 | Ypulse Daily Update 05.26.09
Directory and more at Ypulse.com | |  | Quick Links Ypulse Essentials: 8% Teens Watch TV Online, Student Newspaper Archives Online, Colleges Explore 3 Year Degrees Posted by meredith Only 6 days left until the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup event in San Francisco! Register today before it's too late! Enter the code READER for 30 percent off.  - Rebecca Rubin (the first Jewish American Girl. Plus, a look at the economic and psychological effects of little girls' 'princess' phase) (New York Times, reg. required) (AP)
- Only 8% of teens watch TV online (as opposed to on a regular television set, according to a recent survey. Apparently we were on to something with our "Checking the Pulse" results. Plus The CW's fall formula as interpreted by Slate's TV critic) (THR)
- Banned book lending library (a teen in Catholic school puts an empty locker to good use supplying students with classic and contemporary texts unavailable in school) (Boing Boing)
- The text effect (psychologists begin to explore the impact of the technology on adolescence. And, one teen sacrifices her safety for the sake of her iPod while another has a fatal accident while shooting a viral video. Oy. Plus, a scientific explanation for why puberty occurs earlier than it has in the past) (The Daily Beast)
- The many sides of prom (The New York Times, reg. required, asks a principal, a memoirist, a comedian, a counselor and a columnist to discuss the pros and cons of proms, past and present)
- Outgrowing the JoBros? (another look at whether the boy band has the stamina to sustain its tween-powered franchise) (New York Times, reg. required)
- CNN selects YO! editor Neelanjana Banerjee as one of their 'Young People Who Rock' (Check out their interview with Neelanjana [who will also be appearing at the Mashup next week!] on Friday)
- Online student newspaper archives (lead to some Googleable embarrassment for aspiring journalists later on in their careers) (Boing Boing)
- Colleges consider 3 year degrees (to save undergrads with a plan in mind time and money. Thanks Andrea!) (Washington Post, reg. required)
- Photobucket contest for Fox's 'Glee' (encourages fans to show of their "gold star potential" Also, the an essay contest from the author of fan-friendly study guide Defining Twilight: Vocabulary Workbook for Unlocking the SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT) (readergirlz)
Posted in: Ypulse Essentials Ypulse Sponsored Post: How iTunes Apps Are Revolutionizing The Way Brands Reach Teens Posted by meredith Today's Ypulse Sponsored post is from Lauren Zaner of Fuse, anchor sponsor for this year's Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup. This post is part of that sponsorship.
To learn more about Fuse Marketing and their unique approach to effectively reaching youth, be sure to catch Fuse founder Bill Carter and his session "Listen to Teens and Stop Wasting 50% of Your Marketing Budget" at the Mashup next week!
One App, Two App, Three App, Four: How iTunes applications are revolutionizing the way brands reach teens
The one-billionth iTunes application was downloaded by a 13 year old. Although most likely a coincidence, it is very symbolic of the connection between teens, cell phones and mobile media players - particularly iPhones and the iPod Touch.
Now, I may be biased considering I call my iPhone "The Oracle," but the numbers show that I'm not a lone ranger on this iPhone frontier. There are over 3 million iPhone users in the United States, 50% of which are under 30. That's not counting the large population of iPod Touch users, which is estimated at over 10 million.
Let's start from the top. Virtually all teenagers have cell phones, metaphorically surgically grafted to them, with email, internet, GPS, weather, games and music at their fingertips, not to mention the ability to actually make phone calls. They are listening to the latest tracks while playing some video-game-like app and waiting for a text back from their friends. This idea of an all-in-one device is a marketer's dream! They are already spending a large majority of their free time on their phone, the most popular by far being the iPhone, why not incorporate branding and marketing into the mix?
The iTunes application store has become a hotbed of marketing potential, targeting the young generation who are no longer captivated by billboards and traditional media and advertising. They are too busy twittering and texting, and probably doing both from their phone. It's like a one-stop shop, and as such, provides an endless realm of opportunity to get your brand or service in the face of this generation.
Companies are leveraging this hyperactivity in a multitude of apps – whether free or for sale; including Uniqlo's Uniqlock, Chanel showcasing their latest fashion shows via a free app, Audi A4 Driving Challenge, North Face's Snow Report and many more. The Lucky Magazine app allows users to not only browse shoes and bags from the most recent issue, but also check and see where the closest retailer is and even have the item put on hold. If I hadn't already been a subscriber to the magazine, that would have certainly made me one. These companies have latched on to a branding opportunity connected to the most accessible and highly used piece of technology in every teenager's hands.
Recent research conducted by Fuse has shown that teenagers rate the iTunes application store TV commercials as one of their favorites. It is becoming clear that iTunes apps, and the marketing approach behind the apps, are resonating with teens across all platforms. It is almost a guarantee, at some point, to hear a teenage conversation begin with "do you have 'XYZ' app?"
If you look at the variety of applications offered, it is somewhat surprising that more brands have yet to jump on the bandwagon. With the possibility of Apple creating a Verizon version of the iPhone in the future, it is clear that they are quickly taking over the cellular device world. And apps are no bench-warmer in that game. iPhones and iPod Touch go beyond functionality and increase a user's ability to personalize and exercise creativity; be it through their homepage photo, the ability to blog and upload photos right from the phone, or even just the exterior casing.
The key with where iTunes applications, and iPhones and the iPod Touch, will win out among Gen Y is this all-encompassing approach. Beyond the ability to personalize and get creative, users can experience a brand without it feeling invasive or unnatural.
Applications allow a brand to do something a little more interactive, engaging, and fun - and in the end hooking consumers. Teens aren't interested in the typical advertising rigmarole or in-your-face branding. Give them an experience with a brand, and you are far more likely to truly connect with them. Get them to play your video game or surf your products directly on their phone, and the brand is far more likely to stick with them once the phone is shut off (assuming it ever is).
Prior to the inception of the iPhone and iTunes apps, 45% of teens said that having a cell phone is the key to their social lives. Enter the iPhone and apps, and the sky's the limit to what those numbers are reaching now. It's no wonder brands are allocating budgets in an effort to jump on the apps train… in hopes of reaching teens via their "third arm."
More on Fuse
Fuse is a leading youth marketing agency that connects brands with youth through sports, music, fashion and other relevant youth cultural interests. Fuse strives to help brands reach a mass audience while maintaining credibility with key influencers.
For more coverage of the latest trends and developments in mobile technology for youth, check out the Ypulse Mobile Channel. Posted in: Ypulse Essentials | 2009 Mashup | Mobile Hold Your Breath For 'Catching Fire' [It's Worth It] Posted by meredith  Catching Fire. Yes, dear readers, that Catching Fire. The MUCH anticipated sequel to Suzanne Collins' dystopic thriller Hunger Games magically appeared in my mailbox just before the long weekend. And let me just say thank goodness for that. Because, honestly, it pretty much took all of that time to consume and digest the second heart-wrenching installment of Katniss Everdeen's trials and tribulations. Oh, Katniss.
Rest assured, I wouldn't dare deprive fans of the same roller coaster reading experience. So, no plot details here but, get ready for some vague emphatic praise because WOW does it deliver. More than that. It sends. Literally. If readers think they know what life after the "Games," the annual death match that takes place between children ages 12-18 in the fictional nation of Panem, brings for Katniss, Peeta and their families, they don't. Even if they guess at a sliver of what's in store for these characters, there is no preparing for the emotional deftness with which Collins handles its progression. Seriously, my eyes started tearing 15 pages in, my heart was in my throat by the end of part one and by the end , well, I literally staggered at out of my bedroom and said, "But.. how..?" (as in how can I wait an entire year for the third book..) Sigh.
All gushing aside though, I should warn that the novel isn't without its moments of intense frustration. Yes, I know, withholding information and building suspense come with the territory of a second act, but still! There were times I just wished I could reach in and shake Katniss for her denseness. In my head, I begged her to just ask one more question, to just get one more answer!
On the bright side, for teens who read this together (and like its predecessor, this is totally one of those books you are compelled to pass on with a conspiratorial whisper, "You have to read this") it does present a prime opportunity for some lengthy speculation and quality fan fiction both online and off. And surely, reading and writing some of that material will make the wait for book three slightly more bearable. Just slightly.
For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books Channel sponsored by The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (LB Teens).
Posted in: Ypulse Essentials | 2009 Mashup | Mobile | Books Ypulse Interview: Guy Kawasaki Posted by meredith Today's Ypulse Interview is with venture capitalist/Twitter star Guy Kawasaki who Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup attendees can catch next week(!!) moderating The Totally Wired Youth Entrepreneur Panel. Don't want to miss the sure-to-be inspiring session? Save a last minute seat and register today!
 Ypulse: What advice would you give a young entrepreneur today? What steps would you take if you were starting now?
Guy Kawasaki: Entrepreneurs should focus on creating prototypes—as opposed to PowerPoint pitches, Excel forecasts, and Word business plans—and get going. It's never been cheaper to do this because there's a lot of talent available, most tools are Open Source, and marketing with Facebook and Twitter is free. The time to develop great stuff is not when economic conditions improve. Instead, you should have it ready to go the moment the recession ends.
YP: Could you describe a humbling experience you went through when first starting out? What did you learn from it?
GK: I have a humbling experience almost every day. This is the nature of entrepreneurship: if you can't handle humbling, if not humiliating experiences, you should stay on the porch. You could make the case that my ultimate humbling experience is that Windows has 95% market share and Macintosh has 5% market share. What can be more humbling than that?
I learned two things: first, the best product doesn't necessarily win. Second, winning doesn't require the best product.
YP: What can older companies learn from businesses started by Gen Y?
GK: It's not that older companies can learn things from a specific generation. The truth is that established companies can always learn from new ones. The lesson that every company should heed is that success is a two-edged sword. It's great to achieve success, but it also breeds maintenance of the status quo. Very few companies have cannibalized their success and continued to innovate.
YP: You've become quite a Twitter celebrity. Any quick tips for young entrepreneurs who want to use Twitter to promote their businesses?
GK: Twitter is the wild, wild west. It is a new medium that is free, fast and ubiquitous. Young entrepreneurs should use it in any way that they can and worry about the consequences later. A historical perspective is useful: Many "experts" considered banner ads as heresy—much too blatant, irritating, blah blah blah. They offended many people's sensibilities of what the web was for. Now, who gives a shiitake?
The starting point for using Twitter is search. Young entrepreneurs should maintain an ongoing search of their company name, product name and industry keywords. Then they should use search results to contact potential customers, solicit feedback and assistance, and generally develop business with Twitter.
YP: How can Alltop, your latest venture, be useful to Millennials?
GK: Alltop is an online magazine rack organized by topics. We have more than 600 ranging from adoption to zoology with baseball, food, branding, music, and wine in between. Millennials should use Alltop as an alternative to bookmarking lots of sites and visiting them when they remember. We aggregate all that is new about a topic and provide it on one page.
The fundamental question that we answer for any topic is, "What's happening." For example, if you wanted to know how many songs Apple has sold through iTunes, you'd use Google. If you wanted to know what's happening in music in general, you'd use Music.alltop.com.
More on Guy
Guy Kawasaki is a founding partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at Garage Technology Ventures. He is also the co-founder of Alltop.com, an "online magazine rack" of popular topics on the web. Previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, Inc. Guy is the author of nine books including Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. He has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College. Posted in: Ypulse Essentials | 2009 Mashup | Mobile | Books | 2009 Mashup
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