Youth publisher Pedestrian TV is targeting the teenage demographic with the launch of a new website, Pez.
The Gen-Z focused sub-brand will feature news, video and features targeted to high school aged readers around everything from body image, mental health, sex, dating, friendships, bullying, study tips, schoolies and formals.
The move shows the Gen-Z market is heating up, with rival Junkee Media launching its teen-targeted website Punkee earlier this year.
As well as the new website, Pedestrian TV will also launch three new verticals next year – Pedestrian Auto, Pedestrian Startup and Pedestrian Home.
Founder Chrishan Wirasinha says the auto vertical is Australia’s “first major millennial focused car platform”, covering automotive news and information merged with pop culture.
Pedestrian Startup views the local and international startup community through a local lens, while Pedestrian Home leverages Australia’s property obsessions and aims to “democratise” the home space.
“Since we first started Pedestrian our goal has been to create the most expansive and immersive platform for young Australians,” Wirasinha says.
“We consistently strive to ensure that every youth passion point, life-stage and major decision that they’re making is explored across the site. Our new vertical launches Auto, Startup and Home are backed by insights, data and market demand. While Pez will see us create our first content-led sub-brand as we fill a much needed gap in the market for Australian teens.”
Pedestrian has been rapidly expanding both with content verticals and across Australia. Earlier this year it announced the launch of Pets, which goes live next month in partnership with Petsure.
Earlier this year, Junkee launched Punkee
Junkee’s Punkee has been live for three months now, racking up 123,000 fans on Facebook and 500,000 domestic visits to its website this month.
In response to the launch of Pez, Junkee Media CEO Neil Ackland says it validates the company's "original thinking".
"We identified the younger Gen Z audience as a key target for Junkee Media earlier this year, so it's nice to see other publishers taking inspiration from our strategy.
"By moving into the same space as Punkee, it just validates our original thinking and can only help to open up the category further. We've been thrilled with how Punkee's been received by the audience and advertisers in the first three months," he says.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.