Young lads are the most challenging of any consumer group for brands to successfully connect with. Not only are they the most difficult and expensive to reach, they are the savviest ad avoiders, the most discerning content filterers and the quickest to be brand rejecters – all whilst operating with a modern day attention span (i.e. very short!)
Commercially, we have reached a tipping point with 'Elusive Lads'. Simply modifying traditional communication approaches cannot deliver a successful return on investment. Audience trend data alone evidences the need for a complete re-boot in 'Elusive Lad' communications.
Via previous ZenithOptimedia research, we knew how brands needed to behave to appeal to lads. Lads wanted brands to demonstrate purpose, allow them to participate in the brand journey, enable their storytelling and empower a two-way conversation. But how could we best connect these new brand behaviours with the increasingly elusive Australian lad?
We wanted to unlock new opportunities and to optimise the impact of every single contact we had with lads - and this could only be fuelled by granular level insights in to their media and technology behaviour. We explored usage patterns, attention levels, receptivity moments, contextual opportunities and openness to brands across television, YouTube, social media, gaming, music, sport and more.
A multi-method research study amongst Australian males 15-24 was undertaken including two online surveys (total sample n=753), eight consumer immersions and diaries, expert interviews and audience data analysis.
The Elusive Lads study was completed early 2015, and revealed a wealth of fresh insight. Please read on for a taste of what was unearthed...
The Night Owl ‘Screen Splurge’ offers a sweet-spot for brands:
From 8pm-12 midnight, moving between different screens and across all the major platforms, lads' attention and receptivity is at it’s highest, whilst cost and competition is at its lowest, resulting in an engagement sweet spot for brands – especially when delivering long form content.
TV still reigns when it comes to ad attention – but for how long?:
36% of lads claim to watch the ads they are exposed to on TV, vs. 21% for ads on Facebook and19% for ads on YouTube. However the future for TV doesn’t look so appealing, with 49% of lads saying they pay less attention to TV advertising now than they did in the past.
YouTube consumption does not translate into an equally strong ad opportunity:
While lads claim that YouTube is their #1 media channel, 83% say they skip ads every/most of the time, highlighting the importance of contextually relevant ad placement and content strategies.
Lad’s ruthless filtering approach to Facebook makes cut-through a fine art:
Facebook enjoys the highest usage frequency of any media, (48% access 7+ times per day), however it is an automated habit characterised by uber-fast ‘social snacking’ & declining participation. Evenings offer the greatest engagement opportunity, evidenced by 53% of lads watching Facebook video during the evening vs. only 10% in the mid morning.
Instagram and Snapchat – increasingly solid opportunities:
Instagram is in growth mode regarding both user numbers and time spent - 69% say they use Instagram more now than they did previously, and 40% prefer Instagram over Facebook.
Snapchat user numbers are on par with Instagram, yet display a clear teenage skew.
Music endures as #1, yet Lads passion profiles have evolved:
Whilst technology continues to enable lad’s passions (YouTube being Music’s #1 consumption mode), we observe technology becoming a passion in its own right, evidenced in the identification of Social Networking, Gaming, and YouTube as Lads #2, #3 & #4 pastimes.
Sport isn’t the ubiquitous solution it once was + global influences hit home:
34% of lads spend no time watching sport during an average week, signalling a shift in the ubiquitous role sport once played amongst this cohort. Additionally, we observe interests and access evolving. Premier League ranks #2 in popularity, consumed digitally, time shifted and via highlights.
Gaming has completed it’s evolution into the mainstream:
80% of lads play video games at least once a week, with 1/3 of them playing 7+ hours/week – yet in-game advertising rejection is high. Lads usage of Publisher Communities (e.g. IGN) or Blogging Communities (e.g. Machinima/Pewdiepie) to fuel this passion, emerge as lead brand opportunities.
While some may continue to seek the elusive silver bullet for communicating with the lads of Australia, our research confirmed that the solution is quite the opposite.
The media diet of Elusive Lads is complex, fragmented and always changing, audience is achieved via the clever aggregation of select properties - with reach only the beginning of the challenge.
At ZO we believe that the right starting point for designing Elusive Lads communications is to assume that they are uninterested in advertising and expect to be able to avoid it.
With this frame of mind, we go about earning their attention.
Via pinpointing their moments of heightened receptivity, utilising the multi-tasking reality of their lives, developing content to earn their interest, creating experiences that is worth their time or being a part of the passions they value, more than ever before - The devil is in the detail.