The Merchants of Cool

The marketing tactics of the product researchers are not only a bit extreme but also it seems that they are not that effective and are intrusive. It is true that it is hard for market researchers to understand what a teenager wants and what will make them buy a product since styles and ideals are constantly changing. One day something can be "in" and the next day its "out." I can see why they are trying so hard. It is a very desirable market to be in because typically teenagers have nothing to spend their extra cash on than their wants. Usually parents take care of what a teenager needs and they are left with spending money. It is a $33 billion dollar a year industry and everyone wants a piece of the pie.

A tactic that seemed a little ridiculous was going to spend the day with an "average" teenager. This only gives the world of one teenager in one city in one state in the country, even if they do this several times in different areas. It is too expensive and just seems like a waste of time. I thought a good idea was paying kids to come in and talk to a marketing director on what they want to see more or less of and how they respond to certain types of media. However, I still feel that the range of kids who were asked these questions was very limited. I'd think that polling a high school after they got out of classes for the day would give more feedback or posting a survey on a social network, such as Facebook for males and females of a certain age group would have more of an affect on market research.

I think some of these methods are a bit intrusive as well. I feel like some of these methods are what pushes younger kids try to go against the "mainstream" media because they feel that so much is thrown at them at once. They're consumed by what adults think will sell and are shown images of "sex symbols" such as Britney Spears at such a young age that they feel that they either need to be like them or go completely against them. I feel there is no happy medium. For example, rage rock was some teenagers' way out of the advertised and highly publicized world of music until market researches took notice and made this type of rock music acceptable and popular. In other words, this type of music became knows as a "sell out." Unfortunately, big business always wins. The quote by Brian Graner, MTV's channel president of programming in 2001, at the end of the Frontline article, "And I can't help but be worried that we are throwing so much at young adults so fast. And that there is no amount of preparation or education or even love that you could give a child to be ready," hit home and made me realize how intrusive market research really is.