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What is the role of youth in shaping e-marketing trends?

What does internet marketing gain from the presence of young people in the goods and services market? What are the opportunities and risks involved in the cooperation of marketers and bloggers? Read what Krzysztof Majkowski, team leader and senior business consultant[nbsp]at Gemius, has to say about the role of youth in shaping trends.

Young people care about themselves as a brand

For example, the fact that someone likes a given brand or "follows" it on Twitter does not mean that particular brand is important to that person. It only shows that the person identifies with a certain concept or image, with the values or emotions. The key is to understand that young people don’t care about the brand as such, they care about themselves as a brand. If the brand personifies a style, a value with which they identify, which makes them unique in some way, then they will become a "fan". To sum up, young people don’t care about a particular brand until they have reason to identify with it and use it to create their own brand.

Converse, don’t deliver a monologue

It opens up far greater possibilities, including the potential for direct – and above all, personalised – communication, through channels such as social media. Content which is engaging and tailored to a specific audience is key. This can be done through advertising, but we have a better chance of reaching a teenager with a specific message by communicating "with” them, not "at” them.

Bloggers are opinion leaders

The blogosphere is a great example, showing both the potential and the restrictions and risks. This is perhaps best illustrated by fashion and cosmetics blogs. Certain bloggers, such as Maffashion, who is well known to most internet users, have attained celebrity status through persistent work. Their potential from a marketing point of view is largely associated with the fact that the best bloggers know how to create interesting content and how to attract followers. Their very presence and commitment to a project generates interest. Moreover, by simply involving them in marketing campaigns or product placement, we are guaranteed greater audience engagement than any advertisement could provide. Additionally, we reach a specific target group. The risk involved is basically a reversal of what I mentioned earlier. If we choose the wrong blogger, our return on the investment will be very poor.