Today we’re looking at mobile and its relation to the much sought-after youth market with our very own Agency CEO, Justin Spratt.
Before taking the reins at Quirk last year, Spratt was the General Manager of three portfolios at service provider, Internet Solutions, which entailed working on Mobile Solutions as well as managing www.islabs.co.za.
He took the time out of his ridiculously busy schedule to answer some of the key questions marketers want need to know about the youth and their mobile devices.
What factors influence the type of mobile phones chosen by the youth market?
Spratt says you can break this answer down into three easy to understand categories, each playing a role:
Price makes up 40% of the decision making, while the cool factor (or rather, what the cool kids have) makes up another 40% of the process. The remaining 20% lies in utility. Can the phone actually meet the needs and, more importantly, how well does it meet these needs.
How do you feel mobile has changed the way the youth interact with each other as well as other generations?
Spratt says an increasing share of youth communications are now in digital as opposed to analogue (i.e. Voice). This form of digital communication is usually carried out via Instant Messaging, mostly in the form of BlackBerry Messenger as well as Facebook Messaging and Twitter Direct Messaging.
Email comes in at a distant fourth while voice calls are even rarer.
Interestingly, Spratt noted that these forms of communications spanned most real-life meet-ups, as “digital pinging” occurs between kids as they sit in their group. As Spratt puts it: “Verbal communication is falling off a cliff”.
What key insights should a marketer be aware of when approaching the youth?
- Kids like jargon and secret clubs - make your campaigns cool by requiring knowledge of a hip language to decode.
- It’s not about anti-establishment anymore. Kids don’t even think about the establishment.
- Social commerce is massive for this market, so gamify everything. Kids have always been extremely competitive, even more so now. Spratt says it’s important to the youth that they establish their high ground in social settings, or in other words, “peacocking”.
What are some of the mistakes marketers make when dealing with the youth market?
- One size fits all – Strategies are as fragmented as the market for handsets, meaning blanket campaigns just don’t work.
- Ignoring social commerce – Games are perfect for driving business, so why aren’t more marketers taking advantage of this?
- Thinking SMS and USSD works – It doesn’t, at least not for this market. It’s outdated and just doesn’t hold any appeal.
Image Credit: Annie Mole
How is the mobile phone market in South Africa different to those found in other developing nations?
The short answer? Spratt says it’s not. “There are no cultural or race differences. There are only economic differences.”
Have you noticed different social quirks or habits between generations due to mobile usage?
“Yes, there is a noticeable decrease in verbal communication the younger you go. Mobile-based digital communications is now the de facto communication method for the youth.”
What opportunities are present within the mobile youth market in South Africa?
Again Spratt points to gamification. Marketers need to capitalise on the need for fun, interactive ways to capitalise on the sheer amount of time kids spent on their mobile phones.
He also suggests taking a look at Jane McGonigal, the “current public face of gamification" and mastermind behind some of the world’s most acclaimed alternative reality games, including Halo’s I Love Bees and the post-peak oil simulation World Without Oil.
Interesting, no? So what do you think is the main take away from this? Let’s recap some of Justin’s key points:
- One size does not fit all.
- Kids want entertainment. You’re on their phone, make it worth their while.
- Being cool still matters (and probably always will).
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