Tween takeover
October 29, 2008
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They’re all in this together
There was a time when children were to be seen and not heard. Well, they’re making up for that lost volume now:
• ITV is to roll out a selection of licensing deals in association with its newly-launched musical drama, Britannia High – which features original music composed by some of the biggest names in pop including Gary Barlow, Guy Chambers, Steve Mac, and Mark Owen. It will include clothing, DVDs, and books, as well as live tours of the show. It is described as ITV’s “most ambitious 360º, multi platform show to date”.
• Nickelodeon’s new season of Tween mockumentary series, The Naked Brothers Band, is to feature appearances from numerous musicians. Miranda Cosgrove from hit Nickelodeon show iCarly will guest star, as well as Natasha Bedingfield, David Desrosiers (Simple Plan), Simon Kirke (Bad Company), and Tobin Esperance (Papa Roach).
• Honda is embarking on an integrated branding initiative to run alongside the cinema release of Disney’s High School Musical 3. In addition to showcasing a number of vehicles in the film, Honda will also appear in co-branded 30-second spots as well as running a co-branded sweepstake competition to win a 2009 Honda Odyssey.
So what?: The rise of the 8-12-year-old music super-consumer is in full flow, with marketers eager to capitalise on the $51B annual spending power of the Tween set. These Troy and Gabriella wannabes hold a considerable sway over the family purse strings (around $170B a year) and Honda is wise to leverage both the household car choice (pre-teen) and personal choice (teen) of these young uber-consumers. Nickelodeon is busy creating the next Tween star in Miranda Cosgrove, utilising its pact with Sony to the full. Meanwhile ITV is creating a hybrid of Hollyoaks, High School Musical, and X Factor, as it sets up Britannia High as its primetime ‘Sure Thing’ with a 360º model ready to roll.
Tweens are big business and understanding what makes this demographic – one that straddles both physical CD sales and a distinct grasp on new technology ¬– tick is a must-have for both brands and media companies. Whilst teens are busy finding free music online, Tweens have found unity in an old school medium – music TV.
“Pre-teens have been strong music consumers for some years now, but more crucially, the fact that they have also grown up as Internet consumers with digital TV and radio channels means they’ve got more choice than any previous generation about where they choose to consume. Record labels and brands need to position their products in multiple media and think more laterally than literally about their audience’s lifestyles to keep up with the hyper speed and fickle nature of the pre-teen brain!”
Michelle James, Director of External Relations, Youth Music
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