A youthful outlook is no longer the sole preserve of the young. This according to MTV Networks International’s advertising and marketing sales division. It was one of the key findings from The Golden Age of Youth, a new market research report released by the group.
Here are some of the key findings;
* The Golden Age of Youth study analysed the three stages of youth – ‘Discovery’ (16-19 years old), ‘Experimentation’ (20-24 years old) and ‘Golden’ (25-34 years old) – with ‘Golden’ indicating that they are the happiest, most confident and financially secure of their peers.
* Findings indicate that globally people are staying younger for longer and are connected to contemporary youth pursuits for a more extensive period of time.
* 25-34 year olds are continuing to consume music, gaming and the internet and are enjoying the pursuits of their younger years whilst benefiting from a greater level of personal and financial freedom.
* It is a mistake to assume that 25-34 year-olds respond to the same marketing as teens.
* While teenage youth are highly focused on material gain and employ brands to define their identity, ‘Golden Youth’ own and enjoy premium and luxurious brands in order to affirm their identity.
* Traditional adult brands need to adopt a more youthful tone to avoid being seen as irrelevant, for instance 23% of the 25-34yr old global sample felt that financial institutions were aimed at someone older than them; while youthful brands have a new market beyond the core teenage target.
Frankly I think MTV is stretching the concept to the extreme but it makes for some interesting reading none the less.