User-Generated Content Opens Doors to Youth Brand Engagement

LONDON -

- ad:tech London Reveals Meaningful Dialogue, Relevant Content and Targeted Incentives Hold Key to Digital Engagement With Youth Markets

LONDON, September 18 /PRNewswire/ –

Organisers of this month’s ad:tech London have revealed an increased enthusiasm amongst young people for brands to engage with them directly online. With added interest around specific youth marketing case studies, the impact of socially networked brands and increased dialogue on direct consumer engagement, this year’s event will take a greater look at the main requirements for brands wanting to engage with youth audiences.

Bertrand Bodson, Co-Founder of Bragster, the online community for daring, boasting and bragging, commented ahead of his speaker appearance at this month’s event; “When it comes to using social media for speaking to youth audiences, brands have to get it right. There’s often no second chance. They have to go to where that public is, listen to and interact with its desires and most importantly do what they are asked. Brands have to truly act on what their brand has said it was otherwise audiences will see straight through its messages.”

The youth market has traditionally been a difficult group for brands to connect with and sell to, based on a fragmented media landscape and young people’s keen ability to identify and reject marketing messages that lack credibility. A recent global survey* from Synovate in conjunction with Microsoft revealed a change in the tide of attitudes to digital marketing by youth audiences, with young adults expressing a greater interest to brands. The survey showed that over a quarter of the plus 12,000 respondents asked had talked about brands in forums, and a similar percentage added brand-related content to messaging and social networking sites. Brand involvement was particularly welcomed at music events and festivals.

Bodson shared an example of youth marketing success by discussing Bragster’s recent work with soft drinks firm Tango; “User-generated content is something brands are finally accepting must become part of their marketing mix. Tango saw the potential in encouraging this interaction, and went beyond traditional campaigns that focused around basic banners and promotions. Working with Bragster, they communicated with target youth markets and got them to engage directly with the brand, in this case getting them to dare the company to print its cans upside down.

Bodson continued; “Tango kept them guessing if they had the ‘balls’ to do it, creating unique content for its communities and getting audiences to create and share their own content in return. That’s where the direct relationship really starts. Tango listened and did what its communities had asked. Next thing you know, their target audiences started creating all sorts of unique content, and even took care of spreading it themselves across the web, reaching a huge reach of potential target audiences.”

Taking place on the 22nd-23rd September at Olympia, ad:tech London has become established as the largest gathering of digital marketing professionals in the UK (www.ad-techlondon.co.uk). This year’s conference programme includes the following discussions and speakers:

- Engage youth audiences with meaningful dialogue This session will showcase a range of examples of how companies have developed online strategies to engage Generation Y. Panel session participants: - Jeanie Bergin, Creator, Thinking WIDE - Jonathan Attwood, Founder and Chief Swapit, SwapitShop - Bertrand Bodson, Co-Founder, bragster.com - Trends and Predictions 2.0 In this sessions each panellist will explore the current interactions And interplay between content, audiences, platforms and media in their sphere of business and present their own perspectives on how this will impact on the communications landscape as we know it. Panel session participants: - Chris Sanderson, Strategy and Insight Director, The Future Laboratory - Ross Sandler, Senior Internet Analyst, Global Internet & Media Research team, RBC Capital Markets - Kristof Fahy, VP Marketing Europe, Yahoo Europe - Louise Ainsworth, Managing Director, Europe, Nielsen Online - Karin von Abrams, Senior Analyst, eMarketer

The full conference programme can be viewed at: www.ad-techlondon.co.uk

*Young Adults Revealed 2008

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About ad:tech London (www.ad-techlondon.co.uk)

Dedicated exclusively to Interactive Advertising and Marketing Technologies such as Search Engine Marketing, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing and E-Commerce, ad:tech London is the only event in the UK that welcomes marketers from blue-chip companies and SMEs the opportunity to investigate a complete range of end-to-end interactive advertising and marketing solutions. ad:tech London is a unique opportunity for CEO, brand/product managers, marketing directors, media planners/buyers, creative directors, PR managers, campaign managers, agency executives and marketing service providers to reveal latest trends and market figures, share best practices, address industry challenges and further understand how digital can generate results that translate directly into increased performance and greater ROI.

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Source: ad:tech and dmg world media

Contact: David Ross-Tomlin - d: +44(0)207-025-1505