Studying Mobile Youth’s Behavior Important for Mobile Advertising

Today, mobile and youth go hand-in-hand. The younger generation is a faster adopter of the mobile phone is always on a lookout for new and exciting mobile content and services ranging from games to social networking. Brands and advertisers are trying to make inroads into the lives of today’s youth and have a keen focus to promote their products and services this potential customer base through all the media channels, TV, PC and mobile. Mobile marketing and advertising industry also sees youth as a key consumer of mobile advertisements. However, this user group is demanding and experimental at the same time and mobile marketers will need to have a very clear understanding of the changing behavior and expectations of the customers, who are in their teens and early twentys.

A new research by, Mobile Behavior’s Next Great Thing, a wireless communications agency tries to understand the latest trends among the youth. NGT’s Global Youth Survey quizzed a panel of 108 respondents between the ages of 14-29 in seven countries (Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and the US). The survey quizzed them on entertainment choices, communications preferences, social media habits, cultural influences, noteworthy fads and thoughts on advertising. In its 60-page report, NGT boils down the answers and teases out the resounding trends and themes.

The results of the Mobile Behavior’s NGT’s Global Youth Survey reveal some interesting trends from the younger generation.

Making mobile the "first screen": Young people all over the world are deserting the PC straight  make the mobile phone their "first screen" for entertainment, communications, news, and social interaction. For tweens, teens and 20-somethings, the "Connected Class," the phone is becoming an extension of themselves, a part of their identity. 68% of the survey respondents said that their mobile device is their most essential personal device (followed by Laptop/PC at 40%).

SMS still leads the way: The mobile phone is still predominantly used amongst the youth for text messaging, an easy, discrete and often cheaper way to chat. 48% of survey respondents said that their most frequent use of their mobile is SMS/text messaging, compared to 40% who picked voice conversation. The survey also found that text messaging was especially popular in Singapore, among the other regions.

Social influence of choosing networks: According to the survey, most respondents choose the social networks they use based upon what is popular among their friends and peers. While some like Facebook because it is very easy and enjoyable to use,  others preferred MySpace for its customization options.

"Collective Individualism" makes networkers stay together: Communicating with like minds online, whether they are friends or strangers, is one of the main drivers of social networking. The survey also found that that the older a person is, the more likely he or she is to contribute on the online communities and social networks as a forum for creating and sharing content.

Advertising should be rewarding and non-annoying: The survey found that TV commercials were the most popular form of advertising, though the experiential approach–giving free trials and samples–are equally as effective in Hong Kong. According to respondents, the best kind of advertising would be giving free samples and television ads that use interesting and new ideas. Limited editions are popular in places like South Korea and Hong Kong. Advertisements supported by celebrities and stars are viewed to be more exciting. The respondents also voiced that "an ad shouldn’t pop up and annoy you while you are trying to get something done online, it should intrigue you when you want to be intrigued".

Understanding consumer behavior is always so important form brands to be able to develop a relationship with them. The youth, as a customer base presents both opportunities and challenges with every dynamic nature. For mobile marketing to really come up a level, where it can compete head-on with the big media and eventually overtake them, it has to have the youth on its side. Issues related to privacy and interference have to be addressed to achieve that. "Pop-ups" or unwanted "Spam SMS" are not acceptable to these users…and don’t forget the REWARD!

The NGT’s research report is available for purchase at Ypulse Research. We would also like to have a special mention of Allison Mooney, director of trends & insights at Mobile Behavior’s Next Great Thing, who revealed the key highlights of the research in her blog post on Ypulse. To read her post, visit Ypulse

Ypulse is a media platform for youth media and marketing professionals. Ypulse publishes a blog, Ypulse.com; a newsletter, the Ypulse Daily Update; and produces several conferences each year, the Ypulse Mashup events.

Next Great Thing is a wireless communications agency and a part of Mobile Behaviour, an Omnicom Group company managed by Fleishman-Hillard. It aims to help brands deliver relevant, compelling, made-for-mobile advertising to consumers when and where they want it.

Sources: Ypulse, Next Great Thing

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