Big Brands Are Finally Adapting In Support Of Our Teenagers

We live in a day and age where teenagers will be the consumer pool of the future so advertising to this group is vital. This has been recognised by bigger brands who are now beginning to break the mould when it comes to their advertising techniques, all in an effort to support our teenagers.

Younger shoppers are more influenced by social media than perhaps their parents would be. Think of the influence that Instagram has on our youngsters. Pair this with reviews on YouTube and it’s a no brainer why businesses are going down this road.

With this in mind, brands have a duty of care towards their audience. A duty of care will see them remain as inclusive as they can be, make more informed decisions around their marketing materials and present themselves as the brand for a diverse range of people using both offline AND online methods.

River Island

River Island has partnered with Ditch The Label, an anti-bullying charity to launch its ‘Labels Are For Clothes’ campaign. The campaign is set to champion self-expression and rejects stereotypes.

It is River Islands most diverse campaign yet, using people from all different kinds of backgrounds including those with downs syndrome and disabilities. River Island has acknowledged its responsibility to protect the world around them, seeing as everyone wears clothes.

For young people, in particular, shopping at high street brands like this is just one part of growing up and for them to see that different people are being represented on a national scale, will allow them to become more accepting of the world around them. This can only be a good thing.

Clearasil

Clearasil has been around for as long as I can remember so they are very much a tried and tested brand that generation after generation head back to.

It was a bold move for the brand to release a campaign admitting they “didn’t know teens”. Perhaps more triumphantly, the brand’s ad campaign rose from their incorrect use of a meme, which was then ripped apart by teenage viewers saying Clearasil clearly didn’t know what teens liked. In the campaign, employees of Clearasil presented themselves in a series of videos as being woefully out of touch with teen culture. The employees admitted that they while they may know teen acne, they don’t know teens. The campaign’s success lay in the sense of honesty, which teenagers would connect with, rather than attempting to present themselves as “cool”. Which goes a long way with modern teenagers.

Doritos

In a recent Google study of 13-17-year-olds Doritos were placed higher than Apple and even Instagram in terms of “coolness”. As surprising as this is, how is this brand reaching out to support teens?

The ideal way to be more appealing to teenagers to support the movements they support themselves. Doritos were winning the moment they released their limited-edition rainbow-coloured snack. To get one of these colourful packs, a donation had to be made to the It Gets Better Project. Not surprisingly, this resonated hugely with consumers and the limited-edition Doritos quickly sold out.

Nike

Nike also scored very well in Google’s study. Teenagers ranked them the same level of “cool” as Apple, and outdoing the likes of Coca-Cola, Twitter and Starbucks.

Nike shows their support for sports stars who stand up against racial injustices with their latest campaign, featuring Raheem Sterling. The willingness to “speak out” in defence of equality has a massive appeal to teenagers in particular, who have a greater appreciation not only for what a brand sells, but what it stands for.

Lil-Lets

For young girls, starting their periods can be an exciting but scary time in their life. Lil-lets have created a range specifically for teens which aims to break the stigma around periods.

Lil-Lets teens pads have been created so that they are smaller and narrower which means they are often a better fit for a young girl’s body. They are just as absorbent as adult products and are comfortable to wear – something that is so important for a young girl and her confidence.

Alongside the practical side of the range, Lil-lets have thought about what kind of design would appeal to young girls. The packaging uses pastel colours and love-heart sketches in a discreet design that reinforces that teenage periods don’t have to be a scary thing to encounter and will allow young girls to carry products around without feeling embarrassed when the time comes.

Dove

Dove has recently launched the Self-Esteem Project that has assisted in changing 40 million lives through educational programmes. Their research has discovered that a shocking nine out of ten girls put their own health at risk by not seeing doctors or missing out on meals, down to low self-esteem.

The brand offers adults free parent, teacher and youth leader resources, to help talk to a young person who may lack in confidence. Alongside this, they have a blog that allows you as parents or carers, to learn more about key areas that influence a teens life — from school bullying and mental health to social media and reality TV pressures.

It’s clear that big, major brands are making more of an effort to cater to their newly found audience who will, in turn, become their main consumer base. They are capturing their custom and more importantly their trust and in doing so, they will ensure loyalty as they transition from teen-to-adult in the near future.