Study: Teens more likely to be swayed by friends

Forget about appealing to a teens insecurity or vanity. According to a new Teen Topix report from OTX Research, teens are less likely to be influenced by vanity or insecurity and more likely to be influenced by friends and family.

by Kristina Knight

For marketers this is big news because for years many teen-targeted campaigns have tried to appeal to the "you'll look/feel better if" mentality.

The report says that 81% of teens (13-17) surveyed described themselves as happy. Teens responded that their relationships with friends and their own abilities and their online profiles were three areas where they were most happy. Just over half of respondents admitted to worrying about their looks and 50% said looks are very important in terms of respect.

While these may seem like typical teenage responses, some other areas could be termed atypical. The biggest influencers on a teen's self image was a boyfriend/girlfriend (84%) or their religion (82%). Friends were also important (79%) but magazines were not (only 38%) and neither were advertisements (33%). While some teens are influenced by magazines, television or movies, it seems that the key in gaining teens' trust is to win over their friends.

As an advertiser this can best be accomplished through social marketing. Creating a branded micro-site, allowing for teen reviews and even creating buzz with a virtual user-generated campaign are good ways to attract attention and gain the respect of the coveted teen marketplace.