#YouthMarketing: Youth marketing requires a convergence of media

Akhona Gushman

Youth marketing requires a convergence of media. But where do all these media platforms converge? In one's hand, of course. A typical 360 activation would begin on Twitter with a sensational tweet, land up on Instagram with an impressive image, pop up on Facebook with an in-depth caption, and be shared widely on Whatsapp.

A mobile device allows for all media to exist simultaneously in an individualised format. And which youth doesn't want to be seen an individual? So how do brands evolve with this complex market?

Make it on time

Once upon a time in 2003, it was about location. Facebook was where the youth were desperate to engage with content. With just an hour at Akin's Internet Cafe, one would scramble on to the Book of Face in order to update their status, tag a friend, poke a friend and post a long-winded note about their current emotional state.

Over a decade later, Akin is out of business and my phone is now my very expensive internet cafe. With so much content in the palm of every youth's hand, brands are forced to identify their unique differentiator with a meaningful purpose that relates to a very complex and finicky segment of the market.

You need to know when the youth is waking up because when they do, they reach for that phone. If you don't catch them at the right time, your well-crafted content might as well have never existed. It simply gets shoved to the bottom of the feed and will never be seen again. #Redundant.

Make it an experience

Now that you've caught me at the right time, your brand has just 10 seconds to grab my attention. You better make them count otherwise I will unfollow or worse - block! The youth may spend hours upon hours online, however they are very selective about where every precious second goes.

Make it green

The youth does not like clutter. They are minimalists, but not. They are simple, but not. Sorry, not sorry. Everything that warrants my attention is on my phone. If it is not on my phone, it gets ignored. This includes pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, photocopies of reports and other random pieces of paper that require actual space in the real world. If you cannot drop it in my Google Drive, it is not worth sending. If you are not soft-copy friendly, you are not for me.

Make it possible

Eco-friendly paperless gym, Go Health Club epitomises the above points. This wellness brand seeks to transform the often daunting gym experience into a digital native space - meeting the consumer where they are, in the very palm of their hands. Go Health Club uses a mobile wellness key to accurately track client activity and progress. This in-house technology seamlessly links and shares individual data with the Go Health app and online platforms - creating a personalised and effective gym experience.

Youth marketing requires finessing. In order to make it a worthwhile experience, it must be on time and online. Just like this article, content must be short, to the point and written for the youth.