BBDO Singapore interviews youth guru & guiding light, Mr Ian Stewart of POOL.
How has youth of today changed?
I believe that the basics of "being young" never change: the need to belong, fit in, "see and be seen", gain popularity, create identity by aligning yourself with different "tribes" like music, are all the same as other generations. What has changed are the tools that youth of today have to achieve these goals and dreams, with digital clearly the main differentiator. Youth today have 100's of digital friends, which makes them almost a media in their own right.
Issues facing youth today:
Personal issues (as above) remain the same. Society issues are clearly based on what is topical today: the environment, religious wars, digital privacy and safety would be examples.
Youth culture today:
Is more similar than different. because of the Net, young people across the globe are tapping into the same elements of popular culture as everyone else. While they may think they're unique, special and different (don't we all!!) they are wearing the same clothes, listening to the same music influences, and absorbing the same movies/tv/books as others. E.G. Twilight & Vampires, Nu-rave & Electro, etc...
What brands are doing well to connect:
My favorite is Converse, with their use of global pop culture icons and local music. A perfect combination.
Which brands have got it all wrong:
Without wanting to name names, many of the "youth icon brands" of the 90's have either failed to remain relevant to young people today, or are trying to hard to be all things to all people - cool for youth, functional for adults - this never works.
How has social media impacted:
This is the biggest thing impacting youth (and all of us) right now. Consider a 24 hour day; 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for work/school, leaves 8 hours for "me". With youth spending 3-4 hours of that online, and 75% of online time spend on social networks, this is clearly the dominant medium of the moment. Building digital communities, sharing digital content.
How do I keep abreast of youth culture:
I keep in mind the fundamentals, the things that never change and thus look to the surface for shifts. For me these are changes in pop culture - how can music tastes be interpreted as defining youth? how can movie/tv/book themes be used to define youth? how can fashion/design trends be used? With this in mind the internet is filled with sites that offer clues to these questions.
Must-dos:
Know what you're looking for. The world is swimming in content, so you need to have a goal when you are sifting and sorting thru it all. I also like the concept that you can't chart the future without a map of the past - trends are cyclical so taking the long view forwards and backwards can often be helpful.
all the best,
Ian
- BBDO INTERVIEWS IAN STEWART -
