We marketers are so focussed on KPIs, targeting and tight

deadlines… I wonder how many of us stop to think whether

we’ve done enough to deserve attention?

In my keynote speech at YMS on March 11th 2015 I

suggested 3 things we should do to earn that attention.

Director of Community

The Student Room

The ages of 14 – 21 in particular is the craziest time

of our lives.

No one has a spare 60 seconds – we have to earn

that right of attention.

And it’s a particularly crazy time because young

people are always changing. Our brains are still

developing until at least 24, if not later in our

twenties. And we’re still learning things we simply

didn’t know before. Youth opinions can change, in

the blink of an eye.

Food, Lectures, Revision on laptops, Using mobiles,

Socialising BUSY BUSY BUSY!

We all have a stream of engagement:

If you truly listen and tune into young people’s stream, you can…

• Target relevant ads

• Inform with research, ask, surveys, data

• Hard! involves insight, PR/viral, emotional entertainment or long

term social and content

• Join social conversation, add useful content

• Help them swim faster and better

Or get it wrong and wee in it… (I don’t have a cat photo for that)

Since humans first picked up the first rock and killed a

badger, tools have made us more powerful, little super

powers

The internet is the ultimate tool – from here, I can control

my flat’s lights, see the temperature and humidity and live

stream my cat Rumbles… I can even talk to him.

Young people have always lapped up tech to improve their

lives, How does your brand add to the superteens’ powers?

Can be life changing, or it can be as small as telling me a

chocolate bar is out I haven’t heard of before

If you want to add an enhancement to the superteen, make

sure you’re compatible

• Youth want honesty and transparency

• You can’t be their friend one minute and

a corporate brick wall the next

• Works, just make sure you genuinely are

• Don’t be David Brent, be yourself

• Always works, if you’ve mapped the stream,

can you build a speedboat?

Objective of increasing brand and salesThey listened properly – they drank (guzzled!) from the stream:

surveys, data, workshop of trials filmed on camera

plus they managed to divert the stream of focus with

engagement on the hub

Results were amazing and delivered on objectives, as well as

a shift in brand uplift, a 7% more likelihood to purchase vs

competitors

24 month partnershipThey drink with research, surf with messages in ads, swim

with content and social, then give their speedboats top ups of

fuel from Mark their social manager who is brilliant.

hello@thestudentroom.co.uk

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