Forrester Research recently released a report that anyone who’s ever lived with a teenager would call blindingly obvious. Among 4,681 Americans aged 12-17, the general sentiment was brands should leave them alone unless they have a problem.

For most teenagers, I imagine being “friends” with a brand is the equivalent of your mom coming downstairs during your party. Of course your parents are always present, since you still live in their home. But when you’re together with your friends, it’s more fun to act is if your folks weren’t upstairs straining to hear everything that’s going on.

Statistically speaking, it may be near-impossible to incentivize young people to interact with your brand. If Forrester’s research is accurate, just 6% of Facebook users aged 12-17 want to be friends with brand, and almost half think brand shouldn’t be on social media, period.

These numbers aren’t surprising: would you have wanted to engage in a public conversation with Head & Shoulders when you were 14? Or have Stridex calling you out on your feed when you complain about a zit? Uncool.

Of course brands want to reach young people, those with the disposable income from their parents. Generation Y or Z or whatever the MMM is calling it these days generally has significant decision-making and therefore purchasing power. So what’s the course of action?

Active Listening and Patience

According to the Forrester report, 28% of those surveyed said they expect brands to listen to what they say via social media and get back with them. In other words, they want their complains heard and addressed, but would otherwise rather be left alone. Brands would therefore be well advised to engage in active listening, being reactive rather than proactive, with this touchy age group. Push too hard and invade their personal space, and they’re likely to turn on you. Stay quiet but aware and offer help when it’s requested.

This approach takes patience. Teenagers’ buying habits are not yet set, but this doesn’t mean they’re not acutely aware of brands and choices. By taking a hands-off tack, responding when called upon for assistance, you’re still reinforcing your brand albeit at a slower pace. Young people are still forming their identities and opinions, and often change their minds seemingly with the blowing of the wind. Consider the long-term rather than the immediate sale when targeting messaging at younger people.

Just as teenagers grow into adults and come back to their parents saying, “Mom, dad, you were right,” they also become valued customers. By concentrating on communicating with people via the channels and means they like and are comfortable with, you can foment the lasting relationships your brand is looking for.

Back in September, I wrote this post regarding the definitions of Paid Media (what Ad Agencies do), Earned Media(what PR firms do) and Owned Media (what Raidious does).

Recently found this article from Forrester Research, apparently they’ve been looking into this. Good information!

Raidious is purpose built to manage owned media properties for large brands.

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• The 2010 Social Media Marketing Ecosystem (socialmediatoday.com)

Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and other social media and crowdsourcing sites are useful as more than simply avenues for promoting business. One major means of fostering brand loyalty and garnering new business is customer service. This is a lesson heard loud and clear by the best-of-breed.

Point

Forrester Research’s 2008 customer experience index ranked Apple at 80%, compared to 66% for second-place Gateway. The index rates companies on topics such as meeting customer needs and ease of use of their products. For a company known for the cache of its products, the butter to their manufacturing bread is clearly customer service.

Counterpoint

Providing a stark counterpoint was the recent United Airlines guitar destruction debacle. After his $3,500 guitar was destroyed by United baggage handlers, the airline told Dave Carroll that they were not liable and he would receive no compensation. Carroll posted a music video on YouTube with a song written about his experience.

The blog Social Media Today posted a great exposition on this, but let’s take a look at the raw numbers as of August 27, 2009:

Dave Carroll’s YouTube video
Number of views: 5,253,912
Number of comments: 21,630

United Airlines YouTube channel
Most-viewed video: 87,015
Most-discussed video: 145 comments

What about Facebook?

As of this writing, United’s “unofficial” fan page had 10,089 “fans.” Compare that with the Facebook pages of Southwest (76,076) and American (25,627). A small indie musician just dwarfed all of their social media PR efforts combined.

Large businesses like Apple invest a great deal of money and resources in customer service, resources small businesses may not have and other larger businesses may not prioritize.

Here social media is the great equalizer.

A great example is the Coffee Den in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.

Recently a customer posted a negative review on Yelp, a website which features reviews of goods and services submitted by actual customers. The Coffee Den responded by posting replies on Yelp and Twitter offering that customer a free coffee on their next visit. In an amusing twist, they posted the same offer directed to the reviewer’s Yelp username on their sidewalk signboard.

There was no confirmation whether the reviewer accepted their offer and returned to the store, but what’s important here is the immediate, agile, and human response this local business offered.

Their regulars would’ve continued to be so regardless of the “free coffee” outcome, but The Coffee Den bought themselves some karma points with that segment of their clientele. New customers, be they foot traffic or those searching out coffee and pastries on Yelp, will likely look upon this exchange as proof that the Coffee Den cares about them and will do their best to create a positive experience–and give them business in a crowded ecosystem of indie and chain shops.

And all of this potential benefit at no cost to the shop.

Now imagine this interaction repeated hundreds or thousands of times over with a larger business, and the value of a modest expenditure of financial and human capital becomes apparent.

The old model that might’ve included offering a paper coupon or gift card (or writing a targeted message on your chalkboard) is not irrelevant and still has application. It’s the addition of these new tools and paradigms that adds more value for the consumer–and thus ROI for the business–by enhancing the customer service experience.