Teen Marketing? Fo’ Shizzle Dizzle

In the days before format radio, I listened to KLIF-AM in Dallas. KLIF played an amazing array of music not found on commercial radio stations today.

I particularly liked the R&B program hosted by Cousin Lenny. He began his broadcast at 10:00 p.m.—about the time I was supposed to be in bed sleeping. I'd pull out my blue Panasonic Toot-A-Loop radio and lie there listening to Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, The Stylistics and other R&B legends.

That was about the time I started taking drum lessons. Much to my parents' regret, I actually stuck with it. During the decade to follow, I studied and performed classical, jazz and rock. But still I loved R&B.

Over the years, I have cultivated an appreciation for R&B and its offspring, including hip-hop, house, rap and urban, in general. A benefit of my musical upbringing and interest has been a greater ability to understand youth culture in a manner that is decidedly non-adult-like.

In the research I conduct for Fortune 500 brands, this has been particularly helpful.

Why? Because in recent years not only has urban style become a part of mainstream music, fashion and culture, but also urban values have become drivers of trends in America. Many teenage consumers are in the sweet spot of this important segment.

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Mitch McCasland (mmccasland@moroch.com) is director of insight and brand strategy at Moroch Partners (www.moroch.com) and a leading advocate of using customer insights and competitive intelligence as a basis for brand strategy, advertising, and new product design.