Study: Teens taking note of mall advertising

Slowly but surely, consumers are heading back to the malls, especially teens. And while they're not all spending, the environment still makes for a great advertising location.

by Helen Leggatt

According to new research from Scarborough Research and Arbitron, 95% of teens notice advertising of one type or another in a mall. Not only that, they view it in a positive light.

So while teens may not be parting with cash, they are still taking note of mall advertising messages, probably aided by the amount of time they spend in the environment. The research, "Teen Mall Shopping Insights" found that, on a typical visit, 68% of teens spend two hours or more at a mall.

The research (.pdf) looked at various mall advertising formats to see which were noted by teens:

- 91% notice poster display ads at the mall

- 85% notice hanging advertising banners

- 77% notice sampling

- 58% notice promotional events

- 57% notice TV/video screens

- 48% notice interactive displays/kiosks

- 31% notice moving images projected on the floor or walls

"Hollywood has long portrayed the mall as a key center of teen culture. Our data shows that it still serves a very prominent role in teen society. It seems some preferences are established early in the consumer life cycle and continue as the person moves into older demographic groups," said Jane Traub, senior vice president of research for Scarborough. "This idea reinforces the point that marketers need to advertise to teens while they are in the process of establishing their purchase preferences."

Three-quarters of the teens surveyed said discounts on items were more important to them now than they used to be, and two-thirds take note of advertising that features sales items that can be found in the mall.

One item you can guarantee a teen will have with them in the mall is their mobile phone. Using mobile marketing call-to-actions in mall advertising formats, perhaps offering m-coupons or free downloads, could prove powerful in an environment where 71% of teens say they are shopping and 40% are looking to be entertained.

Tags: advertising, banners, downloads, interactive display, m-coupon, mall, mobile phone, posters, sampling, teens