Teenagers are seemingly becoming the gatekeepers of modern and future trends.
Collaborative efforts have been made by GroupM media investment agencies Wavemaker, Mediacom and Mindshare to find out how teens in South Africa are consuming media. The online research study and report, using a proprietary consumer panel and a LIVE Panel (tool in consumer and media insight) to assess the opinions of more than 8 000 teenagers all in the age group of 13 to 17 years old, was conducted.
This was done across 18 markets and SA was one of them. In the launch of the report on 14 October, the study delivers key insights into this. Head of analytics and insights at Wavemaker, Delia van Staden said there were 10 key points to mention about the report. “The first thing I wanted to pull through is the fact that the majority of SA teens are satisfied with their lives. With the survey being done with teens from higher-income homes, there is that sentiment that they’re pretty satisfied,” she said.
However, comparing them to other markets, South African teens are actually the least satisfied due to what they are dealing with on a daily basis and some of the problems they face.
From a lack of funding for university, bullying and unemployment, teens are faced with these big problems in the country. But even with these obstacles, they are headstrong and aspirational.
“SA teens are very focused in terms of what’s important to them. They have a sense of their own personalities, individualism, and expressing that. Education is at the centre of everything. This generation of teens do believe that education is their gateway to accessing those opportunities and establishing a future for themselves.” Focus driven and financially savvy, teens are very much concerned with their own financial security.
“They are actually saving money on a weekly basis and making things happen for themselves. They’re also fully aware of the value of money and research almost everything before spending.” And while most would assume that the media and celebs are the most influential for this generation, it is quite the opposite. “Music influences their choices the most while family and friend’s opinions are valuable to them as well,” she said. Van Staden added that a report such as this was important for marketers and planners to develop targeted advertising to suit the up-and-coming consumer.
“Teens are the gatekeepers of modern and future trends, thus, it is imperative that marketers cater to their needs.”
