Youth marketing takes so many different forms that it is difficult to make generalizations about how a marketing plan will work. To understand how youth marketing is conducted by real companies, consider Levi's jeans. By the mid 90's, the iconic denim maker was struggling. They had seen their percentage of market share plummet and the image of their brand weakened by upstart clothing makers like Diesel and Gap. For years, Levi's had relied on a reputation for being rebellious, hip, and stylish. Lazy marketing had caused this reputation to erode and the brand was slowly becoming irrelevant to young people.
The company quickly realized that their classic design no longer appealed to young people. Market research revealed that the brand was seen as old and designed for the middle-aged consumer. Levi's began their new marketing strategy with a careful analysis of the company and its customers. This analysis revealed that the problem was with the product itself and not just the way it was marketed. A marketing plan was enacted that would reflect a whole new youth marketing strategy for Levi's.
Designers developed a line of jeans and pants made from new materials and featuring contemporary cuts. To help publicize their product and re-brand the company, they took an aggressive, multi-channeled marketing approach, opening several stand alone stores that sold the company’s products along with fashion and design offerings targeted at urban trendsetters.
If Levi's could establish themselves as a “cool” brand they would attract the attention of the young. A widespread TV ad campaign featuring a yellow puppet was the perfect mix of silliness and strangeness to connect with young viewers. A heavy focus on viral, guerrilla, and other non-traditional forms of advertising helped to differentiate Levi's from other denim makers.
Levi's may never become the iconic brand that they once were, but they managed to successfully reposition themselves as a clothing brand that young people want to wear. Rather than clinging to a declining reputation and an outdated notion of what kids want, Levis was willing to make big changes and fundamentally redesign the image of their company.
[Source:
http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/youth-marketing.html#link2]
Sayed Farrukh Ahmed
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Business & Economics
Daffodil International University
