The Teen Scene

What's the buzz surrounding teen marketing today? Is marketing to teens as easy as simple outdoor promotions or Internet banner ads? What reaches this ever-changing demographic? With the explosive growth of social network Web sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com, teens are subjected to advertising with practically every click of the mouse. How do apparel marketers break through the clutter and create buzz amongst the new wired-from-birth generation?

THE WORLD AT THEIR FINGERTIPS

Today's teens rely less on their parents for knowledge than in the past. Instead, they are privy to go straight to the source for the information they seek. "Conceptually, the teen and the tween markets are very different now," says Alan Chapell, president of Chapell & Associates, a New York-based consulting firm focusing on privacy and marketing. "Nowadays, with the Internet, kids have so much access to information. It's a really crazy environment in that when they want something, they know where to find it."

Though some adults can't seem to get a grasp on the current technology craze, teens have embraced it, having grown up in the middle of the fury. Oftentimes, parents look to their children for technological "how-to"s. "When you talk about certain purchases, especially technology purchases, often it's the 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds who are the most educated consumers in the house," says Chapell. "They're having an increasingly larger influence in some of the purchasing decisions."

eFashionSolutions is a platform that powers multiple front-end Web sites, building profitable online businesses for the fashion industry. The company's clients include notable brands such as Baby Phat, J.Lo, Apple Bottoms and DKNY. Mandee.com is one of eFashionSolutions' sites that is a teen portal for shopping. "Marketers are harping on the price-conscious teenager with very little disposable income who wants to look cool and hip," says Ed Foy, CEO. Mandee.com offers its own brand, along with other recognizable juniors apparel names such as Eyeshadow, Steve Madden and Gasoline.

PEELING BACK THE ONION

Marketing to teens is a high stakes game, and marketers have to respect the savvy of teen shoppers. "You've got to be real. You can't fool these teens. They're connected; they're smart," says Foy. "When you place an ad in Vogue, Lucky or Cosmo, and put your Web site on the ad, there'd better be decent product or else it means nothing. When you're advertising and it says "available at," it's no longer brand equity building, it's an image."

With an online channel, clients have direct communication with their consumer. "You've spent money and gotten their attention with your ad campaign," he adds. "You've tagged your Web site and they've gone to it