I Am Seventeen Here Me Roar

An interesting snapshot inside a seventeen year old's mind. Both candid and oxymoronic, Oliver discusses what he and his peers expect from marketers. Straight from the horse-mouth, this is an excellent source for comparing youth targeted messaging to a consumer's demands. So would Oliver like your youth brand?

My Mindset

I’m the kind of person that likes brands to be one step ahead of me and have the things I need before I need them.

I like to have the freedom to use them as and when I please and not be pestered when I’m not using it. (If they’re good they will be used again)

I like them at my fingertips but not in my way.

What I’m doing has to look good, be easy to accomplish but not simple. Involves skill but not time consuming.

My dress sense is like my uniform, I need to look good but not smart, has to match but not be the same.

I like to follow the trends but be different, look like everyone else but stand out. Be the same but unique.

Same as everyone else’s but better. The same, but exclusive…

Hate expensive but it can’t be cheap.

I like them to be real. I see through the sugar coating, if you have something that can be useful to me then sell it.

When someone’s trying to sell something to me, I want them to be straight up, but I don’t want them to say, I’ve got this, do you want it?’, I want it to be relevant.

Like a mate, I want them there when I need them, in the background, when I need them, I need them to let me know what they’re there for and leave it at that.

I’ve got friends who I want to be around everyday, who I can rely on, I’ve got friends I call up just for a good time that I know wouldn’t be there if I needed them, but I don’t mind that. I want the same from brands. Like my phone, they’ve got to be reliable, around all the time, and there when you need them, if I’m going to go and buy a pair of kicks, I want the ones that look the best that no one else has.

We’re not as easily influenced as you think, we’re tired of video games and films being used as excuse to justify the behaviour of a few. My friends are talented, cool people. I see the talents in them. Don’t insult their intelligence. Don’t insult mine.

Source - Ruby Pseudo Wants a Word