Reaching Today's Multitasking Teens

According to new studies from New Media Age, the Internet is now more important to children and young teens than either TV or mobile phones, with almost 30% saying the web was more crucial to them than their phone or watching TV. Interestingly, these young consumers increasingly actually use their phones more for accessing web content - particularly social media - than they do for calling, or even texting.

The research also highlights the phenomenon of "media stacking' - where kids use multiple platforms simultaneously, for example using SMS on their phone whilst watching a TV programme whilst updating their Facebook page on their laptop.

Indeed, Facebook is by far the most popular social network for young children - including 8-12 year olds - despite its claim that it only allows those who are 13 or above to have their own pages. Twitter, Bebo and MySpace remain popular too, though measurably less so.

What does this mean for teen-friendly brand owners and their internet marketing consultants?  Well, over half of children in one of the studies have liked a brand in Facebook, indicating that they are receptive to interesting brand messages in social media. The fact that they combine media channels so seamlessly provides opportunities to build stronger, cross-channel relationships with young consumers.

However, it also brings challenges; marketers must provide value across all touchpoints, alongside an in-depth understanding of how their audience behaves in each media, and how these media interact. Simply running the same marketing collateral across each channel just won't cut it with today's youth.