Grown Up Thinking

It’s no big surprise that most marketers have come to embrace social as an increasingly crucial channel in our proverbial toolkit. The proliferation of social APIs like Facebook OpenGraph have armed brands with the ability to infuse a social layer across their preexisting web properties. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas introduced us to social integration as a growing necessity in the design of products, not just the web.

Whereas previous years’ presenters touted impressive product specs in all their glory, this year marked a championing of product lifestyle benefits over hardware, namely the ability to better connect consumers with their devices and with each other. This is only a natural evolution – as digital sharing becomes an increasingly essential force in the way we interact, a successful product is one that delivers on those consumer needs. Mashable’s Peter Pachal said it best: “It’s not so much a trend as a reality: consumer electronics must go social to stay relevant.”

Much like any nascent trend, one can only expect some of these social product integration efforts to take off and others to crash and burn. Here are the social winners and losers of CES 2012:

Winners

1. Mercedes-Benz

image courtesy of MSN

The automaker introduced its “Mbrace2″ system, which connects cloud-based apps and smartphones to its vehicles. Motorists can now stay completely connected while on the road through apps for Facebook, Yelp and Google Local Search. Imagine being able to check-in from the road through your car’s navigation system, sharing your estimated arrival time, receiving real-time notifications about friends nearby, or being notified of nearby locations friends have “liked” on Facebook. For those of us weary of the safety risks, fear not. The apps have been optimized to ensure road safety and anything requiring text interaction is disabled if the car is in motion. Robert Policano, Mercedes’ Product Manager for Telematics Services, claims the service is no more distracting than a standard in-car navigation system or radio.

2. Samsung

image courtesy of Engadget

TV got a huge makeover at CES 2012, with manufacturers showing off 3D capabilities, voice and gesture control, and fancy new display technologies. Most impressive, however, are the slew of new internet-enabled app platforms cropping up, and the social integration that comes along with them. “Smart TVs,” as they’re now being called, come pre-loaded with apps for games, social networking, and online video.

Samsung’s “Family Story” is one such innovative application being implemented on their television sets. With the ability to store content in the cloud, users can now share personal photos, videos and profiles with other Samsung TV owners around the globe. The app conveniently connects TV owners, with new photo uploads automatically made available to users you’ve allowed into your private TV network. Cloud-based sharing is nothing new – consumers have been able to do this for years through their computers. However, Samsung is taking third party apps completely out of the picture by seamlessly integrating the option into their own platform. Sharing is now literally built into your television.

Loser

Kodak

image courtesy of All Facebook

Desperate to fight the growing threat of photo-sharing mobile applications like Instagram and Hipstamatic, Kodak unveiled two cameras featuring the ability to upload your photos to Facebook. The Easyshare Wireless Camera M750 allows users who install the accompanying app on their Android, Apple, or BlackBerry devices to wirelessly send pictures to Facebook, the Kodak Gallery, and via email. The second Facebook-enabled device is the Playfull Dual Camera, which features a share button for easy, one-touch uploading.

Kodak also hyped two of its Facebook applications, which are founded on the assumption that Facebook users have a shared desire to print the photos they upload onto the platform. My Kodak Moments and Kodak Photo Collage Print allow users to create and print premium photo books and collages using their Facebook photos.Though the intent to provide utility and inspire sharing is an appreciated effort, this may be too little, too late for Kodak. Riding the Facebook wave isn’t always enough, and we’d be eager to see more social innovation from the beloved camera manufacturer.

All in all, the products speak for themselves: now more than ever, social media has become an impactful force in the design of consumer electronics. As more and more manufacturers (automotive, television, and beyond) integrate web connectivity in their devices, greater attention is being directed towards the services offered through these products. This is evidenced by the recent collection of tech/media marriages making their debut: Xbox and News Corp, DirecTV and Miso, FX and GetGlue, Netflix and Facebook…and the list goes on. We foresee a continued need for media and tech companies to partner in order to deliver on this digital convergence in the future.

Brands That Use Social Media To Help Customers With Holiday Shopping Know A Secret …

Social media users are more influential, spend more on holiday gifts and are more likely to recommend a holiday gift than non-users. Their advocacy is directly influencing holiday gift purchasing decisions this holiday, and we have the proof! During the weeks leading up to Black Friday / Cyber Monday, social media users were 1.5x as a likely to make a gift recommendation to their friends and family. Better yet, those recommendations were twice as likely to result in a holiday gift purchase than recommendations made from non-social media users.

Brands that recognize this are winning big this season. Among brands that respond to consumer’s requests across their brand pages, these interactions led consumers to make a holiday gift purchase 80% of the time! While this is compelling, our research indicates that brands are only responding around 1/2 of the time to these requests, leaving opportunity on the table.

This January, Mr Youth will be unveiling a full report on how social advocacy-fueled gift purchases this season. To learn more about what brands won big, which social media consumers are most valuable, and what your brand should know about how to join this conversation, send a short email request to: MRYHoliday@mryouth.com and be among the first to receive our report when it launches!

About Our Methodology

The data in this infographic is reflective of the three week period leading up to and during the Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping event. It is a small part of a broader, six week study on social media usage during 2011 the holiday shopping season. Unless noted in the copy as a BF / CM data point, all information is cumulative of the three week period leading up to and on BF / CM. Our full study is currently being fielded through a nationwide survey of 500 households, once a week, over the six week period leading up to the Christmas holiday (November 17 – December 19). Mr Youth conducted this study in conjunction with Survey Sampling International (SSI) and Kanter Analytics.

A lot has happened this year and teens have taken notice. World events, economic pressures, personal milestones, friends, education and brands all play big roles in influencing the lives of teens. Teens are evolving and maturing as fast as the technologies and platforms we build around them.

We caught up with 300, 13-19-year-old teens in an online discussion to talk to them about the technologies, platforms and brands they used over the course of the year, with their responses offering fresh insights into who they are. The following narrative represents insights gleaned from more than 4,500 individual responses:

2011: A Year Of Personal Sacrifices

No longer insulated by parents doling out discretionary funds, teens are not only reacting to the pressures felt by their cashed-strapped parents, but are helping to take on the responsibility through part time jobs and making their own sacrifices on personal spending. Billed as “The Lost Generation,” the unemployment rate of a teen is double that of an adult (20% by some measures; NPR, 2011), which leads to teens adopting many of the cost-saving measures they glean from their parents.

“My parents have been more honest with me in terms of our budget this year and I’m constantly stressed that we might not be able to afford groceries the next month. It’s not something I’ve been able to deal with because there isn’t anywhere near me hiring 16 year olds.”  - Female, 16, CA

Like Their Parents, Teens Are Savvy Mobile Users

Much of the coupon-redeeming, price-comparing and loyalty-point-aggregating activity marketers have witnessed among adults around Black Friday/Cyber Monday is actually taking place among teens, as well. Roughly 30% of teens wielded smart phones during 2011, with estimates that 2012 will bring 50% adoption levels (Consumer Reports, 2011). The top shopping apps mentioned among teens in our discussion forum included Amazon mobile for scanning, Foursquare for check-in discounts, Old Navy’s Snap Appy, Seventeen, Red Laser and ShopKick. A surprising number of teens expressed interest in using apps to learn about local deals at restaurants, as well as redeeming offers from Groupon and LivingSocial.

“I use QR code technology to scan for details while in-store, and my barcode scanner to check prices in-store.” – Male, 16, FL

We asked our teens to define a “dream” mobile app that currently does not exist. Yes, we received a lot of ridiculous answers (e.g., one that prints out million dollar bills), however, a central theme began to unfold: teens are looking for hyper-personalized utility. It is not enough to simply help them pick out a new outfit to wear–our teens mentioned needing help deciding among items in their own closets. More than just friend recommendations, they asked for apps that offered suggested products based upon the likes/interests found in their own social profiles.

Also, the opportunity for a brand to step up as an ally of all things education is huge. Across dozens of posts, we found that teens are seeking a mobile solution for keeping track of their homework assignments, grades, high school sporting events and to-do lists. In 2012, there’s a viable opportunity for marketers to uncover what the next level of customization means for this generation, and find ways to add utility to their high school experiences.

“My app would be for school. It would record everything my teachers say, save it in sections and organize everything.” – Male, 15, IL

Teens Are Native Users Of Virtual Currency

Gamification continues to grow among teens, as it provides them with a way of earning points and virtual currency in an entertaining format. 43% of teens have spent real dollars on in-game virtual items or virtual currency. With the total US market for virtual goods at just over $2 billion in 2011 (Inside Virtual Goods, 2011), it is no wonder that brands are finding ways to leverage this currency as an incentive. Teens flock to games such as Cityville (Over 55 million active users, #1 game on Facebook in December; Games, 2011), Sorority Life and numerous others to earn points that can be redeemed for real items. Many teens in our forum described earning virtual points in order to save money on holiday gift purchases this year.

“Yes, I earn points from sites like Swagbucks, Superpoints and others, and redeem them for gift cards. I typically make around $40 a month, although because I knew Christmas was coming up I managed to earn around $100 so far.” – Female, 19, AZ

Top virtual points/currencies among our panel: MyYearBook’s “Lunch Money,” Facebook “Credits,” Coca-Cola’s “MyCokeRewards,” Sorority Life’s “Brownie Points” and SwagBucks.

Watching Content Is A Social Experience

Social media turns watching content into a shared experience among teens, and with research citing improved ad recall when ads are published across multiple platforms (Up 150%, compared to just TV; Mashable, 2011), the circumstances are ripe for brands to create an integrated approach to content. When tuning-in to their favorite TV shows (Glee, by a two-to-one margin; Mr Youth, Nationwide Poll, 2011) 53% are posting comments about the show to their Facebook pages, 45% are texting their friends show-related updates, a staggering 39% will visit the show’s Facebook page, and 18% will Tweet directly at the show. By contrast, only 11% report using a show’s specific mobile app (Mr Youth, Nationwide Poll, 2011).

Among teens who feel compelled to stay focused on (only) the show, many teens will opt for texting or sending a message via Facebook chat during commercial breaks. This provides an opportunity for brands to extend show engagement through social activities during the “commercial break” that ties back to the content, and socialize the experience among a viewer’s friends.

“I watch mtv.com and I will always be on Facebook on another tab and if friends are chatting with me, which they most likely are, I chat back during commercials.” – Female, 19, MN

Teens Yearn For More Customization On Facebook

Earlier this year, we surveyed teens across the country on their reactions to the Facebook changes unveiled at F8 in September. Two and a half months later, we decided to reach back out to teens for their insights. Among 250 responses from our online discussion, teens expressed their overwhelming desire to keep things simple and unchanged. Negative sentiment (among our responses) to Facebook’s ticker remains persistently highly, as teens think it provides too much information about their social activities. On the other hand, Facebook mobile (and “places” in particular) is very well received. Teens look forward to the day when they can customize their pages further, choosing their own color schemes, much like the old MySpace. As brands find creative ways to personalize and brand their own timeline pages, they should also be thinking of ways to help teens modify and individualize their own pages.

“The only thing that I think would help make Facebook better is if they let you customize you profile background and colors. This will help express your personality at a higher level.” – Female, 19 OH

Teens Use Google+ To Meet Up Online

Teens are using Google+ to have more intimate conversations among subsets of friends, carving out circles, which fit their own definitions of social groups. Teens have fun defining these: “cool kids, weird people, fat people, hot girls (and guys) and Moustache Mafia,” are among the more interesting circles. Teens also create circles for high school classes and after-school clubs/hobbies to facilitate study sessions. Hangouts are another way in which teens can connect with their classmates online to socialize their late-night cramming. Brands should support this activity, helping to bring together teens around unique circles and interests.

“I actually love Google + and wish more people would use it. My circles are: Posse (main group of friends), Mom Friends (so I won’t annoy my friends with gross updates about parenting), College Friends, and High School Friends.” – Female, 19, CA

Teens View Twitter As Their News Source

For teens, Twitter is their news source. They follow musicians, sports teams, celebrities, authors and deals from brands. As other platforms are better at conversations among peers, Twitter is (predominantly) a broadcast medium with this generation for up-to-the-minute facts.  A few sources they follow most closely: The Onion, NPR, Local News, TMZ and MacNews.

“I do use Twitter! I follow Old Navy, Banana Republic, Airbus, US Airways, Southwest, BBC, CNN, and my local news.” – Male, 18, AZ

Spotify And TurnTable Turn Teens On To Music

This generation prefers free, on-demand music from streaming services as opposed to content ownership. With the ability for teens to follow what their friends are listening to on Facebook, teens now have Spotify and Turntable to thank for expanding their own musical tastes. In a recent poll among teens, we found that 70% of teens are “highly likely” to listen-in to music tracks that they notice their friends listening to in the activity feed on Facebook (Mr Youth Nationwide Poll, 2011). Undoubtedly, this social integration has led to the successful rise of Spotify, Turntable and other services keen on taking advantage of Facebook apps, as a way to grow awareness of their services. Top music services with teens in 2011 included Pandora, YouTube and Spotify, as well as lesser-known sources Grooveshark, iheartradio.com, Playlist.com, SoundCloud, last.fm and Tumblr.

“I use Spotify because I love showing my friends what I’m listening to.” – Male, 16, NY

Teens Want Ads That Entertain And Offer Authentic Messages

Teen’s tune-in to brands that offer distinct value exchanges. They want to be entertained, while also learning how products will benefit them. Allstate’s Mayhem accomplished this, providing a source of entertainment, while also conveying a straightforward product benefit. Other top ads with teens this year include Target’s recent two-day sale Black Friday ads, Kenny Power’s K-Swiss ads and Old Navy’s “Funnavations” campaign. A few lesser-known examples also surfaced, including Derma Blend’s “Go Beyond The Cover” ads (Derma Blend, Go Beyond The Cover; Derma Blend, 2011), which reached more than 7 million views on YouTube in just two months.

“I look for humor, results, and excitement in my commercials.” – Male, 15, MI

Ads that missed the mark? Ads that “tried too hard to be cool” or appeared to alienate or exclude others. Exclusivity, or “us vs. them” marketing that might have worked with older generations, is seen as offensive among this generation. One example of what did not connect with them was Dr. Pepper’s latest campaign, which focused solely on men. Teen girls in our panel felt left out, with a vocal minority vowing never again to drink the soda. Among teen guys, they saw the ad as playing on traditional stereotypes (Dr. Pepper TEN; Dr. Pepper, 2011).

“Dr. Pepper is my second favorite drink, too! I haven’t had Dr. Pepper since because it made me so frustrated. It was a ridiculous commercial, it was sexist.” – Robert, 19, IL

Diverse, Customized Style Is The Trend

A tough economy has not kept this generation of teens from expressing their own sense of style. Popular among teens this year were Toms shoes, Uggs, hair feathers (yes, feathers!), animal prints, moccasins, and leather jackets. Both vintage and hipster looks appear to be alive and we’ll, among. Beyond the usual e-commerce destinations (Amazon, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Haute Look, Ruelala), it was interesting to see many on the radar that we might not know about. Up-and-coming e-commerce sites included: 6pm, nomorerack, modcloth, Free People,  Go Jane, Beyond The Rack, NectarClothing.com, UrbanOg.com, Threadsense.com, & Asos.com

“I express myself by not following the trends set by others,but by creating my own trend and if no-one agrees with it or doesn’t like it, so be it. I am a representation of myself and no-one else and that can never be taken from me or any other person who feels the same.” – Female, 16, MI

Now it’s time to close the door on 2011, and enjoy the holiday season. Keep these insights in your back pocket for 2012, and consider how the events, technologies and social platforms teens are using today will impact their decision making in the New Year!

On November 6^th, 2011, our city hosted one of the world’s greatest road races, the ING New York City Marathon. With over $600,000 in prize money, over 100,000 applicants and over two million spectators, this iconic event is one that tops the charts for many.

In its 41^st year, the Marathon went social in a variety of ways. Here are some of the latest and greatest ways spectators were able to support their runners on another level through technology:

Official ING New York City Marathon Mobile Spectator App: This app let users track up to 10 runners simultaneously, as well as watch live streams of the race and view an interactive course map. Another fantastic component of this app is that runners could use it to push out live notifications of where they were at along their five-borough journey.

TrackMyRunners via Web and SMS: This service allowed users to track up to five runners through their web browser or track up to three runners through text alerts. This service allowed tracking on race day and afterward, and there was no advance registration needed.

SupportYourMarathoner.com: Created by Asics America, this service allowed people to support their marathoners via pre-recorded videos, images and text that played over a large LCD screen triggered by the runner’s personalized RFID tag. Click here to watch the informational video of how this technology worked.

As someone who knew several runners participating, the ING New York City Marathon App made a world of difference when it came to tracking down my runners. Starting off in Brooklyn I was able to track my runners’ progress in real-time at mile 12, then headed to Manhattan where I was able to convince spectators who were already there to let me cut in front of them by showing them my app and telling them my runners would be approaching mile 18 at any moment.

It’s great to see a sport which is usually pretty isolated find ways to engage with spectators and aspiring runners alike. Which sporting events do you think would be a great fit for this type of social technology?

Since last year, the University of Southern California has been using Foursquare to foster a sense of campus community by embracing everything from venues and specials to tips and lists. With over 18,000 followers and 135,000 check-ins to date, USC’s adoption of the location-based social platform has proven that Foursquare can do so much more than dish out badges.

In this case study we see a traditional institution proactively reach students in a way that resonates with them. True, our Class of 2015 study tells us only 12% of college students are on Foursquare. However, with the right formula and a little innovation, USC has proven that Foursquare can thrive among college students when used in a way that benefits them. Bucket list for seniors? Campus event updates? Bookstore discounts? Yes, please.

USC isn’t the only university jumping on the Foursquare bandwagon, and it’s not “new news” either. Last year Foursquare forged a relationship with 20 universities across the country to, as the Foursquare blog says, help “students, alumni, and staff connect with each other, find new and interesting things to do, and earn rewards for exploring their campus and nearby areas.”

So, on your next trip to SoCal be sure to take the virtual campus tour via Foursquare and check into at least five spots along the way. This could earn you some sweet campus swag and maybe even the True Trojan badge!

The latest crop of college students face one of the toughest economic climates in recent history, compounded by rising tuition costs and bleak job prospects. Hard realities shape the outlook and values of this generation, and it is reflected in the video content they watch. After visiting with four students during last week’s panel discussion at OMMA Video in San Francisco, it is clear that they don’t have the time or patience to wade through advertising that doesn’t provide a clear and practical benefit.

LIVE FROM OMMA SAN FRANCISCO

So how do brands build advocacy through video content? Mr Youth hosted a panel discussion with four San Francisco Bay Area students to get their candid and honest feedback on how they engage with video advertising. Watch the full conversation unfold here (Click to watch OMMA Video Panel Discussion) or continue reading for our observations and highlights from our student panelists.

(Pictured above, seated left to right: Senior Director of Marketing: Nick Fuller, Student Panelists: Daniel, Monika, Monique & Kristen)

While carrying a full course-load, students still manage to squeeze in plenty of video content each day across numerous devices and platforms. They don’t appear to be playing favorites among online sources, so long as the content is free. Pay-walls for exclusive content (Hulu Plus or Netflix) aren’t as big of an issue, given that the alternative is a costly cable package, which is resulting in nearly 86 percent of students preferring to take their viewership online (– Mr Youth “Class of 2015” study, August 2011). According to our panelists, game consoles are replacing cable boxes, with all four panelists either owning or having access to one for the specific purpose of watching video content.

Daniel: “If I share something, I am putting my approval stamp on it, claiming that I approve of this message.”

When brands get the message right with this generation, the opportunities are endless.  Members of this generation admittedly share video advertising and other content daily across their social networks, with 70 percent actively seeking new sources of content via peer recommendations online (Mr Youth nationwide poll, October 2011). Our panelists recognize the power they have over brands through recommendations across their social graph.

YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO HOOK THEM

Daniel: “I know if the ad is something I will continue watching within the first five seconds.”

A generation skeptical of advertising requires a straightforward approach to your marketing pitch. We do mean “pitch,” since our panelists suggest that the direct benefit of watching the advertisement must be communicated within the “first 5 seconds” or they will instantly tune out.

Still, they know video ads are a small price to pay for free content. Our panelists preferred pre-roll ads best, with the option to select between ads from the same brand. Consider this an opportunity to learn more about their preferences, while increasing the likelihood they will watch. And don’t even think about interrupting their viewing experience with a rollover or other non-linear variation–at best, they find these highly annoying and disruptive.

BE ENTERTAINING, UP FRONT & ON BRAND

Monique: “If you are straight forward, clever & humorous, I am more likely to watch.”

The good news for marketers is that this generation is still very receptive to video advertising. Developing successful content requires paying attention to a basic formula that revealed itself through our panel conversations:

Clear Intention + Entertaining + Intelligent + On Brand = Successful Content

Our panelists view a clear distinction between ads that “try too hard” to be funny or entertaining, and ads that entertain while conveying a clear product benefit. They prefer the latter, and ask that video ads begin from a place of honest intentions (be straight forward about what you are selling, and keep the message on brand) while also making it entertaining.

Daniel: “I like it when a brand is able to make fun of itself & not take itself too seriously. It shows me that they get our generation.”

None of our panelists felt it would harm a brand to crack a small joke about itself every once in a while. They expressed that “big brands take themselves too seriously,” and find brands more relatable when they are willing to poke fun at themselves.

Monika: “It is exhausting to watch a commercial that is pulling at your base emotions & over stimulus. We are rational people & would like to make rational decisions.”

For all of the reasons above, they love the recent Allstate “Mayhem” video campaign. The intention of the ad and benefit to the consumer are clear: Allstate Insurance will cover its customers against the inevitable “mayhem” that happens in everyday life. They appreciate the witty humor and candid nature of the pitch. In contrast, our panelists view advertising as misleading and deceptive when using too much “visual stimulus” as a way of pulling on their emotions. They appreciate advertising that treats them as intelligent, rational decision-makers.

THEY APPRECIATE THE UTILITY OF HOW-TO VIDEOS

Monique: “How-to videos make things functional & relevant to our lives. If you could inject a product into a video while showing me how to use it, I would totally watch it.”

This generation is resourceful and willing to roll-up its sleeves to solve every day problems. How-to videos provide brands with the perfect opportunity to sell-through education, demonstrating the unique benefits of the product while helping the consumer complete a specific task. All four panelists seemed to enjoy these videos and reinforced the value they provide. They also mentioned that they would be very likely to remember the products demonstrated while watching.

THEY GET BEHIND BRANDS WITH SIMILAR IDEALS

Monika: “Brands needs to communicate a bigger ideal to be remembered, more so than any image or name. When I find a video, I want to understand the POV of the person (or brand) that is producing it.”

Genuine advocacy requires more than just creating funny content and hoping that it goes viral. Brand advocates want to know the purpose behind the brand and its advertisements. They want the “POV” of the content curator, whether it is a famous Indie film director, or Annie’s Mac ‘N’ Cheese. They are likely to share commercials that convey important messages, or are attached to a social movement or cause they care about. Our panelists actively research brands and products (ingredients especially) when considering a purchase. Ensure that they find all the right answers when they look it up online.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While our panel consisted of only four students from the San Francisco Bay Area, they did reflect many of the same views as the college students we spoke with over the summer in a larger, nationwide study on the college freshmen “Class of 2015,” (Read our study on “5 Ways To Friend The Class Of 2015” at: www.Meet2015.com). Our panelists desire straightforward video ads that provide a benefit for watching and a clear product benefit from which they can make rational judgments. Tie your message to a bigger purpose or ideal, and they will reward you–not only with their attention, but also through their online sharing and endorsement.

As marketers, we know that even small changes to any user experience can have a dramatic impact on how engaged consumers are in our social-digital ecosystems. Teens are the most sensitive, savvy and fickle to these changes–and lack the years of entrenchment in any one social network to keep them from jumping ship and trying something new. So what do teens think about the most recent changes on Facebook? We surveyed 2,000 (14-17 year old) teens to find out what they like, love and hate about the platform where they spend at least 90 minutes each day.

SPENDING LESS TIME ON FACEBOOK

Overwhelmingly, teens are openly and seriously considering spending less time on Facebook as a direct result of the recent changes. Only 4% of teens plan to spend more time on Facebook. According to our research, 47% will maintain the same level of usage, electing to “put up with the annoyances” in order to access the features that made the platform valuable to them in the first place: visiting friend pages, commenting on walls and engaging in chats.

USER EXPERIENCE IS CONFUSING, BUT TOLERATED

While teens admit that it will “take some getting used to,” the challenges are much deeper rooted than becoming comfortable with changes in navigation. Many of the teens who participated in the survey called the changes “confusing, annoying, disappointing and useless,” (among comments made repeatedly in our discussion forums). Teens mention Facebook’s biggest strength is its simplicity and ease of use. Only 19% of teens felt that the interface was easier to navigate, with 45% saying the page feels cluttered by all of the new features. Social media fatigue may become a bigger problem, with an onslaught of updates streaming through the newly-added ticker, causing 35% of teens to feel “uncomfortable” with the new level of sharing.

NEW TIMELINE IS “AWESOME”

In the eyes of our teens, the Timeline is everything that the other improvements are not. While it has not officially launched to the masses, we were able to find a handful of teens that were ambitious enough to have installed timeline on their own. Timeline received the most praise from teens in our study (27% said it was their favorite above all Facebook features). Securing a position on a teen’s Timeline will have meant that your brand achieved a defining connection in the life of a teen. In contrast, apps that are currently auto-posting their way on to Timelines of unsuspecting teens will need to quickly adapt in order to maintain long-term relevance and placement.

TICKER IS A “SCROLLING STALKER”

Since most teens have between 100 and 500 friends, the ticker scrolls too-fast to provide meaningful updates. The ticker is seen as a distraction, over-communicating their activities without providing any real value. Only 17% see any value in viewing friend activity this way, with 31% of teens trying to ignore its very existence on the page. They worry that a ticker provides information that “is not theirs to see” in the first place, with the word “stalker” being mentioned on several occasions.

AUTO-POSTING APPS, WHEN DONE RIGHT, A RISK WORTH TAKING

Overwhelmingly, teens view apps as not adding value to their news feed. They view apps as “clogging” their wall with “spam” and an unnecessary level of communication. At best, “it depends” on the type of app being used. The top apps on Facebook with teens are Twitter (27%), Ticketmaster (21%), Yahoo (24%), Netflix (20%) and Spotify (15%). Apps that allow teens to discover new content they might enjoy (like Spotify) were tolerable, with 37% of all teens liking apps that allow them to share music. Apps provide an additional way for brands to gain awareness, with 42% of teens noticing a brand through a friend’s app usage. Based on these responses, we can surmise that for an app to be received favorably, it must deliver value, not only to the initial user, but also to the user’s friends as well. Do this correctly, and you are likely to win new users (70% of teens are “likely” to try an app that they see a friend using).

DOOR OPENS FOR GOOGLE PLUS

The opportunity for Google+ as a result of the changes to Facebook is a viable one. According to the survey, 25% of teens will be using Facebook less and Google+ more, with 10% saying they would drop Facebook completely. Among teens that are already using Google+, they rave about the platform as being cleaner and “more social” than Facebook. Lack of knowledge about Google+ seems to be the biggest barrier to entry among teens who express interest in staying loyal to Facebook. Also, teens have opted for staying with Facebook over Google+ because the majority of their friends are already on it.

TEENS TAKE THEIR “LIKES” SERIOUSLY

The value of a “like” has only increased with the latest changes. With the walls of “like”-gating crumbling down, a “like” can now stand alone for what it truly is: an endorsement by a consumer, signaling that something meets his or her approval and is therefore ok for his or her friends. Teens take the action of liking something very seriously, with 57% of teens viewing a “like” as a reflection of their personal brand. 37% view a “like” as a direct endorsement to their friends, and 39% view this action as a way of signaling to a brand that they would like to receive updates. This is the one occasion in which the new ticker has proven to be useful (at least for brands), since 56% of teens have seen a friend “like” a brand while glancing at the ticker stream.

BRANDS MUST EDUCATE BEFORE ACTIVATING

Many of the latest features are not well known among teens. When we asked teens which features they were aware of, only 48% had heard about “Top Story,” 51% knew about “Subscribe” and only 36% knew they could post on a brand’s Facebook page without having to “like” it (25% of teens said this was their favorite change). Brands could benefit from educating teens on how these features work, and clarify exactly how taking action would result in their endorsement, sharing or communication of the brand.

WRAP UP

While teens are currently in an uproar about the changes on Facebook, the vast majority will likely stay onboard, getting used to the new experience. Brands must be mindful of the unchartered opportunities and risks associated with these features, and take a leadership role in helping teens navigate this new arena.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

This data was obtained through Crowdtap, a technology platform that helps brands connect directly with influential consumers. Crowdtap was initially developed within Mr Youth before raising venture capital and spinning off in July of 2011. Survey questions were launched to a nationwide audience of 14-17 year olds teen boys and girls, generating over 2,000 responses. Qualitative insights (and quotes) were collected through an online discussion forum of 100 teens.

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS

Send any questions regarding the insights of this report to Nick Fuller, Senior Director of Marketing at Mr Youth and the author of this report. You may reach him directly via email at: nickf@mryouth.com

Here at Mr Youth, we pride ourselves on being something close to campus-connoisseurs. Between our proprietary college network, RepNation, our ears-on-the-ground college ambassadors and our insight platform, Crowdtap, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of the ever-elusive college student. What do we do with this type of access? We listen and we take notes– lots and lots of notes.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to put our intel to work, serving up fresh-from-campus blog posts chock full of all the college trends you need to know to stay in the know. This week our featured trend is: Photo Sharing Apps.

From Facebook to Foursquare, today’s college student has come to age on the Internet and lives in a world where the persona they curate online often serves as a first impression for potential friends long before they ever meet in person. Reputation is no longer grounded in the offline world, but is extended and amplified by the links they share, the venues the check-in to, the photos they’re tagged in and the influencers they “follow”.

Every college student knows that if a photo didn’t capture it, then it probably didn’t happen. Students eager to supplement their online personas with digital snapshots have been quick to turn to mobile photo-sharing applications to capture, enhance and instantly share their experiences, giving friends and followers the opportunity to visually walk a mile in their shoes.

While mup-loading, or mobile-uploading, is nothing new for college students, new mobile applications such as Instagram and Hipstamatic allow students to further curate their personal brand by applying one-click “filters” to photos, elevating every day snapshots to visually intriguing pieces of art that are sure to impress their friends.

“… Creating a life stream of photos online is practically effortless. Sharing photos is also a more emotionally connective form of communication… I quickly began to notice my tendency to look for “Instagram-worthy” moments”–Tyler Patton, 22

Here at Mr Youth, we pride ourselves on being something close to campus-connoisseurs. Between our proprietary college network, RepNation, our ears-on-the-ground college ambassadors and our insight platform, Crowdtap, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of the ever-elusive college student. What do we do with this type of access? We listen and we take notes– lots and lots of notes.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to put our intel to work, serving up fresh-from-campus blog posts chock full of all the college trends you need to know to stay in the know, starting with our fashion update: Boho Chic.

For today’s co-eds, college is about much more than having a good time. Between school, resume-building extracurricular activities, networking and maintaining their g.p.a. students are feeling incredible pressure to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. In a high-pressure environment, students think their clothing should be anything but. The skinny jeans, stick straight hair and tight cocktail dresses of last semester have been replaced by long flowing skirts, natural waves and sturdy gladiator sandals, a look that students are calling “Boho-Chic”.“

“Boho chic is…free-spirited, flowy but put together. I consider myself boho chic wit feathers, earth tones, and brown leather taking up a majority of my wardrobe.”-Emily Tracy, University of North Carolina age 20

Freedom is the name of the game and for stressed out students, Boho-Chic affords the perfect escape from their every day lives by combining style and comfort without confining them to specific brand names, looks or silhouettes.

”Boho-Chic is casual, but in a ‘I just rolled out of bed and look good’ kind of way…There’s something very alluring about the grungy, messy look–seems like you’re not putting effort in but it’s a finely crafted mess, so to speak.”-Amelia Viner, Emerson College age 21

Over the last year there has been an exponential increase in the number of websites asking users to sign in using Facebook connect. Some tout the ease of joining a community, others want to connect your interests with the interests of your friends, and some just ask you to do it for no apparent reason. Until recently I have yet to see any website give me something in return for taking that action. As a marketer I know that their desire to connect me with other people or make sign-up easier is just so they can make money. It’s about data collection, optimization and ad targeting. I get it, and most other consumers get it, so why not give me something worth my while? Why not show me what my data is worth to you?

Well, my dreams have come true. Hulu, in an effort to beat Netflix (and get their numbers up for a quick sale), is in the midst of a big push for their Hulu Plus offering. The online video provider has seen some success with the paid version of its free service, but not to the extent that Netflix has seen success. Their answer to that problem is free trials, and their ask form consumers is simple: Give us access to your Facebook data and one status update about Hulu Plus.

So, according to Hulu, your Facebook data and one status update is worth $7.99.