Segmentation Groupings: Teen Market

Young People and the News (2007)

Cultivate Teens by Catching their Eyes, New MMC Report Recommends
According to a new study released by the Media Management Center at Northwestern University titled “If it Catches my Eye: An Exploration of Online News Experiences of Teenagers” news organization should learn how to cultivate a teen’s interest by learning how to catch their eyes, diminish their angst, go to where they are on the Web, and enlist parents and teachers in the cause to develop a new news persona.
The report is based on a 2007 study of 65 Chicago-area teens. The report identifies the following ways to drive the online news consumption of teenagers:

  • News is stressful to teens. News organizations should experiment with ways to diminish their negative associations with news by making the content a springboard for talk, action and change, and provide attention to solutions and problem-solvers.
  • Since teens get most of their news online news organizations should develop widgets, partnerships and news feeds tailored for teens in order to get their content on the sites and places where teens spend their time online.
  • Teachers and parents are powerful allies in helping teens develop news habits and interests so news organizations should make efforts to market to teens through networks and programs like NIE.

Source: MediaInfocenter.com

NAA Teen Resource Articles

TeenPager:Ten Strategies for Targeting Teen Readers

Kaiser Family Foundation: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-Olds

Report: Targeting Teen Consumers (2005)

Q&A with the Virginian-Pilot and The Roanoke Times on Teen Podcasts