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Explore the journey of tweens as they transition from childhood to adolescence, discovering identity and embracing changes. Understanding the trends and dynamics of this crucial stage helps build connections and empower this age group.
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Girl Guides Canada Presented by Youthography
Who we are • Youthography is not a traditional agency • Traditional agencies pick the thing that they do and then do it for everyone • We do lots of things but only for the under-35 age range • This means we respond to a market, rather than a product and are in constant touch with niches within that market • Understanding youth is our bread and butter and the soul of our business • At any given time we have numerous marketing initiatives and creative executions in field, we survey over 100,000 young people in a year and we’ll talk face-to-face with thousands more • We’ve also been allies with the Girl Guides for years, working on numerous projects
About Youthography Our capabilities are split across two distinct groups within the agency: • Youthography Research & Strategy • Full-service qualitative and quantitative research and strategic planning • Youthography Marketing & Creative • Advertising and creative for TV, web, print, out of home and any other place you can think of (yes, including mail) • Event planning, property creation and promotion development
A Generation… • I had a discussion about this event recently with two colleagues and we discussed how hard it is to keep up with change • A big, historic, diffused, volunteer-based organization (that’s you) is trying to be relevant to the most fickle, unpredictable, temperamental, evolving group of people in the country… and their daughters… it’s not easy! • If you are a Ranger right now and have been in Guiding since age 5, here’s a recap of things that didn’t exist (or weren’t known) 12 years ago when you joined…
living in transition • Four levels of separating from being a ‘kid’ 1. Keep childhood possessions / values 2. Reject parental-imposed possessions 3. Put away possessions in public, but play in private • Look at tweens and Barbie 4. Put away possessions for good • Ultimately find older, socially-acceptable substitutes to play, like video games, socialization and gossip
For Tweens, transition means… • Tweens (typically classified as young as 8 and as old as 13) are part of a longer pre-adult lifestage • Tweens are more actively engaged in consumer choices than previous generations • Tweens are having a greater impact on parents than ever before
For Tweens, transition means… • Transitioning is a part of creating an identity • Tweens try on multiple personalities to create an identity they feel reflects their personality • Experimentation is important – and they tend to do it with absolutism, even for the moment
transition: girls Shopping at the mall with girlfriends Going to the movies with friends Playing with dolls/toys Playing fantasy games (house) Chatting with IM 0 4 6 8 10 12 Reading teen magazines Collecting Watching music videos Putting MP3s on your iPod Playing with friends outside Watching teen programming like Gossip Girl Reading books
What is important? Communication Friends & Family Diversity Information Empowerment
Fun • Tweens distance themselves from kid-related fun…when it infantilizes them • Even if they really love or are comforted by these things • Image and peer pressure to grow up outweighs all other feelings of attachment • They don’t want to hang out with their little sister and their Hilary Duff backpack is so yesterday • They want to hang with their friends and carry a purse
Fun • Kid’s perception: being older = more fun • This fun is truly linked to the release of restrictions that are currently in place and guarded by parents • Staying up late • Going out on your own • Dating • Wearing what you want • Eating what you want • Driving • What used to be fun at 9, is no longer suitable for someone who’s now 11 / 12
me to we “My friends are my family.” “I can’t live without my cell phone.” “Why do they spend so much time texting?” “My daughter is on facebook all the time.” “Don’t they care what’s out there about them?” • What’s the deal with the group experience? And how is this regular connection to a youthful network blurring the line between public and private?
me to we • To paraphrase the New York Magazine, this trend is the “biggest generation gap since Rock ‘n’ Roll” • The culmination of all of these trends-- relationships, communication, information and technology-- represents a natural evolution of group dynamics with young people. • It’s not just about being part of the hive… • …now, the hive is on steroids. More youth-focused society Less parental interaction Tech that enables connections More importance on friends
me to we THE WAY IT ONCE WAS • One person walking through life with peaks and valleys Graduating High School Graduating College First Job Getting Married 18-years-old 25-years-old
Propose Go abroad Camping trip Move to a new city Spring Break Trip Throw House Party Basketball tourney Vacation with friends Graduate from College Go to a best friends wedding Seeing a favorite band Moving into residence First date with BF or GF Attend a big music festival me to we THE WAY IT IS • No clearly defined life path; a distant, uncertain future • High moments are not the traditional milestone events • Instant ability to connect to your network, your own age • What do you want to be when you grow up has been replaced by “What are you doing right now?” 18-years-old 25-years-old
me to we • There is always a “solo” moment: in fact, some of the really important moments need removal from the group... • ...and connecting to the group all the time is impossible, anyway Me
me to we • Moments and achievements are celebrated with the hive, not outside of it • The “We:” • Creates social support • Provides a sense of validation • Provides opportunity • Can be anyone who has come into their life at any point in time We Me We We
me to we WHY? • Because they’ve grown up with constant surveillance... and constantly surveilling (?)… • ...and it is a two-way relationship • The network is the message and you are the network • “it’s not really real until it’s in my facebook status.”
Key Observations • Spending time with friends tops tween girls’ list of priorities • Tweens are looking for opportunities to be in control of themselves and their lives; they are taking more control of choices – in and out of the home • Can Girl Guides lead and give girls more control? • Tween behaviour is often the result of influence of others – we learn from those around us, more specifically, those we admire. • The response to role models is manifest in clothing, makeup, music, language, etc.
Key Observations • We need to look at Tween girls as active participants involved in building their own understanding of themselves • That is where the fantasy meets the reality: trying on different personalities allows them to see what fits • Self-Empowerment of tweens and teens needs to be expressed in as modern a manner as possible, even if rooted in tradition • i.e.: Leaders have to be comfortable with Facebook and IM • How are you different from your parents? everyone discovers the Beatles, but derivative music still sells
Challenges • There are many identities at once on the brink of both childhood and adolescence constantly renegotiating themselves through borrowing and creating • Transition is why fun changes so quickly but hangs around for a while: They reject being kids but they are still young • Trying to grow up faster, but on their terms, and with several stops and starts
Implications for Girl Guides • Reaching them means they need to “try on” the organization • Parents need to do that too as they tend to be just ask fickle as their children—this year it’s yoga class, next year gymnastics • Making Girl Guides relevant to a high school age girl is difficult when the girl has no previous experience • Girls need guides – early - so that they will want to be Guides later • The motivations that will draw a female age 14 and up to Guiding is a different motivation than 13 and under (that might be a parent thing)
