YOUTH TRENDS 2017 REPORT A VOXBURNER REPORT What a waste of space. What a waste of space. CONTENTS FindFind out out how how we’re we’re engaging engaging thethe adad blockingblocking generation for for Google, Google, Jimmy Jimmy ChooChoo andand HBO. 1.00 Lifestyle rehabstudio.comrehabstudio.com 1.01 Superhumans 1.02 Pleasure Principles 1.03 Savvy Shoppers 2.00 Digital and Tech 2.01 Digital Innovations 2.02 Anti-Social Social 2.03 Digital Language 3.00 Content 3.01 Single-Gender Content 3.02 Simplified Content 3.03 Alive Content 4.00 A Spotlight on Youth Consumer Attitudes Towards Drugs 5.00 Key Takeaways PODTALKS 6.00 About This Report CONTENT FOR A WORLD IN MOTION SEE YMS17 RESULTS AT: SWHYPE.COM/PODTALKS 3 MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS Liz Cheesbrough Sabrina Faramarzi Associate Director, SCB Partners Freelance Journalist and Futures Researcher Liz is an Associate Director at Havas’ research driven strategy and trend Sabrina Faramarzi is a freelance journalist and futures researcher obsessing, forecasting consultancy SCB Partners, and in 2015 launched video start up Ice thinking and doing all things trend, innovation and design. Previously Strategic Cream. Passionate about immersive insight and bringing subcultures to life, her Insights Analyst at international retail design and strategy consultancy Portland youth clients have included Facebook, MTV, River Island and leading Channel 4’s Design and prior to that Trend Researcher at creative agency Bureaux Design, she award-winning UK Tribes project. Ever interested in club and drug culture, for fun has worked on a number of clients in the food, fashion and beauty industries and she works with Global Drug Survey which tracks how the world is getting high to on a number of international travel projects where she spent her time unpicking help inform change. the psyche of the young consumer. She now works freelance helping her clients understand their consumers and changing demographics and future proof their Shanu Walpita businesses for the next big thing. Freelance Trend Forecaster and Consultant George Webster Shanu Walpita is a trend forecaster, editor and consultant, specialised in Youth Consultant, Flamingo London dissecting global youth mindsets. From burgeoning subcultures, to future influencers, she’s travelled the world to uncover fresh talent, report from industry George began his career at insight agency Protein, researching early adopter events, and foretell micro / macro trends for everyone from retail brands to record consumers to help clients engage them. At Flamingo, he has explored the drivers labels. She spent 7+ years building her profile as an authority on Millennial and of shifs in youth culture to inform innovation for clients like adidas and is leading Gen Z consumer narratives at global trend authority WGSN, as their Youth Editor. Flamingo’s new youth initiative, exploring future trends and cultural currents in the Over the years she has provided their huge roster of clients with future insight - youth sector. both concept and product. Ruth Marshall-Johnson Victoria Loomes Associate Foresight Director, The Future Laboratory Head of TW:Premium, TrendWatching Ruth Marshall-Johnson is a cultural researcher, speaker and mentor specialising Victoria Loomes is Head of TW:Premium and works with TrendWatching’s clients in identifying and explaining the relationship between cultural development to help them understand how trends are impacting their business. She regularly and consumer behaviour for brands and organisations including Swarovski, delivers insight-packed presentations and workshops and has worked with a Dreamworks, Coca-Cola and BMW. Ruth is also guest lecturer at Central Saint range of brands including Unilever, Hachette, Marriott Hotels, BNP Paribas and Martins, the University of Westminster and London College of Communication BSkyB. She also writes about consumer trends and innovations and has been and on the influence and context of cultural trends she speaks at global press and quoted in a wide range of publications including The New York Times, The industry events. Guardian and The Telegraph. 4 5 Join us at across the globe YOUTH CONTRIBUTORS Saeed Atcha, 20 Founding CEO, Xplode Magazine Saeed is the CEO at one of Britain’s only charities created and managed by and for young people, Xplode magazine. Alongside this, Saeed has set up a PR Agency and is a radio broadcaster across the UK on 12 stations owned by News UK. At 20 years old, he is studying for a degree in Public Relations and Marketing and is a director of two local charities where he is responsible for the correct governance and strategy towards performance and volunteer management. He is the youngest Charity CEO to lead a group to be awarded Her Majesty the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and former Prime Minister, David Cameron, named Saeed a Point of Light. Lian Brooks, 21 University of Bristol graduate Lian is a University of Bristol English graduate based in London, currently enjoying being able to get a taste for different sectors through interning in journalism and digital marketing. Lian is creative by nature and striving to find a way to join a love of the arts with work, while writing articles, painting and sampling London’s best pizzerias. Her proudest achievement to date is making it into the Art Attack magazine age 6, a feat she hopes to trump now out in the real world. Halima Nabahan, 20 University of Sussex student Halima is a first year student at the University of Sussex studying International NYC BLN SF LDN Development. Originally from London but having been raised in both New Zealand and Kenya, her two native countries, having such experience has been YMS NYC YMS Berlin YMS San Francisco YMS London crucial in shaping who she is today. She has a keen interest in writing and hopes to turn that passion into a career, whatever that may be. At the moment she’s 3-4 October 2017 23 November 2017 7 March 2018 20-21 March 2018 enjoying trying out new hobbies, meeting new people and travelling as much as she can. For further enquiries - please contact Richard Jackson on [email protected] or +44 20 3095 1415 6 FOREWORD I’m delighted to introduce the Voxburner Youth LIFESTYLE DIGITAL AND TECH CONTENT Trends report, which delves into a youth consumer behaviour analysis and forecast for the year ahead. Superhumans Digital Innovations Single-Gender Content The 2017 edition is an essential read for smart Self-improvement is on the top As VR gains traction in a more The young content creators youth marketers ready to elevate their strategies of 16-24s’ to-do list as they mainstream medium amongst making the most noise in 2016 and increase presence and loyalty amongst the partake in activities that aid in a this market, find out what other were the girls. As we reach ever influential youth generations. dedicated process of becoming tech innovations are resonating peak youth feminism, learn how This unique piece of research is intended to be the best version of themselves within the youth sphere. shifs in modern masculinity used by all industries that connect with the 16-24 possible. will inform future youth content Anti-Social Social demographic on any level, whether Fashion, Food strategies. Pleasure Principles & Beverage, Education or Tech, as a go-to guide There’s about to be a backlash Simplified Content to transform how marketers connect with this How do UK 16-24s get their to the hyper-filtered lives young sector. Not only does it provide key trends within kicks? Are young people people are currently living No-fuss, minimal content is three core themes; Lifestyle, Digital and Content, no longer partying the way through social media. Discover exactly what will be on 16-24s it offers branded examples to inspire, as well previous generations at their how in our Anti-Social trend. agenda for 2017. The Simplified as achievable takeaway tactics that can directly ages did? Content trend frees up busy Digital Language inform future marketing concepts. youth consumers’ time to work Savvy Shoppers In 2017, young people will begin on their superhuman status. The findings of the report are brought to life by The UK’s youth are driving the to communicate in a variety of insights and opinions from expert contributors future of shopping into a social, mediums that go beyond emojis Alive Content ruling the youth marketing world right now, as digitally interactive world. Retail and GIFs. Ensure you’re fluent in The youth sector are driving the well as comments from those that truly matter, brands will find inspiration in the Digital Language trend. future of content into a futuristic the 16-24 target demographic. In addition, the Savvy Shoppers’ habits traits sphere that’s living, breathing, trends are confirmed via a quant survey of over and retail needs here. and above-all instant. Learn how 2,000 16-24-year-olds based all over the UK, this trend evolves to create an providing stats to reference in future content and always-on world, where online further insights into this demographic’s intriguing and offline merge. mindset. Here’s a taste of what’s to come… Open mouthed? You should be. Make this report your go-to, in a sense, a youth culture Bible that will ensure your organisation succeeds within the ever-competitive youth marketing sphere, in 2017 and beyond. Enjoy. Lara Piras Voxburner, Content & Insights Director 8 9 1.01 SUPERHUMANS In Voxburner’s Youth Trends 2016 report we the uproot of personalised content marketing. explored polite youth consumers, where goody- From our survey of over 2,000 UK 16-24s, 45% two-shoes were engaging in online activism, agree they’re an ‘overachiever,’ while 84% feel it traditional values and unique identities.