If you watch any kind of TV and pay attention to the ads – the images, the sounds, and the appeal – it’s all very youthful – cool, fresh, and relevant.  Major brands like the Pepsi’s and Starbucks of the world ‘get it’ and have made it a PR/marketing best practice for many years to tap this market.  There is huge importance of tapping into the youth market to build and sustain a brand.

Capturing this audience isn’t easy.  The youth market is ever-changing and unique; their attention span is short and shifty in ways imperceptible to outsiders, yet engaging this marketing is important and equally so requires getting it right the first time.
So how does one go about identifying tactics and strategies that will help them land this desirable audience?  As the trendsetters of tomorrow’s future, it’s important to note, this market influences up, down and across audiences.  For example, if a technology company comes out with a new device they specifically target youth first because the youth market will introduce their parents to the product, influence their peers which will inevitably influence their grandparents and naturally influence the generation below them.  Do you see the power?

First you have to attract this audience to begin with.  Since they are hard to convince, you must adopt unorthodox ways of engaging this market.  They shun traditional and predictable methods so think social media.  They are the reason Twitter & Facebook are so successful – corporations are fighting to attach themselves to the success of this social media wave. Small businesses should be finding ways to reach this youth market as well. Secondly, make your connection to them meaningful.  This market’s “BS” meter is extra sensitive so it’s important to keep the fluff at a minimum, otherwise you risk sending off red flags and sirens that can back fire.

As a PR/Marketing professional, when wearing my “PR” hat, I caution clients about turning marketing-speak and ad copy into a press release.  It’s an extreme turnoff to everyone and it shows your lack of experience.  If you’re unsure how to do this, employ a team of professionals to help you identify the right messages to convey to your various audiences because how you speak to one is most likely not how you speak to the other.

Lastly, think “must-have.” What is it about your brand that is to die for? For youth, very early in life the possession of certain items becomes a defining quality in socialization.  So, get them wanting to add to their “stuff” with your brand so they can brag to their friends about it.  There is much more to think about when engaging this market but this should put you on the right path.  If you get it right, mom, dad, grand-dad and maw-maw with little Susie should be ringing your phone off the hook!

Think how all of your online marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, public relations, direct mail and loyalty programs influence a youthful audience.

Editor’s note: Tamika Morrison is an accomplished writer and public relations professional with over a decade of experience.  She has worked with a diverse clientele as a PR and marketing consultant and currently serves as the Director of PR and Communications at TWS Marketing Communications in Atlanta.   To date, her clients have appeared in national media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, CNN, The Washington Times, Fox, ABC, The CW, CBS, NBC and several other national TV, radio and online media outlets. Tamika can be contacted via Twitter @twsprfirm or Facebook @mcmtownhall.