Perspectives on Brand Consumption Amongst Teens: An Exploratory Study

The relevant role that children and adolescents achieve as consumers in the market has been a core topic in literature during the past decades. Both academic researchers and marketing professionals have investigated this particular field, albeit, from different perspectives. Several improvements have been achieved during the last years in an attempt to bridge the gap between the academics and practitioners in order to evolve a deeper understanding of this issue. The exploratory study reported in this paper aims to link both the constellations constructed by teenagers around brands and the practical implications that they have in terms of brand awareness and preference in different market sectors. In particular, the research will focus its attention on the stage of “tweenagers”, from 12 to 14 years old. Results suggest how teens are competent evaluators of brands in the market, being fully aware of a set of symbolic meaning that goes beyond the mere evaluation of the exteriors quality of products and brands. Moreover, as showed in previous research, the number of brands recalled by them increases with their development. This richness of teens’ brand repertoire and its specificity are signs of a growth in a very brand - oriented environment, one factor that is very interesting for both academic and professional research.