IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

A new study into the consumer behaviour of an important segment of the youth market has provided useful information for e-Government planners needing to get their services used by young early-adopters.

Research agency NOP has published a study which has identified a distinct segment, the 12 per cent of children aged 9-16 years who sway the buying decisions and behaviour of not only their peer group but also those who fall within their sphere of influence - including parents and siblings. This is useful reading as it could help fine-tune an e-Government marketing plan.

Key Findings of the report are:

• Young Influentials are significantly more likely to text, phone, email and chat online with their friends than non-Influentials
• Young Influentials are more than double as likely to participate in activities at school than their non-Influentials peers
• Young Influentials are significantly more likely to be in charge of organising things to do for their group of friends
• Young Influentials are significantly more likely to read magazines, newspapers and shop regularly than their peers
• Young Influentials tried almost 9 new products or services per month compared to those who described themselves as 'Followers', who tried 6.5 new things
• Young Influentials are almost 5 times more likely to say they are involved in almost all household decisions than their non-Influentialcounterparts

At the centre of conversation and of the playground, Young Influentials are admired and respected by their friends, and their opinion is actively sought after and valued. They connect to a wider number of people from different social circles, communities, and generations through their desire to be involved in things that interest them.

These youngsters are perceptive and well informed about brands, services and the issues facing them and will voice their opinions to other kids and parents - which adds up to serious influence over spend.

Rachel Carey of NOP World says: "We have been talking about the young 'trend spreaders' and the power of playground word of mouth for a while. Now, for the first time, we are able to identify this key group, the Young Influentials - those young people who are leading the crowd - that is an exciting development for youth advertisers and marketers."

"We know these kids have enormous power over purchasing not least via their own spending but also through their role as natural marketers. Applying this unique profile information to all areas of the marketing cycle - from product development, to communications, to customer retention - will help marketers target and appeal to this specific youth segment."

Background information to this article:

About Young Influentials - NOP World interviewed 791 young people aged 9 - 16 years about their lifestyle, activities, behaviours and opinions using NOP World's online panel. Correlation and step-wise regression were used to determine core questions leading to the definition of Young Influentials. The survey was conducted in May 2004. Young Influentials is developed alongside NOP World's study amongst adults - the Influentials that has been a trusted force in the marketplace for over 30 years.

Quelle: PublicTechnology.net, 07.09.2004