A recent conversation with my 15 yr old daughter about her birthday shopping got me thinking. She was recounting her angst and disappointment when she could not find anything that was to her liking. Every brand that we looked at had designs that were either for college kids or older women or was too childish for her liking. There was just nothing that was cool or hip as she wanted it. Talking to her friends made me realise that all of them were having the same problem and were of the same opinion.

That kindled my interest and I started digging around to find brands that are catering exclusively to the teens.

As per the 2011 Census Data, teenagers account for app. 20% of the total population of the country. That is a huge market for all kinds of brands, be it affordable, value, premium, luxury to tap into. But the reality is different.

There are hardly any brands that cater exclusively to the teens. The probable reasons why brands may not be interested in focussing on the teens are:

#1. Brand Outreach

The primary reason why brands do not find this target group attractive enough is the barriers that they need to overcome to reach the teenagers. The teenagers are in a controlled environment where every activity of theirs is monitored and hence reaching out to them directly is very difficult. Though this has been overcome to a certain extent, thanks to Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Tik Tok. But, they are still an elusive lot.

#2. No Buying Power

Brands like Whisper and Stayfree are targeting the teens but are talking to the mothers. Yes, the mother is also the customer but are the brands talking to the mothers because they are the decision makers as far as sanitary napkin purchases are concerned? While this may be true in some parts of India, times are changing. Teens are becoming more and more independent in their thinking and given a chance, the teens would like to make their own decisions. Though they may not always have the buying power, they can still be a huge influencer while buying certain product categories, including sanitary napkins.

#3. Brand loyal – not really?

With the kind of exposure that the teens are having, they are very conscious of the brands they use, wear, experience etc. Going out with friends would mean wearing Adidas t-shirts, Adidas shoes and Axe perfume. But, what the teens want today may not be the same as what they want tomorrow. They want to be seen with the latest or the coolest products/brands. And their definition of cool keeps changing. Are they the most brand loyal target audience? Certainly not!

While all these reasons may be valid, that is still not reason enough for brands to neglect the teens.

OPPORTUNITIES GALORE

The fact that teens are brand conscious and not brand loyal works in favour of any new brand that is entering the market. They are the early adopters who are willing to try out new products or new brands. This is because they are constantly looking for new experiences in life and the same is being extrapolated for the brands.

But, there are hardly any brands that are specifically targeting the teens. Take any category, be it fashion, accessories, shoes, including entertainment, the teens are not the most sought after by brands. In the entertainment industry, while we have dedicated channels for kids like Disney, Pogo, Hungama etc, there are hardly any channels dedicated to teens. It’s no wonder that the teens are turning to Japanese series like Anime, K-Drama and K-Pop for entertainment.

In the fashion segment, there are enough brands that are ALSO catering to the teens. Most of the brands are scaling down the size of the garments of adult designs, be it Zara, Jack & Jones, US Polo, Flying Machine, etc. All these brands are introducing fashion that imitates adult clothing and accessories.

The only brands who are talking directly to the teens and the parents are Byju’s, Aakash, Allen, Unacademy etc. Reason being, while the parents are the ones who are paying for the courses, it is the teenager who is attending the classes. When it comes to education, not just the parents but the students also are aware that it is a very competitive world and the FOMO comes into play.

While most of the brands have realised the potential and the huge gap in the market for this target audience, no one has made a concerted effort to come up with products/ designs exclusively for the teen segment.

If someone out there is listening, here is a great opportunity in the market – the teens.

by Artthi Ponnuswamy