amount of members made up a large amount of the responses. Also, we had to get permission from the host to post our questions and she was really slow getting back to us, so we had to base our research findings off previous posts and make inferences. From this social media marketing research experience, TMNC have learned to do untraditional research and truly use resources in the best possible way. We have also learned that you cannot ever make assumptions about a consumer book. We originally thought Baby Boomers would be inept at using technology, but we found out they are quite tech savvy, especially those participating in the Yahoo Group. Social media is highly influential for Tweens, where they post their statuses on Facebook, Twitter or any other site, and their friends on these websites comment on them. It has become the mainstream method of communication for this group, since it can happen at any time, at any place. In some cases it can even replace more traditional communications methods like a phone call. What the kids are seeing is that celebrity fame is also now being measured in how many plays a song gets, or how many views, likes, or fans they have on social media websites. It is influencing our next generation to be more resourceful and to seek out information on their own, where recommendations from posts on social media are their most influential sources. Finally, we have learned the value of using teamwork to delegate the tasks of a project and play to each person's skills, which will be an asset both now and in our future careers.

12 Not only has this online experience broadened our perspectives of consumer behavior pertaining to different ages demographics, social media has become streamline in the 21st century. We talked about our extended selves in class; to many, our social media sites and accounts have become part of our extended selves. We have constant and instant access to sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn through not only laptops, but also, applications on any Smartphone. Users update their pictures, statuses, and profiles regularly, frequently several times a day. Social media is becoming the norm rather than the exception when it comes to interpersonal communication. In fact, our group used Facebook to communicate to one another throughout the entire project! The influence of social media is extraordinary because it permeates every aspect of our culture and becomes an extended self for so many. Every thought, action or idea can be dispersed with a click of a button and other clicks spread it even further until that very thought or action is itself our culture. The limits of doing research based on social media are many. First, communication is still inconsistent for the most part on social media sites. Users are not required to login at certain times or told to post particular areas of interest. The concept is quite lenient, and due to the leniency, it hindered the amount of research we were able to collect. Furthermore, gathering data on the true person may not always be accurate; as for many, social media sites represent their ideal selfperceptions and esteem, not their real, or insecure personal images. Finally, it isn't very often that someone comes on to a social media site to enact a long, engaging dialog. Since the point of social media itself is that it is quick, easy and transferable, users may post a status, photo or video and are not inclined to wait for the first person to comment. Rather, account holders login again at a later date and view comments. This further supports and reinforces the concept of leisure and leniency that go hand in hand with social media sites. In addition, the difficulty to obtain specific data from

13 social media is sometimes frustrating. This is mainly difficult due to the frequency of posts from other users and noise levels on social media websites, the posts can easily be overlooked as another one comes in. Also, a lot of younger people are starting to become oppositional towards all the frequent advertising seen on these websites; it often causes an adaptation effect which causes the consumers to overlook the brand or product being advertised. Also social media is a fast-paced online environment, where anything with specific detail or elaborate answers can be overlooked or avoided. People have extremely short attention spans on social media websites; the amount of posts or tweets from each user's hundreds of friends and followers or liked-pages may cause a case of information overload, and force us to deviate our attention to another post that stimulates our attention.

In conclusion, through this project we learned to utilize social media in consumer behavior research. We were able to see that sometimes age demographics can defy stereotypes and that each group has a unique opinion in the marketplace formed by common characteristics and shared experiences. It is absolutely imperative that marketers pay attention to these opinions and each age groups market behavior in order to make informed, successful decisions. Kowwwwabunga!