Teen Back-to-School Anticipation, Anxiety Create Opportunity

Selling to Kids, August 5, 1998

The familiar pangs of returning to school have started to invade the sheer bliss of Summer vacation. And the onslaught of "that first day," for teenagers, summons feelings of anxiety, occasionally despair.

But despite underlying apprehension, teens also are excited to engage in a fresh start - to reunite with old friends and make new ones, engage in new subjects and feel optimistic about the coming year.

New York-based The Geppetto Group utilized its TeenTalkT resource to speak to teens ages 13 to 17 across the country to learn more about the source of teen consternation and inspiration. Based on this research, we've unearthed three dominant teen-school themes that are worthwhile for marketers to explore:

* Marketers can help alleviate stress by offering products to help kids cope;

* Teens see back-to-school as an opportunity to start fresh; and

* The answer to teen stress often is the same as it is for adults: products and services that help users get organized.

Products to Cope

Teens constantly are under the scrutiny of their teachers, peers, parents and themselves. Teens are steeped in competition from every angle and they expect to compete for grades, looks, sports performance and popularity.

The freedom of Summer is swept away as the first day of school ushers in the compartmentalization of classes, the designated times allowed for bathroom breaks, the hour for lunch and a schedule for band or soccer practice. The stresses of this rigid schedule are compounded by the constant pressure of being evaluated.

"Even if I get a B+ this quarter in geometry, I still have to push myself to earn it next quarter," says Jay, 14.

The stresses of a school schedule coupled with an innate drive to compete manifests itself in shopping frenzies for anything from the best sneakers to the most technologically advanced PCs.

The pressure to compete in order to look good, find a boyfriend, or get into college rankles the heart of many a teen and manifests itself in heavy spending as early as one month before the formidable "first day."

Teens between the ages of 14-17 spend anywhere from $100-$500 just to "get ready." New hairdos, the latest pair of shoes or the most high-tech calculator only skim the surface of a typical teen's preparation. It's also common for teens to exert significant influence on their parents to help pay for that new look, the "right" shoes, a more mature style, so they can keep up with their classmates. Demands of school can be stressful but parents can help.

"Even though I'll be a junior, I always drag my Mom with me to the mall the week before school. She always pays for new shoes and a Fall jacket," says Claudia, 14.

"My Mom let me color my hair purple this Summer but she freaked out that it's not grown out yet and school starts next Wednesday," says Samantha, 14.

Marketing Tip: evaluate products in light of how the items can reduce stress for teens. Products can span many different categories of a teen's newly regimented life - from the bedroom to the locker. The beginning of school is the ideal time for teens to spruce up their wardrobes, make a "clean sweep" of their rooms, or buy the right hair gel to win acceptance from peers. And parents also are receptive to marketing messages and products that will help their kids cope better with overloaded schedules.

The New Me

From freshman to senior year, teens feel renewed and inspired that "this year will be different" and better than before. With Fall in the air, teens feel rejuvenated about making new friendships, learning from new teachers and immersing themselves in new beginnings. Teens intentionally strive for self-improvement, and unconsciously, for self-awareness.

Somehow, a change in fashion or a new haircut fuels many a new school year's resolutions to study harder, be more popular, win that boy/girl's attention or be different than before. Summer has been an instrumental time to re-group with friends and this becomes a great source of strength and optimism for the coming year.

"I didn't have my act together my first year of high school and I got bad grades. I turned it around last year and I know I'll do even better this year," says Danielle, 17.

"This year I intend to try out for the jazz band again. I've been practicing all Summer, and I think I've got a great shot," says Michael, 16.

Marketing Tip: kids are seeking new items because they're seeking change and a new life this year. Brands uninteresting in the past may become relevant to teens this Fall if they are positioned as a way that helps them achieve a "new you."

Organization Key to Teen Empowerment

Teen anxiety about school, schedules and ordered days has inspired marketers to supply backpacks, book covers, a range of electronic planners and other tools. (Reebok now is offering notebooks and other school related items, for example.) Teens feel compelled to adopt the latest hi-tech gadgets because they believe in the value of such tools.

"I spend about $175-200 just in school supplies. You have to. My teachers and parents expect me to keep up with too much stuff," says Debbie, 15.